Badass Records

por Blair Johnson

Comentarios musicales Historia de la música Entrevistas musicales

Episode #156, Amber Lea

Amber Lea is a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother figure to her husband's two kids. She's an incredibly intelligent woman with a great sense of humor that has taken on the challenge of facing health and medical issues with an admirable sense of strength. She's also the owner of Dear You Tattoo (4470 Rainbow in KCK), and she's my guest for Episode No. 156. I usually chat with my guests for a few minutes before we launch into the conversation, and somewhere along the way in that transition, I cut off Amber's name in introducing her, and went straight in to Dear You details, so my apologies to Amber for that oversight. Talking with Amber was really great, though. Every once in a while, I get to sit down with someone who gets the art of conversation and the concept of being real in doing so, and Amber is, for sure, one of those rarities; I consider our chat to've been a blessing. We talked about family and growing up and the pursuit of genuine customer service. We shared a couple of laughs about a few random things like Cheech & Chong, and raved over a few MTV Unplugged (which has been around for 29 seasons and over 100 episodes!) performances. And of course we talked about a few of Amber's favorite albums, which she was kind enough to break into two lists: All-Time Faves Ministry's With Sympathy (1983) Pretty Hate Machine (1989), Nine Inch Nails Portishead's Dummy (1994) Mezzanine (1998), Massive Attack Modern Brain Ticklers Services (2015), Tempers Public Memory's Wuthering Drum (2016) I'm Waving, Not Drowning (2020), Matte Blvck Health's Disco4, pt. 1&2 (2022) Please check out Dear You on Instagram (@dearyoutattoo), or peruse their super-handsome Web site, dearyoutattoo.com. They've been at it for going on a decade, and will definitely make you feel valued as a customer. On a personal note, this marks three full years of weekly episodes for the podcast, so I'm pleased to've gotten this thing off the ground and kept it alive for this long. Now on to the next 52 weeks! copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a tune called, "Vandenburg Suite," by The New Mastersounds. I lifted it from their 2005 album, This Is What We Do, c/o One Note Records.

Episode #155, Kyle Maggart

Kyle Maggart of Brothers Music in Shawnee joined me for Episode No. 155, and I enjoyed the heck out of our conversation. His joint can be found at 12206 Johnson Drive, and they can be reached at 913-766-3869, or followed on Instagram as @brothersmusickc. We talked about growing up, getting into music at a young age, starting a business, and collecting a ton of vinyl. Naturally, we talked about a few of Kyle's favorites, which were these: Blue Train (1958), John Coltrane The Band's Music from The Big Pink (1968) There's No Place Like America Today (1975), Curtis Mayfield Toots & the Maytals' Funky Kingston (1976) Graceland (1986), Paul Simon UGK's Too Hard to Swallow (1992) I'd be remiss if I didn't give shouts out to the late, great Patrick "Potshake Dubwise" DuBois, and his fantastic KDUR FM radio show, Roots, Ragga, Radio, out of Durango, CO's Fort Lewis College (Go, Skyhawks!). Patrick was as kind as they come, and I'll always be grateful to him for both that and for showing me a few corners of the college/community-radio ropes. I'd also be remiss if I didn't give Kyle props for saying that Southern American Gospel might be the next frontier. One of the cooler collection of words spoken to date on the podcast. Please consider paying Brothers Music a visit if you're in the area, and give them an Instagram follow. Thank you to Kyle, and to everyone who tunes in. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. I poached them from an Andrew Gabbard tune called, "Cloud of Smoke," off of his 2023 release, Cedar City Sweetheart, c/o Karma Chief Records, a division of Colemine Records.

Episode #154, Jamie Searle

Jamie Searle, a.k.a. @jjeromemusic, joined me for Episode No. 154, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to've met him and gotten to know him a little bit. Jamie is a son, a husband, a father, a musician, a songwriter, a producer, and he's the guy that runs The Westport Bowery, so holler at him for any of your booking/entertainment needs for that venue. Our conversation touched on family, growing up, the lenses of perspective and identity, making art, being outdoors, and the love of music, just to name a few topics. While we were in that last neighborhood, we did pause for a moment to look at a few of Jamie's favorite albums, which were these: Rubber Soul (1965), The Beatles Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack's self-titled release (1972) Thriller (1982), Michael Jackson Nirvana's Nevermind (1991) Malibu (2016), Anderson .Paak Jamie's other Instagram handles are @chromaticcontact, @mbandskc, and @westportbowery, so please consider giving his @jjerome account a follow, and -- while you're there -- have a peek at those, too. For more information on what goes on at the Bowery, check them out at thewestportbowery.com. Thank you to Jamie, and to all of you for supporting the show. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Lemon Jelly tune called, "Ramblin' Man," which comes from their 2002 effort, Lost Horizons (c/o XL Recordings LTD).

Episode #153, James R. Wilson, Jr.

James R. Wilson, Jr. is a son, a sibling, a husband, a father, an artist, and -- amongst many other things -- he's my guest for Episode No. 153. James and I sat down to talk about family, growing up in KCK, fatherhood, the world of creating and making art, skating, and his creations on both YouTube and Instagram. We also talked a little bit about a few of James' favorite albums, which were these: Easter Everywhere (1967), 13th Floor Elevators Muzak Orchestra's Muzak Stimulus Progression 1976 (1976) The Infamous (1995), Mobb Deep Propaghandi's Less Talk, More Rock (1996) Please consider giving James a follow on any or all of his IG channels, which are @waxtron, @waxtronindustries, @ducketsruckus, & @terranova.tapes; his YouTube is Waxtron Industries. And please keep your eyes peeled for his upcoming art show on Saturday, April 12, at Alcott Art Center. Many thanks to James and to all that support the show. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples found within this episode. They are clips from a Joe Russo track, called, "Molly & Anni," which I lifted from his 2019 release, Phér•bōney, c/o Woodlot Recording.

Episode #152, Jason Adams

Ladies and Gentlemen -- Please put your hands together for...Jason Adams! Hey, hey, hey...It's the second freaking week of January in 2025, and -- to quote my future ex-wife, Gwen Stefani, "this shit is bananas." Stoked, nonetheless, to have Jason in the studio. It was lovely to meet him, and I'm jazzed to tell you that, together, we made Episode #152 happen. Jason is the brains behind Supplemental Sound, and you should not only check his work out on his site, but you should also consider giving him a follow on Instagram. It was fantastic meeting Jason, and learning a little bit about him, such as what a few of his favorite records are, which're these: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (1973) Purple Rain (1984), Prince and the Revolution Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral (1994) EAT ME, DRINK ME (2006), Marilyn Manson Billie Eilish's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019) So, please check out Supplemental Sound. Please make sure your pets and loved ones are fed and warm. Please be safe out there. And, please be kind to one another. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a tune called, "Black Day," by Monolink. It comes from their 2019 release, Amniotic, c/o Embassy One.

Episode #151, Robert Bearce

Robert Bearce is a son, a sibling, a husband, and a father. He's the brains behind The Free Rent Band, and he's my guest for Episode No. 151. In addition to his numerous other talents, Robert is also an app developer, a music lover, and he's the founder of Briar Fest (briarfestkc.com). It was a pleasure to meet him, and chat with him about his journey so far. We touched on writing, recording, the longevity of the band, his seemingly fearless knack for birthing ideas and launching them into the world. We, of course, also talked about a few of Robert's favorite albums, which were these: Led Zeppelin IV (1971) Eat a Peach (1972), The Allman Brothers Band Johnny Cash's American V: A Hundred Highways (2006) In Time (2013), The Mavericks Please check out Robert's Free Rent Band & Publishing page on Facebook, and find their content on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. Many thanks to Robert, and Happy 2025 to you all. Note: In discussing the movie, Friday, I mistakenly called Chris Tucker's character Craig, instead of Smokey. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Joachim Pastor single called, "Fixi," from 2016, c/o Hungry Music.

Episode #150, Luke "Music by Skippy" Harbur

The list of descriptors to accurately depict Luke Harbur, a.k.a. musicbyskippy, would rival Santa's gift list, so I'm only touching on a few here. He's a son, a brother, a transplant survivor, an artist, a producer, a beatboxing specialist, an entrepreneur, a wonderful human being, and he's my guest for Episode No. 150. Luke's stuff all lives at musicbyskippy.com, but you can also find him on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Luke and I talked about family, life experiences, career visions and dreams, the creative process, and a bunch more. Somewhere in that mix was a short list of a few of his favorite albums. Those were these: Vampire Weekend's Contra (2010) The Human Condition (2016), Jon Bellion J. Cole's KOD (2018) Meeting Luke and learning a little bit about both his journey and his trajectory was an absolute delight. Please consider taking a moment to check him out. Give him a follow, and subscribe to his newsletter. A few corrections: Family Ties, not Facts of Life. Sheesh. In that show, Stephen and Elise are the parents, not the dads. Double sheesh. And, Happy 2025 to you all. Not 2026 (yet). Lord... Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from an Oliver Koletzki tune called, "Bring Me Home," from his 2014 release, I am OK, c/o Still vor Talent Records.

Episode #149, Dylan Johnson

"And the man on the cuts! Twice as nice with the slice...his name ain't Tommy...but he's my boy!" Yes, that's right. A little apropos-of-nothing (Chicago's own) Liquid Soul quote to celebrate the fact that Dylan Johnson joined me for Episode No. 149. Very pleased that Dylan joined me for this conversation, and I feel it's important to let you know that his stuff is as follows: dylanjohnsonlive.com; humbledpride.com;, and dylan_johnson_music on Instagram. You can find stuff to listen to on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon, Pandora, and Deezer, and -- while you're pokin' around -- make sure to give 2022's Suburbs a listen. I really enjoyed getting to chat with Dylan. We talked a little bit about family and growing up, being part of a band that's been both together and homeboys for decades, and we also talked about the process of writing, recording, and producing an album. Not lost in the mix was a little segment about a few of Dylan's favorite albums, which were these: Van Morrison's Astral Weeks (1968) August & Everything After (1992), Counting Crows Ben Folds Five's self-titled (1995) Rain or Shine (2010), O.A.R. Lana Del Ray's Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) Talking with Dylan was educational and entertaining. He seems to have that "it" button, and I wish him nothing but the best with both his current and future projects. If you're in KC, I think you can catch him at The Pour House Friday evenings. Check him out. Thank you to Dylan for his time, and thank you to all of you that support the show. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are samples taken from a Widespread Panic single from this year (!) called, "Blue Carousel" c/o Widespread Records. I mean, I have always loved me some Widespread, and -- while this tune's riff sounds a lot like the initial heartbeat of "Greta," I had to tag it and show them some love.

Episode #148, Dr. Erika C. Martin

I was pleased as all get-out one day this summer when Dr. Erika C. Martin messaged me on a thread I'd started a few weeks prior. She mentioned she'd be coming through town the following day and -- were I available to schedule something last-minute -- she'd be happy to slightly alter her travel plans to come sit and chat with me for a few. She is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Emporia State University. She's a biostatistician and a science correspondent for the Fish Nerds podcast, and she's the Editor of Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. She's also a daughter, a sibling, a wife, a mom, a collector of stringed instruments and vinyl records, one heck of a singer/songwriter/guitarist, and she's my guest for Episode No. 148. Erika and I talked family, growing up, academia and education, science, podcasting, and a bunch more, which included a few of her favorite albums. Those were these: This Is the Moody Blues (1974), The Moody Blues Red Hot Chili Peppers' One Hot Minute (1995) 'V' is for Vagina (2007), Puscifer N.A.S.A.'s The Spirt of Apollo (2009) Good Company (2014), The Dead South I'm always impressed and thankful when someone makes the trek in from Lawrence or Manhattan or anywhere, really. The gift of time is invaluable, and when folks travel to donate it via sitting in my basement home studio with me for a chunk of time, I'm grateful. When someone cuts a four-hour road trip in half, though, and hangs out with me for two hours in the interim, well...that's just aces. And Doc Martin is for sure an ace, herself. So, many thanks to her for the trust, the time, and the conversation, and thank you to you for supporting the podcast. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "Donny Gone," by The Jazzual Suspects. I found it on their self-titled release from 2018, c/o Om Records.

Episode #147, Lisa Alpert

When Facebook suggested Lisa Alpert as a person I might know, I peeped her profile, and thought, this lady seems pretty cool. And oftentimes, that hunch is accurate. Not always, but often. This one was no exception. Lisa Alpert is cool, rad, awesome, and good vibes, and that's precisely the sort of thing I'm seeking when looking for guests. Lisa's a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a business owner, and a muthaf***in' hustle. Ya' betta' ax somebody. For those reasons and more, she's my guests for Episode #147, and I couldn't be happier that we made this conversation happen. Please check out Lisa's business, Manifest Collaborative. It's a non-profit that specializes in marketing, fundraising, brand development, public relations, and a bunch more. Learning about some of Lisa's professional endeavors and personal experiences was so much fun. We talked about family, pursuing dreams, and -- of course -- a couple of her favorite albums. Those were these: self-titled, Tracy Chapman (1988) Give Up (2003), Postal Service Sufjan Stevens' Come On, Feel the Illinoise (2005) Plans (2005), Death Cab for Cutie Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience (2013) Sound & Color (2015), Alabama Shakes Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book (2016) Harmony of Difference (2017), Kamasi Washington Future Islands' People Who Aren't There Anymore (2024) And we gave a tiny bit of honorable-mention action to Taylor Swift, Saves the Day, The Quintet, Beyonce, Qveen Herby, Fleet Foxes, TLC, and Lil' Wayne. A thousand thanks to Lisa for both the time and the awesomeness. I can't wait to book her again for the Becoming a Swifty series. Cheers, y'all. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Heiko Voss tune called, "I Think About You," off of the 2003 EP of the same name (c/o Kompact Pop).

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