Badass Records

di Blair Johnson

Commenti musicali Storia della musica Interviste musicali

Episode #116, Chris Kinsley

Chris Kinsley joined me for Episode #116, and our coming together for this conversation resulted via collaboration with Chris's band, Arson Class, Sid Sowder's toomuchrock.com, and myself. Sid's Too Much Rock project has a number of intriguing aspects to it, i.e. concert reviews, stills, and footage. It also has a weekly podcast that is rapidly approaching the 700-episode mark. More pertinent to today, however, is the revitalization of his Too Much Rock Single Series, which -- with the release of Arson Class's new single, "Junior" -- celebrates its 11th installment. Tomorrow, then, Friday, May 3rd, Chris and Arson Class will be celebrating "Junior"'s release with a live set at Sister Anne's Records & Coffee, at 901 E. 31st Street, here in Kansas City. "Junior" will be available for purchase at area record stores, via a few online retailers, as well as directly from the band. It is only available as a limited-edition 7" vinyl pressing, and features an Arson Class cover of John Cougar's "American Dream" as its B-side. Chris sat down with me to discuss family, band life, serving in the military, and -- of course -- a few of his favorite records. Those were these: Horse Bites Dog Cries (1986), D.I. The Cramps' Flamejob (1994) Do or Die (1998), Dropkick Murphys Arson Class has an EP, an LP, and a pair of singles you can purchase or access from their bandcamp page. You can also find their stuff where you stream your music. You can give them a follow on Facebook or Instagram, or catch them live on either May 18th at Centennial Skate Park in Lawrence, KS, June 1st at miniBar in Kansas City, or on July 20th at Scene of the Crash in Sioux City, Nebraska. Too Much Rock can be followed on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Bluesky, and you can tune in to my conversation with Sid in Episode #105 of Badass Records. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are portions of a track called, "Your Friendly Neighborhood Sugar Man" by The Sugarman 3. The tune comes from their 2012 release, What the World Needs Now, c/o Daptone Records.

Episode #115, Becoming a Swifty, featuring Tisha Cash

When Tisha Cash told me she was on board to do an installment of Becoming a Swifty, I thought, Well, how cool is that?! This is the third episode of this series and I've now done talks with someone from my personal life, a complete stranger, and now -- thanks to Tisha -- someone from the professional world. And what a fun chat it was. Tisha and I go back roughly a decade ago to the time when I was about to become a parent for the second time, but we hadn't seen each other for a good little bit, so it was great to catch up with her and find out what's been happening in her world. We talked about a number of things and eventually made our way to talking the one and only, Taylor Swift. And while we recorded this before Miss Swift's new record dropped, we were able to talk not only about the anticipation of said drop, but also what Tisha's favorite T-Swift albums are. Those were these: Red (2012) 1989 (2014) Folklore (2020) Evermore (2020) So, many thanks to Tisha for making the trek down to the studio and doing an episode with me. Many thanks to the Swifties that have checked out the previous installments of the series (Episode #95, featuring Sophia Reade and Episode #98, featuring Christie Smerchek). If you'd like to share a little bit about your journey to Swiftydom, drop me a line at badassrecordspodcast over on the Gmails. We'll see if we can't get you in the chair. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "Time to Move On," by the late, great Tom Petty. The track comes from his 1994 release, Wildflowers, which is an all-time, undisputed record of badassery. It exists c/o 1994 Warner Records Inc.

Episode #114, David Regnier

David Regnier was kind enough to share a portion of his Saturday with me, and together we recorded Episode #114, in which we talked a little bit about life, a little bit about doin' that live-music thang, and a little bit about a few of David's favorite records. Those were these: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol II (1971) Exile on Main Street (1972), The Rolling Stones Ozzy Osbourne's Diary of a Madman (1981) EP 7 (1988), Fugazi Lhasa de Sela's La Llorona (1997) It was great getting to meet David and learn about his previous projects, i.e. Dead Voices (searchable on bandcamp), and know that he may have upcoming gigs with either one musician, a handful of musicians, or with David Regnier's Optimist Club. Thank you for checking out the show. copyright disclaimer: In the interim between recording and release of this episode, the greatest band in American rock history quietly dropped a new single as part of a forthcoming July 12 album release. Phish's "Evolve" is that single, and it is the title track of said forthcoming album, which will be their 16th. The samples contained, then, within this episode are from that tune, and I do not own the rights to it. It appears c/o 2024 Phish Inc.

Episode #113, The Radiohead Discography, featuring Sammy Sanchez

I'm very pleased to welcome Sammy Sanchez back to the program for a record-setting fourth appearance on the Badass Records podcast. And none of our chats have been brief ones. Sammy initially came around for Episode No. 44, in which we discussed a few of his favorite records: Pink Floyd's Animals (1977), Rain Dogs (1985) by Tom Waits, and LCD Soundsystem's This Is Happening (2010). For his second appearance, we tackled the Tom Waits discography, and that was super-fun and very educational. On his last go-round, we unearthed all of the Beck albums, and I think we're both glad we did that. This time, though, Sammy took the suggestion lead, and we decided we'd examine the studio albums by one of his all-time-favorite bands, Radiohead. If you're keeping score at home, those'er these: Pablo Honey (1993) The Bends (1995) OK Computer (1997) Kid A (2000) Amnesiac (2001) Hail to the Thief (2003) In Rainbows (2007) The King of Limbs (2011) A Moon-Shaped Pool (2016) Sammy's one of the most intelligent guys I've ever met, and this rich conversation we had was full of gems, i.e. the reminder (for me) that he longs to one day be a contestant on Jeopardy!. In the meantime, he's continuing to launch a new career, set aside a little nest egg, prepare for some quasi-upcoming travels, and possibly start a podcast of his own. Anyway, thanks to Sammy for his time and energy. And thanks to you for checking out the show. p.s. I meant Yo, Flaco, not Yo la Tengo. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained in this episode. They are clips from a Gramatik track called, "Bright Day," which can be found on their 2009 release, Sb2 (c/o P&C 2014 Lowtemp).

Episode #112, Zach Bauman

Zach Bauman joins me for Episode No. 112 of Badass Records, and we discussed a number of things in the world of photography. Please check out his Web site here, and consider giving him a follow on Instagram and/or Twitter. It was a pleasure meeting Zach and getting to learn a little bit about him, and -- while we were at it -- we talked about a few of Zach's favorite albums. They were these: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) The Rolling Stones's Sticky Fingers (1971) Siamese Dream (1993), Smashing Pumpkins The Strokes's Is This It (2001) Whether you're a return visitor or a first-timer to the program, thank you for checking it out. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained in this episode. They are clips from a track called, "Bertha Butt Boogie," by The Jimmy Castor Bunch. This tune appears on their 1974 release, Butt of Course...(c/o Atlantic Recording Corp., marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company

Episode #111, Brooke Kafka

Pleased to've met Brooke Kakfa as we sat down for Episode No. 111. Brooke is a daughter, a sibling, a friend to many, a lifelong musician, and a member of many bands. Find either her personal or her professional page on Facebook, give her a follow on Instagram, and be sure to check out her primary outfit's Web page, which -- if you happen to be reading this on the day it drops -- includes a Dames of the Dead show tonight at Mike Kelly's Westsider, here in Kansas City, from 7:00-10:00 p.m., CDT. Not to worry, though, if you catch this late; the Dames have a number of gigs listed through early June, the most recently announced being a spot at the one and only Boulevardia on Friday, 6/14, so hats off to them for that. Brooke and I talked a little bit about growing up, family life, education, working in the hospitality industry, and the juggling of roles in the numerous musical outfits in which she either leads or participates. We also talked about a few of her favorite albums (or in some cases, tunes from them) over the years. Those were these: Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan's Two of a Mind (1962) The Electrifying Eddie Harris (1968), Eddie Harris Les McCann and Eddie Harris' Swiss Movement (1969) Europe '72 (1972), Grateful Dead Doc Watson, The Essential Doc Watson (1973) Mingus (1979), Joni Mitchell Mingus Big Band's Nostalgia in Times Square (1993) Under the Table and Dreaming (1994), Dave Matthews Band Michael Brecker's Two Blocks from the Edge (1998) Wake Up to Find Out: Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, 3/29/90, (2014), Grateful Dead So, please check out all things Brooke Kafka online, and make sure to catch one of her live gigs. She is successfully managing a very full plate, and her projects are worth a peek. Thanks, Brooke, for your generous time and energy. The podcast has been made richer by way of your appearance. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Daft Punk track called, "Something About Us," which can be found on their 2001 release, Discovery (c/o Warner Music France/ADA France, 2001, Daft Life Ltd.).

Episode #110, Mark Manning

Mark Manning is a son, a brother, a partner, and -- based on the chunk of an evening I spent with him for Episode No. 110 -- one heck of a fine human being. He's also the host of the Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI, 90.1 FM here in Kansas City, so please consider tuning in to his progrum. This came up in our conversation and bears repeating here: Mark gets it. He understands what good content should sound and feel like, and he's a fantastic conversationalist, so -- even though this particular chat ran a little long -- it was worth every minute. What, you might be asking, could Mark and I have talked about for over three hours? Well, let's see... We dove into community radio. We spent some time talking gardening. We looked at potatoes, KCK, LGBTQIA, McDonald's, Mark Kelpe, Iris DeMent, pouring concrete, Greek and dorm life, David Bowie, Little Richard, theater, and hate crimes. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few of Mark's favorite albums, which were these: Blue (1971), Joni Mitchell Bowie's Hunky Dory (1971) Moon Shadow (1972), LaBelle Prince & the Revolution's Parade (1986) It's unclear to me why you're still here reading this when you could be listening to our conversation, but...to each his/her own. Either way, thank you. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "Halfway to the Moon," and that track is by Phish, the greatest band in American music history. And that cut comes from a badass (haters be damned) record from 2014, called Fuego (c/o 2014 Phish).

Episode #109, MABkc

It's Episode #109 and -- as is often the case -- I'm very excited to have a return guest join me for a conversation. Not only was this time no exception, this time was a visit I was really thrilled about, in that it was MABkc back to chew the fat with me about his new release, 90's Baby. If you missed the first go-'round with MAB, please consider checking out Episode #49, and if you like(d) what you saw/heard there, please use MABkc as your search on your audio platform of choice to check out any (or all) of his previous releases. There are EP options, LP choices, and singles to buy/download/stream. And if you're in the market for some studio time for your own project, visit industrysoundz.com. While you're there, you can purchase your own time package or some beats or even some merch'. And while perusing your studio-time package, make sure to check out the array of talented engineers available to assist. 90's Baby, though, is a must-listen. It's nine tracks, 25 minutes, full of good stuff, and it just dropped in late January. Catching up with MABkc was a delight, and I'm always stoked to try and support local artists and their projects in any way possible. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "Young Men Dead," by The Black Angels, which appears on their 2006 release, Passover (c/o Light in the Attic Records).

Episode #108, Brad Smith

Brad Smith stopped by to record Episode No. 108 with me, and it was an absolute treat to meet/get to know him. I'm excited for you to get to know him a bit, too, but before you dive in to our lovely conversation, please know that you can catch his band, Eggs on Mars, tomorrow (Friday, March 8th, 2024) at Hillsiders in KCK. That's in Strawberry Hill, specifically at 403 N. 5th Street. And if you can't catch them there, be sure to follow them on Instagram so that you can keep tabs on their goings-on, i.e. their mini regional tour in April, which features gigs in both Oklahoma and Missouri. Anyway, apart from being the Eggs' frontman, Brad's also a baller (see: Pleasant Hill Roosters High School boys basketball record books), and a heckuva nice guy. Brad and I talked family, friends, gigging and recording, live performances, and -- of course -- a few of Brad's favorite records, which were these: Friends (1968), The Beach Boys The Band's self-titled album (1969) After the Gold Rush (1970), Neil Young Emitt Rhodes' self-titled album (1970) Overgrown Path (2012), Chris Cohen In addition to the good, ol' IG, Eggs on Mars has a bandcamp page, which I encourage you to visit, so that you can check out awesome releases like last year's Warm Breakfast. So, get your buns on over to Hillsiders tomorrow, check out our chat, and -- as always -- thank you for stopping by. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio snippets contained in this episode. They are clips from a song called, "The Wind," by Babe Rainbow off of their 2021 release, Changing Colors (c/o Babe Rainbow/Eureka Music).

Episode #107, DINKC

Thirty episodes ago, that week's guest discussed with me the notion of this podcast being a one-man weekly endeavor. "That's a grind, man," he said. "That's a grind." He was right when he made that comment, and it made me realize that that was a good summation of what the thing had been to that point. And it hasn't changed. It really is a grind to do the outreach and the scheduling, the interviewing and the editing, the prep and the getting the thing to the places it needs to be. There are five essential components that make it all worthwhile: 1) meeting new people and hearing their stories 2) getting exposed to music I've either never heard of or listened to before 3) having guests tell me that they've enjoyed the interview 4) experiencing real-life, there's-still-good-in-the-world moments with each interaction 5) personal weekly pride in task completion and productivity So, when I sit in the chair across from a total stranger like DINKC, and I get to learn about him, his family, his culture, his story, his wishes and dreams, and I then get to put it out there for whoever might be interested in sharing that same experience with me, it's worth it. You cannot put a price tag on the opportunity to meet a guy like DINKC. Now, I only sat with him for a couple of hours, and -- who knows -- we may never see one another for the rest of our lives. As DINKC says and lives and is, Death Is Not Knowing Certainty. It doesn't matter, though; my life and my time on this planet are richer for those two hours, and nothing can change that. So, please check out our conversation. DINKC is a son and a brother and an uncle and a father and a husband and an artist. He's a businessman, a dreamer, a friend to many, and an asset to the Kansas City metro area. We talked about his upbringing, his culture, his values, his art studio -- DINKC Studios (600 Ohio Ave. in Strawberry Hill), and we also talked a little bit about some of his favorite records, which were these: Ritchie Valens (1959), Ritchie Valens Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die (1994) Barrio Bravo (2001), Celso Piña You can give DINKC a follow on Instagram here and here, and you can check out Zoe Strohm's The Pitch article on him here. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples featured in this episode. They are clips from a track called, "Slow Jam" by Vieux Farke Touré off of his 2009 album, Fondo (c/o Six Degrees Records).

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