Badass Records

Badass Records

di Blair Johnson
Commenti musicaliStoria della musicaInterviste musicali

Episode #66, The Tom Waits Discography, featuring Sammy Sanchez

Sammy Sanchez is back!This time, we dug in to the entire Tom Waits discography, and what a ride it was.Sammy's first appearance on Badass Records was on Episode #44, in which we discussed a little LCD Soundsystem, a little Pink Floyd, and a little Tom Waits. And during that conversation, it occurred to me that I needed a Tom Waits fan with whom to geek out. And you know what? Sammy was game!Here's the list of what we covered:Closing Time (1973)The Heart of Saturday Night (1974)Nighthawks at the Diner (1975)Small Change (1976)Foreign Affairs (1977)Blue Valentine (1978)Heartattack and Vine (1980)Swordfishtrombones (1983)Rain Dogs (1985)Frank's Wild Years (1987)Bone Machine (1992)The Black Rider (1993)Mule Variations (1999)Alice (2002)Blood Money (2002)Real Gone (2004)Bad As Me (2011)Sammy was just as fantastic this time around as he was a few months back, and I'll definitely have him back for another run through some artist's body of work. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to get this off the ground, and thankful that it's still got a pulse.So thank you for stopping by and giving Episode #66 a listen/view. Please visit the Merch' store at badassrecordspodcast.com and drop me a line at badassrecordspodcast at gmail dot com if you're in the Kansas City area and interested in doing an episode.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are clips from Medeski, Martin & Wood's "Dracula" from their 1996 release, Shack-Man (c/o Gramavision Inc.), and Ward Davis's, "Good and Drunk" off of his 2018 Asunder EP (c/o Ward Davis Music). Both are artists versed in badassery, and you should check out their stuff.
E66
18 mag 2023
2:01:02

Episode #65, Jason Buice

Hopefully this week's guest has already forgiven me for butchering both the pronunciation and spelling of his last name, even though I had them written in front of me.His name is Jason Buice and he's a son, a brother, a husband, a musician, a bandmate, and a heck of a nice guy.He was kind enough to drive in from LFK to record Episode #65 with me, and boy was our conversation a fascinating one.We of course talked about a few of Jason's favorite albums, and they are these:Thriller (1982), Michael JacksonU2's The Unforgettable Fire (1984)Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987), The CureNirvana's Nevermind (1991)OK Computer (1997), RadioheadBut we also talked a little bit about Jason's path down the river of musicianship. For starters, you can find his solo EP, Both Sides (2019) on his bandcamp, and he's got a couple of other projects there, too. And we talked about his current project, Chowk, whom you can follow on Instagram, and I encourage you to do so as they have plans to record an album here in the coming weeks. Finally, if you're catching this is some form of real time, you can catch Chowk performing live on the radio on Sunday, May 14th on KKFI, 90.1 FM. They'll be on around 9:00 p.m. Central Standard as part of the Under the Radar program.Anyway, Jason's fantastic, and the vibe around Chowk feels like they're gonna be, too, so check him and them out, and don't forget to visit the Merch' store on the Web site. You should totally hook yourself up with a Fresh Socks t-shirt.Thanks for stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are clips taken from The String Cheese Incident's "Bigger Isn't Better" off of 1997's Born on the Wrong Planet (c/o SCI Fidelity Records) and "Sundown" off of Gordon Lightfoot's (R.I.P. in Peace) 1974 record of the same name (c/o Reprise Records (marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company)), respectively.
E65
11 mag 2023
1:47:03

Episode #64, Billy Brady

Billy Brady is a son, a brother, a fiancé, a musician, and a guy -- if you're reading this at the time of release (Thursday morning, May 4, 2023) -- you might be able to catch on 90.1, KKFI FM this morning at 10:00 Central Standard. If you're catching this on Thursday or Friday, you can catch him and the Whiskey Mash Band playing live at Lemonade Park in the West Bottoms of Kansas City (tickets available here).If you didn't catch that in time, you can check out the Whiskey Mash Band's stuff here, or you can find their stuff on places like Facebook, Spotify, etc.Anyway...Billy was kind enough to stop by and talk, so we recorded Episode #64 together and chatted live music, and a little bit about a few of his favorite records, which were Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1970), The String Cheese Incident's Carnival '99 (2000), and Phish's Farmhouse (2000).Our conversation was a hoot and there are a lot of good things on the horizon for Billy and his outfit(s), so please give him a follow, catch him live (plenty of summer dates on the books), and consider supporting live, local music whenever and wherever you can.I know I fudged something in this interview, but I'm spacing it now.Oh, well.Thanks for stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the promo or the intro/outro audio samples. I lifted them from Benevento/Russo Duo's, "Nashville" off of Play Pause Stop (2006), c/o Royal Potato Family and The String Cheese Incident's, "Bigger Isn't Better" from 1997's Born on the Wrong Planet (c/o SCI Fidelity Records), respectively.
E64
4 mag 2023
1:39:43

Episode #63, Rob Davis

Rob Davis is a son, a sibling, a father, a fiancé, a chef, a baseball aficionado, and a brethren in Phish of the truest kind. I was thrilled and honored that he carved out a slice of time for me so that we could sit down together and record Episode #63 of the podcast.We swapped stories of our partying days and our musical journeys that ultimately led to our discoveries of the greatest band in American rock history.The albums that Rob tabbed for his episode are as follows:Tea for the Tillerman (1970), Cat StevensGeorge Winston's December (1982)The Final Cut (1983), Pink FloydPhish's Junta (1989)One from the Vault (1991), Grateful DeadIf you're in the Kansas City area and have a hankering to sink your teeth into some of Rob's vittles, you can sample his wares at Marina 27 Steak & Seafood out at Lake Lotawana, and if you do, please consider treating him to a round of golf on one of his rare days off.And if you're scouring the Internet, please visit the Merch' store of the podcast's Web site and consider treating yourself to a hoodie or a sticker or -- my personal new favorite -- a custom t-shirt.Give our chat a listen if it sounds intriguing to you. And as always, thank you for stopping by.episode edit: It's not called "Strawberry Letters." Rather: "Strawberry Letter 23."copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio for the show's promo or the show's intro/outro. The former comes from the closing track to Benevento/Russo Duo's 2006 record entitled, Play Pause Stop (c/o Royal Potato Family); the track's name is "Memphis." The latter comes from "Golgi Apparatus" off of Phish's 1989 release, Junta (c/o Elektra Entertainment Company).
E63
27 apr 2023
1:30:16

Episode #62, Sean Harris

Sean Harris is a son and a brother and a husband and a father. He's also the brains behind Counter Clockwise KC, a Lee's Summit-based online radio station.I was fortunate enough to have him join me for Episode #62 of the podcast, in which we talked music, family, travel, and -- of course -- a few of Sean's favorite records.Those were these:Pink Floyd's Animals (1977)Fair Warning (1981), Van HalenDe La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)Ten (1991), Pearl JamPlease check out Counter Clockwise KC. You can find it on Facebook or Instagram, Live365, or via the TuneIn mobile app. Counter Clockwise KC, the alternative to the alternative.And while I'm askin' ya' to check stuff out, don't forget to browse the store through the Merch' tab at badassrecordspodcast.com.Note: I made a foolish gaffe when talking Medeski, Martin & Wood records: It's not Shack-Man and Bubblehouse, but Shack-Man and Combustication. And I always forget to mention the John Scofield records, too. Oops. I'm a dummy.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips I lifted from a song called, "Photograph" by Heartless Bastards. It's track seven from their 2021 release, A Beautiful Life (c/o Sweet Unknown Records, marketed and distributed by Thirty Tigers).
E62
20 apr 2023
2:25:34

Episode #61: The De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest Discographies, featuring Elwyn M. Grimes, Jr.

Hey, hi, and hello!Episode #61 of the Badass Records Podcast was a very special one, in that the one and only Elwyn M. Grimes, Jr. made a return appearance to the show, and he did so under the guise of tackling two of the most important discographies in hip-hop history, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.Twas no small feat, but we got after it and had a good time doing so, especially considering that -- as of March 3, 2023 -- the De La catalog is finally available via streaming services. 'Bout. Damn. Time.The list looks like this:3 Feet High and Rising (1989), DLSPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990), ATCQDe La Soul Is Dead (1991), DLSThe Low End Theory (1991), ATCQBuhloone Mindstate (1993), DLSMidnight Marauders (1993), ATCQStakes Is High (1996), DLSBeats, Rhymes & Life (1996), ATCQThe Love Movement (1998), ATCQArt Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000), DLSA.O.I.: Bionix (2001), DLS The Grind Date (2004) DLSPlug 1 & Plug 2 Present...First Serve (2012), DLS...and the Anonymous Nobody (2016), DLSWe Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service (2016), ATCQAnd you'd better believe there was a Ric Flair, "Woo!" gettin' through all that.I talked too much on this one and probably bored Elwyn to pieces, but boy did we appear to be having a good time, so many thanks to him for coming and hanging with me a second time. Catch him on Episode #3 if you missed him the first time around.Peace!copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from the best one-two punch in hip-hop history, "Dinninit"--> "Brakes," which are tracks off of Stakes (c/o A.O.I., LLC Under Exclusive License to Chrysalis Records Limited, a.k.a. not Tommy Boy Records).
E61
13 apr 2023
2:16:58

Episode #60, Wu-Tang 101 (featuring the Jett Pakk)

Only a few folks that I know could do me such a solid as diving in to the Wu-Tang library, and it pleases me more than you know to welcome the J.P.G. back to Badass Records Podcast.The Jett Pakk was kind enough to indulge me on my Wu-Tang exploration, and we sat down to have a brief chat about the group's studio discography, which looks like this:Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 1993Wu-Tang Forever, 1997The W, 2000Iron Flag, 20018 Diagrams, 2007A Better Tomorrow, 2014Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, 2015I can't speak for Mr. George, but I very much enjoyed this assignment, and I'm looking forward to taking a knife and fork to the individual discographies.Please give our chat a listen and let me know which Wu-Tang record(s) gets your nod. And don't forget to hit the Merch' store. Get you a sticker and a t-shirt. Thank you for stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a tune called, "Wu-Tang Forever," by Logic (featuring Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, Jackpot Scotty Wotty, U-God, Masta Killa, and GZA). The track comes from his 2018 record, YSIV (c/o Def Jam Recordings, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.).
E60
6 apr 2023
1:17:25

Episode #59, Ian "The Cheeto Flow" Hallowell

Ian "The Cheeto Flow" Hallowell is more things than I could possibly list here in one of these bio-type thingys, but I can for sure say that he is a saxophonist, a son, a brother, a nephew, and one heckuva badass dude.I mean...wow.Amazing hang.Glad we got to chat about a few of his favorite records, which are these:Blacknuss (1971), Rahsaan Roland KirkRodrigo y Gabriela & C.U.B.A.'s Area 52 (2012)Harmony of Difference (2017), Kamasi WashingtonProdigy Productions's Prodigy (2021)Dirty Horse (2022), MartinAnd what a ride they were.It's the Badass Records Podcast, where hopefully you have the opportunity to appreciate some music and a little bit of conversation. Appreciate you stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a tune called, "The Squirming Coil," which was the leadoff cut to Phish's sophomore effort, Lawn Boy (1990). It (c/o Elektra Records, Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company) remains one of the best first tracks to one of the best albums in rock history. Or whatever history. Jam-band. I dunno. How 'bout that record-label mouthful, though? Haven't typed one quite that long prior. Anyway...point is you should listen to Lawn Boy. Several times. It's in the Mount Rushmore talks of badass records. Promise.
E59
30 mar 2023
2:08:29

Episode #58, Gay Joey

Gay Joey is an absolute badass for swinging by the Badass Records Podcast studio to record Episode #58 with me, and it was an absolute pleasure chatting with him.He is a son and a brother and an uncle and a server and a friend to many and an all-around fantastic guy.As this home-grown, one-person operation has learned before, however, goofs, and gaffes, and glitches happen; they probably always will. This rendition unfortunately falls under that category as the primary source for audio failed and was unretrievable. So...I had to use the camera audio, which is ghetto and annoying and comes with the sweet nuisance of hearing the actual camera run most of the time, but I really enjoyed this conversation and wanted to put it out, nonetheless.So, the audio's shitty. And I wish it weren't, but we -- nevertheless -- talked some Madonna (Like a Virgin, 1984) and some 2Pac (All Eyez on Me, 1996), and a number of other things, too.Thank you for stopping by. Please check out the revised Merch' page on the Web site (badassrecordspodcast.com).copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a track called, "Evening Song" off of Phish's 2020 release, Sigma Oasis (c/o Phish Inc.), which is 100 percent a badass record. You should own it now, even if only digitally.
E58
23 mar 2023
1:13:20

Episode #57, Brett Batliner

Brett Batliner. Whew. It's even a mouthful to type. I kid, I kid. Brett Batliner cooked for me a dozen years ago, and we've somehow managed to stay in quasi-contact since. What fun times those were, too. Me. The fearless leader amongst a dozenish 19-year-olds. Yikes. Anyway...Brett's a great guy. He's a son and a brother and a boyfriend and a pet lover and a guitarist and a rapper. And unfortunately for Brett, he's also a service-industry guy. Run, Brett! Run far and fast! My conversation with Brett for Episode #57 was a hoot, though. We talked family and musicianship and recording. We talked about that ski-bum life and skateboarding, and, of course, Brett's favorite band of all time: 311. This is the third episode to feature a different 311 record (which may be rivaled only by Wilco here on the Badass Records Podcast), and Brett's choice was Transistor (1997). We had a good time breaking it down, and I think it's safe to say that we both enjoyed the conversation as a whole. Thanks for stopping by, and please be sure to buy Brett a Jager Bomb if you see him out there on them streets. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a track called, "Countach" by Ratatat, which is off of their 2015 record, Magnifique (c/o XL Recordings LTD).
E57
16 mar 2023
2:20:23
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