Badass Records

by Blair Johnson

Music Commentary Music History Music Interviews

Episode #136, Bill Brownlee

I have the utmost gratitude for Bill Brownlee gracing me with an appearance for Episode No. 136. Bill is so many things, and I confidently say that barely knowing him. What he is above all -- at least at this moment -- is generous for taking time out of his life to come sit with a perfect stranger, and I couldn't be happier about the conversation that resulted from his decision to do so. Bill and I talked about his careers in the record-label industry and as a writer for The Kansas City Star. We discussed his fine, fine work over at Plastic Sax as well as There Stands the Glass, both of which I encourage you to make regular visits to, as the writings are keen and important to the Kansas City music scene. We also talked about a few of Bill's favorite records, which were these: Stevie Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978), Bruce Springsteen Alison Krauss' Now That I've Found You: A Collection (1995) The College Dropout (2004), Kanye West Moor Mother's Jazz Codes (2022) Bill's a great Instagram follow if your feed's missing a little something, but beyond you checking out his written work on the aforementioned Web sites, I'm excited for folks to dig in to this conversation. It was a great one. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "Hale to the Man," by Brian Hyland. I lifted it from his 1977 release, In a State of Bayou, c/o Private Stock Records Ltd.

Episode #135, DJ Prodigy

DJ Prodigy is a son, a brother, a partner, a father, and he's armed with an artillery of skills that would impress most any artist. He's also my guest for Episode No. 135. Prodigy splits his time between Kansas City and Arizona, and while in town, he squeezed a chat with me in in between a handful of gigs. For that I am grateful. We talked about growing up, finding one's way, producing, making records, dancing, beatboxing, and a bunch more. We also talked about a few of his favorite records, which were these: Parliament's Mothership Connection (1975) Strikes Again (1978), Rose Royce Zapp & Roger's Zapp (1980) Dangerous (1991), Micheal Jackson Many thanks to Prodigy for stopping by and chewing the industry fat with me. You can (and should) follow him on Instagram. His Facebook stuff and his SoundCloud stuff is under Prodigy Productions. So check him out and make sure to see him live whenever you get the chance. No tellin' which of his many toys he may bust out. Thanks, as always, to those that support the show. Much appreciated. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune by Stavros called, "Should've Brought an Umbrella" from the 2015 EP, Silent Spring, c/o Moodfamily.

Episode #134, Marty Wall

Marty Wall is a son, a sibling, a husband, a long-time former Kansas City-radio D.J., and a voice-over artist. He fronts three different live-music acts, has some rich K.C. knowledge, and he's my guest for Episode No. 134. Marty and I talked about music collections, radio formats and programming, gigging, family, and more. We also had a peek at two of his favorite albums, which were these: Elton John's Honky Chateau (1972) Spilt Milk (1993), Jellyfish It was a great joy to meet Marty and learn a little bit about him. I continue to have tremendous gratitude for the folks that say "yes" to joining me for some conversation. I spent some time listening to Marty on the Kansas City airwaves as a younger person, and I dug hearing about both his educational and professional trajectories. Many thanks, Mr. Wall. You can poke around at Marty's professional digs (and/or hire him) here, and you can keep tabs on at least two of his current live-music situations here and here. Cheers, y'all. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a single called, "Handbrake," that an outfit called Micatone put out in 2012, c/o Sonar Kollektiv.

Episode #133, James Harmon

James Harmon is a son, a partner, a father, and a good-vibes kind of human being. He co-owns and co-operates Jammin' Nuggets Music with his lady friend, and you can find their spot at 115 S. Ohio in Sedalia, MO. James and I talked family, growing up, passion projects becoming real-life projects, record-store shopping, making connections through music, and more. We also talked a little bit about a few of James' favorite albums, which were these: Kind of Blue (1959), Miles Davis Kiss' Animalize (1984) Prison Bound (1988), Social Distortion I'm grateful for James taking some time away from the store to come and shoot the breeze with me on a Saturday. It was a pleasure to meet him, learn a little bit about him, and learn about what getting a brick-and-mortar record store open in the fuzz of pandemic was like. You can follow Jammin' Nuggets Music on Facebook and Instagram, and if you have any questions for them you can give them a shout at 660-951-1070. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "LoCKeDoWN2" by Meute (MOY-tuh), an 11-piece, techno marching band out of Hamburg, whom have been a super-fun discovery for me this year. They've got four records out, including Empor from this year, and they are a really rad YouTube rabbit hole, if you're so incline. This tune, though, comes from Empor, and that record exists c/o TUMULT serviced by NEUBAU Music.

Episode #132, Josh King

Josh King is a sibling, a husband, a father, and an insanely intelligent human being. He mans the six-string, the vocals, and the mixing for the band, Low Forest, and he's my guest for Episode No. 132. Josh and I talked growing up and education, Missouri-style. We touched on Low Forest's fascinating collection of releases on Bandcamp, where to follow them (Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, and we had a peek at a few of Josh's favorite albums, which were these: Hum's You'd Prefer an Astronaut (1995) Fantastic Planet (1996), Failure Portishead's Roseland NYC Live (1998) Small Explosions That Are Yours to Keep (2005), Mitchell Akiyama Elder's Reflections of a Floating World (2017) The fact that Josh has a super-sharp mind, a warm-and-open heart, and might very well be a vessel for delivering space rock to Kansas City may or may not be related to the fact that he is a pretty soft-spoken fellow. One would think that I'd be able to recognize that early enough in the conversation to adjust the levels at this point, but...it's not easy being the 2024 version of Al Franken's Mobile One-Man Uplink Unit. So, apologies if he's tough to hear at times. It was a true pleasure meeting Josh, and knowing that his presence is out there adds to my occasionally stout belief that there's good in the world moving things in the right direction. Thanks for tuning in. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a tune called, "Witchoo," by Durand Jones & The Indications. I lifted it from their 2021 release, Private Space, which exists for us c/o Dead Oceans.

Episode #131, L. Ron Drunkard

L. Ron Drunkard, bassist for Red Kate, joined me for Episode No. 131, and it was a hoot. We talked about band life, making records, supporting local music, news, politics, the awesomeness of Bob Mould, the lameness of touring acts frequently skipping Kansas City, and a ton more. We also talked a bit about a few of Mr. Drunkard's favorite albums. Those were these: Devo's Are We Not Men (1978) Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978), The Clash AC/DC's Highway to Hell (1979) Throb Throb (1984), Naked Raygun Hüsker Dü's Candy Apple Gray (1986) Wrong (1989), NoMeansNo You can follow Red Kate on Instagram and/or Facebook, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and Spotify. For sure check out black-site.org for a look at the really cool record-label cooperative they've created. And you certainly wanna give Exit Strategy, their 2023 release, a listen. I'm grateful for the time and energy L. Ron brought to the table. He knows how to make good conversations great ones. Note: I mistakenly called Frank Zappa's narrator character on Joe's Garage, L. Ron Hoover, which I'm embarrassed to admit. He's obviously The Central Scrutinizer and makes reference to someone spending too much time at The First Church of Appliantology with L. Ron Hoover. Sheesh, Rook'. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this clip. They are cuts from a single called, "Always Remember Us This Way," by Linear Phase. They released this number in 2021, c/o revised.studio.

Episode #130, Josh Plunkett

Josh Plunkett is a son, a sibling, an entrepreneur, a business owner, a photographer, a videographer, and a world traveler. He's a guy that has figured out a thing or two about his allotment of time on this planet, and he's also my guest for Episode No. 130. Our streams crossed paths somewhere in the Instagram world, and -- speaking of -- you can find him/his work there in not one, not two, but three places. You can also check out his handsome Web site, on which you might find yourself inclined to buy a print, hire him for a shoot, or even rent his space. Josh was kind enough to give me a chunk of one of his Tuesday evenings a couple of months ago, and self-aware enough to warn me that he has no qualms going long in the discussion department. Little did he know that that was just fine with me. Our conversation was fascinating and worth me not spoiling too much of it before you get in there and check it out for yourself. I will say, however, that we talked a bit about family, self-exploration, the human experience and what it can sometimes look and feel like out there amongst the others. And of course we had a peek at a few of Josh's favorite records. Those were these: Pulp Fiction: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994) Korn, self-titled (1994) Microworlds (2023), CloZee Give Josh's work a peek and give him a follow, if you're so inclined. He may be the right fit for your photoshoot wishes, your studio-space needs, or your longing for travel. And don't forget to check out the Merch' store on the Web site. It might be a good place for you to get an early start on your holiday lists. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a single called, "Shooting Stars," by Bag Raiders. It's a 2009 number that was maybe only digitally released via both the single format and the EP format (which features three other variations of the tune), but made its way to our ears c/o Bang Gang 12s, under exclusive license to Modular Recordings.

Episode #129, Dr. Alberto Villamandos

I'm very excited to share that Dr. Alberto Villamandos joined me for Episode No. 129, and we talked a little bit about life as Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages & Cultures at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Go, Roos! We also talked about him being the recipient of the 2024 Chancellor's Award for Community Engagement. Dr. Villamandos was kind enough to share a portion of his evening with me amidst busy end-of-semester pressures, travel plans, and the many other things that keep his plate full, so I must extend some heartfelt gratitude for his generosity. We touched on his undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate studies, as well as growing up in Pamplona, Spain. And of course we had a peek at a few of his favorite albums, which were these: Radio Futura's La Ley del Desierto (1984) Enemigos de lo Ajeno (1986), El Último de la Fila Pixies' Doolittle (1989) Galore (1997), The Cure The Best of Depeche Mode, vol. 1 (2006) You can find Dr. Villamandos' book, El Discreto Encanto de la Subversión: Una Crítica Cultural de la Gauche Divine on Amazon or you can check it out at the UMKC library. Oh, and shouts out to the Dr.'s honorable mentions, Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture as well as Bram Stoker's Dracula: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Thanks to any and all that support the show. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Talking Heads tune called, "Two Note Swivel," from their 1983 release, Speaking in Tongues (c/o Sire Records (manufactured and marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group - A Warner Music Group Co.)).

Episode #128, Jeremy Clark

Jeremy Clark of Tracer Heights was in the house for Episode No. 128, and dang it if it isn't always refreshing to chat with a fellow Phishhead. Trust me: I'm not trying to pigeonhole Jeremy or say that that's all there is to say about him. There's a ton more. Rare is the opportunity, though. Anyway...Jeremy's a son and a brother and a bandmate and one heck of a sharp dude; I really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit. We talked a fair amount about Tracer Heights, what they're all about, and what his role as the bassist looks like. We also talked about a few of Jeremy's favorite albums. Those were these: Pet Sounds (1966), The Beach Boys Nine Inch Nails' Broken (1992) Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness (1995), The Smashing Pumpkins The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin (1999) Person Pitch (2007), Panda Bear So, please check out our conversation. These chats are almost always awesome; this one was no exception. And please check out Tracer Heights. Find out more about them at tracerheights.com, on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Bandcamp. They're rock, blues, and bluegrass with the spirit of psychedelic improvisational music, and they're gigging often here in K.C. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a track called, "Grand Funk," by Jackie Mittoo from his 1971 effort, Wishbone (c/o Light in the Attic Records).

Episode #127, Lauren Textor

Lauren Textor was my guest for Episode No. 127, and my mind is still reeling from everything that she has accomplished at such a young age. I have no real direct reason to be as proud of her as I am, but I am, nonetheless. And I truly feel that she is just getting started. There're a number of ways in which one could keep tabs on this daughter, sibling, writer, producer, girlfriend, lover of Ireland, bandmate/cat mom. And those'er these: Muck Rack, Instagram, etc. Lauren and I talked about a good many things, and of course a part of all that were a few of her favorite albums. Those were these: Al Stewart's Year of the Cat (1976) Time (1981) Electric Light Orchestra Tom Petty's Wildflowers (1994) In the Magic Hour (2016), Aoife O'Donovan Lorde's Solar Power (2021) Meeting Lauren and having the opportunity to sit down and visit with her was an experience I won't soon forget. Many thanks to her for her time and positive energy. Oh, and anyone that considers Tom Petty to be their ghost dad his a-okay in my book. And thank you to all of you that support the podcast. Cheers. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a Phish track called, "Breath and Burning," which comes from their oft-trashed (but not wisely so) 2016 release, Big Boat (c/o 1016 Phish). As Machines Within guy once said, "Eff all the haters."

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