Episode #76, Jason Beers
Episode #75, Danny "Dr. 47" Phillips
Episode #74, Adam Browning
Episode #73, Shane Hatfield
Episode #72, Matt Smith
Episode #71, Shane Powers
Episode #70, Sk8bar
Episode #69, Jesse Kates
Episode #68, Nigel Woodberry
It's the John Tait episode of Badass Records!That's right. It's #76. Only this conversation had nothing to do with former Kansas City Chiefs, B.Y.U. alum, or left tackles at all. Nope. This one's all about Beers. Jason Beers.Yes, the banjo-wrangling, bass-playing, prolific writer/recorder of music was kind enough to give of his time and swing by for a chat about gigging, releasing material, and -- of course -- a few of his favorite records.Those were these:The Doors, self-titled (1967)Ragin', Full-On (1986), fIREHOSENomeansno's Wrong (1989)28 Big Ones (2000), Bill DoggettDwight Diller's O Death! (2015)Whether you like our chat or not, Jason's bandcamp can be found here, and please do visit it, if for no other reason than to see the music-cranking machine that he is. In all seriousness, give some of his stuff a listen. You won't regret it. And you can of course follow him on social media.Final token plug: My Web site has a Merch' page.There. I said it.Thanks for stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the promo/intro/outro audio. They are all clips from one song. That song is called, "Last Chance to Dance Trance (Perhaps)." It's from a record called Friday Afternoon in the Universe by the trio, Medeski, Martin & Wood. That album -- in case you were wondering -- just might be the pinnacle of badass records, and it appears here c/o Rykodisc Inc.
Yo!This was one for the ages.Having being fortunate enough to be invited up to Sk8bar in St. Joe, I gladly accepted and -- while there -- was able to connect with Danny "Dr. 47" Phillips to record Episode # 75 of Badass Records podcast.Such a challenge. So much fun. So worth it.Seriously.I didn't know how I would attempt to make myself comfortable in someone else's space. I didn't know if I'd know how to set up all of the gear once I'd taken it apart for the first time, and I didn't know how I'd do (at all) attempting to conduct an interview beneath all of those details.But, alas...the stress and the anxiety were completely unwarranted.Brandon and Jesse welcomed me into their home away from home, and Danny was a gracious host/guest.He was every bit of (unsolicited) awesome as advertised, and was quick to quell the worries of my brain that a booker/promoter for a live-music venue would feel too busy to be participating in an interview for a podcast.And, the chat was -- in my mind -- perfect.We talked a little bit about the ol' life thing. The work thing. The...just...you know...doin' it thing. And of course we talked about a few of Danny's favorite records.He gave me a substantial list, and -- for shits and giggles -- I broke it in half.Here's what that looked like:List A:Sticky Fingers (1971), The Rolling StonesFleetwood Mac's Rumours (1977)Outlandos d'Amour (1978), The PoliceThe Lemonheads's It's a Shame About Ray (1992)Siamese Dream (1993), Smashing PumpkinsNirvana's In Utero (1993)A.M. (1995), WilcoList B:At Folsom Prison (1968), Johnny CashBig Star's #1 Record (1972)My Aim Is True (1977), Elvis CostelloThe Ramones's Rocket to Russia (1977)Last Splash (1993), The BreedersBad Religion's Stranger Than Fiction (1994)In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998), Neutral Milk HotelIf you want to get a hold of Danny for band-booking purposes, here are what I believe to be the best ways:1) Contact Sk8bar -- either via the landline (after 5:00 p.m. Central) at 816-689-0507 or via Facebook.2) Holler at Danny either via his Instagram or his Facebook page.3) You can also find him on Twitter, if you please, but, I digress...My chat with Dr. 47 was fantastic. Please consider giving it a view or a listen. Please check out Sk8bar, and please check out the Merch' store on the podcast's Web site. Even a sticker purchase helps.Anyhoo...as Jamal a.k.a. Jamel says, "Be kind, be good to each other, and help keep great music alive."At least that's what I think he says.Thanks for stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a tune called, "Terrapin Station Medley" by the Grateful Dead off of their 1977 album, Terrapin Station (c/o Grateful Dead Productions. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company).
Adam Browning is a son, a brother, a music fanatic, and he is my guest for Episode #74.And speaking of podcasts, he co-hosts his own! It's called ChemTrails with Adam & Sean and you could check it out here, were you so inclined.Anyway...it was a blast having Adam. He brought notes!We talked a good bit about life, his podcast with Sean Harris (Episode #62, if you're keepin' score at home.), and, well...a few of his favorite records.They are these:Black Sabbath's Vol. 4, (1972)Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers (1984)VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson (1998)Clutch's Elephant Riders (1998)Feathers & Flesh, Avatar (2016)So, please give our conversation a listen, and please -- while you're on the site looking at Sean's episode -- don't forget to check out the Merch' store before you leave.Thanks for stopping by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are samples I poached from songs called, "Happy Friends" by The Greyboy Allstars off of their 1997 album, A Town Called Earth (c/o Knowledge Room Recordings), and, "Althea," by the Grateful Dead from their 1980 Go to Heaven record (c/o Grateful Dead Productions. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company), respectively.
Shane Hatfield is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a music super-fan. He's also the host of "The Scene with Pretty Boy," which airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Central on KPGZ, 102.7 FM out of Kearney, MO.You can also catch the show online, Mondays at 7 p.m. (and again at 10 p.m.) Central on Counterclockwise KC Radio, via either Live 365 or the TuneIn app.Shane was cool enough to swing by and record Episode #73 with me, and our conversation did not disappoint. We talked a little bit about growing up and family, hobbies and interests, his experience in broadcasting, and some "Scene" history. We also talked about a handful of his favorite records, and they were these:Replicas (1979), Tubeway ArmyGary Numan's The Pleasure Principle (1979)Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton (1982)Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)In God We Trust (1988), StryperIt was a treat to meet Shane and spend some time getting to know him. Please consider checking out our chat. And while I'm in ask mode: Tune in to "The Scene with Pretty Boy" this Friday (or next Monday), and don't forget to peek at the Merch' Store. You just might find the perfect gift for yourself!copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are samples taken from tracks called, "Inversion Layer" by Robert Walter's 20th Congress off of their 2013 release, Get Thy Bearings (c/o Royal Potato Family), and, "Soul Flower (Remix) by The Pharcyde off of their 1992 release, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (c/o The Bicycle Music Company).
Matt Smith is an O.G. homey, and I can't even begin to tell you how stoked I was to get him in the chair for Episode #72 of the Badass Records podcast.When I hatched this hair-brained idea in January 2021, Matt was a first-ballot must-have, and I couldn't possibly be more honored to have seen the thing through. Doesn't happen without Matt first saying he'd do an episode then getting me a list and ultimately carving a slice out of his busy week in town to come bullshit with me. So...many, many thanks, Matt.Like most of us, Matt's a lot of things. He's a son, a brother, a husband, a dad, a friend, a Chiefs fan, an executive producer, a hard-core lover of music, a great guy, and a good friend.It's always awesome to message with him, and hopefully catch him while he's in town, but it was really good to sit down with him and have a peek into his career lens. And...you know...chat records, too. Here're a few of Matt's faves:The Joshua Tree (1987), U2Pearl Jam's Ten (1991)Automatic for the People (1992), R.E.M.The Smashing Pumpkins's Siamese Dream (1993)No Code, Pearl Jam (1996)Please give our conversation a listen, and keep your eyes peeled for cool things coming from Matt's end. Beyond his current work projects, he might have a new, fun endeavor in the creation stages, and just maybe he'll get that pod' off that ground with that lovely lady of his.Thank you for your support, and don't forget to check out the Merch' Store!copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are samples taken from tracks called, "Inversion Layer" by Robert Walter's 20th Congress off of their 2013 release, Get Thy Bearings (c/o Royal Potato Family), and, "We're Ready" by Boston off of their 1986 release, Third Stage (c/o Geffen Records), respectively.
Shane Powers is a son, a brother, and a ladyfriend-haver. He's also a bunch of other things, but of utmost importance in this moment, he can occasionally be found manning the vocals and one of the guitars for Sirens in the Suburbs. And if I'm being honest, Shane really brought some big energy to Episode #71.We talked a little bit about band life, supporting live music, and songwriting, just to name a few topics.And we of course peeked at a few of Shane's favorite records. They are these:The Clash's London Calling (1979)Nevermind (1991), NirvanaThe Misfits's Static Age (1996)Reinventing Axl Rose (2002), Against Me!The Lawrence Arms's Oh! Calcutta! (2006)Metropole (2014), The Lawrence ArmsSo, please check out Sirens in the Suburbs. Be it Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or live, they'll get your grease hot.And please check out our conversation. All of these chats are fantastic from my perspective. I bet Shane's'll be good from yours.Oh! And please don't forget to peep what's available in the store!Thank you.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are from a track called, "Equinox" by Liquid Soul off of their self-titled 1996 debut (c/o Music from Mars), and one of the most badass cuts of all time, "TV Dinners" by ZZ Top, off of that token-of-1983-badassery record, Eliminator (c/o Warner Bros Inc., Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing, a Warner Music Group Company). Whew!
Brandon and Jesse Rock were kind enough to trek down to K.C. from St. Joe so we could (of course) talk a little bit about some of their favorite records, but also so that we could cover what is currently their lives, Sk8bar.What is Sk8bar, you say?Well, I'm glad you asked.It's a skateboard shop, a bar, and a live music venue at 501 Francis Street in St. Joseph, Missouri.You can find their Facebook page here, their Instagram here, or you can give them a holler after 5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday at 816-609-0507.Please check them out, give them a follow, keep an eye on their live-show calendar, and put it on your own calendar to go see a gig at their joint.Here are Jesse's selections:Little Wheel Spin and Spin (1966), Buffy Saint-MarieTownes Van Zandt, self-titled (1969)The Day the Country Died (1983), SubhumansBabes in Toyland's Fontanelle (1992)And here are Brandon's:VI (1987), Circle JerksSub Society's No Legs to Stand On (1989)13 Songs (1989), FugaziType O Negative's Dead Again (2007)I really enjoyed meeting these two and talking music with them, but there are a few notes about this interview that seem pertinent enough to make.For starters, the sound on their end isn't amazing. My setup is geared for one-on-one interviews, so I had to figure out where to seat two guests, and keep my fingers crossed that their shared mic would be sufficient, which it darn near wasn't. So, I apologize if you have to strain to hear them. The second piece is that we kind of found a window in which to sit and chat late in the game, so my prep for the conversation was not up to par. And perhaps as a result of feeling frazzled about pulling things off, I fumbled during Jesse's list and essentially skipped over her Subhumans record almost entirely. My apologies to both Jesse and Subhumans for that.Nevertheless, a good conversation between a still-somewhat-novice podcast host and a pair of badass-but-soft-spoken business/life partners. What they're doing is rad and I'm grateful they stopped by.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are from a track called, "Equinox" by Liquid Soul off of their self-titled 1996 debut (c/o Music from Mars), and from, "You're the Kind of Girl" by Lee Fields & The Expressions from 2012's Faithful Man (c/o Truth & Soul Records), respectively.
If you ever wanna feel stupid or not crisp-and-clear, have a conversation with Jesse Kates of The Sexy Accident.Wow.I've been lucky to have a ton of tremendous and amazing people join me for episodes of the Badass Records podcast, but this guy...he just -- as the kids say -- hits different.You should -- were you so inclined -- check out his bandcamp, buy some of his merch', keep tabs on when his outfit's giggin' next, etc.Really great stuff.Jesse and I talked about a number of things, included in which were -- of course -- a few of his favorite albums. I botched things a touch, but they were these, nonetheless:Seamonsters, The Wedding Present (1991)The Cure's Wish (1992)Icky Mettle by Archers of Loaf (1993)Long Fin Killie's Houdini (1995)1972, Josh Rouse (2003), andQuadiliacha's Es Muerto (1997) (the one I botched)I hope you'll check out this chat; I thought it was awesome, but then again...I always do.Cheers.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a tune called, "Fantastic Man" by William Onyeabor. This, I found, on his 2013 record, World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor? (c/o Luaka Bop, Inc.).
Nigel Woodberry is a son, a brother, and -- among many other things -- an awesome dude. He's also the host of the Beers with Nigel podcast, though, and he was kind enough to swing by and record Episode #68 with me.We talked a good bit about his podcast, a little bit about his background and his many lives, but we also talked about a few of his favorite records, and they are these:Van Halen's 1984 (1984)Spellbound, Joe Sample (1989)Babyface's Tender Lover (1989)Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z (1996)Drake's Nothing Was the Same (2013)So, please check out our conversation, and please check out Beers with Nigel. Thank you for stopping by. Buy some Merch'!copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either the promo or the intro/outro audio. They are clips from an Ernest Ranglin track called, "54-46 Was My Number" from his 1996 release, Below the Bassline (c/o Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited), and Holy Wave's, "California Took My Bobby Away" off of their 2016 album, Freaks of Nurture (c/o Suicide Squeeze Records).
If I've seen 80 Phish shows, I've seen at least half of those with one of the best dudes I've ever known, Jake Watson.He moved from KC to Charleston a few years back, but I was lucky enough to nab a few hours of his time on a recent visit back home, and he was kind enough to spend some of that time with me recording Episode #67.In addition to discussing the most-excellent human being that Jake is, we chatted about a few of his favorite records over the years, and they are these:Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)Paul Simon's Graceland (1986)Paul's Boutique, Beastie Boys (1989)Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend (1991)So, check out our conversation. Check out the Merch' store on the Web site. And check out that Phish Dick's, "Light."Notes/edits: 1) Mule Variations (not "Versions") 2) get out of the '80s (not "'90s")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 the title track of Phish's Lawn Boy (1990), c/o Phish Inc., respectively.