Brian Oake Show

Mark and Terry of The Silverteens are back!  Buy it everywhere records are sold and on their bandcamp!  Check out their show at the Parkway tonight!  Also, watch Jay's Longhorn, a great doc on Amazon Prime created by Mark Engebretson.

Nick Leet (High On Stress) returns! It's been 6 years since the last High On Stress release, so Nick brings us up to speed on the hiatus and the new album, Still Here. He also features a couple of killer bands that he's been working with recently. A veteran stalwart of the Twin Cities music scene and just a decent human, Nick is always great to talk to. Enjoy!

Corrine and Pamela from Black Widows join to talk not only about the new full-length Creatures Of The Night, but also what life is like in one of the most badass femme/surf/psych/punk bands on the planet. This kind of band is why Sean and I do this podcast. Enjoy!

Chrisy Hughes is a championship-winning sailor. I swear, you can see the determination in her eyes! She is also heavily involved with the Minnetonka Yacht Club. Both Sean and I are working with MYC for this year's Stars, Stripes and Sails on the 4th of July - a glorious evening on Lighthouse Island (Lake Mtka) featuring live music and a truly spectacular fireworks display at dusk. There were only...

Kaatwalk makes her first-ever visit to the SmartStartMN Studio! She's a delightful singer-songwriter with a show tonight at the Aster Cafe to celebrate her forthcoming EP,  A Week In June . Get in on the ground floor with a very promising young talent. Enjoy!

Hannah Von Der Hoff, perhaps better known as HOLY HANNAH! is back! Our favorite global troubador stops by to talk about life in Mexico, her upcoming 'Ramblin' Woman' tour, and her hometown gigs at Anumales BBQ this Friday and a full-band night at the Aster on June 27th. There's a reason we keep having her back. Enjoy! 

Ryan Otte (aka Cole Diamond) makes his inaugural visit to the 'cast! We talk all about the new record, the big release/birthday show coming up July 3rd at the Turf club (only $15!!), and the enduring popularity of honky tonk music. Great energy and even better music. Enjoy!

Mother Banjo (Ellen Stanley) and her husband Ben Cook-Feltz have a relatively rare joint show tomorrow evening at The Aster Cafe! Ellen stops by to talk about the gig, the rigors of parenting as a working musician, and the fact that her Womenfolk Radio Show is almost 25 years old! Wow!! Ellen is such a delight, we love her visits. Enjoy!

Hopefully, you've already heard that we're MCing the big Minnetonka Yacht Club Stars, Stripes and Sails 4th of July Celebration this year, and you're invited! Craig Laing, Commodore for the MYC joins us to talk about the event, and the Minntonka Sailing School, the biggest in the country! He also picks some fantastic music. Enjoy! 

Peter 'Spike' VanDusartz stops by to talk all about his debut full-length release 'What You Gonna Be?'. It features loads of local musical luminaries and was produced by none other than John Munson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic). The big release party is happening this Saturday at The Aster Cafe. Enjoy!

Josh Cleveland (along with his band Wonders) has a brand new album on the way!  Prove The Sound will arrive July 10th, and to celebrate, they have a big show at The Granada Theater this Thursday! Josh has great stories and a huge heart. Enjoy!

Billy's Back!! It may have taken nearly 500 episodes, but here we have Billy Morrisette (Dillinger Four, Butcher's Union) back in the studio! Billy rocks the bass in an excellent Cars tribute band, Kars 4 Skids, and they'll be playing live at the 4th of July celebration on Lake Minnetonka, an event put on by the Mtka Yacht Club and hosted by The Brian Oake Show! Summer awaits. Enjoy!

Hugo Klaers and Steve Price of  legendary Minnesota musical mainstays The Suburbs stop by to talk about the good ol' days, the good new days and! the brand new record A Pagan Ritual: Live At The Cabooze 1983. The new record is rad and the boys do not disappoint. Love Is The Law!!

This episode we're joined by Sir Chadwick, bass player for Minnesota's premier Action Rock band, Fret Rattles!! They've got a brilliant, bombastic new full-length record out 'As The World Falls Apart. To celebrate, there's a massive rock n roll circus happening under the canopy at The Hook & Ladder. Are you ready? Wake Up Now!!! 

Annie and Kari, both of Minnesota favorites Annie and The Bang Bang, are back to talk about their latest project, Glass. The sound of the project is described as 'minimalist avant pop'. Color me intrigued! Glass has a show coming up and a full-length album on the way. Also, we laugh way too hard on this episode! Enjoy. 

 Sam and Des came by to tell us all about the folk rock stylings of their band, Harlow. We talk about the debut album, upcoming shows/releases, and get a little insight into what it's like being in an up-and-coming band in the modern era. They also bring along some genuinely beautiful tunes. Enjoy!

Monet and Vanessa from Spit Takes stop by to talk about their debut eponymous LP! The big release show is this Saturday at Cloudland. We also talk about some other upcoming gigs AND! we dive into Monet's new record label Whiplass, dedicated to amplifying the music and voices of femme, trans, and queer punks. This was a fun one. Enjoy!

Adam and Eric from The Long Honeymoon joined us for a great conversation!  We chatted about the history of the band and how they were formed.  They have released an EP and an album, but have already written two more albums and partially produced the second album.  We felt like total underachievers!  

What if there were a way to support the ALCU of Minnesota during these trying times AND rock the hell out with some of the coolest names in MN Music? There is!! Megan and Dan from Minnesota Music Resistance stop by to talk about Mayday! Mayday! A Benefit for the ACLU-MN. It's this Friday at the Hook & Ladder as they kick off their Under The Canopy music series. Venus De Mars, Cindy Lawson, and oth...

Jake Rudh brought the heat today. Three great song pulls, we're not surprised.  This Saturday at the 1st Ave Mainroom, he'll be celebrating 25 years of Transmission.  We had a great discussion about music, his process and his passion.  We love Jake and can't wait to celebrate with him on Saturday.

Michael Anschel , principal of show sponsor OA Design Build Architecture, joins us to talk remodeling, community and the importance of exploring and recognizing our place in a wider world.  Always a great conversation. Enjoy! 

Mother Banjo is back! Ellen Stanley stops by to talk about her gig with Beth Bombora at the Hook this Sunday AND a huge fundraising livestream next week featuring the likes of Chris Koza and Dar Williams! Enjoy!

One of our 'favourite girls', Katy Vernon, returns to talk about her latest band's debut release, the big release party this Friday at The Parkway, and the importance of resiliency and staying positive in the face of all the darkness. Pro-Women, Pro-music and Pro-making the most of being alive, Katy is always a wonderful guest. Enjoy!!

Finally! After years of trying, we actually got jeremy messersmith into the cozy confines of the SmartStartMN studio. He has a brand new full-length album, Fox/Coyote, coming out tomorrow, April 1st. We talk all about the new album, his love of house concerts, and his somewhat dubious tenure as a temp at a nuclear waste storage facility. No joke. He also brought along his guitar to serenade us LIV...

We could talk to Peter Jesperson for hours!  We covered a ton in sixty-two short minutes: Today we talked about the epic Suicide Commando's final show, the Slim Dunlap 44 song new release "Every Little Word", the Let It Be double album, we heard three great song picks, and so much more.  Enjoy this show!