Choke Artist

Ska isn't dead f**ker! Sat down with my pals in the band  Kill Lincoln on the eve of the Best of the Worst's Album release show at Pino's in Highland Park.  They've been a ska band since 2010 and have seen a lot of ups and downs with the scene.  If you like ska/punk you should absolutely check Mike from Kill Lincoln's label out Bad Time Records.  It's got a ton of new and relevant ska punk bands....

Uh oh - this week's guest is my fiancé!  Kaitlyn helps a lot with behind the scenes stuff at Choke Artist:  graphic design, logistics, and most importantly talking me off the ledge when I want to throw in the towel.  She's my #1 supporter and this was a nice flirtatious and fun chat we had.  We get into some nitty gritty behind the scenes stuff on Choke Artist fest and recap some fun stories from...

WOW.  It’s been a while but welcome to Season 2 of the pod.  I’m excited to do this again and burn any remaining bridges I may have had.  My guest today is my buddy Shaye- he’s a music journalist who writes for Lambgoat.com .  He also used to intern for me and helped out a ton with label operations.  We talk about heavy music, gatekeepers, the state of music journalism, and more.  It was a fun epi...

Standards, Floral, & Cloutchaser are embarking on a two week math rock tour in the Midwest, South & East Coast. We sat down a bit to chat and squash our internet beef. Come see us on tour xo

pulses. & With Sails Ahead are two “progressive”-post hardcore bands from VA and NJ respectively. I got a chance to sit down with them right before a weekender tour together. In this episode we talk about dumbass swancore redditors, phony networking, how COVID forced us all to unplug for a bit, scene clout pyramid schemes and more. Bandcamp: pulses. / With Sails Ahead Spotify: pulses. / With S...

Rally Point is an indie/math rock band from Philly.  This podcast was recorded right after an impromptu show in my backyard.  The band’s original show had been cancelled due to a possible Covid exposure.   We talk about their experiences in DIY, share some hell gig stories, talk about booking tours and more. Check out their last EP “Transitional at Best” on bandcamp

My pal Mddy comes through to talk Ogbert, DIY, 5th wave emo, sending emails, publicists, and much more. Check out the last Ogbert LP "I Don't Hate You" here Also our bands our playing a show together at the Knitting Factory in BK, come through xo

Marcos Mena is the guitarist of LA based “fruit-rock” band Standards. After a couple of years of extensive touring and loads of online content, the band has etched a name for themselves as a super fun and colorful instrumental band. If you know Marcos you know that he’s a super driven person. It was great to pick his brain about the music industry and what he’s done so far with his projects. Also...

Vanessa is a friend I've made through touring to Chicago in bands. She is the guitarist of the band Crowning, freelances illustration/photography, and runs a DIY space in Chicago called "Empty Bliss". In this episode we talk about getting older in DIY, the pitfalls of freelancing, the recording process for our bands and a lot more. Listen to Crowning Pre-order new Choke Artist comp

Kurt Travis is a singer/songwriter, primarily known for his work in the bands Royal Coda , A Lot Like Birds, and Dance Gavin Dance. We talk a bit about what he’s been up to with his new company Big Wave, how the pandemic has affected his livelihood, and shoot the shit about some album’s he’s been a part of.  We also get into the pros and cons of being such a highly respected/influential musician. ...

We talk gear!  We talk solos!  We talk attitude!! Nah we did none of that.  But we did get to talk about some ins-and-outs that comes with being in a band online in 2021.  Adam is working on a collab project with Anthony Green which will be sick.  Ky's band Catbamboo just did a collab track with Kurt Travis called "Crave".  Both Sawce and Catbamboo have new albums coming out, and they're all super...

Got to sit down with two friends that I’ve made through the NJ DIY scene.  Hope you’re okay with some goofing around and shit talking. Teddy and Ky are two people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, which is something I think is highly valuable in a world where people play nice to get ahead.  We complain a bit about the scene and poke fun quite a bit.  Don’t get mad. Check out Teddy’s podcast...

2020 was a WILD year. I was lucky enough to release some great albums. On this episode, we go through one track from each LP released last year on Choke Artist. Before each track plays there’s a ~5 minute discussion with members of each project. We talk about the track and it’s meaning, along with any anecdotes/fun facts. Was really cool to get some new insight on songs that I love and talk with e...

Deanna has some music industry experience that was really insightful and helpful for me to hear.  In addition to managing indie label Egg Hunt Records , she works as a tour publicist and was also integral in running a record shop/venue here in NJ. She also sings freelance and for the band Powerlines . She came on to talk about shitty music licensing deals and how artists tend to get shafted by the...

First ever mixtape podcast episode! It’s half an hour, throw it on on your way to work and check out some new bands. All of these tracks were released this year or last year and there’s some bangers if you’re into mathy/indie/emo stuff. Hell yea. Track List: 1. Typopro - The Thick 2. Champagne Colored Cars - Glacier 3. Little Geronimo - Glow* (premiere!) 4. Space Corolla - Cordales 5. Alright Good...

With their new EP “still” out this Friday 11/27, it felt only right to have Snooze on this week. Logan Voss and session drummer/producer Anup Sastry come by to chat about the remote recording process and collaborating together for this new release. In this episode we listen to and comment on the first two tracks from the EP. We also talk about social media, the concept behind Snooze’s last album F...

OH BOY you’re in for a treat this week. One of my favorite New Brunswick bands, Bathing in Chunks comes to hang on the pod. This podcast got off the rails a bit and mostly stayed there. If you know the band and have seen them perform live, you will understand why. We also premiered Episode 2 of my hit series Man Vs Shirt. You can watch the episode on Youtube here Check out BIC on bandcamp Buy a go...

My pals in The Most come through to discuss their new album “Of What We Have”, out tomorrow 10/9/20. We get into a bit about their history, their influences, and their approach when creating their new album. This features a listen through of a new song "Mile Run” around the 45 minute mark. You can watch it on youtube here Go check “Of What We Have” on bandcamp ! Or go pre-order a record !

This podcast runs deep. Teddy and Shaun both played in Basement Beers and now play in th0tcrimes. We bust open some conspiracy theories, talk about the DNC primaries, tell some stories about doing drugs, and more.

Radcliffe is a artist/thinker/shit-stirrer who can frequently be seen around New Brunswick NJ. They perform a bit in the area under the names “Bentwaeve” and “NGGA”. We talk about the difference between these two projects, and what they aim to accomplish. In addition we talk a bit about some tribulations they’ve faced in a predominantly white-based college music scene, the art of trolling, inclusi...

Last week I got to sit down and talk with one of my favorite musical groups, Weatherbox. The band was started in 2004 by singer/songwriter Brian Warren in San Diego, CA. They recently reunited after going on hiatus in 2016. Their current lineup consists of some new and familiar faces. This podcast was recorded at Brooklyn Bazaar, a day after the band played a sold out show upstairs with Person L,...

Standards are a 2 piece math rock duo from Los Angeles, CA. They currently embarked on a 3 week tour across the US. Invalids opened up for them in DC and Philly & I got a chance to catch them live and hang out with them, super hard working people. We talk about the band’s work ethic, our take on record labels vs doing it yourself, the pros & cons of the internet, Marcos’ guitar endorsement...

Got to sit and talk with Ultra Deluxe, an experimental & aggressive band from NY. The group incorporates elements of chiptune/screamo/and sci-fi to make something neat. Their last album Contact is described as a “gay dystopian space opera”; we talk about the whole concept behind that throughout the episode. We also talk about conspiracy theories, problems with the education system, some of the...

Zach, Kyle, and Nicky are 3/4 of New Brunswick based fun punk/emo band steve. We talk about the tenants of DIY: Inclusivity in the scene, shows running too late, show houses, chalkboards, the art of truly not giving a fuck and having fun, MTV + more. Their new album “The Fondue’s and Fondont’s” will be out in a couple of months.

Derrick Braxton & Jelani are both New Brunswick-area natives who are remarkably community driven. You can often catch either of them spinning records at a NB basement show near you. It doesn’t stop there; in his tenure as a producer, Derrick has produced beats for notable artists like Lupe Fiasco and Raekwon. In addition, he helps run the Hub City Music festival that takes place this April, an...