Rock 'n' Roll Grad School

This week we talk with one of the original E Street-ers, multi-instrumentalist David Sancious. On top of working with Bruce Springsteen over the past 40 years, David has also worked with folks like Seal, Peter Gabriel and Sting. David's new album,  "Eyes Wide Open," is an exploration of sound and tackles many of the questions that have perplexed us all in the past few years. But the...

Tana Douglas wasn't looking to become the first female roadie in the world- there was a job to be done and she did it. Tana recounts her long way to the top in her new memoir "Loud" which takes you from the clubs with AC/DC to some of the biggest stages (and castles) in the world as Tana makes her way across the world. "Loud" is available in paperback, digital and audio wh...

This week we thought we'd try something a little different- we gathered together to play games, remember past episodes and share some Christmas music that we bet you haven't heard 1,000 times this holiday season. Thank you for listening to our first 50 episode and we can't wait to share the next 50 with you! Music in this episode: Christmas Piggy (With the Apple in the Mouth) – The...

There's no other way to put it- Jennifer Batten shreds. From her work to Michael Jackson to writing songs & playing with Jeff Beck, Jennifer has blazed a trail all of her own through music. We talk about her early days and how she got to where she is now. For more information, you can check out Jennifer's website , and to learn more about her on-line lessons & classes, check out...

Steve Garvey has had an amazing career. Starting with playing bass for Buzzcocks, Steve toured the world with the band. When they split, he touring with Nico, formed his own band and then even got to see the appreciation for what Buzzcocks wrought when the band reunited in the 1990s.

Lizard Music was an early band for it's four members. However, in the ensuing years, they've gone off and had musical success on their own. The pandemic reunited the group, who started sending around tapes and here we have the first new Lizard Music in almost 25 years. (Mikael is a member of Wilco and Eirk is a member of Cat Power.) We talked with Mikael Jorgenson and Chris Apple. We tal...

Maybe you're stuck in traffic this Thanksgiving weekend, wishing you were on a boat. What better time to enjoy this bonus episode, our conversation with Yachtley Crew. We talked with Tommy and Baba Bouy, two of the members of this highly successful yacht-rock cover band. For more information and tour dates, check out their website or follow them on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram

Sheri Miller is a singer/songwriter whose voice is filled with emotion and expression. We talked with Sheri about her writing and recording of new new EP, which included the collaboration with some big names... it just shows the quality of Sheri's work. For more information, you can check out her website , or follow her on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

Blues Traveler playing the blues... It makes all the sense in the world. So why did they wait until their 14th studio album to record it? We sat down with guitarist Chan Kinchla to talk about recording their new album, touring in a Covid-world and how you needed to have hits in the 90s if you want an ego wall filled with platinum albums. Traveler's Blues is out now. And if you download the di...

Avi Wisnia's new album is a long time in coming and the timing is perfect. His ode to loss and sadness seems perfect for this time of year as well as something we can, unfortunately, all relate to. We talked with Avi about the new songs, his favorite fall records and what his childhood xylophone is doing on the album. For more information, you can check out his website , or follow him on Face...

If JD Wilkes didn't exist, you'd believe someone like William Faulkner invented him. JD has been bringing his melange of southern folk, country, rock, gospel and sea shanties to audiences around the world. On his new album, which reunites him with the Legendary Shack Shakers, (and friend Jello Biafra) Cockadoodledeux is a damn good time, which is exactly how we'd describe JD himself...

Josh Freese is, hands down, a drumming great. From his work with Guns n Roses, to Nine Inch Nails, to the Offspring, to his continued work with DEVO, Josh has remained busy. And, apparently, a little downtime during the pandemic was just too much, so Josh wrote and recorded two new albums of music. And each song on these albums is only one minute long.  Just A Minute Vol. 1 is available this Frida...

You probably best know Warren Ellis from his violin playing with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, or with The Dirty 3. Well, now Warren has a great new book out about a piece of gum chewed by Nina Simone before a performance. It's the journey of this gum that is a tour through creativity, inspiration and the magic of performers and of items and how touching something so simple can really be. You...

It's hard to classify Marvin Brooks' music. And that's a good thing. With elements of R&B, reggae, and even high-life from Ghana, Marvin is a world musician with a fascinating view of it all. His new album, I'll Be Fine is available now from Position Music . You can follow Marvin on Twitter or Instagram . Meanwhile, someone's kids need an excuse note to go see Kiss.

Jay Jay French has learned a lot in his musical life. And, it turns out, the lessons are applicable in the board room as well as the stage.  Twisted Business is Jay Jay's brutally honest and open guide to what he's learned in his life and how using these lessons can help anyone.  Twisted Business is available wherever you get books. Check out Jay Jay's website for more info.

This week, we talk with the great singer/songwriter Dar Williams. Her new album, I'll Meet You Here is available this Friday, October 1st. We had a great conversation about her work, how she got through the pandemic and her friendship with Pete Seeger. For tour information and to get a copy of her new album, check out her website .

-This week is about soul, as we sit down with Neal Sugarman. You may know him as a member of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. You may know him from his playing on records by Amy Winehouse. Or maybe you heard this one song he played on- "Uptown Funk?" No matter how you know him, Neal is a fascinating guy; on top of his playing, he's been spreading the soul music around as the co-owner...

Guitarist Keith Howland has been playing in the legendary band Chicago for over 25 years and it's been a journey that's taken him all over the world, and allowed him to play with some great musicians every night. We talked with Keith about Chicago's new tour, which just got started, how you claim your bunk on the tour bus, and the perils of hotel fire drills. For more information on...

Kurt Deimer is the living embodiment of the idea that you should never give up on your dreams and you are never too old to rock n roll. We talked with Kurt prior to his heading out on tour with Phil X on guitar (and opening for Geoff Tate). The tour starts tonight! For more information & tour dates check out Kurt's website .

Alyssa Coco and Matt Merritt (better known as Roses & Revolutions) have been making music together for years now. On top of their own work, they're also collaborators with names you know. We talked with Alyssa and Matt from their new home recording studio in anticipation of their new EP Midnight Monsters, which is available October 1st.  For more information, check out their website .

This week, we talked with music and film critic Lesley Chow about her new book, "You're History: The 12 Strangest Women in Music." Why don't women get the acknowledgement they deserve for their work? And why is pop music so overlooked. And, of course, we pay tribute to the great Charlie Watts. For more information on Lesley, check her out on Twitter.

With melodies and harmonies evoking some of the best writers in pop music, Peter Block and his band Porter Block have been telling stories about the not-so-simple aspects of life in what you might call ‘middle-aged symphonies to God.’ Porter Block’s new record, Cleaning Up the Living Room is available now. For more information, check them out on Facebook .

This week, we got to talk with the great Arthur Hanlon about his new album, which is also a new special on HBO Max.  Piano y Mujer is a celebration of latin music, as Arthur teams up with producer Motiff and five of the best female singers to reinterpret some classics. (We also got Arthur to play for us a little... always a nice bonus.) For more information, check out Atrhur's website.

This week we're heading on down to the drive-in with John Brennan. John's best known for his role as the music guy on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, but he's written far more music than one show can contain. (But it's all great for your run-on-the-mill mutant.)  On top of his work with Troma, John's got a solo album that just came out called, 'No Offense, None...

Generations have fallen in love to the music of this week's guest. As one half of the popular duo Air Supply, Graham Russell has written some of the most romantic songs of all time, and brought that music to audiences around the world. Air Supply is currently on tour and selling out arenas around the world. For more information, you can check out their website here .