The Hustle

It's a classic rock twofer this week! First up is Don Barnes of 38 Special. Next year the band will be celebrating 50 years and they're still as strong as ever. Their peak 80s period rivals anyone's with a bunch of hits that are still beloved. Don discusses the stories behind the songs, touring today, his lost solo album and much more. Then we get to hear from original Foghat drummer Roger Earl. R...

The pioneering story of the Veldt is a one of one. Twin black brothers from North Carolina in the 80s embrace the alternative rock coming from the UK and record their debut album in 1989 with Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins producing! The album was shelved, but they did get a couple great albums out in the 90s (Afrodisiac is especially excellent) but it never really takes off mainly because lab...

This week we welcome back two of our favorites - Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr. The girls (who are also friends) return to catch us up on what they're doing these days. Maia is producing Sarah & Shannon while Garrison has paired up again with Sean McConnell for their second release as My Sister, My Brother. They also get into the music industry's handling of lesbian artists, writing lyrics, an...

Isn't the race for best alternative rock bass player in history neck and neck between Derek Forbes and Peter Hook? Those two showed what making great music with a bass as practically the lead instrument could do. Anyone who has listened to those early Simple Minds albums knows that what makes them so special is Derek's incredible bass work. Unfortunately, he was sacked from the band in '84 and has...

We welcome back for a rarefied air third time, the excellent author, Martin Popoff, to discuss his Kiss at 50 book. Kiss are a perfect band to discuss, and we enjoyed Martin's insights, and hope you do too! www.patreon.com/thehustlepod

Manchester is known for all kinds of legendary bands emerging from the area. The Smiths, New Order, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Buzzcocks and tons more. The best of the 2000s has to be Doves. Beginning as the dance group Sub Sub, Doves went on to be one of the biggest and best bands the UK has brought the world, as five consistently great albums prove. They've been less busy the last decade or so (alt...

This week we welcome back our friend Kevin Armstrong to discuss his new memoir, Absolute Beginner. This wonderful book details how his unique career took flight, from forming great bands that never go anywhere, to joining forces with David Bowie and performing with him at Live Aid, and rocking alongside Iggy Pop for a decade. There are also stops with Thomas Dolby and Propaganda as well as amazing...

The real story of Sly & the Family Stone needs to be told. Sly himself recently released a reportedly underwhelming memoir and there have been others over the years, but the true story of this revolutionary group is eroding too quickly. This week we welcome their legendary drummer (and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer) Greg Errico. Greg recounts just how special those early days were and how sad it...

This week we give thanks for another twofer with a couple of legends. First up is my brief chat with jazz icon Les McCann. This weekend Les is releasing a special box set for Record Store Day, Never a Dull Moment - Live From Coast to Coast 66-67. This gorgeous collection showcases his mastery of the piano in the Trio setting and is an incredible piece of history. We're SO lucky to get a few minute...

Jon and Jan review our 3rd quarter episodes, gigs, life and more.

The Darling Buds were another one of those excellent British alternative bands of the late 80s/early 90s that was sadly short lived. Three strong albums in four years and then nothing for a long time. People listening to college radio or scouring records stores around that time would know them well. Thankfully, the band is back with an incredible box set, Killing For Love, Albums, Singles, Raritie...

Former guests Robert LaRoche of the Sighs and John Douglas of the Trashcan Sinatras return to discuss their brand new solo albums. Robert's new one Forevermore continues his perfect brand of "country-tinged power pop". And John's self-titled release shows his take on acoustic stripped-down versions of original songs as well as some Trashcan covers. They're both great at what they do and we like su...

We have another excellent twofer up this week with two decorated artists. First is Andrew Roachford! In the US, he's primarily remembered for his 1989 hit "Cuddly Toy" which still slaps today, but did you know he's an MBE back in England and one of their biggest selling artists? Over the years, whether fronting his band Roachford, or singing with Mike + the Mechanics, or doing his own solo work, h...

It's another great twofer for you this week! First is Glen Mercer of the Feelies. If there's an American version of post-punk, the Feelies are the best example. They released one of the greatest debuts ever, 1980's Crazy Rhythms, but have only recorded sporadically as a unit over 45 years. The band's been quiet since 2017, and original member Anton Fier died in 2022, but they have a new live album...

It's a Jam Band adjacent twofer this week! First up is Blues Traveler guitarist and founding member Chan Kinchla. BT just released an excellent covers album called Traveler's Soul that includes their versions of songs by Dee-Lite, Stevie Wonder, TLC and more. It's a great companion to their last album Traveler's Blues. Chan discusses the making of the album, picking the songs, their live shows and...

The Cranberries are no more, sadly. After the tragic death of Dolores O'Riordan, the rest of the band decided they would not carry on and to leave the legacy as is. Drummer Fergal Lawler joins us this week to discuss the newly released 3-disc Deluxe Edition of the band's 3rd album To The Faithful Departed. This expanded collection includes outtakes and b-sides as well as a killer live show. Fergal...

Genya Ravan's two seminal, and self-produced, solo albums, 1978's Urban Desire and 1979's ..And I Mean It!, have recently been re-released in all their glam rock mixed with Phil Spector and his girl group's glory. Seriously, if you aren't familiar with these two classics, you'll wonder how you've made it this long without them. Genya returns to the podcast to deep dive Urban Desires with us, go tr...

This week we catch up with a couple ol' timers. First up is 80s heartland rocker Henry Lee Summer. In the late 80s, Henry scored a couple big hits with "Wish I Had a Girl" and "Hey Baby" and cut a memorable image with his giant mullet and tight jeans. Times got tough for Henry there for a while - drug addiction, arrests, bankruptcy, divorce etc - but he's working his way back with a new album. The...

Australia's Little River Band had an uncanny knack for nailing the beautiful Southern California soft rock sound of the 70s and early 80s despite being on the other side of the world. Guitarist Graeham Goble, along with core members Beeb Birtles and Glenn Shorrock were the primary songwriters behind many of the hits like "Reminiscing", "Lonesome Loser", "Cool Change" and dozens of others. Be warne...

The wonderful "Artists at" series continues with our guest this week. Author Daniel Bukzpan recently released Ozzy@75 detailing the entire Prince of Darknesses career, Black Sabbath and first wives, to reality TV stardom and Ozzfest. The book is packed with goodies, including Daniel's dry humour that's fitting for a book about Ozzy. We have a copy to give away too! Enjoy!  www.amazon.com/Ozzy-75-U...

Last year, Lush lead singer Miki Berenyi released one of the greatest memoirs ever written by a rock star, of which there are many. She grew up in the UK with a Hungarian dad and a Japanese mom who soon divorced with her mom becoming an actress and moving to Hollywood, while her dad remained a freelance writer living in relative squalor. Miki found her tribe in the local music scene which led to h...

Multiple Grammy and Emmy winning producer, mixer and engineer Elliot Scheiner is behind some of the most pristine pop music ever made. Mentored by the great Phil Ramone, Elliot has produced luminaries like Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Hornsby, Ashford and Simpson, the Eagles, George Benson, John Denver, Bobby McFerrin, Chaka Khan, Phish and tons more. Success like thi...

It's been stated that Jon's favorite soundtrack ever is for the John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful from 1987. We've heard from artists featured on it, including the music supervisor Tarquin Gotch, but this time we're hearing from some of the lesser known bands. We start with Alison Marr of Lick the Tins whose cover of "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" plays over the closing credits. Nex...

The multi-talented Stephen Duffy could have a fine rock doc made about all the different facets of his music career. Being a founding member of Duran Duran. Being a synthpop pioneer. The folk-pop beauty of the Lilac Time. His excellent 90s power pop period. His soundtrack work with John Hughes. His hits writien with Robbie Williams. See what I mean? For the last few years, the Lilac Time has been...

Among the many bands bringing excellent power pop/punk to the mainstream in the 90s, floating slightly above the rest were Chicago's Smoking Popes. Probably best known for their song "Need You Around" featured on the Clueless soundtrack, the band released some excellent albums there for a while that stood out thanks to the power of the riffs and the unmistakable croon of Josh Caterer. Once Josh co...