Troubled Men Podcast

The sound engineer with acts like the Neville Bros, Maceo Parker, Steel Pulse, and Ani DiFranco, he’s also the owner of the House of 1000Hz studio, boasting a star-studded client list of national and regional artists. Goat’s early tenure at the experimental Music Gallery in his native Canada taught him to be ready for anything: recording the electric rake with Eugene Chadbourne, mixing Vladimir Pu...

The Memphis titan of the tenor sax has played and recorded with artists including Al Green, Alex Chilton, Tony Bennett, Mavis Staples, Mose Allison, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. A fixture on sessions at Ardent Recording and Sam Phillips Studios, and with famed producers Willie Mitchell and Jim Dickinson, he covers the waterfront from jazz to R&B, soul, and rock’n’roll. Jim shines...

The award-winning blues guitar player, vocalist, and songwriter migrated from Canada to Austin on invitation from legendary impresario Clifford Antone. The young Tele slinger immediately found herself sharing stages with giants like Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, and Jimmy Vaughan. Fifteen solo records later, she celebrates the release of “Pinky’s Blues,” backed by Mike Flanigin (Billy Gibbons), Chris...

The Grammy-winning pianist, vocalist, and songwriter has worked with top acts like Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, and Eric Burdon. His solo records with the Absolute Monster Gentlemen are widely acclaimed as some of the finest examples of modern New Orleans funk and R’n’B. He’s played Royal Albert Hall and San Quentin State Prison. Now Jon finds the sweet spot between the two on the Troubled M...

The tenor sax master’s resume includes Sturgill Simpson, Marcia Ball, Anders Osborne, George Porter, and Rickie Lee Jones. His exciting solo releases range from experimental collaborations such as redrawblak with Simon Lott, as well as modern jazz records (“Quintet,” “The Dockside Sessions”) and the upcoming concert film “Extended + Brad Walker.” Brad’s a sensitive soul with a spiritual bent. Shou...

The veteran engineer, producer and tour manager with Preservation Hall, Zachary Richard, Essence Fest, and the Ogden Museum has produced a new record with the recently departed singer/songwriter from Big Sun, Joe Tullos. The “Vessels” project was a labor of love by Michael and a close-knit stable of players and the final artistic statement of a dying friend. On the heels of Yom Kippur, the Trouble...

The adventurous jazz punk percussionist and vibraphonist with Rickie Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool, and Critters Buggin’, as well as his own groups including Punkadelick, Nolatet, and Billy Goat, is one of the most dynamic performers you’ll find anywhere. His terrific trilogy of Quarantine-era albums has raised the bar for everyone else. Mike comes clean about his triumphs and regrets over...

The recent Grammy winner and string multi-instrumentalist with the Afghan Whigs, the Polyphonic Spree, and the Twilight Singers is also the owner/engineer at the wonderful Marigny Studios. His early orchestral training and rock’n’roll impulses led to a decade touring with the Spree, including two Bowie tours. His post-Katrina volunteer work resulted in permanent relocation to New Orleans and the e...

A founding member of Louisiana’s LeRoux, the multi-platinum-selling guitarist, songwriter, and singer rode the wave of chart-topping singles (“New Orleans Ladies,” “Nobody Said It Was Easy”) and tours with bands like ZZ Top, the Doobie Bros., Bob Seger, and John Prine. As a songwriter Tony spent 30 years in Nashville writing a string of #1 hits for top-selling country artists like George Strait, K...

The boogie piano wild man with Mojo Nixon, the LeRoi Bros., Jello Biafra, Roy Head, Archie Bell, and the Neptunes was mentored early on by Nils Lofgren, Billy Gibbons, and Joe Ely. His tenure as co-owner of the Houston Continental Club has given him a view of the biz from the other side of the bar, while the viral “Altuve Polka” by his Polka? I Hardly Know Her Band was the sensation of the Astro’s...

The Dash Rip Rock singer/guitarist has spent a lifetime barnstorming the country fronting the revved-up roots punk trio he founded as a college student. The song parody “Let’s Go Smoke Some Pot” pushed them to the top of the radio charts. The band’s roster of drummers including Fred LeBlanc, Chris Luckett, and Kyle Melancon employ a specific muscular playing style, while Bill’s guitar prowess has...

The decorated organist and piano player’s star-studded resume includes long stints with Kenny Wayne Shephard and Gatemouth Brown as well as tours with Mavis Staples, Charlie Musslewhite, and the North Mississippi Allstars. He currently leads several world-class organ trios including a new one with Jason Ricci and Doug Belote whose debut record “City Country City” comes out in September. With admir...

The Mekons and Waco Brothers founding singer, guitarist, and punk/alt-country pioneer takes a break from his latest Freakon collaboration to discuss his Welsh upbringing, his art school days with pals Gang of Four, his solo projects, and his successful career as a painter. Jon has a tremendous work ethic, releasing the first of 23 singles from the “Lucky Seven Series” and starting bands and record...

The veteran WTIX radio personality behind "News You Need Now" and joke writer for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Joan Rivers stumbled into the comedy game while wisecracking during local traffic reports. He wound up writing 40 to 50 jokes a day for a variety of outlets including radio DJ clients across the country. The charm offensive continues as Ben drops in on the Troubled Men to dip his bi...

The self-proclaimed Jew of Oklahoma and founding bassist with the Bad Livers and Killbilly recently cracked the Billboard Bluegrass chart with his solo release “The Triumph of Assimilation.” It’s a Judeo-Americana meditation on the present, with a view of the past and a cautiously hopeful eye to the future. Mark’s a master of slap upright bass and its use in rockabilly, swing, klezmer, and the con...

The award-winning journalist and author of “Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White,” returns with his newest book, “My Father When Young.” It’s a collection of recently discovered mid-century photos taken by his father as a young man in post-war Europe, his Indiana home, and New Orleans during Mardi Gras. A beautiful Kodachrome time capsule, the book is a window into a life before domes...

He’s a Grammy-winning songwriter, singer, guitar player, record producer, and founding member of the legendary Blasters, who burst onto the early L.A. punk scene with a powerhouse mix of rockabilly, blues, country, and r’n’b. Major label records and worldwide touring followed. With teenage mentors like Big Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker, and a stellar career of solo recordings and top-tier collabora...

The outstanding violinist and singer with Loose Cattle, whose new record, “Heavy Lifting” was just released, comes to New Orleans by way of a Moscow birth and a Georgia upbringing. Extensive classical training underlies his mastery of the instrument, but his love of the American roots canon keeps Rurik in the nightclubs and on festival stages with a Who’s Who of regional and national acts. The Tro...

The original drummer with Tav Falco’s Panther Burns, he had already appeared on Alex Chilton’s “Like Flies on Sherbert” performing “Baron of Love” and cemented his place in Southern fringe folklore. His memoir, ”Baron of Love: Moral Giant,” chronicles the long, strange trip, while his latest band, TURNT, with fresh offerings like “Methadone Takeout Party,” keeps the toes tapping and the tongues wa...

The Commander Cody cofounder burst into the Top 10 playing the hot guitar on “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Grammy nominations and collaborations with Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and Gene Vincent followed in a celebrated career spanning over 50 years. As a teenager he hitchhiked to see Dylan debut “Mr. Tambourine Man” at the ’64 Newport Folk Festival, then returned in ’65 to witness Bob “go electric.” At Ann A...

The pioneering transgender singer, composer, writer, and activist’s band RZA was among the earliest acts on the New Orleans punk rock scene, and his Pop Combo fine-tuned the melodic, angular approach with a fresh lineup. Following a move to NYC, he led several other successful bands including Jenifer Convertible, Tenterhooks, and Minor Planets. His latest single, “Quarantine,” was recorded in New...

The virtuoso trombonist, arranger, and cofounder of Bonerama and Mulebone has also recorded with a laundry list of stars, including Sheryl Crow, Maceo Parker, R.E.M., and Tori Amos. Having cut his teeth in the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band, he’s more recently served as an arranger/producer with his own Levee Horns. These productions have included concerts for Blackbird Presents such as the Last Waltz...

The songwriter, piano, accordion, and bass player is also the entertainment manager for the French Quarter Festival. His years of busking with Jeremy Lyons and club dates with his own bands have given him an intimate knowledge of the New Orleans music scene that proves invaluable in booking the world’s largest showcase of Louisiana music talent. His humanity and diligence have made him a universal...

The critically-acclaimed Americana singer and bass player was a favorite of legendary producer Jim Dickinson, who hired her for his band and helmed her breakthrough solo record, “Anchors and Anvils.” Six other excellent solo releases, in addition to collaborative projects Motel Mirrors, and The Wandering and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon, with N. Miss. Allstar Luther Dickinson, round out her body...

The mastermind behind the Soul Brass Band and Smoker’s World is a percussionist, composer, actor, and MC, with mentors such as Ellis Marsalis and Shannon Powell. From his 20 years with Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers as drummer and de facto tour manager, to the multiple bands he’s founded and continues to lead, to his critically-acclaimed solo releases, Derrick has no shortage of energy, drive...