Tunesmate's Podcast

Join Ray and Marc as they walk down memory lane and reminisce the glory of cassettes in the latest edition of the Tunesmate podcast.  As many of us who grew up in the 1980s remember, the cassette tape was for a while the most dominant medium for purchasing, listening to, and recording music. Even after cassettes faded with the rise of the CD, they remained an inescapable part of the music lexicon,...

Join Ray and Marc as they interview Rhythm & Blues musician Bill Toms . Listen to how Bill created his new album with his band Hard Rain entitled Keep Movin' On during the pandemic. Find out how working with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Bruce Springsteen allowed him to find his unique style. 

Join Ray & Marc as they countdown the top instrumentals of all-time that charted on Billboard's Hot 100. What tune might be at the top? Discover if some of your favorite music from the last several decades made the countdown and what might stand the test of time. 

Join Ray & Marc as they uncover the unique poetic rock music of Brian Lisik hailing from Akron, Ohio. Find out Brian's creative process and how he approaches his work. Then discover the story behind Brian's latest album Gudbye Stoopid Whirled and what he has been working on lately. Thanks to Mike Farley for the connection and make sure to check out more about this unique artist on this website  ht...

Join Ray and Marc as they countdown the best samples of all-time.  Find out what songs top the list. Which original songs were made stronger taking a part of it to make a new classic? Discover how tunes from Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, The Notorious B.I.G., Warren G and Nate Dogg, Eminem, and Will Smith revolutionized the music industry.

Breakdancing peaked in popularity during the 1980s, but just like Vinyl, it has seen a resurgence in the last few years. Listen to the incredible story from Todd Bertsch aka "The Windmill Wizard", and host of The BOLT Podcast,  about how he got into Breakdancing and the impact on his life. Discover the music of Run-D.M.C., Nucleus, Herbie Hancock, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang, and...

Join Ray and Marc as they countdown the best tunes from 2020.  What made your top ten song list from this year? Taylor Swift, Dojo Cat, Tones & I, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Richard Marx, Wolfgang Van Halen, BTS, Dua Lipa,  AC/DC, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, and Coheed and Cambria all made an impact. Reflect back on the year in music and what will be remembered with Tunesmate. 

Listen to Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, the drummer from Weird Al's band, discuss his new book "Black & White & Weird All Over - The Lost Photographs of 'Weird Al' Yankovic '83-'86" . This unique collection of photographs are a cool look behind the scenes of Weird Al's early days taken directly by Jon. Take a walk down memory lane and listen to Jon discuss photos from the set of "I Love Rocky Road", "Ri...

Join Ray and Marc as they reminisce about the 20th anniversary of U2's album All That You Can't Leave Behind and the 40th anniversary of the album Boy. Find out why this alternative pop-punk band out of Dublin, Ireland ranks as one of the top rock bands of all-time and why their music will stand the test of time. 

Join Ray and Marc as they interview singer, writer, actor, and voiceover artist Liz Huff. Discover her unique style of music, newsletter, debut live classical / jazz podcast, and how she works. Find out what music is in her DNA and continues to inspire this classical and theatrical performer during these challenging times.  

In this episode, Ray & Marc pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen by discussing not only his impact on music but ultimately culture. This Dutch virtuoso guitarist left behind a legacy that inspired a series of copycats that skyrocketed hard rock and heavy metal to new heights. Listen to the latest Tunesmate podcast to get an overview of Van Halen's music through the decades from David Lee Roth to Sammy H...

Do you remember what it was like when there was just dial-up Internet access? There was a time twenty years ago when the world was preparing for Y2k long before Web 2.0, and the iPhone. During that era, a revolutionary online radio station called Clevelandhits.com introduced the world to the Internet Jocks (IJs), 24/7 live streaming music, and equest voting. However, the truth be told, it was ahea...

In this edition of Tunemate's Podcast, listen to an interview with an artist, filmmaker, musician, and VJ - Kasumi. Discover how the power of music not only drives her short and feature-length experimental films, live shows, immersive 360 virtual reality pieces, but even her venture into software design. Find out what continues to inspire this artist and her creative process. Then, as usual, stick...

What is your favorite music video? Join Ray and Marc as they discuss the characteristics that make up the best music videos of all-time since the launch of MTV. Discover if a video can transcend the music, and why some videos seem to fade away into the sunset.  Find where artists like Michael Jackson, Weird Al, Tom Petty, Tears for Fears, Beastie Boys, Genesis, Mike & The Mechanics, A-ha, Peter Ga...

Join Ray and Marc as they interview author Greg Renoff about his new book ' Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music .' Discover what went on behind the scenes with legendary artists like Aerosmith, Van Morrison, Nicolette Larson, Van Halen, David Lee Roth, The Doobie Brothers, and Carly Simon to just name a few. Find out what it takes to be a producer and why Ted Templeman was not only...

Join Ray and Marc as they reminisce about their college radio days, music from the 1990s, and the day that changed their lives.  When Ray decided to go to WFAL's radio night, Marc followed along which lead him to ultimately meet DJ Dude. Together Dude and Marc along with DJ Cris formed the WFAL Soundsystem and embarked into mobile DJing. Listen to an interview with Dude about how it all started an...

Join Ray & Marc, as they interview Noush Skaugen, British actress, and rock artist, on her return to music. Find out the inspiration behind Noush's album "Hey Sicko" and the ups and downs during a ten-year journey back. Discover how this classically trained musician's continuous passion lead to creating new music and storytelling during these changing times. https://noushskaugen.com/

In this episode, join Ray and Marc as they breakdown the 2020 Rock Hall class inductees. This year Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., T. Rex, Irving Azoff, and Jon Landau made it. However, Dave Matthews Band, Pat Benetar, Judas Preist, and countless others didn't make the cut. Listen to this week's podcast to discover the Rock & Roll Hall Of...

Join Ray and Marc, as they interview Ralph Solonitz, an artist and illustrator, who recounts his experience from the May 4th Kent State University event that changed the world 50 years ago. Discover not only how the event impacted Ralph, but how the day inspired the artists and the music culture of the 1970s.    

The experience of playing music with a physical medium like a record, cassette, or CD is a ritual that requires the listener to become deeply engaged with it. Join Jose, Ray, and Marc, as the Tunesmate writers discuss why collecting vinyl records, made a comeback. Whether you are just starting out as an album collector or you're a seasoned pro looking to upgrade your sound system, find out how vin...

Join Ray and Marc as they catch up with legendary melodic guitar instrumentalist Neil Zaza . Just like many artists during this time, Neil has been busy writing new music. Find out what albums represent his best eras, how he composes new tunes, and why he has international appeal. Listen to the discussion and discover what's next for this world-renowned guitarist!

Join Ray & Marc as they interview performing arts innovator, technologist, speaker, and musician Thomas Mulready, creator of  CoolCleveland , IngenuityFest , and This Analog World. Find out how digging deeper and understanding what's behind the music can lead to a deeper appreciation of an artist. During this up-close and personal interview, discover how music can inspire, give hope during these c...

Join Ray & Marc as they catch-up with Jim Brickman and his Executive Producer Bob. Find out how this Grammy-nominated, world-renowned celebrity, piano sensation, radio talkshow host, and composer finds inspiration to create new music. Get the behind the scenes story about the hit he wrote for Michael W. Smith "Love Of My Life".  Discover how Jim deeply connects with his audience and what projects...

Listen to an intriguing interview with singer, songwriter, photographer, and musician Holly Knight, whose compositions are revered by fans worldwide and span many music genres from rock to pop. As an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, she co-wrote the hit songs "Rag Doll" by Aerosmith, "Obsession" by Animotion, "Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar, "The Best" by Tina Turner, "Never" by He...

Cruise on over and join Ray and Marc in this episode of Tunesmate's Podcast as they explore the world of Yacht Rock. Discover what constitutes a Yacht Rock song. Is this category just about being smooth and soulful? Discover the music of Christopher Cross, Dan Fogelberg, Toto, Peter Frampton, and many others. Find out if music from other decades can cross over and join this elegant category.