Episode 585: Fastball

Hello friends! i hope his episode finds you all living the American dream. I'm good. I've spent the week doing podcasts, rehearsing with my drummer Joe Humel, rehearsing with SKYROCKET! and working with The Austin Music Foundation. You might wonder if I ever fuck anything up because some days, I do at least three of those things. The answer is yes. This week I deleted a podcast right after I recorded it with a band called, Girling. I was doing a lot of different things that day and I just got confused and turned off my machine without saving it. They're coming back next week and we're gonna redo it. I think I need a vacation. 
My guests for episode 585 are Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga from the pop band, Fastball! They're releasing theirsixth album, Step Into The Light on Friday, May 19th and they're going on tour all summer of the U.S. with Everclear and Vertical Horizon. You can find out if they're coming to a town near you by going to fastballtheband.com Tony and Miles and I have a great conversation about how they met and formed Fastball, getting signed by Hollywood Records, Keeping the original band together for six albums and for over 20 years, their friendship, disterous self-managing times, getting the Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabelo's interpelation of the Fastball song "Out Of My Head" called, "Bad Things" and much, much more! I genuinely love these guys and their band. You will too after this show. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 580: Scott Collins & Lexi Cardenas

Hello friends! I hope you all had a great weekend and that things are all going your way. Things are good here. I am still kinda tired from my crazy week/weekend of SKYROCKET! shows. The convention we were playing (check the intro on ep. 579) took a step into the world of the insane on Thursday night when Vanilla Ice showed up for soundcheck and didn't like what he heard. I talk all about it in the intro. By the way, if the intro sounds a little different, it's because i recorded it in my hotel room on Saturday night before my gig. Hope you enjoy it.
Scott Collins and Lexi Cardenas are my guests for episode 580! Their gorgeous new e.p., Let's Start Here comes out this Saturday, April 8th and they're celebrating with an e.p. release show this Saturday at The Blackheart here in Austin. Scott was on a few months ago when he had just opened his studio, Chicken Run Studios andsince then I've run into him and kept in touch. He's a really sweet and cool guy. You can find out their schedule and hear their music at scottcollinsproject.com. Scott and Lexi and I have a great conversation about making Let's Start Here, how they met, what constitutes a "hat guy" or a "hat band", Lexi's years in El Paso, violin vs. fiddle and much, much more! I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 569: Billy Harvey Returns Again!

Hello friends! I hope you all had a good weekend. I did. I saw Jane Ellen Bryant play on Friday. She was great. On Saturday I got to be in The Megaphone Show at The New Movement Theater. It's a storytelling/improv show like U.C.B's "Asscat" shows. I highly recommend the show to everyone. the actors are all amazing at what they do. The show is extremely funny and it's something to do that's outside the norm. Do it. It's fun.
The amazingly talented and always entertaining, Billy Harvey returns to the show for episode 569! His brilliant new album Elephants In The Room comes out today, Tuesday, February 21st 2017. Billy stopped by while he was in town playing a show and moving his studio from Los Angeles to start a new chapter of his life in Nashville. Billy and I have a great conversation about making Elephants In The Room, his band Reluctant Apostles, his upcoming release with Salim Nourallah and Alex Dezen called NHD, fatherhood, moving to nashville and much, much more! I hope you enjoy my conversation with Billy. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 564: Tinnarose / Rain Perry, Director Of "The Shopkeeper" Documentary, Checks In!

Hello friends! I hope the world is treating you well. Hopefully you're navigating this unprecidented time in history with a cool hand and a lot of grace. Things are crazy out there. Be nice to each other. Rain Perry and i chat via Skype about the amazing documentary about one of my very best friends, Mark Hallman, called, "The Shopkeeper". The movie has been making the festival rounds and is now having it's Austin premier at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar at 4pm on Sunday February 12th with an afterparty across the street at teh One-2-One Bar at 6:30. To find out how to get tickets and learn more about the movie, go to shopkeepermovie.com Check it out now!
Devon McDermott and Morris Ramos from the art/rock band, Tinnarose are my guests for episode 564! Their new album, My Pleasure Has Returned is available now and they're doing some shows in Texas in the next week before they head out on an eastcoast tour in a couple of weeks. We have a great conversation about how they came together as a band, The Grateful Dead, dealing with loss, making My Pleasure Has Returned, 70's jazz and much, much more. Go to tinnarose.com to get the album and find out when they're coming to a town near you. I hope you enjoy getting to know Devon and Morris. I sure did. Let's get down!
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 563: Daisy O'Connor Returns! / Giulia Millanta Stops By!

Hello friends! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Things are getting weirder all the time with the news, but let's not talk about it here... Deal? Deal. My friend, Giulia Millanta stopped by the other day to talk about her new album, Moonbeam Parade which you can find on itunes and at giuliamillanta.com but you won't find it on Spotify. We have a great conversation about "going electric" for Moonbeam Parade, going to and finishing medical school then deciding to become a professional musician, Blues Cruises, touring Europe and much more! Giulia will be playing tonight, Tuesday 1/31 at The Saxon Pub at 8 pm.
Daisy O'Connor returns to the show for episode 563! Her gorgeous, new album, Lightchasers comes out this Friday, February 3rd and she's playing a record release show that same night at The Cactus Cafe' here in Austin. Go to daisyoconnor.com for all things Daisy. Daisy and i had a great conversation that covers everything from making Lightchasers, touring on her own since she ws last on the show, surviving an awful car accident at the end of last year, dealing with depression, kissing Danny Malone on NYE and much, much more! I love talking to Daisy and I think you'll enjoy listening to us. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 558: Skye Strickler

Hello friends! I hope this episode finds you well and enjoying life to it's fullest. Things are good here. I've doing tons of podcasts this week. Six to be exact. I got super-behind during the holidays to where a couple of weeks ago, i was doing podcasts the day before they are posted. I haven't goten behind like that in a few years, so I'm making up for it over the next couple of weeks by getting ahead again. Over the next few weeks, look for great converations with Leopold And His Fiction, Daisy O'Connor, Demi The Daredevil and more. 
Pop artist, Skye Strickler is my guest for episode 558! Skye's brilliant, debut e.p., DNA is out now. You find it and more at skyestrickler.com. I met Skye a couple of months ago and I've run into him at different events. He is a really nice guy with incredible energy and an amazing wealth of talent. Skye and I have a great conversation about growing on a farm in rural Kansas, his humble beginnings in musical theater in his teens, the dangers of being "rufeed", making DNA with his producer in Guadalajara and much, much more. I had a great time getting to know Skye. I'm sure you will too. Let's get down!
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 551: Chris Taylor Returns!

Hello friends! I hope you're all staying warm. I am. I actually made a huge dent in my Christmas shopping today. That's always a relief. How did we make Christmas so stressful? It makes you realize how poor you are, how much you wish you could give people. At the same time, you stress out getting your cousin's boyfriend something you think he'll like and he's not even going to show up. I spent a lot of time the last couple of years buying people music I thought they would like, but i've seen a couple of cd's I bought over the last couple of years still in the cellophane. Merry Christmas!
San Antonio's hyper-prolific artist/singer/songwriter, Chris Taylor returns to the show for episode 551! Chris put out three albums in 2016, the electronic, Re: Imagine, the gorgeous double-album, Never Ending Now and the politically infused, USBlues. Three fantastic albums! You can find all of his albums and his amazing artwork at christaylorworld.com. Chris and i met up at Sam's Burger Joint Music Hall before my gig in San Antonio a couple of weeks ago. We have a great conversaion about what drove Chris to make 3 albums this year, playing with his band, fighting fear with art, what the election year means to him and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I did. Let's get down!
 
Ciao! -jg
 
 

Episode 544: David Halley / Nomad City Stops By

Hello friends! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and you're living that "Black Friday" dream. You know the dream, the one where you don't have to be with your crazy family anymore and there are tons of leftovers that you can eat cold, right out of the fridge. The people you're tired of hanging out with are the kind of people that go shopping on "Black Friday", so you're happy they're gone. Hey! If you're in Houston tonight, Friday, Novermber 25th, SKYROCKET! is playing at Fitzgerald's! Come out and say hi. Also, it's a fabulous escape from your family. 
 
My guest for episode 544 is legendary singer/songwriter, David Halley. David has a new album coming out, A Month Of Somedays on December 6th. A Month Of Somedays is David's first album since the classic, Stray Dog Talk over 20 years ago. He's playing a record release show here in Austin next Saturday December 3rd at 9:30 pm at The Townsend. David and i have a great conversation about what he's been up to for the last 20 years, working on A Month Of Somedays with Will Sexton and J.D. Foster, fatherhood and much, much more. I love David Halley and his music. It was a real treat to get to talk to him. Plus, Brit and Ray from Nomad City stop by and talk about their e.p. release show next Thursday, December 1st at The Mohawk. Big show. Good times. Let's get down! 
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 542: Tahoma

Hello friends! I hope you're all doing well. Maybe you're getting your Thanksgiving plans together. I'm playing this weekend with SKYROCKET!, but I wanted to tell you about a special benefit show going on this Sunday, November 20th at The One-2-One Bar here in Austin. A dear friend and beloved musician in the Austin scene, Natalie Zoe, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and she's currently undergoing treatment. So, this Sunday, Novemeber 20th from 3-8 pm, there's a benefit for Natalie at the One-2-One Bar with music from Van Wilkes, AJ Vallejo, Malford Milligan, Extreme Heat and more! Come out and support Natalie! More info HERE
 
My guest for episode 542 are Austin Americana artists, Tahoma! Their new album, Hide Away is out now. If you're listening to this show the day it comes out, they'll be playing tonight, Friday November 18th at The Shrine Mosque in Springfield, MO. You can find out when they're coming to a town near you by going to tahomaband.com Brandon, Sarah and Vinnie stopped by a couple of weeks ago and we had a fantastic conversation about making Hide Away, surviving their first U.S. tour, making videos and much, much more! I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!

Episode 536: Craig Dorfman (Author of "Brighter Day: A Jellyfish Story")

Hello friends! I hope you all had a great weekend. Are you a fan of the band, Jellyfish? Do you ever wonder why they only released two albums (Bellybutton - 1991, Spilt Milk - 1993) and broke up? Do you ever wonder what ever happened to the members of the band? Well, for episode 536 I talk to Craig Dorfman, the man who wrote the book about Jellyfish. The book is called, "Brighter Day: A Jellyfish Story" Craig just picked up distribution last week, so it should make its way into some stores in the next few months, but for now you can get it the "Brighter Day: A Jellyfish Story" facebook page. I reached out to Craig and got a copy of the book. I absolutely loved it. Jellyfish is one of my favorite bands and it was great to hear the whole story told by the people that lived it and told in a single narrative that keeps you engaged the whole time. Craig and I have a great conversation about finding the dozens of people involved in the story and interviewing them and working on the book for over 7 years, his love of music and these guys and their life story and much, much more. I hope you enjoy getting to know Craig. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg