Episode 517: Money Chicha

Hello friends! I hope you're all surviving the end of summer heat and floods. It's crazy out there, right?
I got to see Alice Cooper on Sunday night! I was amazing. I want to thank my friend, AJ Vallejo for inviting me. I had a blast seeing AJ's band, BANG before the Alice show. It was a great night all around. Alice's show is an onslaught of costume changes, snakes, giant frankenstein monsters and heavy metal. Plus, he's super old and still rocking like a champ. it was inspiring.
My Guest for episode 517 is Greg Gonzalez, the bass player from Money Chicha, Brownout and the Grammy winning, Grupo Fantasma! Money Chicha has a fantastic new album out, Echo En Mexico. I've been a fan of Money Chicha for a few years now and I've gotten to see them a few times during their residency at The Continental Club Gallery here in Austin and i'm a big fan. Greg and i have a conversation about balancing, touring and making music with three high-profile bands, growing up in Laredo, teaching composition, making Echo En Mexico, the history of Chicha music, playing with Prince and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know Greg. I sure did. Let's get down!
Ciao! jg

Episode 511: Tee Double Returns Again!

hello friends. i hope you're all doing well. i need to make an important announcement about a dear friend and very important part of the music community, bass player/producer, george reiff. george has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. he had a brain tumor removed on friday and is recovering. he has a long road ahead of him and that road is going to be very expensive. his family has started a gofundme page so that we can all help out. please go to gofundme.com/georgereiff and give what you can. let's help this beautiful man and his family get through this. let's do it for george.
my guest for episode 511 is artist/producer/entrepreneur/activist and austin's hip hop ambassador, tee double! he's just released his 27th album, ambassador status. he's started "black mics matter " a new musical project that will feature new artists with stories of passion and solutions for the black community and the world during these challenging times. you can find out more about by going to his gofundme page and help him realize his vision. tee double and i have an amazing conversation about making his new album, ambassador status, his goals with "black mics matter", race relations in today's crazy times, austin's hip hop scene, music licensing and much, much more. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 504: Van Wilks Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're having a good week and ready to cruise into the weekend in style. i have no idea what that means, but it sounds nice. if you live in san antonio, my band, skyrocket will be playing at sam's burger joint music hall, tonight, july 8th 2016. come out and get into the festivities that you can only get into by cutting loose with skyrocket on a friday night in s.a.. i'm playing friday, but i'm off saturday and next weekend. slow month for the skyrocket clan. i have no idea what i'm doing on saturday night. maybe some good peeps are playing and i'll see a band or two.
guitar hero, van wilks returns to the show for episode 504! van has a new album out, 21st century blues. i think it's his best and toughest sounding album yet. the more i have these conversations with my elders, the more i am convinced that if you stay inspired and stay true to yourself, you will always grow and your art will always be honest and good. such is the case with van wilks and his first album in ten years, 21st century blues. van and i have another great conversation. i never ceased to be inspired by van and the other amazingly talented people in my life that i look up to. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 500: Live at The Townsend w/ AJ Vallejo, Nakia, Kathy Valentine, Taylor Muse, Suzanna Choffel

hello friends! we did it! we hit 500 episodes and we did it in style. on monday, june 20th i was joined by aj vallejo, nakia, kathy valentine, taylor muse and suzanna choffel at the townsend here in austin, tx. we have a great and crazy conversation aj vallejo and i talk about our cooking show, "cooking/drinking w/ johnny & aj" and being producer of the year. we talk to nakia about his prince shows where he raised $15,000 for the sims foundation and haam. kathy tells about her new book, the movie she got to be in the new bluebonnet songs and videos. taylor muse and his love for chicken wings and star wars and suzanna choffel talks about jem & the holograms, her new album and much, much more! i want to thank juan alsina for recording the show, the townsend for having us and being so supportive of the show and last but not least, all of the people who came out and made it such a special night. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 499 Part One: The Music

hello friends! i want to remind you that we are recording our 500th podcast live this coming monday, june 20th at 8 pm at the townsend here in austin, tx. my guests will be nakia, kathy valentine, taylor muse (quiet company), suzanna choffel and aj vallejo! come out and celebrate with us! enjoy fine cocktails, delicious snacks and a great conversation with some of he most entertaining musicians around. plus, there's no cover!!!
episode 499 part one: the music is a playlist i put together out of some of the music i've been turned on to by guests over the last hundred episodes. part two will be excerpts of conversations from soem of the last hundred episodes. look for that on tuesday. here's the track listing for episode 499 part one: the music...
 1. "baby when i close my eyes" - sweet spirit
 2. "stop the world" - mike flanigin w/ gary clark jr.
 3. "echo of whoos" - calliope musicals
 4. "no one gonna give you love" - my jerusalem
 5. "down to the ocean" - jeremy nail
 6. "atta blues" - emily wolfe
 7. "withdrawal" - max frost
 8. "september in your eyes" - bruce sudano
 9. "summer samaritan" - los coast
10. "ready for war" - love & chaos
11. "work" - tank washington
12. "heartbreak bugaloo" - the midnight stroll
13. "sweet dreaming" - daniel eyes and the vibes
14. "southern suburbian" - sally allen
15. "one" - moving panoramas
16. "polyester" - john evans
17. "i don't wanna have to lie" - lolo

Episode 472: Brannen Temple

hello friends! i hope this episode finds you well. austin, texas is in the depths of sxsw. it's all happening. bands are running around town. pedestrians are in the middle of the road looking at their phones. people are littering. i had a hangover the other day. all signs that sxsw is in full-swing. i got to attend a very special documentary screening last night. it's called "the shopkeeper" and it's about my mentor, musician/songwriter/producer, mark hallman. i had the good fortune of getting to be in it and it was absolutely amazing. my friend rain perry made it. i'll keep you guys up on what's going on with it and when it's going to come out. keep an eye out for "the shopkeeper".
my guest for episode 472 is drummer, brannen temple. you might know brannen from his bands, temple underground, black red black blaze and more. or you might know him from his work with, sheena easton, eric johnson, janet jackson, the dixie chicks, boz skaggs and many, many more. brannen is one of the best drummers and musicians i've ever seen in my life. most people that know him say that too. he's also one of the coolest guys i've meet and have had on the show. we have an in-depth conversation about what music means, what it does, what it can do. brannen's approach to studio and live playing. this is honestly one of my favorite episodes. prepare for a lesson in true cool. enjoy my conversation with this masterful musician and soulful human being. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 471: Modern Outsider

hello friends! i hope you're all in your positions for the maelstrom of insanity heading our way like a giant category 5 hurricane made up of hipsters, entertainment industry professionals on spring break, corporate take overs of your favorite street corners, drunk fans and the president and first lady of the united states. i think i am. if you're not in austin or coming to austin this week for sxsw, maybe you'll get sleep and wake up sane. if you are coming to austin or live in austin, good luck bro! let the insanity begin.
my guests for episode 471 are chip and erin adams, owners of modern outsider records. the just won "best record label" at the austin music industry awards on monday. they've only been around for five years and have put out records by dana falconberry, quiet company, moving panoramas, the crookes, black pistol fire and many more. they started out with a simple mission: discover and release good music. they've stuck to it and in a time when labels are folding and straning to survive, the've made modern outsider work. find out why they started it and how they make it wok. i hope you enjoy getting to know chip and erin. i sure did. let's get down! 

Episode 467: Bill Carter Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well and ready for the weekend! things are good here. i have a week off from skyrocket. no gigs. maybe a movie, see some music, go out to dinner with my cousin megan and of course, the oscars. is anyone having a fabulous oscar party? if you are, invite me.
my friend, bill carter returns to the show for episode 467! his gorgeous new album, innocent victims and evil companions is out today (friday february 26th)! bill is an amazing story teller and poet. his songs and the characters in the songs take you somewhere real, painful and beautiful. innocent victims and evil companions will take you on a colorful journey you can only take with bill carter. you can find it at billcarterandtheblame.com bill came by a few weeks ago and we got to sit down and talk about making the album, touring, writing songs, solar powered radio stations and much, much more! i hope you enjoy my conversation with bill carter as much as i did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 459: Emily Bell Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all getting ready for a fabulous weekend! the weather in austin is unseasonably gorgeous today. i would complain about global warming, but i'll just keep recycling, turning off my lights, walking instead of driving and things of that nature. it's also, my girlfriend, zuri's birthday and i have the weekend off from playing so we're going to hit the town all weekend! i hope you are too!my guest for episode 459 is the amazingly talented and entertaining, emily bell! emily has a fantastic new single out "goddess of destruction", a new band, emily bell & the talkbacks and a new residency! since emily was on the show in 2013, her life has taken many turns, both good and bad. now she's taken all of that energy and put it into a gorgeous/cathartic collection of songs that she will be showcasing with her new band, the talkbacks every other tuesday at stay gold in austin starting this tuesday, feb 2nd. if you don't live in austin, you can find all things emily bell at emilybell.com! i hope you enjoy my conversation with emily. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 452: Love & Chaos

hello friends! i hope you're easing into 2016 in style and with grace. it's been a lazy year so far... i didn't do much this weekend except clean up, make some food, go to the grocery store, eat and watch movies. zuri and i watched a cool show called, "the man in the high castle" on amazon. it's about the world if the axis powers had won world war 2 and divided the country on ha;f be tween the japanese and the nazis. i recommend it. it's "free week" in austin, so of you're in town, get out and see some music. i'll be at the volstead in austin tonight (tues 1/5) opening for my friend and former band mate, nathan harlan. we start at 9. come out!my guests for episode 452 are kendall beard and aj vallejo from the band, love & chaos! they just released their self-titled debut e.p. on friday. they're playing a record release show on jan 14th at the saxon pub here in austin. you can find out where and when they're playing by going to loveandchaosmusic.com kendall and aj are great friends of mine and we have a great conversation about the new ep, writing songs together, new babies, how music is distributed, making videos and much, much more! i hope you enjoy getting to know kendall and aj. they're two of my favorite people and i bet they'll be two of yours too when you finish this podcast. let's get down!ciao! -jg