Episode 565: Sphynx #5

Hello friends! I hope you're all holding up in this crazy time of extreme insanity. On one hand, it seems like the world is falling apart and on the other, it seems like everything is fine and the news is trying to freak us out 24 hours a day. I went to lake Charles, LA with SKYROCKET! on Saturday and realized that when people put on costumes, drink heavily and let themselves give-in to the joy of music and dancing and celebrating being alive, the insanity that we face on a day-to-day basis, falls away like a bad dream. Of course, it's always there waiting for you when you wake up the next day hungover and wishing everything would just stop.
Cory, Aaron and Todd, better known as the band, Sphynx return to the show for episode 565! Their epic new e.p., Floppy Disco comes out this Friday February 10th. Their playing an e.p. release show in Austin next Thursday, February 16th at Stubb's. Find out more on when they're coming to a town near you or how to get their music by going to sphynxmuxic.com. We have a great conversation about Floppy Disco, working with drummer/producer, Ken Coomer (Wilco, Fita & The Tantrums), hanging out in Nashville, playing weddings, touring and much, much more. Sphynx is one of my favorite bands and some of my favorite people. I hope you enjoy our copnversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 545: Aly Tadros Returns!

Hello friends! I hope your holiday was a success and that you got to spend time with loved ones. I had a good Thanksgiving. It was a great weekend. I had a blast playing with SKYROCKET! at Fitzgerald's in Houston on Friday. This Friday, we'll be playing at Cedar Street Courtyard here in Austin. This is the best time of year at Cedar Street, cool nights, good friends, the whole thing. I'm recording some this week. I'l let you know how it goes. 
Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter, Aly tadros returns to the sow for episode 545! Aly's latest album, the gorgeous, Hungry Ghost, comes out this Friday December 2nd. you can download her latest single, "Rivers" now. Just go to Alytadros.com for all of your Aly tadros needs. We got to sit down and chat when she was here for The Dripping Springs Singwriter Festival back in October. Aly and I have a great conversation about her time at the songwriter festival, virtual assistants, her love of bacon, making Hungry Ghost and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. let's get down!
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 534: Matt The Electrician Returns!

Hello friends! I hope you all had a good weekend. I played in San Antonio on Friday and Houston on Saturday. They were good shows, but I had a rough time because my allergies have been so bad. I had a hard time singing both nights. Anyway, I woke up today feeling better than I have in a couple of weeks. Maybe I'm getting a handle on these allergies which is great because I would love to go out and see some music this week. 
Matt The Electrician returns to the show for episode 534! Matt has been releasing a new 7" single featuring two songs per single. Each release is a collaboration with different artists like Dana Falconberry, Little Brave, Wilson Marks Trio and Wood & Wire. I urge you to buy these. They're amazing works of art both visually and musically. find them at mattheelectrician.com He just toured the west coast with Seela and Little Brave and performed at the 15th annual Austin City Limits Festival. If you live in Austin, Matt will be kicking off "Unplugged on the Front Porch" at All Saints Episcopal Church, this Thursday, October 20th. You can find out all about it at frontporchaustin.org. Matt and I have a great conversation about making these 7" singles and the collaborations, House of Songs, the songwriting game, keeping a healthy home life while touring and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 531: Glen Phillips Returns! / Tom Meny Stops by!

Hello friends! I hope our friends in Florida and the southeast are all safe and sound from the hurricane cruising up the east coast. Things are okay in my world. I'm sick and i have shows all weekend. That's always a stressful situation. in SKYROCKET!, there are a lot of other singers that can sing songs so it's not as bad, but i'm supposed to sing three songs at this John Lennon birthday celebration benefit show on Sunday and i want to be okay for that. Here's a link to the Lennon show, link to Lennon show It's a great band and lots of great guest singers and all for a great cause. do it!
My guest for episode 531 is singer/songwriter, Glen Phillips! You might know Glen as the front man for Toad The Wet Sprocket and he was on the show like 4 years ago. Well, Glen has a gorgeous new album out, Swallowed By the New out today, Friday October 7th! He'll be touring through Texas next week go to glenphillips.com for tour info and to pick up the album. We have a great conversation about Swallowed By the New, the dissolution of his 23 year marriage, finding his happiness, accepting mortality, moving to Nashville and much, much more! Plus, Tom Meny stops by to talk about his brilliant new ep, Love & Pay out Friday, October 14th! Thanks for listening. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 529: Reckless Kelly

Hey gang! I hope you've all had a great week. Things are going well here. Heading out to Houston to spend some time with my grandmother. She's 94 now. We're very, very close, so i'm trying to spend as much time with her as i can. SKYROCKET! will be playing in Houston tonight at The Continental Club. People were saying it's sold out. As of last night, it was not, so if you live in Houston, come out tonight Friday 9/30 and party with us! I'll be going to ACL Festival this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes on Tuesday's show. 
My guest for episode 529 is the amazing Cody Braun from Reckless Kelly! For 20 years Reckless Kelly has been making amazing americana music and touring the country relentlessly. They've just released their 11th album, the stunning, Sunset Motel. The album is a gorgeous example of a band taking a sound and running with it and 20 years down the road, there's amazing growth and depth beyond what they even expected. Cody and I have a great conversation about growing up in Idaho, playing in his dad's band with his brothers, moving to Austin and starting Reckless Kelly, their experiences with releasing albums and touring the U.S. for 20 years, the importance of art in everything from writing songs to album packaging, making Sunset Motel and much, much more. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Cody as much as I did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 528: Walker Lukens / Randy Miller From ALL ATX Stops By!

Hello friends! I hope you had a great weekend. This is a big week in Austin music. The new ALL ATX album, Low Down Violet Crown: Austin Rocks the Blues comes out this Thursday, September, 29th and they're celebrating with a big release show at ACL Moody Theater that same day. The album features 17 tracks with the best of Austin artists covering classic blues rock songs. The concert on Thursday features The Doobie Bros., Bob Schneider, Doyle Bramhall ll, Carolyn Wonderland, Jackie Venson, today's guest Walker Lukens and many more. Randy Miller, producer of the album and the show, stops by to fill us in on all things All ATX. go to allatx.org to find out how and where to buy the album and how o get tickets to the show. 
My guest for episode 528 is the amazing Walker Lukens! Walker is featured on the new All ATX album and he'l be playing the show on Thursday at ACL Moody Theater, but he also has a new e.p. coming out next month. Walker's brilliant new e.p., Never Understood, produced by Jim Eno (Spoon), comes out October 14th on Modern Outsider Records. He'll be playing the ACL Festival on October 8th and playing release shows around Texas in October. We have a great conversation about making Never Understood, growing up in Houston, navigating this crazy music business and much, much more. I hope you enjoy getting to know Walker as much as i did. Let's get down!
Ciao! -jg

Episode 527: Alesia Lani / Bonnie Whitmore Stops By!

Hello friends! i hope you're all doing well and living the dream. Bonnie Whitmore stopped by last week to talk a little bit about her new album, Fuck With Sad Girls which is officially available everywhere on October 28th. However, if you want to get the album early and you live in Austin, Bonnie and her band will be playing at The Continental Club next Thursday, September 29th at 10 pm and you can buy a copy of Fuck With Sad Girls at the show. Bonnie and i have a quick conversation about the album, the show, The Beatles and more. 
My guest for episode 527 is the amazing soul singer, Alesia Lani! Alesia's latest single, "Love You" is available now where ever you find music online. Alesia is playing the 36th Annual Fall Pecan Street Festival here in Austin, tomorrow, Saturday, September 24th at 3:15 pm on The Neches Stage. Alesia is an amazing singer and her first album, First Impression and latest single, "Love You", are absolutely gorgeous. We have a great conversation and i hope you enjoy getting to know this talented and charming woman as much as i did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 525: Rattletree

Hello friends! I hope you're all doing well. I'm recovering from a pretty fun Sunday. I went to the Reckless Kelly Sunset Motel listening party at Arlyn Studios here in Austin yesterday. The album is great. The party was awesome. Lots of old friends and new friends all celebrating one of our own and their new album. It reminds me how lucky I am to be a part of this scene. Sunset Motel comes out this Friday, September 23rd. You'll be hearing from them on this show very soon.
My guest for episode 525 is Joel Laviolette from the electronica/marimba band, Rattletree! This weekend Rattletree will be hosting "The Rattletree Glow Party" with all kinds of activities, musical projects, food and more.The party takes place this Friday, Sept 23rd, Saturday, Sept 24th and Sunday Sept 25th. For tickets and more information, simply go to rattletree.com Joel and i have a great conversation about learning marimba and living in Africa, teaching marimba, incorporating electronic music and traditional African music, the glow party, African chord changes and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 523: Elijah Ford & The Bloom

Hello friends! I hope you all had a good weekend. I had a busy one. Thursday night I moderated a panel at The Austin Video Music Festival and afterwards met up with some friends and saw the great Eric Tessmer. Friday i headed to Houston to play a couple of shows with SKYROCKET! Saturday afternoon before my gig, I went to my little cousin's 5th birthday and hung out with my family and a lot of children and parents. Sunday, I came back to Austin and interviewed Nakia at The Soul of a Musician series. Long weekend.Good times.
My guests for episode 523 are Elijah Ford and Chris Konte from Elijah Ford & The Bloom! Their rocking new album, As You Were comes out this Friday, September 16th on Nine Mile Records. Elijah and and his uncle Chris came by last week and we had a great conversation about collaborating on writing and recording, making As You Were, the term, "youngcle", coming from a family of musicians, our love of the power pop band, Jellyfish, Project ATX6 and much, much more. It was great getting to hang out and getting to know these guys. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 521: The Nightowls / Jaimee Harris Stops By!

Hello friends! i hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. i did. i played a couple of shows with Skyrocket, went to an awesome benefit for my friend, George Reiff at C-boys on Sunday night. It was a good time and i think they raised some good money for George. If you would like to contribute, here's a link to George's Gofundme page He could use al the help he can.
My guest for episode 521 is Ryan Harkrider from The Nightowls! They've just released a new e.p. called, The Royal Sessions recorded at the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis, TN and are about to embark on a midwest. east coast tour at the end of September. You can find if they're coming to a town near you at wearethenightowls.com Ryan and i have a great conversation about recording in legendary studios, keeping a 10-piece band together and going, finding your own voice playing funk music, touring with the full-band and much, much more. Plus, Jaimee Harris stopped by a couple of weeks ago to talk about her show coming up this Saturday Sept. 10th at Strange Brew here in Austin and her new album that's due out in a few months. Big show. Great conversations. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg