Episode 448: The Trishas

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i should be doing well. i'm spending the christmas week with my family in houston and these shows have all been lade in advance and i'm taking a legitimate week off from my work. i don't do that much. some weeks are slow with skyrocket, solo stuff or the podcast, but i never really just "unplug" for a week and not do any work. i'm looking forward to this break. hopefully, i'm enjoying it. my guests for episode 448 are americana darlings, the trishas! yes. i know they're not currently "super-active" as a band, but i have been trying to get them on the show since i started it. luckily they were playing some shows in new york, south texas and austin a few weeks ago and i got them to stop by bright and early one morning after a show. it was even more fun and hilarious than i imagined it would be. these are some of the most talented, hard working, prolific artists i know. they're also the most entertaining group of people to be around. i hope they work together more simply because something magical happens when they're together. i hope you enjoy my morning with the trishas as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 442: Narc Twain / Sam Means

hello friends! i hope you've all had a great week and are heading into the weekend with purpose. i'm good. still stopped up from having a cold but i feel a lot better. i had a great time moderating the austin music foundations's "expanding your horizons" booking panel on wednesday. i recorded it for a podcast, but there was so much interaction with the audience, who didn't have microphones, that  we can't put it out. next time. anyway, it was informative and i suggest that if you're a musician here in austin, you check out the austin music foundation. they can help you find your way.episode 422 is a double-header skype show! first up, i have a great chat with tommy siegel from brooklyn based band, narc twain. their new e.p. is out today. check them out on soundcloud. we have a great conversation about the band and how they came together, his other bands, drunken sufis and jukebox the ghost, what the brooklyn scene is like and much, much more. next up i talk to phoenix, arizona'a own sam means! sam's newest album, "10 songs" produced by steven macdonald from redd kross, doesn't come out until january 22nd, but you can check out some tunes from the album and find all things sam at sammeansmusic.com. sam and i have a great conversation about his old band, the format with nate ruess from the band, fun.,  scoring movies, his company hellomerch,com, how he's not fronted a band live but is willing to try and much, much more! i had a great time talking to these guys. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 440: Casey McPherson Returns!

hello friends! i hope you all had a great holiday weekend. i had a very laid back holiday weekend. i played one show with skyrocket and did a couple of podcasts on saturday and sunday. i got the chance to sit down and talk to paco estrada on saturday at orb recording studios and then sunday morning, bright and early, the trishas came over and we had a great conversation and a lot of laughs. look for both of those in the coming weeks. my guest for episode 440 is one of my favorite people and best friends, the amazingly talented singer/songwriter from alpha rev and flying colors, casey mcpherson! casey has had a busy few years since he was last on. he's released several albums and toured europe a few times with his prog/rock/pop band, flying colors which features mike potnoy and steve morse. he's released a lot of new music with his band, alpha rev. he's also been finding ways to build a community and help his community by raising awareness about affordable housing. this year casey is a black fret nominee and he's performing at the 2nd annual black fret black ball gala at the paramount theater in austin, tx this friday, december 12th. you can find out how to get tickets by going to black fret black ball gala. i hope you enjoy my conversation with casey. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 439: Dan Dyer

hello friends! i hope you all had a fantastic thanksgiving! i had a really good one. my girlfriend zuri and i went to her family's house and had a great dinner. of course, i ate too much, tried not to fall asleep watching football after dinner then played a trivia game. good times. today is black friday. i hope you're having a successful one if you're one of the millions that go out and try to get the "super-deals". skyrocket is playing a show tonight (fri. 11/27) in austin at the one-2-one bar. we go on at 10. come out and celebrate the holiday with us! (i just made "black friday" a holiday)my guest for episode 439 is the amazing singer/songwriter, dan dyer! dan and i have known each other for over 20 years. he's a phenomenal talent and a super sweet and real cat. he's a black fret nominee and has the honor of performing at their black ball gala at the paramount theater in austin, tx next friday, december 4th along with a host of other nominees. you can find out all about it at black fret info dan has a new e,p,, singing river sessions available now. go to dandyer.com to find out where to get it and when you can see dan live. dan and i have a fantastic conversation about his journey from breedlove to working with lenny kravitz, jingle singing in new york city, getting into working with his hands and much, much more. i hope you all had a great thanksgiving. i am very grateful for you. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 435: The Lonely Wild

hello friends! i hope you're all having a great week. hopefully where ever you are, you're enjoying the cool fall weather that we're enjoying here in austin. so, i had an eventful week... i deleted two podcasts i recorded on tuesday. right after i finished the second one with dan dyer (a podcast i've tried to book for over 4 years BTW), i went to turn off my machine as dan and i chatted and i didn't "save" my interviews and they were deleted. it was that easy. i did it once before in summer of 2012 after i talked to comedian, john tole. anyway, this time i deleted dan dyer's and a band that is on tour from los angeles. luckily, i was able to get the band from l.a. to come by the next morning be fore they left town and looks like dan will be back in next week... i hope. my guests for episode 435 are los angeles indie rock band, the lonely wild! we actually had this conversation twice. yes. they're the band from l.a. who's interview i deleted the day before, but they were nice enough to come by and do it again. anyway, the lonely wild is currently on tour in support of their gorgeous new album, chasing white light. they'll be on tour through november 23rd in the midwest and east coast with indie rockers, young buffalo. go to thelonelywild.com to find out if they're coming to a town near you and find out where to get chasing white light. i want to thank the band for coming by twice and being so cool about everything including me deleting their first podcast. i hope you enjoy getting to know the lonely wild as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 433: Ben Balmer / Honky Tonk Heaven: The Story of The Broken Spoke

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. before we get to my conversation with ben balmer, i have a quick chat with michelle faires, producer of "honky tonk heaven: the story of the broken spoke" a documentary about the legendary texas honky tonk. they've just started editing and they've started a kickstarter campaign to finish up their movie. michelle gives us an insight to the story, but you can check it out and give at kickstarter.com/brokenspokefilm do it!my guest for episode 433 is singer/songwriter, ben balmer! i just happened to see ben a couple of months ago when he opened for aly tadros at a house concert. i was blown away by his songs and his performance, so i asked him to come over for a chat. well, he did and we had a great conversation about his newest album loose lips, sunk ships, bruised hips and boozed lips, touring the u.s. and europe, he played a song live on the show and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know ben as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 432: Robert LaRoche

hello friends! i hope you're all easing into fall. getting out those sweaters and jackets and hats. i want to welcome all of the new listeners. i hope that the show is serving you well. informing and entertaining you. please feel free to "like" and leave comments on the episodes here on the podbean page. also, we encourage you to "like" our facebook page and you can follow the whereabouts of our former guests, see what shows are coming up, see pictures of me with the guests and much more. please go there and get involved with the show!my guest for episode 432 is guitarist/singer/songwriter releasing his debut solo album, patient man robert laroche! robert has a record release show THIS friday november 6th at strange brew lounge side in austin, tx! i've known robert for over a decade and i've always had a great time hanging out with him. you might know robert best from being the guitar player for patricia vonne for over 15 years.  maybe you know him from his north hampton, mass band, the sighs which were active from the early 80's through the 90's. anyway, robert has gone through some life changes and struck out on his own with his gorgeous solo album, patient man produced by my pal, darin murphy. i hope you enjoy getting to know robert. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 428: Autumn

hello friends! i hope you're all living it up this weekend. i'm good. i'm playing an F1 party with skyrocket tonight here in austin. i guess the town is gearing up for this huge car race. there's a special event in austin every weekend isn't there? wild. this is a giant worldwide car race and i hear it's very exciting. maybe someday i'll go. my guest for episode 428 is jazz/soul/funk singer, autumn! autumn just released her self-titled, debut album in september. she is also a vocalist in the nightowls who play out around austin a lot. i heard about autumn through my friends at the austin music foundation. she was their artist of the month for september. anyway, autumn came by and we had a fantastic conversation about growing in oklahoma in a conservative family, growing up singing in church, dating, making music with someone you're involved then not involved with, working in the oil business, beyonce'-esque outfits and much, much more. i really enjoyed getting to know autumn. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 421: Aly Tadros

hello friends! i hope you're all living the dream, feeling fancy and avoiding all of life's jive turkeys. i'm doing well. i've realized that i might have been doing too many podcasts lately because i have more shows than i have release slots. my solution, three shows a week every other week until the level balances out. is that okay with you guys? i hope so. look for three shows next week. hey guys! quick skyrocket announcement: we are playing at the continental club in houston on friday, october 9th and we'll be at hanover's in pflugerville on saturday october 10th. ...and that's my weekend. my guest for episode 421 is new york based singer/songwriter, aly tadros! aly played in austin a few weeks ago and i got to see her play and do a podcast while she was in town. i had heard her music, but i was blown away by her performance. she's not only an amazing singer/guitar player and songwriter, she's a great performer and, as you can tell from this podcast, a great hang. we have a great conversation about growing up in laredo, moving to new york, writing, performing, being sober and much, much more. i had a great time getting to know aly. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 420: Keeper

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i hope that if you have come to austin for acl or live in austin, you're enjoying this beautiful weather and avoiding the vicious traffic. if you're anywhere else in the world, i hope it's all good there. i got to spend a great day in the studio yesterday with my friends, gabe rhodes and einar. we recorded a song gabe and i wrote called, "the man who tried to have everything" it turned out really good. we had a blast working together. and we really worked together. everyone was playing stuff and throwing out ideas. i'll let you know when it's mixed and i'll probably put it up on soundcloud. my guests for episode 420 are synth-soul, vocal trio, keeper! their debut, full-length album, moonhigh came out yesterday 10/1! the album is fantastic and available on itunes, spotify and other music outlets. go to keepermusic.com for all of your keeper needs. these ladies are also the austin music foundation's band on the month for october. so these talented and entertaining ladies and i have a great conversation about, growing up in choir, being weird kids, finding their harmony sound, dj culture, a "psychic friends" moment about soul ll soul, how they made their brilliant new album, moonhigh, collaborating with other artists and much, much more! i hope you enjoy getting to know keeper as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg