Episode 602: Laura Scarborough Returns!

Hola amigos y amigas! Hope you all had a great weekend. I had a weekend jam-packed with travel, gigs and a vodka-soaked, Sunday Funday with my pal, Daisy O'Connor. It was a lot of fun, but terribly exhausting. SKYROCKET! is back at it this week with a private show on Thursday and we'll be back at Fitzgerald's in Houston on Friday, June 23rd and Cedar Street Courtyard in Austin on saturday, June 24th. Come out and party with us!
The amazingly talented Laura Scarborough returns to the show for episode 602. She's just released her first album in 15 years, the gorgeous, Reflection. The album is available on all mediums including vinyl. She's also released a book "Refelction: The Book" that accompanies the album. You can find all of this stuff at laurascarborough.com.  We have a great conversation about what Laura's been up to for the last 15 years since her last solo album, working with Golden Dawn Arkestra, making Reflection, living a creative life, hula-hooping and much, much more! I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 457: KP and the Boom Boom

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. things are good here. i got to play the new antone's here in austin last night. i really like that place. it looks and sounds beautiful. great sound on stage, great location and great people. i'm very happy antone's is back. i missed it. if you're in houston tonight, friday, jan. 22nd, skyrocket will be at the continental club. we go on at 10. it's a great time.my guests for episode 457 are kate and nick from austin euro/soul/pop kp and the boom boom! if you live in austin, you can see them tomorrow, saturday, january 23rd at geraldine's in the new van zant hotel. they have two e.p.'s out now and are putting the finishing touches on their debut full-length in a few months. you can find them online at kpbbmusic.com. nick and kate came by a couple of weeks ago and we had a great conversation about living in the u.k., india and guatamala, having an indian singing guru, euro/soul, having natural charisma, opening for snoop dogg, the writing and recording process and much, much more! i had a great time getting to know kate and nick. 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

Episode 390: Kalu James Returns!

hello friends! i hope you are living life like an angel of love and happiness. i am well. i am working on some guitar stuff for a gig i'm playing next friday with amy edwards. it's really fun to just play electric guitar and be loud and not even have to sing. i'm looking forward to it. also, i wanted to let you guys know that i'll be playing some songs with the bluebonnets next thursday at the grand opening for the townsend which is a new, swanky club opening here in austin. also, while we're on the subject of gigs.. i'm playing song swap with william harries graham on sunday, july 5th at the continental club gallery. come out and say hi!my guest for episode 390 is talented singer/songwriter, kalu james! this is kalu's second time on the show. he's had a couple of life changing years since he was last on the show a couple of years ago. i saw him play a month or so ago and was reminded what a great artist he is and what a genuine and nice person he is. so, we did it again. we have a great conversation about, the magic in the continental club gallery, becoming the man of the family, re-prioritizing life, writing songs about nothing, über adventures, american racism, a live album in the can and much, much more! i want to thank kalu for coming in and being so honest and real about where he is in his life. kalu is a great artist and a great guy. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i did. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 388: Tapes / Texas Music Water Returns!

hello friends! i hope this episode finds you slaying the dragons of life. i'm doing well. i'm running around, doing laundry, getting this show together before i leave to corpus christi to play with skyrocket tonight. i'm hustling back tomorrow to make it back in time to cover the solstice festival going on here in austin tomorrow, sat. june 20th at pan-am park from noon to 10 pm. a lot of great artists on the bill including, ringo deathstarr, jazz mills, money chicha, zeale, dead love club and more! find out all about it at solticeatx.com . my guests for episode 388 are the incredibly dreamy, electro-instrumental band, tapes! i came across these guys about a month ago and freaked out. they're a new band that just released two gorgeous albums. they're both available on itunes, spotify, soundcloud and of course, bandcamp go HERE to hear and buy these amazing albums! i got to see the band on friday and it was amazing. they make the most beautiful music. anyway, carlos and sergio came by the other night and w had a great chat about growing up in laredo, crazy high school bands, film school, forming tapes, you get a free lesson in spanglish, a peek into how they're gonna make their next record and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know these guys and their music. i sure did. plus, dean wolfe from texas music water and american music water stops by again and tells us how we can support our community through music non-profits like SIMS, HAAM and more by just drinking water find out more at texasmusicwater.com and americanmusicwater.com "you hydrate. we donate" let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 361: Beats Delicious Festival 2015 Wild Adriatic / Angela Perley & The Howlin' Moons / Topher Mohr / Skinny Lister

congratulations to our sponsor, strange brew loungeside for taking "best venue to play", "best club sound" and "best live music venue" in the 2014/2015 austin music poll!hello friends! welcome to the first sxsw show of the season. on sunday, march 15th i got to go to the beats delicious festival at the stonehouse villa in driftwood, texas! i got to watch and talk to wild adriatic, angela perley & the howlin' moons, topher mohr and skinny lister. my friend amy and her crew at beats delicious pulled together a great festival showcasing all these great bands from all over, with local vendors promoting all their wares from make-overs to photo booths, a gin and juice bar, local brewries, food and more. the stonehouse villa was a gorgeous location and we got to do our interviews in the bridal suite. i was joined by kristi olberding who shot some gorgeous photos which i will post on our facebook page. if you'd like to see kristi's work, check out her website www.kristiolberding.com i hope you enjoy my conversations with these great bands as much as i did. i had a blast at the festival and i'm looking forward to next year. thanks beats delicious! let's get down!ciao! -jgwildadriatic.comangelaperley.comtophermohr.comskinnylister.com

Episode 298: Orb Recording Studios' Matt Novesky & CB Hudson / Austin Pets Alive!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i am. i can't believe we're almost at episode 300. wow. i am so glad i started doing this. i wanted to let you guys know that i will be taking part in the soundtrack series podcast tomorrow, saturday 8/9 at 8pm. they'll be recording it live at the nd. this is my second appearance on the show and i'm really excited about it. the soundtrack series is a storytelling podcast where people choose a song and tell a story about how that song affected them. they're usually very funny and touching. dale dudley, laurie gallardo and many others will be on the show. here's a link to the site www.soundtrackseries.com on the show today we have a visit from dr. ellen jefferson from austin pets alive! she stopped by and we talked about how people can get involved and help keep austin a "no kill city". even if you don't live in austin, she has some great ideas about how to make your city a "no kill" city. check it out. get involved.my guests for episode 298 are orb recording studio owners and members of blue october, matt novesky and cb hudson! these guys have opened the top-of-the-line, first-class studio. orb recording studios has already recorded the likes of justin bieber, lil wayne, blue october, quiet company and many, many more. i suggest you look at it for yourself. simply got to www.orbrecordingstudios.com anyway, we have a great conversation about their philosophy, their vision behind the studio, blue october and much, much more. cb and matt are cool, soulful guys that are really reaching for the stars and making a creative environment that is the best around to create the best art possible. i know they'll do well. i hope enjoy my conversation with them. i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 237: Elizabeth Mcqueen Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i am. i saw some music last night. i saw dan dyer debuting some new songs at the continental club gallery. his new songs were so different than what i've come to expect from dan. great songs. i'm looking forward to seeing what he does with them. after that i went to see sphynx at the mohawk. what a great show! they played outside and the place was packed. people were all dancing a getting down. there was even a couple of dudes smoking weed behind me. when people bust out the weed, that smell somehow makes the show feel right. they put on a GREAT show and i just love them. i highly suggest checking them out while they're on tour starting next week!my guest for episode 237 is the always entertaining, elizabeth mcqueen making her second appearance on the show. i read her blog last week about playing her last shows with asleep at the wheel and releasing her new e.p., the laziest remix. i thought, with such a gigantic life change going on, maybe we should sit down and catch up. well, we did and it was well worth it. elizabeth came by and talked about everything, her last shows with "the wheel", life off the road, house cleaning, working with the brothers lazaroff, collaborating with talented women, her release show on 1/11 at lambert's in austin, not smoking and much, much more. if you don't know elizabeth before this show, you will love her after you listen to it. please enjoy my talented and entertaining friend, elizabeth mcqueen.ciao! -jg

Episode 235: Mike Flanigin

happy new year everyone! i hope you had a safe and wonderful new years eve. i did. i played in houston with SKYROCKET! we helped a guy propose to his lady. i quit smoking... that totally sucks! i'm on my third day and i'm really starting to freak out. i hate it. i played last night and it was all i could think about. i know it gets easier, but this totally sucks.my guest for episode 235 is hammond B-3 organ master, mike flanigin. mike has had an incredible 2013. this year he played with jimmie vaughan at eric clapton's crossroads festival, he played with zz top at the montreaux jazz festival, he played with billy gibbons on his birthday in new york a couple of weeks ago along with will lee and anton fig of the david letterman band. his band, dupree, put out an album, nuestro camino that has garnered critical praise. his duo/trio shows at the continental club gallery are legendary and a "who's who" of special guests. to top it all off, mike flanigin is a really nice guy and and great hang. i hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as i did. ciao! -jg

Episode 61: Toddy B.

today's episode is sponsored by: The 7th Annual Marijuana Law for Musicians and DWI Law for Social Drinkers Monday, April 16th, 2012, at the Mohawk, Austin. 8-9pm. Free.
i love and have always loved dance music. although i must say, dance music and d.j. culture can be polarizing among my peers in rock. some will say, "it all sounds the same." "it's not even music"... but it is. they're not making 3 minute songs working out their problems in the lyrics. it's not about instrument virtuosity. it's about creating a vibe. it's about bringing a group of people together and celebrating. hopefully, you'll be able to sit back and listen to this episode and have a greater understanding for music that just wants you to have a good time.
my guest for episode 61 is d.j. toddy b. toddy has won several austin music awards for best d.j., including this year! i was glad that toddy agreed to, and came by, the apartment. we talked about how he works a party, opening for for bigger d.j.'s like deadmau5 and skrillex, the increasing popularity of dance music and d.j. culture, his radio show and podcast and much, much more. i really enjoyed my conversation with toddy. i hope you do to.
ciao! -jg
ps. if you're in austin, i'll be playing at hotel vegas (1500 e. 6th st.) on sunday, april 15th at 7 pm. danny malone plays at 8
and coming sunday, april 29th a live recording of "how did i get here?" with guest danny malone. here's some info on the show.
http://www.facebook.com/events/132369176887789/