Episode 347: T Bird And The Breaks

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. things are kinda crazy here today and i guess they will be for a while... i've entered a songwriting game with my friends where we have to write a song every day until february 25th. i wrote one last night and one and a half today. i also did 3 podcast interviews and went to the grocery store. i've had a lot of caffeine and i think you can hear it in the intro of this show. anyway, i'll be playing at gueros in austin tomorrow, wednesday, 1/28/15 at 6 pm and the bluebonnets play at 7. we'll be in the courtyard and the whole thing will be on the radio. come by, check it out.my guests for episode 347 are funk dance party band, t bird and the breaks! they have a new album that comes out today (1/27/15)!!!! it's called harmonizm and it is fucking awesome! if you like funky soul music that makes you feel good, you should buy this album. when momo's was open, we played a lot of shows together and it warms my heart to see their progress. this album, harmonizm, is the culmination of many years of hard work. it's focused. the songs are amazing and it has an overall great vibe. the guys have release shows this week and they're hitting the road for month going to the midwest and west coast find out where they'll be by going to www.tbirdandthebreaks.com i hope you enjoy our conversation. i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 346: Amy Cook Returns!

hello friends! i hope you are all doing well and ready for the weekend. i am. SKYROCKET! is back to regular work this week. we're going to houston tomorrow and then lake charles, la on saturday. saturday is supposed to be some crazy mardi gras costume ball, so that should be fun. i hope you guys have enjoyed the three-show-week. we actually got a shout out from KUTX 98.9 here in austin today for our cautiontape show from yesterday. check it out http://kutx.org/austin-music-minute/how-we-shine it's nice to get the recognition.my guest for episode 346 is the amazingly talented and ultra-cool, amy cook! this is amy's second time on the show. amy just won a black fret grant, she is one of the 10 artists that won $10,000 in the inaugural group of grant recipients. we have a great conversation about everything, recording with robert plant, the magic of david garza, butt implants and much, much more. i love talking to amy, she is one of the coolest people i know. she'll be one of the coolest people you know after you listen to this show. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 345: Cautiontape

hello friends! as you can see, we have THREE shows this week! a busy week here at "how did i get here?" headquarters. things are good here. i had a long rehearsal with skyrocket today. it was good and very productive. we recorded some songs over the last couple of weeks and now we have to work some new parts into old songs. how are you? don't forget that you can like our facebook page, "how did i get here?" and find out what shows are coming up, see pictures and keep up with bands that have ben on the show.my guests for episode 345 are synth-pop band, cationatape! caytiontape just released their debut e.p., how we shine and they have a release show tonight, jan 22nd, 2015 at the spiderhouse ball room in austin, tx. jason and brit stopped by a couple of nights a go and we had cocktails and got to know each other. we had a fantastic conversation about how the band got together, making how we shine with producer robert harrison, dating, pop music, the fact that i have four robes and much, much more! i really had a great time getting to know jason and brit. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 342: Silver Ships

hello friends! i hope you're all out there successfully fishing in the stocked pond of life. things are good here. i'm starting to feel normal again. i've been making plans for later in the week. i don't have any shows this weekend. we're just doing a private show at the acl moody theater on wednesday. should be fun! i'm feeling good enough to start working on some new music. i've been itching to make some new songs, but i've felt like such shit the last couple of weeks, that didn't. anyway, i'll let you know when i do. my guest for episode 342 is four-track wizard, chazz bessette from the band, silver ships! they've just released a new album, songs from a room that never moves, that is absolutely gorgeous. chazz recorded it himself writing all the songs, playing all the instruments and recording on to a four-track reel-to-reel tape machine. we have a fantastic conversation about coming up a four-track in seattle, math rock, moving to austin, touring and much, much more. i was getting sick during this conversation so please excuse me if i sound grumpy. i hope you enjoy getting to know chazz as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 340: Dwight Twilley

hello friends! i have been sick since new years day. i'm feeling a bit better today. still not 100% but i was out for four days. wow! anyway, i'm totally fucking stir crazy. i need to do something. i know i have elias haslanger coming over tomorrow. i'll be really excited to see him as he will be the first person i have had contact with since jake came by to check on me last friday. look out eli! anyway, i'm playing with skyrocket this friday at the one-2-one bar here in austin, tx. also free week is going on. i'd like to get out and see some new music this week. maybe i'll be up to it tomorrow or thursday. any suggestions?my guest for episode 340 is power pop legend, dwight twilley! i have been a fan of dwight's since i was 15 and i heard the song, "girls". over the years, i've gone back to through his catalog and my power pop friends and i have kept up with him over the years and remained fans. he has an amazing new album, always that's available on his website, dwighttwilley.com and itunes and spotify etc. we had a great phone conversation about everything from the making of always, making music in his studio on his own terms, his burgeoning art career, "solid gold" vs. "dance fever" and much more! i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 339: Bang Feather Bang

happy new year friends!!! i hope you're all ready for it. i'm not. i am sick. i have some chest thing. it's awful and when i cough it's gross. i had a good NYE playing with skyrocket in houston. we had a great show and we played, "bohemian rhapsody".... in it's entirety. i think it went well. it was a lot of work for us, but we did it. i'm glad we have the weekend off so i can get better... happy new year! let's do some crazy shit in 2015!my guests for episode 339 are los angeles/austin based blues rock duo, bang feather bang! esther and chili stopped by a couple of weeks ago before chili headed back home to australia and they took a little break. they've been a band for only a year. during that year esther discovered a tumor in her chest, has been treated for cancer all year and had a collapsed lung. all the while, writing songs, developing a sound, touring, recording and being a non-stop bad ass. i had a great time talking to esther and chili, they're great people and they've started something really cool and just run with it. it's raw and it's powerful. i really enjoyed getting to know bang feather bang. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 337: Greg Williams

hello friends! i hope you all a fantastic christmas! i did. i spent it with my family in houston doing what we do best, hanging out drinking, dancing, eating and celebrating. good times! what do you do the day after christmas? i'm back home. i get back to work playing with skyrocket tomorrow in san antonio. but what should i do today? well, i'll tell you. i got a $75 gift certificate to whole foods and i'm going to go there and spend it. thank you coni, my ex-stepmom. she's nice. i got some good gifts, had a good time, you'll hear all about it in the intro. i hope you all had a great week. my guest for episode 337 is saxophonist and entrepreneur, greg williams! i've played some shows with greg over the years and i've always loved his playing, he's a total pro and we always have a good hang. anyway, i've been wanting to get him on the show to talk about how he makes it happen. he always has a lot of things going on and stays busy and makes a living. that's not an easy thing to do these days. well, check it out, greg is not scared to work. he's learned music and the business inside and out and is now forging some new professional ground with some ideas that are turning heads. check it out. he's a great talent and a great guy. my friend, greg williams. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 336: Bryan Keeling

merry christmas! i hope you're all in some kind of holiday spirit. i know i am. when this comes out, i'll already be at my grandmother's house in houston with cousins, aunts, uncle chuck, my grandmother, a fuck-load of dogs and chaos. i got all of my shopping done and everything wrapped on saturday. hooray for me! i didn't buy music for everyone. i bought about 8 albums at local record stores and bought the rest of my gifts at local bookstores and clothing stores. while didn't only buy music, i did support local shops. partial success. i hope you all have a very happy holiday what ever you do. my guest for episode 336 is rock and roll drummer extraordinaire, bryan keeling. i first saw bryan play in 1989 when he was the drummer of austin art rock band, water the dog. we played together in mr. rocket baby from 1993-1994. we didn't really talk or hang out until our recent mr. rocket baby reunion and it felt great. bryan has spent the last 20 years playing music, he moved to l.a., recorded with pink, played with shooter jennings for years and now plays with eric sardinas and big motor and tours the world. even africa! i had a great time reconnecting with bryan after so many years. playing music can be a healing experience. join bryan and i for coffee as w catch up over the last 20 years. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 333: Bob Schneider Returns! / We Stop By Antone's Records

hello friends i hope you're all doing well. i hope you're getting prepared for the holidays. i just realized today that i've done nothing about my shopping... i know i'll be buying my christmas gifts at local record stores here in austin. i have a plan. i did it last year and it was pretty cool. i buy music for people that they might not know, but is in their taste range, at local record stores. well, this year, i'm trying to get out to some record stores so that the owners can you what they're known for. today we stop by antone's record store here in austin, tx and talk to musician/co-owner, eve monsees. great chat about the record store that has graced "the drag" since 1987. get out to your local record store and get involved!my guest for episode 333 is the immensely talented singer/songwriter and all-around great hang, bob schneider. this is bob's second appearance on the show. he's started a pledge music campaign for his new album, "king kong" and there's two weeks left for you to give. simply go to bob's pledge music campaign and give. i met bob at an undisclosed location and we talked about everything from our dislike of taylor swift and creed to communicating with just our hearts. yeah. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Ian Mclagan (originally released 9/20/12)

ian "mac" mclagan 1945-2014i went out to visit this rock and roll legend a couple of years ago with my dear friend, todd v. wolfson. we had an amazing hang. mac, was a real inspiration to me. i'm glad i have this conversation to remember him and his genuine kindness, sense of humor and all around coolness. this conversation gives you an idea of what he was like to hang out and shoot the shit with. he even had me turn off the recorder at one point to tell me a story that was a little too racy for public consumption, because he knew it would make todd and i laugh our asses off and it did. along with all music fans, his friends and his family, i will miss him. thank you for the music and the laughs, mac. i love you. below is the intro to the original episode.our guest for episode 105 is recent rock and roll hall of fame inductee, ian "mac" mclagan. mac is an amazing keyboard player who has been a part of some of rock and roll's most successful and influential bands like, the small faces, the faces, the rolling stones, bonnie raitt, bruce springsteen, john mayer and so many others. he's an incredibly talented musician (understatement) and an entertaining and gifted story teller. i went out to his house a little outside of austin with our mutual friend, todd and we sat in his studio and listened to some songs from his upcoming album (which is being mixed by glyn johns) and had a great conversation. i hope you enjoy this conversation with a true rock and roll legend. i did.