Episode 553: Cure For Paranoia

Hello friends! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! I hope your Christmas was a great success. I had a great Christmas! I got to spend time with my family. Everyone enjoyed each other's company. The dinner was a success and i think we all did well with the presents. There are kids ther now so that adds a whole new level of joy and celebration. We drank a lot of vodka and had a lot of laughs. Happy holidays everyone!
My guests for episode 553 are Dallas hip-hop/soul/funk band, Cure For Paranoia! They've only been around a year and in that short time they've released two singles with their response to the Dallas shootings, "We Matter" which was featured on the Huffington Post Blog, they opened for Ludacris, they played Erikah Badu's birthday party, they've played all around Texas and won "Best New Act" in The Dallas Observer Music Awards just a few weeks ago. We have a great conversation about their incredible journey. Find out when they're coming to a town near you at cureforparanoia.com. I hope you enjoy getting to know these guys 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 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 510: Jackie Venson

hello friends. i hope this episode finds you all doing well. i'm good. i'm glad that these conventions are over. i thought it was exciting to see the first woman accepting her party's nomination for president. i watched it live. i like what she's saying. i'm really glad these conventions are over. i feel like this campaign has been going on forever. hey! if you want to get away from all things political and you're listening to this show the day it comes out, skyrocket is playing tonight, friday, july 29th at speakeasy here in austin. come out and party with us. 
my guest for episode 510 is musical powerhouse and guitar hero, jackie venson! jackie has a new album, live at strange brew, coming out on september 16th and is heading out on a west coast tour starting next wednesday, august 3rd. go to jackievenson.com to find out if she's coming to a town near you. jackie and i have a great conversation about growing up austin, her time at berklee college of music, making a switch from classical pianist to blues guitarist in 2011, recording her new live album, why she likes short guys and so much more. i had a great time getting to know jackie. i'm sure you will too. let's get down! 
ciao! -jg

Episode 495: Charlie Faye and The Fayettes

hello people! i hope you're all doing well. it seems like it hasn't stopped raining for like a month here in austin. there's flash flooding, you can't go swimming, when it stops raining and the sun comes out, the outside world becomes a steam sauna... it's really kinda gross. i'm playing a couple of shows with skyrocket this weekend and i'm really glad they're both inside shows. speaking of which, we'll be playing at the mercer street dance hall in dripping springs on friday, june 3rd and at the continental club in houston on saturday, june 4th. if you live in those towns are interested, you can find out more about us at skyrockettheband.com
singer/songwriter, charlie faye returns to the show for episode 495! she has a new musical project, a new band and a new album with a fresh take on the 60's girl group sound and look. the self-titled, charlie faye & the fayettes comes out next friday, june 10th. the first single "sweet little messages" is already getting great reviews and has charted on the americana music charts. the core of the group is charlie and her two amazing back-up singers, akina adderly and betty soo, but just like the great girl group records of the sixties, charlie faye & the fayettes is a who's who of amazing studio musicians, including members of elvis costello and the attractions, jellyfish, lone justice and more. go to charliefayeandthefayettes.com to find out where they're playing and how to get the album. i hope you enjoy my conversation with charlie faye. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 492: Los Coast

hello friends! i hope you all had a good weekend. i did. i played a high school graduation party in houston on friday. coincidentally, one of our guests today graduated from the same high school. anyway, the party was great the show was really fun. the young crowd had such a powerful energy that night that it really made us up our energy and it was on. we were locked in a thing with this young crowd and it wore me out. for the rest of the weekend i was tired and kinda out of it. also, here is a link to the event page for our episode 500 live recording on monday, june 20th at the townsend in austin, tx.
my guests for episode are trey privott and john courtney from the funk soul band, los coast! i met and saw these guys during sxsw when they played a showcase i was hosting. i thought they were a fantastic live band. so good in fact, they'll be playing at the acl festival this fall, they'll be playing the free press summe fest in houston on june 5th and they'll be playing c-boys heart & soul here in austin every thursday in june. i have a great conversation with trey and john about being a young band making some big strides. there's some real talent in this band plus, trey and john are really gracious and and a great hang. we even went to lunch afterwards. check out los coast at loscoast.com! let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 477: Bruce Sudano

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well out there in the world. i'm good. i have a busy day of running errands, laundry, writing two songs and of course, this podcast. i'm headed to vegas tomorrow to play a show with skyrocket. should be fun. i'm bringing my recording gear just in case i can interview donny osmond or an elvis impersonator. i hope you guys have a good weekend. 
my guest for episode 477 is legendary singer/songwriter, bruce sudano. i caught up with bruce when he was in town for sxsw promoting his gorgeous new album, the burbank sessions. his illustrious career spans five decades starting with the band, alive n kickin' in the late 60's, then his r&b band in the early 70's, brooklyn dreams hooked up with donna summer and wrote and performed, "heaven knows" with the disco star. he ended up marrying donna summer and going on to write "bad girls" with her among many other songs. he work on and in films like, "thank god it's friday", "american hot wax" and "hollywood knights". his latest album, the burbank sessions is absolutely gorgeous. he's still making music that is relevant because it's honest, the expression is raw and real and he is just a bad-ass songwriter. check him out at brucesudano.com he'll be on tour in may. i hope enjoy getting to know this amazning artist/person. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 476: The Roomsounds

hello friends. i hope you're doing well. it's been a strange weekend. i was knocked out by allergies and spent about 48 hours in bed sneezing, coughing and sleeping. i wrote a song with my friend amy before i crashed on sunday, so i'm still in the songwriting game. i'm actually in two right now. i'll post a link to my soundcloud page on the "how did i get here?" facebok page. 
my guests for episode 476 are dallas' real rock and roll band, the roomsounds! their gorgeous new album, elm st. just came out on friday (3/25) and they're heading out on a southeast, northeast, midwest tour starting this friday, april 1st in tuscaloosa al. go to theroomsounds.com to see if they're coming to a town near you. i caught up with sam and ryan when they were here for sxsw and we had a great conversation about living the underage dream/nightmare in l.a., the drink menu at the double-wide in dallas, recording at fame studios in muscle shoals al, living as a band in rehearsal spaces, condemned houses and a van, having an east coast attitude in the south, following their hearts to the south and much, much more! i hope you enjoy getting to know the roomsounds. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

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 463: Tank Washington

hello friends! i hope you're all getting your love jams together for the big "love day" coming this sunday. what are you doing for valentine's day? i have no idea what i'm doing. zuri and i are going to my aunt christina's birthday party saturday in houston. we'll be coming back that night. maybe we'll go to the iron cactus north for the opening of "soul of a musician series"... the townsend is having a thing with sarah sharp... what are you doing?my guest for episode 463 is hip-hop artist, tank washington! a member of the l.n.s. crew, tank just released his first full-length album, "pain" in january. the record is absolutely brilliant. he lost his father while he was making it and it really informed the record's feel. you can find the album on itunes, spotify, soundcloud and on bandcamp. we have a fantastic conversation about turning loss into productivity and deeper art, being a father, the lns crew, growing up in austin, the current hip-hop scene and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know tank. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! jg