Episode 320: Chris Frenchie Smith Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. things are good here. i've had a busy week... i played with SKYROCKET!, recorded with kimmie rhodes, did a couple of podcasts and went to a party. it's been a good week. i'm about to hit the road to houston for a show tonight. so yeah. busy times. speaking of busy times, i have a couple of solo shows this week. tomorrow, sunday october 26th, i'll be playing a fundraiser at the spider house ballroom at 4 pm. come out and support the children. on tuesday, october 28th, i'll be playing a celebration of the volstead act at the volstead here in austin. i play at 8:30. also on the bill, nathan harlan! come out and say hi.my guest for episode 320 is musician/producer/label owner and now manager, chris frenchy smith! you might know frenchy as the musician behind sixteen deluxe and young heart attack or as producer or as owner of the bubble. this is frenchy's second appearance on the show. he was on in the summer of 2013. anyway, we got together last week and caught we talked about everything from the foo fighters vs. U2 and the way they're releasing their albums, spotify, buying music, his new adventure as co-manager of the band purple, frenchy smith records and much, much more. frenchy and i have been friends for 23 years and i always have a great time talking to him. i hope you enjoy it. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg i did. 

Episode 200: Highlights (originally released 9/2/13)

hello my friends! wow! we made it to 200 episodes! can you believe it? well, i don't really know where to start... i'd like to thank sheboygan for the theme song. they have an album coming out this month and they'll finally be guests very soon. i would like to thank all of the guests that have taken time out to meet with me and have a conversation. these last 100 shows were very fun and exciting. if you haven't heard them, check out this episode, you'll get a taste of them. most of all, i'd like to thank YOU, the listener for listening. you make this show possible. THANK YOU. i'm looking forward to the next 100 episodes. are you?episode 200: highlights is the "best of" the last 100 episodes. in this episode, you'll hear from bob schneider on cleaning up, ian mclagan on groupies in the 70's, producer, c.j. eiricksson talks about working with hanson, glen phillips talks about a new album from toad the wet sprocket, lance keltner talks about giving rod stewart a suggestion and getting fired for it, steve poltz talks about laughing at really bad news, elizabeth mcqueen talks about the beatles, joanna barbera talks about being out of place in arizona, nakia and a.j. vallejo talk about racism in the south and the band death talk about their next move.... all good stuff! thank you again for listening. we couldn't do it without you. xoxo, jg

Episode 100: Highlights (originally released 9/5/2012)

hey everyone!!! welcome to episode 100! thank you so much to everyone who has helped, supported, come by and talked to me and listened! thank you so much for listening. i'm looking forward to the next 100!this episode features highlights from the first 100 episodes and a quick talk with todd v. wolfson about my experience doing this. this show includes excerpts of my conversations with suzanna choffel, dony wynn, ian moore, fastball, dale dudley, kathy valentine, tim palmer, alpha rev, will sexton, alejandro escovedo, bodeans, billy harvey and david grissom. i hope you enjoy these these highlights as much as i do. thank you again.ciao! -jg

Episode 292: GOBI / Löwin

hello friends! i'm just waking up to some crazy reports of flash flooding overnight here in austin. i'm gonna go survey the damage when i go running in a bit. apparently, there was SEVEN inches of rain on the east side where i live. anyway, i hope you guys are all doing well wherever you are.  i want to remind you guys that my tuesday night residency at strange brew in austin continues this coming tuesday, 7/22. i have great guests who have both been on the show, jason blum and salim nourallah. here's the facebook event for it https://www.facebook.com/events/1455990667987885/ i think all of my guests have been on the podcast... ha ha. am i really just realizing that now?episode 292 is a double-header! first up, pop group, GOBI (i'm wearing the shirt they gave me as i'm writing this. thanks guys!). there's not much dance/pop music going on in austin, but i'm happy to report that what is happening is great! the guys from GOBI stopped by a couple of weeks ago and we chatted about what they do, what they're up to and the release show they're having for their single, "born to dance" at stubb's in austin on july 25th. great guys, great conversation. our next guest is sara houser from the rock band, löwin. sara has been on the show before with her old band, the couch, but they have since split up and she has narrowed her focus, written some great songs, put a great band together and is out there kicking ass as we speak. they're actually playing a show TONIGHT friday, july 18th at the mohawk in austin, tx. anyway, sara and i have a great conversation about her journey and the new band, löwin. i had a great time talking to these two bands and it's nice to know that there is such diversity in this crazy little music scene. let's get down!ciao!

Episode 274: Casual Strangers

hello party people of the internet! i hope you are all feeling good and strong. i woke up this morning in a panic. it's may 16th and i have still not found and announced my summer jam 2014. they're even talking about it on the today show so i must be running behind. i'm going to spend the day putting together some episodes of this podcast and booking a residency i'm taking over in july at strange brew in austin. i'll fill you guys in on this as i book it. i am very excited to get going on this. my guests for episode 274 is new psychedelic family band, casual strangers. you might know some of the members who are also in the boxing lesson. anyway, they've been playing shows and recording an album with the great frenchy smith. in fact, they have a show tonight friday, may 16th at the mohawk in austin, tx. if you live here, get out and see them. if you don't live here, you should check out their soundcloud. the band came by a few weeks ago and we had a very spirited conversation about how they do their thing. it's a great conversation and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did. ciao! -jg

Episode 262: The Soft White Sixties / The Cold and Lovely

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i had an eventful weekend of shows, visiting family, sitting in traffic and eating at a bennigan's. i thought bennigan's were gone, but i found one in the woodlands, tx. it had the exact same vibe as those restaurant that gordon ramsay goes to to help "turn them around". sadly, this bennigan's was in the the kind of shape that i thought gordon ramsay was literally just about to walk in and have a shit-fit. i had a burger. it wasn't good. if you're in austin this thursday, april 10, 2014, i'll be playing a solo show at the one-2-one bar at 8 pm. ukemi, paco estrada and more are the bill. here's more info... https://www.facebook.com/events/264557070384245/episode 262 is another sxsw double-header! first up is san francisco rock band, the soft white sixties! they have a great album out called, get right. we got to sit down and chat at the driskill hotel. they're a great band, super cool guys and we had a fantastic conversation! next up is los angeles shoegazing dream pop band, the cold and lovely! i sat down with meghan and linda from the band at the driskill and we had a great conversation about their journey and making music and performing music. i also got a private performance from them the day after this on a hill. i love both of these bands and i'm really glad i got to talk to them. i hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as i did. ciao! -jg

Episode 260: Leopold and His Fiction return with Bone Fur and Feathers

hello swingers! i hope you're all flying high and laying low. i'm good. i had a blast playing with sweat and lotion at the charlie hodge show at cap city comedy club here in austin last night. it was hilarious and i just love playing with that band. if you see him doing this again, i suggest you go. there are great comics, really funny skits and a lot of effort put in to it to make it a real show. get out there people! there's brilliant stuff going on!speaking of brilliant stuff going on... episode 260 is a conversation with two bands at once. my guests are lulu from bone fur and feathers/ thievery corporation and daniel from leopold and his fiction returns to the show. they have a show coming up this saturday, april 5th 2014 in austin at cheer up charlie's. lulu's band, bone fur and feathers has released a song called, "someday" and she's going out on tour this spring and summer with thievery corporation. i had never met her before, she is incredibly cool and talented and easily one of the most beautiful women i've met. she's great! daniel's band, leopold and his fiction, are hitting the road hard this week and playing across the entire united states until june. i suggest you go to leopoldandhisfiction.com and see when they're coming to your town or a town near you. they're one of my favorite bands and daniel is one of my favorite people. i hope you enjoy our scattered, crazy and heartfelt conversation. i did. 

Episode 257: Ume returns / Joseph King returns

hello my friends! i hope you're all doing well. i have been putting together all of my sxsw shows and let me tell ya, there are a lot. i have been pleasantly surprised that so many turned out so good. i was worried that i was doing to many in a row. that they were too short. that the places i was were too noisy. the only thing that turned out true is that some places were just so noisy and there were too many distractions to really have a focused conversation. but they turned out good. some are even great! look forward to these shows coming out over the next month. today's episode is my first one. enjoy!episode 257 is a double-header of returning guests! first up is lauren larson from ume. lauren was on a couple of years ago and since her last appearance the band has played over 200 shows in the u.s. and europe, been in tons of magazines including guitar world and rolling stone, they've just released a new album called monuments and they're heading out on a midwest/west coast tour on 3/23! we have a great conversation. next up is my dear old friend, joseph king who is making his 4th appearance on the show! last we heard from him, he was starting a kickstarter campaign to fund his debut solo album. well, it got funded and joseph released his beautiful new album, wanderlusting on march 5th. came to austin to showcase for sxsw and he brought his new band by the apartment and i got to catch up with joseph and get to know the talented kayce and will. we had a great talk! i hope you enjoy these conversations as much i did. ciao! -jg

Episode 251: She Sir

hello munchkins! i hope you're all happy and healthy little munchkins. i am well. i played a show last night with some old friends here in austin. it was a lot of fun. the couple that had "the best blind audition ever" on the voice were there. i didn't talk to them. i thought they butchered that beatles song. plus, i feel like i live in a different world than mainstream america. i got weirded out when carson daily called "i've just seen a face" an obscure beatles song. really? i thought "old brown shoe" was slightly obscure, but not something off of rubber soul. i never wanna be all like, "what happened to the world i live in?", but it happens sometimes. my guests for episode 251 are dreamy and gorgeous, she sir! i invited these guys over when i heard a track from their new album, go guitars, which just came out this week and fell in love with their sound. i love their lush guitars and dreamy vocals. jeremy and russell from the band stopped by for a chat and i got to know them and how they work. we have a great conversation. they're great guys in a great band who just released a beautiful album. i suggest you go buy it now. ciao! -jg

Episode 179: Chris Frenchie Smith

hello my friends! i hope you're all doing well and your life is going along as planned. i had a little wrinkle in my plan this weekend... skyrocket has a slow june so i booked 3 sunday brunch gigs that paid pretty well. check out the story on today's show. i want to remind you that next wednesday, june 19th at 7pm at strange brew in austin, texas, we have a live "how did i get here?" recording!!!! my guests will be nakia, jazz mills, aj vallejo and the boxing lesson (who's latest album was produced by today's guest,  frenchie smith).  there is no cover! we'll be giving away some gifts! and... the we'll be taking some questions from the audience. come out. let's get down!
my guest for episode 179 is producer/guitar hero, chris "frenchie" smith! you might know frenchie from the bands he's been in, sixteen deluxe and you heart attack. you might also know him from one of the 200 albums he's produced including, and you will now us by the trail of dead, the toadies, the meat puppets, built to spill, jet and many, many more. i've been friends with frenchie since 1991 when were both employees at whole foods, so it was great to sit down and talk to him about everything including growing up in oklahoma, moving to austin, glaze, producing, sixteen deluxe, young heart attack,the bubble, frenchie smith records, shopping with justin from the darkness and much, much more. i had a great time catching up with him. i bet you will too.
ciao! -jg