The Criticals

Had the pleasure of sitting down with Parker Forbes and Cole Shugart of Nashville-based rock band “The Criticals”.  The two grew up in Nashville, met as young kids at music came and years later started to put their heads together to form “The Criticals”. The two are very multi-dimensional with both their sound and visuals, pulling inspiration from The Kooks, The Strokes, and The Stones to name a few. Then seamlessly transitioning to a more disco-esque sound for other songs. We talked about their early years on the music scene, the vibrant visuals in their music videos, and what’s to come in 2022!

Dante Elephante

Me and the super cool Dante Elephante talking about the up coming album, his podcast, and his dream collab! Check out the brand new single “90 Days” it’s brilliant! Stay tuned for the new album “Mid Century Modern Romance” coming in January!!

Loren Israel

Got to speak with music producer / record executive Loren Israel, who in particular specializes in working with independent artists. He’s known for working with “Neon Trees”, “Plain White T’s” and “Jimmy Eat World”. We spoke about who his number one artist to collaborate with would be, his former position at “Capitol” records, and gave some solid advice on anyone working in the entertainment/ music industry!

Smokey Brights

Had a few technical issues unfortunately but had the pleasure of speaking with the absolutely lovely duo Ryan and Kim of Smokey Brights from Seattle about their new album “I love you but damn”. We also spoke about the story of how they met working at a restaurant years back, their love of ABBA and their music video “72” premiering in “Rolling Stone France”! Give them a listen, they’re so wonderful and funky. Here’s a link to their new album and their video for “72”!!

Acid Tongue

Spoke to Guy Keltner of the Seattle based rock n roll band “Acid Tongue” about his record label “Freakout Records”, some of his favorite music videos he’s made, and his touring days with “Diiv” and “Ariel Pink”. Guy created Acid tongue with drummer / visual artist Ian Cunningham in 2015. With a rotating roster of musicians for his touring band from all over including Paris, New York, London, Mexico City, and more to keep things “fresh” and new! Check out their newest Album “Bullies”!!

Alison Solo

Alison Solo , a London native, who moved to Canada at just 3 years old, found her way back to England to write her album “Plutonian” which was released in 2020. The album was recorded in England and Canada in 2018 while getting back in touch with her British rock roots. The album was mixed by the incredible American record producer/ audio engineer Ron Nevison who has worked on The Who’s “Quadrophenia”, Bad Company’s debut album “Bad Company” , and Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” just to name a few! “Plutonian” is an alluring and eccentric new wave 70’s rock album with bluesy elements, a splash of country and some psychedelia sprinkled into the mix. The emotion and passion is very evident in the album, but shines extra bright through Alison’s strong vocals. Along with her bold vocals on the album, she also wrote, produced, and played guitar and bass on the album. Alison who grew up with parents that lived through the swinging sixties grew up on a lot of Motown, Beatles, Stones, and The Mamas and the Papas, then as she got older transitioned a bit while still staying true to her rock roots. In her teen years she loved Nirvana, Hole, and Jimi Hendrix (you can definitely hear some Hendrix influence in the album). Ultimately, she’s been a big fan of rock n roll legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whom she plays tribute to on the album, on the track “Sister Rosetta Tharpe”. My favorite track off the album is by far “Glass Window” which encompasses the whole vibe of the album. Overall, a breath of fresh air. Check her out on Instagram @alisonsoloband !

Dylan Gardner

Had a great chit chat with Dylan Gardner of the 60’s psychedelia / Indie band “Communicant”!! We talked about the new EP “Memory Palace”, some films that inspired the music, his growth as an artist and favorite Beatle record!

Ryan Roxie

Sat down with the man himself, Ryan Roxie, who has been working/playing with Alice Cooper since 1996 , played with Slash in “Slash’s Snakepit” ,toured with Motely Crue and many other huge names in music. We talked about his online guitar lessons, most memorable shows he’s played, and some of his favorite artists!