Mekons concerts are dancing-in-the-face-of-the-apocalypse parties, and at their center is Sally Timms. Her beautiful, pure voice is way better than what you’d expect from a post-punk, country-tinged, what-have-you band, and, as she explains here, she feels duty-bound to spread joy from the stage, especially when times are dark. Typically quick-witted and thoughtful, she discusses the Mekons’ early days in Leeds, England, and their unique, enduring creative process; her longtime friendship with t...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Carrie Nahabedian is a trailblazing, Michelin-starred chef, a mentor to many and a great talker. She offers an unvarnished look into what it’s like to run a high-end restaurant (Brindille) during a pandemic. Which has hit harder, staffing or supply-chain issues? Why are women leaving the hospitality industry? Why won’t she charge extra on New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day? Why does she hate tented dining in the winter? What’s it like to work with family? What notes do they keep about guest behav...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 48 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Not only does Steve Dawson continue to be one of Chicago’s most talented and well-liked singers and songwriters—whether solo or with Funeral Bonsai Wedding or Dolly Varden—but he also has inspired countless other musicians through his innovative songwriting classes at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. His new album At the Bottom of a Canyon in the Branches of a Tree is one of his best. In our book Take It to the Bridge: Unlocking the Great Songs Inside You, Steve and I have a dialogue abo...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Bernie Grundman is a legendary mastering engineer, but what is mastering, and why do people look for “BG” in the dead wax of vinyl albums? He has mastered some of the greatest, and greatest sounding, recordings of all time, including Joni Mitchell's Blue , Steely Dan’s Aja , Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall and Thriller , Prince’s classic run and OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below . He’s an enthusiastic talker as he discusses working with these famous artists, what he thinks of vinyl vs. CDs, a...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Drummer Chris Frantz, who formed one of rock’s funkiest rhythm sections with bassist Tina Weymouth, helped drive Talking Heads to heights perhaps unreached by any other American band. Frantz’s memoir, Remain in Love , could be read as a love letter to Tina, his wife, but not to Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, whom Frantz thinks hogged credit. How did the band create “Psycho Killer” and other songs? How did the Tom Tom Club’s success affect Talking Heads? What does Frantz think of Byrne’s Ame...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 8
Part 2 of our conversation with Mitch Easter jumps right into the making of those classic first R.E.M. records: Chronic Town , Murmur and Reckoning . What is that weird pulsating sound that opens “Radio Free Europe”? Why are pool balls colliding in slow motion on “We Walk”? Easter also discusses the ups and downs of his band Let’s Active and his work with the late Scott Miller’s bands Game Theory and The Loud Family. This good-humored producer/performer offers a treasure trove of insights into t...
Nov 11, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Mitch Easter could be considered the Godfather of Jangle except he dislikes the term. His production work on the first R.E.M. records and bands such as Game Theory and the Windbreakers helped define the cool sounds of the ’80s. He offered his own indelible songs, including “Every Word Means No,” in his band Let’s Active. A great talker and music-history appreciator, he flashes back to his days as a guitar-loving North Carolina kid who preferred the Move to southern boogie, and he walks us throug...
Nov 04, 2021•30 sec•Season 1Ep. 6
Riccardo Muti is music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and one of the world's great conductors. He's a fierce advocate for culture (as opposed to entertainment) and a passionate artist who knows what he wants. Sitting in his Symphony Center quarters, he was eloquent and good-humored while discussing the pandemic's impact on culture, why he won't listen to his old recordings, whether he’s ever nervous to meet anyone, which audience behavior annoys him the most, why he keeps donkeys at ...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 5
"Spill the Wine," “All Day Music,” “Slippin’ into Darkness,” “The Cisco Kid,” “The World Is a Ghetto,” “Me and Baby Brother,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” “Low Rider,” "Summer"--you know the songs, but how much do you know about War and its talented musicians? Founding keyboardist/singer/songwriter Lonnie Jordan has stories to tell about how this multiracial L.A. band came up with such an intoxicating mix of soul, rock, funk, Latin rhythms, jazz and reggae; what Jim Morrison was doing in a Superma...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Kathy Valentine is a smart, resilient rock ‘n’ roller with much to say. Propelling the Go-Go’s with her innovative bass playing, writing and singing, she experienced the thrills of performing great songs to massive audiences while learning how much the deck remains stacked against female musicians. Speaking from her Texas home, she discusses the creation of those wonderful songs, the band’s overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, continued battles for reproductive rights and equ...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Bruce Thomas was the stupendous bassist for Elvis Costello and the Attractions, creating the indelible bass lines that drove such songs as “Pump It Up,” “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea” and “Everyday I Write the Book.” He and Costello had a falling out years ago...but is a thaw in the air at last? What was it like to play in such a hot band? How did they arrange the songs? Which legendary British band tried to recruit Thomas before he joined the Attractions? Which legendary British band did Tho...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Has anyone in the rock world maintained a longer, more sustained level of excellence than Richard Thompson? From his 1960s recordings with Fairport Convention through his most recent work, this British musician has been setting a ridiculously high standard with his razor-sharp songwriting and incendiary guitar playing. He’s a great storyteller in conversation as well; listen as he discusses mastering acoustic vs. electric guitar, the circumstances behind Sandy Denny’s firing from Fairport Conven...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 1
