Chris Stamey’s new album Anything is Possible releases Friday, July 11 . Musicians who contributed to this record include The Lemon Twigs, Matt Douglas of The Mountain Goats, Marshall Crenshaw, Don Dixon, Probyn Gregory and more. It features long-time friend and collaborator Mitch Easter – Chris sings, plays keyboards, guitar and bass and…he wrote the orchestrations. It was great to talk with Chris about his early days in Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem, his early bands he formed with friends in s...
Jul 09, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Jefferson Hart and his stepdaughters Lila and Ella are Secret Monkey Weekend, a family band who were the subject of an Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary. Jeff plays guitar, Lila plays drums, Ella plays bass and all three provide wonderful vocals and harmony. The documentary tells the story of how the band came to be, through loss and heartbreak – but also of a family coming together and bonding over their love of music and their love for each other. Listen as Jefferson Hart talks about music, l...
Jun 04, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Over the years, Don Dixon has produced some of the greatest albums of all time. Records by R.E.M., Marshall Crenshaw, The Smithereens, Guadalcanal Diary and Let’s Active. He’s also produced albums by his wife, Marti Jones. Marti is a wonderful singer songwriter as well as a fine artist whose work graced the cover of White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story . Don and Marti are great musicians and I’ve been a fan for years. Join me for a talk with Don Dixon and Marti Jones. Save...
May 28, 2025•49 min•Season 3Ep. 21
I was a big fan of Guadalcanal Diary, so when Murray Attaway appeared on Frets back in 2022, I could hardly believe I was talking with their lead singer and main songwriter. The band released four major label albums throughout the 1980s and Murray went on to record In Thrall , a solo album that features Jackson Browne, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Keltner, Aimee Mann, Steve Nieve, Sid Page and Benmont Tench among others. Murray has also composed music for independent film scores and his songs have been fe...
May 07, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 20
In June of 2024, I talked with Peter Holsapple about the reissues of two classic albums by the dB’s – “Stands for Decibels” and “Repercussion”. I had the pleasure of talking to Peter again recently, this time about his soon to be released solo album, The Face of 68 . The song you’re hearing, “Larger than Life” , is the first single from that album. It was great to catch up with Peter to hear about his very busy 2024, the recording of the album, touring, his continued work as a member of The Para...
Apr 16, 2025•59 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Paul Rappaport is an accomplished guitarist who first heard guitar when he was a kid in California, watching a live local TV show featuring country guitar players…a show that was broadcast from a huge L.A. car lot. He learned to play, fell in love with the instrument and by high school was playing in bands. While attending college at UCLA, Paul got a job offer. A very appealing offer from Columbia Records. The position sounded good, but what really sweetened the deal was when he learned he could...
Apr 09, 2025•59 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Steve Wynn has released well over 30 albums during the last 25 years, with his bands The Dream Syndicate, Danny & Dusty, Gutterball, The Miracle 3, The Baseball Project and more with quite a few solo records in the mix. He’s played over 2,000 shows in more than 25 countries and his songs have been recorded and/or performed by R.E.M., Luna, Concrete Blonde, The Black Crowes, Yo La Tengo and Eleventh Dream Day, among others. Steve has been featured in Rolling Stone, Mojo, Uncut, Entertainment ...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 17
When Chuck Mead was a young boy, he and his sister moved with their parents to Lawrence, Kansas. He got a drum kit as a gift when he was 12, and soon after started playing in the family’s band. It was made up of his mom, his dad, his grandparents and uncles who played country and western, and Chuck would also sing songs by Carl Perkins and Elvis. An uncle taught Chuck how to play guitar and by high school, he was playing in bands with friends. He continued to play while attending The University ...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 16
It was a wonderful experience talking with someone I've admired for so long. I love her songs, I love her voice. And she’s just incredibly cool. In additional to her solo work, there’s such a long list of great bands and artists she’s performed with. A list that includes – Pat Benatar, The dB’s, The Del-Lords, Dave Alvin, The Golden Palominos, Marshall Crenshaw, Van Dyke Parks, Vic Chesnutt, Wilco, Richard Thompson and many more. Syd’s debut solo album Surprise featured a lot of her pals from th...
Aug 13, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 15
While growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a young Beth Bombara took piano lessons in grade school. By the time she was entering high school, she had become interested in another instrument: her Mom’s electric guitar. She formed a punk band, Green Means Go, wrote some songs with her bandmates, and before long was playing for local audiences and gaining a loyal following. After attending college in both Michigan and Illinois, Beth moved to St. Louis, where she lives today. And, that following sh...
Jun 20, 2024•38 min•Season 3Ep. 14
The dB’s debut album Stands for Decibels was released in 1981, the album was praised by critics and over time, came to be loved by many fans who consider it a landmark power pop jangle classic. Stands for Decibels has now been reissued through Propeller Sound Recordings digitally and on CD, but also for the first time in the US on vinyl. My guest today on Frets is singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist – the one and only Peter Holsapple. You can purchase the reissue of ...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Brinsley Schwarz met Nick Lowe at school in the 1960s. They played in various bands with different group names and different members. In 1969, the band took the name of their lead guitarist, Brinsley Schwarz. On their studio albums, all from the 1970s, the band was made up of Brinsley along with Bob Andrews, Nick Lowe and Billy Rankin, with the addition of Ian Gomm on guitar and vocals, starting with their third LP, Silver Pistol . After releasing their final studio album The New Favourites of B...
May 15, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In 1968, St. Louis band The Aerovons were getting noticed in clubs around town. Still in high school, their leader and singer, Tom Hartman, was composing their songs. The band was being managed by Tom’s mother, Maurine. She was determined to see her son and his bandmates make it big. Tom was 16 years old when he, his band and his manager mom made their first pilgrimage to England with demos in search of a record deal. They signed with Parlophone, but were asked to head back to St. Louis and writ...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Rick Holmstrom has played guitar in and with many bands over the years, backing West Coast blues and soul bands including William Clarke, Smokey Wilson, Johnny Dyer and Booker T. – He’s also enjoyed a very long run with the great Mavis Staples, who he’s touring with again this year. An amazing guitarist. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with Rick. Photo by Greg Vorobiov. Greg is also a guitarist and his photography is fantastic. You can check out his work here . Save on certified ...
Mar 07, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 10
You might know her from some of the bands she’s been in or collaborated with, Pink Slip Daddy, The Friggs, Bubble Gun, Palmyra Delran and the Doppel Gang, The Coolies and more as well as her solo songs and albums. You also know her from her very fun and fantastic radio show Trash Pop Treasures on Little Steven’s Underground Garage. On the show today – the one and only Palmyra Delran. Photo by Albert Mitchell Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories,...
Feb 29, 2024•38 min•Season 3Ep. 9
A founding member of the profoundly influential band Television, Richard Lloyd has led a fascinating life. He covers a lot of that life in his book Everything Is Combustible: Television, CBGB’s and Five Decades of Rock and Roll: The Memoirs of an Alchemical Guitarist . In addition to his time with Television, he played on albums by Matthew Sweet and John Doe and has produced many albums. It was great, and a great honor to talk with Richard Lloyd. Find tickets for Richard’s upcoming shows by link...
Nov 16, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Tyler Armstrong grew up in Springfield, Illinois and as a young kid, started banging on pots and pans, developing a love for percussion. Through his parents, he was exposed to both Contemporary Christian music and also secular music. Through his older sister, he also heard a great mix of pop and punk. Tyler appreciated good music, no matter what the genre. His dad was into classic rock, which opened another musical window. He got a guitar, and over time, became an incredibly great guitarist. At ...
Aug 18, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In the early 1980s, Rick Miller formed the first lineup of Southern Culture on the Skids. Rick had grown up dividing time between his father’s home in North Carolina and his mother’s home in California. Mary Huff, from Roanoke, Virginia was a cello major who also played bass guitar. Upon hearing that Rick’s band was looking for a replacement bass player, Mary joined and also recruited her long time friend Dave Hartman on drums. The trio of Rick, Mary and Dave would go on to become a much-loved, ...
Jun 19, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Obeid Khan, founder of Khan Audio , has been building high quality recording audio devices since 1991. He’s the man behind St. Louis Music’s Ampeg revival and Vintage Club series, Reason Amplifiers and the highly successful Magnatone revival. Throughout the years of his career as a guitar amplifier designer, Obeid has always had an appreciation for the recording medium and its tools. His love for music and the finest audio reproduction was apparent with the launch of Khan Audio. In Obeid’s words...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 5
If you’ve either listened to, or experienced live performances by Midwest area bands including Stillwater, Waterloo, Magnolia Summer, Rough Shop and Cave States, you’ve heard music by Chris Grabau. Chris has composed songs and provided guitar work and vocals for all of those groups and his band Cave States is now in its tenth year of recording and performing. There’s also a long list of bands that he’s shared the stage with and also lent his musical talents to in the studio. He’s appeared with b...
Mar 18, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Before her family moved from the Philippines to California, a teenage June Millington heard a girl playing guitar at school. Soon after, June and her sister Jean were playing acoustic guitars and ukuleles at variety shows. Before long, they were playing in bands, now with electric guitars. After several personnel changes and band names, The Svelts and Wild Honey, they landed a recording contract. They changed the band name to Fanny. People took notice, including David Bowie who referred to Fanny...
Feb 10, 2023•45 min•Season 3Ep. 3
After moving from the Chicago suburbs to St. Louis in the late ’80s, Adam Reichmann met Todd Schnitzer at Washington University. Both were wanting to form a band. They did just that, and the two became an early version of what would become Nadine, a group that would not only get a lot of attention in the Midwest, but in Europe as well. Nadine received critical acclaim from major music publications after releasing some very fine records. Adam Reichmann continues to write and record solo. His new ...
Jan 26, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Over the last couple decades, Sarah Borges has built a loyal following, playing live shows and releasing several albums. Her first record, Silver City , was praised by NPR’s David Dye for showcasing “an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country” She stays very busy writing, recording and touring – but in early 2020, Sarah, like many musicians, became isolated from concert halls and even recording studios. Missing that audience connection and camaraderie of working with other artists...
Jan 12, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In the early days of the World Wide Web, former Rolling Stone senior writer and associate editor Michael Goldberg published an online music magazine. Addicted to Noise , or ATN was the first online magazine to include audio samples with new album reviews. The list of bands and artists interviewed include Neil Young, R.E.M., Patti Smith, Sonic Youth, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Paul Westerberg and Prince. Michael conducted many of the interviews but also enlisted music crit...
Nov 29, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 12
When playing solo, or when playing with her full band, multi-instrumentalist Molly Healey is a looping extraordinaire. She creates a piece of music, loops that piece, then skillfully plays accompaniment, on instruments including cello, violin and guitar. That sound, combined with her classically-trained voice, produces atmospheric music – often with full string arrangements performed entirely by Molly, multi-tracking in the studio. She’s opened for and played with many bands – and in addition to...
Oct 21, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 11
His radio show begins with – “Broadcasting from Parts Unknown…” but we do know that Ben Vaughn grew up in the Philadelphia area on the New Jersey side of the river. When he was only 6 years old, his uncle gave him a Duane Eddy album. That record would have a profound impact on young Ben, who was playing drums in a garage band by the time he was 12. His interest then turned to the guitar. In the early ’80s, his band, the Ben Vaughn Combo recorded and released two albums and did a few tours of the...
Oct 07, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Florida native Walter Parks was part of the folk duo The Nudes with cellist Stephanie Winters. He would later serve as sideman guitarist to Woodstock legend Richie Havens, and then form his own trio, Swamp Cabbage. He’s performed with R&B drum legend Bernard Purdie and with Judy Collins. He’s currently based in St. Louis and continues to perform and record both solo and with his Americana spirituals project, The Unlawful Assembly. I’ve never met anyone quite like Walter. He’s a great storyte...
Sep 16, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Murray Attaway and high school friend Jeff Walls formed a band in the early 1980s. Initially calling themselves Emergency Broadcast System, they would become Guadalcanal Diary, a band who became a fixture in the Athens, Georgia music scene. Their live shows were incredibly popular and before long they signed with independent label DB Records. After a tour of the states and a lot of airplay on college radio, they were signed by Elektra. They recorded and released albums throughout the ’80s playin...
Sep 02, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 8
While living in Columbia, Missouri, Deke Dickerson formed the much loved garage rock band, The Untamed Youth. He was 17. In the early ’90s, at the age of 22, Deke moved to L.A. and has enjoyed great success as an excellent guitarist. He once had a regular column in Guitar Player, has written several books on guitar, he’s even scored and contributed songs to film soundtracks. Two of Deke’s songs are featured in the newest Disneyland ride, Cars Land, at Disney’s California Adventure theme park. In...
Aug 12, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Kip Loui has made music in his hometown of St. Louis for years. He’s a co-founder of the annual music festival Twangfest, an event that’s brought music performers from all over the country to St. Louis for 24 years now. Kip has played in some great bands. Belle Starr, The Rockhouse Ramblers, The Transmitters, The High Dives, In recent years, Kip has teamed up to play and record with Diesel Island, a band whose often rotating lineup has featured Brian Henneman, Mark Ortmann and John Horton, all f...
Jul 29, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 6
