Friends Darin DiNapoli & Byron Nash stop by the studio to talk about their new collaborative project titled 360 Degrees Of Music. A series of short documentary films that will take you inside the world of musicians whose lives revolve 360 degrees around music shot entirely with 360 cameras! Sit back, relax and lets START THE BEAT! View the film: http://360degreesofmusic.com/ APPLE: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG GOOGLE: https://bit.ly/2ww5bRV STITCHER: https://bit.ly/2slB0s3 TUNEIN: https://bit.ly/...
Jul 06, 2018•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 178
Coffee! Community! Heavy Metal! This week I sit back down with my good friends Ashley Corts and Nick Miller of Black Forge Coffee House for a talk about their currently active Kickstarter campaign to open a second location and take their brand to the next level. This is a great talk about the values of teamwork and personal sacrifice to give your hustle more muscle and turn your dreams into a reality. Sit back, relax and lets START THE BEAT! APPLE: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG GOOGLE: https://bit.ly/...
Jun 27, 2018•50 min•Ep. 177
This week I sit down at the Get Hip Records warehouse with PGH Rock N' Rollers The Me Toos for a talk about growing up, playing rock music and having fun with your friends. It was nice. These guys are nice. It's a nice conversation. If you listened to it that would be nice. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! APPLE: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG GOOGLE: https://bit.ly/2ww5bRV STITCHER: https://bit.ly/2slB0s3 TUNEIN: https://bit.ly/2xrVzrJ YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/2sr7Q9Z www.therealsikes.com Star...
Jun 20, 2018•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 176
Singer/songwriter William Matheny joins us this week. He's a nice guy. Pretty funny too. Writes really good music. A triple threat for sure. This is an awesome talk and You're a dum-dum if you skip it. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! APPLE: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG GOOGLE: https://bit.ly/2ww5bRV STITCHER: https://bit.ly/2slB0s3 TUNEIN: https://bit.ly/2xrVzrJ YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/2sr7Q9Z www.therealsikes.com Start The Beat is part of the Epicast family. Learn all about us at www.epica...
Jun 13, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 175
Mario has known me longer than anyone else who has ever been or ever will be on my podcast. We've been through a lot together and it's always a blast getting to sit down and chat with him. Join us for a super fun conversation full of film, food, comedy, music and everything in between. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! APPLE: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG GOOGLE: https://bit.ly/2ww5bRV STITCHER: https://bit.ly/2slB0s3 TUNEIN: https://bit.ly/2xrVzrJ YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/2sr7Q9Z www.therealsi...
Jun 06, 2018•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 174
On Episode 173 Trevor and Allison from The Long Hunt join me to talk all things music. Writing, recording, performing and everything in between. They have a new album titled "All Paths Lead To Here" that is set to release on June 1st but is available for streaming NOW on their website. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! Listen to The Long Hunt: https://listentothelonghunt.com/ Listen to our original conversation from 2017: https://bit.ly/2kAYxB1 SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT...
May 31, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 173
This week I sit down with Pittsburgh post-punk/pop band Suavity's Mouthpiece over a couple cups of coffee for a talk about the creative process, local scenes and a lot more. The band is reuniting for some shows in celebration of their 10th anniversary and you can learn about it right here RIGHT NOW. You can click the following link after this paragraph to learn more as well. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK:...
May 25, 2018•43 min•Ep. 172
This week Brendan Cope returns to the show for a talk about his new music project FOR REST and the artistic transformations he has made since we last spoke back on Episode 102 back in October of 2016. He is getting ready to drop some new material really soon and we dig deep into the creative process and the constant evolutions that exist within the mind of a hungry artist. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Keep up with For Rest on Instagram: @i_am_for_rest Listen to our original conversa...
May 17, 2018•52 min•Ep. 171
This week I sit down again with Mike Hitt for his 3rd appearance on the show. Mike is a musician, songwriter, producer and one of my favorite people on the planet to talk to. This time we get DEEEEP into conversation about the creative process, marketing, branding, self-discovery and so much more. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! Mike Hitt will be dropping a new audio/video project titled EULOGY on May 21st. Follow all the updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or whatever platform you...
May 10, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 170
This week I sit down with Jamie Fadden-Cannon for a talk about the recently launched women's storytelling series she runs called We Are The Weirdos. WATW is a a platform for women and those who identify as women to come and share their stories inspired by other story slams such as, NPR’s the Moth and RISK live. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! Learn more at: http://www.wearetheweirdospgh.com SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/st...
May 02, 2018•41 min•Ep. 169
This week I sit down with Brenda and Thom from the band Old Game. They make really good music and they are nice people to talk to. We had quite the hoot. Join us for a talk about the history of the band, the PGH music scene and plenty more. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! www.oldgamemusic.com SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/startthebeatpodcast ITUNES: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG STITCHER: http://tinyurl.com/stbstitcher GOOGLE PL...
Apr 26, 2018•56 min•Ep. 168
This week I sit down with Ryan Postlethwait aka Mega Beardo for some super laid back talk about Beer, Video Games, Horror Movies, Heavy Metal and everything else worth talking about. Ryan specializes in original compositions and metal arrangements of retro video game music under the name Mega Beardo but that's only scratching the surface. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! www.megabeardo.com SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/star...
Apr 18, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 167
This week I sit down with Zaneta Grant & Shane McLaughlin for a talk all about the upcoming Wilkins Block Party! A free community fundraising music and arts festival. We learn all the history of this annual party and get into detail about everything going into this years event. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! The 2018 Wilkins Block Party is going down Saturday, April 21 at 1 PM - 10 PM at the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion (Schenley Park) - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15207 Get more info a...
Apr 11, 2018•27 min•Ep. 166
This week I sit down with Bengt Alexsander of the bands Action Camp & St. Dude for a talk about his personal experiences as a musician & sound engineer, the PGH scene so much more. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! Explore the wide world of Action Camp & St. Dude and on their Facebooger pages. Links below: facebook.com/actioncamppgh facebook.com/stdude Explore the wide world of Sikes on my website. therealsikes.com GET SOCIAL: @therealsikes Start The Beat is part of the Epica...
Apr 04, 2018•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 165
This week I sit down with Dusty, Ryn, Justin and Damon from Post-Punk/Peace-Punk band SILENCE for a talk about the history and message behind their band, touring the country, the PGH DIY scene and so much more. From playing paintball and making movies, to running a record store and trips to the hospital this conversation goes all over the place but it's really tight. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! Explore the wide world of Silence and on their Facebooger and Bandcamp pages. silencepgh...
Mar 23, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 164
KEYBOARDS & GUITARS! HOOKERS & BLOW! JK... Maybe... ;-) This week I sit down with Michael T. Nolan of the band Venus In Furs for a talk about his long history in the Pittsburgh music scene, the importance of putting on a real "show" and all of the creative forces that have been driving him along the way. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! Explore the wide world of Venus In Furs and check out their new album "Green" on their website. http://www.venusinfursrocks.com Explore the wide...
Mar 14, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 163
All aboard the spaceship! We got some super in-depth beat production talk this week as I sit down with fellow musician, producer and synthesizer aficionado Buscrates! We discuss a wide variety of topics from the first pieces of gear we ever purchased, to our love of all things music and being a couple of old heads trying to navigate social media to get our sounds heard. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Explore the wide world of Buscrates on Google. Seriously, just Google "Buscrates". Th...
Feb 28, 2018•45 min•Ep. 162
Put on your dancing shoes. It's time to shake your booty as I sit down with Lazy JP of the hip-hop duo BBGuns for a talk about the underground rap scene, some business strategies of being an independent artist in 2018 and their new album which just dropped this week. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Explore the wide world of BBGuns on Facebook. www.facebook.com/BBGUNSpgh Explore the wide world of Sikes on my website. www.therealsikes.com GET SOCIAL: @therealsikes Start The Beat is part ...
Feb 15, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 161
Greetings ghouls and goblins! This week it's all screams and terror as I sit down with long time friend and independent filmmaker Todd aka Killer Wolfson of Just Buried Productions for talk about growing up, finding your focus and making ridiculous movies with your homies. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Explore the wide world of Just Buried Productions on Facebook. www.facebook.com/JUSTBURIEDPRODUCTIONS Explore the wide world of Sikes on my website. www.therealsikes.com GET SOCIAL: @t...
Feb 12, 2018•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 160
This week it's all video games, guitar solos and marketing your brand this week as I sit down with chiptune composer extraordinaire Dan Behrens aka Danimal Cannon. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Explore the wide world of Danimal Cannon on his website. www.danimalcannon.com Explore the wide world of Sikes on my website. www.therealsikes.com GET SOCIAL: @therealsikes Start The Beat is part of the Epicast family. Learn all about us at www.epicastnetwork.com...
Feb 07, 2018•58 min•Ep. 159
Get in the car, loser... We're recording a podcast! This week I'm taking a trip with my friends Brian Urban & Colt Dalmaso and to kill some time we're talking about some of our more memorable "first times". Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Explore the wide world of Sikes on my website. www.therealsikes.com GET SOCIAL: @therealsikes Start The Beat is part of the Epicast family. Learn all about us at www.epicastnetwork.com...
Jan 24, 2018•57 min•Ep. 158
This week I sit down with musician, teacher, DIY touring guru and fellow podcaster Joey Molinaro for a talk about creating art with no boundries and doing whatever it takes to share it with the world. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Explore the world of Joey Molinaro on his website. www.joeymolinaro.com Explore the world of Sikes on my website. www.therealsikes.com GET SOCIAL: @therealsikes Start The Beat is part of the Epicast family. Learn all about us at www.epicastnetwork.com...
Jan 10, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 157
This week it's just me and you as I babble nonsense and play you some clips from My Top 10 Albums of 2017! I also dig into some of the albums that didn't make the cut and slowly lose my mind as I talk to my computer screen. Sit back, relax and let's START THE BEAT! 10: Igorrr - Savage Sinusoid 09: Brutus - Burst 08: Scattle - Sketch 07: The Anix - Ephemeral 06: Septicflesh - Codex Omega 05: Hot Sugar - The Melody of Dust 04: Arms and Sleepers - Life Is Everywhere 03: Deserted Fear - Dead Shores ...
Dec 20, 2017•59 min•Ep. 156
This week I sit down with Singer/Songwriter Merilette for a discussion about her very early origins as a performer, growing as a musician and her thoughts on marketing your work in todays hectic social climate. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/startthebeatpodcast ITUNES: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG STITCHER: http://tinyurl.com/stbstitcher GOOGLE PLAY: http://tinyurl.com/stbgoogleplay TUNEIN: http:/...
Dec 14, 2017•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 155
I'm back in the heart of NYC this week for a HIGHLY requested follow up episode with my Uncle/Aunt Tina Benez! This time we dive deep into gender politics, taboo vocabulary and get a very unfiltered and unapologetic perspective on some of the experiences that made Tina who she is today. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/startthebeatpodcast ITUNES: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG STITCHER: http://tinyurl...
Dec 07, 2017•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 154
Who's got the bounce?!?! This week I sit down with singer/songwriter, visual artist & promoter Clara Kent for an inspiring talk about the productivity of teamwork, staying focused on your goals and having fun doing what you love. We also talk about anime because well… duh. Sit back, relax and let's Start The Beat! Clara Kent will be releasing her debut album "AURA" on December 21st. More info can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/clarakentaura SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON ...
Nov 30, 2017•59 min•Ep. 153
Some of my favorite conversations on this podcast are the ones where I meet somebody and have my first face to face conversation with them recorded for the whole world to hear. This week we add another one of these to the list as I sit down and get to know fellow PGH Hip-Hop artist Walkman. Sit back, relax and lets Start The Beat! SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/startthebeatpodcast ITUNES: http://apple.co/1MXMNSG STITCHER: http://tiny...
Nov 16, 2017•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 152
Run to the hills... Run for your lives!!! This week I sit down with Lee Prisby for a talk about playing in heavy metal bands, navigating social media and diving into the deep, dark abyss that is becoming a YouTube content creator. Lee plays in the band Klaymore and is one half of the video game based YouTube channel Halberd. Sit back, relax and lets Start The Beat! SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/startthebeatpodcast ITUNES: http://app...
Nov 09, 2017•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 151
Two things I will never turn down are good brews and great conversations so when I got the opportunity to sit down with Day Bracey at Reclamation Brewing for a live episode I took full advantage of the opportunity! We discuss his come up in the world of stand up comedy, turning your personality into a brand and so much more. Also, beer. Sit back, relax and lets Start The Beat! SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW START THE BEAT ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICES! FACEBOOK: facebook.com/startthebeatpodcast ITUNES...
Oct 26, 2017•57 min•Ep. 150
The landscape of music has always been a perpetually shifting environment but never before have things been changing so rapidly and unexpectedly. Thanks to the modern accessibility of being able to do almost anything you'd want, any way you want, we're in a really exciting but simultaneously confusing time to be a musician. This week I sit down with Rachel & Billy from Little Good Bad and try to navigate the current landscape of music and dive into everything they are contributing to it. Sit...
Oct 19, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 149
