The Memphis multi-instrumentalist, composer, and leader of the Rolling Head Orchestra is a veteran of the Reigning Sound, Alex Chilton, and Tav Falco’s Panther Burns. He’s created and performed original scores for a number of classic silent films including a recent commission for the Indie Memphis Film Festival of the 1921 Swedish witch documentary “Haxan.” Alex also has a PhD in anthropology, so he might have some insights about the Troubled Men. Topics include a cool day, a sex toy spill, an X...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 214
The Grammy-winning guitarist, singer, and producer with the New Orleans Suspects is also a Dirty Dozen Brass Band alum and owner/engineer of Rhythm Shack Studio where he’s recorded blues legend Bobby Rush and hoodoo slide guitar master John Mooney. Jake spent years playing the mountain music of Doc Watson and making L.A. sessions with studio giants like Larry Carlton before landing in the Crescent City. Tonight he submits to an interrogation as the Troubled Men play a little good cop/bad cop. To...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 213
The now 93-year-old author and conservationist returns to the Feral Zone with his lifelong friend and drinking buddy Eddie Young to reminisce about the French Quarter in the ‘50s, the march to Selma with M.L.K., a kinky D.A., and other highlights of their 65-year friendship. Night nurse Nicole Pavy assists with the delivery. Topics include a 19th-century cottage, a birthday party, a smart ass, a competitive relationship, military service, encounter groups, a Mexican car crash, nightclubbing, Jim...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 9
The modern jazz saxophone player, composer, and bandleader has recorded with his own trio as well as the Klezmer Allstars and Iris May Tango. His latest project with Anthony Cuccia, Klaas Hubner, and Kate Becker combines music, meditation, and breathwork. Tonight Rob joins the Troubled Men as they drag a few skeletons out of the closet. Topics include a recall effort, another speed camera ticket, Moon Landrieu RIP, nicknames, the Stalker Files revisited, a stabbing spree, R.J., Chris Walken, Mic...
Sep 15, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 212
Her tenure dates back to the earliest days of the Circle Bar. In fact, she likes to say that she came with the building. The former tennis pro and dentist-turned-bartender encountered everyone from Lee Circle winos and touring hipsters to counterculture royalty like Keith Richards and Hunter Thompson. After her time in Austin hanging out with Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bill Hicks, and Sam Kinison and her years as den mother for the circular clubhouse for wayward adults, Caroline is well acquainted with ...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 211
The Americana-noir recording artist comes in on a wave of stellar reviews for her latest, “Wallowing In The Night,” the follow-up to 2020’s acclaimed “Fear of Living, Fear of Loving” recorded entirely on her phone. No stranger to adversity, she’s endured a carjacking, RV breakdowns, and the collapse of her touring band, and that’s just this summer. Undeterred, Shawn enters the Feral Zone to tell the tale as we react to the tragic loss of our dear comrade Carlo Nuccio and recount a few treasured ...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 8
The multi-instrumentalist behind the Night Janitor and the Other Planets has also played with Rotary Downs, the Iguanas, and Glyn Styler Presents the Clergy. Having survived his own season in hell, he now counsels other troubled souls as a mental health professional by day, while producing new music on the night shift. Anthony’s been there and back again, and he’s here to tell the story. Topics include an Iguanas tour recap, a secret show, Fitzgerald’s, Camile Baudoin, Michael Tisserand, John Ma...
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 7
The screenwriter (“Sid and Nancy”) and director (“Roadside Prophets”) started her career in the hotbed of the L.A. indy scene making “Repo Man” with Alex Cox. She’s known Manny since his earliest days in the movie biz and Too Free Stooges. Abbe has survived both independent filmmaking and a near-fatal fall. Tonight she tests her luck with the Troubled Men. Topics include a jury deliberation, local politics, a trip to France, dental charts, mystery travel, Roy Cohn, Paul Sorvino RIP, “Goodfellas,...
Aug 04, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 210
The versatile guitarist with fiddle dynamo Amanda Shaw has had his orchestral compositions performed by symphonies around the country. All this is in addition to his day job as one of the hardest working guys playing Bourbon Street. Tim’s work ethic, forged as a high school track star, serves him well as a musician and tonight as he stays a step ahead of the Troubled Men. Topics include a world on fire, a Taco Bell attack, a prison story, the D.A. on trial, John Hinckley on the loose, “Taxi Driv...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 209
The award-winning commercial photographer and drummer with acclaimed alt-rock band Rotary Downs shot his first music festival as a teen at the Festivals Acadiens in his hometown of Lafayette, La. His current exhibition, “Exit Stage Right,” at the N.O. Jazz Museum is a collection of stage-side portraits taken everywhere from Bonnaroo to Chaz Fest. His two decades playing with the sublime Rotary Downs is icing on the cake. Zack is used to flying by the seat of his pants in less-than-ideal conditio...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 208
The powerhouse guitarist from the Wild Magnolias and Papa Grows Funk spent 20 years as a star of the Japanese blues and soul music world before finding a new home in New Orleans. A longtime devotee of Mardi Gras Indian music and the Meters, he quickly found his way into the very bands he’d studied from afar. After nearly three decades at the apex of the funk scene in his adopted city, June tips into an old haunt to rendezvous with the Troubled Men. They decide to do it in English, as Manny and R...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 207
King James and the Special Men’s hold on the Monday night old-school r&b scene at BJ’s, Sidney’s Saloon, and the Saturn Bar lasted over a decade, leaving behind an LP and a handful of singles featuring the Lost Bayou Ramblers’ Louis Michot, Layla McCalla, and Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff. Now mastermind Jimmy Horn heads Special Man Industries, producing perfumes, incense, and other sundries for his discriminating clientele worldwide. Listen in as the Special Man joins the Troub...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 206
The writer, translator, and WWOZ DJ discusses his new book of poetry, “Far Flung,” his early life in New Jersey, and the ocean trek that sparked his love of Brazil and its culture. Dean’s years of on-air radio experience and easygoing nature serve him well as he mixes it up with the Troubled Men on the eve of another epic trip abroad. Topics include illegible handwriting, hobosexuals, the heat, a Julee Cruise correction, Father’s Day, a birthday breakfast, a Zoom meeting, senior dating, civil ri...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 205
The virtuoso guitarist and composer with Woodenhead and the New Orleans Guitar Masters has spent a lifetime exploring the possibilities of the instrument. He’s scaled the heights of instrumental jazz/rock with Woodenhead and luxuriated in the introspection of his solo acoustic work, all while swimming against the pop music tide. Tonight Jimmy paddles as fast as he can to keep his head above the turbulent waters of the Troubled Men Podcast. Topics include Esai Morales, a staycation, airfares, ran...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 204
Saxophone great Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. joins the Iguanas and Emmy-winning Hawaiian filmmaker and festival producer Kenny Martinez-Burgmaier to reflect on the triumphant return of the Big Island Jazz and Blues Festival after a 2-year hiatus. Donald discusses his mentoring a teenage Notorious B.I.G. and hanging out at home with Miles Davis. Kenny recounts his rise from child cook to impresario. The star-studded lineup and spectacular locale stand in contrast to a persistent ennui for which ...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 6
The 92-year-old author, college professor, and former French Quarter denizen mingled with luminaries like Tennessee Williams and Clay Shaw and counted superstar historian Stephan Ambrose among his closest friends. Born in Victorian Brooklyn, he arrived in New Orleans in 1950 and spent the ensuing years haunting the recesses of the region from the mansions of the Garden District to the backwoods of Mississippi. Tonight he enters the Feral Zone, along with co-conspirator and attending night nurse ...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 5
The conga player and Vietnam veteran has led a life of service both in and out of the military. As a door gunner with the 1st Air Cavalry, he joined those throughout the ages willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Troubled Men are awed as Rosie recounts his mythic life. Topics include the Norfolk Bayou Boogaloo, a D.C. gig, Hawaii, cousins, smoking Kools, a George Porter encounter, local stupidity, Zion Williamson, a 2nd booster, Ray Liotta RIP, a pistol whipping, “GoodFellas,” “Something W...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 203
The Emmy Award-winning writer, musician, actor, and creator of Disney TV’s “Imagination Movers” series discusses the band’s 20-year history, his formative years, and his solo career. Rich is a relentlessly positive guy with a cheerful demeanor and a smile on his face. Tonight his good nature gets put to the test as he sits down with the Troubled Men. Topics include a 200th episode party recap, a podcast lost and found, “Ozark,” losing gear, a missing bass, underwear, an empty nest, a New Orleans...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 202
He’s known for his work scoring music for hit TV shows “That 70s Show” and “3rd Rock from the Sun,” his records with Alan Vega, Alex Chilton, Charlie Feathers, and Nancy Sinatra, his long-running syndicated radio show, “The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn,” and a 40-year career as a solo artist. With a new solo record, “The World of Ben Vaughn,” coming out, Ben drops in to catch up with the Troubled Men before his tour of Spain. Apparently the rain there falls mainly on the plain. Topics include a Jazz...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 201
The Troubled Nation gathers at Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge to celebrate the milestone, as guests and supporters join Manny and René to reminisce about the first 200 episodes and look forward to the future. The Struggle Continues! Topics include a French Quarter Fest recap, Earth Day, the Soul Bowl, Jude Acers, Sidney Smith, the Youngbloods, ‘60s music festivals, Bill Graham, chess with Jamie Foxx, Ouija boards, a ghost story, a favorite episode, Doug Belote, Chris Rose, common sense...
May 12, 2022•2 hr 16 min•Ep. 200
The musician and owner of More Fun Comics, DC Harbold teamed up with artist/animator Carlos Mendieta to create a “Clerks” meets “American Splendor”-style comic book series, “Counter Culture,” based on hilarious customer interactions and goings-on in the store. DC’s been collecting the exchanges on social media for years, and now Carlos has brought them to 2D life, with the first issue soon to be released. Tonight they join the Troubled Men for a four-way on art, commerce, and which shoes to shop...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 199
The Naughty Professor cofounding trumpet player and point man for the Naughty Horns has also worked with the Temptations, Rickie Lee Jones, the Afghan Whigs, and Galactic. He discusses the band’s formation, his home-schooled childhood, and his many collaborations with hip hop artists including Chali 2na. For being the youngest guest to date, John really has his head together. The Troubled Men want to be him when they grow up. Topics include Will Smith vs. Chris Rock, stage violence, Chris Owens ...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 198
The swampy Americana songwriter, singer, and guitarist, covered by Levon Helm, Keith Richards, and Lucinda Williams, has traveled a twisted road from juke joints in Monroe, La., and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop to his Nashville home. Out on a string of dates with the Iguanas, he joins the band on a night off to issue a communiqué from the tour, in the final installment of a two-part episode. As KG says, they’re just trying to get to Memphis. Topics include a master’s degree in poetry, Hill Country...
Apr 14, 2022•53 min•Ep. 4
The swampy Americana songwriter, singer, and guitarist, covered by Keith Richards, Irma Thomas, and Sonny Burgess, has traveled a twisted road from juke joints in Monroe, La., and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop to his Nashville home. Out on a string of dates with the Iguanas, he joins the band on a night off to issue a communiqué from the tour, in the first installment of a two-part episode. As KG says, they’re just trying to get to Memphis. Topics include a Midwestern tour, a procedure, solo acts, ...
Apr 08, 2022•48 min•Ep. 3
The accomplished visual artist and former Piety Recording Studio manager has worked with an impressive list of creative superstars and maladjusted misfits during her storied career. Stints as a chimney sweep, absinthe brewer, and crime scene photo tech round out her resume. Tonight Shawn brings her incisive intellect and easy laugh to a meeting of the minds with the Troubled Men. Pearls before swine? You be the judge! Topics include new tenants, sexism, a dog and a cat, a Bob Dylan show, the Ger...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 197
The harmonica master and singer with Canned Heat and Poncho Sanchez grew up in the musical hotbed of Downey, California, with Phil and Dave Alvin. Influenced early on by the Louis Jordan records of his trumpet-playing mother, he caught the blues bug hearing artists like the Paul Butterfield Band, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee at the Ash Grove and the Golden Bear in L.A. Comfortable in a variety of musical settings, tonight Dale tests his tolerance level in a session with the Troubled Men. Topi...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 196
The legendary Muffs bass player, along with singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck and drummer Roy McDonald, blasted out their infectious, melodic brand of punk rock from 1990 until Kim’s passing in 2019. Cresting at the top of the Indie rock wave, they counted the Ramones, Elvis Costello, and Ronnie Spector among their fans and picked up a platinum record for their hit recording of “Kids In America.” With the reissue of 2004’s “Really Really Happy” along with Kim’s demos for that record soon to be relea...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 195
A Grammy-winning veteran of Dr. John, Papa Grows Funk, the Nightcrawlers, and Galactic, the saxophone, clarinet, and flute player is a devotee of the New Orleans R&B and jazz canon. Now, as a college instructor, he passes this knowledge on to impressionable young minds. With his first record as a bandleader soon to be released, Jason jumps into the fray with the Troubled Men to recall career highs and lows, while remembering some of the giants who have come before. Topics include the Lenten ...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 194
The rockabilly and roots guitarist, singer, and bandleader of the Hitmen, O.L.D., and the Blue Vipers has been an intergral part of the New Orleans scene since his arrival in the early ’80s. He’s worked with greats like Alex Chilton, Wayne Bennett, Joe Clay, George the Max, and Dave Turgeon. Tonight Johnny J. Beninati goes on the record with fellow travelers the Troubled Men to illuminate the dark recesses of the rock’n’roll landscape. Topics include a new Troubled Home, Aquarius, the Linda Lind...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 193
The record producer and recording engineer had spent years working with bands including the Pixies, Frank Black, and the Breeders before taking over the fabled Studio In The Country and returning it to its former glory. The recent release of the Geraniums’ “Hope Is Not For The Weak” represents the final 10 years of material recorded with him there at the mixing board. Always unflappable, Ben joins the Troubled Men in the hornets’ nest of Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge for a good going ov...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 192
