Meet the outrageously talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Cherimondis J.   She's a classically trained concert pianist among many other things.  We dig into her music background, her songwriting process, what it's like being a Black musician in the classical world, and the album she put out last year, Dove Archer.  You'll find that Cherimondis thinks very deeply about both music and life, and she has quite a lot of introspective things to say about how her art relates to her life. Why does she…

Linsey Rogers, who uses The Wandering Linstrel is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, actress, and pinball aficionado.  We get at least somewhat into all of those things in our conversation.

Linsey occasionally makes it to the Dayton area to play shows, and that's how I met her.  Her sparkling personality keeps the attention of a roomful of listeners between songs, and I think that it'll keep YOUR attention during this podcast episode.

LINKS

Official Website
YouTube
Facebook

Pinball Links

Twitch
YouTube
Facebook

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Kyleen Downes is a professional musician, and our music community here in the Dayton area is better off for having her here.  I truly enjoy seeing her play live, I like her songs, and I'm sure you'll agree after you hear this conversation that she has an infectious enthusiasm.  She has benefitted from the encouragement of others in her career, and is passing that on by teaching a new generation of folks here in Dayton how to play rock and roll.   Kyleen tells us about how she got started making music, who…

I write when I need to exorcise… a particular emotion or feeling or experience…

Tracey Bunn is my first Australian guest. She's a seasoned touring musician and songwriter with lots of stories to tell.  You'll get to hear a few of them in this conversation.  You'll learn how exactly songs come to her and what her songwriting process is like.  You'll learn what her childhood smelled like. You'll learn about the time she spent living in the United States.  All of that awaits you and more!

LINKS

Official Website

…

The first three months of 2023 are gone, and Taylor Ruckle has returned.  We both think that this past quarter was a particularly strong one for new music.  Since we had this conversation, I have listened to the albums of Taylor's top five that I hadn't gotten to yet, and of those, the Screaming Females album was my favorite.  That said, I like them all to some degree, and they're all definitely worth your time.

Taylor's interview with Quasi.

Taylor's albums

Algiers - Shook
Sunny War - Anarchist Gospel
James…

I make noise. People seem to dig it. That's good enough for me.

Dirty Doc most often performs her original songs as Dirty Metal Lefty, and is a musician from Richmond, Virginia. We've spent time together in the occasional hotel lobby at music conferences, bonding over our mutual love of Chris Cornell.  This conversation is a chance for all of us to get to know her better.  You'll learn about her several musical projects, what her songwriting process is like, and how she got to be a guitarist.

LINKS

Official…

The ways that we can be broken are also part of the pieces that put us back together…

Briget Boyle is a songwriter with new single called “Mandolin” out today!  This is the second single from her upcoming album, Heartbreak Residue.  We get into Briget's writing process, the meaning behind this particular song, and detail on Briget's background in the music industry. There is some real poignant moments in our conversation, and you'll really get to see into Briget's heart in this conversation.

LINKS

Official…

If you leave a Wag show and you're not smiling, it's probably you…

Here's how The Wag's official website introduces the band:  Got songs? Got harmonies? Got fun and unbridled enthusiasm? Then you’ve got The Wag! Hailing from the Bayshore area of New Jersey, this 4-piece unit has been entertaining and moving audiences for 20 years but still sounds as fresh as it did on day one! With 4 alternating lead vocalists, catchy melodies, and sophisticated harmonies, they will take you on a journey of pop rock…

It fascinates me how people have such different backgrounds, but we still come together... and we make music together as one unit...

Simona Smirnova is from Lithuania, but currently based in New York City.  She's a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher, generally interesting person, and true music professional. She specializes in the kanklés, which is a traditional Lithuanian instrument.  (I'd tell you more here, but I want you to listen to Simona talk about it.)

Simona has just…

All these songs really mean a lot to me and help me to kind of decipher my thoughts...

Jovi Espina is a songwriter from Virginia who is currently based in Los Angeles. She has been making music since she was ten years old. I got a chance to see her play at an open mic, and I can tell you from my first person observation that she is a very poised performer who plays with confidence.  In this conversation, you'll learn about her writing process, what her childhood smelled like, and all sorts of interesting…

Why am I being so secretive when it's just a song?

I met Nina Nepa in Los Angeles at an open mic event.  Both of us managed to overcome our nerves from being in a room full of strangers and play our songs.  Since listening to her play that day, I've wanted to chat with her about her music for this podcast.  Well here you are, Nina is the guest on today's episode.

Nina is from Pittsburgh, currently living in Los Angeles.  She plays piano and writes songs. She describes herself as a mechanical engineer…

Let me tell you a tale of blunder, confusion, and woe. I procrastinated when it came to editing my conversation with Brenda Carsey, but it was going to get done in the early afternoon, and everything was ok.  I'd have this episode up and out, ready to tell folks to go listen to Brenda's new album Cognizance on January 9th anywhere you stream music. I'm in my DAW, working on the file, and I clicked the wrong thing... I couldn't see exactly what it was, but strange things were happening, so I tried to cancel…

Photo by Libby Danforth

these three hundred songs, they're all assets... they're all pieces of magic that started on a blank piece of paper

A few years ago, I arrived at Yellow Cab Tavern to play a show at my favorite curated open mic, Showcase Thursday. I had been told that we had an artist from Nashville in town to play with us that night. It's not every week that we get someone on tour to stop by, so I was very much looking forward to meeting this intrepid individual. The intrepid individual…

Exactly one year ago, on 30th December 2021, Juliet Fromholt joined me for a chat about our favorite albums of 2021.  I released that conversation the next day, 31st December, and it was Episode ½ of this podcast.  It was so much fun, I just HAD to have her back this year. Taylor Ruckle joins us for this conversation.  You might remember him from Episode 27 and Episode 43, where we talked about our favorite albums of the first and second quarters of 2022 respectively. 

All three of us are completely…

Yuppie is happy music about hard things.

Zack Sliver is the gentleman in the red shirt in the above picture, taken during Dayton Music Fest at Blind Bob's.  His project is called Yuppie.  Zack is altruistic, kind, and talented, and comes with a polished elevator pitch.  How did wearing a wig in Okinawa help make him a better performer and musician?  What's his songwriting process like?  Does he still like Peculiar, the album that he released this year? Why should you eat Lee's Famous Recipe chicken…

At some point, you know, it's hard to carry a piano around...

Mary Beth Carty is a fascinating individual, a songwriter, an artist, and a multi-instrumental musician. She can be heard singing in four (4!) different languages on her new album, Crossing the Causeway. How did the diversity in the area she grew up contribute to her music?  How did she get started playing accordion?  What did her childhood smell like?  You'll get the answers to these questions - as well as hear me list some names of a musical…

...I don't think lyrics have to be great or anything, they just have to be memorable enough and fit a bar...

John Dubuc is a Dayton musician known for witty lyrics and catchy songs.  We wade deep into the songwriting process in this episode.  What's the first tool that John reaches for when it's time to write a song?  What are some of his influences?  What part of a song does he think is the most important? You'll hear the answers to those questions and more in our recent conversation.

LINKS

Band…

If there was one thread I can find across all of my music, it is the deep love of storytelling...

Michelle Rhea Goddard is a Nashville-based songwriter who is originally from California.  Here album Breaking Bread: Songs of Reconciliation is arranged like a play, with an introduction, three acts, and an intermission. What is her writing process like? How did she come up with the idea to structure an album this way?  What did her childhood smell like?  You'll get the answers to all of these questions in…

Three At Home is a band from the greater Boston area. I met two of them in Austin a few months ago while we were attending the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference. All three of them join me for this conversation.  They have an interesting dynamic, with two songwriters and two lead vocalists. Listen to this episode to learn what they remember as the first song they ever heard and what their childhoods smelled like.

LINKS

Three At Home official website

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This is about to be you and I on an adventure that may sometimes appear to be a little bit more rough and unrefined than what you may be accustomed to, but it is genuine

You might remember talented Dayton-based rapper TINO from a previous appearance on my blog.  He's on the podcast today, because today is Bandcamp Friday when they waive their cut of artist payments, and he has a new album over there right now.  Midwest Sorrow covers different sonic and emotional ground than TINO's other work.

How did…

I loved parker ben parker right from the first song the first time I heard them way back in the 1990s.  My guest on this episode, Marc Aiello, played guitar in that band. Those of you around the Dayton music scene will especially appreciate this episode. If you're any sort of music fan, you'll probably like this as well, as it's simply two music enthusiasts talking about the thing they love.

LINKS

five seven five music - Marc's publishing company

parker ben parker

The Durable Fiction

It's emotion, right?  That's music. We're connecting with people on an emotional level...that's ultimately at the end of the day what it's all about, just connecting with other people.

Sometimes things happen in life that seem like an implausible story from a movie.  I have one of those to tell, and the stars of this story are Brittany Bliss and Reid Givens of Brittany and the Blisstones.  Brittany and the Blisstones is an indie band from Chico, California. Their sound draws from influences as diverse as…

I love rock and roll and I love writing rock and roll songs

Brandon Semler lives in Austin, but originally hails from Greene County, right here in Ohio.  We met in 2019 at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference.  We'll be headed back there again this weekend, and in fact, this episode is being posted on the morning of the conference's first day.  What kind of things is Brandon up to musically with his band, Westerly Station?  What's his new business all about?  What's the first song he can remember ever…

Photo by Harish Pathak

I definitely was not thinking about writing a book for people who teach music lessons, but it's funny how these weird little intentions... if we keep following the thread, we can get to it...

Lesley Barth is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, musician, author, teacher, and mom who is currently based in Nashville. She released her second full-length album, called Big Time Baby, in May 2020. We talk about the album and some of the songs on it.  (Many of them have music…

It's really all about me exposing myself honestly... exposing my heart, exposing real life experiences and challenges that I've gone through... exposing lessons from those challenges... 

This episode keeps us in the Gem City.  Mariah J is my guest.  She's a singer/songwriter, poet, dancer, artist disruptor, cultural strategist and overall creative being who has just released an album titled Unfolding.  How did Mariah learn how to sing? How long did it take her to make this album?  How does she know…