The Hustle

Author Greg Prato joins us this week to discuss his new book Alternative for the Masses. The book argues that Nirvana didn't just happen out of nowhere. The seeds had been planted with bands like the Pixies and Jane's Addiction that prepared a way for Nirvana (and the whole grunge movement) to flourish. The book is an oral history featuring dozens of key voices from the scene (many of which are former guests) who share their recollections of that period including indie record labels, the drugs, Lollapalooza and key songs and albums, which Greg and I debate as well...

What can you say about the great Thomas Dolby that hasn't already been said? We know about the hits (like "Science" and "Hyperactive"), we know about the innovation and the tech businesses he's started, and we know about Live Aid. In this conversation we set out to fill in some of the gaps like how did he get Jerry Garcia and Eddie Van Halen to play guitar with him? Did he ever meet Prince, who he is so similar to creatively? We know Howard the Duck didn't work, but what about his incredible soundtrack? What happened when he produced...

Richie Zito checks a lot of boxes for the Hustle. For one, he was a noted session guitarist in the 70s for artists like Neil Sedaka, Hellen Reddy, Leif Garrett, and Elton John. Then he eventually became one of the most successful producers of the next decade working with people like Eddie Money ("Take Me Home Tonight"), Cheap Trick ("The Flame"), Bad English ("When I See You Smile"), the Cult, Heart, and Poison. In between, he hooked up with Giorgio Moroder and played on everything he did for a while including "Danger Zone", Berlin, Donna Summer and tons more. T...

Jon Dawson has been keeping Third of Never going for almost 20 years now and on their latest album, Damage the Pearl (Original Soundtrack), he has enlisted former guest and Connells frontman Doug MacMillian as his musical partner. Jon and Doug have written some primo songs and released one of the best albums of the year. We discuss the logistics of how this project works, what attracted them to each other, and what exactly this album is a soundtrack for. And we have a vinyl of the album to give away. Enjoy! 

Everything seemed possible in hip-hop in 1992. Creativity was abundant and groups like P.M. Dawn, Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Arrested Development could all flourish. This led to AD's debut album becoming a watershed moment in music, selling millions, having hits and winning Grammys. Unfortunately, once gangster rap got its hooks in everyone, it devoured everything else and has remained largely that way ever since. Despite this, AD have been releasing excellent albums in their unique style consistently since reforming and have a new one called Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop that is one of their best. Frontman Speech joins us t...

First time author Jay Nachman has accomplished something special. His new book, Graham Parker's Howlin' Wind tells the origin story of how the great Graham Parker came to be the songwriter we know him to be and how that first album with the Rumour came to be. Starting from his pre-fame days in the town of Deepcut, we learn of Graham's blue-collar upbringing and how the fates of him and the band Brinsley Schwarz came together to form a perfect team. Jay's been good to the Hustle over the years as a PR rep for many prior guests, but...

It's pretty much a fact that if you appeared on a Steely Dan album, you're a made man. Especially on the big ones like Aja and Gaucho. For acclaimed drummer Rick Marotta that's only one chapter of his long, amazing career. His resume also includes Aretha, Donny Hathaway, John Lennon, Jim Croce, Hall & Oates, the Jacksons, Bryan Ferry, and Paul Simon. We discuss all of these and many more. Rick is one of the best storytellers we've ever featured on the show. You'll love every second of this one! 

Throughout the 80s and 90s, filmmaker Arlene Sidaris and her late husband, director Andy Sidaris, released a dozen movies under the philosophy of the three Bs - Bullets, Bombs and Babes. Films like Malibu Express, Savage Beach, and the immortal Hard Ticket to Hawaii showed the Sidaris's combining sexy playmates with huge explosions and tropical locations for some of the most enjoyable movie watching experiences around. These were the glory days of USA Up All Night and hundreds of B movies at the video rental store. Arlene tells us how the movies were made, behind the scenes stories, their cu...

I'll bet you don't have 8 Grammy's. Very few people do. Our guest this week is one of the chosen few. Producer Kevin Killen has been one of the best in his field since first coming up under the tutelage of Steve Lillywhite on U2's War album. From there the list of collaborators includes David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, Howard Jones, Lindsey Buckingham, Kate Bush, Shawn Colvin, Tori Amos, Mr. Mister and many more. One year he won Grammys for working with David Bowie, Shakira and Yo-Yo Ma. Talk about diversity! We're so fortunate he gave us some...

Madness has become their own institution in the UK. There's an entire culture built around their every move, like a ska version of Jimmy Buffett. Sometimes even legends need a break and to just "make music with their friends" and that's what bassist Mark Bedford has done. "Bedders" has paired up again with mates Simon Charterton and Terry Edwards of 2-Tone band the Higsons to release a new album, Tritone, under their side project The Near Jazz Experience. The NJE's music is an instrumental blend of jazz and funk and makes for easy on the ears listening. Bedders joins...

Our latest Book Club is a blast. Music writers David Goggin and Martin Porter have collaborated on a fascinating new book, Buzz Me In, detailing the history of the Record Plant studios. The story begins with business partners Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone but includes the juicy in-studio stories of Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, the Eagles, Stevie Wonder and John Lennon and what it takes to extract as much money as possible from artists like these. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are in abundance. You won't want to miss this great book!  

The Hustle Podcast | creating po...

England's mighty FM have been bringing the hard rock goodness to their small but devoted fan base for 40 years. Frontman Steve Overland took his love for bands like Bad Company and mixed it with classic r&b to become one of the greatest rock singers since Paul Rogers. The band have taken breaks over the years, but are back in full force right now with a tour and a brand new album, Brotherhood, which is their best in many years. Steve joins us this week to discuss this latter day resurgence in popularity, working with legends like Ruper Hine, D...

Gino Vannelli is a wizard. He has to be to create the music he makes, especially during his hyper creative 70s period. No one has ever sounded quite like him. If all you know are the big hits like "Living Inside Myself" and "I Just Wanna Stop", you're missing a crucial part of the picture. Unfortunately, Gino lost his wife of almost 50 years last year and that loss inspired his recent album The Life I Got (To My Most Beloved). It's an album that deals with grief, but also celebrates life. As you can imagine, Gino is a spiritual see...

We are deliriously honored to have Nick Heyward return to the podcast to discuss his upcoming tour with Howard Jones (starts on the 2nd) and Deep Dive some of the Pelican West album with us. I say "some" because he only had an hour and we only covered five songs. BUT, there are enough goodies in the conversation, I have no doubt you'll enjoy hearing about how he made this perfect album (and the only one he made with the band before going solo). It's so nice having Haircut 100 a growing concern again after so many years. This tour i...

Pop music doesn't come much better than the work of the Primitives. They're probably best known for their 1988 hit "Crash", but the three albums they put out in that era are perfection. By 1991, they felt they weren't progressing and decided to call it a day with everyone doing other projects. Thankfully, they came back in 2012 with a new album and another in 2014 and have been on the festival circuit ever since. Frontwoman Tracy Tracy and guitarist/primary songwriter Paul Court join us this week to tell us what it takes to keep their little band going. If success truly...

First published in 1994, author Brian Sweet's book on Steely Dan, Reelin' in the Years, has been recently updated and reprinted to incorporate the last few years of the band's legacy. We discuss the band's unique way of working, their mysterious personalities, why they're considered "cool" when so many others of that genre aren't, why so many musicians lined up to work with them and how Brian came to write the only book on the band of its kind. Plus, we're giving a copy away to a Patreon supporter! Enjoy! 

The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Why does some of the best music go largely unheard? It's the eternal question. Granted, Jimme O'Neill's bands have done pretty well and he's made a living being the great songwriter he is, but we all know he deserves a bigger audience. Starting out in Glasgow in the 70s with his post-punk band Fingerprintz had his career going in one direction, only to go a completely different direction when they broke up and he started his jangly pop band the Silencers. He discusses how both bands came to be, growing up with the guys in Simple Minds, moving to F...

Producer Mark Wallis began his career as the assistant to Steve Lillywhite on U2's War album. How about THAT being the first thing on your resume?! This launched a great career working some of the best pop acts of the era. He produced the Go-Between's perfect album 16 Lovers Lane, the debuts from the Primitives and the Silencers, and music from artists like Paul Kelly, the Mighty Lemon Drops, the Wildhearts, Icicle Works and more. He also engineered the Smiths' "How Soon is Now" and tells that story. He was a total sport for taking my nerdy questions. Enjoy! 

Eric Ambel's career got its start in "the first punk band in Wyoming" in the 70s. Imagine trying to launch a music career from Laramie! He eventually becomes the guitarist in the Blackhearts with Joan Jett, but opts not to sign on (the job went to recent guest Ricky Byrd) and goes on to form the Del-Lords with former Dictator guitarist Scott Kempner. They released four albums in the late 80s (two of them produced by Neil Giraldo) before calling it quits. From there Eric focuses more on his solo career, touring with other acts, and production work which has h...

Steady Freedy. It doesn't rhyme, but it should because that's what singer/songwriter Freedy Johnston has been. Since the early 90s, Freedy has been releasing consistently wonderful music with his crystal clear voice - never phoning it in and never anything less than great. But, his career got off to a wobbly start and might not have happened at all. He sold part of his family farm in Kansas to finance his second album, Can You Fly, in 1992. Luckily, this move paid off and launched his career. That seminal album has just been remastered and re-released on vinyl and c...

The narrative for Colin Hay's career goes like this - fronts huge pop band (Men at Work) who explode on the scene, win Grammys and a ton of hits in a short amount of time, goes solo, releases incredible album after incredible album to a small cult that love him but with no commercial success. That may be partially true, but that cult has gotten so big and the reputation so strong, is it even a secret anymore? He's about to take the current version of Men at Work on tour with friends Christopher Cross and Toto and he jus...

The Pogues would be forgiven for thinking they shouldn't carry on after the death of frontman Shane MacGowan. It was his voice and songwriting that gave the band that extra special spark. Luckily, they won't be putting the band to bed just yet. Founding member Spider Stacy joins us this week to discuss their decision to get back out there in front of the fans on tour this fall, celebrate their legacy, and keep those incredible songs alive. We also get into the continuing impact of "Fairytale of New York", the period in the 90s when Shane left the b...

Author Selena Fragassi joins us this week to discuss her new book Alanis: Thirty Years of Jagged Little Pill. Can you believe that album is 30 years old now? The book discusses the making of the album and what Alanis managed to tap into that made it the juggernaut it was and our conversation covers the highlights as well. Check it out! 

www.quarto.com/books/9780760395677/alanis

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

One of the brightest lights of the Britpop splash of the 90s were Kula Shaker. They successfully merged guitar-driven rock with psychedelia with strong Indian themes so seamlessly there was no one else like them. After two successful albums and huge singles like "Tattva", "Govinda" and "Hey Dude", and with frontman Crispian Mills on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the band took a break for a few years before storming back in 2007 and releasing great albums since. Last year saw their latest album Natural Magick and more new albums are promised for 2025 and '26. Crispian joins us this...

Bands like Seven Mary Three couldn't have existed any other time but in the 90s. Grunge was king, guitars were heavy, and bands were full of angst. This formula served them well when "Cumbersome" landed at #1 on the rock charts, but the label didn't get behind much else and despite the band carrying on for a decade playing to a rabid fan base, they never had another hit (or much respect). Lead singer Jason Ross joins us this week to discuss the journey, including his ongoing career in the business side of music and why the band aren't likely...

The mind of Tim DeLaughter must be an interesting place to spend some time. In the 90s he fronted the esoteric rock band Tripping Daisy that saw a lot of success with their second album I Am an Elastic Firecracker and the hit "I Got a Girl" in 1995. After their guitarist died of an accidental drug overdose, Tim masterminded the wholly unique Polyphonic Spree - the collective of 25 or so musicians clad in robes creating quasi-spiritual chamber pop. It was a circus you couldn't wait to join. Tim joins us this week to explain himself - where have these...

Steve Barton returns to the show this week to fill us in on a couple of new goodies from his world. First of all, a live Translator album called Beyond Today: Live at the Farm San Francisco 1986 was just released and it's a treat for longtime fans. It's a live document of what was meant to be their last show from the original run. Of course, they've since reunited for shows over the years, but this album shows a band letting it all hang out one more time. Then we get into his most recent solo album, Time Hard...

What can you say about the Beach Boys that hasn't already been said? Especially now with the recent passing of leader Brian Wilson, the band is back to the forefront where they deserve to be. Former member Al Jardine recently released a new EP called Islands in the Sun and he and I talked about it two days before Brian died. That fact gives a unique spirit to this interview as it will likely go down as one of the last Al gave that was about him and his music solely. I was especially curious about the band's 80s p...

If all you've heard from Nada Surf is their novelty hit "Popular" from '95, you'd be forgiven for not knowing they morphed into one of best bands in the world over the last 25 years. Starting with 2002's Let Go, the guys have released a constant stream of nearly perfect records and continue to mature in a beautiful way as evidenced by last year's Moon Mirror. This week front man Matthew Caws joins us to talk about their incredible transition, dealing with ADHD, balancing the band with his other projects, and why he always wears the same shirt. Nada Surf...

We don't throw the word :"icon" around here too often, but when you're a founding member of two of the biggest Goth Rock and Alternative Rock bands ever, the label is deserving. David J is partly responsible for shaping an entire culture, not many can say that. This week sees the release of two new ambitious projects - one a book of poetry called Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer, as well as a new album of some of those poems put to music called The Mother Tree. A US tour also kicks off this week to support it. David tells us...

David Lowery has cracked the code for having it all. In the 80s he fronted the beloved Camper Van Beethoven who rose to (indie) fame with "Take the Skinheads Bowling" and "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and sounding like no one else at the time. Then, when they broke up in the early 90s, he started Cracker which was even more successful commercially with huge hits like "Low" and "Get Off This". Eventually, he found a way to merge the two into a single touring unit which is completely unique to them. Along the way, David has released a solo...

Writer Gary Graff returns to discuss the release of the 501 Essential Albums of the 80s. When he was on a few months ago to discuss the 90s version, we explored the process for creating the list, who contributed, and how they decided what made it and what didn't. This time we go straight to the fun stuff - what was missing! It makes for a friendly, but impassioned debate, which is exactly the point of books like this. Enjoy! 

Australia has been blessed with some of the greatest songwriters of all time. On their Mount Rushmore has to be Robert Forster and Grant McLennan of the Go-Betweens. What started out as spiky post-punk, eventually morphed into some of the most lush and perfect pop music ever made. If you don't believe me, listen to 1988's immaculate 16 Lovers Lane for proof. Not feeling they'd gained a big enough audience, the guys parted ways for a while until reforming in 2000 and keeping it going until Grant's death in 2006. Robert's solo work is also excellent and he's releasing a great new...

When a musician as legendary as drummer Stan Lynch invests his time and efforts into a new project, I want to know what it is. His new band is called The Speaker Wars and they make the exact kind of American rock and roll you'd expect with Stan's pedigree. The new self-titled album will be out this month. Stan and I also discuss his time with Tom Petty, his relationship with the other guys, what gets him excited about making new music, and some of his collaborations like Eddie Money, Henry Lee Summer and Del Shannon. Stan's a super...

We were happy to hear from Midge Ure again to discuss his upcoming appearance at the popular Cruel World festival. Piggybacking on that is a short tour of some U.S. cities with fellow 80s synth luminaries Blancmange. We get into these, his upcoming Catalog tour where he'll bring out many of the less obvious singles from his long career and tons more. He's a true gentleman and one of rock's greatest treasures. Enjoy! 

This week we're celebrating 10 eventful years with the lovable Limahl! The guy has maintained a career in the public eye thanks to two gigantic hits and a relatively small catalog - just one album with Kajagoogoo and three on his own. That's not much, but the legendary look and sound still carries a lot of weight and nostalgia. He just released his cover of "A Horse With No Name" which you wouldn't think would make sense and yet it's fantastic. He talks openly about how he's stayed relevant all these years, his coming out journey, his relationship with his f...

We've said it before, but the 90s were the peak time for "chick"-fronted alternative rock bands. There were so many good ones and among them was that dog. fronted by this week's guest, Anna Waronker. They only managed three albums, but they made a great impression. Anna put out a couple solo albums, but she also pivoted to making music for TV which she's done successfully for a while. She currently does the music for Yellowjackets with musical partner Craig Wedren of fellow 90s survivors Shudder to Think. We discuss her whole career, her legendary dad Lenny (who...

With as "out there" as Geggy Tah's music was, and as clever as their biggest hit "Whoever You Are" was, it would be easy to not take them seriously. The thing is, they were serious about being as creative as possible and seeing what music could be without any borders. The duo of Tommy Jordan and Greg Kurstin produced three albums in the mid 90s that explored songs as if they were found art projects, mixing in whatever instrument or genre worked. After the band ended, Greg went on to form The Bird and the Bee and then became on...

The Old 97's have been keeping the fire of alt-country lit for over 30 years and have never lost their vibrant spirit. A lot of that is thanks to jubilant front man Rhett Miller. Whether with the band or on his equally excellent solo outings, Rhett has set himself apart as one of the most engaging artists and songwriters around. That spirit is on display in a new Old 97s record called American Primitive, a 2022 solo album called The Misfit, and even his fun podcast called Wheels Off. He joins us this week to talk about all of it and mo...

Ben Folds Five cut a swathe in the 90s like no one else. This boisterous three-piece with a lead piano instead of a guitar sounded like no other and had three successful albums to show for it. Eventually the band broke up and Ben went on to be a celebrity in his own right while drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Rob Sledge were less visible. Darren joins us this week to discuss what his career looks like. In addition to working with bands like The War On Drugs and Hiss Golden Messenger, he's also put out a few solo...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Ricky Byrd got clean 37 years ago and has devoted those years to helping others do the same. In fact, he's put out some fantastic solo albums meant to help those people get clean. But, right now he wants to rock. Ricky's new album NYC Made is a classic rock and soul album in the spirit of Southside Johnny and his old band, the Blackhearts. It's one of the best of the year so far. Ricky talks about his life with Joan, his solo journey since getting clean, working with Little Steven, the Y...

This week is the great guitarist Paul Pesco! What hasn't Paul done? Even he loses track of it all. He was an "unofficial" member of the System, the Breakfast Club, and C+C Music Factory (he also played on their big songs). He's toured with Madonna, Steve Winwood, Atlantic Starr and many others. He's contributed to everyone from U2 to James Ingram to Mariah Carey. He was in the Hall and Oates stable for a while (and discusses why he left Live From Daryl's House) and he's in several all-star bands currently like Sonic Boom Squad and Supersonic Tortoise. Th...

Our guest this week is guitar virtuoso Dean Parks! Dean was one of the first call session guys in the 70s and 80s that helped make great artists even better. He worked for Motown with legends like Stevie and Marvin, took his turn with Steely Dan and played the iconic solo in "Haitian Divorce" and can be heard on classics like "Laughter in the Rain", "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Here You Come Again". There are also stories with MJ and the Jacksons, Billy Joel, David Lee Roth, Seal and tons more! Dean is an extremely mild mannered guy, but is...

Author Jeff Apter joins us again to discuss his excellent new book, Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly. In the annals of rock history, Carl often gets overlooked as colleagues like Elvis, Jerry Lee, and Johnny take center stage. He'd probably be fine with that. But his story is fascinating. Writing "Blue Suede Shoes" and being a key influence on the Beatles kept him viable his entire life. Jeff tells a beautiful story of a wonderful man with a fascinating history that many of us may not know that much about. Enjoy!

www.jeffapter.com.au

REO Speedwagon have been one of the most reliable American rock bands for over 50 years. Certain members may come and go, but that name, that quality, and the excellent songs of lead singer Kevin Cronin have been a constant for decades. Unfortunately, that recently came to an end with the departure of founding member Bruce Hall. Plus, Bruce took the name with him. The good news is that most of the same players are playing most of the same songs you've grown to love and rely on, they're just called the Kevin Cronin Band now. Kevin joins us this we...

Paul Young has carried on a deceptively diverse solo career since he first broke out in 1983. He's had many big hits - especially the #1 "Everytime You Go Away - but his work has never fit nicely in one box. Whether it's his work with Pino Palladino or his TexMex band, he does what he wants and his talent carries him through. He's about to embark on a UK tour singing and telling stories about his first two albums. And this summer he's touring the US with Rick Springfield. And he put out a new album in 2023. He's been busy! He...

The Moody Blues have been an institution in our lives for 60 years. 60! Not many other bands can say that. Though the remaining members Justin Heyward and John Lodge are doing their own things now, it hasn't stopped them from bringing the goods. Bassist and songwriter John Lodge joins us this week with two major projects he's excited about - his brand new EP Love Will Conquer All and his current tour that finds him playing hits and their classic album, Days of Future Passed, in its entirety. Did I mention the man is 81 years old! We get into this...

Host Pod Eubanks (aka Eric Miller) hosts three couples (Brad Page and Sarah Linnen, Brian Linnen and Alex Alt, and Andy Schaal and Jon Lamoreaux) as they answer questions about each other for prizes and bragging rights. We had a blast!  

Director Nigel Dick is behind some of the most iconic videos (and images) in rock history. Whether it's Britney Spears, Guns n Roses, Oasis, Tears for Fears, Cher, Def Leppard, or hundreds of others, his visuals are what shapes our impressions of these artists. In this incredibly entertaining conversation, we dive into all the best stories from his nearly 45 years of directing including his time making Hollywood features, how videos are made from the top down, working with temperamental artists, and filming the recording of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas." Chalk this up to an instant classic...

The Saints were a very important band in the history of Australian rock. Their mixture of melodic but greasy garage rock with a punk spirit was unlike anything else in the 70s. It produced the song they're still best known for, "(I'm) Stranded", one of the greatest punk anthems ever. That debut album of the same name from 1977 was recently given the deluxe treatment - 4 albums of remastered versions, b-sides, live shows, and more. Guitarist Ed Kuepper joins us to discuss his own, and the band's history including how they made that killer debut, why he left the band...

Australian producer Charles Fisher's resume is all over the place. Two of his earliest producing jobs were with Australian punk legends Radio Birdman followed by Air Supply! That kind of diversity continued for decades working with everyone from Olivia Newton-John to Divinyls to Jimmy Barnes to Hoodoo Gurus to Deep Blue Something (as well as more Australian artists like Moving Pictures and Ol' 55). In the 90s he hit the jackpot when he did Savage Garden's debut album that went on to sell over 15 million copies. We often discuss the effect financial success has on an artist's desire to create, b...

Thanks mostly to his magical work with John Mellencamp, Don Gehman was one of the biggest producers of the 80s. He was by John's side from the Cougar days through his whole peak period ending with The Lonesome Jubilee. Along the way he also produced REM's best album, Life's Rich Pageant, Bruce Hornsby's A Night on the Town, and many more, but the success started to wane. Then, he took on the job of producing this new band with a funny name called Hootie and the Blowfish and we know how that ended. Don doesn't do a lot of i...

Robin Millar doesn't let anything hold him back. The man is blind, and yet he became one of the most successful producers in the UK in the 80s. His biggest claim to fame is shepherding a young Sade to two world-beating albums (her first two). Working together to find her unique sound made him the go-to guy for "sophistopop" and brought him a ton of success. He did the first few Everything But the Girl albums, the Fine Young Cannibals' debut, the first Colin Hay album and even scratched his rock itch by doing the third Big Country album. Oh...

Irish chef Rory O'Connell has become a True North for Jon. His cooking shows have become appointment viewing in the Lamoreaux house. Funny enough, it isn't about the food. It's his calming demeanor and relaxing spirit that makes you feel everything will be ok. In this unexpected conversation, we get into his cooking school in Ireland, how he got on television, his favorite foods, his passion for the planet, and much more. It may not be music, but this one means a lot! Enjoy. 

When David Bowie wanted to update his sound in the 90s to the drum-n-bass that was popular on the streets, he picked producer/musician Mark Plati to get him there. Mark had come up under the mentorship of the great Arthur Baker and was venturing out on his own. He thinks it was producing Babylon Zoo's "Spaceman" that sealed the deal with Bowie. Mark stuck around for a decade producing albums like Earthling, Hours, and Reality. In addition there's work with the Cure, Duncan Sheik, Prince and many others. Mark's still at it producing and performing. Enjoy! 

The way producer Niko Bolas tells it, he's never worked a day in his life. He went into a studio about 45 years ago and just never came out. Along the way he's worked with many of the greats like Toto, Kiss, Steve Perry, Keith Richards, Linda Ronstradt, the Jacksons and tons more. One of his strongest bonds has been with Neil Young who he partnered with in the 80s and has never left. They continue to work together on Neil's exhaustive remastering project of his entire archive. "Neeks" tells us about all of this and tons more. Enjoy! 

Stereo MC's are coming back to the states this month for the first time in 24 years. It's a short trip - three shows on the east coast in three nights - but it's a start. Frontman Rob Birch joins us this week to discuss the band's history. They broke big with "Connected" off their third album (that song still sounds just as fresh and groovy today), but they took 9 years to issue a follow up and momentum stalled. They may not be prolific, but the quality has always been there. We also get into the influence of rap and...

By the late 70s, drummer Dony Wynn thought his music career might be over. Nothing was really happening and he wasn't holding down gigs. Then the great Robert Palmer heard him and everything changed. Dony joined the fray around the Secrets album in 1979 and stuck around for the next 15 years or so. Dony joins us this week to tell us what it's like working for Robert during his peak (and post peak) period, why they had that magic and his times working with Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, Wang Chung, Dr. John, Josie Cotton and more. These days, Dony is mor...

This is epic. XTC guitarist Dave Gregory returns to the podcast to give us all the scoop on the creation of XTC's 1986 masterpiece Skylarking. The album almost can't be listened to without an understanding of the behind the scenes stories - the animosity between Andy Partridge and producer Todd Rundgren chief among them. This essential album was recently given the Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos treatment enhancing it even more. Joining us for this conversation is our friend Brad Page of the I'm In Love With That Song podcast for an even richer experience. Dave was extremely gracious with his t...

Whether you know it or not, you've been listening to Fonzi Thornton for almost 50 years. As teenagers he and Luther Vandross formed a lifelong friendship and devoting their lives to music pays off for both - Luther becomes a giant among giants and Fonzi becomes one of the most sought after backup singers ever. Starting in Listen My Brother with Luther and friends Carlos Alomar and Robin Clark turns into a stint singing with Chic and then a lifelong partnership with Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. Along the way there's been Bowie, Aretha, Scritti Politti, Candi Staton and tons m...

Who doesn't love a good list! Music nerds especially will spend hours debating one topic or another. Author Gary Graff returns to the show to discuss his new book - 501 Essential Albums of the 90s. Gary discusses the process for compiling the book, the writers involved, covering various genres and, most importantly, what was and wasn't included! Be sure to tell us what you would have made your list!

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

WARNING: EXTREMELY SENSITIVE CONTENT

Like it or not, this is the year of Redd Kross! This underappreciated power pop band is coming at you with an assault of good stuff in 2024. They have an incredible new self-titled album, a memoir called Now You're One of Us, and a fantastic new documentary called Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story. Jeff and Steven McDonald started out as pre-teens in the hardcore scene in Southern California, but matured into one of the great, if unsung, bands of the 80s and 90s with albums like 1990's Third Eye and 1993's epic Phaseshifter. As is so often the...

This week is synth pioneer Peter Godwin! In the 70s he was a part of the very arty and European band Metro who are best known for being the originators of the song "Criminal World" that was covered by Bowie for the Let's Dance album. Peter went solo and recorded the worldwide hit "Images of Heaven" that still lives on today as well as an album and some EPs, but the rest of his career has been sort of mysterious. Recently, Cherry Red released a 2-disc set of this fruitful period called The Polydor Years that includes all the song...

The Blue Nile would never be accused of being overly prolific. In 20 years of activity, they only managed four albums, two of which, 1984's A Walk Across the Rooftops and 1989's Hats, are absolute masterpieces. Ask Taylor Swift if you don't believe me. The hallmarks of their unique sound is part Paul Buchanen's soulful voice and part PJ Moore's wholly unique synth work. In 2023 PJ Moore and Co. finally released his first solo album, When a Good Day Comes, that is just what you would want from someone of his caliber. He joins us this week to explain the w...

We all miss Prince. It's a hole that will never be filled. Imagine what it would have been like to be a part of the Revolution during his peak 80s period. He can play every instrument better than his band members, but he's reliant on them to put on incredible concerts and keep his musical instincts in check. It's not an accident that he made his best music when he had them as collaborators  "Dr." Matt Fink was at Prince's side playing keyboards for over a decade. Who can forget the cool guy in scrubs and shades in all t...

Author Graeme Thomson returns this week to discuss the updated release of his 2012 book, Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush. He had no idea when he finished that book 12 years ago how Kate's profile would change in the next few years. From induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, to the rediscovery of "Running Up That Hill" by millions of new fans, to her Before the Dawn concert residency at a time you assumed she'd never perform again, it's as if her story was just beginning. We discuss why her career seems almost "critic-proof"...

Music writer Chris Charlesworth joins us to discuss his new book, Just Backdated, which depicts his years writing for Melody Maker in the seventies. Every music lover would kill for a job like this and Chris was the lucky guy that had it. He befriends his favorite band (the Who), sleeps with groupies, parties with everyone, lives the high life in NYC, goes to concerts every night, and hangs out with all the rock stars of the decade. The book is so fun you won't believe it or put it down. Enjoy! 

https://www.amazon.com/Just-Backdated-Melody-Maker-Seventies/d...

We've got a unique twofer for you this week. First up is Mr. Big frontman Eric Martin! Eric had been at it for a decade before Mr. Big happened. He fronted bands in the Bay Area and recorded a solo albums that were as poppy as it gets. Luckily, Mr. Big worked out and they just completed their "last" tour and released the live album, The Big Finish as a memento. They've been extra busy beecause they also released a new album earlier this year. He didn't have much time, but we get into his early days, the post "T...

The wonderful Carlos Alomar returns to discuss the new Luther Vandross documentary, Luther: Never Too Much. Carlos and his wife Robin Clark have been friends with Luther since high school and that friendship extends from their first group together, Listen My Brother, to them all being introduced to David Bowie for the Young Americans album and beyond. The film shows his launch as one of the greatest male r&b vocalists in history, his many talents as a writer and arranger, his battles with weight, his untimely death, and his complicated personal life. You only have to hear Luther's...

The Bolshoi flirted with Goth and synth pop in the late 80s, but what they ended up doing was releasing some great alternative rock songs. "A Way", "Lindy's Party" and "Sunday Morning" still hold up and tours with Peter Murphy and Sisters of Mercy should have propelled them further, but it didn't happen. Eventually the band splintered with lead singer Trevor Tanner moving to FLA and going solo and keyboardist Paul Clark doing his thing in Seattle. Those two have partnered up over the years as the Bolshoi Brothers and are about to release some new music. They join us th...

Ska Week concludes with author Daniel Rachel and our discussion on his fantastic new book, Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story. This essential document tells the story of one of the most revolutionary record labels created to release some of the most revolutionary music ever made. Created by Jerry Dammers in the late 70s, 2 Tone was meant to be a safe place for interracial bands like the Specials and the Selecter to release the hottest ska music happening at the time. Eventually, the label launched other legends like Madness and the English Beat as well, but only...

Bassist Horace Panter has been a valuable and reliable sideman for his entire career. He starts out as a founding member of the Specials, contributing mightily to the magic sound of that revolutionary band. After their demise, he joined forces with Dave and Roger to form General Public and rode that wave for a few years. Since then, he's been around for nearly every version of the Specials including the Neville Staple fronted version in the 90s and the Terry Hall reunion version of the 2000s. These days he's mostly retired and doing what he wants. We hear stories of...

We're kicking off "Ska Week" with a conversation with author Marc Wasserman about his new book, Sole Savation: A Gen X Love Letter to the English Beat. Marc writes beautifully about his tough childhood - specifically a broken family life and poor health - and how the band's last album, Special Beat Service, got him through all of it while also informing his lifelong love of music and ska. These are sentiments we share on the Hustle so Marc and Jon go deep on what the band means to them. It's the first of three episodes this week focusing...

We continue celebrating Morrissey's guitarists this week by hearing from longtime collaborator Boz Boorer! The love of rockabilly runs deep with this group and was central to Boz and Moz hitting it off. Boz stuck around for decades and co-wrote many of Moz's best songs including "The More You Ignore Me", "Maladjusted", and "Jack the Ripper". Right now he's about to release a solo album called Morrissey: Reimagined which is him and a bunch of friends doing wild covers of the classics we know. Boz discusses how the two of them work, his current status in the band, his d...

The wonderful Dean Pitchford returns to the podcast to deep dive the gargantuan soundtrack to 1984's Footloose. After winning the Oscar for "Fane: in 1981, Dean set about creating the entire world of Footloose - the songs, the screenplay, etc. It's gone on to sell millions and millions of copies and never left the zeitgeist. Dean goes track by track giving us all the stories behind the songs. He also catches us up on his induction in the Songwriters Hall of Fame (the same ceremony that included R.E.M.) and tells us the story of the Carrie musical he wor...

For the next two weeks we're celebrating the guitarists that make Morrissey the artist he was. First up is the great Alain Whyte! Alain was brought on in 91 to simply mime behind Moz in a video, but once they realized how much they had in common musically, he stuck around for the next several years, not to mention he co-wrote many of his best songs like "Alma Matters", "Glamorous Glue" and "Billy Budd" to name only a few. Though he's been out of the Moz orbit for a while, his impact is still felt today and he's taking this on t...

Man, the Bangles had a ton of hits in the 80s. It came to an end by the end of the decade, but what a legacy. From there, guitarist and founding member Vicki Peterson took a break from the spotlight and got involved with a sort of mini supergroup called the Continental Drifters. Originally, the Drifters were made up of LA musicians looking for something to do, but their live shows were hot and their network eventually grew to about 10 members and included people like Vicki, Susan Cowsill, and Peter Holsapple among others. A fantastic book about them called Whit...

Drummer Omar Hakim is one of those players you know it's him when you hear him. He's been the go-to guy for dozens of legends for over 40 years. Artists like Miles Davis, Sting, Bowie, Dire Straits, Kate Bush rely on him to make them the best they can be. These days, Omar is excited about a new project called Sonic Boom Squad which is almost a solo project. In a fit of creativity he wrote and recorded several funk rock songs along the lines of the Isley Brothers or Mother's Finest and is releasing them over the next few...

Carmine Appice is one of the few drum legends we have left. What's interesting to me about his career is that his name is usually bigger than the bands he's in whether it's Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck, Bogart, Appice, King Kobra, Blue Murder or his side work with Rod Stewart and Ozzy. These days he's turning his attention to Cactus, who recently released a new album called Temple of Blues where they redo a bunch of the classic Cactus songs and invite their friends along. Buddies like Dee Snider, Ted Nugent, Joe Bonamassa, Dug Pinnick, and tons more feature p...

Zebra were a fascinatingly interesting hard rock band in the early 80s that are hard to categorize. While they toured with Sammy Hagar, REO Speedwagon, Journey and the like, their style is what I call "ambitious rock" where the ideas are flowing, but not to the point of prog. They released three exceptional albums, but didn't quite reach the top and then hair metal came along and overwhelmed them. Leader Randy Jackson joins us this week to discuss how it felt on that tidal wave - working with Jack Douglas on the debut album, finally recording a fourth album 17 ye...

Jon was invited on the Permanent Record podcast recently with friends Eric Miller and Heidi Waugaman-Page to do a fantasy-styled draft of an 80s super group. We each picked a singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist, producer and a special flex person and you can vote on whose band you like the best! 

Go to this link and let us hear your picks! 

https://permanentrecordpodcast.com/80s-supergroup-fantasy-draft?fbclid=IwY2xjawFFvc5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQFcYzczbwrr-8B9NwIorW3NevZNz-qp8yyU37oEhCTpbGocqr9J9cPA2g_aem_n7_jiZbtPC9vEuoELCT7Xg

L7 were pioneers. Yes, there were all female rock bands before, but how many rocked as hard as they did with as much authenticity? Those four girls let it all hang out and walked it like they talked it. Success had to find them, they weren't going to play any games to find it. They finally broke through with 'Pretend We're Dead" off their third album, but it was hard keeping it all together and the band began to fracture soon after. For the last several years, the original members have reformed for a new album (2019's Scatter the...

Actor John Scott Clough appeared in two of the great 80s movies - one underrated and one super cheesy. His big break came in the Sidney Poitier directed Fast Forward about a dance troupe from Ohio who move to the Big Apple to "make it". After appearances in other movies and TV shows of the era like Family Ties, Empty Nest and the Love Boat, he also had a juicy role in Gross Anatomy with Matthew Modine and Christine Lahti. He gives us juicy tidbits from all of this and more including eventually retiring from acting and spending the l...

Britain's Railway Children were a band stuck between movements. Too late for the post-punk explosion of the early 80s and done just before Britpop conquered the world, they released a handful of albums and songs that deserved more attention. "Every Beat of the Heart" did crackthe UK top 40 and singles like "A Pleasure" and "Brighter" did well on the indie charts, but it wasn't enough and the band called it quits in the early 90s after three albums. Frontman Gary Newby joins us this week to explain how it all went down including their tours of the states, going fr...

Candi Staton is arguably one of the best, and most underrated, soul singers in history. While Aretha and Gladys and Diana were getting most of the attention, Candi was consistently recording incredible music whether it's deep r&b in Muscle Shoals, disco smashes like "Young Hearts Run Free", or quality gospel music. She remains one of the finest interpreters of music ever and she joins us this week to discuss her storied career including starting out on the chitlin circuit, her approach to making a song her own, and her association with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker back in t...

Producer/Engineer/Mixer Danton Supple has been at the forefront of big music by big artists since he first broke into the business in the 80s. U2, Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys, Morrissey and more are prominently on his CV. In this conversation we cover all of those as well as Elbow, Doves, Starsailor (which included Phil Spector's last project), Spandau Ballet and his work with past guests Clive Langer, Steve Lillywhite, Trevor Horn, Julian Mendelsohn and tons more. His stories are gold and almost as great as his talents. Enjoy! 

Annie Golden's career has hit on almost every creative endeavor there is. She starts out in the 70s fronting the punk/new wave band The Shirts who are making waves in the CBGB scene with Blondie, Television and the rest. The band released three good albums, but none of them really took off. Then, one fateful night, director Milos Foreman goes to their show and immediately decides to cast her in his new movie Hair. This kicks off her acting career (both on the big and small screens as well as Broadway) that has never let up. She might b...

This week we continue speaking with some of the authors of the wonderful @ series. Our guest is Gillian Gaar, author of Springsteen@75. Gillian discusses her love of Bruce and how her book contributes to the narrative of one of America's most beloved artists. We discuss many of her other projects as well like books she's written on Nirvana and Queen. AND we have a copy of this book to give away! Enjoy! 

This week's twofer is a fun one. We hear from a major British rock band and then we hear from a newer band heavily influenced by the first band! First up is Mark Gardener of Ride! They, along with bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, were the key figures in the Shoegaze movement of the late 80s. Ride's debut album, Nowhere, is one of the greatest examples of the genre. Eventually the guys changed their style and imploded as they went, but they've been back since 2017 and their new album, Interplay, is their best yet. Mark...

Has it really been 25 years since "Everything You Want" took over the airwaves? The 90s are littered with one hit or album wonders, artists that broke out, but were forced to break down thanks to a chaotic music biz, but VH mastermind Matt Scannell has not only survived but thrived. He could have packed it in after the label buried their follow up album to the double platinum breakthrough, or he could have called it quits at any point while scratching to make it as an indie artist. But, instead, he's gone from strength to strength, gaining the admiration of...

Included in the bedrock of the American alternative rock sound created by bands like REM, the Feelies, the Bongos and the Replacements is the dB's. Their debut album, Stands for Decibels, is essential to showing what us Yanks were up to while New Wave and Post Punk were gestating largely in the UK. That seminal album was just re-released on vinyl for the first time last month and Peter Holsapple joined us to deep dive the whole experience like how he and former guest Chris Stamey split up the songwriting, what influenced the sound, how was it working with M...

You can't tell the story of British rock and roll without acknowledging the impact of The Jam. Unfortunately, Paul Weller pretends that chapter never happened, which is sad and confusing. Drummer Rick Buckler recently published the book The Jam 1982 depicting the last year of the band's existence. They start off releasing The Gift with singles like "Town Called Malice" and "Precious" climbing the charts, but it ends with a call from Weller out of nowhere to pack it up. Rick tries to make sense of it all (Paul still isn't talking), the influence of Paul's dad John on the ba...

Did America ever fully "get" 10cc? Their mix of perfect tunes with a biting sense of humor flew over the heads of many of us. Luckily, that didn't stop them from having a long and legendary career back in the UK. The only original member these days is the great Graham Gouldman, but he's taking the band on their first US tour in ages soon. He joins us this week to discuss his partnership with Andrew Gold to form Wax, his wonderful solo career (and new album, I Have Notes) working with other legends like Ringo Starr and Brian Ma...

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the masterpiece that is Prince's Purple Rain, we welcome author Andrea Swensson to discuss her fabulous new book celebrating the achievement. Andrea knew Prince and had been to Paisley Park a few times, plus she's an acclaimed writer, podcast host, and expert on the music of Minneapolis, making her the perfect person for this book. We discuss his legacy, his artistry, his impact on Minnesota, and much more. Also, we have a copy of the book to give away! There will never be another Prince! 

This week we welcome reggae royalty to the show with guitarist Junior Marvin! If you can believe it - on the same day in 1977, Junior was offered jobs playing with Stevie Wonder AND Bob Marley! Which would you choose? He decided to go with Bob and it changed the rest of his life. After Bob's death a few years later, Junior focused on session work and solo albums while also touring with the Wailers to keep the One Love spirit alive. He recently released a brand new solo album called Happy Family. We discuss the whole journey, including what ma...

With the recent re-release of the breakthru Call album Reconciled on vinyl and remastered, we felt it was a good time to welcome back keyboardist Jim Goodwin and guitarist Tom Ferrier (for the first time) to go deep on the album that changed everything for the band. The album includes the powerful singles "Everywhere I Go" and "I Still Believe", which was made iconic by the "Sexy Sax Man" (and friend of the show) Tim Cappello in Lost Boys. We also discuss the spiritual lyrics by the late great frontman Michael Been, working with Peter Gabriel and Jim Kerr of...

In 1985 the German group Propaganda managed their one perfect album, A Secret Wish. Released on Trevor Horn's ZTT label (he was also the Executive Producer), this synth pop classic featured hits like "Duel" and "Dr. Mabuse" which haven't aged a day. Though it was an achievement, it created friction within the group (as well as financial and interpersonal issues), causing the frontwomen, Susanne and Claudia, to leave the band before the follow up was recorded. Other bands were created and solo careers were attempted until 2022 when the two paired up with producer Stephen Lipson as xPropaganda and released the i...

t took a few years, but Tom Bailey is finally reclaiming the wonderful legacy of the Thompson Twins. The excellent hit makers were everywhere in the 80s, but eventually Tom lost interest in pop music and moved on with then wife Alannah Currie to making dub and trance music under the names Babble and International Observer letting the Twins' flame die out. Thankfully, about 10 years ago he brushed off those old hits, put out a poppy solo album, and has been back in our lives since. He's now joining forced with Thomas Dolby and others on the Totally Tubular t...

Session keyboardist Jeff Babko has a career that even he can't believe. His day job is playing keys in Jimmy Kimmel's band every night. Then, his side hustle on the weekends is as the musical director for Steve Martin and Martin Short on their tour. Those alone are incredible, but he also releases solo albums and has done sessions and tours with a bunch of legends. In this chat we discuss Huey Lewis, James Taylor, the Doobie Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young, Joe Cocker, Alanis Morissette, Smokey Robinson, Steve Perry, Colin Hay and Don Henley. He also plays on...