20.12.11 California Diner - 'Goodbye 2011!'

Well here it is--and I can’t believe it, but 2011 is rapidly racing to an end. But before we get busy with Christmas and then New Years 2012, I just wanted to blast a little more indie music into your speakers! Not a long winded epic blog this week, but just a thank you for a great ride this year. We had everything from live interviews and sessions, including legendary artists Duncan Faure, Sal Valentino, Patrick Campbell-Lyons, Peter Daltrey, and more. Exclusive debuts from Skip Heller, Vegas With Randolph, Maxi Dunn, the Corner Laughers/Agony Aunts, and more. I nominated three artists for Pete Renzullo’s “That Time Of The Month” competition, and so far, you made two of them winners--Lindy LaFontaine and Blake Jones and the Trike Shop. The Whiskey Saints are the third, and you can vote them in as well right now for December’s contest (home page of www.rechargedradio.com, right column, “Vote” section). Personal musical highlights of 2011: I was given the great honor of writing the liner notes for Vegas With Randolph’s album “Above The Blue”. The legendary Debora Iyall of Romeo Void fame invited me to sneak a listen to a couple of remake versions of her 1984 hit “A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)”--on her Ipod! And most fulfilling of all--several radio presenters, dozens of musicians, and many listeners came together in a radiothon back in March, to help raise money to help the people of Japan after the devastating tsunami. Their generosity humbles me. 2011 humbles me. It really has been quite a year. Lots of great music, as always. Thanks to the wonderful artists who give so freely of themselves to make our ears and brains tingle with delight. Thanks to my colleagues at Recharged Radio in London (and Australia, and the Azores), who have supported, encouraged, and let this Yank do two hours of independent radio each week. And most of all, thanks to you, the listeners, who keep an open mind and open ears. We share in this musical journey together, and you make me want to do more each week. I wish you the best of the season. See you in 2012! --“Chef” Mike Lidskin, the California Diner If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Maple Mars - Add The Numbers Joe Algeri & The Sugarbrits - Merry Christmas (around the world) Rob One - Flames Fortune Dwellers - Al's Song Skip Heller - Let's Stay Home Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre - West Coast East Coast The Recusants - Sunday Afternoon Jeff Merchant - Love Yourself Away Braam - Burlington Northern The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul The Scratch - I Relax To Spiral Scratch Maxi Dunn - Make It Better Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - The Wheels Of Romance Kat Jones - He's The One I Need The Most Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures Sal Valentino - Lovin' Fallin' Jay Fraser - Devil's Play The Shindig Addicts - Not Long Now Bud Rogers - Caught In A Wheel Laurie Biagini - Leave Me Alone Model Society - Tomorrow She Loves Me Cult of Wedge - The Birds and the Bees and Jaime Bill Mumy - I Owe A Little Money Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Harmonics Hollywood Drunks - Looks Like Christmas Colin Heppell - Poltergeist In High Heels Corner Laughers - The Red Queen Anton Barbeau - Doctor Don't Chop My Knee Mama, Ouch Is Another Word Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Go National - Place To Sit Jimmy

13.12.11 California Diner - 'Peter Mayer Interview!'

This week’s show brings an interview with a recent addition to the California Diner: Cincinnati Ohio’s Peter Mayer. Pete is a great example of the D.I.Y. ethic that we love so well here at Recharged Radio. And being of that mindset, in terms of getting on our station--he “did it himself”--did his own PR, and found us! And in true 21st century fashion, we transcended all barriers of geography to get him heard. How’s that you say? Well, Pete in Cincinnati, contacted Alex in London, UK. Alex thought that I, in Sacramento, California, might find Pete’s music a perfect fit for my show. And of course, being Head of Music at Recharged, Alex was absolutely correct. So this week, by getting Pete on our airwaves, we’ve traveled from Cincy to London to Sacramento back to London--over 14,000 miles--digitally, of course! My head hurts. Back to our story. Pete got his start back in the early 1980s, and got much local acclaim in the bands he played in--The Drumbones and Big Pictures. Back in those days, before corporate mergers created what feels like a single national playlist, an enterprising local band, if they were good enough, could get airplay on their local and regional rock and roll stations. In the case of Pete and his bands, airplay happened on the legendary WOXY radio--aka “97X, BAM! The future of rock and roll!” This led to some decent regional exposure and opening slots for really well-known national and international acts. And as I’ve written many times before in these pages, the world changed. For both better and worse at the same time. While modern rock powerhouse radio stations like 97X went away, independent radio stations (like Recharged) were born. And the tools for musicians got better, so somebody like Pete Mayer could make and distribute great music more easily. But to do so, you’ve still got to have the musical chops. And he definitely has those. He recently released a compilation album called Collection. He curated 14 great tracks which represent various career higlights, and there’s some stunners in there. We’ve been featuring a great 1990’s era song called “It’s Just The Energy”--quirky enough to have gotten my attention at first. The Marrying Kind has a great 1980s pop sound, with a compact little guitar solo. A couple of new songs channel his long time guitar hero Duane Allman: Long, Long Way To Go and Where My House Used To Stand. These are smoldering examples of his guitar shredding prowess--bluesy, wailing jams. And on these recent tracks, Pete plays everything--including bass, keyboards, and drums, to accompany his radical riffage. True D.I.Y.! And the really good news? He’s working on another new album! We’ll spend a half hour with Pete on this week’s Diner. We’ll sample a few of his songs. It’s a great chance to hear the perspective of a musician who’s seen it all, and keeps creating credible new music, no matter what the era is. The times have changed, his music has evolved to step up to the challenges, but none of it sounds dated. It all sounds right! www.petermayermusic.net/ If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Go National - Strong The Taters - Such A Good Day The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing Corner Laughers - The Red Queen Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Braam - Way Away Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Peter Mayer Interview Peter Mayer - The Marrying Kind Peter Mayer - Long, Long Way To Go Peter Mayer - It’s Just The Energy Allen - Hold Me Tight The Fuegos - Against The World Anny Celsi - Christmas in the Pines Bud Rogers - Slave To Passion Boomchick - TGTW Popdudes - Desperation Time Laurie Biagini - Can't Wait For Christmas Lost Left - Thank You For The Lung Lindy LaFontaine (PSM) - Sunday (Trip Hop remix) Joe Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Green Beetles - The Basement Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part Kate Burkart - Cross The Street Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Who's Got a Ligh

06.12.11 California Diner - 'Dive into December!'

Well here it is, the last month of the year. This is the first California Diner show of December, and we commemorate this holiday month with some great new music, and some new artist discoveries. I have a Facebook friend named Mike Braam, from the Chicago-based band Braam, who recently read my blog about Christmas music. I had said that I’m not really big on holiday music, but there’s a special place in my heart for original, indie holiday music that doesn’t sound like all the rest. So what did he do? He sent me an original, indie holiday music track by he and his brothers, that doesn’t sound like all the rest! Wait--not so fast, Chef Mike! You pride yourself on discovering new music, yet it says on Braam’s ReverbNation page that they’ve been around for over 10 years? Admittedly, I’m a little late to the Braam party, but look at it from my point of view. 10 years ago, there wasn’t really much in the way of internet radio. It was a niche for geeks--who could have imagined actually sitting around in front of a computer, listening to the radio, when you could just listen to radio on, well, the radio? In those days, Braam would have been a local Chicago band, and I would have been a local Sacramento DJ, and never would we have heard of each other. But now, the internet makes all possible. I’m in Sacramento, playing a Chicago band on a London radio station. Braam’s sound is what I might call “sweet alternative”. Rock and roll with real instruments--soul-searing melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and great haunting vocals. They’ve shared stages with the likes of Bettie Serveert, Shoes, Teenage Fanclub, and Webb Wilder--sounds like my record collection! We’ll hear that Christmas song this week. And lots of other Braam songs in the weeks to come. www.reverbnation.com/braam Ben Swidenbank is a London-based musician. You might recognize his name--at least part of it--he plays bass in his brother Joe Swidenbank’s band. Joe’s been a fixture here on the Diner for a couple of years now, and now Ben takes a turn in the spotlight. Not only has he played with Joe, but he’s a working musician, having played in bands that have supported the likes of The Who, The Undertones, The Buzzcocks and more. And as most creative musicians do, he recently got the bug to create his own music. I just got my hands on a compilation album called Uncovered. It was released by Aspire Music Management, and Ben’s first single, Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) appears on it. What a great track--a bit quirky, with incisive lyrics. Picture vintage Joe Jackson, minus the piano, but driven by upbeat, acoustic guitar. If you’re anything like me, this one will stick with you. I’ve listened to it about 4-5 times in a row, and am still enthralled! http://aspiremusicmanagement.co.uk/benswidenbank.aspx If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Debora Iyall - Be My Last Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) Melissa Phillips - So Young Lost Left - Thank You For The Lung Dave Stephens - You Are Mine, I Am Yours Vinnie Zummo - Homicidal Baby Scream - Secret Place Duncan Faure - In The Right Place Braam - Sad Xmas Agony Aunts - Linus's Fists Of Death Tom Alford - Shiloh Vegas With Randolph - She Does It For Me Weird Shapes - Blue Sky at Night Nushu - Your Girl Dennis Holseybrook - Take Care My Friend Blake Jones and Tom Magill - Life Turns On A Dime Maxi Dunn - You're All I Need At Christmas Little Guilt Shrine - One Two Colin Heppell - Poltergeist In High Heels Onward Chariots - War Hero Karim Fanous - So Long Jenny J Laurie Biagini - A Face In The Crowd Lindy LaFontaine (with Kyro) - Haunted Joe Symes - One Too Many Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes Cult Of Wedge - Technology Cull Don Scannell - Mystery Lannie Flowers

29.11.11 California Diner - 'Survived Thanksgiving!'

As you all know by now, I come from the United States, and we have this not-so-little holiday on the fourth Thursday of November called Thanksgiving. So what’s it all about? The short story--about four centuries ago, a bunch of us left the Mother Country (that would be England), and thought we’d give it a go in the barren hinterlands of North America. But the ones who made the journey turned out to be city dwellers, and as such, there were no cities yet in America. No corner grocery stores, no gas stations, no online internet shopping. No takeout pizza or Chinese food either. All in all, a pretty bleak retail landscape. But instead of letting us starve, the very hospitable locals put turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, apple cider, pumpkin pie, and chips and salsa on our table and welcomed us. So it’s become a big food holiday, and we celebrate by eating all these foods and more. And I do mean more. (And yes, I was only kidding about the chips and salsa, although if the first Thanksgiving had taken place in California, then chips and salsa would have been part of it!) So Thanksgiving is the official start of the holiday season! And with it comes all the lights, and the mad rush to get presents for Christmas. “Black Friday” is the craziest shopping day of the year, and people really do start their shopping in the middle of the night. The way I see it, by crushing all the holidays together, you’re really taking away the fun. And my excuse. I get my best shopping done on December 24th! Lots of excellent snap decisions are made on that day! But it’s also fun to savor the entire month of December, and enjoy everything about the season. But don’t worry--I won’t get all sappy on you. I usually don’t play that much Christmas music on my shows. I prefer the great indie music that we play all year long here at Recharged. But there are a handful of phenomenal original Christmas and holiday songs that some of my favorite artists have recorded over the past few years, and we’ll dole them out slowly--like maybe 2 or 3 a week. This week, we’ll hear great Christmas songs from Laurie Biagini--the original rockin’ surf songstress from Vancouver, Canada. We’ll also hear one from Kat Jones--the Fresno/Nashville/Portland indie goddess. But we’ll also sample some all around indie greatness. Another new pre-release track from Bud Rogers, rapidly shaping up to be one of my surprise faves of the year. (Don’t worry--his album Whiteout is scheduled to release on December 10th, so it still counts as having come out this year.) And how about a new track (for us) from Model Society, a great up and coming electro/alternative/pop band from London, UK! So let’s feast together. The California Diner kicks into high gear and cooks up some great holiday meals for you! www.lauriebiagini.com www.myspace.com/katjones www.reverbnation.com/budrogers www.modelsociety.co.uk/ If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Volary - Blackbird Fly EyeWood - Lawyers and Liars Jimmy Catlett - Ransom Baby Scream - Suddenly Isaac's Aircraft - My Baby Did Me Wrong Kat Jones - He's The One I Need The Most Cult of Wedge - The Birds and the Bees and Jaime Laurie Larson - Endless Thank You Loop Model Society - Tomorrow She Loves Me M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - Try Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Kaz Murphy - Midnight Fire Fractures - Nicotine (Single version) Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel Bud Rogers - Caught In A Wheel Corner Laughers - You Two Are The Ones Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Forestiere Gardens Allyson Seconds - I'm Just A Country Girl Duncan Faure - Where Is The Music The Recusants - Sunday Afternoon Laurie Biagini - Christmas In The Air The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore Imani Hekima - Nothing's What It Seems Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Harmonics The Clutter Family - Head Maple Mars - Transcendental Guidance Emily Zuzik Band - How Did You Get So Good? Apple Rabbits - Wrong Again Fearless Vampire Killers - Fearless Vampire Killers Sarah Stanley - When I Lose My Heart

22.11.11 California Diner - 'The Handcuffs Interview!'

This week’s show is a real treat for me, and hopefully for you too. I get to interview Chloe F. Orwell and Brad Elvis, one of my favorite rock and roll couples! They lead the Chicago-based band The Handcuffs. The Handcuffs recently released their third album, Waiting For The Robot. It’s a fiery, sassy affair, with a lot of personality. And it’s really good. Brad’s got an illustrious history. He’s a drummer who’s also a prolific songwriter. One of his early bands, The Elvis Brothers, was a mainstay on the Midwest pop circuit. (And don’t question his lineage: his “brothers” were Rob and Graham Elvis. That’s all you need to know.) Lots of fun. A stint in power pop band Big Hello led to a partnership with Chloe, who’s not only got great chops as a powerful vocalist, but she’s a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter as well. In the mid-2000’s, it was time for Chloe and Brad to start up a new band from scratch, and thus was born The Handcuffs. It’s one of the greatest band names ever, and don’t worry, I’ll ask them about that on the show. Rounding out the lineup with bassist Emily Togni, guitarist Ellis Clark, and newest Handcuff, full-time keyboardist Alison Hinderliter, they’ve got a tough but fun, big sound. So what do they sound like? A little power pop, a little New Wave. Some crunchy rock, and some glam. Songs like Dirty Glitter, Miss You On Tuesday, and Kiss This Goodbye are the grittiest examples of the classic Handcuffs sound--all attitude, all the time. Chloe lets you know she’s in charge, a la Debbie Harry at her finest. Brisk drums make you snap to attention, and a plethora of sounds and textures--guitars, horns, synths, pianos--serve notice that you have entered Handcuffs turf. But as edgy as all this sounds, they really are a blast and a good time to listen to. And at the same time, there’s a couple of acoustic, sensitive moments that lend some extra depth to this record. Eight Down features a sympathetic portrait of somebody who got burned, but is getting a second chance. I love the contrast between the near-acoustic verses and the bombastic choruses. It absolutely works--it gets reflective between battles, much like the advice given in the song. And Baby I Love You is the real surprise in this collection. It’s the first time I’ve heard Brad sing in The Handcuffs--he duets with Chloe in a straight-up love song. They extol each other’s virtues, but no, it’s not sappy. It’s fiery, yet acoustic. I’m still not sure how they manage to pull that off, but suffice it to say, it rocks. If you check out their liner notes, or go to their website (www.thehandcuffs.com)--you’ll see that they look as dynamic as they sound, dressing in sharp, bold clothes--reminiscent of the pop-art 1960’s look. These guys have an image! Other fun facts about The Handcuffs: Brad’s other job is drummer for the great 1980’s New Wave band, The Romantics. He travels all over the country with those guys, and believe it or not, he’s been with the band longer than the original drummer! And Chloe is a premier voiceover artist--us radio folks would kill to have her kind of poise. But more than all that, the folks in The Handcuffs are just plain good people. They were right there when several of us radio folks banded together to do a radiothon to help the victim’s of Japan’s tsunami earlier in the year. And they’re putting forth their efforts to aid another special cause. Tails of Joy is a wonderful animal rescue charity, started by American comedian Elayne Boosler. Their goal is simple: to make the world better for animals and their people. They help the smallest and neediest animal rescue organizations around the United States--the ones that really need the most help. And since it’s staffed by volunteers, 100% of any donations go to help the animals. The Handcuffs have partnered with Tails of Joy to do something special for the animals who could really use our help. If you buy any Handcuffs CD at CdBaby between now and December 26th, $1.00 of each sale will go directly to Tails of Joy. This works for me on so many levels. You’re supporting great indie musicians. You’re helping to give needy animals a better life. And you’re feeding your ears and brains with some of the best indie music out there. It’s the holidays, so your gift buying problems have just been solved. You’re welcome. www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheHandcuffs www.thehandcuffs.com www.tailsofjoy.net If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Mark Bacino - Queens English Green Beetles - The Basement Tina Lie - Twilight Hour Bud Rogers - Slave To Passion Model Society - Tomorrow She Loves Me Debora Iyall - Stay Strong Anton Barbeau - Losing You Makes Crucifixion Easy Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV The Handcuffs Interview The Handcuffs – Baby I Love You The Handcuffs – Eight Down The Handcuffs – Kiss This Goodbye The Handcuffs – Dirty Glitter Duncan Faure - In The Right Place Baby Scream - Cold Weather Reggae Maxi Dunn - Messed Up Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Phantom Wheels Lindy LaFontaine (with Kyro) - Haunted Jay Fraser - Devil's Play Onward Chariots - War Hero Emily Zuzik Band - Motels Heiskell - The Death of Knoxville Cool Popdudes - Desperation Time Natasha Davies - Giggle Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures

15.11.11 California Diner - '100th Show!'

I can’t believe it, but the California Diner has been on the air at Recharged Radio for two full years! This week, we celebrate show #100! So how do you celebrate 100 of anything? I can’t very well have a cake with 100 candles on it--the fire marshal would be here in a second with a pickaxe, firehose, and a citation. How about every listener send me 100 US dollars? Nah, although that does sound pretty nice. What if I play 100 songs during this show! Yeah, now you’re talking! But my show would have to go about 6 or 7 hours, and Jordan would wring my neck for going over the allotted 2 hours. Luckily, I’ve got friends. And a whole bunch of them are going to help me celebrate. We’re going to hear from several of my musician and radio friends from both sides of the Atlantic, as well as a publisher of a Canadian online music magazine. Not only that--but we’ll hear a couple of WORLD RADIO PREMIERE tracks! That’s right--we’ll sample a new song from Bud Rogers (of Joe Swidenbank’s band), based in London, UK. His style reminds me of straight-up 1990’s alternative--the good kind, if you know what I mean. We’ll also hear a song from Los Angeles-based Skip Heller--you may remember him as our guest two weeks ago. His style is Country/Rockabilly/Americana, and he’s agreed to open the vault door just a crack. Best part--these two songs are from forthcoming albums--and their first airplay happens this week, on Recharged Radio’s California Diner! So all in all, a special show. But it wouldn’t have been possible without my London (and Australia, and Azores) family at Recharged Radio. My very special thanks to our head honcho, Jordan Thomas, for taking a chance on adding a Yank to his fledgling station back in 2009. And not just any Yank, but a dude from California--the most dodgy kind of all! It’s been an honour (note the proper British spelling) to do 200 hours of radio at Recharged. This is the station that cares about the music first and foremost, and I’m looking forward to where the ride takes us next! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Terese Taylor - I'm Here Bud Rogers - Santa Monica Sunshine Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Message from Rob One of Recharged Radio Rob One - African The Scratch - Alcohol's A Depressant Rose Reiter - Wherever Message from Hillary Burton of Nushu Nushu - Here's To Feeling Free Kamp David - Red Hotel The Taters - Spend a Little Time With Me Message from Sound Sessions Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper The Big I Am - Banging on the Wall Message from Laurie Biagini Laurie Biagini - Gonna Do It My Way Message from Peter Mayer Peter Mayer - Where My House Used To Stand Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Alizee Message from Skip Heller Skip Heller - Let's Stay Home Message from Jim Distortion of Recharged Radio The Whiskey Saints - Before My Time Message from Laurie Larson Laurie Larson - Redefining Home Message from Joe Montague of Riveting Riffs Magazine Sarah Taylor - Easy To Forget Message from Eric Kern and John Ratts of Vegas With Randolph Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall Message from Gidget Bates of Woody Radio Throwback Suburbia - Asking Why Message from Claire and Gerard of Note To Self: Don’t Die! Note To Self: Don't Die! - Hell Message from Miami Dan Yoe Miami Dan and the Hayes Street Band - Star Of The Beach Message from Eric Cocks of WPKN Radio June & The Exit Wounds - Cathy Dennis The Handcuffs - Miss You on Tuesday Message from Suzanne Benorden of Boomchick Boomchick - Joyland The Corner Laughers - Stonewords Message from Lannie Flowers Lannie Flowers - Turn Up Your Radio Baby Scream - Powerpop Crush

04.11.11 California Diner - 'Skip Heller Interview!

Skip Heller is a veteran of several music scenes. I wouldn’t be doing him justice if I told you that he makes some of the finest, most honest, straight-up country music out there today. And I’d absolutely be understating things if I told you that his swingin’ little trio plies the waters of Americana, rockabilly, and even jazz. No, it would be more honest if I told you that he does all these things, and more, effortlessly. And that’s in no small part due to his ravenous appetite for anything that sounds good. His style is pretty much a crossroads of American music. This accomplished Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/guitarist made his Sacramento debut this past Saturday at the wonderfully eclectic Shine Cafe, in the heart of our downtown area. He was joined onstage by Debora Iyall, of Romeo Void fame. The night was magical and electric, as electric as acoustic can be! Skip’s had a pretty amazing career, and he reveals an encyclopedic knowledge of American music since, well, 1776, and we had a chance to talk about it at the very same Shine Cafe before the show. Check out the ambiance--espresso machine, doors opening and closing, background conversation, and cars zooming by. Skip has played with everybody who’s anybody on the L.A. Americana/rockabilly scene. Among his friends are Billy Zoom (X), Ray Campi, and the legendary entrepreneur Rockin’ Ronny Weiser, founder of Rolling Rock Records. One of Skip’s notable gigs was playing guitar on the road with the amazing NRBQ, filling in for Johnny Spampinato, at Terry Adams’ request. It takes talent, and the ability to play any one of over 300 songs at a moment’s notice, to keep up with this band. And talent is one thing Skip has plenty of. He sings with a rich baritone voice, and makes a beat-up old Alvarez guitar sing beautifully. He’s a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll. He sings heartbreaking songs about love, and tells stories that really make you feel like you know my old, and his current, stomping grounds of Los Angeles. Skip is putting the finishing touches on his next album, Foolish Me. We’ll meet him in this week’s show, and hear a few examples of why his music should be on your radar. www.skipheller.com www.shinesacramento.com If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Lannie Flowers - Turn Up Your Radio Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre - E-Vill Dylan Walshe - Your Belly Not Mine In Between Echoes - Breeze On By Laurie Biagini - Leave Me Alone Onward Chariots - Seven Miles Away Paul Butler - Wrong Side Of Desire The Scratch - Alcohol's A Depressant Sparklejet - Let's Behind That Place Skip Heller – I Used To Love California Skip Heller Interview Skip Heller – The Man I Used To Be Skip Heller – Tracy Lee Nathan Brooks - Change Sarah Stanley - When I Lose My Heart Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man 50ft Woman - Ice Cream Man The Taters - Such A Good Day Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Send The Band To Liverpool Joseph Swidenbank - What Did You Want? Rob Bonfiglio - Blow Me Away The Handcuffs - Miss You on Tuesday Kaz Murphy - Midnight Fire Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part Kyro (with Lindy LaFontaine) - This Too, In Time, Shall Pass Tom Alford - Shiloh Fearless Vampire Killers - Fearless Vampire Killers

25.10.11 California Diner - 'On The Move!'

Things are always moving here at Recharged Radio. Sometimes at a dizzying, breakneck pace. It’s hard to keep up with things without a program, so tonight, I’m going to attempt to do just that. Keep you abreast of a few of the changes and happenings that I’m aware of. First off--Emily Zuzik, of, um, The Emily Zuzik Band--recently made a huge move. She was based in New York, the Big Apple, the City That Never Sleeps, etc. She’s known for powerful vocals and intelligent songwriting, and over the past decade, she’s moved effortlessly through a whole variety of musical genres, ranging from Americana, electronica, and straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll. She even has a song on Moby’s most recent album! She went from being one of my favorite East Coast singers to one of my favorite West Coast singers, just like that! She made the move to Los Angeles, and therefore, falls under the jurisdiction of the California Diner! We’ll hear a smoky, rockin’ tune off of her latest album, The Wild Joys Of Living. www.emilyzuzik.com Mad Tea Party have changed their name to The Mad Tea. It’s going to be difficult to retrain my mouth to say the new name, and I’ll bet you that I even get it wrong in this week’s show! The Asheville, North Carolina-based uke-billy due of Ami Worthen and Jason Krekel have been favorites on my radio shows for years, and we at Recharged Radio even asked (nicely) if we could use their music for our radio show bumpers. So THAT’s where the juke joint/surf freakout sound comes from! Their album Found A Reason has brought smiles to the masses for the last few years, and we’ll sample a track from it on this week’s show. Let me try it one more time: The Mad Tea. Okay, I can do this! www.themadteaparty.com Rob Boffard, aka Rob One, has been my Tuesday night partner in crime for nearly two years. His 20/20 Hip Hop show has entertained and educated us in the ways of hip hop, and each week, he shows us just how vital, and even intellectual, this art form can be. Well we just can’t contain him on Tuesday nights, and as he moves on to the greener pastures of Thursday nights, we celebrate his emceeing abilities by playing a choice cut off of his African album. He’s a rapper that rockers can love. Best wishes on Thursdays, Rob! www.robboffard.com Finally--just a quick heads up. Skip Heller, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinare will be paying us a visit here in California’s capital city of Sacramento this weekend. I will be broadcasting his live show from Shine Cafe, in our funky, eclectic downtown area. Opening for him will be Larisa Bryski, a great vocalist from here in Sactown, and there is a confirmed rumor that the legendary Debora Iyall, of Romeo Void fame, might just sit in with Skip during his set. I’ll be webcasting it over twirlradio.com and on my Facebook page as well, and feel free to message me for more info. We’ll have more about Skip in about a week or so, as he joins me on the show. www.skipheller.com www.larisabryski.com www.deboraiyall.com www.shinesacramento.com www.facebook.com/mikelidskin If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Emily Zuzik Band - Motels Skip Heller & Jim Cavender - I Hate You The Little Philistines - Hot Phone The Whiskey Saints - Building To Break M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - If You Want Me To The Scratch - Homely Crackle Ricky Berger - Silly Boy, Goodnight Popdudes - Desperation Time Baby Scream - The Ghost Of Valerie Maxi Dunn - The Neglected Gambit Isaac's Aircraft - My Baby Did Me Wrong Maple Mars - Transcendental Guidance Katelyn Berreth - The Reason I Am Lonely Cha Cha Cha Rob One - Flames Rob Swanson - Oh No! William Cleere and the Marvelous Fellas - Labor Day Tom Alford - Wasp Lands On Sunflower Tina Lie - Twilight Hour The Complete Short Stories - Fall Apart Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Everybody's Got an Andy Story Mad Tea Party - Bunny Moves On Heiskell - There's A Road Karim Fanous - Thin Bits Joseph Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Kate Burkart - Cross The Street Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall The Shindig Addicts - Not Long Now Laurie Biagini - A Far-Out Place Anton Barbeau - Please Sir I've Got A Wooden Leg Vegas With Randolph - Supergirl Little Guilt Shrine - One Two Lindy LaFontaine (PSM) - Sunday (Trip Hop remix) Bill Mumy - Can't Complain Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel

18.10.11 California Diner - 'Blake Jones and the Trike Shop Interview!'

It’s finally here--the moment we’ve been waiting for. I’ve been playing the music of the Fresno, California “mad pop” band Blake Jones and the Trike Shop for about a year and a half. And this week, I finally met them in person! One day, back in 2010, I was at my radio studio in Sacramento, and I received a mysterious package from our sister city to the south, Fresno. I opened it up, and there was a disc inside called “The Underground Garden”. There was also a nice handwritten note from a guy named Blake Jones, hoping that I would like the music within. Being crafty, I quickly reasoned that this Blake Jones must be the same guy whose name is part of the band name! (I’m smart that way.) I popped the disc in the CD player, and whoa! Sure, I liked it. But I also loved it, and the wonderful palette of sounds--both the musicianship, and the raw pop harmonies. I realized that the Underground Garden of the title was the legendary Forestiere Gardens (www.undergroundgardens.com/summary.html), an elusive Fresno landmark. Go to the website for more info, but Blake tells us that the Gardens, with all their action happening underground, is an apt metaphor for the Fresno music scene. I am a huge fanatic for this kind of thing, so I was hooked. The rest of the album charms and entertains. It’s sometimes quirky, sometimes shimmery, and sometimes straight up power pop. It features jangly guitars, classic vocal harmonies, and the occasional theremin thrown in to keep you slightly unbalanced. Another standout track, “Sun Up”, makes you think of all that is good about spring and summer. Kids and adults out on the streets. Scooters. Bicycles. Ice cream. Fireworks. The sprinklers going. The band also has a Liverpool connection--they’d been invited to play the IPO festival not once but twice--a huge honor. And to help finance their most recent trip, they did a campaign and gave their donors a pretty neat little EP called “Everybody’s Unplugged Except Martin”, the bass player. It was a chance to hear the band, who are friends first, make some great music in the same room, in mostly one take. Live, immediate, D.I.Y. The way we like it. So Blake and I are conspiring to bring great music to great listeners. We’ve got big plans for you and your eardrums! They join me in studio, and we’ll get the chance to meet him, John, Martin, and Scott for some great chat and music. We’ll learn about their musical influences, aspirations, and I dared to ask them the key question: where did the band’s name come from. And I got not the answer I was expecting, but the answer I deserved! So give these guys a listen. Blake Jones and the Trike Shop will leave you smiling and singing along. www.blakejonesmusic.com If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Sparklejet - The Comeback The Handcuffs - Baby I Love You Fortune Dwellers - Al's Song Cave Country - Huffrag Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul Wim Oudijk - Spirit Blake Jones and the Trike Shop Interview Blake Jones and the Trike Shop - Forestiere Gardens Blake Jones and the Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Blake Jones and the Trike Shop - Jingle Blake Jones and the Trike Shop - Who’s Got A Light The Taters - Required By Love Debora Iyall - Be My Last Skip Heller & Jim Cavender - I Hate You Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall Maxi Dunn - Firecracker V Mr Flash Rocket Michael Miller - Carolina Skyline Vegas With Randolph - Above The Blue Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV In Between Echoes - Breeze On By Jerzey Street Band - Pale Blue River Lindy LaFontaine - I Might Not Love You Edwardo - Another Song Vinnie Zummo - Homicidal Corner Laughers - You Two Are The Ones Dennis Holseybrook - Take Care My Friend

11.10.11 California Diner - 'Keeping Up With The Joneses!'

Yes indeed, I really went with this as a theme this week. But as corny as it may sound, we are keeping up with the Joneses. And not just any Joneses, but a couple of musicians named Jones, who both originally hail from Fresno, California, a short 3 hours away from where I sit in Sacramento. Or closer, if you drive down Highway 99 the way I and most people do. But I digress. This article wasn’t supposed to be about driving through the Central Valley of California. It’s supposed to be about Kat Jones, and Blake Jones and the Trike Shop. Two very different artists, who both sound great on the radio. Kat Jones originally came from Fresno, then moved to America’s “Music City”, Nashville, where I caught up with her a few years back and interviewed her. She convinced me she was not a country musician, and if you listen to her shimmery, sultry, and slightly spooky alternative music, you’ll see that too. Word has it that she’s moved to Portland Oregon, so let me be the first to say (at least on this website): “welcome back to the West Coast!” Kat put out a stunner of an album a few years back called La Rosa, La Calavera, and it’s been a listener favorite. She has this rich, soulful, alto voice--an instrument that most singers would kill to have--and it’s the centerpiece of her songs. Her intense songwriting gets inside you, and makes you think and feel at the same time. We’ll feature one of those incredible songs on this week’s show. http://www.myspace.com/katjones We’ve talked about Blake Jones and the Trike Shop quite a bit on these pages before. This time, it’s to give you a little heads-up about an upcoming event. This self-proclaimed “Mad Pop” band from Fresno is coming to Sacramento this Saturday! These guys are so much fun--featuring raw pop harmonies, guitar, piano, and the occasional theremin. In a stunning use of off-the-shelf, 21st Century D.I.Y. technology, I’ll be webcasting their gig live! At the appointed hour--about 7:30 p.m. Pacific time, it’ll show up on my Facebook page as well as on twirlradio.com. So this is your cue to “friend” me now on Facebook, so that you’ll be sitting in a digital front row seat. And we’ll have the guys on the show in a week or so, so expect more about them in this space soon. www.blakejonesmusic.com If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC June & The Exit Wounds - Hey Hey Hey Anton Barbeau - Losing You Makes Crucifixion Easy Popdudes - Good Morning Sinners Levi Strom - One Kiss M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - If You Want Me To Kat Jones - Those Expensive Eyes Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up Winzenried - Ohio Lannie Flowers - Circles Lindy LaFontaine - Sunday The Mike Brown Band - Pay Skip Heller - Falling For You Maple Mars - Citizen Roger The Whiskey Saints - Before My Time The Complete Short Stories - Fall Apart Karim Fanous - Perfume Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Joseph Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Duncan Faure - In The Right Place Beth Thornley - A to Z Throwback Suburbia - Head Over Heels Baby Scream - Cold Weather Reggae Laurie Biagini - You're A Dangerous Thing Look, Stranger! - Kept It Alive The Corner Laughers - Yellow Jacket Allyson Seconds - Dig My Pig Vinnie Zummo - John Lennon Sarah Taylor - Easy To Forget Sexfresh - Dilemma Beck Lanehart - Jersey Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures

04.10.11 California Diner - 'Winters Here'

Okay, not really. But we humans of the Northern California variety are so used to clear, sunny skies, that the first rain makes us feel like our endless summer has ended and that old man winter is upon us. We’re getting early rain this year. The rainy season usually runs from around November-ish through around April or May-ish, and then no rain for months. But the gray skies, cooler temperatures, and rains start up this week. Now I know what you’re thinking--”Chef Mike, you are such a spoiled little crybaby! Everybody knows that for much of the world, winter means snow, and what you are describing is simply known as autumn!” Were you really thinking that? I know I would if I were you. We usually get six or seven months of what feels like fall to a lot of you. So for us, it’s time to bundle up (such as it were), get outside and enjoy the changing of seasons. So what else can you do during this time of year, my favorite? Well, if I were you, I’d grab a hot apple cider and snuggle up to a good indie radio show. Something like, oh, I don’t know, Recharged Radio’s California Diner! A couple of artists we’re celebrating this week: Vinnie Zummo - he’s a massively talented, New York City-based guitarist who spent many years in Joe Jackson’s band. He’s also played with the likes of Roger Daltrey, Shawn Colvin, Art Garfunkel, Paul Carrack and more. He writes music for TV. And most importantly to us, he’s got a great solo career going. His albums Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America, Vols. 1 and 2, pay tribute to a myriad of musical styles and influences. We’ll hear one of those tracks on this week’s show. http://www.vinniezummo.com/ Jeff Merchant - we gave the East Coast some props, now let’s give it up for the West Coast. Jeff is based in Los Angeles, and is what I would call an urban storyteller. His indie-alt music stands out because of the care he takes with the lush, intricate arrangements. And to my ears, the songwriting stands out. There’s some quirky characters in L.A., and Jeff writes about many that he’s personally seen. His album Window Rolled Down referred to his observation platform of choice--you can learn a lot driving around town. And we’ll hear a track this week off of his more recent album, City Makes No Sound. Jeff Merchant’s city does indeed make sound--a wonderfully listenable collection of songs. http://www.jeffmerchantmusic.com/ If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC The Corner Laughers - For The Sake Of The Cat The Complete Short Stories - Fall Apart Joe Symes - Lost Along The Way Jesus H Christ & The Four Hornsmen of The Apocalypse - Liz the Hot Receptionist Chad Neaves - You Said Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV Vinnie Zummo - Homicidal Debora Iyall - Tell Me Why Crayon - Consolation Abby Holden - Wrong Tonight Joseph Swidenbank - Back Home Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Maxi Dunn - Make It Better Luke Dick - The Healer Anton Barbeau - Doctor Don't Chop My Knee Mama, Ouch Is Another Word Jeff Merchant - Joyride Maple Mars - Beautiful Mess Clockwork Radio - So Will I Goodfinger - Sounds Of The City The Clutter Family - Artist In The Office Lindy LaFontaine - Free To Breathe Ambassadors of Morocco - Never Imagine This Tangent Sunset - Way Down Last Breath - Been Down This Road Laurie Larson - All Year Long The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing Skip Heller - I Used To Love California Baby Scream - Secret Place Peter Daltrey - In The Room Of Percussion Thinking For Tuesday - Falling Rich McCulley - Tell Me, I'm Listening The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore

27.09.11 California Diner - 'Tippy Canoe and the Bay Area Brit too!'

As you now know, your Chef Mike is not above restating the obvious, or resorting to corny DJ humor. So it should come as no surprise that I’ve appropriated a 170-year-old American political campaign slogan for the title of this week’s show. But why not, since our musical guest this week is none other than San Francisco Bay Area singer-songwriter-uke slinger Tippy Canoe! And I promise it won’t be another 170 years before we get her back on the show. Not only that, but her husband, The Bay Area Brit (aka writer-blogeographer-cartoonist Matty Stone) also joins us this week. A virtual two-fer of creativity and talent! So what was the occasion? Well, in a true expression of the indie ethic, Tippy was invited to headline a house concert at Ukelele University in Sacramento! Let’s break this down for a second. House concerts are the single most cutting-edge advance in the live music experience in years. A chance for the fans and artists to connect with each other in a live, intimate concert setting, right in somebody’s house. No barriers--the music goes right from performer to eardrums. You get to chat with the artists--who are, after all, real people just like you and me. Talk about a win-win! And Ukelele University? Well, we wrote a bit about them in this space a couple of weeks ago, but what a unique concept. I got to see them in action during the night of the concert. A bunch of really fun people who gather to play one of the hottest, most democratizing instruments around these days, the ukulele. They encourage and teach each other, and occasionally sponsor performances by artists who are making really creative music with their favorite instrument. That’s the D.I.Y. ethic come to life! So Tippy, who has been a good friend to my other radio show over the years, chatted with us live in the studio. Her music is good time Americana music, played sometimes with a full band, and sometimes solo. Her upbeat, witty persona will win you over. It took about 10 seconds for her to win me over back in 2008 when she made her first appearance on Twirl Radio. She’s working up a new album, and she’ll favor us with a live performance of one of the tracks from it. Not only that, but she plays DJ and calls out a couple of tracks from other ukulele-led bands that we know and love. And who am I to deny her? It’s all great music. Tippy is one of the leaders of the uke movement in indie pop music, and I can’t wait for you to meet her! www.tippycanoe.net www.ukeuniversity.com The Bay Area Brit is exactly that--a guy originally from London, UK, who now makes his home in the Bay Area of Northern California. But he’s so much more. He writes a most excellent humour blog (note the proper British spelling of “humour”, not the one I usually use) called The Bay Area Brit (naturally!). His real name is Matty Stone, and he’s in the unique position of being able to look at the funny and quirky aspects of American life as a semi-outsider. He’s been here long enough to be considered an insider as well (a double agent, if you will), so he “gets” the differences. He’s written a couple of (so far, unreleased) novels, and is working on a third book, which will be published, and is also a cartoonist. He tells us about his stint as Tippy’s “official tour blogeographer”. If you’re a UK listener of Recharged Radio, you might find his perspective fascinating. Let me or Matty know what you think! www.thebayareabrit.com And oh yeah--in my bid to try to be indie like these two artists, I webcasted the house concert live, and made another musical discovery: Melody Walker and Jacob Groopman. They did the first set that night. They are accomplished bluegrass and Americana musicians, and somehow, got past the guards at Uke U and snuck in a guitar, banjo, and mandolin. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from these guys as well. http://deliradio.com/melody-walker date If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Go National - Begin, Begin, Begin Heiskell - Gasoline Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall Soundserif - John Titor or the Time Traveler Get People - Odyssey Laurie Biagini - Bambuzled Joseph Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Jimmy Catlett - The Stupid Things Rose Reiter - Top The Big I Am - Clothes Tippy Canoe & The Paddlemen - Champs Elysee Tippy Canoe interview Tippy Canoe - Cowards On Parade (live) Mad Tea Party - Found A Reason The Corner Laughers - Inner Archaeologist Bay Area Brit interview Vinnie Zummo - John Lennon Rob Swanson - Oh No! Little Guilt Shrine - What I'm Thinking Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams Kat Jones - The Night Is A Veil The Handcuffs - Dirty Glitter Maxi Dunn - Messed Up Dave Stephens - Mr. Wonderful Tom Moriarty - Fire in the Dolls House Nushu - Your Girl Apple Rabbits - Wrong Again Sarah Stanley - When I Lose My Heart

20.09.11 California Diner - 'Peter Daltrey Interview!'

Wow--it seems we’re blessed yet again with the chance to interview a legendary musician. This week, on the California Diner, we chat with Peter Daltrey, leader of the bands Kaleidoscope and Fairfield Parlour. Yes, that Kaleidoscope. They were a part of the London scene back in 1967 and 1968. They were a big part of that famed psychedelic scene, and in that era, for music, London was the only place to be. They had a couple of critically-acclaimed albums, changed their name to Fairfield Parlour, and then made a couple more well-received discs--back in the day when vinyl was simply called “records”. Peter’s been busy since then. He’s a visual artist, and also a solo musical artist. He’s recorded 11 solo albums to date, some with Damien Youth. As I keep telling you, California’s the place to be. Peter recently made his first trip to the Golden State for a couple of weeks, and some magic happened here. He’d been corresponding with some Los Angeles musicians, and they decided to cut an album while in town. But not content to see just part of California, he played his first gig in 39 years(!) in San Francisco. That’s pretty huge, and with the recent resurgence in psychedelia, that gig, plus the L.A. and Palm Springs shows, were warmly welcomed. We chatted with him while he was in L.A., and talked about his career, his current music, and played a few of his newest songs. And--I know you’re waiting for this--I asked the million dollar question--if he’s related to another famous musician named Daltrey. Check it out. He’s got some great stories to tell, and a really interesting perspective on music making. And us folks here in the States are looking forward to his next trip, where I’m sure he’ll need to play more than three gigs to satisfy his fans, old and new. http://gragroup.com/daltrey.html If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Teina Anthony - A Natural Life Vinnie Zummo - Homicidal Baby Scream - The Ghost Of Valerie The Clutter Family - Rendering Vat Sal Valentino - Lovin' Fallin' Man or Mouse - Jackson Allyson Seconds - Obviously Love Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part Peter Daltrey Interview Peter Daltrey - In The Room Of Percussion Peter Daltrey - Winter Song Peter Daltrey - Queen Of Thieves Peter Daltrey - The Girl M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - If You Want Me To Maxi Dunn - Make It Better John LaMonica - A Ghost Tom Alford - Wasp Lands On Sunflower Rob Bonfiglio - Nothing Will Hold You Down Cy Taggart - Cut It Out Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Laurie Biagini - Leave Me Alone The Dashing Suns - Goodbye Bad Vibrations Rob One - Flames The Taters - Right B4 My Eyes Tina Lie - Twilight Hour Tippy Canoe & The Paddlemen - When You've Gone Too Far Monsters Build Mean Robots - Lament 77 (We Will Follow!) Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Harmonics Duncan Faure - In The Right Place Peter Mayer - It's Just The Energy

13.09.11 California Diner - 'Back To School!'

Here it is, mid-September, and you really should be back in school! (With apologies to Rod Stewart.) What--you think you’re too old for school? Nonsense. Learning opportunities abound every day, and in this week’s California Diner, we’re going to learn about music. Which, by the way, needs to be driven, not controlled. Tippy Canoe, a wonderful San Francisco Bay Area singer/songwriter/ukulele player, is going to be putting on a house concert this Saturday night at Ukelele University! (www.ukeuniversity.com) That’s right--we here in Sacramento have some pretty cool schools, and Tippy is going to school us happy students on how upbeat, old-timey music with a rockin’ edge should sound! You can actually enroll at this school, and learn how to play uke. There’s a unique twist--I will be broadcasting this concert live on Saturday night, September 17th. And if you’re going to be in Northern California then, drop me an email, and I’ll get you details on the show. I’ll also have some information on the webcast later this week. For now, we’ll hear a track from Tippy’s Parasols and Pekingese album. www.tippycanoe.net Rich McCulley, a great Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/guitarist, is going to school you on cathartic guitar solos. I’m not a fan of pointless solos--you know the kind I mean--where a hotshot virtuoso noodles around for an eternity, showing us that yes, he is indeed the bomb. I’m more interested in great songwriting, an arrangement that fits, and then a solo that serves the song. Neil Young had an amazing one note solo in the song Cinnamon Girl years ago. But the way he played that one note was incredibly expressive--that solo had more soul than so many more complex, but bland solos. We’re going to listen to a song from Rich’s Far From My Angel release, which serves as a perfect example of the solo serving the song. It’s a breakup song from an album about divorce, and the passions run strong and deep. The lyrics give you the background, but it’s the guitar solo near the end that drives right into your soul. www.richmcculley.com Sometimes, we need to rock out to some serious power pop. What, you ask, is power pop? Well, it’s often considered to be snappy, upbeat American rock ‘n’ roll. The songs are punchy, usually three minutes or under, and feature guitars, bass, drums, and lock-tight harmonies. How do you know if it’s not power pop? If there’s a keyboard, it’s probably not power pop. If there’s fiddles, probably not power pop. If there’s a dance crew--definitely not power pop. You could sit here all day and re-read this last paragraph, and still not know what power pop is. Or you could let The Smith Bros., a great band from Ohio, teach you. Mike Clark, Pat Dollenmayer, and Kris Phillips have been making this fun music for a while now. They’re working on a new album, and we’re going to hear a sneak preview of one of the songs. They never disappoint, and you’ll thrill to the soaring guitars and harmonies. www.reverbnation.com/thesmithbros If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Corner Laughers - The Red Queen Dylan Walshe - Your Belly Not Mine Sexfresh - Dilemma June & The Exit Wounds - Idly By Peter Daltrey - In The Room Of Percussion Model Society - Systematic Tippy Canoe & The Paddlemen - Mass Transmissions Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper The Vertigos - Rubix Throwback Suburbia - Asking Why Nelson Bragg - Forever Days Heidi Klum's Bangs - Leigh Raistalla - Supermodel Jay Fraser - That's How We Roll Laurie Biagini - A Face In The Crowd Three Hour Tour - Pig in Disguse Kitty & The Lost Boys - Rushing To My Side Baby Scream - Cold Weather Reggae The Smith Bros - Kerrie Anne Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? The Pilgrims - Whole Level Down Maple Mars - Butterfly Effect Boomchick - Joyland Jimmy Catlett - 3.0 Lindy LaFontaine (with Kyro) - Haunted Joseph Swidenbank - Scattered The Handcuffs - Miss You on Tuesday Splitsville - Pretty People Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel Terese Taylor - The End

06.09.11 California Diner - 'Summer's Over'

Here in the United States, we have a little tradition that tells us when summer unofficially arrives and departs. It’s not the solstice and equinox thingies. We have holidays that tell us what to do! Memorial Day is the last full weekend in May, and Labor Day is the first full weekend in September. Those two holidays bookend summer, at least in the colder climates. I lived away from my native California for a decade, in the Midwest. It was uncanny--it seemed to always warm up for good on the three day Memorial Day weekend, and immediately cool off on the day after Labor Day. So yeah--where a lot of our listeners are, summer’s now over. But here in Northern California, summer’s not over just yet. We get another 7 or so weeks of summer-like weather. It starts to turn cold around Halloween, and then the leaves change after that. We are so mellow out here, we simply ignore the calendar and do what we want. So what are we going to do with all this extra summer? Well, in this week’s California Diner, we’ve got some tunes that should keep summer going for a little while longer. And these summery tunes don’t come from exactly where you’d expect them to. Miami Dan and the Hayes Street Band are based in South Carolina--which indeed has a coastline! Their music has elements of the Beach Boys, Marshall Tucker, Jimmy Buffett and Rick Nelson. We’ll hear one of their literate, summery beachy songs from the Star Of The Beach album on this week’s show. www.miamidan.com Laurie Biagini, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, has released a couple of albums of beach-friendly tunes. Her warm, golden vocals and piano-driven, shimmery songs evoke California summers at the coast. She’s working on album #3, A Go-Go Girl in a Modern World, and she grows her sound to include more guitars and collaborators. We’ll sample a track from this forthcoming release. www.lauriebiagini.com The Corner Laughers have graced this show quite a bit in the last year and a half, with their brainy ukulele and guitar-based alternative songs. They too are working on a new album. We’ll hear a sneak preview from this album--and it’s a whole new concept. It took a couple of listens to realize this, but they have invented San Francisco surf music! All the elements are there--romance, fast cars, and Judah Street in San Francisco (which winds up at the Pacific Ocean). Check it out--it’s really fun! www.cornerlaughers.com So yeah, summer isn’t over until the California Diner says it is! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Sparklejet - The Comeback The Handcuffs - Baby I Love You Beth Thornley - Still Can't Hide Leisure - Heathrow Thru-Flow Miami Dan and the Hayes Street Band - She Was In Love Maxi Dunn - The Neglected Gambit Baby Scream - Secret Place Jerzey Street Band - Wasting Time Hail The Size - Booze, Pills, & Her 50ft Woman - Ultra Violet Ricky Berger - Silly Boy, Goodnight The Ks - A Couple Nights a Week M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - If You Want Me To Audio Asylum - Pressure Kaz Murphy - Killin' Wheel Melissa Phillips - So Young Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV Lannie Flowers - Turn Up Your Radio Rob Bonfiglio - Blow Me Away Joe Symes - One Too Many Heiskell - The Chubby Guy Song Chad Neaves - You Said Lindy LaFontaine - This Too, In Time, Shall Pass Peter Daltrey - In The Room Of Percussion The Fantasies - Gimme Bubblegum! Chancellorpink - Muster Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Sal Valentino - Catherine I Do Rose Reiter - Wherever Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up Apple Rabbits - Wrong Again The Corner Laughers - Transamerica Pyramid (Single Mix) Bill Mumy - All Wound Up Emily Zuzik Band - Motels

30.08.11 California Diner - 'Celebs Gone Indie!'

A long time ago, dinosaurs stalked the earth and recorded music was made available to the public only on analog media such as vinyl and tapes. It was a very difficult and expensive proposition to release a single or an album. Like much of the economy after the Industrial Revolution, it became cost effective to put out music through large, integrated corporations. This business model worked for three-quarters of a century. Like most corporate ventures, the main point of being in business is to make money. It was a big deal for a recording artist to get a record deal. The record label thought enough of their music to make an investment, expecting to make the money back many times over. This usually coincided with the listening public’s tastes. The record industry drove musical taste, and the public kept the registers ringing. But a funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century. There used to be many small record labels, which consolidated and became big record labels. Mergers and acquisitions changed the scene until you could count on your fingers how many record companies remained. Then some of these huge companies swallowed some of the others. When companies merge, sometimes employees lose their jobs. In this case, some really great artists lost their backing. Worthy music was not being heard. And as has happened over the decades, there were many local and regional acts whose music was never heard outside their region. At the same time, technology changed, and became more accessible. Between making music on a computer, self-distributing, and self-promoting via online social media, now anybody could make music. Many of the great, formerly-unknown independent bands that we champion here at Recharged Radio have taken advantage of this perfect storm. Many have never been on a record label, nor do they want to. The D.I.Y. ethic has really taken over in the last few years. And it can be a pretty good deal for them--no record label means they keep more of the hard-earned dollars themselves. In addition, there are lots of great smaller indie labels who help artists realize success by employing this same work ethic. They act in an ethical manner, and treat the artists fairly. They also bring the artists and fans together, and that’s a good thing. Some really great artists formerly affiliated with major labels or internationally-known acts have also become indie artists of late. They are finding that D.I.Y. is a great way to really reach out to fans and (fortunately) radio. Oftentimes, they’re even happier then they ever were with a label. On this week’s show, we feature four such artists. Sal Valentino, the former Beau Brummels front man is making some of the most heartfelt music of his career as a solo artist. I’m proud to say that this legend is based right here in Sacramento, California, and we’ll hear a track off of his Dreamin’ Man album, a wonderful collaboration with John Blakely. www.beaubrummels.com www.gragroup.com/valentino.html Sue Leonard is a singer/songwriter/vocalist who works in the blues, soul, and R&B genres. If you remember back in the 1990s, k.d. lang had a huge hit off of her Ingenue album, “Constant Craving”. Sue Leonard was a backup vocalist on that Grammy-winning track. You have to be good to be selected to harmonize with k.d. lang on such a memorable song. Sue has a great solo career going, and she’s both classy and earthy at the same time on the song we’ll hear on the show. www.reverbnation.com/sueleonard Patrick Campbell-Lyons is a true original. The Irish-born, London-based musician was one of the founding fathers of the 1960s psychedelic movement. His band was the original Nirvana. He’s hobnobbed with everybody from Jimi Hendrix to Salvador Dali, but remains down to earth and spiritual. He’s got some great things to say, and he shows us that psychedelia is still vital in this 21st century digital era. This week’s show features a track from his album The 13 Dalis. www.psychedelicdays.com/nirvana.html www.gragroup.com/lyons.html Debora Iyall is near and dear to my heart. She was making music back in the 1980s with legendary New Wave band Romeo Void, based right here in Northern California. Her blunt but optimistic lyrics and vocal delivery were startling at first, but made me think differently about music back when I was in college. She too is an indie artist now, and she’s another example of a well-known musician who has chosen to live in mellow, laid-back Sacramento. We’ll hear a fun song off of her Stay Strong solo release. www.deboraiyall.com If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Sal Valentino - Looking For You EyeWood - Lawyers and Liars Missdavinalee - Come On Baby Scream - 20th Century Baby K. C. Bowman - Mare Island Uncle Meat and the Highway Children - Long Gone Mobile Maxi Dunn - Make It Better Dana Jade - Little Sister Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul Sexfresh - True Laurie Larson - Endless Thank You Loop Karim Fanous - So Long Jenny J Nushu - Here's To Feeling Free Apple Rabbits - Queen Of The Suburbs Sue Leonard - Bend This Circle The Recusants - After The Night Out Mad Tea Party - Blues Slip In Patrick Campbell-Lyons - Flowers For Friday Dandelion Killers - You'll Find Me In The Archives Anny Celsi - First Love Freezes Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Joseph Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Agony Aunts - Linus's Fists Of Death Coolrunnings - Chorus Dennis Holseybrook - Take Care My Friend Debora Iyall - Be My Last Rich McCulley - Tell Me, I'm Listening Laurie Biagini - Bambuzled Peter Mayer - The Marrying Kind Lindy LaFontaine - I might not love you The Scratch - Teen Idol Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall

23.08.11 California Diner - 'Warped Speed!'

For the record, I don’t get too far into science fiction, and don’t know very much about it myself. But I have always been fascinated by how incredibly huge our universe is, and amazed when physicists tell us that it’s expanding. Into what? If the universe is defined as “everything that exists”--well, you get where I’m going with this. My brain hurts. To travel the vast distances of the universe, sci-fi writers invented “warp speed”--a speed many times faster than the speed of light. What a concept! On this week’s California Diner, we’ve achieved a similar phenomenon. In the first 15 minutes of the show, we travel vast distances faster than the speed of music. We bounce around the musical universe, switching genres at every turn, faster than you can say “I find this highly illogical”. We’ll call this curiosity “warped speed”. We’re going to start the show with our own Rob One. The dynamic host of 20/20, our hip hop show which starts Tuesday evenings rolling, put out a great new album this year called African, an homage to his South African homeland. He’s a talented hip hop MC himself. Like Recharged Radio, he’s based in London, and so there our journey begins. He’s my Tuesday night partner in crime, and we’ll sample a great track from African. www.robboffard.com After journeying from South Africa to London, we’ll jet on over to Texas for some fantastic power pop, Lannie Flowers-style. Texas is not the first place you think of when you think of power pop--but Lannie will quickly set the record straight. He’s a practitioner of the purest form of the genre--upbeat, tuneful songs--but with the occasional haunting guitar reverb--he adds his own original spin and keeps the genre vital. We’ll hear a song from his Circles album. www.lannieflowers.com When you’re traveling as fast as we are, it’s just a short hop over to my stomping grounds of Northern California. We’ll visit with the incredibly upbeat Tippy Canoe, and her band The Paddlemen. Tippy’s mission is, in her own words, “to bring sincere uplift in a severely down-slanted era by spreading her hook-laden pop-meets-roots music”. And bring it she does--we’ll hear the infectious lead off track from her album Parasols and Pekingese. www.tippycanoe.net But we can’t stay in California too long--we need to quickly zip on down to Argentina. Our warped speed music machine covers the 5,000 miles in mere seconds. We’ll hear from Domus, an acoustic duo, whose harmonies will have you transfixed. Amazing vocals and guitar work. www.aspiremusicmanagement.co.uk/Domus.aspx And finally--I just realized--California is calling me home again. Back to the machine, which drops us off 400 miles south of where I am--Los Angeles. Nelson Bragg has made some of the finest, yearning pure pop music this side of the Crab Nebula. When he’s not drumming for legendary Beach Boy Brian Wilson, he’s creating his own legendary music, and we’re lucky enough to have one of his songs on this week’s show. www.myspace.com/nelsonbragg So yeah--in about 15 minutes--South Africa, London, Texas, California, Argentina, and back to California. We’ve traveled faster than the speed of music. Only a warped speed machine can power this trip across space, time, and musical genres. Make sure you join us for all the great indie music! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Rob One - Flames Lannie Flowers - Circles Tippy Canoe & The Paddlemen - Mass Transmissions Domus - Es Mi Ola Nelson Bragg - Tell Me I'm Wrong Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams Fake Teak - Church of Steve Honest session - Post Office Tower Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures The Fuegos - Against the World Terese Taylor - Hermit Heiskell - Your Touch Kate Burkart - The High Road Peter Mayer - It's Just The Energy Emily Zuzik Band - Motels Jay Fraser - That's How We Roll Laurie Biagini - A Face In The Crowd The Taters - That's Me Vegas With Randolph - She Does It For Me Allen - Hold Me Tight M.A.D.I.S.O.N - Where Are You Lindy LaFontaine - Free To Breathe Snow Byrds - Master Of Ceremonies Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Dave Stephens - Josephine Baby Scream - Secret Place Kitty & The Lost Boys - Rushing To My Side The Ks - Little Plaything The Corner Laughers - Stonewords Sarah Taylor - The Cure To Everything Man or Mouse - Jackson Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Send The Band To Liverpool Little Guilt Shrine - One Two

16.08.11 California Diner - 'A Californian Sweet 16!'

I had the chance to drive up and down the rather large state of California again just a few days ago. But your Chef Mike is always on the job. It occurred to me that California is an incredibly fertile musical breeding ground. All genres exist and thrive here, and some even start here. So for this week’s show, I harvested 16 tracks from all over the state--from Orange County to Sacramento. Since I returned back to Sacramento late, I hurriedly picked these gems. Artists like Auditorium (aka Spencer Berger), who comes from my state but was discovered by my colleagues in London well before I ever joined the crew. Thrill to his pure, magnificent vocals. www.fieldfm.wordpress.com Check out the comedic stylings of The Clutter Family. Not for everyone, but if your sense of humor is just a little bit off--you’ll want to check these guys out. They’re led by Jim Earl and Chris Hobbs, and we’ll hear one of their tracks this week. www.reverbnation.com/theclutterfamily Bill Mumy made a name for himself as a child space traveler in the classic TV show Lost In Space. Whenever you hear people say “danger, Will Robinson”--they’re referring to one of the characters that made him famous. But Bill also has had a long and storied music career, and we’ll hear one of the great songs from his bluesy Glorious In Defeat album, which has graced our airwaves since last year. www.billmumy.com And there’s still a baker’s dozen of California artists besides these three focus acts. I live in California, so that you don’t have to! (Unless you want to--come on out and visit some time!) We’ll also hear great musicians from Canada and the UK, as well. Don’t miss this week’s show! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Rose Reiter - Where You Are Wim Oudijk - Love you. Period! The Handcuffs - Dirty Glitter Sexfresh - Dilemma Joe Symes - Lost Along The Way Kat Jones - One More Second Chance The Furbelows - Pleasure Machine Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper Maxi Dunn - The Neglected Gambit Skip Heller & Jim Cavender - I Hate You Charlie Cheney - She's Made For Sunshine Maple Mars - The Excursion Lindy LaFontaine (with Kyro) - Haunted Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Last Breath - The Story Ends Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part William Cleere and the Marvelous Fellas - Labor Day Auditorium - Sunday Bill Mumy - All Wound Up Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Debora Iyall - Stay Strong Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV Sarah Stanley - Tuesday Girl The Clutter Family - Artist In The Office Joseph Swidenbank - Harsh Words The Shindig Addicts - Not Long Now Popdudes - Neglected Patrick Campbell-Lyons - Sunset City Michael Miller - I Made You Up Nelson Bragg - Forever Days Rob One - African The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore

9.08.11 California Diner: Vegas With Randolph Interview!

Eric Kern and John Ratts are an intuitive songwriting duo, who take the Lennon-McCartney approach--one starts a song, the other adds finishing touches--a bridge here, a harmony there. They both agree that the sum of their partnership is greater than the parts. But the songs only become true Vegas With Randolph songs when they’re presented to the full band, who polish and arrange them. Dan Aylestock, Dave Purol, and Brock Harris are the rest of this great team, and they’ve crafted a power pop album which is one of the finest of 2011 to date. Full disclosure here--I was given the great honor of writing the liner notes to Above The Blue. This was a thrill and a half, and all I had to do was to listen to advance copies of the songs, and jot down a few impressions of them--voila! The piece practically wrote itself. The songs are so great, any fanboy like myself could have written liner notes. What kind of songs are we talking about? Upbeat, celebratory songs which are the perfect soundtrack to your summer cookouts, swim parties, or even blaring out of car windows. Lots of songs about love, romance, family, beautiful actresses. Great, massive guitar riffs and crashing drums. Yearning vocals. And excellent, thoughtful choices in guest collaborators--guitarist Vinnie Zummo of Joe Jackson’s band on one song, Maxi Dunn takes vocals on another, and amazing orchestration in a few places by none other than Wim Oudijk. And finally, the album closes with an album-within-an-album piece called Double Play, a concept that proved to be really successful on their first album. We’ll chat with the guys, who are about as down to earth and regular as you can possibly get--and most importantly, hear a few of the new songs off of Above The Blue. I can’t wait for you to hear it! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC

PLAYLIST:

Sarah Taylor - Easy To Forget

Maple Mars - Beautiful Mess

Emily Zuzik Band - Motels

Luke Dick - The Healer

Domus - Es Mi Ola

Mark Bacino - Middle Town

Maxi Dunn - Firecracker V Mr Flash Rocket

Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up

Vegas With Randolph Interview

Vegas With Randolph – Summertime

Vegas With Randolph – A Lesser Fool

Vegas With Randolph – Even Though

Catholic Spray - Captain Wolf

Heiskell - Sick Of Nothing

Tom Alford - Shiloh

Chad Neaves - You Said

Kitty & The Lost Boys - Rushing To My Side

Dave Stephens - Mr. Wonderful

Kyro (with Lindy LaFontaine) - This Too, In Time, Shall Pass

Little Guilt Shrine - What I'm Thinking

Boomchick - TGTW

Joey Oskys - Here In This Town

Laurie Biagini - Leave Me Alone

Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams

Jerzey Street Band - Wasting Time

Mad Tea Party - Blues Slip In

The Vertigos - Rubix

Lannie Flowers - Turn Up Your Radio

Anton Barbeau - Skunk Hungarian