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