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