18.12.12 California Diner - Last episode of 2012!

The California Diner brings you some of the finest American indie music available. Chef Mike Lidskin serves up these musical treats from his home base of Sacramento, California.


Rob Bonfiglio - React
The Artist and Me - FadedGiants
Kevin Seconds - Forever Try
Sue Leonard - Bye Baby
Felsen - Don't Turn Your Back On Me Today
Melissa Phillips - Centralia
Vegas With Randolph - Be The One
Lannie Flowers - Another Weekend
Maple Mars - Christmastime In The City
Throwback Suburbia - Caroline
The Corner Laughers - (Now That I Have You I'm) Bored
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up
The Handcuffs - Eight Down
Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes
Poplord - Death
Mark Bacino - Queens English

04.12.12 California Diner - 'It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!'

The California Diner brings you some of the finest American indie music available. Chef Mike Lidskin serves up these musical treats from his home base of Sacramento, California.

Kevin Seconds - The Elements And You

Popdudes - Desperation Time

Lindy LaFontaine - Free To Breathe

Felsen - Mary You Could Be Happy

The Corner Laughers - 8:18

Kat Jones - He's The One I Need The Most

Vinnie Zummo - Cant You See

Nelson Bragg - She Used To Love Me

Skip Heller - The Man I Used To Be

Sal Valentino - Looking For You

Volary - That Girl

Jet Electro - 100 Girls

A Band Called Mithras - I Know What I Know

An American Underdog - Your Reign Is Over

Sexfresh - Dilemma

Lannie Flowers - You, Yeah You

20.11.12 California Diner - Thanksgiving edition!

The California Diner brings you some of the finest American indie music available. Chef Mike Lidskin serves up these musical treats from his home base of Sacramento, California.

The Handcuffs - Baby I Love You

Melissa Phillips - Centralia

Throwback Suburbia - Give And Take

A Band Called Mithras - Call Out The Captain

The Corner Laughers - Bells Of El Camino

Sue Leonard - Bye Baby

Felsen - Waterfall

Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up (unplugged)

The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore

Onward Chariots - Seven Miles Away

Beth Thornley - Still Can't Hide

Nelson Bragg - Welcome To Nowhereville

Braam Brothers - Ur Song

The Taters - Wolfman Told Me Tonight

Jet Electro - Waiting For An Autograph

Skip Heller - Fools Like Me

Ruby Free - Bongos And Beards

23.10.12 California Diner - 'Whoa! It rained on my car!'

The California Diner brings you some of the finest American indie music available. Chef Mike Lidskin serves up these musical treats from his home base of Sacramento, California.

Braam Brothers - Hail Violet
Kevin Seconds - Forever Try
Sexfresh - Dilemma
The Scratch - Homely Crackle
The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing
The Corner Laughers - Chicken Bingo
Lannie Flowers - Give Me Another Chance
Kate Burkart - Cross The Street
Three Minute Tease - Thanks for Lifting My Leg
Throwback Suburbia - Caroline
Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude
Sarah Taylor - The Cure To Everything
Ruby Free - Three Cheers For The Sun God
Melissa Phillips - So Young
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Who's Got a Light
The Clutter Family - Artist In The Office

09.10.12 California Diner - 'California is not New York'

The California Diner brings you some of the finest American indie music available. Chef Mike Lidskin serves up these musical treats from his home base of Sacramento, California.

The Artist & Me - Faded Giants
Kat Jones - The Night Is A Veil
Lannie Flowers - Give Me a Chance
Rose Reiter - Where You Are
Kevin Seconds - The Elements And You
Poplord - Save the Monkey
Lindy LaFontaine - Harmonics
Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures
Vegas With Randolph - She Does It For Me
The Corner Laughers - (Now That I Have You I'm) Bored
Jimmy Catlett - The Big Beat
The Handcuffs - Baby I Love You
Nelson Bragg - Steel Derrick 1979
Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre - E-Vill
Duncan Faure - In The Right Place
Ricky Berger - Silly Boy, Goodnight

25.09.12 California Diner - 'Busting into Fall!'

The California Diner brings you some of the finest American indie music available. Chef Mike Lidskin serves up these musical treats from his home base of Sacramento, California.

Mad Tea Party - Blues Slip In
Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel
Katelyn Berreth - The First Time
Nelson Bragg - I'm In No Mood
Allen Clapp & his Orchestra - Treeline
Laurie Biagini - The California Quake
The Handcuffs - This is a Test
Skip Heller - The Man I Used To Be
Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude
Emily Zuzik Band - You Want to Go Out Tonight?
Kat Jones - Those Expensive Eyes
The Corner Laughers - Bells Of El Camino
Felsen - Waterfall
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Who's Got a Light
Terese Taylor - I'm Here
Rob Swanson - Oh No!
Natalie Cortez & The Ultraviolets - Three Times

11.09.12 California Diner - 'Who Wants Seconds?'

Chef Mike is back with the all new California Diner! Its an hour of hot freshly made tunes all the way from California.

Allyson Seconds - Dig My Pig
The Taters - Such A Good Day
Vegas With Randolph - Summertime
Nelson Bragg - She Used To Love Me
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up (unplugged version)
Emily Zuzik Band - Motels
Lannie Flowers - Give Me Another Chance
The Corner Laughers - The Perfect Weather
Debora Iyall - A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)
Jet Electro - For Sale By Owner
Bill Mumy - I Owe A Little Money
Anny Celsi - Tangle-Free World
Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams
Ruby Free - Slow Parade
Lindy LaFontaine - Harmonics
Felsen - Felsen's Gonna Save You

04.09.12 California Diner - 'Grand Re-Opening'

Chef Mike is back with the all new California Diner! Its an hour of hot freshly made tunes all the way from California.

Nelson Bragg - Welcome To Nowhereville
David Houston and String Theory - Everybody Knows But You
Throwback Suburbia - Give And Take
The Corner Laughers - (Now That I Have You I'm) Bored
Skip Heller - Fools Like Me
Ruby Free - Bongos And Beards
A Band Called Mithras - I Know What I Know
Maxi Dunn - Make It Better
Blake Jones and Tom Magill - Life Turns On A Dime
Felsen - Mary You Could Be Happy
The Handcuffs - Miss You on Tuesday
Lannie Flowers - Another Weekend
Volary - That Girl Tumbleweed
Wanderers - Take It Back
Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude

17.04.12 California Diner- 'Not-So-Grand Finale!'

Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you with a title like that--”Not-so-grand finale”. What a horrendous name--I mean that word--”finale”--it sounds so...final. So here’s the scoop. Nearly three years ago, I sent a fan letter to a presenter whose radio show I heard, and really liked. I thought this guy did a bang up job with his show. It was one of the most exciting hours of radio I’d heard in a great while. I just wanted to tell him “thanks, great job”. That presenter turned out to be none other than Jordan Thomas, and he thanked me, and graciously invited me to send him a demo. As in “hey, you wanna be one of us?” Blew me away. I mean, wow--Jordan was giving this American dude from Sacramento, California an opportunity to foul up the British airwaves. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance? Thus began the Tuesday Night Diner, which morphed into the California Diner. I became “Chef Mike”, cooking up musical treats for two hours each Tuesday evening. I tell you all that to tell you this: This week marks the last two hour, Tuesday edition of the California Diner. My choice. I wasn’t asked to leave. And no, I’m not leaving in disgrace, like so many American politicians do, and then cover up with some bogus “I’m stepping back to spend more time with my family lalalalalala...”. I mean hell, I’m not even leaving. But I am taking what the showbiz folks call a “hiatus”, or the educational folks call a “sabbatical”. So what’s that supposed to mean? Well, I’ll be going off the air here at Recharged for several weeks (unless you hear some random replays of my shows). I’ll be back around late May or so, just around the time everybody else goes on their summer vacation. Go figure, I’m always the one to do things backwards. A couple of things came up in life that require my attention--namely, moving house. Yes, you know the drill. Sell some stuff, pack, move, and unpack the rest. Tell folks your new address on a need-to-know basis. It’s a lot. Plus work. Plus my other radio show at Twirl Radio. So what happens after that? Well, I will be back. I’m not sure what form my new show might take. It might even be called something like “The California Diner”. It might have shorter business hours. But I will remain a proud member of Recharged Radio in good standing. I’ll be stepping up and writing articles for our fine publication Sound of the Suburbs. And presenting to you the greatest indie music available today, from California and beyond. So I want to especially single out a few people who have really been of great assistance in getting me going and helping me fit in here at Recharged. Jordan Thomas, our boss of everything. One of the nicest, wittiest guys around, even if he tries to convince you otherwise. Minki Malkin, our 50ft webmistress, staff grammarian, voiceover artist, and presenter. Alex Watson, our musical guru, who hauls in great treasure troves of music and knows more about music than most people will ever learn. “Silent” Dave Chapman, our tech guy who holds it all together, and comes through with the digital rescues from time to time. And all the rest: Caz, Jim, Jamie, Rob, Pete1, Pete2, Rodrigo, Andy1, Andy2, Justin, Jarrod, and geez, who else am I missing? It’s not intentional if I’ve missed someone. And more importantly, thanks to the loyal listeners, without whom, my show would fall on deaf ears. And most importantly of all, a HUGE thanks to all the great musicians (and their PR-type people) who have let me play their music on my shows. Without you guys, my show would essentially be a pretty boring talk show. Dammit, I’m not going away. Why does it sound like I am? So this week, we’ll play a lot of music that has meant the world to me. And when I come back in a month or so, I’ll continue to do so. In the meantime, keep listening to Recharged Radio. Go to the Great Escape if you’re in Brighton, UK on May 10th. And if you’re not--refer to the previous point--because we’ll be broadcasting it live (and podcasting it later), as goes our annual tradition. MN2BDNC. Music needs to be driven, not controlled. Live it. And see you when I get back. 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 The Taters - Such A Good Day Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude Mad Tea Party - Every Way The Vertigos - Rubix Poplord - World Bends Down The Handcuffs - Miss You on Tuesday Maple Mars - Transcendental Guidance Throwback Suburbia - Sinking Feeling Bud Rogers - Santa Monica Sunshine The Fuegos - Against the World Laurie Biagini - The Heart Of The Song The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing Baby Scream - Powerpop Crush Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes Maxi Dunn - The Neglected Gambit Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper The Scratch - Homely Crackle Skip Heller - Fools Like Me Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part The Corner Laughers - The Perfect Weather Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Who's Got a Light Man or Mouse - Jackson Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams Lindy LaFontaine - Free To Breathe Joe Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air The Big I Am - Right About Now Nushu - Here's To Feeling Free Sal Valentino - Lovin' Fallin' Tom Alford - Wasp Lands On Sunflower

03.04.12 California Diner- 'Spring Break Has Broken!'

Well, your old Chef Mike doesn’t have a lot of new news this week. As we say here in the States, “I got nothin’!”. Well, not really “nothin’”, poor grammar notwithstanding. I’ve simply got two hours of the finest indie music available for your ears. This week is spring break, the time that people take off before Easter. And since it is, I’m going to give you a bit of a break from my usual carrying-on. I just want to let you know that there is a whole bunch of great new music this week, including tracks from A Band Called Mithras, Starr Saunders, and The Vickers. www.abandcalledmithras.com www.reverbnation.com/starrsaunders www.thevickers.eu So Happy Easter, Passover, and any other holidays I may have missed. Most of all, enjoy the time with your family, and save some time for new music! Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 - Begin, Begin, Begin A Band Called Mithras - I Know What I Know Starr Saunders - We Were One Dollface - You To Lose Jet Electro - Walter Cronkite Emily Zuzik - This Time Around Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) Imani Hekima - Nothing's What It Seems Debora Iyall - A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing) The Vickers - Baby G Dave Stephens - Mr. Wonderful Allen - Hold Me Tight Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Popdudes - Desperation Time Maxi Dunn - You Took The Sunshine From My Heart Lannie Flowers - Circles The Corner Laughers - 8:18 Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper Apple Rabbits - Wrong Again Dylan Walshe - Your Belly Not Mine Hail The Size - Hot Mom The Little Philistines - Hot Phone Laurie Biagini - The Invisible Guy Bud Rogers - Slave To Passion Duncan Faure - In The Right Place Kama Linden - Better Late Than Never Rob One - Flames The Corner Laughers - I'd Rather Count Cormorants With You Heiskell - The Chubby Guy Song Beth Thornley - Still Can't Hide Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Everybody's Got an Andy Story Rich McCulley

27.03.12 California Diner- 'Laurie Biagini Interview/Session!'

Maxi Dunn - How Was I To Know? Last Breath - It's My Time The Vinyl Junkies - Gangs Maple Mars - Beautiful Mess The Corner Laughers - Bells Of El Camino The Mike Brown Band - Pay Patrick Campbell-Lyons - All I Do Is For You Natalie Cortez & The Ultraviolets - Three Times Laurie Biagini Interview/Session Laurie Biagini - The Heart of the Song Laurie Biagini - The California Quake (live) Laurie Biagini - A Go-Go Girl in a Modern World Colin Heppell - Poltergeist In High Heels The Big I Am - Tongue Tied Rob Bonfiglio - React Andy quirk - Hackney You're Not So Crap The Corner Laughers - (Now That I Have You I'm) Bored Poplord - Death Skip Heller - Fools Like Me Lindy LaFontaine - Alizee Throwback Suburbia - Get Her Off My Mind Kat Jones - Those Expensive Eyes Rob Swanson - Oh No! Joe Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Rose Reiter - No Thank You Mark Bacino - Happy The Corner Laughers - Chicken Bingo Little Guilt Shrine - Crazy Girl Mad Tea Party - I Never Was A Cool One Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude

20.03.12 California Diner - 'Born Too Late To Be Old!'

A brief history of the world. Way back in the day, commercial radio sounded good. Then people got greedy, and then commercial radio didn’t sound good anymore. The end. Okay, that’s not exactly the kind of bedtime story you want to tell your little ones, unless you want them to stay up half the night, scared and worried about the future. There is actually a happy ending and a bright future to this. Radio was invented about a hundred years ago or so, by a dude named Marconi. So influential, that they even named a street after him here in Sacramento: Marconi Avenue--I kid you not! Once he invented this thing, people saw the potential, but realized that there were about 168 hours every week that needed to be filled with programming. Somewhere around the 1950’s, rock and roll was invented for just that purpose--to make radio sound better! By the mid to late 1960’s, the goal was achieved. And radio programmers got better and more creative, and aspiring musicians knew that getting their songs on the radio was the path to getting their songs heard by a wider audience. My particular favorite era in commercial radio was the “alternative era”, from roughly 1986-1996. That’s about the time that New Wave music and its synthesizers gave way to zoomy, atmospheric guitars, and the vocals became a little less affected and more natural. As you probably know, this all came crashing to a halt, at least here in the U.S., when our airwaves were legally deregulated. This meant that there were no limits to how many radio stations could be owned by the same company. All of a sudden, there were mergers and consolidations like crazy, and some companies suddenly owned hundreds and thousands of stations. This led to mergers and consolidations of playlists, and of course, the music that was played sounded bland and, well, not to my liking. But that doesn’t mean that all music wasn’t good. By the mid-2000’s, musicians, radio people, and music fans now had better tools to do what they do best. And they connected with each other, through internet radio (ta-da!) and social networking sites. And that little thing called YouTube. So these days, I can proudly say that my favorite era in music is: right now! There is so much creativity out there, and there are even some young bands who are making music that reminds my of my favorite era, the mid-1990’s. On this week’s California Diner, we’ll hear a couple of tracks from bands who are too young to have made music back in the ‘90’s, but have that wonderful alternative sound that my brain and ears cherish. Dollface. I have Alex Watson, our intrepid music expert, to thank for this one. This Brighton, UK-based power trio have got it going on. Having all been born in the mid-1980’s, they are truly too young to have made 1990’s music in the 1990’s, unless you count Greg’s stint air-drumming with chopsticks in a Chinese restaurant at an early age. Probably embarrassed his parents, but he eventually wound up as the guitarist for Dollface. Daniel received a drum kit for his Bar Mitzvah (which would be at the tender age of 13), and probably started embarrassing his parents shortly thereafter. And James refers to himself as a failed guitar player (probably embarrassing his parents along the way), who logically turned to the bass. I’m not making any of this up--check their website bios. Leaving a trail of embarrassed parents behind them (just kidding, guys), these guys formed Dollface, and make some really amazing music. Aside from their self-deprecating sense of humor, these are three guys with one big sound they can be proud of. It reminds me of that alternative sound--the soaring guitars, dramatic chord changes, and choruses that I’ll remember long after the song is over. I’ll be playing one of their new songs on this week’s show. www.dollfacetheband.net If you’re a regular listener, then you’re no stranger to The Corner Laughers. Here’s my brief history with them: I started doing this show in mid-November, 2009, and within weeks, they started rocking my world. They forwarded me a copy of their Ultraviolet Garden release, and it wound up as my #1 album for 2010. How did they do that so quickly? Simply by being themselves. Brainy, ukulele- and guitar-driven pop which covers all bases. Alternative, old-timey, power pop, and as they sometimes call it, “chamber pop”. Karla Kane’s vocals and clever wordplay remind me of the other side of 1990’s alternative--think Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies, solo), Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Belly), Mary Lou Lord, Andrea Lewis (Darling Buds), and others of that amazing ilk. Females with heavenly vocals, yet you need to listen more closely for the deeper meaning behind the lyrics. The music can sometimes get intense: the perfect point-counterpoint. Khoi Huynh, the “secret weapon”--one of the best bassists you’ll find, with fluid instrumental runs that you can specifically hear flowing throughout the mix. Powerhouse drummer Charlie Crabtree urges the songs forward with his muscular sound. As founding guitarist (and provider of aforementioned atmospheric guitars) Angela Silletto left California for the greener pastures of Michigan, KC Bowman, with his considerable musical genius, joined forces. The perfect California storm. I bring this up, because they’re about to release their third album, Poppy Seeds, through the magic of Allen Clapp’s Mystery Lawn Studios and Wesley Stace (John Wesley Harding)’s Popover Corps label. I just want to make sure that you are as ready for it as I am. But to keep the tease going a little longer, we’ll hear a track this week from their debut effort, Tomb of Leopards. www.cornerlaughers.com Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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), 1:00-3:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Michael Miller - I Made You Up Dollface - You To Lose Sal Valentino - Lovin' Fallin' Nushu - Synthia Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) The Pilgrims - Whole Level Down Terese Taylor - I'm Here Maxi Dunn - You Took The Sunshine From My Heart Skip Heller - Fools Like Me Corner Laughers - The Red Queen Rich McCulley - Tell Me, I'm Listening Jesus H Christ & The Four Hornsmen of The Apocalypse - Liz the Hot Receptionist Braam - Burlington Northern The B Goodes - Feel Alright Allyson Seconds - Dig My Pig The Ks - 13 Steps Jet Electro - Waiting For An Autograph M.A.D.I.S.O.N - To Know You Lindy LaFontaine - I Might Not Love You The Taters - Right B4 My Eyes Jeff Merchant - Love Yourself Away Note To Self: Don't Die! - Hell Anton Barbeau - MTV Song The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore Bud Rogers - Caught In A Wheel Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV The Scratch - Alcohol's A Depressant The Handcuffs - Miss You on Tuesday Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - I Roped The Moon Out Of The Sky Lannie Flowers - Circles Emily Zuzik

13.03.12 California Diner - 'Time Change Blues!'

I need to go back and check my records. I’ll bet that last year at this time, I whined and complained about the annual time change to Daylight Savings Time. You know, the one where we lose an hour. We set the clocks forward by one hour, in an effort to make evenings last longer. Great idea, right? I gripe about it every year. How wrong is this? Let me count the ways. First off, legend has it that the American version of Daylight Savings Time was originally conceived in an effort to maximize working time for farmers. They were already accustomed to getting up in the wee hours of the morning, when it was dark--so this would just add additional daylight hours to the end of their day--so they could work longer. Who thought this up--their bosses? Nope, it’s usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers, and the guy who pretty much invented everything before 1800. Let’s see, did he work on a farm? Nope--he was a printer in Philadelphia. Hmmm...that’s pretty suspect, isn’t it. Okay, so I just dissed one of the greatest patriots and thinkers in American history. Bad form. So instead of that, why don’t I just rant about the time change itself. The standard time here is called, well, “Standard Time”. That used to be the norm, when the sun is highest in the sky at noon. But over the past few decades, we’ve been starting Daylight Savings earlier, and ending it later, to the point where it now starts the second week of March, and ends the second week of November. So if “Standard Time” is only four months long, and the “non-standard time” is eight months long, I think we need a name change. Standard apparently doesn’t mean standard anymore. Yes, I’m crabby that I lost an hour of sleep, and I’m still feeling the effects as of this writing. So I’ll just wrap up this little rant by sharing what a couple of my Facebook friends had to say about it over the weekend. They both posted something to the effect of “if you cut a foot of cloth off the top of a blanket, and sew it to the bottom, you still don’t get a longer blanket”. Amen to that. But I bring this up to point out that I’m confused, because I think my show will now be starting an hour later here in America, through no fault of my own (1:00 p.m. on Tuesday). However, my British brethren and sistren at Recharged Radio have the good sense to continue to air it at 8:00 p.m. GMT. So just follow whatever it says on the website, and we’ll find each other. So about the music. What keeps me happy in these trying times? On this week’s show, we’ll spin some great tuneage by the likes of Kaz Murphy, one of my favorite Americana singer-songwriters, he from Los Angeles. Some more new music from Debora Iyall--this week, she covers herself, updating one of her old Romeo Void hits with a “Second Decade of the 21st Century Spin” (my words--you can quote me on that!) And a fiery song from gentleman rocker Bud Rogers--one of the most personable rockers I’ve ever had the pleasure of interviewing. He’ll shred the guitars and wail on the vocals for you this week! www.kazmurphy.com www.deboraiyall.com www.reverbnation.com/budrogers Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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), 1:00-3:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Missdavinalee - Come On Three Minute Tease - Love Is Onion Bill Mumy - Take Us Home Goodfinger - Sounds Of The City Baby Scream - The Ghost Of Valerie She Makes War - In This Boat Cy Taggart - Cut It Out Jet Electro - Through Debora Iyall - A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing) Mad Tea Party - Blues Slip In Kaz Murphy - Killin' Wheel Blake Jones and Tom Magill - Life Turns On A Dime Popdudes - Desperation Time Sexfresh - Dilemma Great View of the Moon - One Weak Natalie Cortez & The Ultraviolets - Up All Night Maxi Dunn - Messed Up Sound Sessions - Baby's Just An Avatar Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes The Scratch - Destroyed By The Look of Love Poplord - Save the Monkey Duncan Faure - Where Is The Music Laurie Biagini - The Heart Of The Song Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude Bud Rogers - Slave To Passion Sue Leonard - Bend This Circle Chancellorpink - Muster Lindy LaFontaine - Alizee Vegas With Randolph - Supergirl The Corner Laughers - Transamerica Pyramid Brave Chandeliers - Sinking Ship Fortune Dwellers - Al's Song

06.03.12 California Diner - 'Geology and Geography!'

In an effort to bring you the most tenuous of themes, this week I bring you Geology and Geography. Those are a couple of things I studied in college long ago. Believe it or not, Geography has changed some since then--a few countries changed their names, perhaps to keep it interesting, or maybe because they hired a marketing department. Some countries split into pieces, others merged. In any case, the map doesn’t look the same as it did back in the day. And Geology--now there’s a rock and roll field of study if I ever saw one. Earthquakes, tidal waves, molten lava, plate tectonics, erupting volcanoes. Crazy! It just doesn’t get more rock and roll than that. So to pull it all together, as dodgy as this theme may seem, I have a new song to play for you from each discipline. Sparklejet is a trio from Fresno, California, featuring Victor Sotelo on lead vocals and guitars, Wade Krause on drums, and Geoff Anderson on bass and vocals. We mentioned them in passing a couple of weeks ago on our “Fresno Rocks!” show. They started working their musical magic up and down the great Central Valley of California over a decade ago as a rootsy, Americana band. Then they hardened and honed their sound, and became more of a straightforward rock band. They recorded their most recent effort, “Beyond the Beyond”, with the legendary Chicago engineer Steve Albini about 5 years ago. This explosive album absolutely blew the roof off. So it’s been a long wait for we fans of the Jet, and they have not disappointed. Victor sent me a brand new track called “The World Before Longitude”. And this one’s a departure for them. The hard, focused sound loosens up just a bit. The songwriting and playing, however, are tight as ever, but genre-wise, they may have invented something here. Picture Jim Morrison fronting 1990-era R.E.M., and you might be close. Guitars are plentiful, both acoustic and electric. The lyrics are intellectual, and I literally listened to this one about 5 or 6 times in a row, just so my brain and ears could take in all the nuances. Magnificent, and you’ll hear it on the show. www.myspace.com/sparklejet Laurie Biagini writes and performs fun, sunny pop songs, heavily influenced by the more carefree side of the 1960’s beach sound. Lots of people, including myself, say that between her warm, honey-hued vocals and her upbeat keyboards, she sounds something like Karen Carpenter fronting the Beach Boys. Not a bad set of influences. She recently released a new album, “A Go-Go Girl in a Modern World”, and added some guitars into her sonic arsenal. So here’s the geographic rub--you usually think of beach music coming from California, but she hails from Vancouver, Canada! By my reckoning, she’s an honorary Californian. And she proves it--we’re going to hear her song that covers the Geology portion of our show--”The California Quake”. Yes, parts of our fair state do tend to shake quite a bit, and now, you can shake (and shimmy) when you hear this song--a choreographer friend of Laurie’s created a dance to go with this fun song. You’ll want to get out there and move! www.lauriebiagini.com Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 The Whiskey Saints - Eastbound Anton Barbeau - MTV Song Cult of Wedge - St George and the Dragon Anny Celsi - Tangle-Free World Andy quirk - Hackney You're Not So Crap Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) Sparklejet - The World Before Longitude Laurie Biagini - The California Quake Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre - E-Vill Patrick Campbell-Lyons - Flowers For Friday The Vinyl Junkies - Gangs Baby Scream - Bad Seed Jay Fraser - Breaking the Reigns Jimmy Catlett - Everybody Sez Lindy LaFontaine - Sunday (Trip Hop remix) Auditorium - Did Your Heart Shake Like This Song? Braam - Way Away Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? Hail The Size - Crazy Girl M.A.D.I.S.O.N - Home part II Skip Heller - Let's Stay Home 3 Foot Ninja - Fear Jet Electro - For Sale By Owner Tom Alford - Look To The Stars Agony Aunts - Linus's Fists Of Death Maple Mars - The Excursion Volary - Blackbird Fly The Taters - Wolfman Told Me Tonight Mark Bacino - Queens English Little Guilt Shrine - One Two Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental

28.02.12 California Diner - 'Sue Leonard Interview!'

So when it’s your birthday, what do you want for a present? In my case, I thought it would be pretty nice to have a chat with a singer-songwriter who’s earned multiple gold and platinum records, appeared on a couple of Grammy Awards broadcasts, and sang and toured with k.d. lang. Pretty far-fetched, huh? Unbelievably, this is exactly what we’re getting on this week’s California Diner! Sue Leonard, Canadian vocalist extraordinaire, is my special guest. Sue’s had an illustrious career. Known first as a session singer, you've probably heard her work before. She traveled in k.d.’s lang’s band on a couple of world tours, and was the backing vocalist on the legendary 1992 hit Constant Craving. We’ll hear an amusing and amazing story about how she got the nod to sing on what has to be one of my favorite “grown-up” songs of that era. She's also sung with Bon Jovi and Bruce Willis(!), and knows everybody who’s anybody in Canadian music. I first caught wind of her talent last year with the “Bend” album, which showcases some powerful jazzy and bluesy vocals. She phrases like a jazzer and belts like a blueser (if that’s a word. If not--it is now!) But Sue’s versatility can be found in her love for all forms of music. She’d been singing all types of music from an early age, and later on, started writing. Nowadays, songs flow into her head during the course of everyday life. She captures them, then interprets what she hears into whatever genre best delivers the goods--whether it’s blues, folk, or even bluegrass. I was able to catch up with her for a lively Skype chat while she was in Hamilton, Ontario. Although always on the go, Sue was able to sit still for 30 minutes and hang with me. We'll hear some great stories, as well as her jazzy, bluesy vocals. All in all, a great birthday present for me! Thanks, Sue! www.sueleonard.ca Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 Maxi Dunn - Tangled Tree Jet Electro - Walter Cronkite Man or Mouse - Jackson Onward Chariots - War Hero Bud Rogers - Caught In A Wheel Beth Thornley - You're So Pony Jointpop - Please Don't Tell My Inlaws...I'm An Outlaw Sue Leonard Interview Sue Leonard – Drift Away Sue Leonard – Without You Sue Leonard – Dig Down Deep Duncan Faure - Nightfall Sarah Stanley - When I Lose My Heart Laurie Larson - Endless Thank You Loop Colin Heppell - Stronger Than Me Poplord - Death Boomchick - Operation Imperialism Throwback Suburbia - It's You Tom Moriarty - Fire in the Dolls House Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Sarah Taylor - Easy To Forget Vegas With Randolph - The Better Part Laurie Biagini - Head In The Sand Three Minute Tease - Thanks for Lifting My Leg Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul Corner Laughers - You Two

21.02.12 California Diner - 'Fresno Rocks!'

For some time now, I’ve been alluding to a musical mecca in California’s Central Valley, known as Fresno. It’s nearly a three hour drive south of where I sit in Sacramento. Most people don’t give Fresno its due--it’s inland, and it’s a bit out of the mainstream. When outsiders talk of California--they’re thinking of Los Angeles and visualizing San Diego. If you mention San Francisco, you get an “oh yeah--that’s right, San Francisco”. Try mentioning Sacramento--you get something like “oh--that’s part of California, isn’t it?”. And poor Fresno--if they even got “oh--that’s part of California, isn’t it?”--that would be an improvement. Well I’m here to tell you that Fresno looms large on the musical map. More than once, I’ve found myself playing two or three Fresno artists on a California Diner episode. Well this week, we go all out and play seven(!) different Fresno artists. Some originally from Fresno, but have moved on to other music scenes. Others who continue to rock Fresno. Either way, that should pretty much seal the deal--Fresno rocks! A couple of Recharged Radio debuts come our way this week. Poplord has an album out called “Poplord vs the Universe”, and it’s a good one. These guys roam everwhere from power pop to grownup adult pop, and Tom Magill leads them to some pretty great musical highs. www.myspace.com/poplord Also from the Poplord camp comes Jet Electro--led by Poplord’s Craig Daniel, with an eponymous debut album. This one travels the Americana and power pop roads, and has some amazing hooks to, well, hook you in! Some of the stalwarts of the Fresno scene join forces to help out on this effort. www.jetelectro.net We’ll also hear from California Diner mainstays Blake Jones & The Trike Shop (“mad pop”) and Sparklejet (intellectual hard rock), who continue to keep the Fresno arts scene vibrant. Kat Jones, she formerly of Fresno, now of Portland, checks in with her velvety alto. We’ll play a new track from the legendary Debora Iyall, she of Romeo Void fame, with a cover of one of her solo songs from last year. She takes a moody song and adds to the atmosphere, with a surprise rock ending. She rose to fame in San Francisco, but grew up in Fresno. www.blakejonesmusic.com www.myspace.com/sparklejet www.katjonesmusic.com www.deboraiyall.com And last, but certainly not least, is Rich McCulley. He started in Sparklejet over a decade ago, but moved on to make a name for himself in the vibrant Los Angeles Americana scene, not only as a singer-songwriter, but as a producer and recording engineer as well. If you hear a musical sound in Los Angeles, and it’s got a twang or a jangle, you can bet that Rich had a hand in it! www.richmcculley.com So check out these great musicians. One way or another, they all came from Fresno. Make them part of YOUR music scene! Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 Poplord - Flower Bomb The Fuegos - Against The World Kat Jones - Those Expensive Eyes Rob Bonfiglio - Blow Me Away Green Beetles - The Basement Last Breath - The Story Ends Jesus H Christ & The Four Hornsmen of The Apocalypse - I'm Around Sparklejet - Let's Behind That Place Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes Laurie Biagini - The Invisible Guy The Little Philistines - Hot Phone Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Here Comes the Bus Nushu - Synthia Baby Scream - The Last Call Winzenried - Ohio Model Society - Horizon Natalie Cortez & The Ultraviolets - Three Times Lindy LaFontaine - I Might Not Love You Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel Wim Oudijk - Love you. Period! The Well Wishers - Escape The Light Girl Muscle - My Head Spins Around Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre - E-Vill Joe Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Maxi Dunn - Messed Up Jet Electro - For Sale By Owner Anny Celsi - First Love Freezes Debora Iyall - 99 Bill Mumy - Chariots Comin' Chat with Andy from The Scratch The Scratch - Teen Idol Auditorium - The Sex Offenders Ricky Berger - Silly Boy, Goodnight

14.02.12 California Diner - 'The Twirlie Awards!'

No, it’s not the Grammy Awards show. But it is a music awards show, and it does come from the same state--California, of course! I have an annual tradition of missing the Grammy Awards show. Not because it’s a political statement; more because I’m usually not interested. Well apparently, for the first time in a long time, it appears that I really missed a great show! Heartfelt tributes to the late great Whitney Houston, who passed away so young, this past weekend. A 50th anniversary Beach Boys reunion, where three originals and two almost-originals put aside differences and made music. (And don’t forget that California Diner playlist favorite Nelson Bragg played drums in that stellar ensemble!) And in what has been making the rounds amongst music fans as perhaps one of the all time great acceptance speeches, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl reminded us what’s important about music--you could almost hear him saying “Music needs to be driven, not controlled”. I should have watched it this year. Well, I guess that’s why the good Lord invented YouTube, isn’t it? Every year, I do a little awards show of my own on my other show, Twirl Radio. It’s called the Twirlie Awards, and it’s a celebration of some of the top indie music to grace my playlists during the prior year. We honor such categories as Album and Song of the Year, Male and Female Vocalists of the Year, Best Songwriting, etc. And the great thing is that all these artists being honored have been played frequently right here on Recharged Radio’s California Diner, so it’s completely appropriate that I share this event with you. What better time to share the love than on Valentine’s Day? Why not--these great indie musicians have given us the gift of great music all year long, so the least we can do is pass out some awards. We’ll start off by visiting with San Francisco Bay Area musician Kate Burkart, as sort of a warmup for the festivities. And then the awards will fly, fast and furious. So much so that I’ll need help from my co-host, Amber “Waitress Shirley” Alexander, and three tough guy accountants who keep us honest. Don’t miss it. Because unlike the Grammies, this won’t be on YouTube anytime soon. Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 Album of the Year Maxi Dunn, for her album The Neglected Gambit Album of the Year Runner up Vegas With Randolph, for their album Above The Blue Song of the Year The Whiskey Saints, for their song Every Little Thing Song of the Year Runner up Blake Jones and Tom Magill, for their song Life Turns On A Dime Female Vocalist of the Year Emily Zuzik Male Vocalist of the Year Bud Rogers Ear Candy Laurie Biagini, for her album A Go-Go Girl In A Modern World Best Debut Album The Big I Am, for their album Collecting Skies Best Songwriting Sal Valentino/John Blakeley, for Sal’s album Dreamin’ Man Producer of the Year (tie) Peter Hackett, for Maxi Dunn’s album The Neglected Gambit Producer of the Year (tie) Wim Oudijk, for The Big I Am’s album Collecting Skies Best Line In A Song Juan Mazzola of Baby Scream, for his song The Last Call. The line was “I wouldn’t care about tomorrow, tomorrow never cared for me.” “I shouldn’t care about your sorrow, sorrow never cared for me.” I’m a little disappointed with you….” Best Interview, phone Duncan Faure (former Bay City Roller, now solo artist), 3/12/2011 Best Interview, in-studio Blake Jones & The Trike Shop, 10/22/2011 Best Live Session Skip Heller and Debora Iyall, Shine Cafe, Sacramento, 10/29/2011 Best Rock And Roll Moment 1. Japan Radiothon 2011 2. Writing liner notes for Above The Blue by Vegas With Randolph 3. Getting to hear sneak preview of Debora Iyall’s remake of her Romeo Void song A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)–on her Ipod 4. Reaching 500th show in May 5. Emceeing for the Corner Laughers at their Sacramento gig Top Albums of 2011: 1. Maxi Dunn – The Neglected Gambit 2. Vegas With Randolph – Above The Blue 3. The Big I Am – Collecting Skies 4. The Handcuffs – Waiting For The Robot 5. Bud Rogers – Whiteout 6. Baby Scream – Secret Place 7. Emily Zuzik Band – The Wild Joys Of Living 8. Bill Mumy – Until The Big Bang Whimpers 9. The Whiskey Saints – 24 Hours 10. Anton Barbeau – Psychedelic Mynde Of Moses Top Songs of 2011: 1. The Whiskey Saints – Every Little Thing 2. Blake Jones & Tom Magill – Life Turns On A Dime 3. Braam – Burlington Northern 4. The Big I Am – Collecting Skies 5. Maxi Dunn – Make It Better 6. Mad Mush – Silent Snowfall 7. Scott Brookman – The Man From Operations 8. Popdudes – Desperation Time 9. Rob Swanson/Dennis Holseybrook – Rust 10. Agony Aunts – Me Being Maximum 11. John York and Kim Fowley – Angels And Trucks 12. Laurie Biagini – My Little SUV 13. Cult Of Wedge – The Birds and the Bees and Jaime 14. Anton Barbeau – Skunk Hungarian 15. Ben Swidenbank – Leave That Animal Behind 16. Baby Scream – The Last Call 17. The Scratch – Homely Crackle 18. The Britannicas – Bleed Between The Lines 19. Joe Symes – Lost Along The Way 20. Lannie Flowers – Turn Up Your Radio

07.02.12 California Diner - 'Pure Pop Goodness from California!'

Being here in California, one sure can get spoiled. And I don’t just mean the good weather, the forward-thinking vibe, or the proximity to great hamburgers and Mexican food. I’m talking about the music. So many genres right here, and so many great bands to listen to. This week, we’ll narrow it down a bit and focus on pure pop music. We’re debuting the Well Wishers on the show this week. Absolutely pure jangle pop goodness from San Francisco. Jeff Shelton, the mastermind of the band, was kind enough to somehow find me and send me the new CD, “Dreaming of the West Coast”. And it’s a beaut. The opening track has that early R.E.M. jangle, but without the mysterious vocals. Great harmonies, and uplifting sound, this album’s gonna get noticed! thewellwishers.bandcamp.com/album/dreaming-of-the-west-coast Northern Californian Tom Alford is no stranger to these playlists. His brand of guitar pop has roots in the 1960’s, but it’s informed by the alternative sounds of the 1990’s. In other words, it’s warm, jangly pop with intelligent lyrics and just enough quirkiness to liven up our musical menu. We’ll hear a track off of one of our top albums of 2009, Tom’s “Second Foundation”. www.cdbaby.com/cd/talford/from/absolutepowerpop So you think power pop is just for the guys? You’ve never met NUSHU. Hillary Burton and Lisa Mychols are based in the Los Angeles area, and this amazing duo writes all the songs, plays all the instruments, and trades off on lead and harmony vocals. And wow, those sweet harmonies. The songs are melodic, yet crunchy. Visualize the Go-Go’s on steroids. And here in the 21st century, a great way to get your music out there is through gaming platforms, and one of their songs was wisely added to Rock Band® for XBox 360. Pretty cool, huh? We’ll play a track from their impressive 2010 album “Hula” on the show. www.nushumusic.com Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 Kitty & The Lost Boys - Rushing To My Side The Well Wishers - Esacape The Light Laurie Biagini - The California Quake Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) Melissa Phillips - So Young Vinnie Zummo - Homicidal The Handcuffs - Everybody Waves Hello Jay Fraser - That's How We Roll The Taters - Such A Good Day June & The Exit Wounds - Hey Hey Hey 50ft Woman - Ultra Violet Tom Alford - Wasp Lands On Sunflower The Whiskey Saints - Before My Time William Cleere and the Marvelous Fellas - Labor Day Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Maple Mars - Big Imagination Sparklejet - The Comeback The Ks - Little Plaything Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Freakish Atlantic - Esther Sound Sessions - Baby's Just An Avatar Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? The Clutter Family - Artist In The Office Nelson Bragg - Forever Days M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - Try Throwback Suburbia - Give And Take Lindy LaFontaine (with Kyro) - Haunted The Mike Brown Band - Pay Volary - Blackbird Fly Vegas With Randolph - Some Time To Live

31.01.12 California Diner - 'Hey--I Know You!'

Way back in the old days, when I was a fledgling Recharged Radio presenter, I was a bit unsure how to proceed. I mean, yeah, I’d been doing radio for over 10 years, on and off. (And really, my whole life, if you count those geeky moments in front of a mirror with a cassette player or turntable, and a fake microphone. Okay, don’t count those years--we all have our youthful indiscretions, don’t we?) When I jumped on board the fast-moving train called Recharged Radio, there were only a few shows on at the time, and I needed some examples of what to do to make my show fit in, while trying to remain distinctive. Sure, I had the American accent, which is pretty novel on our station. But I was born with that, and it really didn’t take a lot of effort to perfect it. Not that’s it’s perfect, but it’s mine. But I was looking for guidance. So I turned to our flagship show, the Forum, on Friday nights. Among its features I found that each show had a named theme. I thought: “Astounding! These guys come up with something new each week!” So I figured I’d give it a try, but I knew the fresh and original themes would simply have to dry up after a few weeks, right? Much to my surprise, I’ve been able to come up with a new theme every week for the last 109 shows. And I realized that I don’t write the themes. The themes write me. Seriously, I don’t produce a show knowing exactly what’s going to happen. I just know that I’ll be playing about 30 or so great indie songs, and some kind of theme emerges--often, after the playlist is put together. And yep, this one wrote itself. Looking at the playlist of 32 songs this week, I realized that I’ve interviewed nearly half of the artists on my shows at some point. There are several more on the list who I know personally, and will get on the show as soon as possible. And that’s the beauty of indie rockers--they want to be here every bit as much as I do. While I don’t have an interview this week, it’s gratifying to know that I know so many of these wonderful musicians personally. I think that’s the strong suit of the DIY indie ethic--these folks are real people--and at the same time--great artists--oftentimes more enjoyable to listen to than the well-known musicians. Among those great indie musicians who we’ve met before, and made the playlist this week are legendary London-based psychedelic musician Peter Daltrey, Washington, D.C. power pop giants Vegas With Randolph, North Carolina ukebilly pioneers Mad Tea, Sacramento-based popster Adrian Bourgeois, and (San Francisco) Bay Area Americana chanteuse Kate Burkart. And so many more--check ‘em all out! www.gragroup.com/daltrey.html www.reverbnation.com/vegaswithrandolph themadtea.wordpress.com www.adrianbourgeois.com www.kateburkart.com Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 Heiskell - Your Touch Wonderboy - Tracy Young Vegas With Randolph - Supergirl Model Society - Horizon The Scratch - Alcohol's A Depressant Sexfresh - Dilemma Bud Rogers - Santa Monica Sunshine Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Adrian Bourgeois - Mr. Imaginary Friend Anita Maj - Playtime Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up Maxi Dunn - Make It Better Three Minute Tease - Love Is Onion Joe Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air Maple Mars - Borrowed Sunshine Chancellorpink - Chancellor Pink Roman Foot Soldiers - Waterfront Snow Byrds - Master Of Ceremonies Laurie Biagini - Head In The Sand Duncan Faure - Where Is The Music Throwback Suburbia - Caroline Braam - Burlington Northern Jointpop - Monday Morning Love Situation Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Alizee Baby Scream - Secret Place Kate Burkart - Cross The Street Cult Of Wedge - Malevolent Black Snow Onward Chariots - Seven Miles Away The Vertigos - Rubix Terese Taylor - Hermit Mad Tea Party - Found A Reason

24.01.12 California Diner - 'New, Newer, Newest!'

The California Diner, and Recharged Radio in general, are all about the newest independent music. So how new is “new enough” for you? I’ll give you a few examples, and you tell me. Cult of Wedge is the solo recording project of Peter Hackett, he of Rowley Regis, UK. Every so often, he disappears into his musical bunker, and does mysterious things down there, not to be seen again until a masterpiece emerges. If asked to describe the Cult of Wedge sound, Pete will tell you “A bit like a car crash involving members of E.L.O, Genesis, Human League, Kraftwerk, Motorhead and Yes. With John Shaft and Starsky and Hutch being the first on the scene, with Beck and Air driving the ambulances”! I think that pretty much sums it up. Pete’s released some nifty original singles and some choice, deconstructed covers (a more electronic version of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” and a really somber, intense version of Bryan Adam’s “Summer of ‘69), and he’s done magnificent production work on Maxi Dunn’s albums. A couple of months ago, he released the debut Cult of Wedge album, “Tape Recorders Changed Everything”. And we’ll sample one of his new songs on this week’s show. www.reverbnation.com/cultofwedge Even newer than that would be the new album by Portland, Oregon band Throwback Suburbia. Shot Glass Souvenir came out this month, January 14th, and it is a power pop masterpiece. Hooks aplenty adorn this album. Every song sparkles, and the whole album makes you feel better about the state of rock and roll. Each song presents a new sonic possibility. You absolutely have to hear this music--it’s one of my favorite albums to hit my inbox in a long time. www.throwbacksuburbia.com This next music is so new, it’s not even out yet! And this one is so meaningful to we jockeys of Recharged Radio. Spencer Berger, the magnificent vocalist known to the world as Auditorium, has been a part of our playlists since prehistoric times--back in 2009, when Recharged was a fledgling station without a Chef Mike! We’ve thrilled to this operatically-trained singer, with the unique, quirky and fun songs and multi-layered vocals. One Spencer Berger is great, several are even better! So he’s putting out a new EP, Nights Worth Living on February 28th. You should preorder this one as soon as you can--it’s cheap, and it will help satisfy your need for some more tuneage from the vocalist’s vocalist. auditorium.bandcamp.com/ Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! 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 Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams Throwback Suburbia - Sinking Feeling Emily Zuzik Band - Motels Jimmy Catlett - 3.0 The Little Philistines - Hot Phone Maxi Dunn - Weather Warning Bud Rogers - Caught In A Wheel The Handcuffs - This is a Test Auditorium - The Sex Offenders The Ks - Little Plaything The Shindig Addicts - Not Long Now Joey Oskys - Here In This Town Tina Lie - Twilight Hour Braam - Mama I'm Scared Kyro (with Lindy LaFontaine) - This Too, In Time, Shall Pass Uncle Meat and the Highway Children - Long Gone Mobile Bill Mumy - Take Us Home M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - Try Weird Shapes - Blue Sky at Night Beth Thornley - A to Z Three Minute Tease - Thanks for Lifting My Leg Maple Mars - Citizen Roger Rob One - Flames Laurie Biagini - The California Quake Dylan Walshe - Your Belly Not Mine The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore Man or Mouse - Jackson Fortune Dwellers - Keep It Simple Cult of Wedge - The Birds and the Bees and Jaime Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Who'

17.01.12 California Diner - 'Anton Barbeau Interview!'

Here’s a quick California Diner trivia question for you: how many people have been interviewed in both the London AND the Sacramento studios of Recharged Radio? If you guessed four, you’re right! And for extra bonus points--how many people have been interviewed in both of those studios TWICE? That leaves only one, this week’s special guest, Anton Barbeau! The well-traveled Mr. Barbeau is a prolific singer/songwriter who was born and raised right here in Sacramento, California. He then moved to the UK, spent enough time there to create an international following, hook up with Robyn Hitchcock’s former band The Egyptians--Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor--and form a band with them--Three Minute Tease! Can you imagine having a musical idol’s band of yours become your band? A dream come true. A couple of other noteworthy things that happened for Anton while in the UK: he opened a couple of gigs for another of his musical idols, Julian Cope, and got to hang with the Drude himself. No kidding, this kind of stuff just happens to him. And he’s been on our flagship show, Friday night’s The Forum a couple of times as well. He got to be one of the pundits in the box. He also played at our Brighton festival last summer as well. And now another dream comes true--he’s living in what he’s always considered to be a cool city--Berlin. Yet another music scene to conquer. It’ll make the commute a bit longer to get to the Recharged studios, but I have a feeling that won’t be an issue. Hey--he’s commuted over 5,000 miles to visit here! And speaking of that last visit--he appeared on a few local radio shows, played a boatload of sold out gigs here and in San Francisco, including a couple with the Corner Laughers. (That’s the rest of the answer to the trivia question: Karla, Khoi, and Charlie have also visited both our Sacramento and London studios.) So what does Anton sound like? Well, certainly, he’s got that Robyn Hitchcock eccentric feel, and having the bassist and drummer from the Egyptians reinforces that. He’s always had a bit of that sound, and the occasional psychedelic touch as well. But he’s one of the most original artists I’ve ever heard. He’s got his own voice, and killer pop hooks most songwriters would give an extremity for. And what a way with words. You’ve just got to hear him. And I did mention prolific before, didn’t I? In the last two years that I’ve been playing his stuff on the radio, he’s sent me 4 or 5 original albums. I asked him point blank how many albums he’s made in his career, and at best count, it’s upwards of 15. This guy can’t help but create--it’s his passion. Give a listen to the interview. We’ll hear several of his songs, and some great tales from the road. And for God sakes, buy some of his albums. Support him, and make yourself happy. These will be some of the most fun and interesting albums in your collection! www.antonbarbeau.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. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Blake Jones and Tom Magill - Life Turns On A Dime Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) The Scratch - Homely Crackle Anny Celsi - Tangle-Free World Bill Mumy - I Owe A Little Money Laurie Biagini - The Heart Of The Song Popdudes - Desperation Time Sound Sessions - Baby's Just An Avatar Anton Barbeau Interview Anton Barbeau – Love Is Onion Anton Barbeau/Allyson Seconds – If I Could Bring You Trouble Anton Barbeau – Queen Of Apples Anton Barbeau – Boat Called Home Maxi Dunn - Messed Up Maple Mars - Beautiful Mess Throwback Suburbia - Caroline Note To Self: Don't Die! - Hell Auditorium - Karaoke Freight Train Lindy LaFontaine - I Might Not Love You Sal Valentino - Lovin' Fallin' The Damnwells - No One Listens To The Band Anymore Sarah Taylor - Easy To Forget Sparklejet - Clever Personality The Clutter Family - Artist In The Office Skip Heller - The Man I Used To Be Little Guilt Shrine - What I'm Thinking Peter Daltrey and Damien Youth - Blue Girl Eyes Rob Swanson - Oh No! Ricky Berger - Silly Boy, Goodnight Tom Alford - Shiloh

10.01.12 California Diner - 'Hello 2012!'

The last year on the Mayan calendar, 2012, is here! Doom and gloom, you say? No way! You just need to take a minute, and think logically about the rest of the story. Let’s see, the great and mighty Mayan civilization flourished a very long time ago, in what we moderns refer to as “ancient history”. They created this calendar on a stone tablet, which was supposed to last for 5,126 years. Guess what? The last date on this rather heavy day planner is December 21, 2012. So if you haven’t gone digital, and you’re still using a day planner, what do you do when your calendar is about to run out? You simply run to the stationery store and buy the next one. So I went to my nearby Mayan stationery store, and picked up the refill. Well, I didn’t really pick it up--as heavy as it was, I rolled it home. But the good news is that after December 21st, we’ve got another 5,126 years until we have to buy the next refill. (But just in case we don’t, I’m pre-recording my January 2013 shows!) Okay, that tells me I’d better stick to what I know! I’m excited that we’re embarking upon another new year, and that means more great music is coming your way. We’ll hear some old and new, as this time of year usually has me looking in both directions. We’ll reach into the vaults and pull out a gem from Maxi Dunn’s debut album that we haven’t spun in a while. Something from amazing Canadian vocalist/songwriter Rose Reiter that came out over a decade ago, and sounds fresher than ever. And as for new? Well, brand new tracks from Skip Heller and Bud Rogers. Your last chance to vote for a certain Whiskey Saints song for Pete Renzullo’s “That Time Of The Month” competition. maxidunn.info rosereiter.com skipheller.com reverbnation.com/budrogers thewhiskeysaints.com Oh--and just one more thing--but it’s a biggie. I am pleased to announce that starting this week, I will be sharing my Tuesday night airwaves with a BRAND NEW show! It’ll come on at 10:00 p.m. GMT, and it’s called Sound of the Suburbs. And not only that, but it’s hosted by: Andy Scratch and John “Vintage” Viney of THE SCRATCH! Yep--the wild D.I.Y. guys from Hertfordshire. And their mission is to play only three kinds of music: old, new, and future! So yeah, basically no rules. We can dig this. 4 hours of musical anarchy on Tuesday nights. No grownups in the room! And I’m so pleased and excited to be opening for these guys, I just can’t stand it! Give them a warm Recharged Radio welcome, will ya? thescratch.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. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Maxi Dunn - How Was I To Know? Skip Heller - Fools Like Me The Fuegos - Against The World Sexfresh - Love Ration Karim Fanous - Thin Bits Agony Aunts - Me Being Maximum M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - If You Want Me To Anton Barbeau - MTV Song Tom Alford - Yes It's You The Handcuffs - Baby I Love You Vinnie Zummo - John Lennon Bud Rogers - Slave To Passion Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Duncan Faure - Nightfall Rose Reiter - Where You Are Nelson Bragg - Tell Me I'm Wrong Hail The Size - I Can't Die In L.A. Braam - Way Away Brave Chandeliers - Madmen Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing The Smith Bros - Kerrie Anne The Big I Am - Better Days The Decibels - That's When Happiness Began Baby Scream - Hit And Run Auditorium - I'm the Enforcer Soundserif - John Titor or the Time Traveler Lindy LaFontaine - Free To Breathe Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Peter Mayer - The Marrying Kind Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel Sarah Stanley - When I Lose My Heart