Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Tav Falco Got A Late Start” The legendary Tav Falco is our guest this week and mid-way through the interview he confesses that he got a late start in life. Well, he’s sure made up for it. Not only is Tav Falco one of the most enigmatic and authentic musicians out there, it's hard to think of a bigger champion of underground music, art and literature in the modern age. A musician, photographer, historian, and filmmaker, Falco is a true American original. What’s he like? Imagine if Harry Dean Stanton was cast in a biopic about Gene Vincent and the film was directed by David Lynch. Tav sits down with Alex and gives him the scoop on his new record. He also talks about his friendships with Alex Chilton and Lux Interior of The Cramps, the psychology of David Bowie and how to avoid self parody. Tav is an authentic and unique artist and this conversation is a studied chat about art, history and how to keep the danger and the romance alive in music.

Brennan Hester Terrorized Peter Murphy While on tour with his band The Sextants in the early 90s, Brennan Hester and his bandmates kept running into Peter Murphy. So they did what any band would do when staring down the Goth legend: they kept slapping Sextants stickers on his tourbus. Brennan tells Alex about running into Peter Murphy in a speedo, opening for Jane’s Addiction, his disdain for Morrissey and working at the Fillmore and drinking dusty booze left over from the ‘70s. “We just siphoned off the flies with a funnel,” he says. Hester also talks to Alex about being on the same record label as Kylie Minogue and Henry Rollins, the demise of The Sextants and his first solo album Tell Me Where You Are Today. Alex also reveals he's the one who invented podcasting and Brennan claims to have invented Shazam...

"Joachim Cooder Could Hear His Daughter’s Voice While He Was Underwater" An avid swimmer, Joachim Cooder found that after his daughter was born three years ago, he thought he heard her voice underwater when he was swimming laps. Now a father of two, it’s not just the sounds of his kids’ voices that Cooder hears and his new EP Fuchsia Machu Pichu is a testament to the sonic elements that Cooder hears transmitted from the world-at-large. A stunning seven song effort of gliding rhythms, stirring percussion, and organic grooves, Cooder’s new EP is a family affair that includes guest appearances by his father Ry Cooder, his wife Juliette Commagere and his brother-in-law Robert Francis. Joachim talks to Alex about fatherhood, the elusive songwriting process, playing Jim Keltner’s drums and temporarily naming his newborn son Snackpack. They also both confess to losing track of time while living in a state with no weather...

“David Klotz Nursed His Broken Heart With Vintage Synthesizers” A few years ago David Klotz had two heartbreaks going on at once: the break-up of his band, (the critically acclaimed sepia pop outfit Fonda)and the break-up of his marriage. And it turned out that both events were intertwined, as Klotz was married to Fonda singer/keyboardist Emily Cook. So David Klotz did what anyone would do in this situation: he began collecting vintage synthesizers. While amassing an arsenal that included a Roland Jupiter 4, a Crumar Performer and a Korg Rhythm 55-B, Klotz met singer/songwriter Erica Elektra. The two found they shared a love of The Human League and OMD and from there, Dream System 8 was born. Klotz, who is an Emmy-Award winning Music Editor (“Stranger Things,” “Game Of Thrones”) talks to Alex about finding a musical partner whose tireless work ethic rivals his own. He also talks about My Bloody Valentine, raising his son in a digital age and why he doesn’t write when he’s heartbroken.

Xavier Boyer Cut His Date Short On Valentine’s Day How nice of a guy is Xavier Boyer? So nice that not only did he agree to talk to Alex on Valentine’s Day, he cut his dinner date short with his girlfriend to do it. While she lounged at the restaurant where they’d been eating, Xavier climbed into his car and chatted with Alex about his solo album Some/Any/New. They also talked about Tame Impala, chasing after pop songs, healthy artistic competition, the current state of Tahiti 80 and where Xavier stands on Phoenix. Charming, friendly and honest, Xavier Boyer is truly one of pop music’s good ones...

“Wendy James Has Always Been Ferociously Independent" Growing up in London, Wendy James always had to fend for herself. Her home life was emotionally bereft and the young James was often left to her own devices. Streetwise, independent and unfailingly self-reliant, James learned early on that the only person she could truly count on was herself. Right in the middle of recording her new solo album Queen High Straight, the former Transvision Vamp singer talks to Alex about her love of Bob Dylan, the importance of her fans and how to remain artistically vital after thirty years in the business.

“Elizabeth Nelson Got Depressed A Week Early” Elizabeth Nelson thought daylight savings was a week before it was actually set to take place. So, the singer of the Paranoid Style tells Alex, she got depressed about the waning light a week earlier than she needed to be. But being in the D.C. outfit the Paranoid Style is nothing to be depressed about. Redolent with thorny takes on the modern world, politics and relationships, the band sounds like Naomi Klein fronting the Attractions. Signed to Bar/None,The Paranoid Style some of the sharpest, catchiest and most literate music around. Nelson talked to Alex about They Might Be Giants, growing up in Long Island and how Bob Seger claps...

"Ben Vaughn Loved Music So Much, He Didn’t Care If He Made Money Doing It" Growing up, Ben Vaughn loved music so much he didn’t care if he made money doing it. In fact, he figured he wouldn’t ever make money doing it. He committed himself to the creative life, followed his own artistic impulses, toured with his band and kept making records. In 1995 with grunge still dominating the charts and Britpop ascending, Vaughn did the only logical thing a musician could do: he made an instrumental album. Although on the face of it, it was the least commercially viable thing he could have done, it turned out that it was THE most commercially viable thing he’d ever done. He explains how Instrumental Stylings changed his fortunes and launched his career into a whole new stratosphere. Ben also talks about Van Morrison, The Gun Club and sharing a van with the Dead Milkmen. Also, he and Alex re-write “Marrakesh Express” and Ben remembers signing a poster for Alex when he was a 17 year old punk. Alex was the punk, by the wa

"Bianca Marais Used To Watch Diff’rent Strokes" For anyone in America who grew up in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, the above headline probably doesn't seem like a very big deal. But for the South African-born author Bianca Marais, it was a very big deal, indeed. Contorting the antenna of her television into the lock-picking bunny ears format, Bianca was able to beam in a station that was broadcasting American sitcoms like “The Jeffersons” and “Diff’rent Strokes.” The experience was the first time Bianca saw black people who weren’t repressed and it marked the beginning not only of a new racial understanding but an organic deprogramming from the institutional racism South Africa tried to instill in its citizens. Bianca talks about how her debut novel Hum If You Don’t Know The Words was received in South Africa, the intricate censorship of her home country and when she first heard hip-hop. We also talk about sea monkeys, Laura Branigan and whether or not South Africans can control the weather… (www.biancamarais.c

“Terra Lightfoot Is Terrible At Kiss Pinball” Well, who isn’t? Terra tells Alex she’s never been any good at playing Kiss pinball, but she needn’t worry, because she’s super good at playing music. The Canadian singer/guitarist’s new album New Mistakes is a scorching set of soulful stomp, ragged roots rock and bluesy thunder, all played with sincerity and heart. Terra talks to Alex about taking up Cello as an adult, having never seen the Blues Brothers and the in-fighting in the artisanal bracelet industry. Along the way they also talk about punk rock, haircuts and high school clothes…Alex and Terra sound like two people who’ve known each other for years, making this one of our most entertaining episodes yet.

"Mark Bryan Is Finally Using His College Degree" Almost 30 years after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, singer/songwriter Mark Bryan is finally putting that degree to good use as host of the Emmy Award-winning program "Live At The Charleston Music Hall." Bryan, who also created the show, tells Alex about how the process from conception to inception took about five years. He also talks about his new solo album Songs Of The Fortnight, what it's like to teach college and his love of Scruffy The Cat. He also spills some of the beans about the new Hootie and the Blowfish album that’s in the works…

"Colin Moulding Tells Me What His Favorite XTC Album Is" He really does. But the former XTC bassist tells me a lot more than that. He details his return to pop music as one half of the band TC&I, an outfit he’s formed with ex-XTC drummer Terry Chambers. And he doesn’t stop there. Moulding talks about XTC and the current state of his relationship with Andy Partridge, he offers a warning for younger bands and he enumerates how Paul McCartney’s bass playing on Revolver was...cheeky.

“Alison Moyet Is Middle Aged Creative Woman” And she wants you to know it. Alex sits down with the legendary Alison Moyet who talks to him about getting older in an industry that covets youth and beauty. “I don’t want to pretend I’m anything but middle aged,” she says. “I hate to see women being de-valued when they move beyond being shag-worthy.” It’s an empowering conversation that encompasses Alison’s last two releases—2013’s The Minutes and 2017’s Other—and how it gets easier to say no as we get older. "Daniel McAuley Never Knew He Could Sing” But boy, can he! The Dublin-based band Cloud Castle Lake have in their frontman Daniel McAuley a voice that falls somewhere between Thom Yorke and Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis, but it also soars mightily in its own unique way. The funny thing is, McAuley never knew he could sing and actually found out about it by accident. He talks to Alex about discovering his hidden superpower and learning how to hone it.

"Ben Jaffe Makes Me Guess How Old His Dad Is" Ben Jaffe may have grown up with a father who was a bit older than the other dads, but his record collection was far more comprehensive and it gave the younger Jaffe a wider musical palette to draw from. Raised on Art Blakey, classical music and blues, Jaffe’s wide array of tastes are all over his new album Oh, Wild Ocean Of Love. The honey honey guitarists’ solo debut will be out in early 2018, but he shares two new tracks from the record that are featured on today’s show. Alex and Ben talk about L.A. Confidential, Caleb Carr, Paul Simon and how having curiosity can push us artistically.

Inara George Doesn’t Know What’s In Weird Al’s Heart But then again, none of us do. Singer/songwriter Inara George sits down with Alex Green for a candid chat about youth, why it’s hard to make friends when you’re older and Weird Al. That’s right. Weird Al. Inara tells Alex her kids prefer Weird Al over their mom’s music. When Alex says he hopes Weird Al records an album of heartfelt acoustic ballads, Inara says she’d listen to it because after all these years we have no idea what’s in Weird Al’s heart. However, one listen to Inara’s new album Dearest Everybody, and you’ll know exactly what’s in hers.

“New Tales To Tell” It’s true. The drummer of the legendary band Bauhaus had pretty much put down his sticks for almost eight years before deciding to pick them up again and join forces with his old Bauhaus/Tones On Tail bandmate Daniel Ash and Kevin’s daughter Diva on bass under the moniker Poptone. Kevin talks to Alex about growing up in Northampton, the cruelty of the British press and the state of his relationship with former Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy. Kevin also talks about how his new book Bauhaus Undead: The Visual History And Legacy Of Bauhaus had to literally rise from the dead to get published.

“Hearing Your Wins And Your Losses” Our guest this week is Bradley Skaught, the lead singer of Oakland’s The Bye Bye Blackbirds. Erudite, gracious and humble, Bradley is not only one of the most literate songwriters around, he’s one hell of a nice guy. Bradley talks to Alex about Wallace Stevens, Bob Dylan and the enduring power of art. He also tells Alex that when he listens to the ‘Blackbirds’ new album he can hear the arguments that he won and the arguments that he lost with his producer Scott Evans.

“Mark Olson Just Wants To Go Fishing” Mark Olson cooks up his organic rootsy compositions at home in Joshua Tree and he hand delivers the goods to audiences all over the world. The former Jayhawks singer/songwriter along with his wife, the multi-talented musician Ingunn Ringvold, were in the midst of touring their new album Spokeswoman of the Bright Sun throughout the Netherlands when we had this chat. During our interview Olson went from a festival to a cab to a hostel and he never missed a beat. He talked about coming to California when he was 14, collaborating with his wife and how he’d really like to go fishing...

"Danny O’Reilly Has His Doubts" The Coronas are not only just about the biggest band in Ireland, they’re fast becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. But with a brand new album (Trust The Wire) that’s hit #1, a series of sold-out shows across the globe and millions of adoring fans, frontman Danny O’Reilly talks about how even at the height of his success, he still struggles with self-doubt. But he explains how that doubt can be a motivating factor to get better and better.

“Louise Goffin Makes A Lot Of Cooking Analogies” Louise Goffin has spent virtually her entire life in the music business. She got her start singing on her mom’s albums in the early 70s and from there she launched her own solo career. Not only that, but she’s proven to be a powerhouse of a session musician, playing banjo with Bryan Ferry and touring as the guitarist for Tears For Fears. When Goffin sat down with Alex Green the conversation quickly shifted into a studied and expansive craft talk about the nuances of songwriting. To illustrate her points, Goffin used several cooking analogies—see if you can catch them all!