Stereo Embers: The Podcast

Magic Dick Has Epiphanies Every Day Even though he’s considered to be one of the greatest living practitioners of the harmonica, Magic Dick never stops practicing. As a result of his tireless work ethic, the Connecticut-born musician tells Alex he has two to three epiphanies every day. A few years ago the former J. Geils Band member teamed up with guitar virtuoso Shun Ng and the two formed an acoustic duo. Creatively inspired by Ng, Dick found that he had a lot more to say on the harmonica. In a revealing and focused conversation, Dick talks to Alex about forsaking a career in science, not picking up the harmonica until college and why Bob Dylan is so special. He also gives advice to young musicians and explains why after five decades in music, he’s at the height of his powers.

"Joy Lenz Didn’t Always Love Cats" You might know Joy Lenz from shows like “One Tree Hill” and “Guiding Light” and “Colony” but on this podcast we learn a lot about the actress that you may not have known. Joy tells Alex about discovering she had a four octave singing voice, writing a musical based on the life of “Pocahontas” and how she didn’t used to love cats but she sure does now. This special mini-edition of Stereo Embers: The Podcast is to promote the one night only CATstravaganza featuring Hamilton’s Cats! The fundraiser and celebrity musical will feature live music by Olive&Ollie, magic by the Fantastic Fig and his cat Newton, $20,000 of prizes, a decadent party with open bar and live celebrity performances in an all new musical spoof featuring Fred Willard (Modern Family), Emily Deschanel (Bones), Wendi McClendon Covey (The Goldbergs), Mindy Sterling (Con Man), Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds), Nicole Sullivan (Black-ish), Joy Lenz (Dexter), Elaine Hendrix (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll), Carla Jimenez (The Mick), Brendan Robinson (Pretty Little Liars), Lori Alan (Sponge Bob Square Pants) Maiara Walsh (Switched at Birth), the So You Think You Can Dance Dancers and more. The Lakers’ Bonnie-Jill Laflin, the NBA’s first female scout, will host the red carpet. The event is Saturday, April 21 at the Montalban Theatre 1615 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028 For tickets: www.kittybungalow.org

“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.

"Terrorizing 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 way...