Stereo Embers: The Podcast

"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.com)

“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...