Spotlight On

This episode is a conversation between LP and Steve Kimock, once touted by Jerry Garcia as his “favorite unknown guitar player.” Now Steve is known for his guitar playing in Zero, KVHB, Bob Weir’s Kingfish, Ratdog, in addition to post-Grateful Dead ensembles including The Other Ones, Phil Lesh & Friends, and the Rhythm Devils featuring Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.   Steve Kimock has proved himself a master of fluid improvisation for over four decades, in the process inspiring music fans with his transcendent guitar speak voiced through electric, acoustic, lap and pedal steel guitars. With his multi-decade reputation as a blazing psychedelic guitarist versatile enough to touch almost all aspects of American music, Steve Kimock continues to evolve creatively as illustrated in his last two critically acclaimed records, a romantic pop collaboration in Satellite City and an experimental solo effort in Last Danger of Frost.While one can say that his genre is rock, no one niche has ever confined him. Instead, through the years, he’s explored various sounds and styles based on what’s moved him at the time, whether it’s blues or jazz; funk or folk; psychedelic or boogie; gypsy or prog-rock; traditional American or world fusion.   Threaded through this expansive and highly nuanced musical landscape is Kimock’s signature sound, the prodigious product of his ability to articulate crystal-clear tone, melody and emotion into intricately woven music crafted with technical brilliance. His passion and devotion to performing live is matchless, and his unparalleled ability to embrace and capture his audiences musically is the stuff of legend.Kimock co-founded the jazz/rock band Zero in the ‘80s and KVHW in the ‘90s; since then, he has recorded and toured in various outfits under his own name. His collaborations with assorted band mates and groups have provided an everlasting wellspring of inspiration for the guitarist, and he has shared the stage with a seemingly endless array of international musical luminaries. After more than 40 years on stage, Kimock is more committed than ever to a jubilant spirit of musical diversity — the same spirit that has fed his desire to pursue an authentic relationship with the guitar since the day he realized his calling.A musician’s musician, Kimock has also shared the stage with countless other musical luminaires such as Taj Mahal, David Lindley, Jorma Kaukonen, Hot Tuna, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers, Merl Saunders, Buddy Miles, Derek Trucks, Elvin Bishop, Grace Potter, Grace Slick, Little Feat, Nicky Hopkins, Norton Buffalo, Papa John Creach, Peter Frampton, all members of Phish, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and more.Go see Steve on the road and support his music.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to running her own business, Fiona has overseen many careers, including her time at EMI Records, where she ran marketing campaigns for Digable Planets, Gang Starr, Shara Nelson, The Solsonics, Eternal, and others.She co-owned Sub Verse Music and 3-2-1 Records, where she signed and marketed Blackalicious, MF Doom, C-Rayz Walz, Skeme Team, and more.At the parent company Zero Hour Records, she spearheaded the publicity department and ran campaigns for The Notwist, Varnarline, Swervedriver, Space Needle, Steve Wynn, John Wesley Harding, Threadwaxing Space, just to name a few.As talent booker for Joe’s Pub, she developed the highly popular Late Night Series, then went on to run the International Department at TVT Records.She also showcased and gave NY debuts to some of the hottest indie acts on the scene including Slum Village, Saian Supa Crew, Spank Rock, TTC, Loop Troop, Eternia, Timbuktu, Zion I, Atmosphere, Aloe Blacc, Swollen Members, Dub Inc, etc.Before her record Industry work, she was a radio personality in Atlanta with a widely popular urban show on WRFG 89.3FM, a party promoter, freelance publicist, and a voice-over talent.And before that: A Concert Pianist in England where she grew up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frankie Tan and Kelvin Lee join Spot Lyte On to talk about their company OraStream's end-to-end audio delivery platform that powers companies such as NAXOS, the Neil Young Archives, Primephonic and others. Curious about hi-resolution audio? We have the experts here with Frankie and Kelvin. The OraStream Service is an end-to-end audio delivery platform for a new generation of cloud music services. It works with full resolution audio recordings to deliver the highest (or any specified lower) quality of streaming audio on web and mobile music players. Audio streaming adapts automatically to network bandwidth fluctuations for uninterrupted playback on cellular and Wi-Fi networks. When bandwidth allows, music plays at full bit-perfect resolution audio quality. When bandwidth degrades, music plays at less than full resolution audio quality. The process of network-based, audio quality adaptability is dynamic and transparent to the music listener.Frankie Tan (CEO, Co-Founder & Board Director) of OraStream worked previously in venture capital investment and also held executive positions in sales, marketing and business development. He is an engineer by training. He also holds MSc degrees in Financial Management (with Distinction) University of London, UK and in Strategic Management (Dean’s Honors List) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is a graduate of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants United Kingdom, and a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).Kelvin Lee (CTO & Co-Founder) of OraStream has 16 years of industrial R&D experience in real-time embedded software and distributed computing, in areas of audio coding, computer vision, remote sensor networks and 3D visualization systems. He was instrumental in co-developing and commercializing MPEG-4 SLS at the Institute of Infocomm Research, A*STAR. Prior to co-founding OraStream, he was Senior Manager Technical Solutions in a leading interactive 3D visual content management and virtual reality software provider. Kelvin is a Singaporean and holds a M.Eng degree in Digital Signal Processing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kania, who grew up in a small town outside of Milwaukee, says she was the black sheep of her family. A child of the 1980s punk/new wave scene, her influences were people like Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel and Francesco Clemente. So it follows that her first aspiration was to be an artist. But a few semesters at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago convinced Kania she didn't have the talent to make it as a painter. Fortunately, she had a side job as a bookseller.“I can tell you, almost to the day, when I decided to go into publishing,” Kania says. She could, it turns out, get it down to the month—August 1992. That was when Donna Tartt's The Secret History came out. Kania was enthralled not only with the book but also with how it was marketed. “It was her. It was the story of her. It was Bennington. And it was the package.... When you're 21 and you're trying to figure out what your lot in life is, and you wake up and you're like, 'Oh shit, I can't paint,' you know, you panic. I decided I wanted to be a publisher. I didn't want to be anything else.”Although Kania admits she had only a vague idea of what a publisher actually did, she knew enough. She knew about Gary Fisketjon and was as enamored with writers—writers like Raymond Carver, Mark Lindquist and Jay McInerney—as she was with artists. So, with $1,200 and a one-way train ticket, Kania set out for Manhattan. “Bright lights, big city,” she quips. “You know, the whole bit.”Despite a bumpy start in the Big Apple—she was working for a computer programmer, sharing a studio with a drag queen—Kania got a lucky break when she met Michael Morrison at a friend's wedding. “I begged him for a job,” she recounts. “He hired me as his assistant in 1995, and I've been working with him ever since.”Kania's passion for her literary (and visual) idols has served her well professionally. She managed to turn Harper Perennial into a recognizable brand, in part by publishing the kind of literary fiction and nonfiction that turned her on to the business 16 years ago.And while some scoff at the notion that readers notice what's on a book's spine, Kania vehemently disagrees: “If people watch a television show because it's on HBO, if they see a movie because it's a Focus Features release, if they buy an album because it's on Sub Pop Records, then why doesn't the same go for books?”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-described as "soaring-ambient-dreampop- experimental-folk", Constant Follower is the band formed around Scottish songwriter Stephen McAll. As a teenager, McAll survived an attack by a gang that left him with a catastrophic head injury, and every memory of his childhood gone.The next decade was spent in a cabin on Scotland’s Western coastline, where he eventually began composing again. The result is a childhood imagined against a backdrop that, like the sea, is as serene as it is wild; ever- changing, yet resolute. Co-produced by McAll and renowned producer Kramer (Low, Galaxie 500, Will Oldham), their debut album ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’, was released on the legendary Shimmy Disc imprint on October 1st 2021, and has been championed by KEXP, WFMU, BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a time when the entire world is more starved of human connectivity than maybe anytime in history, Australian artist MANE has penned perfect, booming, beautiful anthems that celebrates the people that mean the most to us and the love that those relationships represent. Her breakout hit ‘Chasing Butterflies’ clocked up over 2 million streams and MANE's debut EP ‘Coping Mechanisms’ released by Dew Process/UMG Australia features lush, baroque pop production, MANE’s soaring vocals and dark, furious energy that serves to only intensify the lyrics she sings and has proven there is so much more to come. Having found national support in Australia via triple j radio and Spotify, as well as performing at festivals like Groovin’ The Moo and Spin Off alongside the likes of The Wombats, Meg Mac and Jungle Giants, MANE’s explosive indie pop and reputation continues to grow as one of the most exciting new talents in Australian music. Self-taught and inspired by the likes of Florence and the Machine, Hayley Williams, St Vincent, Lorde, MANE has spent the last few years transforming the music she makes from a pastime that brought herself pleasure, into a career that brings strength and solidarity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This book is essential for record collectors and dealers. In that hot summer of ’69 two longhaired music freaks created an underground LP record album of unreleased tracks by one of their music gods and put it out on the streets of Los Angeles. No one had ever been crazy enough to do such an audacious thing before. The god’s official record label was not amused but the music fans were thrilled. Were these guys pirates or heroes? It was so much fun the first time, they soon pressed up even more records of forbidden musical fruit. They were on a roll. The following year, in 1970, one of the culprits put The Pig image in a circular logo with the name “Trade Mark of Quality.” TMQ and Pigman were born!With a cast of outrageous characters, here is the story of Trade Mark of Quality aka TMQ aka The Pig, the first bootleg record label of its kind, spawning many later imitators. From the end of the '60s to the mid '70s, TMQ and Pigman led the way, trotting down a muddy trail, feeding the habits and needs of music addicts around the world. Who were these fellow travelers? Carl? The Greek? Merlin? Hans? Rob Snout? Casper? Sheldon? The Blue Hasslebeast? Ol’ Fred? (Not to mention, The Brooklyn Boys, The Record Suits and The Feds!) What was the connection between TMQ and the Viet Nam war, revolutionaries, guns, pot and the moon landing? It’s all here!Included inA Pig’s Tale is not only the Trade Mark of Quality and Pigman saga, but reproductions of all the rubber stamped and illustrated album jackets from every genuine TMQ record release, including the earliest releases from ’69 right up to the last titles in 1976. Everything you ever wanted to know about the real TMQ label is here: A complete discography of artists and track listings, sources of recordings, catalog numbers, master tape and record matrix info, colored vinyl pressings, record labels, graphics, photos, vintage news clippings, articles and more, all collected together, at last, in one volume.A Pig’s Tale by Ralph Sutherland and Harold Sherrick, with their unique point of view, guides the reader through the never before told history of Trade Mark of Quality. It’s all here for the music lover and fan, the hardcore record collector, and the just plain curious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cynthia Parsons is Director of Concierge Services at Lyte, ​the reservations technology platform reimagining ticketing for artists, venues and fans.For decades, Cynthia has dedicated her career in the music industry through building meaningful relationships with artists, fans, and industry professionals. At Lyte, she has the opportunity to continue her passion in helping to create memorable and accessible live experiences for fans through Lyte’s innovative technology platform. Lyte’s mission is to fill every seat and make the entire experience delightful and simple.Cynthia began her music industry career in 1987 when her love of music led her to Bill Graham Presents (BGP) with the legendary concert promoter and rock impresario, Bill Graham. Over the 13 years in the Artist Management division, Cynthia managed the day-to-day business and personal activities for a diverse artist roster, which included Aaron Neville, Eddie Money, Joe Satriani, The Neville Brothers, and more.In 2003, Cynthia joined SLO VIP Services, an industry leader in VIP Packages and VIP Ticketing founded by the late, great Shelley Lazar, aka “The Ticket Queen”. The two met during their years working at BGP. In 2008, SLO was purchased by Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment). Over the years, SLO has represented legendary artists such as the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, just to name a few. Cynthia directed the Concierge Services division of SLO, where ticket and package requests were all treated as VIP to ensure that the artist clients’ fans and all customers were provided with a special and personalized experience.Cynthia serves on the board of the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and in her spare time enjoys running, hiking, and attending live music and sporting events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vito Iaia joins us to discuss the genesis of the Immersive Van Gogh exhibition that his company Impact Museums co-produced. He shares the story of his immersive studio and how content gets licensed and exhibited.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren A. Spalding graduated from high school on a Thursday afternoon and started working as a publicity intern at Capitol Records the next morning. That was over fifteen years ago, and she hasn’t worked a “real” job since. As an artist management consultant for her own shop, The Spalding Company, she's shepherded fruitful partnerships to help bring her clients' big ideas to life. As a managing member of Sofi Tukker’s artist oasis, Animal Talk Collective, she’s been a songwriter, party planner, publishing executive, and webmaster, sometimes all in the same day. As co-founder of educational non-profit FEMME HOUSE, she chips away at the equity gap inherent to the technical roles of the music industry, providing womxn and non-binary folx opportunities to learn how to be producers and engineers. And as her artist alter ego, hermixalot, she lives out her pre-teen Missy Elliot dreams, writing and performing songs to move the people.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.