Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Down Rounder” Cat Clyde is crushing it. The Canadian singer/songwriter’s just-released new album Down Rounder hit the #1 spot in the most added Americana Radio Album charts and her single "Mystic Light” was the #2 most added single on the same chart. Produced by Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Paul McCartney), Clyde’s third album is a wondrous and poetic collection of indie folk and breezy roots music. Filled with spare acoustic numbers, jangling pop, and heartfelt ballads, the album has flourishes of piano, surf guitar, chiming bells, and unreasonably beautiful vocals that tug and yearn and long and ache. Using the natural world as a philosophical guide, Clyde’s third album is a moving mediation about home and love and our ever shifting philosophical and spiritual selves It’s an album about rediscovery, persona, self-expression, and realizing that feeling lost is the only way to be found. www.catyclydemusic.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com wwww.embersarts.com Stereo Embers: Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“Grandfather Courage” Fantastic Negrito may have been born in Massachusetts, but he’s a Bay Area guy through and through. The 8th of 15 kids, he moved to Oakland as a twelve year old and immediately immersed himself in the sounds of the 510 and the 415. He was no stranger to punk rock clubs like Berkeley’s Gillman or the underground hip hop clubs of Oakland. He liked it all—metal, indie rock, soul, punk and jazz and the legend goes that he learned to play by sneaking into the music classrooms at Cal, even though he wasn’t a student. Using his birth name of Xavier, in 1993 he signed a deal with Prince’s former Manager’s Lexington House Records who had a distribution deal with Interscope. Three years later he put out his debut album, simply titled Xavier. A horrifying car crash in 1999 nearly killed him but after waking up from a three week coma, he started to see his career in a totally different way. That new angle wouldn’t take hold until 2014, seven years after a self-imposed exile of not making music anymore. He emerged in his 40s as Fantastic Negrito, a personae that made what he called Black roots music for everyone. And, it turns out, everyone was into it. Fantastic Negrito pulled off an improbable hat trick, winning the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2016 for The Last Days Of Oakland, repeating that feat for 2019’s Please Don’t Be Dead and doing it again for 2020’s Have You Lost Your Mind? His new album Grandfather Courage is the acoustic reimagining of his 2022 album White Jesus Black Problems and it’s nothing short of brilliant. It's indie rock soul, it’s low-fi blues, it’s big, it’s grand, it’s ambitious and it’s one of the richer musical experiences you’ll have all year. www.fantasticnegrito.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.embersarts.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“When The Storm Has Passed” With ten albums or so under their indie folk belts, The Great Lake Swimmers have consistently been one of the most arresting affecting and spellbinding bands around. The Canadian outfit introduced themselves to the world with their self-titled 2003 effort and since then have put out classics like New Wild Everywhere, The Waves, The Wake and the Juno-nominated Lost Channels, which was also shortlisted for the Polaris Prize. Sonically, the band bring to mind everyone from R.E.M to Teenage Fanclub to Miracle Legion. And throughout their songbook, singer Tony Dekker’s poetic lyrics form a literate blend of ecology, environmentalism and good old fashioned romanticism. He’s a potent triple threat. The band have also put out four live albums, four EPs and a covers album that features takes on numbers by The Rolling Stones, Tom Waits and NeIl Young and John Cale. Oh, and Dekker also has a marvelous solo album called Prayer of The Woods. The point here is that there’s a healthy crop of Great Lakes Swimmers material for you to plunge into. But the music you’re hearing on the program today is the band's first new music since 2019. It’s been a while. But they're back and they’ve never sounded better. Their two new tracks—“When The Storm Has Passed” and “Moonlight, Stay Above”—feature Dekker’s trademark poetic finesse and penchant for writing some of the catchiest and heartfelt songs on the planet. We’re glad they’re back! www.greatlakeswimmers.com www.greatlakeswimmers.bandcamp.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.embersarts.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“No Warning Shots Fired” Fang got their start in the early '80s in the East Bay. The Berkeley hardcore band’s early start was a little less hardcore and more experimental but that lineup, which featured future Glass Eye bassist Brian Beattie, only lasted under two years. The new lineup, with newly minted singer Sam McBride on vocals, became the punk rock powerhouse that blasted their way across the Bay Area with shows that were feral, wild and filled with rabid intensity and hardcore muscle. But feral as they were, Fang’s fans felt a part of a discernible community. As a friend of mine who never missed a Fang show once said to me: "Being at Fang concert was like being at a fistfight where everyone’s winning.” The band’s first two efforts—Landshark and Where The Wild Things Are—remain undisputed punk rock classics and although that lineup dissolved in ’85, McBride soldiered on with new personnel and as a result, Fangs’ legacy became firmly cemented in punk rock lore, with their songs being covered over the years by Nirvana, Green Day and the Butthole Surfers. Fang pretty much tore through the ‘80s on a pretty big winning streak, and although that streak came to an end when McBride ended up in prison, the band’s second act is a feral as their first and their new album No Warning Shot Fired is a raw and nervy blast of classic hardcore. www.fangofficialmerch.bigcartel.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.emberarts.com Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“I’m Not Sure At All” Bringing to mind a low-fi Kate Bush mixed with Cat Power and Beth Orton, the Kent-born Marlody is a revelation. Her debut album I’m Not Sure At All is a rich and lustrous affair, filled with confident songwriting about feeling unconfident. And that’s the beautiful thing about Marlody—her music is a delicious cauldron of contrasts that’s redolent with vulnerability and strength. The songs on I’m Not Sure At All ache with longing and uncertainty, yet then ring out with bursts of sure-footed courage, poise and tenacity. A trained classical pianist with an orchestral future set out before her, Marlody tossed traditionalism aside and immersed herself in indie noise rock like Shellac and Slint and found a through-line that linked the classical with the cacophonous. I’m Not Sure At All is one of 2023's great finds and Marlody’s music is a riveting and spellbinding listen. Bandcamp: https://skepwax.bandcamp.com www.marlody.bandcamp.com MARLODY: Instagram/Twitter: @_marlody_ SKEP WAX: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @skepwax Contact: info@skepwax.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.embersarts.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

"Tender Years" The Brisbane-born Robert Forster is perhaps best known as a founding member of the legendary band The Go-Betweens. How legendary are they? Well, let’s just say this: There’s a bridge in Brisbane called The Go-Between Bridge. I was going to say they were one of the most critically-acclaimed bands of the last 40 years, but that falls short of the mark— they’re one of the most critically acclaimed bands ever. Their nearly ten-album discography is a rare one in that every entry is a classic. The band ceased to be after the death of Grant McLennan, but Forster has pressed on with a winning solo career that got started back in 1990 and has yielded a classics like Danger In The Past, I Had A New York Girlfriend and his new one The Candle And The Flame. The Candle And The Flame is astonishing work. Recorded after the news that his wife and musical partner Karen was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, Forster’s normally meticulous process was put aside and he and his family—his son Lewis and his daughter Loretta and his wife Karen sat down and, unsure of the future, recorded the nine songs on the record with urgency and heart. The Candle And The Flame is a spellbinding listen. It’s filled with the wondrous poetic precision that Forster is known for, but it also showcases a raw and dynamic feel that make every song brim with and sonorous grace It’s truly wondrous work—an artistic and personal achievement that shows the power of art, the power of family and the power of hope. www.robertforster.net www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers: Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“The Last Mile” The Scottish-born Chris Connelly got his start with the electronic outfit Finitribe. Championed by John Peel, the inventive band did a long and harrowing UK in '88 and so arduous that tour was, it led to the shedding of three members, including Connelly, who left for the U.S. and landed in Chicago, where he fell in with the Revolting Cocks and Ministry. Connelly had hung out with the latter’s Al Jourgensen in London so he knew him a bit, but once Connelly hit the states, he really immersed himself in the Wax Trax-powered industrial scene. Over the course of his career, Connelly has been affiliated with Pigface, Ministry, The Revolting Cocks, Die Warzau, Acid Horse, KMFDM, The Joy Thieves, PTP and The Damage Manual. And my friends, that’s a partial list. His almost thirty album-long solo discography is a knockout, containing classic albums like Whiplash Boychild Shipwreck and Graveyard Sex. His newest effort Eulogy To Christa is a moving, stirring and deeply satisfying homage to Nico. Comprised of covers and original compositions, Eulogy To Christa is a heartfelt tribute to a fascinating artist. www.chrisconnelly.com www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers The Podcast www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenonline.com IG: @emberspodcast

Join Jim Kerr, the charismatic frontman of Simple Minds, as he reflects on the band's incredible journey since 1977, selling over 60 million records. He discusses their latest album, 'Direction of the Heart,' and the pressures of evolving with the music industry. Jim shares personal stories from his youth in Glasgow, his experiences balancing band life and personal priorities, and his newfound passion for construction. He emphasizes the emotional impact of music on relationships and invites fans to connect with their rich discography.

“I Hate Memory” Born in Budapest, Eszter Balint relocated to the United States and as a ten year old and found herself in New York living with the avant-garde Squat Theatre troupe, which was founded by her dad. Being surrounded by artists was no new thing for the violin-playing actress, who came from generations of artists. Her father was also a poet, her grandfather was a renowned visual artist and her great grandfather was one of the premier intellectuals and art critics at the turn of the century in Hungary. Balint acted in the troupe and living amongst writers, painters, actors and visual artists had an instant effect on her sensibility and her career path. In other words, it wasn’t likely she was going to be a realtor. By 15 she played violin on a song produced by Basquiat and not long after, she started appearing in movies like Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise, Woody Allen’s Shadows and Fog, Trees Lounge and The Linguini Incident. She also had a several episode arc on Louie CKs sitcom “Louie." She’s put out a handful of staggeringly great solo albums, including classics like Mud and Airless Midnight and her new one, I Hate Memory is a song cycle that explores Balint’s trajectory from communist Hungary to the vibrant non-stop life of lower Manhattan in the early '80s. This is such a stirring song cycle it gave rise to the anti-musical version that was staged at Manhattan’s beloved Joe’s Pub. The record rings with poeticism, artistry and conviction. It’s evocative, sonorous and truly unforgettable work. www.eszterbalint.com www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenonline.com IG: @emberspodcast

“Desert Flowers” The New Mexico-born Heather Trost is one half of the American Balkan Folk Band A Hawk And A Hacksaw, the other half being her husband, the accordionist Jeremy Barnes, who, by the way, also hails from New Mexico. Over the course of their career, A Hawk and a Hacksaw have put out seven marvelous albums, including Darkness At Noon, The Way The Wind Blows and their most recent effort, 2018’s Forest Bathing. I know 2018 isn’t that recent, but Trost and Barnes have been busy. Trost has put out four solo albums, including her brand new one, Desert Flowers and she’s played with everyone from Beirut to Swans to Thor and Friends. Desert Flowers is a stone cold stunner—filled with lilting strings, dreamy melodies and sonorous hooks, the nine-track album is stirring work. A hypnotic blend of deliciously dusty hymns and introspective indie rock with elements of metaphysics, cosmology and even a little desert surf, this is a powerful and internally evocative album. It’s a quiet and poetic revelation. This chat was recorded a while back before this record was born, but it’s a cool conversation. So here you go—me and Heather Trost www.heathertrost.bandcamp.com www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenonline.com IG: @emberspodcast