Stereo Embers: The Podcast

"Everyone’s Got A Camera” David Poe is a singer songwriter of dazzling economy; his wit and his sly genius for turning a phrase makes each line of his songs a piece of art. Poe is a cross between Hemingway and John Prine—he tells stories without telling stories about the stories he's telling. He’s straightforward and elegant and lets you fill in the blanks with where the humanity might reside and where the heart might end up. Over the course of albums like God and the Girl, Love Is Red, The Late Album and his new one, Everyone’s Got A Camera, Poe is one of the greatest and most consistent songwriters out there. The new album is a staggering collection that’s masterfully melodic, harmonically brilliant and filled with world weary observations that unflinchingly stare down the modern landscape. A composer fellow of the Sundance Institute, Poe has asserted himself as one of the great songwriters of his generation. Or any generation, for that matter. Poe stays busy—not only has he toured, collaborated, performed and recorded with folks like Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, T-Bone Burnett, The Jayhawks, Beth Orton, Ron Sexsmith,Regina Spektor, They might Be Giants and Marc Ribot, Poe has been heavily involved writing scores for contemporary ballet and modern theatre projects across the world. His new album hits shelves this week but that didn’t stop Poe from singing with the Charlotte Symphony this past weekend in the world premiere of the Blackstar Symphony, the first orchestral presentation of David Bowie’s final album. www.davidpoe.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“A Complete History Of Dreams” Alright, so Philip Stevenson has made some of my favorite albums of all time. I first heard his band Carnival Of Souls when I was 19 and that album, which is called Flop, is in my top ten of all time. Stevenson is one of the most consistent, thrilling and rousing singer songwriters out there and yeah, a lot of critics compared him to Westerberg or Elliott Smith and to be fair, those comparisons are not off the mark. But let’s not stop there. Stevenson is a songwriter of breathtaking talent—his compositions range from snarling rockers to ragged waltzes and like a great painter, each of his numbers have texture and nuance that unfold layer after layer with each repeated listen. Stevenson played in Quinine after Carnival of Souls broke up and after that band called it a day, he started putting out staggeringly great solo albums one after the other. From Starless to Azalea, Stevenson’s work aches with longing, rings with precision and shines with night-kissed melodies and soaring choruses. His new three disc set A Complete History Of Dreams is a powerful triptych of windswept numbers like High For The Weekend, fuzzy rockers like Rachel I’m Sorry About Your eyes and the endlessly lovely Everybody’s An Ocean which will make you feel like being lost at sea is about the most beautiful thing the world can offer. Of the set, Stevenson says, “The last few years for everyone were like a bad dream—we all had to turn them into art in order to adore them…” www.nighworldrecords.bandcamp.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers: Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“Half Drunk Under A Full Moon” The Fratellis have put out six perfect records. In a row. Not a lot of folks have done that, but the Scottish outfit have managed to keep cranking out some of the most infectious, thoughtful and rousing pop music in recent memory. With almost twenty years under their belts, the Fratellis have proven they’re one of the most potent acts around. Their newest album Half Drunk Under A Full Moon is perhaps their best yet—it’s loaded with melodic musical, harmonic brilliance and some of the catchiest songs you’re likely to hear. This interview with singer John Fratelli was recorded before a gig in San Francisco…. www.thefratellis.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.

“Stupid Like That” Before A Boy In Cords was a Boy In Cords, he was a boy in…Trousers. That’s right. When I first met the Irish-born singer songwriter, he was crushing it in the indie clubs in the Bay Area with his band Trousers. What did they sound like? they were punchy, jangly land pretty much perfect—with kind of an Aztec Camera vibe. After Trousers folded, many years went by. A Boy In Cords headed back to Ireland eventually, got married and started a family. But something happened and that something is something i’ll let him tell you, but before we get to the chat, I’ll tell you this. The Aztec Camera vibe has matured into more of Prefab Sprout groove and the songs of A Boy in Cords are startlingly lovely pop wonders that are lush, rich and deeply textured. The songs he’s got in his satchel are brilliant and they’ll only yield more and more and more. And we’ll all be luckier for it. IG: @aboyincords www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast www.stereoembersmagazine.com IG: @emberspodcast Twitter: @emberseditor

“Everywhere I Used To Be” Mariel Buckley is a singer songwriter of tremendous depth and sensitivity. The Canadian-born musician’s songs are confessional and observational and they are rife with honesty, wisdom and vulnerability. Her new album Everywhere I Used To Be is a stirring collection that’s filled with nuance and moody undertones. Thanks to the production of Marcus Paquin, who has worked with Arcade Fire and The National this is an album that’s loaded with texture—it’s country music played through layers of haunting and undulating fathoms and the result is one of the biggest surprises of 2022. This album is an instant classic that brings to mind Daniel Lanois' work on Emmylou Harris’s Wrecking Ball. It’s resonate and deeply affecting work. www.marielbuckley.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“The Rabbit And The Butcher” An actor of tremendous range and versatility, the Michigan-born and L.A.-raised James Duval has had quite a career. He tore through the '90s, appearing in movies like The Doom Generation, SLC Punk Independence Day, Nowhere and Go, and by 2000, his resume was packed. He appeared as the rabbit Frank in Donnie Darko in 2001 and since then, he’s added over forty films to his CV, including Kaboom, Blue Dream, Chasing Ghosts and Comic Book Villains. The preservation society around Donnie Darko has kept Frank the Rabbit very much alive in the public consciousness. And speaking of preservation societies, it turns out that James and I have been a part of the same one for many years. We’re both massive Jazz Butcher fans and the Butcher Facebook group, which counted the Butcher himself, Pat Fish, as one of its active participants until his death last year, is a very special thing. it’s a tight group made up people who really care about each other and who understand the magic of the music and how its informed their lives. The Jazz Butcher is for sure a band that existed below the radar of the mainstream, but to us, they were the biggest band in the world. And still are. In many ways, the Jazz Butcher are like Frank the Rabbit—eternal and unique and unforgettable to those who know about them. So James and I were at the same JBC show in 1997 and we talk about that and so much more. Great chat, great, great guy. www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com

“Not Quite The American Dream” They may have gotten their start as the Filberts around 1980, but before too long they rechristened themselves Diesel Park West. They put out a string of singles like When The Hoodoo Comes and Jackie’s Still Sad before their debut album Shakespeare Alabama hit shelves in 1989. To date the band has put out ten records including Decency, Thought For Food and their brand new one Not Quite The American Dream. Influenced by West Coast bands like Moby Grape and The Byrds, The Diesels have had quite a career—they’ve opened for Big Country, been signed by EMI, and had Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Gos cover their track I See No Ships. Singer John C Butler has put out fabulous solo albums—Worthless Bastard Rock is a personal favorite—and the band has released a Byrds covers album, live stuff and bunch of EPs along the way. But the fact remains: the Diesels don’t stop. And why should they? There’s pretty much nobody else who can jangle and chime and roll out hook after hook the way they do, and Not Quite The American Dream is further evidence that Diesel Park West remain vital, dynamic and as fabulous as ever. www.dieselparkwest.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“A Good Sign” Whenever Matt Keating puts out a new record, we get excited. Since the early '90s the New York-based singer-songwriter has been releasing some of the most captivating, moving and powerful albums we've ever heard. With close to 15 solo albums under his belt, it’s hard to pick favorites because they’re all so good. From Tell It To Yourself to Tilt A Whirl to Wrong Way Home to Summer Tonight, you can pretty much just grab a Matt Keating album and prepare to swoon. It’s hard to think of anyone who writes with such lyrical poignancy, observational smarts and melodic finesse than Mr. Keating and he’s been a personal favorite for close to 30 years. His new band is called Bastards Of Fine Arts and it’s a project he’s helming with Steve Mayone who’s played with the Benders and Treat her Right. Their new album A Good Sign is an instant classic. The Hardest Part brings to mind the Jayhawks, the rollicking Can’t Get My Head Around It reminds us a bit of the Replacements and the Violent Femmes and Take The Fall is one of those infectious numbers you can’t get our of your head. The 14 song collection is a joyous and jangly blast of hook-laden indie pop, and we love it. www.bastardsoffinearts.bandcamp.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“Going Places” Over the course of his brilliant career, which has spanned roughly 15 albums or so, the Nebraska-born Josh Rouse has established himself as one of the finest singer-songwriters on the planet. Armed with the poetic flourishes of everyone from Paul Simon and John Prine, Rouse’s work is many things at once: subtle but catchy, elegant, graceful and undeniably infectious. Work your way through his discography—maybe grab Under Cold Blue Stars or 1972 or his fabulous new one Going Places and you’ll see what we're talking about. He’s toured with Mark Eitzel and Aimee Mann, had his music used in films like Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky, and won a Goya award for Best Song in Spain, which is their equivalent of the Oscars And speaking of Spain, the Spanish love Josh Rouse. And he loves them right back—his wife and his band are from there, and it’s not an uncommon thing to find him playing in Spain to a packed house. We saw him play to a packed house here in SF, too, so Rouse is crushing it on many shores. We love his new album—it’s got gentle grooves, musical precision, fine-drawn hooks and miles of soul. www.joshrouse.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“Age Of Finding Stars” David Long and Shane O’Neill grew up together in Ireland and have been pals since they were six. They were in a band together as teenagers then they went their separate ways, Long to Into Paradise and O'Neill to Blue In Heaven. Both fabulous bands who put out a series of flawless albums. Into Paradise had all the delicious dark drama of Echo and the Bunnymen or The Sound while Blue In Heaven, who were signed to U2’s label before inking a deal with Island, brought to mind a jittery and adrenalized blend of Joy Division and the Triffids. In the late 90s the two friends reconnected as Supernaut and now they’re collaborating again and arguably making the most urgent and stirring work of their careers. Their new EP Age Of Finding Stars is a riveting blend of dramatic soundscapes juxtaposed with introspective lyrics and stirring vocals—it’s infectious and thoughtful and decidedly moving work. www.david4long.bandcamp.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast: Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com