Ben Monat is an amateur guitar player from Massachusetts. You'll be able to feel the enthusiasm he has for the instrument in our conversation. We talk about his wide-ranging influences, how he got started making music more than 20 years ago, and the value of collaboration.
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Episode 76 - Brenda Carsey
Let me tell you a tale of blunder, confusion, and woe. I procrastinated when it came to editing my conversation with Brenda Carsey, but it was going to get done in the early afternoon, and everything was ok. I'd have this episode up and out, ready to tell folks to go listen to Brenda's new album Cognizance on January 9th anywhere you stream music. I'm in my DAW, working on the file, and I clicked the wrong thing... I couldn't see exactly what it was, but strange things were happening, so I tried to cancel…
Read moreEpisode 75 - Olivia Frances
Photo by Libby Danforth
these three hundred songs, they're all assets... they're all pieces of magic that started on a blank piece of paper
A few years ago, I arrived at Yellow Cab Tavern to play a show at my favorite curated open mic, Showcase Thursday. I had been told that we had an artist from Nashville in town to play with us that night. It's not every week that we get someone on tour to stop by, so I was very much looking forward to meeting this intrepid individual. The intrepid individual…
Read moreEpisode 74 - Juliet Fromholt & Taylor Ruckle with our favorite albums of 2022
Exactly one year ago, on 30th December 2021, Juliet Fromholt joined me for a chat about our favorite albums of 2021. I released that conversation the next day, 31st December, and it was Episode ½ of this podcast. It was so much fun, I just HAD to have her back this year. Taylor Ruckle joins us for this conversation. You might remember him from Episode 27 and Episode 43, where we talked about our favorite albums of the first and second quarters of 2022 respectively.
All three of us are completely…
Read moreEpisode 72 - Cara Van Thorn
Cara Van Thorn is an Austin, Texas based new swing jazz fusion sort of nineties alternative band that just plays whatever we like to hear...
I'm sure you're wondering why this lovely lady is in a room in this nice dress whilst being surrounded by musicians in their underwear. Well, there's a lot to wonder about Cara Van Thorn, this eclectic band from Austin. This band was founded by active musicians in the metal and punk scenes, and they came together to create a style of music that has more in…
Read moreEpisode 71 - Mary Beth Carty en français
J'ai parlé avec Mary Beth Carty en anglais pour Episode 70. Puisqu'elle parle aussi le français, voici une autre conversation avec elle. Mary Beth Carty joue plusieurs instruments, et chante en quatre (4!) langues sur son nouvel album, Crossing the Causeway. Comment est-ce qu'elle a appris le français? D'oú vient les idées pour les chansons sur son album Les biens-nommés? Qu'est-ce que c'est la première chanson qu'elle se souvient d'avoir écoutée dans la vie? On peut découvrir les réponses à ces…
Read moreEpisode 70 - Mary Beth Carty
At some point, you know, it's hard to carry a piano around...
Mary Beth Carty is a fascinating individual, a songwriter, an artist, and a multi-instrumental musician. She can be heard singing in four (4!) different languages on her new album, Crossing the Causeway. How did the diversity in the area she grew up contribute to her music? How did she get started playing accordion? What did her childhood smell like? You'll get the answers to these questions - as well as hear me list some names of a musical…
Read moreEpisode 68 - Zac Pitts
I like ear worms. I like something that gets caught in your head.
Many people in Dayton know Zac Pitts as a television news anchor on WDTN. I know him as an encouraging supporter of local music, a songwriter, and musician. Zac has finished his debut album Midwest Romance, and will officially present it to the public via a show at Yellow Cab Tavern on Saturday, 10th December. In advance of the show, Zac agreed to talk to me about the album, his songwriting process, how he got started making music, and…
Read moreEpisode 67 - John Dubuc
...I don't think lyrics have to be great or anything, they just have to be memorable enough and fit a bar...
John Dubuc is a Dayton musician known for witty lyrics and catchy songs. We wade deep into the songwriting process in this episode. What's the first tool that John reaches for when it's time to write a song? What are some of his influences? What part of a song does he think is the most important? You'll hear the answers to those questions and more in our recent conversation.
LINKS
Band…
Read moreEpisode 66 - Michelle Rhea Goddard
If there was one thread I can find across all of my music, it is the deep love of storytelling...
Michelle Rhea Goddard is a Nashville-based songwriter who is originally from California. Here album Breaking Bread: Songs of Reconciliation is arranged like a play, with an introduction, three acts, and an intermission. What is her writing process like? How did she come up with the idea to structure an album this way? What did her childhood smell like? You'll get the answers to all of these questions in…
Read moreEpisode 65 - Three At Home
Three At Home is a band from the greater Boston area. I met two of them in Austin a few months ago while we were attending the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference. All three of them join me for this conversation. They have an interesting dynamic, with two songwriters and two lead vocalists. Listen to this episode to learn what they remember as the first song they ever heard and what their childhoods smelled like.
LINKS
Three At Home official website
Episode 64 - TINO
This is about to be you and I on an adventure that may sometimes appear to be a little bit more rough and unrefined than what you may be accustomed to, but it is genuine
You might remember talented Dayton-based rapper TINO from a previous appearance on my blog. He's on the podcast today, because today is Bandcamp Friday when they waive their cut of artist payments, and he has a new album over there right now. Midwest Sorrow covers different sonic and emotional ground than TINO's other work.
How did…
Read moreEpisode 61 - Marc Aiello
I loved parker ben parker right from the first song the first time I heard them way back in the 1990s. My guest on this episode, Marc Aiello, played guitar in that band. Those of you around the Dayton music scene will especially appreciate this episode. If you're any sort of music fan, you'll probably like this as well, as it's simply two music enthusiasts talking about the thing they love.
LINKS
five seven five music - Marc's publishing company
Episode 60 - Joe Anderl
writing songs, playing music, and I realized that was my joy in life... and so to be able to continue to do that from that point to now, I feel lucky...
That's Joe Anderl pictured above on the left in the foreground. He's been making music for two and a half decades or so, and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who brings as much passion as he does to the stage at a show. Joe is the lead singer and songwriter for The 1984 Draft. You'll hear some stories in our conversation about a past ska…
Read moreEpisode 58 - Nathan Peters and Dayton Music Fest
Whenever I see a friend of mine doing something cool, thriving in some way in music, it makes me nothing but happy...
My guest today is Nathan Peters, songwriter, pianist, guitarist, performer, and long-time supporter of local music. He's with us to talk about Dayton Music Fest, an annual celebration of music. We sure would love it if you'd accompany us to this event. Why do we think you'll enjoy it? You can find out the answer in this episode.
Here are some highlights:
- The beginning of…
Episode 56 - Matthew Kirk
When you are a small community, coming together and having shared experiences is a big part of how that exists and how that persists over time...
Matthew Kirk has already shown love to his community by resurrecting a long time ice cream business that had closed. He continues to show love to his community by being host to musicians at two different locations for Yellow Springs Porchfest this upcoming weekend. I have the honor of playing at O and E's Corner Cone at 4:00 PM. What other musicians is…
Read moreEpisode 54 - Brittany and the Blisstones
It's emotion, right? That's music. We're connecting with people on an emotional level...that's ultimately at the end of the day what it's all about, just connecting with other people.
Sometimes things happen in life that seem like an implausible story from a movie. I have one of those to tell, and the stars of this story are Brittany Bliss and Reid Givens of Brittany and the Blisstones. Brittany and the Blisstones is an indie band from Chico, California. Their sound draws from influences as diverse as…
Read moreEpisode 53 - Brandon Semler
I love rock and roll and I love writing rock and roll songs
Brandon Semler lives in Austin, but originally hails from Greene County, right here in Ohio. We met in 2019 at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference. We'll be headed back there again this weekend, and in fact, this episode is being posted on the morning of the conference's first day. What kind of things is Brandon up to musically with his band, Westerly Station? What's his new business all about? What's the first song he can remember ever…
Read moreEpisode 51 - Icho Van en Español
A veces los músicos pecamos de no darnos cuenta de que es mucho trabajo...
Tengo el honor de dar la bienvenida a Icho Van, bajista para Jenny and the Mexicats. Su grupo consiste de dos mexicanos, un español, y una inglesa. Viajan por todo el mundo traendo gozo músical a la gente. Van a descubrir que Icho es un caballero interesante y pensativo, quién trabaja duro y no da por sentado sus logros. ¿Cómo comenzó ser músico? ¿Cómo está aguantando el grupo su fama? ¿Que fue la primiera canción que…
Read moreEpisode 50 - Mike Joseph
Don't ask somebody how they are unless you really want to know
My guest for Episode 50 is a tastefully named gentleman who hosts a podcast called Detoxicity. I had the honor of appearing on his podcast back in September 2021. You'll get to hear him explain what his podcast is about in our conversation. You'll get to hear me use the word "perfunctory" in a sentence more than once. What's a basic tagline for life? What did Mike's childhood smell like?
Episode 49 - Lesley Barth
Photo by Harish Pathak
I definitely was not thinking about writing a book for people who teach music lessons, but it's funny how these weird little intentions... if we keep following the thread, we can get to it...
Lesley Barth is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, musician, author, teacher, and mom who is currently based in Nashville. She released her second full-length album, called Big Time Baby, in May 2020. We talk about the album and some of the songs on it. (Many of them have music…
Read moreEpisode 46 - Mariah J
It's really all about me exposing myself honestly... exposing my heart, exposing real life experiences and challenges that I've gone through... exposing lessons from those challenges...
This episode keeps us in the Gem City. Mariah J is my guest. She's a singer/songwriter, poet, dancer, artist disruptor, cultural strategist and overall creative being who has just released an album titled Unfolding. How did Mariah learn how to sing? How long did it take her to make this album? How does she know…
Read moreEpisode 44 - Franz Robert Wild (en français)
Voilà ça c'est vraiment ce que savent faire les américains, écrire une chanson très très emotionnel sur un souvenir...
Franz Robert Wild is a songwriter, musician, vocal coach, and all-around music industry professional from Toulouse, France. We had this conversation in French. For you English-speakers, we'll have another chat in English later.
Franz Robert Wild est auteur, compositeur, musicien, coach vocal et professionel de musique qui vient de Toulouse. Quand est-ce qu'il a commencé à jouer la…
Read moreEpisode 43 - Taylor Ruckle and our favorite albums of Q2 2022
Image courtesy of Tony Drovretto for Museum of Pop Culture
Music journalist Taylor Ruckle makes his triumphant return to the podcast, and we talk about our favorite albums released in the second quarter of 2022. Just like our previous conversation we break down the albums in varying degrees of detail and go full-on music nerd for your listening pleasure. The albums we selected are as follows:
Taylor
Florence & the Machine - Dance Fever
Jasmyn Burke - In the Wild
Joyce Manor - 40 ounces to Fresno
Billy…
Episode 41 - Joe Augustin (aka Achilles Tenderloin)
Joe is from Richmond, Indiana, just a little bit West of Dayton on I-70. He is a singer-songwriter who performs as Achilles Tenderloin. In this episode, he becomes the first guest to play a song live on the podcast, an exclusive that you can't find recorded anywhere at the moment. You'll hear us talk about his songwriting process, building community around music and giving back. You'll also learn about his two newest singles and plans for an upcoming album. He is a thoughtful lyricist, and that…
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