Our next guest is someone who exists at the intersection of music and tech. He’s proof that the business of music can be as creative and passionate as the artists playing the music. The more I learn about him the more I’m inspired and confident that with people like him blazing trails the music business can be saved.
He’s been wildly instrumental in the success of iHeart radio, known for building Pocket Casts, an Australian-born podcasting app. he’s the CEO of True Fire studios
Which consists of Artistworks.com, Fader pro, Jam play and of course the amazing Truefire online interactive guitar learning AND he’s a guitarist. He’s with us today please welcome to GRS Mr. Owen Grover.
Alight, first things first pause this episode, then go buy this record and then come back and listen to us talk. Go ahead we’ll wait…
Our next guest is not only a world class, honest blues and roots musician, but a deep well of songwriting and producing music for himself others and TV and film. He’s also shared stages and the grooves of records with Rick Danko, Bob Dylan, T Bone Burnett just to name a few (Like I really gotta name anymore..)
He’s got a new record out that is on constant rotation in the studio here, in my car and home. It’s called Blow and he’s here today to talk with us to day. Please welcome to GRS Mr Colin Linden.
Babylon Gypsies Robert Tillery joins us to discuss his album, band mates and guitar playing. Robert brings the heavy guitar vibe and is ready for more!
American music consists of myriad of styles. Rock, Blues, funk, Country, psychedelic just to name a few. Our next guests are a band that easily maneuvers through and blends all of those styles and more AND they do it with a high stepping style. They have a new record called Glowing lantern and we’re gonna talk about it and more, Please welcome to GRS The Mother Hips
Our next guest is the epitome of the American Guitar sound and style. A chameleon and renaissance man of tone. The first time I heard him in 2013 was on a record called Hand Full of Strings and was immediately captivated. Since then he has treated me to all kinds of sonic treats that i hope we get to talk about today. He’s a session cat, touring musician collector of fine instruments and he’s here with us today. Please welcome to GRS Mr. Joel Patterson.
Ok, before I get in deep with this, Run, don’t walk to your computer, tablet or phone and go to Bandcamp and buy this record, listen to it while reading this. Go ahead. I’ll wait….
Okay, let’s go…
Nashville’s (and thankfully the internet’s) “Jack Kerouac for guitar” delivers “Sonic Therapy” via his YouTube channel Home Skoolin to a legion of faithful fellow players who hang on every word he utters and notes he plays with the frequency of every few days. Tom Bukovac has become a household name (at least to all of us guitar nuts) and we have COVID-19 to thank (I never thought I’d write that sentence).
I had first heard about Tom around 2018 through some other Nashville Cats who know about my penchant for the Nobel’s ODR1 and that Tom and I had that in common. When I got to his YouTube channel there was only three videos with just a tease of what he was up to and nothing like what we would see later. Then I remembered he was the AMAZING guitarist who was in Joe Walsh’s band the last time I had saw him. So I hit subscribe. Then sometime later the pandemic hit.
During lockdown, with the Nashville studio scene (and the world) shuttered. Tom and everyone in the music business was stunted and starved (some literally) with no work. No sessions, no gigs, nothing. So Tom took to his garage with his phone, a collection of guitars, a Roland Micro-Cube amp and some Rolling Rock, to share “Harmonic philosophy”. Almost everyday. There he was. I know I can speak for many, It was something we counted on and I think it was as therapeutic for Tom as it was for us.
The things he shared, the music he played, the stories he told took us away from what was going on outside and gave us the peace and inspiration we needed at that moment. Thankfully, he’s still providing this to us all.
Fast forward, we come out of lockdown, the world slowly creeps back to doing something’s like normal and Tom shares with us that he has a project coming with Dean De Leo from Stone Temple Pilots called “Trip The Witch”. A lush and deep introspective interplay between two players you wouldn’t automatically imagine together. Result? Beautiful.
But on October 29, 2021, Tom released “Plexi Soul”. This is what we’ve been waiting for. All of those vivid and tasty YouTube moments finally delivered as full conversation and musical statement. Since downloading it from Bandcamp (you did download it right?) I’ve had it on replay over and over. Layer after layer of pure musicality so refreshing, melodic and thought provoking. Tom isn’t tearing our heads off with pyrotechnics (although he could if needed), like his conversations he’s making us think about the music, about the notes he’s chosen. That doesn’t happen a lot these days. Thankfully, it has on Plexi Soul.
Although I’ve listened to Plexi Soul A LOT, I still haven’t been able to pick a favorite track. I’m continually vacillating, mostly because the more I listen the more I hear.
The opening track “Cardboard Cutouts In The Shade” was such a smart choice to open the record, but “Fall Is Here” delivers movements that most composers wouldn’t think or dare to piece together, with the exception of maybe a McCartney. “Cop Show Music” takes tasty to a place it’s never been before and speaking of tasty, “London Broil” is another track with amazing changes and lead breaks that I need to know.
If you play guitar, if you love guitar music, If you appreciate great songs and music that will just make you feel good, then buy this record. You’ll be glad you did. See you all in the comments section over at HomeSkoolin. Thanks Tom.
When Guitar Radio Show was being conceived our next guest and his music was one of the templates or cornerstones for the very concept of what we have been doing for the last ten years. His music and guitar playing has been a constant companion to me since 2002 when I first was lucky enough to hear him. When you search his band on google next to their name they describe themselves as Psychedelic Instrumental Ocean Music- Great way to describe the music, I might even use the words Cinematic, Ambient, and Spacial, This is the interview I’ve been selfishly been waiting to do from the very beginning.
Please welcome to GRS from the Mermen, James Thomas
