My First Band Podcast

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180 – Matthew Stubbs (GA-20, Charlie Musselwhite) Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Matthew Stubbs. As a guitarist and founding member of GA-20, Stubbs has released two well-received albums, toured extensively, ascended the Billboard charts and helped to usher in a traditional blues revival. With a new album on the way — Crackdown, out Sept. 9 on Colemine Records! — and a bunch of shows on the horizon, Stubbs has a lot of modern day things to talk about. Even beyond his work with GA-20, Stubbs has quite an impressive musical resume.

Prior to setting out on tour, Stubbs spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the new GA-20 record, what it's been like to get back on the road and why he feels it's important to give new life to traditional blues music. Of course, he also spoke about his musical past, including learning to play guitar at an early age, performing throughout New England with his dad's band, moving to Los Angeles in his early 20s and making a living as a side man. Along the way, he talked about touring with notable blues musicians like Janiva Magness and James Watson before landing a spot in the band of the legendary Charlie Musselwhite — where he's spent roughly 15 years and counting.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and GA-20 ("Easy On The Eyes").

179 – Toby Jeg (Red Scare Industries) Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

Toby Jeg hasn't ever been in a serious band, but he's been instrumental in helping a ton of other people's bands release music. As the owner/operator of Red Scare Industries, Jeg has put out more than 150 releases over the last 18 years, including albums from The Menzingers, The Copyrights, Direct Hit!, Masked Intruder, Sincere Engineer, The Falcon, Teenage Bottlerocket, Elway, Brendan Kelly and countless other accomplished punk projects. And there are more Red Scare releases on the way!

Before he was running a well-respected independent label, Jeg was a farm kid in rural Washington who was falling in love with punk rock. While still unpacking from his recent move to Massachusetts, Jeg found some time to speak with My First Band host Tyler Maas about his new state, upcoming Red Scare output and times the two interacted in Wisconsin. Along the way, he also told Maas about attending college at Cal, interning at Fat Wreck Chords, volunteering to be Fat Mike's designated driver, his other career in artist management, the ethical approach he tries to take with Red Scare, charming his way into New Zealand and much more.

178 – Mariel Buckley Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Mariel Buckley. The burgeoning singer-songwriter from Alberta, Canada is about to release a new album, open for Orville Peck and perform all around Europe. And that's just the beginning! Buckley is planning to tour extensively in 2023 and continue her upward trajectory that started in bars and at open mics throughout Western Canada.

In the days leading up the release of Everywhere I Used To Be (out August 12 via Birthday Cake Records), Buckley spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the new record and other modern day happenings before talking about the musical experiences that brought her to this point. Over the course of the conversation, Buckley reminisced about growing up in Calgary, being inspired to start playing guitar by her brother T. Buckley, entering a battle of the bands at the age of 15, "woodshedding" all over Canada, opening for K.D. Lang, and finding an audience at breweries and clubs.

177 – Chris Rosenau (Pele, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Volcano Choir) Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Chris Rosenau, whose impressive and inventive guitar work you might recognize from accomplished projects like Pele, Collections of Colonies of Bees and Volcano Choir. Before he was playing to audiences all over the world, collaborating with Justin Vernon and members of The Promise Ring, and releasing influential albums that have stood the test of time, Rosenau was a kid teaching himself Metallica songs in his suburban Milwaukee home.

Prior to next weekend's Seventh Stanine Festival at Cactus Club, Rosenau spoke with My First Band host Tyler Maas about new CoCoBees developments, his upcoming release with Nick Sanborn and other modern day happenings. Eventually, the conversation found Rosenau discussing early projects like Orion Black and 21 Guns, playing club concerts with Smashing Pumpkins, starting a band with Jon Mueller (and then another), and some of the most memorable experiences from his decades of playing music.

176 – Scott Radinsky (Pulley, Ten Foot Pole, MLB pitcher) Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

People know Scott Radinsky for two very different reasons. During the ex-pitcher's lengthy Major League Baseball career, he managed an impressive 3.44 ERA and tallied 52 saves in almost 500 innings on the mound with the White Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals and Cleveland. In addition to being a proficient reliever, Radinsky is also an accomplished punk-rock vocalist who used to sing in Ten Foot Pole and, since the mid-'90s, has been the frontman of Pulley. Having excelled in the realms of both sports and music, Radinsky's career arc is unparalleled, so you know he has some great stories to tell.

Shortly after the release of Pulley's seventh album (The Golden Life, out now on SBÄM Records!) and a run of shows in Europe and Canada, Radinsky spoke with My First Band host Tyler Maas about the recent tour with Bad Religion and Pennywise, the response the new record has received, and what's on the horizon for the band. Over the course of the conversation, Radinsky discussed the drastic differences between life as a pro ballplayer and a touring punk musician, experiences from his early bands, his departure from Ten Foot Pole and the start of Pulley, and the similarities between a great pitching outing and a great show.

175 – Ricky Ramirez (The Mothership, Gavilán, Population Control) Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Ricky Ramirez, who Milwaukee-area listeners might know as the owner of The Mothership. Since opening the Bay View bar in early 2019, Ramirez has managed to navigate his business through a worldwide pandemic, earn attention by way of The Mothership's unconventional/unflinchingly honest social media presence, and (probably) sell more Hamm's beer than anywhere else in the state of Wisconsin. Along the way, Ramirez has brought some interior and exterior changes to the bar and he's launched an on-site food truck. Oh, and have we mentioned Ricky is also in a band?

Recently, Ramirez welcomed My First Band host and Mothership regular Tyler Maas into his bar to talk about his bartender past, the origin of The Mothership, some challenges he's faced and lessons he's learned over the last three-plus years, the decision to start the Gavilán food truck, and goals he has for both ventures in the future. After chatting about the bar business (and reminiscing about the time they watched the Bucks win the NBA Finals at The Mothership), Ramirez told Maas about hiding his hip-hop albums from his religious parents as a kid, his introduction to heavy metal in high school, how he unknowingly auditioned to become the vocalist in Population Control and some of his favorite experiences from his time in the band so far. You can see Population Control at X-Ray Arcade on Sunday, July 10.

174 – Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners, Hot Water Music) Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Chris Cresswell. You probably know this Canadian crooner as the singer/guitarist of The Flatliners, as a guitarist in Hot Water Music or from his work as a solo artist. This year is the 20th anniversary of The Flatliners, and the band is marking the occasion with the release of its sixth full-length album — New Ruin, out Aug. 5 on Fat Wreck Chords — and with extensive touring throughout Europe and North America in the coming months. Additionally, Hot Water Music also released an album earlier this year and is embarking on a 25th anniversary tour throughout Europe and North America. In short, Cresswell is staying busy.

During a rare moment at home between tours, Cresswell was gracious enough to spend an hour speaking with My First Band host Tyler Maas about those exciting modern day developments and his pre-Flatliners musical backstory. Over the course of the conversation, Cresswell talked about growing up in a Toronto suburb, his mom's musical influence on him, taking guitar lessons in the late '90s, forming Short Notice (which essentially turned into The Flatliners), the ups and downs of early tours, memorable moments from the past two decades of The Flatliners and how the opportunity to join Hot Water Music came to be.

173 – Allen Epley (Shiner, The Life and Times) Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

Midwestern rock and roll fans rejoice because this week's guest is the great Allen Epley. You likely know Epley as the vocalist and guitarist of Shiner and The Life And Times, as the host of the Third Gear Scratch podcast, and as a member of BirdHands and the backing band of the Chicago Blue Man Group. He's up to a lot at the moment, including a Shiner tour (and the upcoming vinyl re-release of the band's entire catalog via Spartan Records) and writing a new The Life And Times record.

Between the busy modern happenings and his decades of amazing artistic experiences, Epley had a lot to talk about when he took some time to speak with My First Band host Tyler Maas recently. After catching up on contemporary events, Epley talked about growing up in a musical family in Louisville, starting a cover band in college, the early days and significant moments from his decades in Shiner, shifting focus with The Life And Times, and why missing out on major label opportunities was a blessing in disguise.

172 – Eric W. Krueger (Sunday Flood, Leading the Blind, A-Town Unplugged) Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Eric W. Krueger, who has been a musical mainstay in the Fox Cities — a region in northeast Wisconsin — for close to 30 years. Though he's been active in a wide range of bands since he was a teenager (including at least four different projects presently), Krueger only recently put out his debut solo album. Shortly after the release of Shed Songs and prior to the June 24 release show at Appleton's Deja Vu Martini Lounge, Krueger caught up with My First Band host Tyler Maas to talk about the new album and everything that came before it.

After the longtime friends caught up on recent happenings, Krueger told Maas about the process of writing and recording Shed Songs, he talked about what the summer holds for his various bands, and he reminisced about some of the late '80s/early '90s house shows that prompted his foray into playing music. Over the course of the conversation, Krueger delved into the origin of Sunday Flood (and memorable experiences from the band's lengthy run), subsequent bands like Shallows and Like Fine Wine, and the fulfillment he gets from his variety of present day projects (Leading The Blind, A-Town Unplugged, Mark Steven Hillstrom, and Hallorann).

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Eric W. Krueger ("Brush Fire").

171 – Aymen Saleh (Holy Pinto) Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Aymen Saleh. The Milwaukee singer, songwriter and producer — who releases music under the Holy Pinto moniker — has kept busy of late with a steady run of local performances, semi-frequent tours and collaborations with artists from all ends of the musical spectrum. Long before he became an unlikely ambassador for the Milwaukee music scene, Saleh was growing up in Canterbury, England, and devoting his time to learning the drums and guitar.

Recently, Saleh joined My First Band host Tyler Maas at Milwaukee Record headquarters to talk about modern musical happenings, upcoming work (including an upcoming song with Bartees Strange) and how music transported him across an ocean and squarely into the unknown. Over the course of the conversation, Saleh talked about playing some of his first concerts in Canterbury, moving to London to study music, starting a band with a longtime friend, some important advice he got from The Front Bottoms and how a random set of circumstances and the kindness of strangers found the kid from England eventually calling Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his home.

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