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    Music

    The True Tunes Podcast

    We make no apologies here: Our goal is to help artists as they work to make the world a more beautiful and musical place, and to help grow audiences for those artists, both in scale and in depth. You might notice that our conversations with artists, producers, authors, and industry leaders are usually focused on those two main themes: artist and audience development. I experienced this first-hand for decades at the Cornerstone Festival – and I have dedicated my life to it for over forty years. And now, as an artist and author myself – and as a professor and director of music industry studies – helping the next generation of songwriters and artists find their way in this algorithmically addled environment is very close to my heart. I’m still here – working to make sense of it all right alongside everyone else.

    This is what we believe:

    We believe music is spiritually significant, not merely entertaining. All music participates in something larger than itself.

    We believe human curation is more valuable than algorithmic convenience. Trusted guides with great taste and earned judgment matter more than a machine that gives you more of what you already like.

    We believe gathering matters more than commerce, though commerce makes gathering possible. The transaction is credible because the curation is trustworthy.

    We believe countercultural conviction can be held without apology and without aggression. We know who we are. We are not interested in being popular in the wrong rooms.

    We believe the artist and the audience are equally sacred. The line between them nearly disappears when music is doing what it is supposed to do. The faith underneath all of it shows up in the questions we bring, not in the answers we insist on.

    We are a virtual – and occasionally real-life venue, not a feed, with lots of rooms to explore. A gathering place with human voices at the center — asking what the work is doing to us, where it comes from, and why it matters.

    We still believe. So do you. Come join us.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.

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    Latest Episodes:
    Beatles & Outlaws: Ken Mansfield Comes Down From The Roof Sep 13, 2022
    Show notes

    Ken Mansfield has been "in the room" for several major cultural watershed moments. After a meteoric rise through the ranks at Capitol Records in the 1960s, where he worked with artists like Lou Rawls, The Band, and The Beach Boys, Ken was personally chosen by The Beatles to head their Apple Records enterprise in the US. He happened to be working at the Apple offices in London during the sessions that were captured for the Let It Be album and film, including their now famous live concert finale on the roof. Ken, long dubbed "the man in the white coat" was one of just a handful of people on that roof with The Beatles on that historic day – a day that long defined his illustrious career in the music business.

    A few years later, Mansfield found himself in the midst of yet another musical reformation as his simultaneous production of the Waylon Jennings' album Ready For The Country and Jessi Colter's smash single “I'm Not Lisa" helped solidify the "Outlaw” sound as Country artists reclaimed Americana music from the overproduced and over-commercialized Nashville machinery. Join us for this expansive conversation – which traces Ken Mansfield's professional and personal journey – from the farm country of Idaho to the Hollywood Hills – to the "top of the world" a time or two. As he chronicles in his recent book, The Roof; The Beatles' Final Concert, Mansfield returned to that London rooftop to contemplate the impact of that day, those musicians, his varied experiences and relationships, and what it all might mean all these years later.

    Full Show Notes, Music List, and a special Ken Mansfield Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/BeatlesRoof

    If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!


    Phil Cook’s Spiritual Helpline (From Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, & Megafaun to Gospel Glory) Aug 31, 2022
    Show notes

    After being affiliated with Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, and Megafaun – and releasing a series of his own acclaimed solo projects, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Phil Cook surprised many with the launch of his new roots gospel label, Spiritual Helpline, and producing a rousing new live roots Gospel album by North Carolina local legends, The Branchettes. Though the group was formed over a half-century ago, they never recorded a live album until now. The soul-stirring experience was captured in the documentary film, Stay Prayed Up, which is currently available on demand and is screening at film festivals around the country. Cook – who is forty years younger than the last surviving original member of the group – now says the only records he will buy are Gospel records. He has found his purpose.

    We'll hear all about Phil Cook's amazing musical journey – from his youth in northern Wisconsin to his migration to North Carolina with his creative community – to pursuing his love of Gospel up close and personal. What started with a keyboard session for The Blind Boys of Alabama has commandeered his whole creative path and he could not be more thrilled.

    When we crank up the Jukebox, we will dive deeper into Mother Perry's story from the film and will listen more closely to the live album she made with Cook and his insanely good band.

    Full Show Notes, Music List, and a special Phil Cook and Friends Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/StayPrayedUp.

    If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

    (And if you liked this episode, don't miss our previous Gospel explorations. Myron Butler discussed the legacy of Andrae Crouch with us (and we featured Aretha's "Amazing Grace" on the Jukebox) and DOE Jones joined us to talk about her long-anticipating contemporary Gospel debut - plus Aaron "A-Train" Smith join us to talk about Stevie Wonder in the 70s.)


    Love Is Underrated: Undercover (+ What’s Shakin’ & Reality Rock on the Jukebox) Aug 16, 2022
    Show notes

    On this episode, we are joined by keyboardist and songwriter Ojo Taylor, guitarist and writer Gym Nicholson, long-time lead vocalist Sim Wilson, and drummer Gary Olsen of the Orange County rock band Undercover for an expansive conversation recorded in front of a live audience at the Audiofeed Festival in Illinois. Undercover emerged in the early 1980s at the pole position of the frenetic “second wave” of Jesus Rock that saw an explosion of New Wave, Punk, Rock, and pop bands like Lifesavors, Altar Boys, Lifters, Common Bond, Crumbacher, Youth Choir, and others fill high school auditoriums, bowling alleys, parks, and church youth halls with a righteous racket that thrilled teens, worried some parents, and eventually set the stage for the big business era of Christian rock in the 90s. Ojo Taylor not only led Undercover, though, he was also a curator of this bourgeoning scene – managing labels, producing albums, and putting together one of the most important early compilation albums – which spins when we crank up the now sticker-covered Jukebox for an overview of those heady, loud, formative years.

    Ojo made more waves in what’s left of this underground community when he publicly admitted that he no longer holds the same religious beliefs for which he rocked so passionately back in the day. Like others, his personal spiritual journey has taken him in a direction that does not include the Evangelical faith of his younger years. But earlier this year, when a Christian music festival invited the long-defunct band to reunite for a special show, they agreed – and rocked Audiofeed (and before that, the Anaheim House of Blues) quite successfully. Why would a band with differing beliefs agree to gigs like those?

    As Ojo says, “Belief is overrated. Agreement is overrated. Love is underrated.”

    Find full Show Notes, including photos and video from Undercover’s set at Audiofeed HERE or at TrueTunes.com/Undercover


    David Eugene Edwards of Wovenhand: Apocalypse Ain’t for the Faint of Heart Aug 02, 2022
    Show notes

    Few artists have committed to the ethic of apocalyptic – even gothic – Americana as completely as Colorado’s David Eugene Edwards. From his early work with The Denver Gentlemen and 16 Horsepower to the last two decades of material he has offered via Wovenhand, Edwards practically haunts every stage, and album, with spirits that are simultaneously spectral and Biblical. On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, John J. Thompson sits down with Edwards in front of a live audience at the Audiofeed Festival in Champaign, Illinois to talk about his origins, his musical concepts, and his mystical perspectives on everything from the nature of art and humanity to the essence of spirituality and redemption.

    Then we crank up the jukebox to hear some other seminal apocalyptic music – and consider the value and purpose of provocative art in general. What is it that is being hidden, revealed, discovered, or avoided, when we drop the needle these days?

    Full Show Notes and a special Apocalypse Rocks Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/Wovenhand

    The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!


    Michael Bloodgood: A Long Obedience in a LOUD Direction Jul 30, 2022
    Show notes

    In memory of our friend Michael Bloodgood, we revisit a conversation we recorded with him for the Electric Jesus Podcast in 2021. With roots in the Jesus Movement, but a career that really took off in the 80s metal scene, Michael was a true "metal missionary." We already miss him sorely.

    Presented in cooperation with Blue Tape Records and the Electric Jesus Film, and co-hosted by the writer and director of Electric Jesus, Chris White.

    Rest in peace, Michael.


    @45RPM The Prayer Chain: Backstage in ’18 Jul 27, 2022
    Show notes

    The Prayer Chain is the only band that ever appeared on the cover of the old print version of the True Tunes magazine twice! Though their original run lasted only six years, the band has reunited a few times since breaking up in 1996. One of those was a 2018 show in Anaheim, and JJT was there – in a backstage freight container at a "secret show" at a club called The Wayfarer the night before they rocked the House of Blues. This podcast didn’t even exist yet! But here we have a glimpse of these four friends looking back on twenty years of friendship and music – and the persistent questions about labels, limitations, and purpose.

    Full Show Notes, and photos, available at TrueTunes.com/PrayerChain18

    The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!


    Chagall Guevara: Revolutionary Art, Halcyon Days, & Long-Play Redemption (+ a Squint Jukebox Meltdown) Jul 19, 2022
    Show notes

    The musical highways and byways of this great land are littered with the bedazzled corpses of countless, failed, one-shot rock bands. How many of them, though, would be able to enlist the support of thousands of fans three decades after their demise and raise over $140,000 to mix and master a long-lost live recording – and – release a new studio album – and – celebrate it all with a blistering live show at none other than Music City's hallowed Ryman Auditorium? That’s what Nashville’s Chagall Guevara just did. True Tunes’ John J. Thompson was invited to the band’s secret Music City rehearsal lair for an extended conversation about everything from their origin in the late 80s to their unlikely resurrection during a global pandemic. Steve Taylor, Dave Perkins, Mike Mead, and Lynn Nichols are our guests on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast as we contemplate Halcyon Days, memory, and just how amazing “failure” can sound in the right hands.

    On the Jukebox, we take a listen to Taylor’s long-lost Squint Entertainment label and how he channeled his artistic frustration and lessons learned into an artist development story that launched one of the biggest global hits of the 90s; (Sixpence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me,”) as well as Burlap To Cashmere, LA Symphony, Chevelle, and more. (Full music list and more can be found on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.com/halcyon.)

    The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!


    The Cornerstone Festival: 10 Years Gone (and counting...) Jun 28, 2022
    Show notes

    The original Woodstock Festival happened once. The Cornerstone Festival, however, gathered an unlikely and diverse group of rock and rollers from around the world to two different pieces of land 29 years in a row. Even as the so-called “Jesus Movement,” of the late 60s, and its’ fascinating musical soundtrack, transformed throughout the 80s into more of a subculture than a counterculture, and "Contemporary Christian Music" became more mainstream, Cornerstone kept the fire of revolution burning. With a radical lineup – both musically and educationally – this event was unique in the world. It was responsible for launching several artists not only into the thriving underground, but to mainstream rock, alternative, and metal success as well.

    The final Cornerstone Festival happened in July of 2012 and on this special edition of the True Tunes Podcast we revisit the event both through archival interviews and performance audio, and newly recorded interviews with some of the festival’s founders. We hear from some of our listeners about the ways Cornerstone impacted them, and co-producer Bruce A. Brown even interviews our host, John J. Thompson, for his perspective. True Tunes traces its roots directly to this incendiary event – when John was just a 13-year-old kid watching The 77s, Rez Band, and others in a field outside of Chicago. We’ll hear that story and a lot more.

    If you were ever at Cornerstone, you know. If not – take a listen and hear about one of the most unlikely, insane, wonderful, and influential events few people have ever heard of. We’ll also ponder what we miss most about it ten years later – and what, if anything, we might do about that.

    Music list and more are available on the Show Notes Page for this episode at TrueTunes.com/CstoneRemembered

    The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.


    Walking St. Paul’s Blvd with Michael McDermott (+ Peter Himmelman on the Jukebox) Jun 14, 2022
    Show notes

    Not everyone walking St. Paul’s Boulevard makes it out alive. No one survives it unchanged. This mythological road plays home to a haunting cast of characters, and our guide on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast is none other than the road’s creator - and street-sweeper: singer, songwriter, and seeker, Michael McDermott. No one tells a story like this Chicago native. Maybe that’s because so few who walk the path he’s walked live to tell their tales. McDermott has been crafting some of the most inspiring, and heartbreaking gritty folk-rock this side of the Graceland Cemetery since he burst onto the scene in 1991. His latest may be his best yet – and that’s saying something.

    While in this soul-searching, folk-rock mood, we crank up Peter Himmelman on the True Tunes Jukebox and hear from another – very different – master of the genre. Himmelman has tapped into the therapeutic, spiritual, communal powers of song for decades – from radio hits like “Woman With The Strength of 10,000 Men” to Grammy-nominated children’s music, and beyond.

    Full music list and more are available on the Show Notes Page for this episode at TrueTunes.com/StPaulsBvd.

    Find our review of McDermott's album What In The World HERE.

    The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.


    Michael Roe Did It For Love (Pt.2) [The Lost Dogs, 77s, Kerosene Halo] May 31, 2022
    Show notes

    In the conclusion of our conversation with Michael Roe we talk about one of JJT’s favorite 77s songs in great detail, along with the birth, evolution, survival, and impact of The Lost Dogs, and the hard-won lessons Roe has learned along the way. The Choir’s Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty offer some revealing perspectives on their brother-in-arms and singer/songwriter/visual artist and Love Coma frontman Chris Taylor reflects on Roe as both a fan and as a young artist under his tutelage.

    And don’t miss Part One in which Roe talks about his earliest influences as an artist, the progressive faith community that embraced him and made space for The 77s to emerge, and our special 45RPM episode in which his bandmates Aaron Smith, Jan Eric Volz, Terry Scott Taylor and Jimmy Abegg riff on Roe along with longtime friend and advocate Randy Layton. Find the complete Show Notes page, including a complete list of all music used on this episode at TrueTunes.com/Roe2.

    BUY Michael Roe’s music HERE

    Check out our special Spotify Mix of Roe’s music HERE

    Don’t forget to check out Michael Roe’s special Jukebox Takeover mix, including over 60 of the most influential records in his life HERE

    The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.


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