A-Sides

If you were a teenager of the 90's who loved heavy metal and horror movies, it didn't get much cooler than White Zombie! Brent and Andy dive into this band of spooks that mixed guitar riffs and movie dialogue, while ranking their favorite songs and discussing the album cuts and b-sides. They also fall into a few random rabbit holes along the way... but if you're talking about White Zombie, perhaps it's best to call them 'black holes.' Thanks for checking out this newest episode of A-Sides.

Pulling back the curtain yet again for more concert stories, on this episode Andy speaks with Devin Birch. He was instrumental in bringing live music to Central Illinois for several years at the Limelight venue, and Devin shares the genesis of the venue, as well as which shows personally stood out most to him. The conversation touches on Blackberry Smoke, Damon Johnson, Marilyn Manson, Night Ranger, and more acts that played Peoria. Big thanks to Devin for taking the time to be part of this episode.

With 20 albums to their credit, Cheap Trick have a vast array of songs, from classic rock staples to those we've dubbed "pop songs for serial killers." On this newest episode of A-Sides, we did our best to narrow that down to our ten favorites, without getting too side-tracked. We also reminisced on seeing Cheap Trick live, discussed the vocal prowess of Robin Zander, and mentioned which of their albums deserve a closer look. Thanks for coming back for another spin on A-Sides!

Deftones' third album, White Pony, recently reached it's 20th anniversary, so hosts Brent and Andy decided to sit down and discuss the vinyl reissue along with its companion album, Black Stallion. Along the way, the guys talk about where it sits in the Deftones' discography, compare Deftones to their peers in the nu metal genre, chat about the dilemmas of collecting vinyl, butcher words and phrases, and Andy gets heated about incomplete album reissues. This might be our silliest episode yet, so feast your ears on this episode of 'A-Sides' and take a trip back to when JNCOs and frosted tips were all the rage.

Andy welcomes back Corey "Rizzo" Rozzoni (Lights of Marfa, The Great Affairs) for a second appearance on 'A-Sides'. Rizzo has a wealth of experience from his 30+ years of performing, and during this episode he "pulls back the curtain" to share his personal philosophy on being part of a rock band. The guys discuss these nuggets of knowledge, from rehearsing to touring, and also the taboos of concerts shirts. You can follow Rizzo online at his personal website, find out where he will be performing with The Great Affairs here, and check out Lights of Marfa online. Thank you for listening and helping A-Sides reach 60 episodes!

In the early 1980's, a new genre of music was in its early stages in the Bay Area of California, which would later take over the world. Brent and Andy spend this episode diving into that genre of "thrash metal", specifically tackling three huge albums released in 1986 from Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. While discussing these three particular albums, they also dive down a rabbit hole of related concert stories, what constitutes "selling out", sample a related brand of coffee, and discuss the merits of 'greatest hits' compilations. Strap on your bullet belt, raise your fist, and press play on this episode of 'A-Sides.' Thanks for listening!

With an absence of live music over the last year, you can live vicariously through the newest episode of A-Sides. Kenny Wright from The Great Affairs returns to the podcast to discuss concerts with Andy, which include stories from seeing Kiss and Van Halen in their heyday, (failed) attempts at meeting bands backstage, beer spills, hurling vomit, and so much more! Thank you for listening to the newest episode of A-Sides, and make sure to follow The Great Affairs online so you can see them in a town near you.

On this episode of A-Sides, Brent talks with the author of "They Just Seem A Little Weird," the story of Kiss, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, and Starz. 

Brent and Andy return for a follow-up on their episode discussing 'Debut Albums', as they dive into 'Sophomore Albums.' It's been said again and again that a second album is "make it or break it" for artists and musicians, so we give our thoughts on those we feel are strong second albums. Find out who we chose and why, what restrictions we put on our lists, which beer was drank, and how this all relates to Harry Nilsson!? Thank you for giving us another spin on A-Sides.

Denny Smith returns for this third guest appearance on 'A-Sides', this time discussing the recent studio album from his band, The Great Affairs. Dropping back in October, the album titled 'Everybody Moves, Nobody Get Hurt' is chock full of riffs, ballads, and even electric sitar!! Find out some stories behind the songs, his song writing process, and a discussion on the album artwork. You can find The Great Affairs on their website, your favorite streaming service, and on Reverb Nation.