Badass Records

Josh Plunkett is a son, a sibling, an entrepreneur, a business owner, a photographer, a videographer, and a world traveler. He's a guy that has figured out a thing or two about his allotment of time on this planet, and he's also my guest for Episode No. 130.

Our streams crossed paths somewhere in the Instagram world, and -- speaking of -- you can find him/his work there in not one, not two, but three places. You can also check out his handsome Web site, on which you might find yourself inclined to buy a print, hire him for a shoot, or even rent his space.

Josh was kind enough to give me a chunk of one of his Tuesday evenings a couple of months ago, and self-aware enough to warn me that he has no qualms going long in the discussion department. Little did he know that that was just fine with me.

Our conversation was fascinating and worth me not spoiling too much of it before you get in there and check it out for yourself. I will say, however, that we talked a bit about family, self-exploration, the human experience and what it can sometimes look and feel like out there amongst the others. And of course we had a peek at a few of Josh's favorite records. Those were these:

Pulp Fiction: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994)

Korn, self-titled (1994)

Microworlds (2023), CloZee

Give Josh's work a peek and give him a follow, if you're so inclined. He may be the right fit for your photoshoot wishes, your studio-space needs, or your longing for travel. And don't forget to check out the Merch' store on the Web site. It might be a good place for you to get an early start on your holiday lists.

Cheers.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a single called, "Shooting Stars," by Bag Raiders. It's a 2009 number that was maybe only digitally released via both the single format and the EP format (which features three other variations of the tune), but made its way to our ears c/o Bang Gang 12s, under exclusive license to Modular Recordings.

I'm very excited to share that Dr. Alberto Villamandos joined me for Episode No. 129, and we talked a little bit about life as Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages & Cultures at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Go, Roos!

We also talked about him being the recipient of the 2024 Chancellor's Award for Community Engagement.

Dr. Villamandos was kind enough to share a portion of his evening with me amidst busy end-of-semester pressures, travel plans, and the many other things that keep his plate full, so I must extend some heartfelt gratitude for his generosity.

We touched on his undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate studies, as well as growing up in Pamplona, Spain. And of course we had a peek at a few of his favorite albums, which were these:

Radio Futura's La Ley del Desierto (1984)

Enemigos de lo Ajeno (1986), El Último de la Fila

Pixies' Doolittle (1989)

Galore (1997), The Cure

The Best of Depeche Mode, vol. 1 (2006)

You can find Dr. Villamandos' book, El Discreto Encanto de la Subversión: Una Crítica Cultural de la Gauche Divine on Amazon or you can check it out at the UMKC library. Oh, and shouts out to the Dr.'s honorable mentions, Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture as well as Bram Stoker's Dracula: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Thanks to any and all that support the show.

Cheers.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Talking Heads tune called, "Two Note Swivel," from their 1983 release, Speaking in Tongues (c/o Sire Records (manufactured and marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group - A Warner Music Group Co.)).

Jeremy Clark of Tracer Heights was in the house for Episode No. 128, and dang it if it isn't always refreshing to chat with a fellow Phishhead.

Trust me: I'm not trying to pigeonhole Jeremy or say that that's all there is to say about him. There's a ton more. Rare is the opportunity, though.

Anyway...Jeremy's a son and a brother and a bandmate and one heck of a sharp dude; I really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit. We talked a fair amount about Tracer Heights, what they're all about, and what his role as the bassist looks like. We also talked about a few of Jeremy's favorite albums. Those were these:

Pet Sounds (1966), The Beach Boys

Nine Inch Nails' Broken (1992)

Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness (1995), The Smashing Pumpkins

The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin (1999)

Person Pitch (2007), Panda Bear

So, please check out our conversation. These chats are almost always awesome; this one was no exception. And please check out Tracer Heights. Find out more about them at tracerheights.com, on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Bandcamp. They're rock, blues, and bluegrass with the spirit of psychedelic improvisational music, and they're gigging often here in K.C.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a track called, "Grand Funk," by Jackie Mittoo from his 1971 effort, Wishbone (c/o Light in the Attic Records).

Lauren Textor was my guest for Episode No. 127, and my mind is still reeling from everything that she has accomplished at such a young age.

I have no real direct reason to be as proud of her as I am, but I am, nonetheless. And I truly feel that she is just getting started.

There're a number of ways in which one could keep tabs on this daughter, sibling, writer, producer, girlfriend, lover of Ireland, bandmate/cat mom. And those'er these: Muck Rack, Instagram, etc.

Lauren and I talked about a good many things, and of course a part of all that were a few of her favorite albums. Those were these:

Al Stewart's Year of the Cat (1976)

Time (1981) Electric Light Orchestra

Tom Petty's Wildflowers (1994)

In the Magic Hour (2016), Aoife O'Donovan

Lorde's Solar Power (2021)

Meeting Lauren and having the opportunity to sit down and visit with her was an experience I won't soon forget. Many thanks to her for her time and positive energy. Oh, and anyone that considers Tom Petty to be their ghost dad his a-okay in my book.

And thank you to all of you that support the podcast.

Cheers.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are cuts from a Phish track called, "Breath and Burning," which comes from their oft-trashed (but not wisely so) 2016 release, Big Boat (c/o 1016 Phish). As Machines Within guy once said, "Eff all the haters."

Myla McCune, in all of her loveliness, graced me with her presence for Episode No. 126.

She's a daughter and a sibling and a sculptor and a gal that's not afraid to take on challenges. You can find her on Instagram or at mylalamar.com, if you're interested in checking out her work or commissioning her to do a piece for you.

Myla and I talked about school and art and family and growing up and gender-role expectations that're maybe midwest-rooted. We also talked about a few of her favorite albums. Those were these:

Jim Croce's Don't Mess Around With Jim (1972) Back to Black (2006), Amy Winehouse

Duffy's Rockferry (2008)

The Fame (2008), Lady Gaga

It was a privilege and an honor that Myla made time for me amidst her then-busy, end-of-semester schedule. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for cool stuff to continue to come from her neck of the woods. I understand she's been traveling, a bit off of the grid, and spending time with family back home for the summer, so I'm happy for her that her 2024 seems to have been full of a variety of good stuff.

Thank you to Myla and to all of my guests. The e-mail address is badassrecordspodcast over on the Gmails if you're feeling like you'd like to be one or know of someone that would. My appreciation goes out to all who've supported the show in the various ways that that's possible.

Cheers.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips I've poached from a track called, "Dirty Listening," by Groove Armada. It comes from their 1998 release, Northern Star, c/o Tummy Touch Records LLC.

Philip Clark is a son, a brother, a husband, a vinyl collector, and a music lover. He has hosted a radio show and a podcast, and has been a vocalist for B.A.T.S., The Dead Laughter, and Johnny Switchblade.

He was also kind enough to be my guest for Episode No. 125 of Badass Records.

Philip and I covered a decent amount of ground in just under two hours, and a good portion of that was centered on discussing a few of his favorite albums. Those were these:

Kind of Blue (1959), Miles Davis

Shawn Phillips' Collaboration (1970)

Station to Station (1976), David Bowie

Patti Smith's Radio Ethiopia (1976)

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980), Dead Kennedys

Misfits' Walk Among Us (1982)

Doolittle (1989), Pixies

Danzig's Danzig II: Lucifuge (1990)

Let Love In (1994), Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Modest Mouse's The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998), Neutral Milk Hotel

Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile (1999)

The Decline (1999), NOFX

Songs: Ohia's The Lioness (2000)

Something About My 20s (2016), Four Arm Shiver

Chatting with Philip was a lovely time, and -- once you've checked out our conversation -- you should ready yourself to see him perform reunion-style, live with Johnny Switchblade as part of the 3rd Annual Darryl Memorial, Saturday, July 13th, at Farewell (6515 Stadium Drive in Kansas City). There are three other acts on the bill. Doors at 7:00; music at 8:00.

Thank you to Philip and to all of those that support the podcast.

Cheers.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Phish tune called, "Silent in the Morning," which I snagged from their 1993 release, Rift. This album is must-listen for all music lovers. It's an indisputable badass-record touchstone, and exists c/o Elektra Entertainment, A Division of Warner Communications Inc. for the United States and WEA International for the world outside of the United States.

When Rich Wheeler shows up, shit gets weird.

I'm kidding. I stole a version of that verbiage from a Facebook post from a few months back. A musician that had just gigged with Rich wrote it with high-praise-worthy intentions, and I loved the heck out of it.

So, Mr. Wheeler was kind enough to lend me a portion of one of his Saturday afternoons not too long ago, and I was clumsy enough to screw up the video portion of our conversation, so...audio-only it is. And thank the heavens that I didn't botch that portion of the thing, 'cause this chat was next-level.

Rich just might be the sharpest dude I've chewed the fat with so far, and believe me -- there've been some sharp ones.

I really enjoyed learning a little bit about him, his experiences, his horn-playing savvy, not to mention a few of his favorite albums, which were these:

McCoy Tyner's The Real McCoy (1967)

Nude Ants (1980), Keith Jarrett

Maceo Parker's Life on Planet Groove (1992)

Blackstar (2016), David Bowie

Rich jams, gigs, and records with a number of folks around town. You can find him on such releases as Live at Jardine's by the Brandon Draper Quintet. He's in tight with the Draper Family Band, he's currently working on a project with Jackie Myers. He gave Blue Note Records props, which is aces in my book. He's a huge Joe Henderson fan, and he just might be the dopest tenor-sax player in the region.

Many thanks to Rich, and much love to all of you who support Badass Records.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained in this episode. They're cuts from a track called, "Turn It On," by The Greyboy Allstars, which comes from their 2022 release, Get a Job (c/o Knowledge Room Recordings).

As the beat goes on, I found myself lucky enough to sit down with Brian McCarty, and visit with him about his life and his journey as a musician.

It's Episode No. 123, and this one was a treat.

Please join me and Brian as we talk about his roles in The Matchsellers, Greg Blake & Hometown, plus his duo setup.

We also poked around at family and growing up, the pursuit of dreams, happiness, and the appropriate life path to walk. We also took a peek at a few of his favorite records, which were these:

Black Sabbath's Paranoid (1970)

Newgrass Revival (s/t), (1972)

Dead Milkmen's Big Lizard in My Backyard (1985)

Del & the Boys (2001), Del McCoury Band

I feel very grateful to have had this conversation with Brian, and to have gotten this podcast to the place it has come to live. Thank you to those of you that support it, and best of luck to Brian in his future endeavors.

Note: Apologies to Bob Stewart; the name of the University of Missouri-Kansas City publication is New Letters and its radio-companion piece is New Letters on the Air. Letters, not voices.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained in the intro/outro/promo portions of this episode. They are snippets from a tune called, "Madison," which comes from Drugdealer's 2022 album, Hiding in Plain Sight, c/o Mexican Summer.

Maura Dayton. Awesome human being.

Maura -- in all of Maura's awesomeness -- is a daughter, a sister, a student, a bandmate, an expert in a good many things, and Maura's also my guest for Episode No. 122.

Maura might've had the greatest set of parents in all of American rock 'n' roll parenting history.

Who knows.

Either way, Maura's a person that knows a thing or two about music, has passion for music, loves playing music, and -- oh, yeah -- did I mention that Maura absolutely crushes it in the world of professional photography and can write copy to go along with it?

You should check out Maura's Instagram page, and -- why'll you're there -- keep in mind that Maura also plays six-string for Catfight out of Lawrence, KS.

There's a hundred other reasons why you should check out my conversation with Maura and stop paying attention to this snoozy episode verbiage, but...I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that meeting Maura was a treat, and I'm super-pleased that we had our visit.

Oh, and, shit...I almost forgot: We talked a little bit about a few of Maura's favorite albums. Those were these:

Doolittle (1989), Pixies

Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral (1994)

Glow On (2021), Turnstile

Knocked Loose's A Tear in the Fabric of Life (2021)

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained in this video. They are snippets from a Phish tune called, "Waste," which is from the 1996 release, Billy Breathes. It's here courtesy of Elektra Entertainment, and -- and I don't say this often -- if it's not a part of your library, it should be. It's 1,000 percent a badass record.

I hate to sound repetitive with my gushing, but man was Episode No. 121 a treat.

FK Menace came through and pulled no punches; we could've gabbed all evening.

I can't describe how fun this was. What an amazing journey for an awesome dude that is legitimately living the dream.

FK's a son, a brother, an artist, an activist, a DJ, a producer, and he's a guy you'd really struggle not to respect and admire. Solid, solid human being.

We talked a little bit about growing up, art school, inventing one's self, life lessons, and so much more. We also talked a little bit about a few of his favorite records. Those were these:

Curtis Mayfield's Superfly (1972)

The Infamous (1995), Mobb Deep

Delinquent Habits' Here Come the Horns (1998)

Mista Don't Play (Everythangs Workin) (2001), Project Pat

MF Doom's MM..Food (2004)

The Good Book, Vol. 2 (2017), The Alchemist/Budgie

You can peep some FK Menace action on his Web site or on his Facebook page, but for sure follow him on Instagram on both his personal page as well as on Sabados.

Blessed. Thankful. Humbled.

Get some.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples featured in this episode. They're cuts from a track called, "Inversion Layer," by Robert Walter's 20th Congress off of their 2013 effort, Get Thy Bearings (c/o Royal Potato Family).