Badass Records

Christena Graves is a daughter, a sibling, a wife, a mom, and a musician.

She's also my guest for Episode No. 220.

Christena joined me a couple of weeks ago to talk about her journey in youth, adulthood, parenting, and musicianship. We talked about faith and family, being a part of the music business and re-entering it after a short hiatus, recording, writing, producing, and so much more.

We also talked about a few of Christena's favorite records, which were these:

Amy Grant's Unguarded (1985)

In My Tribe (1987), 10,000 Maniacs

Hothouse Flowers' Songs from the Rain (1993)

Imploding the Mirage (2020), The Killers

The Killers' Pressure Machine (2021)

Christena's 2021 release, Finding My Footing, can be streamed or downloaded on your platform of choice. Follow her on Instagram at @christenagravesmusic, and subscribe to her newsletter at christenagravesmusic.com. The Christena Graves Band also has seven singles available in addition to the full-length album, and there's more to come soon from whence that came.

Many thanks to Christena for her time, and thank you to everyone that supports the show.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a ZZ Top tune called, "A Fool for Your Stockings," which is from their 1979 release, Degüello, c/o of Warner Records Inc., under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC. This is an especially important hat tip as we lost Frank Beard earlier this week. Mr. Beard manned the kit for the most-underrated Blues trio in American-rock history for 56 years, 16 records, and a ton of live shows. His passing is remarkable in that his bandmate and bassist, Dusty Hill, left this Earth five years and change ago, leaving only Mr. Billy Gibbons as the sole-surviving member of this fan-freaking-tastic outfit. Godspeed to you, Mr. Beard. We always found it appropriate that your facial hair marched to the beat of its own drum.

Adam Doyle of Shotgun Wedding Singer joined me for Episode No. 219, and it was both a treat to meet him and a delight to visit with him about his thus-far journey on this rock hurtling through space.

We talked about crafting one's own musicianship path, the band community in Kansas City, seeing awesome live shows, and a bunch more. We also took a peek at a few of Adam's favorite albums, which were these:

self-titled (2003) Blink-182

Green Day's American Idiot (2004)

From Under the Cork Tree (2005), Fall Out Boy

A Day to Remember's What Separates Me from You (2010)

Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010), My Chemical Romance

You can give Adam an Instagram follow at @gardoyle93, and the band's handle is @shotgunweddingsinger. Find their three singles and two EPs (including this year's Shotgun Wedding Singer Presents: An Introduction to Bridge Burning) where you stream and download your music and your podcasts. SWS is also on Facebook and YouTube (Check out their "I Think You Should Leave" music video.), and you can find the e-mail address for bookings under that good old IG-bio section.

Many thanks (and apologies for having the wrong Blink-182 album cover) to Adam for the time and the enthusiasm, and thank you to all of you that support the show.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained in this episode. They are snippets from a Kurt Vile tune called, "Bassackwards," a baller track from his 2018 badass record, Bottle It In, c/o Matador Records.

Josh Barber of Idle Heirs joins me for Episode No. 218.

Mr. Barber is a son, a sibling, a husband, a bandmate, and a man of both vision and talent.

Josh and I talked about the process of writing the bones of Life Is Violence -- Idle Heirs' full-length release from 2025 -- in the Pacific Northwest, recording it in Norway, and the excitement surrounding their next project.

We also talked about a few of Josh's favorite albums, which were these:

Lateralus (2001), Tool

Glassjaw's Worship & Tribute (2002)

You Come Before You (2003), Poison the Well

Cult of Luna's Vertikal (2013)

Drown the Traitor Within (2019), Lorn

Follow Idle Heirs on Instagram at @idleheirs. Find their record on Bandcamp plus where you stream/download. They've got a Facebook page and a YouTube channel as well.

Many thanks to Josh for the time and the good conversation. And thanks to all of you that support the show.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Grateful Dead tune called, "Estimated Prophet," which is from their phenomenal 1977 release, Terrapin Station, which we have access to c/o Grateful Dead Productions, marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company (a Warner Music Group).

Ian Dobyns is a son, a sibling, a partner, a mixer/producer, a musician, a super-sharp dude, and a great conversationalist. He's also my guest for Episode No. 217.

He stopped by the studio Saturday and chewed the fat with me on life in the producing/engineering/mixing lanes, wearing different band hats, growing up, relationships, and a bunch more. Find him on Instagram at @atlantis_morrissey, @doubledrag.wow, @theyretheirs, @elementrecording, @squishy.audio, and @indiedrummercollective.

Ian and I also talked about a few of his favorite records, which were these:

Third Eye Blind's 1997 self-titled debut

Machina/The Machines of God (2000), Smashing Pumpkins

Colour Revolt's Plunder, Beg, & Curse (2008)

Yuck's 2011 self-titled album

Beach House's 7 (2018)

If you're looking for assistance with your studio project, check out the folks over at Element. Looks to be a solid operation that will help you generate the results you desire.

Many thanks to Ian for the correspondence to make this chat happen. I appreciated his time, his energy, and his wit. And thank you to all that support the show.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips in this episode. They are snippets I poached from White Snake's "Still of the Night," which can be found on their self-titled 1987 release, c/o Craft Recordings, distributed by Concord.

Daniel Cole is a son, a sibling, a fiance, and a drummer in numerous projects. And he was kind enough to join me for Episode No. 216 of the podcast.

I sat down with Daniel last week to chat about his story, the outfits he gigs with, music, being engaged, and a bunch more.

His Instagram handle is @dcoledrums, and if you peep his bio, you'll see links for all of the bands he currently collaborates with or has collaborated with in the past. Those include @xtothev, @runwithitband, @quixoticfusion, @katbking, @twiceonsundayband, and -- last but not least -- @frankieshorez_mercyfiremusic, whose new album, Project Lullaby: Adventures in the City is out now on the streaming platforms and on Bandcamp.

We also talked about a couple of Daniel's favorite albums, which were Lupe Fiasco's The Cool from 2007, and 2011's Wasting Light by Foo Fighters.

Many thanks to Daniel for the correspondence and the time, and thank you to everyone that supports the show. Contact me at at badassrecordspodcast at g mail dot com if you -- or someone you know -- would like to join the program for an episode.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Billy Idol tune called, "Eyes Without a Face," from his 1983 release, Rebel Yell, c/o Capitol Records, LLC.

As we roll into the birthday-weekend celebration of the United States of America, one might imagine coming out the other side of the festivities thinking a little more of the greater good than of the self. Maybe that's a lost cause at this juncture, but I don't believe that to be true. There are plenty of decent folks and resources and programs (or at least perhaps there were) in this country that we could -- at the very least -- spend a few seconds thinking about how one could serve one's neighbor. Or put the self second in a few of our daily walks.

And speaking of folks that land north of the decency line, I'm pleased to share with you that Jocelyn Olivia Nixon is my guest for this week's episode of the podcast.

Jocelyn was kind enough to come chew the proverbial fat with me last week, and I really enjoyed meeting her and sitting down to converse for a few. We talked about family, personal journeys, songwriting, making music and releasing it, gelling with bandmates, live performances, and quite a bit more. We also talked about a couple of her favorite albums, which were these:

Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

Revolver (1966), The Beatles

If you'd like to give Jocelyn's Instagram a follow, you can find her at @jocnix26, and her band's IG is @thecreepyjingles. The Creepy Jingles have four singles on Bandcamp and a brand-new full-length release entitled Washed Up as well. You can also find their stuff on the streaming platforms. Regarding Washed Up, shouts out to Enigmatic Brunch Records for putting the thing out.

So please consider checking out their music and giving them a follow on the 'Gram. They do good stuff.

Many thanks to Jocelyn for the communication ahead of time and for making the commitment to come chill with me for a minute. And many thanks to all of you that support the program.

Happy Fourth.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a new Kurt Vile tune called, "Red Room Dub." It's a track from his newest album, Philadelphia's Been Good to Me, c/o Verve Records, an overnite kv incorporated release under exclusive license to Verve Label Group, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Your assignment for the week -- class -- is to find someone cooler than Cass Jones.

And once I've graded all of your papers, I'm pleased to share with you that I will be modifying all of your Fs to As, because -- that's right -- it's an impossible ask.

We're putting up something in the form of Episode No. 214, and I couldn't be happier to share that @cassjooones on Instagram is my guest, and what a hoot I had chatting with her.

Cass can also be found at cassjonescreative.com, and -- of greater importance, perhaps -- motelvenus.studio, come July 15th of this summer.

The Jones clan -- when they're not busy roasting one another -- would happily call Cass a sibling and a daughter, a solo camper and a dog lover. They might also call her hilarious and be right in doing so.

Cass and I talked design, illustration, brand strategy, her gig with The Pitch, and a bunch more. Included in said "more," was a short list of some of her favorite albums. Those were these:

Ice Cube's Lethal Injection (1993)

Destroy All Astromen! (1994), Man or Astro-man?

Dethklok's The Dethalbum (2007)

Keep your eyes peeled for the Motel Venus stuff; it's bound to be rad.

Many thanks to Cass and to all that support the progrum.

Note: Moonflower was not the Santana album was thinking of, I don't think. If Google's right, I think maybe it was Borboletta (1974).

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Wizzow track called, "Saturday," which is found on Wiztrumentals (2025), c/o wizzydabeatwow.

Very pleased to welcome Sammy Sanchez back in to the podcast studio for another exciting look at an artist's discography, and this time -- for Episode No. 213 -- we dove in to the Queens of the Stone Age catalog.

If you've not caught previous episodes with Sammy, you can check him out on Episode Nos 44 (first appearance), 66 (Tom Waits), 88 (Beck), 113 (Radiohead), and 187 (King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard). And if you wanna know how that train got rollin', check out Episode No. 30 with his dad, Caesar, which was also a fun time.

Queens of the Stone Age has eight records to date, each one different than the previous. They are:

self-titled (1998)

2000's Rated R

Songs for the Deaf (2002)

Lullabies to Paralyze (2005)

2007's Era Vulgaris

...Like Clockwork (2013)

Villains from 2017

2023's In Times New Roman...

Sammy and I talked about a bunch of stuff across this chat, and beyond QotSA albums, we touched on Pink Floyd, the World Cup, the ever-awesome Phil Collins, and more.

In this case, more means a bunch of different things, but I'd like to focus specifically on his growing local empire of trivia nights, which has sprung from once a week to Sunday-Thursday affairs, all in different locations. Follow Sammy on Instagram at @sammysanchez1123 and peep his bio to see the spots.

Always grateful for Sammy's time and insight. Couldn't do this series without him.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Led Zeppelin tune called, "In the Light," which can be found on their 1975 masterpiece, Physical Graffiti, c/o Atlantic Recording Corporation, a Warner Music Group Company (marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company).

It's good fun for the dork in me this week as we're dropping a palindrome episode, and I couldn't be happier than to share that Brian Hurtgen joined me for the 212th installment of the program.

Brian is a son, a sibling, a parent, a partner, and a wearer of many band hats.

We talked family, musicianship, band life and the learning curve that sometimes comes with it. We also talked about life, death, and being a sage person as you walk the path.

Brian's outfits include Major Matt Mason USA, Holiday at Sea, The Creepy Jingles, and Bye American. You can find stuff from each of those bands on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and I Heart Radio, and you can also find some solo material of his on those platforms.

In addition to all of that, we had a peek at a few of Brian's favorite albums, which were these:

Siamese Dream (1993), The Smashing Pumpkins

Radiohead's The Bends (1995)

LP2 (1995), Sunny Day Real Estate*

Starflyer 59's The Fashion Focus (1998)

Low Level Owl, Vol. 1 + 2 (2011), The Appleseed Cast

Meeting Brian was a treat, and sharing time with him for some quality conversation was a privilege.

Oh, and don't forget to check out Brian's pop-up record store, BlacKCat Vinyl. The store's Instagram handle is @blackcatvinylkc; Brian's page is @waxmusic79.

• In my fumbling preparation efforts, I completely overlooked the Sunny Day Real Estate record, and we therefore did not discuss it on the show. My apologies to both Brian and S.D.R.E.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Delegation track called, "Oh Honey" from 1978, c/o State Records.

Hi, hello, hey, and howdy!

Episode No. 211 features the super-fantastic Scott Devouton of Sound Ridge Studio!

My conversation with Scott involved details associated with creating a recording space, the development of chops as a musician, and you can check it out in a number of places. Namely, here!

Scott and I talked about family, growing up, life path-walking, and so much more. We also happened to touch on a few of his favorite (at the time) records, and those were these:

Odelay (1996), Beck

John Legend and The Roots' Wake Up! (2010)

Lotta Sea Lice (2017), Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile

Scott's Ill Fit Records (as well as Sound Ridge Studio) can be followed on Instagram at @soundridgestudio, and their Web site is soundridgestudio.com. Find their stuff on YouTube, Facebook, and Bandcamp, and also know that Scott has a couple singles on the streaming platforms, too.

Badass Records podcast would love to thank you for tuning in to the show, and supporting it in whatever way you see fit.

Cheers.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Grateful Dead tune called, "China Cat Sunflower." Samples from this particular track were lifted from their Europe '72 record, c/o Warner Bros. Inc., Manufactured by Warner Strategic Marketing.