Badass Records

Tomaski is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a businessman, and a friend of a friend that agreed to come sit in a virtual stranger's basement for a couple of hours to discuss music, and I can't thank him enough for doing so.

We talked about some of his worldly travels, his love of Brazilian culture, and of course, a few of his favorite records. They are the following:

Caetano Veloso's Transa (1972)

Babylon By Bus, Bob Marley & The Wailers (1978)

Metallica's Master of Puppets (1986)

Skid Row, Skid Row (1989)

The Cure's Disintegration (1989)

Achtung Baby, U2 (1991)

Check Your Head, Beastie Boys (1992)

Baile das Formigas, Noites Do Norte (2015)

Please consider giving our conversation a view or a listen, and please let the B.R.P. know if you (or someone you know) would like to be a guest on an episode. Thank you for stopping by.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio clips. They are samples from, "Walking, Running, Viking" by Benevento/Russo Duo, which comes from their 2006 record, Play Pause Stop (c/o Royal Potato Family).

Jake Truelove is a son, a brother, a partner, a father, a business owner, and a tried-and-true fan of the greatest rock-and-roll band in American history.

I was pleased as punch to get Jake in the chair for Episode #39 of Badass Records Podcast, and we were able to mix it up over not only his favorite Phish album, Live in Brooklyn (2006), but also his current love, Goose.

I've known Jake for most of a decade and he's a go-getter that knows what he wants, and makes no bones about the way in which he gets there.

He's the third fan of the Denver Broncos Football Club that I've had on as a guest, and -- thankfully -- it's all bad-punchline jokes for that AFC West franchise this season. And here in the heartland, we of course hope that that trend continues.

I'm glad you're here reading these words, and since you've come this far, please consider doing me a solid and give our conversation a listen or a view. When this drops, we'll be 10 days into November, which I think is deep enough into the calendar year to officially call this the holiday season. To that end, I hope that the coming weeks find you hanging with friends and loved ones whose company you enjoy.

Cheers to you and yours, and consider being kind to strangers as we start the journey toward 2023.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips taken from a tune called, "A Go Go," which is the title track from a 1998 John Scofield record (c/o The Verve Music Group, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.) that features Medeski Martin & Wood. That last phrase should be enough information to let you know that A Go Go is, in fact, a badass record.

John Ingle, a.k.a. "Jingle," (or, Son of Bingle) sacrificed a portion of one of his recent Saturdays and sat with me in the Badass Records Podcast studio for a hot minute to chat about his upbringing, his creative endeavors, and a few of his favorite records.

John's one of the smartest guys I know. His archived level of detail, intellect, and understanding go way beyond my comprehension, and for those (among other) reasons, I consider it an honor and a privilege that we got to chew the fat for a few hours.

When he's not writing screenplay scripts at the local coffee shop or kicking it with his son, Archer, John can likely be found taking in some playoff baseball or revisiting one of his favorite cinematic relics.

During Episode #38, we talked about John Coltrane's Giant Steps (1960), Double Nickels on the Dime (1984) by Minutemen, and The Low End Theory (1991) by A Tribe Called Quest.

Our conversation was not "short and sweet," like that one Bob Dylan wrote about in "You're a Big Girl Now." Instead, it was quasi-lengthy and educational. It was also good fun. Hope you'll check it out.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio clips. They are samples taken from a track called "Syeeda's Song Flute" that Medeski Martin & Wood included for their 1993 record, It's a Jungle in Here (c/o Rykodisc Inc.), and even though that particular track's a Coltrane cover from the very album Mr. Ingle selected, it's featured on one of the undisputed badassest records of all time. If you don't have it in your library, please remedy that today. It'll set ya' free.

Jeff Shifley carved out some time from his busy schedule to come kick it with me of noon on a Sunday. We enjoyed a couple of beverages and attempted to dissect a few of his favorite albums: Jane's Addiction's Ritual de lo Habitual (1991), Phish's Hoist (1994), and one of the most badass records of all time, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin (1975).

In addition to sharing our novice-like expertise on a truly fantastic trio of releases, we also talked about work and parenthood and growing up and the weird thing that is this world we live in today.

It was a really great time, and I couldn't be more pleased that we found a window on the calendar to bullshit and just be a pair of duderinos.

When Jeff's not busy parenting or husbanding or slingin' brown paper bags, you can probably find him on the diamond or on the court wearing his coaching hat.

He's a hell of a guy. I do hope you'll check out our chat.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the inro/outro audio clips. They are samples taken from a tune called "Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)," which is off of the new (April) Kurt Vile album, watch my moves, which you can (and should) stream or buy in one of all of the places in which one does such things. Said track, by the way, comes to you and I courtesy of Verve Records, c/o overnite kv incorporated, under exclusive license to Verve Label Group, a division of UMG Recordings. Whew! Didja' catch all that? 'Cause it was kind of a lot.

Mike Beck is one of the greatest guys I know.

He has led a humble, hard-working life. He carries many a kind notion in his soul, and has invoked more laughter in others than one could possibly calculate.

He's a son that made his parents proud, a funny brother, a loving husband, a caring father, and a fantastic dude to have as an uncle.

Although he was admittedly nervous, Mike made the trek from Lee's Summit to sit with me and kick around a few details about his list of badass records, and we did so for Episode #36. Mike picked Led Zeppelin II (1969), Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young's Deja Vu (1970), Moondance (1970) by Van Morrison, 1973's Yessongs, and Rumors (1977) by Fleetwood Mac.

In addition, we discussed retirement and bucket lists and parenthood and family and holiday traditions and music festivals, as well as a couple of other things I'm probably forgetting.

So, please check out our chat, and please take Mike's community-curated Spotify playlist out for a spin. I know it was a project he enjoyed, and he'd really enjoy you enjoying it, too.

Anyhoo...that's all for now. Thank you for stopping by.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a track called "I've Been Working," which I lifted from Van Morrison's 1970 album entitled, His Band and the Street Choir (c/o Warner Records Inc. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company).

Bryce Gilman.

I love this dude like the kid brother I never had, only I give thanks every night to the man upstairs that this guy wasn't actually my younger sibling. 'Cause...fuuuuuck that. What a pain in the dick.

Anyhoo...Bryce fucking Gilman. Junior...Bee Gee...dipstick...so many possibilities.

What a guy, though. He's...so many things...son, brother, father, part-time co-parent, successful professional, Cross Fit junky, dad extraordinaire, cracker of the wise...

Regardless, to say that I felt honored to have Mr. Gilman join me for Episode no. 35 would be an understatement. Bryce is like family, and since he has his own demanding family, scoring some time with him in the chair was nothing shy of a treat.

He picked a Flaming Lips record, and -- while initial polls closed with said selection being "pretty gay" -- it turned out to be a fascinating choice. And they turned out to be a super-intriguing band. They really did. Really envelope-pushing and innovative and impressive.

So, please consider giving our chat a watch or a listen. We kicked around siblingdom, parenthood, partying in our youth, concerts, the pursuit of happiness (which may or may not include the occasional waft of kindness), and of course At War with the Mystics (2006). It was a joy to have him. It was fun to focus on just one record for a change, and maybe one day I'll get him in the chair again to discuss another one. And who knows, maybe next time he'll get a babysitter.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a tune called, "Uknowmylife" off of Greyboy's 1997 record entitled Mastered the Art (c/o Ubiquity Recordings Inc.).

Louis Pagan is a doctor, a microbiologist, an astrophysicist, and a neurosurgeon.

I'm kidding, but he's that kinda smart where you wonder if the dumb noises coming out of your word hole when you're talking to him are landing in his ears as actual words, or just, like...the sound of dumping your recycling into the garage bin.

In truth, he's a son, a brother, an uncle, a musician, a producer, and a sound engineer. Oh, and he runs marathons, too, in case you weren't already feeling shitty about yourself.

All jokes aside, Louis kicked it with me for an hour or so for Episode #34, and we attempted to dissect Chevelle's This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) from 2004, Tool's 10,000 Days from 2006, and a record called The Great Misdirect, released in 2009 by Between the Buried and Me.

When he's not running or rehearsing or gigging, Louis can perhaps be found doing the profesh thing at Chapter 2 Recording Studio.

'Twas indeed a treat having him and chewing the fat about music, his parents and family, the industry, and much more.

Check out his Red Finton stuff, and keep an eye out for his upcoming release, Karate at the Mall, as well as a few other treats over at his Web site, lpaudioproducer.com.

Thanks for stopping by. Please share with a friend.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from kind of a shitty tune from kind of a shitty record by the best rock band in American history. You know 'em as Phish. Said shitty track is called "Seven Below"; album's from 2002 and called Round Room (c/o Elektra Entertainment Group, Inc. Marketed by Rhino).

Phish. When even your shittiest album can sneak onto the Badass Records Podcast.

When I told my good buddy in Maine that I was preparing to do a Badass Records Podcast episode with Adam Wilke, he asked me to let him know when it dropped as he'd always considered today's guest as something of an "exotic mystery," and when I heard that, I thought he'd nailed it. Or at least I could see how someone who'd only met him once would say that.

Now, though...things're different.

Now, I've had Adam Wilke in the chair, and -- I gotta tell ya' -- I consider myself a lucky dude for having had this opportunity.

I've always wondered if and when jazz would work its way into my life, and were it to, would it stay. I still swim around in that same lake of curiosity, but I feel closer to it now. Its depths seem less unknown, its waters once murkier. I feel compelled to depart from the single-Sonos-in-the-kitchen situation, to return to the exploration of a household sound system. The notion of filling multiple rooms with jazz rattles around in my brain, suggests the added perk of education.

Anyway, Episode #33 -- or as I like to call it, The Zdeno Chara episode -- was really fun.

Adam's had a fascinating go of things, and once you've had a listen, I think you'll agree: We gotta get this guy giggin' again!

But before I get ahead of myself, it's important to own the fuck-ups, first. Long story short, a camera crapped out on me (again), and I skipped one of my guest's records (again). And I had to figure out a way to be okay with it so that the show could -- as they say -- go on. So, that's what I'm doing.

I hope I've figured out a way to avoid SD cards frying out on me for now, and I need to be a little more careful with my preparation approach, but even if I iron out those wrinkles, I'm certain to make errors in other ways down the road. It's an imperfect thing, this process, when you're the one doing it all. And none of those goofs or gaffes make the thing any less fun or cool (to me), so...gotta roll with it.

Adam and I examined the following records, though:

Ellington at Newport (1956)

Monk Plays Ellington (1956)

Full House (1962) by Wes Montgomery

Grant Green's Idle Moments (1965)

Sinatra at the Sands featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1966)

Miles by the Miles Davis Quintet (1956)

Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1957)

Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1958)

Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1960)

Miles Smiles, the Miles Davis Quintet (1967)

B.B. King's Live at the Regal (1965) was part of the gig, too, but I accidentally overlooked it in transferring Adam's list from one place to another to another. I'm checkin' it out now, though, and you should, too. He also said he'd been into anything by Charlie Parker, Red Garland, McCoy Tyner, and Tito Puente, so I dug in to Jam Session (1952), Feelin' Red (1979), The Real McCoy (1967), and 1957's Night Beat, respectively, so that we could chew the fat on those cats for a second or two.

This was such good fun, though. I hope you find it enjoyable, too. If you'd like to join for an episode or you know someone that'd be a good fit, please reach out via comment, e-mail, D.M., text, phone call. Whatever works. Whether you acknowledge it or not, the world deserves to hear your story. And theirs, too.

Thank you.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a tune called, "The Browns at Home" by The Greyboy Allstars from their 1994 record called West Coast Boogaloo (c/o Knowledge Room Recordings).

I got to hang out with Josh Dubois and record Episode #32 of Badass Records Podcast at the same time, which -- -- 100 percent counts as both a privilege and a treat.

Ya' heard?

We chatted Car Seat Headrest and Beastie Boys and parenthood and hip-hop and film production and documentaries and how good life is and can be and man...it was fun.

Things like Killer Mike and restored Pontiacs and match.com might've come up, too. As did some serious all-around knowledge from this cat I barely know.

Cliche, sure, but I feel blessed to've tip-toed my way to two and-a-half dozen of these so far, and -- to be truthful -- I wake up every day hopeful that the ride will continue.

So, if you're into doing things that're both relatively helpful for another human and potentially entertaining for you, please do me two (Note: I know. I'm a tool. Sorry.) favors and give both https://www.mayonnaisecommercial.com/ and this conversation with Josh a visit. There're no prizes, but maybe you feel better. Maybe you feel like creating. I dunno.

Anyway, Josh deserved more credit than I gave him for his feature-length film debut happening at the beginning of October at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, KS here in a couple weeks. Super, super cool. I'm very happy for him and proud to know a human having an accolade sprinkled in to their life.

And, oh, that fatherhood sash with that girl-dad badge sewn on it. Not sure it gets any better than that.

copyright disclaimer. I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are both clips from a Beck song called, "Emergency Exit" off of his 2011 record called, Guero (c/o Geffen Records).

It's Episode #31, and I couldn't possibly be more stoked to write that the first return guest to Badass Records is none other than the esteemed Josh George, who helped break in the set with Episode #2, which was one helluva conversation if you happened to miss it. In that episode from six months ago, we talked parenting and family roots, and being in the game. We also spent some time looking in to Outkast and Eminem, just to name a couple.

This go-'round, however, Rage Against the Machine and Run the Jewels were our topics of choice, but we also revisited raising kids and -- somehow -- we leaned a little in the social and political directions, too. Nothing too too scary, but an envelope or two might've been delicately pushed.

Anyway, it's a weird time to be alive; we're not in the food chain, but a lot of folks have a platform, and the division of wealth has perhaps never been so palpable.

So, if you're reading this, I have two asks: please share this episode with a friend once you've consumed it, but more importantly -- do something nice for someone today. A donation, a compliment, a simple hello. Nothing major, but once it's done, sit with how it felt for two seconds. Maybe you like it. Maybe you'll consider doing it again.

Anyway, Josh is a treat of a guest, and he's near the top of the list when I think about with whom I'd like to talk hip-hop. So check out his episodes and if you think of someone who's got a great life story (Hint: We all do.) and that someone happens to like music even a little bit, please drop me a line at badassrecordspodcast over on the gmails. I thoroughly enjoy these chats with people that are in sort of one bubble of mine or another, but I envision that stepping outside of those networks would be cool, too.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a track called "Run On," which comes from Moby's 2000 release, Play (c/o Little Idiot). It's a badass record, and you should go stream it now. Or next Tuesday. Or in May. Whatever seems proper.