Height Zone World

My guests this week are Blak Smith and Mister of Passalacqua. I’ve been a fan since I first played with them back in 2011. We laid this episode down on Saturday March 7th, one hour before hitting the road together for our tour.

We talk about Blak Smith’s start as a poet, and Mister’s background as a horrorcore fan. They tell me how they formed into a duo, and how they gained a foothold in their hometown of Detroit. We discuss the challenge of touring as the lone rap group on rock bills, and how they look forward to this current rap round robin tour.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Leaders Of The New School’s “A Future Without A Past.” Once again, this episode is hosted by Splicetoday.com.

My guest this week is Baltimore-based author and illustrator Kevin Sherry. He’s been writing and illustrating children’s books since 2006. I’ve always liked his artwork, and I was excited to learn about his grind.

He talks about starting at MICA, and moving into Baltimore’s copycat building with other visual artists at a young age. We discuss his career in children’s books and his former company, Squidfire. He tells me about his future plans, including collaborating with Ed Schrader on an animated series based on Ed’s “A Family Affair,” podcast.


Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Kid 'n Play’s “Funhouse.” Once again, this episode is hosted by Splicetoday.com.

My guests this week are Amy Reid and Chase O’Hara of Chiffon. They’ve made a big impact in Baltimore (and elsewhere) since forming in 2012. I had seen them play a few times, but I had never really talked to them and I was happy to get a chance to find out what they’re all about.

We talk about the local punk scenes they were part of as kids, as well as Chases’s past (and my present)dabbling in juggaloism. They explain how their previous band INEVERYROOM morphed into Chiffon. We talk about their relentless touring, and how they feel that hard work and self-sufficiency are the spirit of Baltimore.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Digable Planets' “9th Wonder,” single. Once again, this episode is hosted by Splicetoday.com.

My guest this week is Vans_Westly, an up-and-coming MC out of Baltimore. He’s released three EP’s, and is currently working on his debut full-length. I first met him when he hopped on a show I helped set up in Baltimore, and I was excited to learn more about him.

He talks about his past life as a professional wrestling teen, and how his health issues forced him to change gears and focus on writing rhymes. We talk about learning the ropes of being a part of the local music scene, and the challenge of making a name for himself in an over-saturated rap world. I ask him about his forthcoming Loserisms album, and he tells me what separates this project from his past work.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Whodini's “Open Sesame.” Once again, this episode is hosted by Splicetoday.com.

My guest this week is Chris Freeland, the man behind Baltimore’s Beat Babies studio. He’s been a member of Oxes, Frenemies, International Soundscape Internationale and (my early group) Wounds. He’s been a cool older brother figure to me since I was in sixth grade, and he’s produced a lot of my early Height tracks.

He talks about his early days playing in garage bands, and the other 90’s DIY Baltimore bands that inspired him. We talk about the rapid rise of his band Oxes, and his travels with Will Oldham, Cass McCombs and David Pajo. He told me how he’s lost the burning desire to be noticed, and how he’s reimagined himself as a behind-the-scenes studio man.

This episode was recorded at the Lineup Room. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to The Geto Boy’s “We Can’t Be Stopped.” Once again, we're being hosted by Splicetoday.com.

My guest this week is Katrina Ford, of Celebration and Mt. Royal. She also sang in Lovelife, and the influential early 90’s band, JAKS. I’ve been a fan of her bands since I was in high school, and I was excited to get the scoop on her history.

She talks about her chaotic childhood, and how the world of music and art gave her strength in her young adult life. We talk about what touring was like before the internet, in the time of pay phones, landlines and Book Your Own Fucking Life Magazine. She gets real about the frustrations of trying to make it happen in the music business, and explains how she’s been able to persevere through disappointments and keep pressing forward.

It all went down at the Lineup Room. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Salt and Pepa’s “A Salt with a Deadly Pepa.” This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

My guests this week are Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice, of Ed Schrader’s Music Beat. Ed first released a solo record in 2009, before linking up with Devlin to form ESMB the following year. They’ve released two albums together, and they’ve been touring non-stop for the last five years.

Ed talks about starting out in cover bands in a small town in upstate New York, and how he was encouraged to find his own sound upon moving to Baltimore. We talk about figuring out how to appeal to larger crowds as an opening act. We discuss the ups and downs of trying to make a go of it in the music business with no backup plan. It had been a while since I’ve hung out with them and I found their optimism and confidence in their mission to be inspiring.

This week, Mike Riley cooked up an homage to Souls of Mischief’s 93 'til Infinity. This interview was recorded at the Lineup Room, and is hosted by Splicetoday.com.

.

My guest this week is Sam Herring, the frontman of Future Islands. In addition to his role in Future Islands, Sam also rhymes under the name Hemlock Ernst and fronts The Snails.

Sam breaks down his early years as a rapper, and how he was inspired by west coast underground hip-hop. We talk about his early days in the band Art Lord and The Self-Portraits, and their stronghold in their home base of Greenville, NC in the early 2000’s. He breaks down how his personal struggles forced him to leave town and put music on hold, and how he got himself together and formed Future Islands with his old bandmates.

This episode was laid down at the Lineup Room. Mike Riley’s art for this episode is an homage to Straight Out The Jungle by The Jungle Brothers.

My guest this week is Dan Deacon, the Baltimore-based electronic musician / composer. Dan is one of my oldest friends in this music world, and we’ve clocked many miles on the road together.

We talk about discovering the DIY underground and how he feels that it saved his life. We discuss how coming to Baltimore as an outsider allowed him to ignore the scene’s rules and create a more inclusive environment. He told me how he’s recently learned to rid himself of an addiction to stress and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

As always, this show was recorded at the Lineup Room. Mike Riley’s cover art this week is an homage to The Fat Boys' self-titled debut.

My guest this week is Schwarz. Schwarz is a producer and DJ from St. Louis, now residing in Baltimore. Schwarz has worked with La Chat, DDM, Abdu Ali, Juiceboxxx, TT The Artist, Kyle Mabson and many more. For many years, he helped run the Deep In The Game night at Baltimore’s Hippodrome, with Cex and Mark Brown. He’s recently released three solo singles, and is currently gearing up to release his debut full length.

We talk about growing up in St. Louis and his start in a rap group called AOSTL. He breaks down his move to Baltimore and his entry into Baltimore’s noise and dance music scenes. We discuss his recent releases, and the music he has on the horizon. He also schools me on the difference between Baltimore, Jersey and Philly club music.

This week, Mike Riley hooked us up with an homage to Audio Two’s What More Can I Say. It all went down at The Lineup Room.