North Carolina native Chris Stamey has spent his life in music, which includes playing in the seminal band the Sneakers with famed producer, Mitch Easter, before forming the critically-acclaimed power pop quartet, the dB’s.  He’s issued several solo albums and duo projects with bandmate Peter Holsapple. 

Starting in 2010, he was the musical director for a series of concerts honoring the music of Big Star’s Third, More recently, he’s teamed up with the Fellow Travelers to focus on mid-century music and the alternative supergroup, the Salt Collective. 

Chris Stamey’s latest album, Anything is Possible is an homage to the music of his childhood, out now from Label 51 Recordings.  The album contains ten originals, and one timely cover, Brian Wilson’s “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder). the album is full of guests, including members of the Lemon Twigs, Marshall Crenshaw and the aforementioned Mitch Easter.

Davina & the Vagabonds take early 20th century jazz and blues as the foundation - then add soulful vocals, pop sensibilities and a touch of sassiness to come up with a sound uniquely their own.  Led by powerhouse Davina Sowers, the band has been wowing audiences with their fantastic live shows for two decades now. 

They’ve also issued some fine studio albums - most recently, Shoot For the Moon, which came out in 2024.  The album stretches the boundaries of what the group had previously done - adding layered vocals, interesting percussion, and some clever covers to the mix. 

The band is currently on the road, with stops in the Midwest, and even overseas.

Firefall formed in 1974 in Boulder, Colorado - scoring hit songs with “You Are the Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You,” and “Strange Way.”  The band paid tribute to some of their favorite artists  with the release of Friends & Family in 2023. 

Now, Firefall is back with Friends & Family 2, using the same blueprint - grabbing songs that some of the Firefall members played on, including the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Dan Fogelberg.  In addition, they pick songs from bands that they toured with back in the day, including Fleetwood Mac, Pure Prairie League, America, Eddie Money, and others.  The group is joined by some very special guests, including Wynonna Judd and Richie Furay of Poco and Buffalo Springfield. 

What we get is a dozen classic tunes done with a Firefall twist - with great guitar solos and harmonies.  We welcome back founding member, Jock Bartley.

Peter Holsapple was a founding member of the influential power pop band, the dB’s, whose quirky, hook-laden songs garnered critical acclaim, but little commercial success.  Yet, now the band’s albums are considered classics.  Holsapple also spent time in the alternative supergroup, the Continental Drifters, and was a touring musician for both R.E.M. and Hootie & the Blowfish during their 90’s heydays. 

Lately, he’s been playing lead guitar in The Paranoid Style - and perhaps as a result, his latest solo album is the most rockin’ thing he’s ever done - The Face of 68 sees Holsapple fronting a power trio, with Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five on bass, and Rob Ladd of the Connells on drums.  He’s also joined by old friend Don Dixon, who produced the album.

Why the Worry, the 12th album from Seth Walker, arrives at a time rife with political and economic uncertainty - it seems like daily all we do IS worry.  Add to it the fact that Walker’s hometown of Asheville, North Carolina was recently devastated by Hurricane Helene.  What gave him hope was a quote from Willie Nelson - “I’ve never seen worry accomplish anything… so I decided not to do it.” 

Hanging on to that, Walker has crafted an album that’s a mix of originals and reinterpreted covers, all wrapped in that signature, Seth Walker groove.  He’s heading on the road to support the new record as well.

We chat the stories behind his originals, and the reason he chose songs by Bill Withers, JJ Cale, and Al Green.

The Josh Joplin Group, fronted by its namesake, had a #1 hit on Triple A radio with “Camera One” in 2001. Another one of Joplin’s songs, “Blue Skies Again,” was recorded by Jessica Lea Mayfield on her critically-acclaimed album, Tell Me.  Joplin has released several solo albums and films as well. 

His new record, GpYr (pronounced Gap Year), is his first under his own moniker since 2013.  Among the many highlights is "Before the Light Takes Us," which features Joplin's daughter on guitar and vocals.

We also talk about his time away from touring as a stay at home dad, and how that pausing his career helped give a new perspective for this next chapter.

Resilient is the best word that describes the Cowsills.  The six sibling band hit in 1967 with "The Rain, the Park and Other Things," then with "Hair" in 1969.  But, their career quickly derailed (chronciled in the excellent documentary Family Band).  The group triumphantly returned with the excellent Rhythm of the World album in 2022.  

But, there's more to the story.  The group recorded an album in 1992 that never saw a proper release.  Part of the reason....involves the FBI!

Now, over 30 years later, Omnivore Recordings has issued the album, Global, and it's fantastic.  A power pop masterpiece.  If you're a fan of artists like Matthew Sweet or the Gin Blossoms, you will definitely dig it.

We chat once again with Susan Cowsill, who talks about the crazy circumstances surrounding Global.  Plus, she reveals plans for new Cowsill projects, and the annual Happy Together tour, coming to a city near you in the summer of 2025.

Iain Matthews fronted the influential British band, Fairport Convention for their first three albums before embarking on a solo career that’s lasted almost 60 years. With Matthews Southern Comfort he scored a hit cover version of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” in 1970, had a solo hit in 1979 with “Shake It,” and the Eagles’ borrowed his arrangement of the Steve Young song, “Seven Bridges Road” for their live album. 

After saying he was done making solo albums, here he is with How Much is Enough, on Sunset Boulevard Records.  Whether this is his last, who knows?  But it’s damn good to hear him again.

The dB’s, originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, issued a pair of albums in the early Eighties that were at times both jangly and melodic, and quirky and inventive. Unfortunately, neither album saw a release in America at the time - instead getting issued by the UK label Albion. 

Now, over 40 years later, they’re issuing the dB’s debut record, Stands for Decibels, on Propeller Sound Recordings, streaming, CD, and for the first time ever in the US, vinyl. From the band, we chat with singer/guitarist Peter Holsapple, who talks about what went into reissuing this lost classic, recorded on a shoe-string budget over 4 decades ago, and the clever packaging of the CD. He also reveals plans for their second album, Repercussion, to get reissued as well.

Holsapple toured with R.E.M. as a multi instrumentalist in the 1990's. He talks about watching the band's interview on CBS Sunday Morning, commemorating their induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American treasure, formed in Austin, Texas in 1974, the band developed an infectious blend of blues and rock that hit pay dirt with songs like “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap it Up” from 1986. 

The group is celebrating their 50th anniversary with the release of Struck Down, their first new material in eight years.  The record features contributions from big name artists like Billy Gibbons, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal and Elvin Bishop.  The one constant over the 50 years has been powerhouse vocalist Kim Wilson. 

He tells us why he thinks this is the band's best album to date, plus how he hooked up with the famous guests on the album.