Performance Anxiety

With two notes, James Calvin Wilsey announced his presence to the music world at large. But by the time Wicked Game launched Chris Isaak, Rowland Sally, Kenney Dale Johnson, & James Calvin Wilsey onto MTV and in front of millions, Jimmy was already living a very rock & roll lifestyle; one that would lead him to crash and burn half an album later. Journalist and author Michael Goldberg joins the podcast to discuss James Wilsey and the new book he’s written about his life, death, & the music he left behind. It may be the most heartbreaking episode I’ve recorded. 

Michael discusses Jimmy’s early days in school and how he started playing with The Avengers in San Francisco, meeting Chris Isaak and deciding he didn’t want to play with him, initially. We also talk about his time as a consultant for Apple and in IT for a Hollywood marketing company. But even through his addiction to heroin, Jimmy was always working on music. In addition to the solo album he released, El Dorado, there was so much more, including music with Billy Idol and Lana Del Rey. It’s a heartbreaking and fascinating story. Pick up Michael’s book Wicked Game - The True Story of Guitarist James Calvin Wilsey from HoZac Books. A percentage of the sales will go to help Jimmy’s son, Waylon. There’s a link in the notes. Follow Michael on social media to see what he’s up to. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Buy stuff at performanceanx.threadless.com. Or buy us a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now get some tissues and check out the story of James Calvin Wilsey with Michael Goldberg on Performance Anxiety, part of Pantheon Podcasts. 

https://hozacrecords.com/product/wicked-game/

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Today we welcome Brad Elvis & Chloe F. Orwell of The Handcuff to the show. They have a new album out, Burn The Rails,  that’s inspired by 70’s rock. It’s got big guitars, great vocals, and Mott The Hoople’s Morgan Fisher playing some keys! But before we get into all of that, we go deep into Brad’s extensive discography. We go so deep that Chloe thinks I’m a wizard. Brad talks about his time with The Elvis Brothers got their name, his very unusual drumming style, how he and Chloe met (it wasn’t Farmer’s Only, no matter what you’ve heard), and how Chloe’s humorous review of Mott The Hoople’s reunion resulted in Morgan Fisher playing with The Handcuffs. Follow the band @TheHandcuffs on social media. But the new album, Burn The Rails, on Pravda Records. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Pick up merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or get us a coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And check out all the other great shows on Pantheon. Now enjoy Brad Elvis & Chloe F. Orwell of The Handcuffs on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I don’t even want to do an introduction because I just want to get into these stories. I’m joined by Simon “Spence” Dudfield and Martyn Goodacre of Fabulous. They exploded and flamed out in a span of 18 months. But they accumulated a lifetime of stories in that blink of an eye! They weren’t even musicians when they started the band. They’re STILL not musicians! They had somewhere between 8-10 bassists in that year and a half. They even wrote a song about one. Well, it was Craig Pike and he didn’t technically join the band because he died.

But they DID have Keanu Reeves in the band for a minute, after stuffing him in the trunk of their car. Another member just wandered off stage, mid-gig, never to be seen again…almost. And speaking of shows, theirs were so volatile that they only lasted 10-15 minutes and were banned from the majority of venues they played. They were kidnapped and beaten after one particularly intense show.They blew off chances to work with Andy Weatherall, Rick Rubin, & The Beastie Boys. It is a short lived musical career filled with destruction, fights, and regret. And it’s possibly the most insane collection of stories I have ever heard in one place. Check out Fabulous wherever you get music. Follow them on socials @fckdXfabulous. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Support us with merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. You can also help with a 5 star rating or review. Now prepare to lose your mind with Fabulous on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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We have a bit of a different episode this time. Kevin Mellon joins the show. And while he DOES have a new EP out called Songs From The Giant’s Chair, there’s a lot more to him than that. He is a comic book creator and a storyboard artist for Archer, Hitmonkey, & The Vampire Diaries. We start of discussing our mutual love of Failure but move into his comic and musical influences like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mark Lanegan, and Phil Collins era Genesis. Kevin explains why he decided against college to attend a place called the Kubert School, how he got into storyboarding, and exactly what a storyboard artist does. He also talks to me about how many albums he wrote and discarded before releasing his new EP. Pick up Songs From The GIant’s Chair wherever you get music. Follow him @mellonmusic on Instagram or Kevin Mellon on Bandcamp. Check out kevinmellon.com. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Support the show with a review, some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety, or merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now get ready for a very unique story and an all around great guy with Kevin Mellon on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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It was so much fun talking with Isobel Campbell. We hit on so many topics; some you’d expect like starting with Belle & Sebastian, working with Mark Lanegan, the effect COVID had on her projects, and what she’s working on now. But we also talk about some things that you might not expect like how church music influenced her, how a cheeseburger and Annie Hall were the reasons she left Belle & Sebastian mid-tour, getting kicked out of orchestra, and what she did during a decade long hiatus from the music business. 

Isobel was incredibly gracious to speak with me so soon after Mark Lanegan’s passing and we do discuss their music and relationship quite a bit. And she’s got some great news about some reissues and new projects that should make everybody happy. Give her a follow on social media @isobelcampbellmusic on Instagram, @Isobel_Campbell on Twitter, pick up her music on Bandcamp or wherever you buy music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. You can help us out with a review, with a coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety, or with merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. And I hope you enjoy this chat with Isobel Campbell on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Ivan Nahem had no choice but to be creative. Born in the 50’s, his mother was a graphic designer and his father played professional baseball. In fact, his dad, Sam, played a big part in the integration of minority players into Major League Baseball. But Ivan was drawn to music. He wanted to play drums, but he was told he had to learn the accordion first. After some less than constructive criticism about his prowess with that instrument, he decided he wasn’t musical and turned to poetry. After moving cross country twice, playing with a few bands, he formed the band Ritual Tension. Ivan talks alot about that and how that led to him playing dums on two Swans albums. Ivan is open and honest about all of this, his writing, yoga, and even losing his son in 2013. 

Ivan has been busy during the past few COVID tainted years. In addition to releasing a new Ritual Tension album at the beginning of the pandemic, he has recorded and just released a solo album called Crawling Through Grass. It’s one of the most unique (in a good way) albums I’ve heard in a while. Think ambient punk. Give Ivan a follow @ivan.nahem or @ritualtension on Instagram and Facebook. Pick up Crawling Through Grass through Arguably Music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help us out with a review, a coffee (ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety) or buying yourself something nice at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now listen in on the conversation with me & Ivan Nahem on Performance Anxiety,, part of Pantheon Podcasts.

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Today we speak with Fredrik Saroea of Datarock. He’s had quite the career! Datarock blew UP when their song Fa Fa Fa was EVERYWHERE in 2005. It was in commercials, video games, TV shows, and I’m sure some other synchronizations Fredrik has forgotten about. That led to the band playing over 1000 shows in 36 countries. But it all kind of snuck up on them. Take the first festival they played in Australia. They thought they were going to be on some little side stage next to the toilets. Turns out they were on the main stage supporting James Brown! That has allowed Fredrik to do some amazing things. He performed Datarock: The Musical with a full symphony orchestra. But they only had one day of rehearsal. He’s also released an album called The Rona Diaries where he plays with the BIT20 String Ensemble, again with very little preparation. This one is hilarious and Fredrik and I laugh our way through it. Follow Fredrik & Datarock on social media. You can get the links at datarockmusic.com. Buy The Rona Diaries on Bandcamp or wherever you get music nowadays. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Support the show with a rating or review, with a one-time coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety, or with merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. So stretch your face so you don’t hurt yourself laughing with Fredrik Saroea of Datarock on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. 

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I’m thrilled to welcome Carré Callaway and Joe Cardamone, AKA Queen Kwong and Skeleton Joe. Carré talks about growing up in a hotel and her dad’s industrial/punk nightclub in Denver. Once she started focusing on music (this would be AFTER her 6th grade band, Population 3) one of her first gigs was opening for Nine Inch Nails and, as she describes it, messing up on a large scale. She’s also written music with him that’s never come out! But she really started finding her voice after meeting Joe Cardamone from The Icarus Line. With Joe’s help Carré has developed a unique, improvisational style of recording albums. In fact, their maxim is the first take may not be the best sounding but it’s the most honest. So they try to stick to that whenever possible. It has worked for her albums as well as the Quarentina film project she and Joe collaborated on.

Carré also discusses her late diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and how that has affected her. She’s got a new album out soon called Couples Only. She tells me why she used that name and how much of the record is about reclaiming her voice after a pretty rough divorce. Follow her @QueenKwong on social media. Follow joe_cardamone. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Support the show with a review or money. Merch is available through performanceanx.threadless.com. You can buy a cup of coffee & give it to the show via ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now check out Queen Kwong and Skeleton Joe on Performance Anxiety on Pantheon Podcasts.

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Today’s guest is Felix Bechtolsheimer; and I’m only going to say that once. His band, Curse Of Lono has a new album out called People In Cars. But before we get into that, we talk about a lot of stuff. Felix has my unfailing respect and admiration for being completely open and honest about the path that led him to go to rehab, including a harrowing experience in an experimental opioid addiction program in a German mental hospital! But music is one thing that helped pull him through. He wrote over 100 songs during that period.

Soon after that, he started his band Hey Negrita and Felix reveals why they gave themselves that unusual name. After that band ceased, Felix spent some time studying at the London Film Academy before starting his current band, Curse Of Lono. Another unusual name, another interesting story behind it. They’ve just released their latest album, which was no easy feat. It was difficult for anyone to create an album during Covid, but Felix also lost his father, and uncle, his former partner, and eventually, his entire band. But the album is beautiful. There’s even a song inspired by a French punk rocker who robbed a bank, disappeared for 30 years, then turned himself in. Pick up the new album, People In Cars, wherever you get music. Follow Curse Of Lono on the socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Support us, won't you, with a review, buying merch at performanceanx.threadless.com, or with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now buckle up for one hell of a conversation with Felix from Curse Of Lono on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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If anything good came out of the pandemic, it was projects like the release by The Trypes. I’m joined by founding members John Baumgartner and Marc Francia. The guys talk about how the band formed with the goal of recording one 45 for a local jukebox. But they DO have connections to the influential band The Feelies. They also discuss some of the more unusual aspects of the band, like using a wind-driven keyboard and an experimental 360 degree surround sound effect. The band was only active for about three years. This new release celebrates the band’s 40th anniversary and expands on the original album by adding some live tracks and a couple of songs from a brief reunion a few years ago. It’s amazing that a band that was only around for a short time in the early 80’s got a new life through Spotify. The album is available digitally and on CD through Pravda or Bandcamp. A gatefold vinyl release will be available in the coming months. Follow The Trypes on social media. But make sure it's The Trypes from NJ, not Greece. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help support the show with a coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety, picking up merch at performanceanx.threadlass.com, or even just a review wherever you listen. I hope you enjoy John Baumgartner & Marc Francia from The Trypes on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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