Performance Anxiety

Guitarist Kevin Armstrong has had an extraordinary career, even though it was nothing like he thought it would be. His promising solo career dissipated pretty quickly after one disastrous gig. But when one door closes, another one opens. Almost immediately after that gig, he got a phone call to do some guitar work. It turned out that artist was David Bowie. The sessions ended with Kevin and David working out the title track for Absolute Beginners together. Kevin would find himself in Bowie’s orbit for years to come. That would lead to working with Iggy Pop and Morrissey. I haven’t even mentioned the great work he’s done with Thomas Dolby, Live Aid, Mick Jagger, & Paul McCartney. And then there’s his solo album, Run. Follow Kevin @kevarmst on social media. Pick up his music on bandcamp or kevin-armstrong.com Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials. Support through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com is always appreciated. Without further delay, Kevin Armstrong on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Back in the 90’s, I discovered this great band led by James Hall. They were the opener for Maria McKee and I was a fan from the first note. The band’s guitarist was Lynn Wright. But after two albums, they were done; and in the pre internet days, it wasn’t so easy to stay on top of your favorite artists, especially if they hadn’t quite broken into the mainstream. 

So I’m beyond happy to have Lynn on the podcast. To begin with, I try to sell him a farfisa organ after he just got home from a flight from Berlin. From there we talk about his musical career and his ever changing sound and style. He’s very open about how the music industry almost broke him. He took a break from it after leaving James Hall to work for a children’s book publisher. But a stint with the Reverend Vince Anderson brought back Lynn’s love of music. Since then he’s written his own music, recorded in a myriad of styles, including musique concrete. He has a lot of music he’s preparing to release, even though COVID has been particularly harsh for him. Check out lynnwrightcomposer.com for new releases and info on where to see him play live. He’s currently playing with The Royal Arctic Institute among other things. Follow Lynn on Instagram @lynnwr_ght. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can always help us out by going to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. So get a drink and some snacks and get ready to hear some great stories and wonderful music with Lynn Wright on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Kevin Whelan is the guest on this episode of Performance Anxiety. You may remember him from a noisy band from New Jersey called The Wrens. He talks about forming the band with his brother, Greg. Up until his latest release, it was the only band he was ever in! Kevin reveals how The Wrens were once the house band on a ferry boat, and how his mom got them the gig. Once the band was signed, they forged their own path; so much so that the label wasn’t sure they could release their debut. 

But the industry caught up to them and they were offered a huge contract after their second album…which they turned down. Kevin also sheds some light on the 5th Wren and the time they almost got killed at a party in New Mexico. Then reality hit and they had to get real jobs. But after a while, the music started coming again.

Kevin’s new project is called Aeon Station and the album is coming out on Sub Pop, which is a dream for a 90’s indie guy! Give Aeon Station a follow on social media. Pick up the album through Sub Pop or wherever you get music these days. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Check out merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can help keep the show going with a coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. So grab your own cup and relax with Kevin Whelan of Aeon Station on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I am joined by ⅔ of the band Sweet Justice. Frank Meyer and Bruce Duff regale me with some amazing stories like the time Bruce just winged a KISS solo for the band Redd Kross. There’s also the time that Frank announced to the band that they got a record deal after playing a show of mostly covers.

One of my favorites, though, is how they got Cherie Currie to play Cherry Bomb with them during their third show ever!

They’ve released their new EP, Redline, after a 17 year gap and it rocks. In fact, I like it even more than their debut. Give them a follow @sweetjustice_music. Buy the EP wherever you get your music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Get some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or send some coffee our way at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now lets dish out some Sweet Justice with Frank Meyer and Bruce Duff on Performance Anxiety, a proud member of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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If you’re looking for new music, this is the episode for you. Peat Rains of You Bred Raptors? (with the question mark) is the guest. He’s the kind of guy who started playing bass because everyone else was playing guitar. His introduction to music was a little different than most. His earliest influence was his deadhead pastor father. Immediately after high school, he was signed to a label in a Pennsylvania diner. It was one of those milkshake type of deals. He started playing 8 string bass because of a typo and a friend willing to front him $700. The band You Bred Raptors? has paid its dues by busking in New York City subways. But that’s also how they got the gig opening for Yoko Ono at MOMA, a TED Talk, and several birthday parties. Peat is very candid about being difficult to define, winning the all important wife demographic, and what Rick Springfield has or has not done for him. We also find out about the strangest tip the band has ever received. Follow the band @youbredraptors on social media. Buy music on Bandcamp or at their website youbredraptors.com (which is where you can also book them for YOUR next birthday party). Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Support us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx,threadless.com. And without further delay, Peat Rains of You Bred Raptors? on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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One of the best parts about doing this show is discovering new bands that I instantly love. Jaguwar falls into that category. Oyemi Noize from the band joins me today. She was so sweet. She hung in there even though my brain seemed to be in sleep mode. But even though I seemed to struggle, she did not. She talked about how her mom pushed her to be in a band, which ultimately led to her meeting Jaguwar bandmate Lemmy, through MySpace. After meeting with him, she discovered she was in the band by checking out the MySpace page! The band and it’s sound has shifted a lot over the years. Oyemi discusses how the shift from a four piece to a trio gave them freedom and helped take them from a heavy shoegaze sound to something poppier. She likes to call it Future Pop. They have a great new album out called Gold that they are learning to play. That’s because it was written and recorded during the pandemic without the possibility of working them out live. And they’re already working on the next album! Give them a follow @jaguwarmusic. Pick up the latest album Gold. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Support us at performanceanx.threadless.com or ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s get right into an international version of Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network with Oyemi Noize of Jaguwar.

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This episode embodies the reason I started this podcast. Not only is Ricky Maymi one of the founders of one of my favorite bands, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, but he has so many unbelievable stories to tell. We definitely go off on some tangents here, but every one is fascinating. He talks about how he’s connected to the movie Blow and the band The Tubes. He grew up with music all around him so maybe it was inevitable that it would be his calling. From helping to found The Brian Jonestown Massacre to making an album that was too weird for his label to release, he’s done so much. He’s played with another favorite band, The Black Ryder (Scott von Ryper is the wonderful gentleman who introduced us), created a completely improvised album with Steven Kilby of The Church, and is now a heavy hitter in the Chinese music scene. WIth all of this being said, I’ve only scratched the surface of a chat that itself only scratched the surface of Ricky Maymi’s career. Follow him on the socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Rate & review. Consider supporting us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. And I hope you enjoy my discussion with Ricky Maymi as much as I did on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Ellen Southern and Tom Bush of Dead Space Chamber Music join me to discuss their new album. But it’s not just another rock album. Through our discussion, we all decided that the band is the only one in the dark neoclassical ambient jam band genre. 

But how did they get to that point? Was it Ellen getting thrown out of orchestra at school? Or was it Tom’s decision to study guitar at night? Regardless of what it was, Ellen and Tom give me a definition of what chamber music is and who the Led Zeppelin of medieval music was. They also reveal some of the strange items they use as instruments to create the right atmosphere in the music. You can really hear all of that in their new album, The Black Hours. Pick it up on Bandcamp as a digital download, CD, or vinyl (which will be available this Spring). Follow them on Instagram @deadspacechambermusic. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. You can support us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or with merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now pour a mead, summon ye old podcast player, and enjoy my discourse with Ellen and Tom of Dead Space Chamber Music on the Pantheon Podcast Network…forthwith!

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I’m so happy to be joined by ambient pioneer, LARAAJI. We take a trip through his vast musical history, beginning with his early musical influences to changing his career path from architecture or engineering to music, to his discovery of the zither in a pawn shop. Even then, his path to music was not a straight one. In fact, it began in comedy at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem. Through performing in parks around NYC, he came into contact with Brian Eno. Actually, Eno approached LARAAJI about recording together. 

He has a new collaboration with Christopher Bono called Nous. It’s a very exciting variation of ambient music that stretches the boundaries of the genre. And it all grew from using free association and a musical key in the studio. Check out LARAAJI and NOUS on Our Silent Canvas Records. Follow LARAAJI on social media. I’m pretty sure he’s the only one. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Rate & review the podcast. And help support it through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some reflection and contemplation with LARAAJI on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I was lucky enough to have John Barrett of Bass Drum Of Death join me. He talks about growing up in Oxford, Mississippi and how Ole Miss sports can be very frustrating. After moving into a house in Oxford that ended up being home to several bands and a recording studio for his first two albums, he moved to New York City. That really had an impact on his songwriting, one that some of his fans weren’t so happy about. John also had a great way to vet the production team on his last full length album. But when COVID started to shut things down, John moved back to Mississippi and started a twitter beef with Eve 6 that didn’t end how anyone expected it to end. But beyond Twitter beefs, John’s also been busy working on a new Bass Drum Of Death album. He’s hoping to have it ready to go before too long. So follow him on social media @BASSDRUMOFDEATH or just go to bassdrumofdeath.com to get updates or buy the band’s albums. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. You can help support the show at performanceanx.threadless.com or ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Let’s get this conversation started with John Barrett of Bass Drum Of Death on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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