Rock 'n' Roll Grad School

It's that time of the year again- what is your summer jam? Might we suggest something from this week's guest, Sasha Prendes? Her first single, "Shake This," just came out.

We talked with Sasha about growing up, her Latin roots and the special skill of walking into a studio with very little prep work.

For more information, you can check out her website, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

This week, we dig into the archives of our other podcast, Why? to share one of our favorite conversations. We talked with Mini Gene from Mini Kiss. We cover all the the bases, what it's like being in a cover band, how do the fans recieve them and, probably most importantly, what does Big Gene and Paul think about the whole thing?

For more information, you can check out Mini Kiss's website. You can also follow them on Facebook.

And if that isn't enough, there's a new Beatles song?

Tanith is a band that has one foot in the old and one foot in the new. (And we mean that in the nicest way.) Their new album Voyage is a delightful trip through the Tanith-verse. And they recorded it all on actual tape with actual musical instruments. How novel! To order a copy of the record, check them out on Facebook or on Bandcamp.

Plus, we play the 'drinks named after a band's songs and guessing what's in them game,' which has a terrible name, but is a lot of fun to play.

What can we tell you about Buckcherry that you don't already know? You know their hits, you know their sound and now they're back with their tenth album- Vol. 10. It doesn't change the face of music forever, but who says it has to? It's a fun record containing everything you want from the band. We talked with lead singer Josh Todd about the writing process, the production of the record and how he keeps his voice is shape after such a long career singing.

"Vol. 10" is out June 2nd, available wherever you get your music. The band is also touring this summer with Skid Row. For more information, check out the band's website.

Meg and Andrew have been collaborating after meeting at a jam session in 2019. Their music is a unique collaboration of their two approaches to the art, between trained musician (Andrew) and self-professed car singer (Meg). The collaboration has produced their first album, out June 9th.

For more information, check out their website for all their links.

Plus, we talk Cheap Trick. (Of course we do.)

If you like, great pop music, with soaring harmonies and wonderful songs, you can’t go wrong with this week’s guest. Robin Taylor Zander’s day job involves playing with his Dad and friends in Cheap Trick, but this record isn’t a simple knock-off. It's a heartfelt, personal statement.

You know we don’t blow smoke. This is a fun interview and a really fun record. “The Distance” is available to stream now and we’ll let you know when physical copies become available. Check out Robin’s website or follow him on Facebook.

Nonstop to Cairo didn't know if they'd get to make their new record, KAI. The road to the album was a rough one, with a pandemic and the tragic loss of one of their own. But, even with all of these issues, the music is still exactly what you'd expect from this multi-hyphenate of a band.

KAI is available right now wherever you get your music. For more information, you can follow them on Facebook or check them out on Instagram.

Plus, we talk about Connie Converse and the woman who had an interesting reaction to an orchestral concert.

Zack Alford now plays with the Psychedelic Furs, (and it looks like they'll be hitting the road again soon) but he's also played with folks like Bruce Springsteen, the B-52s, Billy Joel, Gwen Stefani and David Bowie.

We got to talk with Zack about his fascinating career behind the kit and what he's learned along the way. For more information, you can check out Zachary's website, follow him on Instagram or follow him on Facebook.

Glen Matlock was famously fired from the Sex Pistols for, supposedly, owning a Beatles record. Well, Glen has put that musical use to knowledge over the past 40 or so years. He's got a new solo album out called Consequences Coming that's just as angry and fun as any Pistols song. (Plus we talk about his work with Blondie and the recently concluded Iggy Pop tribute show.)

For more information, you can check out his website or follow him on his Facebook page.

Hey Stoopid- Alice Cooper is 75! And we're celebrating it by talking with author Gary Graff about his new book. (It's called "Alice Cooper @ 75.") The book is a great look at Alice's whole career and is packed with great photos and ephemera from the various eras.

And Gary isn't just an author, he also runs the Detroit Music Awards, which are coming up on April 23rd. For more information, you can follow Gary on Twitter or check out the Detroit Music Awards website.

And you can pick up Alice Cooper @ 75 wherever you get your books!