Rock 'n' Roll Grad School

The final notes of Elton John's final show are still ringing out, and we're talking with author Gillian Gaar about her new book, Elton John @ 75. The book is a great summary of John's fascinating career, and, as far as coffee table books go, it's pretty damn great, chock full of great photos and so much more.

Elton John @ 75  is available wherever you get your books and you can follow Gillian on Facebook for more information and to see what she's up to.

Sicard Hollow plays a unique and exciting form of bluegrass- something that will appeal to folks who don't think they like bluegrass. We talked with Alex King from the side of the road in Montana about the current tour they're on, the joys of bad high school band names and, of course, Sicard Hollow's new album, Brightest of Days.

For more information, check out the band's website or follow them on Facebook.

It’s Heartbreak Season (among other things) and we need HAPPIE Hoffman to tell us that. HAPPIE’s debut EP, titled Heartbreak Season is available everywhere you get your music Friday, November 18th. For more information, you can follow HAPPIE on Instagram, or checkout her website.

Plus, how can we let another day go by without talking about the Weird Al bio-film?

Not only did he co-found the popular rock band Fall Out Boy (and was likely one of the last guitars you heard being played on MTV) Joe Trohman had a fascinating childhood, one he looks back on in his new memoir. None of This Rocks, tells of Joe's difficult upbringing, his early bands and, of course, his story of Fall Out Boy.

None of This Rocks is available right now, wherever you get your books. For more information on Fall Out Boy, check out their website.

Kid Congo Powers has had a fascinating musical career with stints in both The Cramps and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, to say nothing of his co-founding of the great Gun Club. In his new memoir, Some New Kind of Kick, Kid goes through his life and turbulent times, including his struggles with addiction and with his sexuality.

Some New Kind of Kick is available right now. For more information, you can check out Kid's website.

This week it's a journey into some great indie music. We talked with five groups who are performing at the Summit Indie Fest this weekend in Portsmouth, NH. So, it takes a while to run down the guests, but it's totally worth it. We talked with Alaina Ray, Sneaky Miles, Talk Chalk, The Kenny Brothers Band and Muzzins.

For more information, you can follow these bands on Facebook:
Alaina Ray
Sneaky Miles
Talk Chalk
The Kenny Brothers Band
Muzzins

The Smithereens long-lost album has been found! When Pat, Dennis, Jim and Mike went into the studio in 1993, little did they know most of the songs wouldn't see the light of day until almost 20 years later.

But they're now available and listeners are all the more richer for the experience. You can get The Lost Album by The Smithereens wherever you get your music, or you can order it directly from the source, on the band's website.

Sharon Robinson collaborated with the great Leonard Cohen on numerous songs and albums throughout his career. She also is a successful singer and songwriter in her own right, having written "New Attitude" for Patti LaBelle.

Sharon is on the road now, paying tribute to her friend Leonard Cohen with her show, "My Time with Leonard Cohen," where she plays some of their songs and shares some of her stories.

We talked with Sharon on the eve of shows in Philadelphia and Washington DC, and heard about the relationship and what she learned from the poet and Buddhist.

To find out when Sharon is bringing the show to you, check out her website. You can also follow her on Facebook and on Twitter.

They were a 1980s pop rock phenomenon, who weren't able to reach the heights they deserved. But now they're back, first with digital releases of their first album (complete with bonus tracks) followed up by a brand new track, just completed.

We talked with Michael Lockwood about his career, and how going backwards to his early days, may just be a sign of his future as well. Velvet Kiss, Lick of Lime, is available right now wherever you access digital music. Their new song, Gurl, I Luv You is also available right now.

This week is something special- we talk with musician Hilly Michaels. Hilly has played drums for folks like Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Sparks, Michael Bolton and John Mellencamp (but, back when he was Johnny Cougar.)

With Hilly on the line, we listened back to some of the songs on his first two solo albums, Calling All Girls and Lumia and Hilly offers some memories from the sessions. And then we debut his brand new single; something you can't hear anywhere else. Check it out!

To find out when the whole album of music is coming out, follow Hilly on Facebook and check out his website.