Alynda Segarra makes music as Hurray For The Riff Raff and they are my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. I’ve been really loving Alynda’s new record The Past is Still Alive so we talked about that as well as the surprising nature of grief, ABC NO RIO, songs as monuments, taking lessons from nature, and Blood on the Tracks weather. This was such a great talk with a fantastic artist. Listen and subscribe! 

Josh Ritter is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Josh is an immensely talented and prolific songwriter and author. I really dug his most recent record, 2023’s Spectral Lines. We talked about that as well as Lutheran hymns, looking back on old records, the night we met at a Springsteen tribute at Carnagie Hall, and Bob Dylan covering a song that he wrote. Josh is a fascinating guest and I enjoyed it immensely. Listen and subscribe!

Jay Sweet is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Jay has done a lot of things but is best known as the force behind the Newport Folk Festival. I have been at Newport for the past two years and have been blown away by the music and the community. Jay and his staff are in the business of making memories at Newport. We talked about that special vibe as well as Lewis Carrol, his first Grateful Dead show, REM at Radio City Music Hall as a youth, Lana Del Rey, and THS at Newport 23. Great talk. Listen and subscribe! 

Duff McKagan is my guest on the newest That’s How I Remember It. Duff is, of course, a founding member of Guns & Roses, one of the biggest rock bands of all time. He also is a million other things: old-school punk, martial arts enthusiast, history buff, etc. In 2023, Duff toured with Guns & Roses and found the time to release his own record Lighthouse. We talked about all of that as well as the influence of seeing The Clash in 1979, losing memory to excess, telling the truth, going through a Crusades phase, and so much more. Duff was an amazing guest. Please listen and subscribe!

Tom Scharpling is my guest on today’s episode of That’s How I Remember It. Tom is the host and creator of The Best Show, a comedy and music radio show that has run since 2000. He has also written for television and, in 2021, published a great memoir called It Never Ends. We talked about the book, bad behavior at rock concerts, trying out for the New Monkees, the aggrieved yet positive tone of The Best Show, and so much more. Big thanks to Tom for coming on the show and being a great guest. Listen and subscribe!

Dennis Lehane is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Dennis is the author of over a dozen fantastic novels. Some of these, such as Mystic River, Shutter Island, and Gone Baby Gone, have been made into successful films. We talked about his most recent novel Small Mercies as well as Boston bussing protests, “Strawberry Letter 23,” the '70s hangover of the Vietnam War in America, nicknames, and so much more. Huge thanks to Dennis for joining, please listen and subscribe.

Slaughter Beach, Dog’s Jake Ewald is my guest on this week’s That’s How I Remember It. Jake is a fantastic songwriter and storyteller, and in 2023 he released a killer record called Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling. We talked about the record as well as novelty songs, being a “talky” singer, artists with large catalogs, Delaware beach towns, and much more. Jake was such a fun cool guest and I really enjoyed the talk. Listen and subscribe!

My guest on this week’s That’s How I Remember It is M.C. Taylor of the band Hiss Golden Messenger. This year, he released a great record called Jump for Joy and we talked about that as well as Goth vs. Death Rock, his old band Ex-Ignota and how hardcore still influences him, changing band lineups, his hometown of Irvine, CA, and much much more. M.C. Taylor is a dream guest, he’s wise and thoughtful and passionate. It’s a great talk, listen and subscribe!

My guest on this episode of THIRI is Dessa. She’s at true multi-hyphenate artist: a rapper, singer, author, podcast host, and more. This year she released a great album called Bury the Lede and we talked about that as well as her 2018 book My Own Devices, lutes, secret songs on CDs, lucid dreams, the term “breaking news”, our hometown of Minneapolis, and a whole lot more. It was a really great conversation. I very much enjoyed it and I bet you will too. Listen and please subscribe! 

This week’s THIRI guest is Johnny Marr. Johnny is truly one of the all-time great rock and roll guitarists, and has created a musical body of work that has very few rivals. He’s recently released a new book called Marr’s Guitars as well as Spirit Power, a collection pulled from his solo records. We talked about all of that as well as his emotional response to colors, “street bands”, the life-changing moment of buying The Stooges’ Raw Power LP, and the time The Smiths met Van Halen. An incredible episode!