The DJ Pod Cast

James Burke is a Boston based solo artist and producer that has released 4 albums and 3 EPs over the past five years. His latest album, “Future Eye” is his most ambitious effort to date, marking James’ newfound commitment to bringing something new to the table with his music and taking his production and songwriting more seriously than ever before. The album aims to bring fresh sounds and new ideas to the indie genre via a smooth and cohesive listening journey that feels united, rather than a mere compilation of songs.

Featured Song Name: 2u

James Burke is a Boston based solo artist and producer that has released 4 albums and 3 EPs over the past five years. His latest album, “Future Eye” is his most ambitious effort to date, marking James’ newfound commitment to bringing something new to the table with his music and taking his production and songwriting more seriously than ever before. The album aims to bring fresh sounds and new ideas to the indie genre via a smooth and cohesive listening journey that feels united, rather than a mere compilation of songs.

Featured Song Name: 2u

"These guys can make music and elevate a scene."

- Music City Roots

Waker was founded by childhood friends and songwriting duo Chase Bader (Vocals, Acoustic) and Conor Kelly (Electric Guitar). The group hails from Nashville, mashing soul, rock & roll, and jam into an eclectic, danceable sound, focusing on songs that aim for the heart, head... and feet.

From the East Coast to the West Coast, each member moved to Nashville to join Bader and Kelly one by one. The band originally began under the name Koa with bassist Ryan Ladd and saxophonist Alex Matthews. Percussionist Ryan McClanahan quickly joined adding a unique sound to the music. Finally, the band found drummer Dave Czuba to fuse Koa into Waker. Two years later, Waker welcomed Bobby Steinfeld to join to the band on keyboards as the 7th member of Waker.

The intention has always been clear, to “wake people” with their music. In a short amount of time, the band has already conquered festival stages at Bonnaroo, ACL, Hangout, SXSW, Firefly, and Wakarusa. They’ve toured with Blues Traveler, JJ Grey & Mofro, Moon Taxi, Galactic, the Wailers, recorded a session for Audiotree Live, and headlined shows across the country.

Since the release of their 2015 EP, the band has continued their nonstop regiment of touring & writing. Before the summer of 2017, Waker released two singles, "Wake Me Up" & "Pike", both of which will be featured on their debut album due early in 2019.

Waker is an experience meant to be shared with others.

"These guys can make music and elevate a scene."

- Music City Roots

Waker was founded by childhood friends and songwriting duo Chase Bader (Vocals, Acoustic) and Conor Kelly (Electric Guitar). The group hails from Nashville, mashing soul, rock & roll, and jam into an eclectic, danceable sound, focusing on songs that aim for the heart, head... and feet.

From the East Coast to the West Coast, each member moved to Nashville to join Bader and Kelly one by one. The band originally began under the name Koa with bassist Ryan Ladd and saxophonist Alex Matthews. Percussionist Ryan McClanahan quickly joined adding a unique sound to the music. Finally, the band found drummer Dave Czuba to fuse Koa into Waker. Two years later, Waker welcomed Bobby Steinfeld to join to the band on keyboards as the 7th member of Waker.

The intention has always been clear, to “wake people” with their music. In a short amount of time, the band has already conquered festival stages at Bonnaroo, ACL, Hangout, SXSW, Firefly, and Wakarusa. They’ve toured with Blues Traveler, JJ Grey & Mofro, Moon Taxi, Galactic, the Wailers, recorded a session for Audiotree Live, and headlined shows across the country.

Since the release of their 2015 EP, the band has continued their nonstop regiment of touring & writing. Before the summer of 2017, Waker released two singles, "Wake Me Up" & "Pike", both of which will be featured on their debut album due early in 2019.

Waker is an experience meant to be shared with others.

What do you get when you take 90s indie rock and temper it through Chicago’s harsh winters? Wildcat, that’s what. Tom Reeder, Alex Kisiel, Steve Watson, Conor Hibler, Mike Musto, and Stevan Vasich make up the Chicago-based sextet, delivering their powerful brand of 90s-influenced indie rock with reckless abandon.

Formed in 2016, Wildcat has steadily grown from a two-man outfit playing one-off shows to a six-piece staple of the Chicago scene performing regularly. Known for their energetic and exciting live performances, their horn section sets them apart from the pack, creating rich harmonies that soar over the rest of the band.

Wildcat is currently recording their debut EP Western, and will be releasing it in 2019. You can listen to their first single “Avalon” now.

Featured Song Name: Avalon

What do you get when you take 90s indie rock and temper it through Chicago’s harsh winters? Wildcat, that’s what. Tom Reeder, Alex Kisiel, Steve Watson, Conor Hibler, Mike Musto, and Stevan Vasich make up the Chicago-based sextet, delivering their powerful brand of 90s-influenced indie rock with reckless abandon.

Formed in 2016, Wildcat has steadily grown from a two-man outfit playing one-off shows to a six-piece staple of the Chicago scene performing regularly. Known for their energetic and exciting live performances, their horn section sets them apart from the pack, creating rich harmonies that soar over the rest of the band.

Wildcat is currently recording their debut EP Western, and will be releasing it in 2019. You can listen to their first single “Avalon” now.

Featured Song Name: Avalon

Mike Pinto has crafted an exceptional style of songwriting, with a truly unique take on Roots, Vintage Rock, Reggae, Ska and Classic Surf, but it’s his distinct voice and seamless storytelling that has brought him success both in the United States and overseas.

With the release of his debut album (Little District, 2005), Pinto began his attack on the Philadelphia music scene as a solo artist. By 2006, underground success and a fervent, exploding fan base empowered him to expand westward with two nationwide solo acoustic tours. After the second tour Pinto relocated to San Diego, where he immersed himself in the thriving Southern California music scene and quickly gained notoriety. His infectious sound garnered so much attention that Insomnia Radio included his single "One More Time" on a hard hitting compilation of the SoCal sound’s brightest groups, including DI and Slightly Stoopid. In very short order, Mike Pinto transitioned from a kid from Philly playing acoustic in coffee houses and tiny bars to a prominent fixture on the SoCal music scene.

It was precisely the sardonic, Philly-bred mentality, which distinguished Mike Pinto amongst his musical peers in sun-drenched Southern California indie music scene. Philadelphia is known as a tough city which churns out tough-minded, skeptical people; this influence is clear in Pinto’s lyrics. Pinto doesn’t just write about the bliss of new love or tired clichés found littered throughout the songs of many of his musical peers. His lyrics can spin dark tales populated with characters who have sold their souls (“Tricky Nicky”), or been left flailing and stripped by the terrible toll exacted by addiction (“Bad Luck”). Though he writes and performs mainly reggae and ska, the words “Babylon” and “Rastafari” are not invoked on a routine basis, nor does Mike employ an adopted Jamaican accent or sing in patois. Mike Pinto writes music that is true to his experience, never making room on his tracks for pretense or posturing.

Pinto’s music quickly caught the tradewinds from the mainland to Hawaii, getting regular airplay by top radio personality Shaggy Jenkins. Pinto also consistently tops the charts in Guam, where his music is an island favorite, and has placed songs on several Japanese compilations. and Japan. Following suit, Pinto has sold out shows in Guam, Big Island, Maui and Oahu, which left countless, frenzied new fans sprouted by the thousands in his wake.

In late 2007, Pinto teamed up with professional skateboarder and legendary Drummer/Producer Chuck Treece (Pearl Jam, G Love, Bad Brains, McRad) and released his most accomplished album to that point. With Treece lending his knack for producing and playing a number of the instruments on the album, Pinto's self-titled album has sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide. The album gained so much attention that Pinto was urged to follow it up with an entirely acoustic version of it, which was released in 2008.

Pinto’s live shows draw fans from a diverse cross section of genres, thanks to his ability to play anything from horn-infused ska to punk-tinged rock and beyond, or his own unique brand of reggae classic covers delivered with near perfection.

In 2011, Pinto released The West is Still Wild, a six track EP that served to satiate his now-global following until Pinto felt a full-length effort was feasible. Pinto toured in support of The West is Still Wild, and was received by noticeably larger crowds as those on previous tours. His music and name started spreading noticeably via word-of-mouth and social networking as well, the public started taking notice of who Mike Pinto is and why his music is worth discovering.

Pinto’s new album, Truthful Lies, has received high praise in early reviews. It features a deep lineup of special guests, including: Chuck Treece, George Laks , Max O’Leary, Eric Hirschhorn , John Browne, Todd Elrod, Lew Richards, Jesse Wagner , Roger Rivas, Junior Marvin, Don Carter and Jon Cestero.

Mike Pinto has crafted an exceptional style of songwriting, with a truly unique take on Roots, Vintage Rock, Reggae, Ska and Classic Surf, but it’s his distinct voice and seamless storytelling that has brought him success both in the United States and overseas.

With the release of his debut album (Little District, 2005), Pinto began his attack on the Philadelphia music scene as a solo artist. By 2006, underground success and a fervent, exploding fan base empowered him to expand westward with two nationwide solo acoustic tours. After the second tour Pinto relocated to San Diego, where he immersed himself in the thriving Southern California music scene and quickly gained notoriety. His infectious sound garnered so much attention that Insomnia Radio included his single "One More Time" on a hard hitting compilation of the SoCal sound’s brightest groups, including DI and Slightly Stoopid. In very short order, Mike Pinto transitioned from a kid from Philly playing acoustic in coffee houses and tiny bars to a prominent fixture on the SoCal music scene.

It was precisely the sardonic, Philly-bred mentality, which distinguished Mike Pinto amongst his musical peers in sun-drenched Southern California indie music scene. Philadelphia is known as a tough city which churns out tough-minded, skeptical people; this influence is clear in Pinto’s lyrics. Pinto doesn’t just write about the bliss of new love or tired clichés found littered throughout the songs of many of his musical peers. His lyrics can spin dark tales populated with characters who have sold their souls (“Tricky Nicky”), or been left flailing and stripped by the terrible toll exacted by addiction (“Bad Luck”). Though he writes and performs mainly reggae and ska, the words “Babylon” and “Rastafari” are not invoked on a routine basis, nor does Mike employ an adopted Jamaican accent or sing in patois. Mike Pinto writes music that is true to his experience, never making room on his tracks for pretense or posturing.

Pinto’s music quickly caught the tradewinds from the mainland to Hawaii, getting regular airplay by top radio personality Shaggy Jenkins. Pinto also consistently tops the charts in Guam, where his music is an island favorite, and has placed songs on several Japanese compilations. and Japan. Following suit, Pinto has sold out shows in Guam, Big Island, Maui and Oahu, which left countless, frenzied new fans sprouted by the thousands in his wake.

In late 2007, Pinto teamed up with professional skateboarder and legendary Drummer/Producer Chuck Treece (Pearl Jam, G Love, Bad Brains, McRad) and released his most accomplished album to that point. With Treece lending his knack for producing and playing a number of the instruments on the album, Pinto's self-titled album has sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide. The album gained so much attention that Pinto was urged to follow it up with an entirely acoustic version of it, which was released in 2008.

Pinto’s live shows draw fans from a diverse cross section of genres, thanks to his ability to play anything from horn-infused ska to punk-tinged rock and beyond, or his own unique brand of reggae classic covers delivered with near perfection.

In 2011, Pinto released The West is Still Wild, a six track EP that served to satiate his now-global following until Pinto felt a full-length effort was feasible. Pinto toured in support of The West is Still Wild, and was received by noticeably larger crowds as those on previous tours. His music and name started spreading noticeably via word-of-mouth and social networking as well, the public started taking notice of who Mike Pinto is and why his music is worth discovering.

Pinto’s new album, Truthful Lies, has received high praise in early reviews. It features a deep lineup of special guests, including: Chuck Treece, George Laks , Max O’Leary, Eric Hirschhorn , John Browne, Todd Elrod, Lew Richards, Jesse Wagner , Roger Rivas, Junior Marvin, Don Carter and Jon Cestero.

Mourning [A] BLKstar is a multi-generational, gender and genre non-conforming amalgam of Black Culture dedicated to servicing the stories and songs of the apocalyptic diaspora.

Featured Song Name: Hold me

Mourning [A] BLKstar is a multi-generational, gender and genre non-conforming amalgam of Black Culture dedicated to servicing the stories and songs of the apocalyptic diaspora.

Featured Song Name: Hold me