The Hustle

Jon was invited on the Permanent Record podcast recently with friends Eric Miller and Heidi Waugaman-Page to do a fantasy-styled draft of an 80s super group. We each picked a singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist, producer and a special flex person and you can vote on whose band you like the best! 

Go to this link and let us hear your picks! 

https://permanentrecordpodcast.com/80s-supergroup-fantasy-draft?fbclid=IwY2xjawFFvc5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQFcYzczbwrr-8B9NwIorW3NevZNz-qp8yyU37oEhCTpbGocqr9J9cPA2g_aem_n7_jiZbtPC9vEuoELCT7Xg

L7 were pioneers. Yes, there were all female rock bands before, but how many rocked as hard as they did with as much authenticity? Those four girls let it all hang out and walked it like they talked it. Success had to find them, they weren't going to play any games to find it. They finally broke through with 'Pretend We're Dead" off their third album, but it was hard keeping it all together and the band began to fracture soon after. For the last several years, the original members have reformed for a new album (2019's Scatter the Rats), several "victory lap" tours celebrating their legacy. Donita Sparks joins us this week to discuss the whole story including hanging out with Lemmy, Nick Cave and Butch Vig as well as filming Serial Mom with John Waters, the response to their 2016 documentary, and tons more. Enjoy! 

Actor John Scott Clough appeared in two of the great 80s movies - one underrated and one super cheesy. His big break came in the Sidney Poitier directed Fast Forward about a dance troupe from Ohio who move to the Big Apple to "make it". After appearances in other movies and TV shows of the era like Family Ties, Empty Nest and the Love Boat, he also had a juicy role in Gross Anatomy with Matthew Modine and Christine Lahti. He gives us juicy tidbits from all of this and more including eventually retiring from acting and spending the last few years battling cancer. If I can't use this platform to connect with people I've always found interesting (music or not) then what's the point? Hope you enjoy it! 

Britain's Railway Children were a band stuck between movements. Too late for the post-punk explosion of the early 80s and done just before Britpop conquered the world, they released a handful of albums and songs that deserved more attention. "Every Beat of the Heart" did crackthe UK top 40 and singles like "A Pleasure" and "Brighter" did well on the indie charts, but it wasn't enough and the band called it quits in the early 90s after three albums. Frontman Gary Newby joins us this week to explain how it all went down including their tours of the states, going from Factory Records to Virgin, and releasing more music on the band's name. These guys are ripe for rediscovery. Enjoy! 

Candi Staton is arguably one of the best, and most underrated, soul singers in history. While Aretha and Gladys and Diana were getting most of the attention, Candi was consistently recording incredible music whether it's deep r&b in Muscle Shoals, disco smashes like "Young Hearts Run Free", or quality gospel music. She remains one of the finest interpreters of music ever and she joins us this week to discuss her storied career including starting out on the chitlin circuit, her approach to making a song her own, and her association with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker back in the day. We're so lucky she's still here, sounding great, and making new music! 

Producer/Engineer/Mixer Danton Supple has been at the forefront of big music by big artists since he first broke into the business in the 80s. U2, Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys, Morrissey and more are prominently on his CV. In this conversation we cover all of those as well as Elbow, Doves, Starsailor (which included Phil Spector's last project), Spandau Ballet and his work with past guests Clive Langer, Steve Lillywhite, Trevor Horn, Julian Mendelsohn and tons more. His stories are gold and almost as great as his talents. Enjoy! 

Annie Golden's career has hit on almost every creative endeavor there is. She starts out in the 70s fronting the punk/new wave band The Shirts who are making waves in the CBGB scene with Blondie, Television and the rest. The band released three good albums, but none of them really took off. Then, one fateful night, director Milos Foreman goes to their show and immediately decides to cast her in his new movie Hair. This kicks off her acting career (both on the big and small screens as well as Broadway) that has never let up. She might be best known these days for her role as the mute inmate Norma on Orange is the New Black. The Shirts have released a couple more albums in the 2000s with different vocalists, but Annie lends her voice to a new single, "Move On Groove On" that's a tribute to a close friend. Her spirit is infectious. Enjoy! 

This week we continue speaking with some of the authors of the wonderful @ series. Our guest is Gillian Gaar, author of Springsteen@75. Gillian discusses her love of Bruce and how her book contributes to the narrative of one of America's most beloved artists. We discuss many of her other projects as well like books she's written on Nirvana and Queen. AND we have a copy of this book to give away! Enjoy! 

This week's twofer is a fun one. We hear from a major British rock band and then we hear from a newer band heavily influenced by the first band! First up is Mark Gardener of Ride! They, along with bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, were the key figures in the Shoegaze movement of the late 80s. Ride's debut album, Nowhere, is one of the greatest examples of the genre. Eventually the guys changed their style and imploded as they went, but they've been back since 2017 and their new album, Interplay, is their best yet. Mark and I get into all of it, including his recent collaboration with Ryan! A Shoreline Dream are a dream pop/shoegaze band heavily influenced by the likes of Ride and have been doing strong work for almost 20 years. Their new album, Whitelined, features songs with Mark. Ryan discusses the life of an indie artist and his early life in Hollywood. This episode is packed with great music. Gear up! 

Has it really been 25 years since "Everything You Want" took over the airwaves? The 90s are littered with one hit or album wonders, artists that broke out, but were forced to break down thanks to a chaotic music biz, but VH mastermind Matt Scannell has not only survived but thrived. He could have packed it in after the label buried their follow up album to the double platinum breakthrough, or he could have called it quits at any point while scratching to make it as an indie artist. But, instead, he's gone from strength to strength, gaining the admiration of people like Neil Peart and Richard Marx along the way. The band is about to hit the road with Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket to celebrate those glory days. Hear his stories from how he met the legends to his love of watches. Enjoy!