The Hustle

This week is another two-fer! First up is the legend herself and one of the greatest voices in rock history, Heart's Ann Wilson! Ann and Nancy have been doing their own thing the last few years and Ann has a brand new solo album called Fierce Bliss coming out on the 29th. To me, it sounds the closest to the heavy rock sound of the 70s that Heart and their influences like Led Zeppelin and Bad Company were doing. Singles like "Greed" and her cover of the Eurythmics' "Missionary Man" are already out there. Ann and I talk about her approach to covers, the status of Heart these days, how she got Roger Dean to do the album cover and more. 

Imagine being one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood in the early 80s. The parties. The celebrities. The glitz and glam. The BusBoys lived that life for a while. As most people know, they were captured for eternity thanks to their appearance in the movie 48 Hours, which cemented a friendship with Eddie Murphy that continues to this day. Frontman Brian O'Neal and the guys are finally back with new music! Excellent singles "Love On My Mind" and "Civil Rights" are already out there and a new album is in the works. Brian and I discuss those early days in LA, the challenges of being a rock band made up of black guys, how they also made it on the Ghostbusters soundtrack, his approach to hard work, and much more. The BusBoys are ripe for rediscovery! 

This time Jon is joined by Hustle CMO Any Schaal to recap the last three month's of episodes. Lots of behind the scenes stories, what's working and what isn't, some parenting experiences, Jan's new podcast (!), recent concerts and more. Enjoy! 

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Is Robin Guthrie one of the most influential guitarists ever? Going back to his days with the Cocteau Twins, up to his stellar solo work the last 25 years, his shimmering, reverb-heavy style pretty much kicked off the Shoegaze and Dream Pop movements. Not to mention, it inspired every bedroom player to mess with the pedals and knobs to find that perfect sound. Robin has spent the last couple decades adding to his legacy by consistenly releasing stellar albums (mostly ambient, many with others including frequent collaborator Harold Budd). This embarrassment of riches continues as he's put out three beautiful EPs as well as the wonderful full length, Pearldiving, just in the last year! Robin joins us to discuss his approach to music making, some of his production work with artists like Lush and Ian McCulloch, and stories from the old Cocteau Twins days. Enjoy! 

Author Ben Wardle has pulled off what, until a few years ago, would have been impossible. He's written a brand new book detailing the life of the late great, and intensely private, Mark Hollis of Talk Talk. A Perfect Silence includes interviews with many people who worked closely with Mark and helps us get as close as possible to understanding the man who walked away from music (and public life) almost 25 years ago and never resurfaced. We learn Mark was into golf and motorcycles, but never strayed from that fiercely independent streak. Enjoy! 

Good ol' Dave Wakeling. Still out there keeping the flame of English Beat and General Public alive. Sadly, after the passing of his old buddy Ranking Roger three years ago, the mantle sits squarely on his shoulders. In this conversation (that's the best word for it) Dave and I discuss the ups and downs of his relationship with Roger, his approach to songwriting, his non-starting solo album, their early 90s comeback, whether Mick Jones was meant to be a member of General Public, growing old, John Hughes, and about a dozen other topics. Dave and the English Beat are one of the most impactful bands of my life and it was an honor to chat with the legend himself. 

Would Lady Gaga, Madonna and New Wave music in general be what they became without the stylistic influence of Dale Bozzio and the guys in Missing Persons? Not only did the band establish a template for the new wave sound with their debut album Spring Session M in 1982, but Dale otherworldly look married substance and style in a way that hadn't been done before. Dale writes about her wild life in her new book Life Is So Strange, which details her being discovered by Frank Zappa, marrying Terry Bozzio, working with Prince, and much more. Believe it or not, in this conversation Dale gives us in detail her list of lovers from back in the day! Buckle up for a wild ride! 

Almost exactly 30 years ago, Curtis Stigers had it all going for him. His first album is hitting big thanks to the song "I Wonder Why" climbing the charts, his cover of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" is included on The Bodyguard soundtrack (famously making Nick Lowe a rich man) and he's working with legends like Carole King. But, after a few more years, Curtis makes the bold choice to switch to jazz and he's been among the best of the genre since. He recently released the fantastic This Life album and shares with us what brought on the switch, his love for the artists he's covered like Crowded House and the Blue Nile, run-ins with Clive Davis, and growing up in Boise. Curtis is an extremely cool guy and This Life might be his best album yet. 

This week we're welcomed by rock royalty. Tim Finn is one of the most consequential artists of the last 50 years, especially for music lovers Down Under. As one of the founding members of Split Enz, he brought New Wave closer to the mainstream and pushed boundaries for others. Then his wonderful solo career, dalliances with Crowded House and collaborations with brother Neil as well as Phil Manzanera, Eddie Rayner and many more have maintained an unparalleled level of quality. He and Eddie are at it again as Forenzics and have just released a new album called Shades and Echoes that is one of the best things either of them has done. Tim and I discuss this fantastic new project, his other incredible more recent work, and we hear stories from the past as well. He's a legend and better now than ever before, we're lucky to hear from him.

Australia's Hoodoo Gurus are releasing their first new album in 12 years, Chariot of the Gods on March 11th. Lead singer Dave Faulkner returns to the pod to discuss the state of the world that inspired a lot of these songs. the idea that it might be the band's final statement, and the status of their world tour. Also, the band will be performing the whole album on a livestream the day before the release. Tickets to the show are available on their website below. We're so lucky to have this band still with us and still at the top of their game.