The Petty Pod

Folks, we're going deeeep into the Austin music scene with fantastic musician Alexis Ramirez. First off, Alexis kind of helped define that "nervous-fugazi" style that Austin's famed Emo's club curated and pioneered with Trail of Dead, etc. We chatted about the Austin music scene back in the late 90s, a stint in the culinary world, his short-lived dancepunk band The Arm, and now his self-titled project that's extremely on-point for any shoegaze/dark wave heads out there. Alexis is truly one of those people that make Austin great, and his talent backs it up so please check out his music at alexisramirez.bandcamp.com. AND check out the video highlights of the pod here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4A7WzT0AEM&t=6s

Another doozie of an epi! This week I was graced with the presence of Deanna Marsigliese, a designer/animator for Pixar (heard of them?). She's worked on everything from The Incredibles 2, to Inside Out. Deanna is the epitome of artistic, spunky, and super driven as she's been hustling since day one at the character design game, ALL while looking and dressing pretty cool thanks to her eye for vintage. We talked about her route to Pixar, her creative process, music she likes to listen to while tossing out the 33rd draft, plus more. Be sure to check out the video highlights with Deanna here: https://youtu.be/OvhdrrjzJ0g

OK, so I'm just flat out nervous with all these amazing guests lately. And for good reason — hence, Laura Escudé, a serious accomplished talent and musical entrepreneur from Los Angeles who came on the pod! Basically, Laura started out playing real-deal classical violin, discovered electronic music in the late 90s, and went all in. She's been on the forefront of music technology, starting with a gig at Ableton (THE program pretty much all EDM folks use) where she mentored folks on the 1s and 2s, then went on to do custom live programming for Kanye West, Miguel, Charli xcx, and more of your favorites. We talked all about her turning points, from the first time she heard drum n' bass (shoutout Goldie), to working for m-audio, getting laid off, then bouncing back to build her own business educating, inspiring, and creating electronic music with amazing people. Oh, and Laura still plays the violin! Check her tunes on spotify and everywhere. Also, watch highlights from the podcast session here: https://youtu.be/H5mSXspf3VM

Lights, camera, action! I had the first run of screenwriter guests on the Petty Pod, and it happens to be two Texas-born, hard-working homies Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen. Friends since almost grade school, Andrew and Taylor wrote the screenplay for Chappaquiddick, which raided many netflix queues and Martha's Vineyard lovers with its controversial Kennedy-laced lore. We talked about Andrew nearly opening for Weird Al Yankovic, the pains of writing your first draft, working as a team, and the billionth Simpsons episode Taylor edited. Sperry's didn't want to sponsor this episode, so our friends Chameleon Cold Brew stepped in to give us a jolt. Thanks for listening, and watch the highlights on YOUTUBE here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_hSFVk_CWw&t=40s

Here's what you'd call a close-friend type episode. I sat down with Luther Himes to pay dues (after all he helped with a LOT of Petty Pod video and design stuff), but also because he's genuinely an interesting person with a multitude of talents - try: music blogger, party thrower, illustrator, videographer, and musician, currently known as Wild Vector. People like Luther, you wonder why they haven't picked a path and stuck with one thing. We talked about how Guitar Center is somehow still thriving, working for multiple clients at once, DADLIFE, and when American Apparel was the THING.

Hate to sound cliché, but DJ Mel is a name everybody knows in Austin. He's held down 20-year residencies in ATX, while also hosting the longest-standing 80s party, Rock The Casbah. Mel started off doing underground bridge parties spinning disco and hip-hop, to being requested by President Obama himself for gigs. Plus, his work ethic and smooth operation of the dancefloor has won him countless awards. We talked about the mid 90s, Beauty Bar Austin days, how to keep from going insane with work, and more. Swap your JNCOs for skinny jeans, then back to JNCOs.

Mac Blake is a comedian who keeps Austin laughing on a regular basis. He's been doing it for almost a decade, making his shows just as much about stage presence as they are about punchlines. He was voted funniest person in Austin in 2013, and has a couple albums, including his latest, Live At Coldtowne. We talked about joke writing, AD writing, his perspectives on creativity, and more. Hear why Mac is still MVP!

Dana Falconberry is a self-made musician and designer that has a story as interesting as her endeavors. If you lived in Austin the past few years, you probably caught one of her (packed) shows graced by her melodic, outlandish style that was way ahead of its time. Dana and her band have also toured Japan, Europe, and even an independent roundabout through the National Parks. Today, she's focused on design at Fort Lonesome, which makes pretty awesome chainstitching work. We talked about her early ballet days, making music, and Paula Abdul. Ground yourself.

David Clark is the founder of Kartwheel, a design studio in Austin, TX that conceptualizes spaces and interiors for brands like Filson, Knob Creek, Jack Daniels, and more. Before Austin, David was designing for print at XLR8R magazine in San Francisco. Then he packed it up for Austin to hit reset and do construction, learning the art of fabrication all on his own. Now he's busy, and doesn't even have time for lunch. We talked about his stint at SCAD, finding your thing after pivoting, and ordering the nearest pizza possible. We nailed this one!

Michael Donnelly is your meat guy. He's the head butcher at Rosso & Flynn, a delivery startup that sends you prime cuts from local farmers and ranchers around Texas. Michael came to Austin to work at Dai Due, an east Austin favorite, but before that he learned his craft at Fleischer's Craft Butchery in Kingston, New York, nerding out on everything from sourcing to farmer relationships. His heart was set on the film world at first, but now he's found his lane in a town that takes beef very seriously. This chat was both rare and well done!