Third Gear Scratch

Trevor Shelley de Brauw took 26 months to get Covid and waited even longer to release his new RLYR record (Gilead Media), the Pelican guitarists side project and secret hook up. The new self-titled record, their 3rd, is an orchestrated love letter to guitar rock riffs, post hardcore surges and ambient waves. Pelican is also busy as they face a Euro tour starting late May in support of the reissues of their first three records with rarities included on Thrill Jockey, and now welcome home original guitarist Laurent LeBec after a long successful tenure with Dallas Thomas of Swan King.

Martin Bisi has owned BC Studios since 1980 when he started it with Brian Eno and Bill Laswell and has been witness to it's growth from gritty avante-garde hub of the No-Wave scene in which he was foundational, working with Lydia Lunch, Swans, Foetus and Sonic Youth into a largely gentrified but still arts-centric village. He's a pioneer for his work with early hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa and his solo work is as ambitious and free as his no-rules production style with a large catalog under his wings. His newest work is with the band NEONNOONE and is on par with his finest releases. An inspiring and unquenchable talent.

Bassist/Drummer/Journalist Michelle Bacon found her calling late in the game to start playing in bands (Frogpond/Other Americans/Katie Guillen and the Drive) and also have her finger on the pulse of the Kansas City music scene as Content Creator and Data Manager at 90.9 The Bridge. She has witnessed and participated in the growth of the talent pool in KC and has been able to assist the evolution of the scene at the Bridge. But when she founded The Band That Fell To Earth, a collective of musicians from the KC over the past 30 years who unite for the past 6 years to celebrate the music of Bowie, her level of influence shot sky high, as did her confidence. She's also curated a powerful series called Sound Minds that addresses mental health within the arts, which is often overlooked.

The rock and roll Scott McCloud grew up with in the 80's was a fantasy of glitz and glam far beyond the most ambitious of his dreams, until he heard punk rock in DC, and it all seemed very possible. Inevitable, even. His bands Soulside in DC and then Girls Against Boys out of NY were both highly influential heavy-weights. Between those bands, New Wet Kojak and Paramount Styles, this man has made over 20 full lenth records, influenced thousands, lived all over the world, with his stylishly tortured vocal delivery being his most enduring trademark. Now living in Vienna with a young family, he's prepping for tour in October in support of the reissue of House of GvB.

When Conductor/Composer/Educator Debra Lynn cold-called Stewart Copeland's management about helping him stage a collegiate production of his opera, The Invention of Morel, she wasn't holding her breath. And yet, as fate would have it, they were working together not long after to stage it and have since collaborated on Police Symphonic arrangements and other projects, they remain tight with she as his "mentor" he says. We talk about the overlap in writing processes despite different worlds of music, the elements are about throwing paint on the canvas without forethought, and how her synesthesia allows her to see instruments as colors. She also sang and studied under my dad Arnold Epley and I can see his influence on her in the best way.

In this episode, Allen talks with each member of Shiner individually to get their own thoughts, reflections and obsevations of the most recent US Shiner tours. Bassist Paul Malinowski goes first from his Massive Sound Studio in KCK with sharp insights on touring without a sound man. Drummer Jason Gerken entertains as he's just arrived at Rancho de la Luna Studio to track with Chris Shinn, and guitarist Josh Newton pipes in from his home in LA on what it's like to have Mario Quintero as his proxy for some of the tour.

Guitarist/Drummist/Producist/Engineerist and now Managist Mario Quintero of Spotlights revisits the hallowed halls of TGS for an encore episode in which we prep for the Shiner / Spotlights tour as he spills all about his tenure as the proxy Josh Newton, we talk about his new project with Jason Blackmore called Sisters, his joint venture with Spotlights drummer Chris Enriquez as managers of several rising bands, what the future holds for Spotlights and why he prefers dogs to cats, but admittedly loves the taste of both...great chat!

Right before Craig Wedren's influential DC band Shudder To Think broke up in 1999 and sent him into a momentary career freefall, they had scored several films including Velvet Goldmine. Five years earlier, Shudder had their claim with a record called The Pony Express Record for Epic that was as polarizing as it was genre-twisting; artsy, prog leaning, angular and sexy rock songs set within complex arrangements; this work translated perfectly into his post-Shudder life and work as composer for movies like School Of Rock, Wet Hot American Summer, Laurel Canyon, Shrill, Glow and now the excellent YellowJackets, streaming now on Showtime.