Cue the opening guitar of Enter Sandman and let's headbang our way back to 1991 and talk about Metallica's self-titled fifth album, which would forever be referred to as 'the black album.' Now most die-hard Metallica fans will tell you, you're supposed to go back a decade before to the heavy underground thrash days of Kill Em All-- BUT, there was something so significant about how this more accessible album took the world by storm, ended up dropping 5 incredible music videos in constant rotation on MTV, and introduced small town kids like me to a collection of metal albums that would influence my music tastes for decades to come. 

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The soaring vocal range and dynamic sounds of Jeff Buckley's music arrived in 1994 when rock was still angsty and fuzzy. I remember being stunned when I first bought Grace, as the haunting vibrato and unique song changes made me an instant fan of Buckley's all too tragically short career. On this week's Waterproof Records, we journey back to New York at Sin-é where Jeff first cut his teeth, how an estranged relationship with his father played a huge part in his music, and why sometimes a man gets carried away...

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Allison Hagendorf is one of the few music tastemakers in our post-MTV, music streaming world. Her many years of experience working in A&R at record labels, Spotify, and a successful career as a TV personality and host interviewing rockstars has led her right where her skillset shines the most-- The Allison Hagendorf Show.  This week I welcome Allison to Waterproof Records to talk about being a psycho music fan, the album that changed her life, and all the ways she continues to seek out new and exciting music! 

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Before you'd see an NIN patch sewn on the backpack of every scowling teenager dressed in black, Trent Reznor crafted Pretty Hate Machine during his off-hours at a recording studio in Cleveland where he worked in the late 1980s. After my first listen, I remember feeling drawn in by the angsty lyrics, eerie synths with grinding guitars and unique panning beats. Join me this week on Waterproof Records as we reminisce about this monumental album that made us all feel a little less alone. 

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"For the life of me I cannot remember, What made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromise..."

Sing it with me! We all know that song by heart and so does my guest this week, Brian Vander Ark, who is the lead singer and songwriter of the band The Verve Pipe. I was delighted to welcome Brian on the show this week to learn about his prolific career as a singer/songwriter, discover what he considers his 'waterproof record' from childhood, and what does Brian mean when he says WWSBJJD?! 

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After a few social media messages and a winning game of rock puns, Chris Traynor and I became friends... so I was thrilled when he agreed to come on Waterproof Records and talk about his impressive career as the guitarist for bands like Orange 9mm, Helmet, and now Bush, where he has played lead guitar since 2001. Chris shares stories about his early days playing guitar as a kid, some of the songs and albums that inspired his style, and the journey that lead him to rocking on stage alongside Gavin Rossdale for nearly two decades. 

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When I first met Allison Scagliotti, we were playing guitars at a music event in Los Angeles where we became fast friends. Shortly after I would learn about her acting career where she is best known for roles in Drake & Josh, Warehouse 13, and Stitchers, but I knew Allison as a musician first. So when I asked her to to be a guest on the show, Allison chose Kate Bush's 'The Dreaming,' as her most influential album of all time! This experimental and uncommercial fourth album from the iconic English singer continues to inspire Allison's creative journey to this day including her musical concept project, La Femme Pendu. 

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What is It?! It's IT! In 1990, and for many years since, a lot of us ponder this confusing question until we and just give in and sing along to Faith No More's "Epic." I remember watching MTV and seeing the music video for the first time as Mike Patton jumped around in the rain, a fish flopped on the ground and a piano exploded-- but there was something about this band's sound that was hard to define. Was it rock or rap? It was metal but it was funky. Right before alternative rock became the mainstream, The Real Thing came from out of nowhere (see what I did there) and forged a path of genre splicing and unpredictable album choices. In a lot of ways, The Real Thing walked so that Angel Dust could run...

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I welcome another fantastic musician this week who I found on TikTok named Dusty Gannon, who is the lead singer and guitarist of the goth rock band Vision Video. You can find Dusty online playing good music, wearing perfect goth makeup, and doing a hilariously charming character named 'Goth Dad.' But all of those things led him to where he is today... playing music for a living! I happily welcome Dusty on the show to share his story about serving in the military and becoming a fireman, what led him to making videos online, and finally his unsinkable album just so happens to be Joy Division's 1979 album, Unknown Pleasures.

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This week I'm being taken to hip hop school, and my instructor is none other than Patrick Hicks with his music stories. You've probably seen Patrick in a viral video or two where he begins with his signature phrase, "This is a story about..." and then proceeds to take you on a well-crafted journey of a musician's career path that led them to where they are today. Patrick and I connected over TikTok, became fast friends and it wasn't long before we started collaborating on a few videos. I asked Patrick to come on the podcast, but when he told me he wanted to talk about "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G., I knew I was out of my element. Join me as I learn a lot this talented artist who was gone too soon. 

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