What Am I Making Podcast

When my longtime friend and musical sherpa Todd Stonehouse handed me his copy of Secret Stars, the Greatest Underdogs Of The Rock n Roll Era, he grinned and said, “You are gonna love this.”

Just looking at the ten bands listed on the cover, I knew I had found one of my new sacred texts. Inside the blazing red cover lay chapters on Nick Drake, Robyn Hitchcock, Elliott Smith, Big Star and more. These were my secret stars too! I’d not only found someone writing about these bands in any way, I had found someone writing about them as the oughta be pop gods they were.

While Matt Berenson has a long career as a film producer, it makes sense that he and I would connect over his music writing, specifically his writings on genius that never quite gets its proper due. As I dragged my copy of Secret Stars across the Moroccan countryside, each chapter felt like another piece of evidence as to why this writer and I should hang out, be friends, and talk about cool shit. 

Essentially, that was what I wanted my chat with Matt Berenson to be like for the show. I wanted to capture the exuberance of sharing a new band with a friend, of unveiling those secret stars and helping them to burn a shade brighter. 

Inside our chat, you’ll get to hear Matty C and Matty B - I promise I will not do that again - explain the fours Ps of rock and roll, and discuss doubling down on the stuff we dig. Taylor Swift gets a mention for the second week in a row. Get ready for that Matty C bump there, Swifty. We even talk about why Van Halen still rules. 

This conversation was so fantastic in fact, I have decided to split it into two chunks. In this first section on today’s episode, we’ll dive deep into Matt’s book and some of our favorite secret stars.

In the next episode, we’ll talk more about Matt’s career in film and the current state of cinema and how much it has in common with the music industry and why streaming is changing everything for creators everywhere. 

So dive in with a couple of nerds obsessing over obscure discoveries, indie rock demi-gods, and why Tom Waits has the perfect celebrity life. Enjoy. 

Cheers,

Matty C

Not to be outdone by the great Bill Boyle and his tales of travel in episode 017, Kevin Richberg has returned for an hour of stories on Southeast Asia (mostly).

Kevin was a guest already on episode 009 where we heard about his legendary world travels; visiting 122 different countries, and reporting from virtually across the world via the Huffington Post and other outlets.

Inside this chat, you’ll hear detailed accounts of the Great Sweater War of 2012, and a dose of Kevin teaching you how to translate English to English on the road. Learn about the foreigner’s tax, and you’ll even get a front row seat to grilling your own goat brain.

Hilarious and thoughtful, I can think of no more engaging and wonderful human to be on the pod twice before anyone else than my friend, and favorite raconteur, Kevin Richberg. Now let’s go get some fugitive stir fry.

Cheers,Matty C

Joe Pernice can spin a melody as well as anyone in indie rock, and can turn a phrase better than anyone in the game today. Over the course of 30 plus years in the rock and roll salt mines, Pernice has amassed an impressive catalog of songs, piled the mileage up on the van, and is in many ways, still learning how to hit record. 

Our conversation begins with me asking how his recent reunion shows in New York and Boston had gone to celebrate the deluxe reissue of the 1998 Pernice Brothers LP, Overcome By Happiness.

The reissue was part of a passion project led by a fan at New West Records and lets to a gorgeous vinyl reissue of the album and a 52 page book. Pernice was pleased, and even touched that the label wanted his involvement even though it was not legally required. 

That launched the conversation into the labor practices at Spotify, and the harsh realities of the musical economy. Still, Pernice finds much to be hopeful about, including our mutual amazement at the talent of Taylor Swift. 

In addition to music, we talk about being a Dad, love for the grand old game of baseball, and how Covid helped Joe to simplify his life a bit. Richard, Pernice’s most recent album was a solo affair that was recorded with just a nylon string guitar and his voice, and no outside assistance. The simple act of playing a guitar in his basement bike shop was enough to spring an album into being. 

The conversation that follows feels much like it must have felt for Joe to know he was making Richard. After we set things into motion, the conversation flowed with ease. It’s a breezy hour with a thoughtful soul. 

My chat with Joe Pernice was very much like the seemingly effortless pop gems he dispenses out so regularly; It was thoughtful, delightful and over too quickly. Enjoy. 

Cheers,Matty C

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I first got to know Bill Boyle from his insights and analysis at Stand Up with Pete Dominick. While Bill’s day job is owning and running a series of parking garages around the DC Metro area, his real genius is breaking down complex information into discernible chunks. I have learned as much from him about the war in Ukraine as I have from any single outlet. 

Bill is not a journalist, and would never promote himself as such, but he has an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. He’s incredibly well read, well researched, and well traveled. He has also had the good fortune not only to see much of the world, but he also possesses the curiosity and background to genuinely understand the stories behind that travel. 

Initially, I reached out to Bill to discuss traveling to Vietnam. My mother and I are looking at travel in the region, and I wanted to get the straight dope. Bill’s wife Vi had begun her life in Vietnam with her family. In the late 70’s, the family joined hundreds of thousands of other refugees , the infamous“boat people”, and made their way to America. 

The family has since traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and I wanted to talk to Bill for the pod to garner my own intel about daily life in Vietnam, and what to look for when getting around.

Being the dudes that Bill and I are, we pulled at the thread that is travel discussion, and it led down a path of fascinating conversation that highlights Bill’s penchant for great storytelling, and his extensive knowledge on any number of disparate topics. It was a blast to try and keep up.

We hit upon history, culture, philosophy, pho, and day drinking. It’s a great chat. Enjoy.

Cheers,Matty C

When I was a teenager, I would have told you that my dream of a trip to England was to play Royal Albert Hall, The Hacienda or The Cavern. I envisioned of my own version of Live At Leeds. To my teenage brain, success meant hallowed halls, superstardom and household names.

What I could never have imagined was that more than three decades after I held that calcified belief aloft, my own dream of success would now look a lot more like a two week house tour of the UK and the chance to visit new friends in Scotland than it would tearing around the great halls of Europe.

Success certainly never would have been the first word my teenage self would have used to describe a fifty something year old dude and his son who had a band together in Aberdeen. And success would never have been a word I would use to describe a band partially willed into being by a 20 year old young man with wicked talent trying to get his old man to rock out a bit again for the first time in decades.

Yet, success is the theme of the story. Just not in the conventional sense of the word. Kevin and Scott Robertson are a father and son who are not just sharing their passion with each other, they are pushing each other to grow as musicians and songwriters.

They say that nothing harmonizes like blood and the Robertsons are living proof. From their original songs in The Vapour Trails, a variety of cover versions that Scott and Kevin regularly share on social media as well as a gorgeous acoustic cover that the pair submitted last year as a part of the Guided By Voices tribute project I did over at Phonophore Records.

That harmony is natural and so is their report in or chat here. What’s more the Robertsons were welcoming and wonderfully good natured as they shared their story of family as music, and music as family.

Getting the chance to know Scott and Kevin a bit better, I was amazed that the work they have been doing in the Vapour Trails has all happened in the last five year, and all while they have held down full-time day jobs, navigated Covid, been included in their local football scene, and have also managed to carveout a life for themselves as well outside of music.

It is easy to talk about distant fathers, absent parents and young folks who no longer wanna play live music. All of those stereotypes and more are obliterated - or at least mildly dented - in the chat that follows.

I am so thrilled to have the chance to share the story of The Vapour Trails, Kevin and Scott Robertson, and their corner of the world up in Aberdeen. It was even more exciting that after we stopped recording, I realized that I had completely forgotten to talk to the two of them about their upcoming gig at the aforementioned Cavern Club! I quickly hit record again and managed to get in another stint of good stuff before the Robertsons headed off into the Scottish sunset.

Here is proof once again that there are good people doing good things in this world. Doing these things because they have to be done, for no reason other than that primal need to get it out into the ether. Scott snd Kevin’s lives are enhanced immeasurably by sharing their musical passion with each other. My ether is better off for the Robertsons finding a spot within it. I feel pretty certain yours will be too.

Cheers,Matty C

This is a pod version of an essay to announce some big news about my Sad Bastard Summer Tour.

I hate explaining my mental health conditions to people. That might seem weird since I spend so much of my time and energy here talking about that very subject. I am willing, often happy, to explore my mental health. Explaining my conditions and struggles to others is not an exercise in improving my state of mind. It is a recitation of justifiers and simplified terms to make the listener comfortable without unveiling myself as a complete lunatic. 

Yes, as we have talked more openly about mental health these conversations have become easier and more productive. The vast majority of folks are loving, and want to help. But, even our most ardent supporters will  waiver at least a bit in the face of these conditions. 

Analogies are a tool that I use daily to explain a feeling, teach a lesson or address a problem. They're always bouncing in my brain. Parallel ideas with common purpose can feel a bit like magic. Using art, music, and cinema is another way I have used analogies and metaphors to carve out an identity and viewpoint. 

This week’s podcast is a combination of all of those elements. It’s built around an essay I published at the beginning of April using a scene from Jaws to better explain my struggles with depression and anxiety. Talking about my health can be exhausting, self-indulgent, and even counter-productive. Stories like this one seem like the best way I can find to explore my own mental health while also allowing the reader/listener to explore it with me. 

Here is how I, once again, used a piece of art to better understand my own self. It is also one of the best ways I have found to help you understand my struggle and may be yours as well. 

Cheers,Matty C

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Chris Piascik’s inner teacher was what drew me to his YouTube channel. I’d first found Chris as I was beginning to learn the Adobe tablet drawing program, Fresco. Chris’ informal style, conversational tone, and incredible illustration skills had me hooked fat the outset.

As I dove deeper into the tools available in Fresco, I learned more about Chris’ work and life with each successive video explaining some feature of the program, As I learned ways to achiever better results as an illustrator through this program, I also became aware that Chris, much like me, had been diagnosed well into adulthood with ADHD.

Many of his videos focus on systems or even tools that Chris uses to manage his ADHD symptoms and triggers. Seeing this laid out so plainly was a huge boost to my admiration for Chris’ work and channel, but also made me feel validated as an independent creative struggling to manage ADHD, depression, and anxiety.

This chat with Chris is a great first window into his background and how he got this point in his career. At the center of his success is working every single day. His daily drawing project has spanned more than 14 years and has led him to work with high profile clients like McDonalds, Nike, Nickelodeon, Converse, Cartoon Network, Google and many more.

His work is filled with a playful humor, and lively energy. I especially love his hand lettering work. His videos are not only entertaining and enlightening, but they’re often funny and self-deprecating. Chris is a teacher at heart, in my view. His artistic talent and skills are myriad too, but the teacher is what spoke to me first.

Listening back to this interview I realized I dropped Chris in a bit blind with no intro or context at all. It’s a part of my show that I would like to improve. Chris handled things admirably and we headed off for a very nice chat about imposter syndrome, being good vs. being an artist, and how recreating the Danzig logo can create an entire style for a young artist.

Much like Chris, I am here churning out this work every day and every week. I am thrilled to have had the chance to talk with another artist who believes so deeply in the power of important work and has enough independent success to prove the effort can be worth it.

Learn more about Chris at the links below.

Cheers,Matty C

Chris Piascik websitePortfolioYouTube ChannelInstagramFacebookSociety 6 Shop

All it took for me to feel comfortable enough to reach out to Kevin Alexander at On Repeat was reading his writing. His bio started with the phrase, “playlists are my love language”. How was I not going to get along with a dude who identified himself that way to the outside world?

Even after seeing just a couple of his pieces, I was intrigued. Here was a dude my age, from my beloved midwest, following the siren song of rock and roll and writing about it nearly every day of the week. 

The first thing I saw was a primer on how to get someone into Guided By Voices from scratch. You’ll get my attention with almost anything written  about GBV, but trying to welcome a newbie into that world is a Herculean task. From there, in each and every piece that he published, I saw Kevin’s unabashed love for music and how that enthusiasm has struck a chord with so many readers.

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Like much of what I talk about here, this conversation is based around the amazing things that occur when we put our work and ourselves into the world on a regular basis. These shared experiences, and connections are the basis of almost all of the remarkable things that have happened to Kevin as he has built a large and loyal base of readers. 

In exploring his genuine passions and curiosities, Kevin has found his people. As he found those folks through the things that mattered to him, he also found himself again after walking away from his own creative output for more than 20 years. 

His renewed dedication and consistent good work has led him to a place he never imagined, including ending up on this pod. Perhaps the most remarkable part of this whole story is that he started writing again in a moment of lazy solidarity with his children during the pandemic. 

If you have ever wondered if you should pick that creative endeavor up again, this is the conversation that will provide a resounding “YES” to that question. If you have ever thought about starting up a new hobby or endeavor, that “YES” is waiting for you here as well. 

Come along and get to know Kevin Alexander of ‘On Repeat’ with me. He’s a great dude and we only got to know each other by doing work that matters. As always that work pays dividends in ways I can never predict. I’ll say yes to that for damned sure.  Enjoy! 

Cheers,Matty C

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It feels as though everyone has a podcast anymore. I mean, I have one and you are listening to it right now. Back in 2016, the market wasn’t quite as saturated as it is today. As the podcast boom began to gain momentum, the DC newsroom at USA Today offered a chance to produce podcasts to interested journalists on staff. 

My two guests, Jim Lenahan and Patrick Foster, were nothing more than acquaintances with desks next to each other when they raised their hands and said, “Yeah, we wanna do that.”

Fast forward seven years and that simple act of saying “yes” has led to 1600+ episodes, a vibrant community of passionate people, a 24/7 radio station, a series of live festival events and a life changing friendship.

It also led to Patrick and Jim coming into my life, first as hosts on a pod I was familiar with, then as a guest and member of bands featured on the show, to playing at their Suburbs Fest Chicago 2022 with my band The Stick Arounds, eventually building a friendship with these two wonderful souls. 

The best way for people to support my work is to share it with likeminded readers and listeners. If you enjoy this episode, please tell a friend, or the whole wide world. Thanks.

Like nearly every conversation that we have here on the pod, this is truly about the people and the connections behind the thing we’re discussing. We talk directly about music and culture we love, but it’s the connection those things engender that is at the heart of what Jim and Patrick are doing. 

The community that exists around Rockin’ The Suburbs is truly remarkable. I have talked before about my amazing support network at Stand Up with Pete Dominick. I have found that same sort of friendship and welcoming support with the Suburbs family as well.

Despite all of the bitterness we might see outwardly in people on a daily basis, the world is full of wonderful folks with open hearts. I know that because I have managed to find two groups of amazing people like this in the first two places I spent any appreciable time and effort engaging. The lesson is do the thing, be open about what matters and good people are likely to find you.

The more I learn this lesson, the more I figure out how to run toward the conditions that lead to relationships like this. The things we say yes to, and commit ourselves fully to, have the potential to make our lives so much richer than they might otherwise be. True community requires a willingness to cede control. It requires a faith that people will surprise you in the best possible ways. 

Jim and Patrick and I are all lucky enough to be living proof of that. 

Cheers,Matty C