The SideStreets Podcast

Bringing Tucson, Arizona, to the world

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Episode 066: Writing A Book

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Hello!

We haven’t done one of these in a while, but it is GREAT to be back. We’ve taken some time off, as we welcomed a third member to the SideStreets Team™. Li’l Andrew just turned four months old, and he’s the greatest thing that ever happened to us. But, when a baby enters the mix, there is less time for things like recording FREE PODCASTS.

That’s why we’re shifting into Phase II of The SideStreets Mission™. We are preparing a book that chronicles Tucson’s musical history in an odd and offbeat way. From my Facebook post on the matter:

The SideStreets Podcast has been on hiatus for a while, but it will serve as the foundation/template for a NEW massive undertaking. I am planning on writing a book in which I talk to key members of Tucson's current music community and trace the lineage back through the weird, sometimes sordid, occasionally incredible moments in Southern Arizona music history. It will be a semi-subjective look at this area's under-appreciated musical history, filled with apocryphal tales that had a deeper impact than stuff that actually happened. If I do a good job, it will be a fun read -- that much is for sure. I will be reaching out to past SideStreets guests for interviews soon, as well as a few people I've always wanted to talk to but never got the chance to. At the very least, I'll self-publish it. I'll need your help getting the word out when the time comes. Working title: "Crummy Desert Sound.”

This podcast will update the book’s progress and other fun stuff along the way. There are no plans for a Kickstarter or anything of that nature, but if this thing does eventually exist, I’d appreciate it if you bought a copy. Thanks, and we’ll talk soon.

Topics: Topics: New massive projects, dedication, hard work, interviews, myths, make believe, what actually matters, Black Sabbath, babies, parenting, books, The Resonars, seeking encouragement, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 065: And A Panda Shall Lead Them (with Frank Powers)

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Embarking upon a creative endeavor is hard work. Set aside the idea for a second -- because everyone seems to believe they have a million-dollar idea that is better than anything else currently out there. Between fleshing out the idea, finishing the project (the hardest one of all), and trying to figure out ways to get this finished project in front of potential fans, it is so easy to quit at a dozen different points along the way.

Frank Powers says “the hell with that.”

I honestly can’t remember talking to anyone -- on or off mic -- who works harder on anything than Frank does on his comic, Pissed OFF Panda. For the better part of the last decade, Frank has been an unstoppable one-man comic-and-comedy machine, churning out Pissed OFF Panda material at an incredible rate. Between his multiple web presences, his recent appearance on Romo Tonight!, and his own podcast (“After Hours: with Frank Powers”), it seems as if Frank has access to some 30-hour day, while the rest of us only get 24.

On this episode, Frank and I talk about his Long Island roots, what brought him to Tucson, how working at GRILL shaped him and his work, and what he has in store for the future. Odds are, you’ll run into him at a Comic-Con within 300 miles of Tucson in the near future.

Also, it was great to talk about GRILL. I’ve been wanting to have the GRILL talk for a while now, but I needed someone who lived it to really get into it.

• Pissed OFF Panda on Facebook • Pissed OFF Panda on Kickstarter • Pissed OFF Panda on Twitter • After Hours with Frank Powers on iTunes • PissedOFFPanda.com

All the bed music you hear is courtesy of, who else?, dashflanagan​.

Topics: Doing the work, drawing all day long, GRILL, Long Island, figuring it out as you go along, a life’s work, ignoring self doubt, alter egos, free stuff, fundraising, constantly creating, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 064: EXCLUSIVE: CAN'T WAIT (with Matt Milner, Rusty Boulet-Stephenson)

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We have a special treat for you fine folks this week. Today’s podcast is an UNPRECEDENTED CROSSOVER EVENT!

Every Sunday morning, Matt Milner, Rusty Boulet-Stephenson, and I get together at the KXCI studios to record 2-3 (usually 3) segments of our sports/nonsense program, CAN’T WAIT. This is KXCI’s latest venture into the world of web-only (on-air someday?), syndicate-able (also someday?) programming. We’re still in the early stages of this show, but we have a good thing going so far. Eventually, we’ll have downloadable mp3s, an iTunes feed, and all the great modern features one would hope to have for a show like this, but as we sort out what we’re doing, this is your opportunity to get on the ground floor of something GREAT!

The snippet you’ll hear this week is from our show from May 31, called “Defend An Album.” Do you have an album you feel like needs defending? Let us know on all the social media platforms.

• CAN’T WAIT on Facebook • Matt Milner on Twitter (Rusty isn’t on twitter for some reason...) • A picture of a sassy duck

You can listen to all of our archives at kxci.org/programs/cant-wait.

All the bed music you hear is courtesy of, who else?, dashflanagan​.

Topics: CAN'T WAIT on KXCI, internet radio, new shows, defending albums, comedy rock, parody, Super Bowl halftime shows, bearing one's soul, rejection, cult followings, terrible grunge, sludge, felony songs, subtle improvement, glam, two wrongs making a right, losing one's voice, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 063: By Sheer Force Of Will (with Gamma Like Very Ultra)

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You can separate music (or, well, pretty much any relationship, really) into two groups: 1) things that work well together, and 2) things that don’t really belong together. But occasionally, there is a third path, and this path is risky. It’s the combination of things that may not make a whole lot of sense when you try to envision it, but when you actually hear it, it starts to click in a way that you may have never thought possible.

Gamma Like Very Ultra took that third path.

This experimental Tucson trio features distorted bass, heavy-but-dance-y drum rhythms, synths, and a trumpet -- no vocals. At times, the music will shift from Kraftwerk to LCD Soundsystem to Death From Above 1979 to Miles-Davis-recording-Bitches-Brew and back again. To make things even more confusing/awesome, GLVU enlisted the help of 60s rock-n-roll wizard Matt Rendon and his Midtown Island studios to produce their new album, out June 27 on Wiener Records -- an imprint on the Burger empire.

None of this should make any sense whatsoever, but it does. And it’s great.

Over the course of this (really fun) interview, we learn where Joe, Chris, and Ben got their starts musically, and how they landed on this sound. Nobody in Tucson (or too many other towns, probably) are doing what GLVU does, and it will be an adventure to see where this band ends up next.

We also talk a bit about heroism, lost voices, running, and whatever else comes up. Join us, won’t you?

Find Gamma Like Very Ultra on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Soundcloud • Wiener Records

Bed music: dashflanagan.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Gamma Like Very Ultra, fuzz, experimental rock, fretless bass, jazz, fusion, a new Boogie Nights soundtrack, green, deep red, small towns, Sonic Youth, sweet dreams, aggressively danceable, Wiener Records, heroism, running, lost voices, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 062: Growing Up Quickly (with Dan Gibson)

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We’re back!!! (!!!)

After an unprecedented 3-week hiatus, The SideStreets Podcast is BACK and bigger/better than ever, with our guest, Dan Gibson, of VisitTucson.org and a million other fascinating things. Dan was once the head honcho at the Tucson Weekly after running their online presence, and in his previous life, worked in every avenue of the music industry one could imagine. This is everything I’ve ever wanted in a SideStreets interview.

We also talk a bit about our 2-week cross country road trip extravaganza -- 11 days, 5,000 miles, 16 states, and a whole lot of food. Here is a video we made about it.

What else is going on?...Well, since the episode is one of our longest in SideStreets history (just a hair under an hour and 13 minutes), you’d be WAY better off just listening to it instead of letting me ramble here. Some links:

• VisitTucson.org • Dan Gibson on Twitter (follow this guy, ok??) • VisitTucson on Twitter • VisitTucson on Facebook

Bed music: dashflanagan.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Tucson, more Tucson, road trips, visiting Tucson, making people happy, taking the brunt of people’s complaints, a unique vantage point, iTunes playlists, the music biz, selling points, moving around, a foot in the door, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 061: A Quick One While I’m Away (with Blood Stone)

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We work HARD here at SideStreetsHQ to bring you a top-quality episode every single week. We produce the best podcast the internet has ever seen (probably) and our work ethic is unparalleled.

That said, it’s time to take a break.

I would never bail on you, the dear listener, without a little bit of notice, so I wanted to use the last few megabytes I have available on my Libsyn account this month to tell you that we’re recharging these first two weeks of May. I need to take a quick breather to re-focus for the SUMMER OF SIDESTREETS! We have great stuff coming up in the future (including an already-recorded interview with former Tucson Weekly editor and current VisitTucson.org Director of Corporate Communications Dan Gibson), and I’m just going to hibernate for a little bit before this incredible run we’re about to hit. Excited? You should be!

But first!

• Congratulations to Friend Of The Show Louise Le Hir for her big album release show. Our pal was featured in every media entity Tucson has to offer, and her record is a certified red-hot smash.

• I want you to check out our new venture on KXCI. As you know, I like sports and I don’t care who knows. So do my friends Matt Milner (FORMER GUEST!) and Rusty Boulet-Stephenson. We’ve started a sports-and-nonsense chat program called CAN’T WAIT (all-caps required) and we’re testing it out as a web-only program while we figure out what we’re doing. You can check out every single segment at kxci.org. You know what? This gets bold font and headline-sized font:

CLICK HERE FOR CAN’T WAIT: https://kxci.org/programs/cant-wait/

• My friend Mary (@OnlyAWitchCat on twitter) plays bass in a phenomenal band called Blood Stone. She was kind enough to lend one of her band’s tracks to close out this week’s show. There is absolutely no reason Blood Stone couldn’t be a Burger/Lolipop sensation. Check out the EP, Friend Group, at Bandcamp, and head over to their Facebook page to see all the terrific stuff they’re up to.

Closing song: "Married To Satan” by Blood Stone.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Breaks, breathers, siestas, chill-outs, Louise Le Hir, sports, nonsense, CAN’T WAIT ON KXCI, Blood Stone, sweet 666teen parties, two weeks, the summer of SideStreets, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 060: Capital-P Pop Music (with Steff Koeppen)

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You know those people who can just sit down at a piano and play beautifully? Those naturally talented folks who just make wonderful-sounding music seem so effortless?

Steff Koeppen is one of those people.

The thing about it seeming effortless? That is kind of a misnomer. It takes years of dedicated practice to be able to write the kinds of songs Steff writes. For the past handful of years, Steff And The Articles have performed their unique batch of classical/jazz-influenced pop tunes around Tucson. But this kind of music, while it has its fair share of admirers around town, hasn’t always fit in alongside the bands that tend to be successful in Tucson. We’ve seen a few more prominent pop acts achieve some success in town (Head Over Heart and BRYDES come to mind), but Steff has had to work really hard to put her music in front of people in thoughtful, creative ways.

In this (delightful) interview, Steff and I talk about the early days of the Articles, how she’s taken control of how her songs are recorded and produced, and how she’s effectively used social media to successfully fund a couple of Kickstarter initiatives. For aspiring musicians, there is a lot to learn from this conversation about finding the most effective ways to navigate the always-changing music industry. For fans of good songs, there is PLENTY of that to find on Steff’s Bandcamp page.

Also on today’s episode:

• We talk about Record Store Day and Digital Hoarding.

• I don’t NEED four Silverchair albums, but I have them.

• My dear friend Evan plays Asia’s “Heat Of The Moment” on a recorder for us -- a true podcast highlight.

Bed music: dashflanagan.

Closing song: "Call You Mine” by Steff And The Articles. Watch the music video on YouTube.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Steff And The Articles, pop music, writing for piano, breaking the mold, not fitting in, digital hoarding, seeking new avenues, Kickstarter, making adjustments, working really really hard, mini tours, personal connections with new fans, memorable shows, weird musical flourishes, useless mp3s, the recorder, the heat of the moment, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 059: New Life In The Static (with Alex Italics, Daycones)

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Making a film -- any film -- is an incredibly arduous task that requires an unfathomable amount of patience, luck, and even a little bit of obsession.

Making a film with a unique style and point-of-view? That takes an individual whose creative energy never dissipates -- someone who is always thinking of new ideas regardless of whether the camera is switched on.

Alex Italics is that kind of individual.

Over the past few years, Alex and his filmmaking partner, Brody Anderson, has build a remarkably diverse and captivating array of short films, features, and music videos that would rival anyone’s output over that time. He is one of those guys who seems to have a knack for finding ways to frame seemingly familiar ideas in a way that an audience has never quite seen them before. Tucson is lucky to have a filmmaker of Alex’s intelligence and ingenuity -- well, at least for right now, as he’s looking into attending graduate-level film school soon.

Alex popped onto the national radar when he submitted a video for a They Might Be Giants contest. Out of the more than 100 clips submitted, Alex’s caught the band’s eye, as well as TMBG superfan and all-around expert on everything, John Hodgman. The video for “Am I Awake?” is closing in on 30,000 views on YouTube and has resulted in a creative collaboration between Alex and the band that continues today.

• WATCH: They Might Be Giants -- Am I Awake?

Alex also directed this phenomenal clip for Friends Of The Podcast Head Over Heart. This clip for “No Sleep” premiered on Entertainment Weekly and showcases both Alex and the HOH crew at the peak of their creative powers. This is one of those rare cases of a perfect creative partnership resulting in a product that is greater than the sum of its parts.

• WATCH: Head Over Heart -- No Sleep

In this podcast, Alex and I discuss his path from a youngster who spent his days entertaining himself with little more than his vivid imagination to his time as a prominent Tucson musician to what prompted him to pursue a filmmaking career. A+ episode, everybody.

Also in today’s episode:

• We attend a Eugene Mirman stand-up special taping. Good news: Eugene Mirman is hilarious and the show was spectacular. Bad news: Sitting directly behind us? A group of ill-mannered college kids who had no idea how to behave in public.

• "Drop City” by Daycones closes the show. I’ve been a big fan of this group since they hit the scene, but they’re laying low for a bit as Ryan (Mr. Daycones) is now a full-fledged member of Burning Palms. See them kick out th’ jams on April 18 as part of the Wooden Tooth Records Grand Opening Extravaganza in the back of Cafe Passé on 4th Ave. I guarantee fun times!

Bed music: dashflanagan.

Before the interview: “No Sleep” by Head Over Heart.

Closing song: “Drop City” by Daycones.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Filmmaking, imagination, Alex Italics, bad manners, Eugene Mirman, guitar, turning one’s back on political science, rethinking old forms, a running tally of ideas, They Might Be Giants, film festivals, aesthetics, the relationship between visuals and sound, collaborating with your heroes, Daycones, validation, film strips, psychoanalysis, the Kennedy assassination, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 058: The Big Bad Wolf (with Marina and Leann Cornelius of Acorn Bcorn)

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Moving to a new town can be a terrifying, intimidating experience. When you uproot your life -- even when you’re leaving a place you’re not that fond of -- and move to a city where you don’t really know too many people, you look for anything and anyone that helps you feel like you belong.

In 2005, Marina and Leann Cornelius helped me feel like Tucson was my home. They had no idea about any of this until a couple of weeks ago.

Marina and Leann are in a band called Acorn Bcorn. They are sisters. And they rule so much, it’s impossible for me to put it into words. That’s why I have a podcast, though -- to try to ramble my way through it until it sort of starts to make sense.

Much like last week’s episode with Dimitri Manos of Golden Boots, Acorn Bcorn (originally The Sweat Band, then later The Beta Sweat) helped make Tucson feel like a place that I wanted to live, and a place that would welcome a person like me. I love their music so much, and if you’re seeing any band in Tucson,  you must see Acorn Bcorn. Their live set is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before -- an incredibly loud math problem that involves two people trying to bash out as much noise among as many instruments as possible.

From their Facebook page:

Acorn Bcorn = sister x 2 + guitar + bass + singing + kick drum x 2 + snare x 2 + tambourine x 3

We talk at length about their beginnings, their commitment to their sound, and how these self-imposed limitations help make their music so damn good!

After this week’s episode, I’m certain you will love this band as much as I do. Buy all their things on Bandcamp, and keep an eye out for all the phenomenal stuff they have planned over the next 2-3 months!

Also on this week’s episode:

• I start to sing Desperado by The Eagles, but stop myself when breaking news across the pod-desk lets me know that KXCI did, in fact, reach its membership goal! Thank you so much to all who pledged!

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

Before the interview: “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” by Acorn Bcorn.

Closing song: "A Shape That’s Hard To Break” by Acorn Bcorn.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Acorn Bcorn, formative years, Colorado, refineries, masonry, Desperado, membership drives, supportive parents, oldies, middle C, cardboard boxes, early songwriting, making things difficult, feeling real, instincts, minimal filters, things going wrong, Twister, repeating stories, shattered ice scrapers, incredible local bands blowing national bands off the stage, reconfiguring, heavy and small, freeing limitations, 93-percent guitar, 70-percent bass, flying drum sticks, Bob Log III, loudness, shipping containers, unorthodox venues, no red tape, Tom Walbank's stroller, Night Of The Living Fest, projecting vocals, hollering, heavy swans, special shows, a big big May, multimedia events, the shape of things, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 057: Keys In The Sewer (with Dimitri Manos of Golden Boots)

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I don’t know if I’d still live in beautiful Tucson, AZ, if it weren’t for two bands: Acorn Bcorn (who we’ll talk to next week!), and Golden Boots.

When I first moved to Tucson in late 2004, the only people I knew were my mom and my sister. I didn’t have any friends yet, so I’d wander downtown most nights and catch whatever live music I could. Golden Boots blew my mind. I love their music so much. They apply the deconstructive strangeness of Half Japanese or R. Stevie Moore to country-folk of bands like the Flying Burrito Brothers of “Sweetheart of the Rodeo”-era Byrds.

Today’s guest, Dimitri Manos, is one of my favorite songwriters in town. Manos, along with co-songwriter/brother-in-rock Ryen Eggleston and an incredible cast of rotating collaborators, formed Golden Boots around 2001. They’ve spent the past 15-or-so years as one of Tucson’s most creatively accomplished bands, and their latest record (under the moniker Labryyynth) is one of my favorite releases of 2015.

Dimitri and I speak for nearly an hour about his musical background, how Golden Boots got started, his bedroom-recording solo project American Monoxide, and his tenure as a multi-instrumentalist with the phenomenal Philly band, Dr. Dog.

The Golden Boots catalog can be a bit daunting for anyone who isn’t familiar with what they do, so we have a special treat for SideStreets listeners. For one week only, we’re offering a FREE 21-track Golden Boots Sampler (!!!) through friend-of-the-show Mike Dixon’s PIAPTK website. That’s right -- 21 of the best songs you’ve ever heard from your new favorite band.

<<FREE GOLDEN BOOTS SAMPLER -- FOR SIDESTREETS LISTENERS (DOWNLOAD AT PIAPTK’S WEBSITE)>>

This is just the kind of thing Dimitri does. He is always coming up with creative ways to get Golden Boots’ music in front of people. This is one of my favorite podcasts in our show’s 57-episode history, and I know you’ll love it, too.

Also in today’s episode:

• My appearance on ROMO TONIGHT LIVE was a smashing success. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to show support for the podcast. That was a really big deal to me.

• KXCI is still in the midst of its membership drive. Pledge now at kxci.org or 520-623-1000 or next week’s podcast is just going to be me singing Desperado over and over for a full hour.

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

Before the interview: “Blue Light City” by Golden Boots.

Closing song: “Traveling Strange” by Labryyynth.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Golden Boots, Growing up in South Jersey, Romo Tonight, gravitating toward drums, Trashcan Hawaii, no-grass, poking at ideas, ceilings, repeating Desperado, Devo, early four-tracks, psych rock, bigger drums, the Flaming Lips, subtle inspirations, barriers for entry, conspiracy rock, over-ambitious tours, proving you’re a band, feeling welcomed, excellent collaborators, weird luck, odd releases, CDs inside of tacos, KXCI, quilted albums, Mike Dixon, pushing every envelope, wire recorders, Wight Lhite, complementary songwriters, chance meetings, Park The Van, Magnolia Electric Co., The Teeth, great things happening, joining Dr. Dog, frustrating stupidity, whitewashing culture, re-branding to spite people, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 056: All Ages (with Logan Greene)

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Remember when you were first starting to get into music in a serious way? You were probably a teenager -- too young to go to those cool 21-and-over club shows, but still desperate for any kind of exposure to the stuff you were listening to.

For many of the uniquely creative individuals helping to cultivate this incredible music scene in Tucson right now -- such as today’s guest, Logan Greene -- the all-ages venues and shows were vital. It didn’t matter what kind of music they played or even if it was all that polished -- it just mattered that it existed.

Right now in Tucson, these all-ages shows are few and far between. The venues that used to accommodate these types of events closed down, for one reason or another. Almost every venue in Tucson is located downtown. If you’re a teenager living out east or up north, it’s hard to know about what’s happening or if there is even a place for you to get your first band off the ground.

Logan and I talk about how important it is to re-energize this town’s commitment to these all-ages shows. It’s what will keep this scene thriving in the future. We also discuss the various unique-to-Tucson challenges when it comes to booking all-ages shows, as well as what music meant to us when we were kids first picking up a guitar.

(Of course, there is a good chance that Tucson’s youth doesn’t care about any of this at all. If that’s the case, then I just got profoundly sad.)

Logan and I also get into all of the incredible things he’s up to right now, primarily his work with his record label, dietpoprecords. He’s put out records from friends of the podcast Human Behavior, kibunandnunchi, and many terrific Phoenix bands.

He’s also largely responsible for one of my favorite collections of YouTube videos, “The Trundle Sessions.” For more than a year now, Logan has filmed all sorts of different bands -- local and national -- performing on his trundle bed. Start with the Paul Collins Beat, R. Stevie Moore, Human Behavior, Pat The Bunny, and then watch all of them.

Also on today’s show:

• We’re in the thick of KXCI’s membership drive. Go to kxci.org or call 520-623-1000 and pledge your support.

• MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be appearing on Romo Tonight this Sunday, March 29. Doors open at 8:30 at the Flycatcher and the cover is a measly $5. I can’t emphasize this strongly enough -- I need you there. This is a very big deal for your pal, Nick, as well as The SideStreets Podcast. So excited.

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

Closing song: “Get Over It” by Logan Greene Electric. From the album “Dead Formats” -- find more at his bandcamp page.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: All-ages shows, Diet Pop Records, forming your first band, membership drives, trundle beds, city planning, getting kids involved in the local music scene, Romo Tonight, live performance, viable outlets, ambiguous teen voices, the way things used to be, booking shows, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 055: Pop Art (with Molly Bates Johnson, Karima Walker)

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You know what the best part of having your own podcast is? It’s not all the fame and glory and riches (hahahah obviously). It’s the fact that you have a terrific excuse to have conversations with talented people about all the excellent things they put out into the world without having to ambush them with a ton of intrusive questions at a party or something.

For example: Molly Bates Johnson is a remarkable painter with an incredible design/visual aesthetic. I’ve been curious about these works of pop culture art she’s been posting to social media -- from Pee Wee Herman to Twin Peaks to Rushmore to Mr. Show to her most recent Back To The Future Painting -- so I wanted to see if she’d come on the podcast and talk about her background and what inspires her to get involved with these pop culture art shows. Lucky for all of us, she was more than happy to talk to me.

Molly has also done production design for Tucson filmmaker Alex Italics on the Head Over Heart music video, “No Sleep,” which was recently featured on Entertainment Weekly. Molly is a very charismatic, engaging individual, and she made for one of the most uniquely interesting guests we’ve had on our show.

We also talk about Halloween.

Also on today’s show:

• We feature a stunning new song called “Miner” from singer/songwriter Karima Walker. Karima plays bass in Human Behavior, but she also writes jaw-dropping songs like this one. Her album, Take Your Time, will be out on dietpoprecords March 21 with an album release show/tour kick-off at 191 Toole (w/ Algae & Tentacles, CALYX, and Miss Lana Rebel). Doors are at 7:30 and it’s a $5 cover this Saturday.

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

Closing song: “Miner” by kibunandnunchi.  See above for all the info.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Art, oil painting, jealousy, the McFlys, the perfect film, the story of Everest, George McFly as Nightcrawler, Twin Peaks, Pee Wee Herman, remembering the Alamo, set design, Head Over Heart, art therapy, donating to KXCI, pop culture art shows, Mr. Show, Back To The Future, Diet Pop Records, Karima Walker, attention to detail, Halloween costumes, and the things we do for love.

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Episode 054: Making Strangers Laugh (with Bethany Evans, Otherly Love)

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For the first time in PODCAST HISTORY, we're talking about stand-up comedy -- writing jokes, the deep inner pain and turmoil of----

Wait, this isn't WTF. If you want to hear that conversation, there are literally THOUSANDS of places to hear it. Today, we're talking to someone who's just starting stand-up (something you rarely hear on these other shows), which turned out to be one of my favorite interviews in SideStreets history!

Today's guest is Bethany Evans. She's charming and delightful.

I first saw Bethany perform when she opened Romo Tonight on Feb. 22. She hasn't been doing stand-up very long, but she was comfortable, sharp, and in control of her material. I don't have a ton of familiarity with Tucson's comedy scene, so I thought it would make for an interesting conversation to talk to someone who's just getting started about how they see the scene establishing itself and where it's fun to perform.

Bethany is a regular at Female Storytellers (next performance, March 11 at the Flycatcher at 7 p.m.!) and can be found talking into microphones, telling stories pretty much as often as possible around Tucson. She's very funny now, but there's no telling how good she'll be even a year from now.

Also on today's episode:

• Remember Episode 037 with our pal Ben Schneider? Well, his band Otherly Love has a hot new cassette out! I'm very happy Ben sent me an advance copy to feature on this week's show. You'll hear the song, "Sleep."

• I recorded this episode after a REALLY terrible illness the day before. I hadn't been that sick in YEARS. But for you, the listener, I got better and made sure this podcast came out as scheduled. I'm a hero.

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

Closing song: “Sleep" by Otherly Love, off their hot new cassette. Find their first two albums at their bandcamp page.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Telling jokes, Female Storytellers, political science, spectating to performing, the Fisterhood, Christmas ham, open mics, comfort levels, Tucson’s comedy community, receptiveness to newcomers, comedy infrastructure, improv, failing in front of people, overthinking, personas, Romo Tonight, looking for the first laugh, heckling, welcoming atmospheres, rude crowds, the light, bombing stories, a comedy path, an easier point of entry, and the things we do for love.

[sidestreetspodcast]

Episode 053: Cats Are Fuzzy Podcasts (with Callie Rasmussen, Emma The Cat, Forest Fallows)

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This is going to be a photo-and-link-intensive blog here at SideStreets HQ, so let's not waste any time at the top. Callie Rasmussen is a friend, podcaster, cat advocate (catvocate, obviously), intersectional feminist, and a superstar in the making. She co-hosts the Not All Women podcast with past SideStreets guest Sarah Sahim and has been one of the most supportive people in the creation of this show.

It's about dang time she joined us for a full interview! (She previously joined us for one of the best #BurritoTalk segments in SideStreets history.) Callie and I discuss how important it is to find where you're supposed to be and how that contributes in helping anyone find what they're supposed to do. We also talk about our cats, feminism, and The Best Show. You'll love it.

Here's some links for all you #NAWheads out there:

• Not All Women on iTunes

• Not All Women on Facebook

• Not All Women on Twitter

Also on today's episode:

• The WORLD PREMIER of Emma The Cat's podcast, The Emmacast or CatCast, whichever you prefer. If you're writing the checks for this podcast, you can name it anything you want!

• Talk of Devo-style energy domes.

• This Forest Fallows record is one of the best albums I've heard all year. It's yet another excellent collection of songs from Mute Swan's Mike Barnett, who is riding an incredible hot streak over the past few months. Get on board!

This is Callie:

This is Callie's tweet that inspired the title of this week's episode:

This is Emma The Cat (celebrity cat):

This is Callie's cat, Aurora:

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

Closing song: “Surface” by Forest Fallows. Find the whole album at their bandcamp page.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Sister shows, burritos, tacos, high bars, energy domes, a pie-free existence, Vermont, small buildings, a bundle of nerves, speech apprehension, Forest Fallows, the heart, songwriting in MIDI, a random collision of events, isolation, Montreal, a lack of claustrophobia, finding home, youthful ambition, impenetrability, inclusivity, intersectional feminism, Charlie barking, exploding popularity, Catcast, calling in, kindness, goals, exclamation points, and the things we do for love.

[sidestreetspodcast]

Episode 052: Crash Zones (with Georgia Taylor, Sarah Sahim, Mute Swan)

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A big reason why I started this podcast was to talk to people about what "community" means to them -- how it works, how to find it, how to keep it going. From music to art to film to anything, people are always seeking like-minded people to help create a fun, welcoming atmosphere for their chosen pursuits.

Roller derby is no different. They just show their affection for one another by wailing on each other while wearing roller skates.

I've known my dear friend Georgia Taylor for close to a decade now. When she first encountered the sport of roller derby in 2010, it was clear that she had found her people. She trained her butt off, and now, Georgia (or Dewey Decimatrix) is one of the most visible, enthusiastic members of the TRD community. She was kind enough to sit down with me and talk all about how TRD got started, why she became so enchanted with the sport, and where she hopes to see TRD go in the future.

It's a terrific conversation with one of my very best friends. If your town has a roller derby community, you should absolutely check it out -- it's unlike anything else out there.

Also in today's episode:

• I talk a bit more about impending fatherhood. I promise this won't turn into a dadcast, though. I'll shut this thing down before it becomes an hour of me blabbing about dad stuff.

• I enlist my dear friend (past SideStreets guest and Not All Women co-host!) Sarah Sahim to help me engage with youth culture. We duet on the FKA Twigs' song "Two Weeks" -- something that might become a regular feature on the show, if others want to do karaoke-style sing-a-longs with popular pop songs.

• New Tucson psych-rock band Mute Swan, fresh off the heels of their outstanding album release show at Club Congress, close out this week's show. This is a band to keep an eye on, friends.

Tucson Roller Derby Links:

Official website

Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

"Two Weeks" by FKA Twigs, as peformed by Sarah Sahim and myself.

Closing song: "Here We Go" by Mute Swan. Find the whole album at their bandcamp page.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Roller derby, two weeks, youth culture, flat versus bank, Whip It, Austin in 2001, the power of gravity, Dirty Terry, fitting things to the initials, fresh-meat skaters, staying calm, burlesque, jams, Miss Evil, baby steps, Bambi, professional amateurs, jammers, simultaneous offense and defense, self sustaining, street teams, nonprofits, iconic venues, storytime, libraries, secret clubs, being in charge of everything, derby brats, always being ready to crush, and the things we do for love.

[sidestreetspodcast]

Episode 051: Spray Diagrams (with Damian Abraham, Human Behavior)

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I usually don't play around with font sizes on this thing, but today is a special occasion. Why's that, you ask? Because it's the...

ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EXTRAVAGANZA!

I've been telling you guys for weeks that I had something special in store, and I was not lying. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you this interview with the one and only DAMIAN ABRAHAM!

You know Damian Abraham (aka Pink Eyes aka one of the coolest guys in the world) as the lead singer of *lifting the swear ban....now* Fucked Up. For more than a decade, Fucked Up has put out some of the most aggressive, complex, layered, dense, textured, multi-faceted, and captivating rock/hardcore/whatever-you-want-to-call-it music on planet earth. That's not hyperbole, either. If Fucked Up clicks with you, Fucked Up is one of your favorite bands. That's just the kind of music they make.

From Hidden World to (the Polaris-prize-winning) The Chemistry Of Common life to David Comes To Life (a personal top-10 album for me) to 2014's Glass Boys to all the Year Of The... singles to, well, everything they do, Fucked Up has discovered a way to make thought-provoking music on a volume/intensity level that few can match. You could also say they've found a way to make punk music as thought-provoking and interesting as anything in the genre's history.

And Damian Abraham took an hour of his time to talk to me on my podcast. How phenomenal is that???

We cover all sorts of things in this interview. We get into Arizona's punk history, as well as the roots of his punk fandom. We also cover the origins of Fucked Up and the way punk music tends to bind people (often complete strangers) in ways they wouldn't otherwise expect, as well as why he decided to start his terrific podcast, Turned Out A Punk.

Also, we talk about The Best Show. We're both huge fans and FOTs for life. There are a couple of MAJOR revelations about Damian's history with The Best Show, as well as its influence on his own writing, that I found completely fascinating.

This is the best podcast I can make. It's as good as I can do. I hope you like it.

• Damian Abraham's official website.

• @leftforddamian on twitter.

• Turned Out A Punk on iTunes.

• Fucked Up on Matador Records.

Also on this episode:

• Step the eff off, haters. Y'all who doubted me -- where you at now, huh? I can't hear you over how incredible this year has been.

• Seriously, thank you to anyone who listened to or shared this podcast with anyone. You are all my best friends and I love you very much.

• Human Behavior was a guest back in Episode 030, and I'm thrilled that they're involved with the big anniversary show. Andy Parada makes some of my favorite music of anyone in town, and it's fitting that one of the most active members of Tucson's DIY/punk/hardcore scene appears on an episode about the strange directions punk can take your life. Their new record, Bethpage, is absolutely stunning. Get your copy at their album release show Feb. 25 at the Hotel Congress or at their bandcamp page.

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan.

From the "step off, haters" rant: Tolerated by Girl Talk & Freeway (feat. Waka Flocka Flame) from the Broken Ankles EP (download for free)

Leading into the interview: The Other Shoe by Fucked Up, from David Comes to Life.

Closing song: "Chapter 1" by Human Behavior, from Bethpage. Come to the Hotel Congress Feb. 25 for the Human Behavior album release show and hang out with us, ok???

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Anniversaries, stuntin' on them haters, dividing records by country, Chunklet, Barcelona, Placebo Records, labels as curation, Toxic Ranch, myth building, the desert, scalding water in a hose, Nardwuar-esque segues, sharing your passion, seeking these conversations, the strange directions punk takes people, Ian McKaye guilt, Lil B, entry points, shoulder tapping, the year punk broke, Sonic Youth, lines falling away, connectivity, The Lego Movie, the struggle, the future, the quest, choke slams, finding an edge, gratitude, maximum dysfunction, the peak, lifting the swear ban, Hammerhead, a better real world, and the things we do for love.

[sidestreetspodcast]

Episode 050: Optimism Hidden Under The Nuclear Wasteland (with Melissa and Seth Mauzy)

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If you could do anything you want — anything in the world — what would you do?

Melissa and Seth Mauzy wanted a life in music. They weren't exactly sure how they wanted to go about it, but that hardly mattered. They knew that's what they wanted since the days of the Ween online forums and the annual trips to Bonnaroo. Then unimaginable tragedy struck, as Seth's parents each passed away. After making their way through the haze of grief, they decided that life was far too short to spend it wondering "what if?" so they figured out how to turn "a life in music" from an idea into a reality.

That's how Baby Gas Mask Records started in 2011.

Today, Baby Gas Mask is one of Tucson's few self-sustaining record labels. From merchandise fulfillment, recording services, and vinyl record production, Seth and Melissa look for ways to lend support to fellow musicians, while making Tucson a more vibrant and creative community.

They also dabble in vinyl trading (you can find them at any record swap meet or sale going on in town), their own music (check out Deschtuco next time they play out!), the radio (Melissa works at KXCI, and they host their own show on Saturday nights), and just about anything else you can imagine.

Now that is a life in music.

The Mauzys are wonderful folks and this is a wonderful interview. People like Melissa and Seth are vital in creating a scene worth following.

Also in this episode:

Get ready for our One-Year Anniversary Extravaganza! I can't say who the guest is yet, but it will blow your socks through your shoes. I can't be held responsible for your shoes.

You can now AND MOST DEFINITELY SHOULD follow the podcast on Facebook. Do it for your pal, Nick, alright? It would really help me out.

Baby Gas Mask Records (official site) (Facebook) (Twitter) The Party Of Special Things To Do (Saturdays, midnight to 2 a.m.)

Music credits: Bed music: dashflanagan. Closing song: “Regular Hits” - by Best Dog Award. Part of the upcoming series of split 7-inches featuring Arizona bands from Baby Gas Mask Records.

Get in touch: Email me at sidestreetspodcast at gmail dot com, or follow me on twitter, either on my personal twitter feed, or at the official SideStreets twitter page.

Topics: Baby Gas Mask Records, background noise, following Ween around, turning unspeakable tragedy into something positive, circumstance, home studios, Skid Row cassettes, Debbie Gibson, growing up in the film Whiplash, finding REM, fringe music, the Tucson to Philadelphia connection, infrastructure issues, coping mechanisms, running a record label, the vinyl trade, filling gaps, learning curves, the death of selling out, creativity as a local industry, and the things we do for love.