It’s miraculous, really, that great new music is revealed to us each passing week; we need only to be open to exploring it to enjoy it. There’s nothing wrong with reveling in your favorite songs, artists and albums that are deemed classics by some listening community, but it’s continuing to explore new releases that really gets us thinking about mu…

If you’re like most people, at 20 years old, you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life. And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially in today’s day and age, young people now have the luxury of waiting just a little bit longer before they make up their mind to point their lives in a specific direction. However, …

Going somewhere else is sometimes the only thing you can do to really find your true voice. And I don’t mean taking a vacation or a daytrip. Moving from one state - or, coast - to another is a very adventurous move, but emigrating to another country to live is truly beyond what most of us might even consider doing. Can you imagine leaving your fami…

There’s a unique quality that actors and actresses bring to songwriting and musicianship. Oftentimes, they create works that lean heavily on the idea that the singer - or narrator - is a character. Of course, all musicians and songwriters do this to some extent, but there’s another level of commitment when it’s done by a musician who also happens t…

It’s no secret that marriage is hard work. It requires heavy lifting by both partners to keep the boat afloat. It’s labor, but of course, it’s a labor of love; that’s what it’s all about. However, if you take the marriage and relationship deal and split it with a job in the entertainment business for both parties involved, well, now you’ve really g…

Maybe I’m a little guilty of nostalgia on this one, but aren’t we all from time-to-time? When I look into the past with my rose-colored glasses on, they take me to that time of life when most people find themselves experiencing glowy memories of the past: high school. In my case, it was high school in the early to mid 1990s. As is true of every gen…

Often on this program, I interact with artists and creators, who do their best work when they are by themselves. It’s in solitude that a musician often finds the freedom and flexibility to create just what it is they want to develop. However, there is surely something to be said about the chemistry between two people, two artists. When two musician…

What does it take to be epic? Many filmmakers and creators struggle to construct breathtaking spectacles for audiences that will allow them to escape into a transformative world that depicts events that would not normally be seen with human eyes. But what about the music? Once they’ve created the visual component, how do they find the right music t…

It’s always a pleasure to speak with musicians who seem to appreciate and absorb music on another level. Folks like this often see music in a way that regular music consumers might take for granted. After all, there is a real power in music, a force and strength that can alter our emotions in any which direction. Sometimes we forget this, and we ju…

How do you feel about karma? Do you think what goes around comes around? Is that really the way of the world, or does it just seem that way? Perhaps we’re getting a start that’s a bit too deep, but the natural order of things has a way of following a mysterious pattern. You might see some of these things in your day-to-day activities, but sometimes…

It’s one thing to love vinyl records and to enjoy listening to them, most people stop there. But, you might even go a step further and truly embrace vinyl culture and become a serious collector, there are plenty of those folks, too. But it’s a whole other ball of wax to learn the ins and outs of actually creating discs and becoming involved in the …

What happened to that 1960s optimism, the peace, the love and the understanding? Unfortunately, the sentiment hasn’t endured socially in the mainstream dialogue over the last few decades. But - as Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello are aware - there’s nothing funny about those ideas. It may not be fashionable, but a focus on spreading peace and love and …

A quick internet search will yield several results about accomplishments and successes that have taken place in the great Garden State of New Jersey, but its musical roots are particularly strong. You’ve heard about that crooner, Sinatra, who came from Hoboken and - of course - there were those Jersey Boys, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi and no conversa…

It’s Grammy season which is a perfect time for a reminder that the entertainment industry is - after all - a business that operates behind velvet curtains and closed dressing room doors. All of the biopics, books and exposes still won’t quite be able to communicate the industry’s mysteries to media consumers. The business’ financial side is one suc…

Some musicians just can’t help but be inspired by everything! Everywhere they look, they see a little something that triggers musical thoughts, every song they hear pushes them to pick up a guitar or sit down at that piano and craft something of their own. Steve Lewis is one of those guys and - a few times during this interview - you’ll hear me com…

There is a subgenre of jazz that remains a bit of a mystery. On one hand, it’s incredibly popular as a sound that you’ve heard throughout film, television, and marketing for many years. On the other, there might not be many records in your collection that represent this style. It is, however, endlessly exciting and features musicians who play at a …

How many different sides of you are there? Who are you when you’re alone, and how is that person different from who you are in front of others? We all have different sides to us and the world rarely sees the whole version of ourselves. But music and art can help to peel back the layers and provide a glimpse of the threads that make us who we are. S…

It’s the end of another calendar year at The Vinyl District’s Radar podcast and to all of our listeners - and readers - we wish you the happiest of holidays and a very wonderful new year in 2024. Thank you - also - to all of the fabulous guests who took time out of their busy schedules to join us here for a chat. Frank Sinatra was born on December …

The arts have always served as an effective way to tackle difficult feelings. Mental health has become a very hot topic in the last few years for two reasons: the first is that mental health challenges have continued to become destigmatized, and the second is the continued realization that - believe it, or not - someone that you know, most likely s…

There was an exciting time during the early 1980s where there was a true fusion of a few different musical styles which led to a hybrid of rock and reggae in a radio-friendly pop-package that was especially popular in the UK. The English Beat and General Public were two bands at the forefront who captured the ears of that generation. Coincidentally…

We all make boo boos. Usually, however, when the boo boos happen, we more or less move on, apologize if necessary, and try to watch out for similar situations in the future. Sometimes, however, as we’re bobbling that thing that we’re about to break, we manage to tap-dance our way into some sort of a solution; even if it doesn’t look pretty. I’d bee…

There’s something to be said about longevity, especially in an industry as cruel and fickle as music and entertainment. But there are those who have been able to maintain a career through all of the ups, downs, ins and outs; those who have stood the test of time no matter what curveballs have been thrown at them. Originally hailed by the Village Vo…

On this program, we usually focus on folks who create the music that we love listening to, but what about paying homage to those who are in charge of sharing the music with us? We don’t all have a friend who can hip us to the latest and greatest, so we all must subscribe to a trusted voice we can rely on that is equipped with careful curation skill…

We grapple a lot with genre here on Radar, and this week’s episode is no different. Genre is a funny thing when it’s applied to nearly any field. On one hand, there’s nothing wrong with an artist being aligned with - or, being seen as representative of a certain genre - even if it’s a point of frustration for the artist. On the other hand, music li…

We all know that crime doesn’t pay, but that doesn’t stop the world’s fascination with it. What is it about the seedy underbelly of our social structures that makes it such an intriguing topic? And there are no shortage of types of criminal activities to explore: white-collar crime, violent crimes, crimes of passion,cyber crime, and even crimes of …

If you love vinyl, there’s only one place to be this weekend (9/26-10/1) and that is Haarlem, Netherlands. There won’t be just one gathering dedicated to vinyl either: the town will host a conference and a festival who have made the wise decision to co-locate in the capital of North Holland. A few months ago on this program we spoke with Larry Jaff…

Music is best when taken internationally. It’s easy to get looped into all of the wonderful North American offerings that are available to we listeners, but sometimes you’ve got to take the night flight to locations unknown. To close your eyes and wake up in a new culture with unfamiliar languages and customs. Our relationship with music should be …

Some musicians get lucky enough to find a career, once; maybe even twice. But if a musician is able to have several different careers in the brutal music business over the course of their lives, it’s not about luck; it’s about talent. Peter Case has plenty of talent: he’s made his name as a great songwriter and vocalist and was also a part of the p…

Supporting a leader isn’t an easy job. The list of responsibilities is long: it’s necessary to pivot with that person, and go with the flow. One must have the ability to look a few yards ahead and anticipate what’s coming just around the corner. If you’ve ever watched a late night television show, watch - or, maybe more appropriately, listen - to t…

So what if it’s a nickname? When people refer to you by the name Vinyl, there’s a reason why. Of course, it also happens to rhyme with this week’s guest's legal name - which is Lionel - and you’ll find out the origin of this nomenclature by just staying tuned in. Lionel (Vinyl) Williams is a California based musician who has created an impressive b…

As large as it seems, the entertainment world is really pretty small. While many folks make the joke about Kevin Bacon and his six degrees of separation from anyone else in the industry, it’s quite possible because everyone in the performing arts world is really only a few steps away from anybody else. I had my own experience with this phenomenon j…

There are some musical groups and performers whose music is as ubiquitous as having the lights on in a dark room, or water streaming from a kitchen faucet. Some music is more than just songs, it’s as though the words, phrases and messages are ingrained into our psyche. This might not even have anything to do with whether we like the music, or not! …

The Cold War was a time that those of a certain age will remember living through quite vividly and it included a terrifyingly tangible fear of global nuclear warfare. The Soviet Union was simply seen as an evil empire and the media surrounding America during those years had no problem perpetuating that narrative. In my case, during the 1980s, it wa…

Once one delves far enough into a hobby or an interest, they become curious about its inner workings. When it comes to records, you might enjoy those discs on a certain level before you start wondering how music comes from those grooves at all. Who is responsible for producing this material? How are the pressing machines maintained? How does the in…

Artificial Intelligence is a hot button topic of the day. Everyone wonders where the A.I. rabbit hole will lead us and one of those areas of conversation involves music and media production. For years now, computers have been helping musicians to create their music and also to improve upon whatever it is that they’ve made. From autotune to sampled …

Are there records in your collection that you love so much you might consider the possibility of never hearing them again? Such a concept is counterintuitive to a lover of music or sound. Records are made to be played, not hidden away like the dusty storage unit relics in the concluding scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark! However, I’m sure that by sc…

It’s a real luxury to sit for a while and chat with musicians who have been a part of your life for - well - all of your life. To actually speak with the people who made the sounds that have served as your life’s soundtrack, to ask those things you’ve always wondered about. Who gets to do that? For better, or worse, I’m one of the lucky son of a gu…

One never knows what might end up in a songwriter’s sketchpad. It could be random musings about the state of the world, hazy memories about family members, or maybe even inspired creations from the works of other masters. A songwriter’s sketchpad is a diary of sorts for an artist, but can also serve to shed light upon the unconscious interests and …

Artists need to be inspired to create their best works, and it’s not always easy to have the wherewithal to clearly see the inspiration around us. In fact, for a musician, the insight to this inspiration is often more important than musical or production ability. Listeners love sounds that touch them on an emotional level, but how do you search out…

One of my old film professors used to say that one had never really seen a film unless they had watched it at least once with the sound off. Audio - be it music, or sound - adds so much detail to a moving picture that sometimes the viewer misses a few visual nuances because they’re also busy listening. While my professor’s approach might be an extr…

Musical genre can be a very limiting place; it can put fences around the aspirations and creations of musicians, but it can also cause the listener to stay in their own little world without branching out to explore things that they might also enjoy. It takes a strong group of musicians to move beyond those confines and a loyal and dedicated horde o…

Life is full of twists and turns; unexpected chapters. Sometimes, we recall certain times and experiences and they bear resemblance to vivid dreams, so much so, we might even ask ourselves, did that really happen? We evolve, we move on, but - no matter where we go - we carry those adventures with us, even if we’re not always aware of the influences…

Longevity in the entertainment business is an attribute worth celebrating. While the industry is often focused on brand-new, younger artists, it’s the performers who have been out there for decades that are really the cornerstone of the touring industry. Of course, it’s also helpful if the music that they’ve created has become popular standards. Ge…

The arrival of each season brings with it some balance. When one element is taken away, another quality takes its place. It’s the old adage of one door closing and another one opening. No matter how hard we want the long, warm days of sunny summer to last forever, the fall brings its own snug serenity (depending on where you live on planet Earth, o…

To surrender does not always mean to give up. Sometimes, it takes an incredibly strong person to recognize that the flow of life is trying to tell them something. Often, one’s real power can be found by letting go and allowing the natural direction of things to take their course. Jann Klose’s new album, titled Surrender (Honey Rose Records), is an …

It’s a major concept for a short podcast, but when was the last time you thought about your place - not only in the universe - but within the multiverse? “What is a multiverse,” you may ask. We can thank the Ancient Greek Atomists - namely Leucippus and Democritus - for presenting us with the concept of multiple worlds or universes that construct e…

Music can have several purposes. Often, its job is to get the body moving, dancing, or working out. The right music at a suitable tempo has a drastic effect on one’s ability to work, exercise, or hone in on the task at hand. Sometimes, however, the goal is to relax, slow down, lower the heart rate, and slowly slip into the moment. Emiliano Melis is…

Music releases can be fleeting. Artists work on projects with great skill and care. They might get the right players, use the best studios, and tirelessly craft their compositions. But when the project is released, sometimes it's lost in the shuffle. Obviously, such an event is disappointing, but every so often, a deserving project gets a second ch…

Thank you for reading or watching or listening to our 100th episode of Radar! At the risk of sounding like an awards acceptee while the band begins to signal my necessary move from the stage, I’d like to thank all of the wonderful guests who have given generously of their time to share their insights about projects that they are involved in. Thank …

Think about the “what if” scenarios in your life. Not really regrets. Not things you wished had gone differently, but situations in which - because of circumstances beyond your control - you’ll never truly know what could have been or where the road might have led. However, every so often, we get lucky. We get the opportunity to remove the detour f…