Afleveringen
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Many Caropop guests are looking back on amazing careers, but Niko Kapetan of Friko is on the cusp of one. His Chicago-based bandâs debut album, Where weâve been, Where we go from here, has been garnering raves and airplay while its live shows wow audiences with their intense energy and dynamism. Kapetanâs voice and songsâand the band, anchored by his Evanston high school classmate Bailey Minzenberger on drumsâcover a broad musical and emotional range: delicate and fragile one moment, fierce and roaring the next. Having returned from a whirlwind South by Southwest trip (with Lollapalooza to follow this summer), Kapetan recalls how he started learning instruments, forming bands and developing his unique approach to songwriting before a major indie label, ATO, liked what it heard and signed Friko. He's got a lot going on. Where do they go from here?
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Bruce Sudano had co-written the Tommy James & the Shondells 1969 hit âBall of Fireâ and played keyboards in the bands Alive âN Kickinâ and Brooklyn Dreams by the time he met Donna Summer. The two of them clicked professionally and personally and soon were co-writing the smash title track and other songs for Summerâs blockbuster 1979 album, Bad Girls. They also co-wrote Dolly Partonâs #1 country hit âStarting Over Again,â based on his parents, and continued collaborating throughout a marriage that lasted until her 2012 death from lung cancer. Since then, he has rebooted his own career, recording several albums, including the new Talkinâ Ugly Truth, Tellinâ Pretty Lies. Sudano takes us from his mentorship with Tommy James through his life with arguably the disco eraâs greatest artist, for whom he and his daughters recently accepted a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. Toot-toot! Beep-beep! (Photo by Amy Waters)
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Cicely Balston won the 2023 Music Producerâs Guildâs Mastering Engineer of the Year Award, and when you hear the music she has masteredâand the smart, easygoing way she discusses itâyou understand why. Working out of AIR Studios in London, Balston has applied her talents to the doom-punk band Witch Fever and David Bowieâs back catalog, as well as some dynamite-sounding hip-hop reissues for the Vinyl Me, Please record club, including Eric B. & Rakimâs Donât Sweat the Technique, Gravediggazâs 6 Feet Deep, and Madlibâs Shades of Blue. How did this young British woman become an ace hip-hop masterer, and do those albums require a specific skill set? Are people too fixated on analog vs. digital? How did she become a mastering engineer anyway, and what's the most commonly misunderstood aspect of what she does? (Photo by Silvia Gin.)
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If you love music, you have loved recordings mastered by Greg Calbi. Ever hear that Bruce Springsteen album Born To Run? He mastered that and has thoughts about how it turned out. He also tells of working with, among others, John Lennon, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson and Todd Rundgren. This legendary engineer has mastered classic albums by Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Supertramp, R.E.M., Paul Simon and the Strokes. More recently he won a Grammy for his work with Kacey Musgraves and mastered new albums by the Smile and MGMT. He shares decadesâ worth of insights into how he makes great music sound even better. Whatâs his mastering philosophy? How does he give digital recordings the warmth of analog? And when did he get chills upon realizing he was one of the first people to hear a classic album? (Photo by Andrew Lipovsky.)
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Slim Jim Phantom is the Stray Catsâ drummer, host of âSlim Jimâs Rockabilly Raveupâ on Little Stevenâs Underground Garage and a cool-cat storyteller. He takes us through the Stray Catsâ formation, with bassist and elementary school classmate Lee Rocker and singer-guitarist Brian Setzer, and their early days as a ârockabilly bar bandâ playing New York clubs like CBGB before they relocated to London. The band had recorded two British albums by the time a U.S. label released the compilation Built for Speed, which, powered by the hit singles âRock This Townâ and âStray Cat Strut,â turned the Stray Cats into unlikely early â80s stars. Why did the band split after the follow-up albumâand reunite after solo projects? Whatâs happening with the Stray Cats now? And who is on Phantomâs rockabilly Mount Rushmore?
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That tap-tap, tap-tap at the beginning of âBlister in the Sunâ may be one of rockâs most air-drummed fills, and former Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo explains how the song's indelible intro came to be. He shares many more stories about this Milwaukee band, including the nameâs origin, the invention of his tranceaphone and the jaw-dropping tale of how the Pretenders discovered Violent Femmes busking outside the theater and invited the trio to open for them that night. Violent Femmesâ instant-classic self-titled debut sounded like nothing else, the third album was produced by Talking Headsâ Jerry Harrison, and after five studio albums, DeLorenzo had had enough. He tells of his ongoing acting career that included a tryout for Brian De Palmaâs The Untouchables, his reaction to the "Blister" Wendy's ad and his up-and-down relationship with his former bandmates.
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As Rhino Recordsâ senior director for A&R, Patrick Milligan oversees ambitious packages such as the Joni Mitchell archival series; deluxe releases from Warner Music Group artists such as the Ramones, the Doors and Crosby, Stills & Nash; and the recently launched, limited-edition High Fidelity vinyl series. That last one, which features audiophile pressings mastered by recurrent Caropop guest Kevin Gray, has included acclaimed versions of the Carsâ debut album, which sold out, and Televisionâs Marquee Moon, which Television guitarist Richard Lloyd discussed here last week. Milligan shares his reaction to the praise and pushback these releases receive, explains the selection process of the High Fidelity titles, previews upcoming albums, and tells of how the company and business have changed during his two stints at Rhino. Is his job a crate-diggersâ dream?
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If you ranked rock's great two-guitar tandems, Television's Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine would be at or near the top. Verlaine was the poetic songwriter, idiosyncratic singer and improvisatory guitarist, but Television would not have been Television without Lloydâs dazzling counterpunches and composed solos that take melodic leaps no one could anticipate. Television launched the mid-1970s art-punk scene at the grungy East Village club CBGB and produced arguably the greatest album from that era, Marquee Moon. How did the band capture such combustible magic in songs like âSee No Evilâ and the epic title track? Why did Television make only two more studio albums, and why was Lloyd dissatisfied with each? Why did Jimi Hendrix punch out a teenage Lloyd? What impact did drugs and alcohol have on Lloydâ? How did he wind up making more great music with Matthew Sweet? And how did he feel when Television moved on without him? Was he in touch with Verlaine before the Television leader died a year ago?
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Cheers ended its 11-year TV run in 1993, yet on the Emmy Awards in January, George Wendt showed up as his old character, Norm, and drew laughs and, yes, cheers. Even 31 years later, everybody knows his name. Wendt discusses his beginnings at Chicagoâs Second City, including his firing and rehiring there. How did that ensemble work prepare him for Cheers? How did the seriesâ energy change when Kirstie Alley replaced Shelley Long? Was the Saturday Night Live episode he co-hosted with Francis Ford Coppola the weirdest one ever? How did he wind up in those âDa Bearsâ sketches and in Michael Jacksonâs âBlack or Whiteâ video? How did he enjoy his roast hosted by his nephew, Jason Sudeikis? Pull up a stool and grab a beer, because Wendt has stories to tell.
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Brendan Cantyâs work in Fugazi established him as one of rockâs great drummers, but this thoughtful, multitalented artist has done much more than that. Rooted in Washington, D.C., Canty played with the hardcore bands Deadline, Rites of Spring, Happy Go Licky and One Last Wish before Fugazi, Deathfix afterward, and he currently is stretching out his jazz-punk chops in the instrumental trio Messthetics. Heâs also a soundtrack composer and filmmaker, having directed documentaries featuring Eddie Vedder, Wilco and others. Here Canty takes us deep into the music, where exploration and improvisation bang up against structure. He tells the story of Fugazi, from the breakout song âWaiting Roomâ and intense touring through the bandâs 2003 âindefinite hiatus.â And he explains how a big reunion wouldâor would notâjibe with Fugaziâs values.
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Our Colin Moulding conversation picks up with XTC working in Woodstock, N.Y., on what would become one of their most beloved albums, Skylarking. Moulding appreciated that producer Todd Rundgren chose to include five of his songs, though the recording experience was a bit of a minefield. XTC built on its newfound momentum with Oranges & Lemons, a bright, lively album that features Mouldingâs hit single âKing for a Day.â Moulding continued to be a keen observer of everyday life, but financial issues plagued the making of Apple Venus Volume 1 and Wasp Star and precipitated Dave Gregoryâs departure. Moulding reveals what prompted his final split from singer-songwriter Andy Partridge as well. Moulding has since reunited, briefly, with original XTC drummer Terry Chambers as TC&I, and he continues to make music in the bandâs collective hometown of Swindon, England. Might the four of them ever share a stage, a studio or just a night out again?
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Bassist Colin Moulding wrote, played on and sang some of the XTCâs greatest songs, including the breakthrough singles âLife Begins at the Hopâ and âMaking Plans for Nigelâ plus âTen Feet Tall,â âGenerals and Majors,â âRunaways,â âBall and Chain,â âWonderlandâ ⊠and those are just in the period covered in Pt. 1 of this fun, insightful conversation. Speaking from his home outside Swindon, England, Moulding tells of his musical beginnings; his and the bandâs evolutionary leap when guitarist Dave Gregory joined for Drums and Wires; the weird vibes as Moulding, and not primary singer-songwriter Andy Partridge, was writing the bandâs early hits; his reaction to the abrupt end of XTCâs touring days; the jaw-dropping moment when drummer Terry Chambers quit; the joyous psychedelic side project, the Dukes of Stratosphear; and that time David Gilmour asked him to replace Roger Waters in Pink Floyd.
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It's time for our third early-year check-in with renowned mastering engineer Kevin Gray. In 2023 he was more in demand than ever; your jaw may drop when he reveals how many albums he mastered. Plus, he launched his own label, Cohearent Records, with an album he recorded in his home studio: saxophonist Kirsten Edkinsâ Shapes & Sound. With Cohearentâs second release, jazz guitarist Anthony Wilsonâs Hackensack West, imminent, Gray discusses mic placement, what he has learned as a label owner and whether heâll shift more energy in that direction. He also details his work on Rhinoâs High Fidelity series (including his first encounter with Televisionâs Marquee Moon) as well as Blue Noteâs Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl series, Craftâs Original Jazz Classics and Jazz Dispensary releases and more from Jackpot Records and other labels.
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Janet Beveridge Bean drums, sings and writes in the great, muscular Chicago guitar band Eleventh Dream Day, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. She also sings, writes and plays guitar in the off-kilter-beautiful Freakwater, her country-folk group with singer Catherine Irwin that released its debut album in 1989. Those bands have 25 albums between them, yet Beveridge Bean, who calls herself âmusically illiterate,â has applied her ever-restless artistic spirit to many other projects as well. She takes us inside the dynamics of her various collaborations, tells of how Eleventh Dream Day maintained its singular vision while working with and without major labels, and presents a life lived at peak creativity. (Photo by Iwona Biedermann.)
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Joe Bonamassa, who opened for B.B. King at age 12, was a cocky 26-year-old blues-rock guitar virtuoso when he made his breakthrough third album, Blues Deluxe, in 2003âand an established 46-year-old when he released Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 in the fall. In a thoughtful conversation, Bonamassa reflects on all that has happened in between, how he has grown as a musician, taken control of the business side of his career and launched his own label and foundation, both called Keeping the Blues Alive. He also weighs the impact of artificial intelligence on music. Would the blues be the hardest kind of music for robots to fake? (Photo by Adam Kennedy)
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Andrew Sandoval is a musician, producer, author, publisher, reissue compiler, liner notes writer, video director, fanzine creator, record collector extraordinaire and more. Not only did he write and publish the gorgeous The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story, but he also oversaw many of that bandâs reissues and produced their showsâand still works with Micky Dolenz. Ray Davies requested that he oversee recent Kinks reissues, and he has performed in Dave Daviesâ band, led musicians at the Wild Honey Foundationâs Nuggets concert and released his own albums. His many compilations for Rhino Records include the Grammy-nominated Where The Action Is! (Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965-1968) and Elvis Costelloâs reissues campaign. In an inspiring entrepreneurial tale, Sandoval has created a life around the music that he loves.
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Maybe you know Paul Williams for hits he co-wrote for the Carpenters (âWeâve Only Just Begun,â âRainy Days and Mondaysâ) and Three Dog Night (âAn Old Fashioned Love Songâ). Or for his performances in Brian De Palmaâs Phantom of the Paradise and the Smokey and the Bandit movies. Or for his Oscar-winning song with Barbra Streisand, âEvergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born).â Or for the songs he wrote for Bugsy Malone and Ishtar. Or for his singing (and writing) on Daft Punkâs 2013 Grammy-winning album, Random Access Memories. Or for what may be his most beloved song of all, âRainbow Connectionâ (plus the rest of The Muppet Movie soundtrack). Factor in the current stage adaptation of the 1977 Jim Henson TV special, Emmet Otterâs Jug-Band Christmas, and Williams has a lot to talk aboutâand he does so, delightfully.
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Brilliant pianist Bill Payne, who founded Little Feat in 1969 in Los Angeles with singer-songwriter-guitarist Lowell George, takes us on this great American bandâs rollercoaster ride through the 1970s. Payne wrote or co-wrote more than half of Little Featâs self-titled debut album, but the mercurial George came to dominate as the band ascended via the albums Sailinâ Shoes, Dixie Chicken and Feats Donât Fail Me Now, the last of which features the Payne standout âOh, Atlanta.â By the time of the classic 1978 live album Waiting for Columbus, George had pulled back and was struggling with addictions, and tensions ran high â yet the band still cooked. What happened? And how did Payne revive Little Feat after Georgeâs death to continue leading it through today?
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The Vinyl Me, Please record club marked its 10th anniversary this year and now boasts more than 30,000 members. As senior director of music and editorial, Andrew Winistorfer chooses many of the Records of the Month and exclusive store drops. A passionate music fan himself, he has developed keen insights into the psyche of obsessive vinyl buyers (raising my hand) as well as the business of licensing music from labels and getting albums mastered and pressed to the clubâs standards. How does VMP select its âLost Sounds Foundâ and less obscure albums? Where did it get the gumption to try to top Mobile Fidelity with its Miles Davis box? What factors drive album pricing? How much does FOMO drive sales? Vinyl fanatics, this one's for you.
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Justin Hayward joined the Moody Blues in 1966 and wrote and sang most of the bandâs singles from âNights in White Satinâ and âTuesday Afternoonâ through such â80s hits as âThe Voiceâ and âYour Wildest Dreams.â How much did the Moody Blues shape his songwriting, and how much did his songwriting shape the Moody Blues? Did he write to fit the albumsâ concepts? Did he especially enjoy writing songs with multiple parts and tempo changes? When he performs now, does he feel more emotionally connected to material from one era or another? Will he ever again perform with the surviving Moody Blues? He still has that golden voice, whether singing or discussing his days of future passed. (Photo by Joe Schaeffer.)
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