RiYL

We will be running transcripts of episodes for people with hearing impairments and anyone else who prefers a text version. Transcripts are done via AI, so they're not 100% accurate. Available here: https://riylcast.com/blog

Released in September, Dirt On My Diamonds Vol.2 finds Kenny Wayne Shepherd doing what he was put on Earth to do. With eight tracks spanning a collective hour, it's a tight set that packs a punch, while expanding the songwriting depth that has been a fixture at this stage of his career. Thirty-four years after signing to a major label at age 13, the guitarist has delivered staying power matched by few others in the industry. https://lnkd.in/eZyF2rrk

Episode 682: Mike Campbell (Dirty Knobs, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) Tom Petty's unexpected death in October 2017 effectively marked the end of the Heartbreakers. The band reunited a handful of times to pay tribute to the late singer, but its members have otherwise used the unfortunate opportunity to explore life beyond its confines. For Mike Campbell, the event marked the beginnings of a second career. His guitar playing and songwriter were foundational to the Heartbreakers' massive success, and he'd cowritten with Don Henley and Stevie Nicks, including the Billboard topping "Boys of Summer." But now it's his name on the band, performing as Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs. This June, the group released?Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits,?its third full-length since 2020. https://lnkd.in/eqzuScez

Episode 681: Kishi Bashi Released at the end of August, Kantos is a “party album about the possible end of humanity as we know it.” A few months later, that possibility seems ever more probable. A one-time resident of both New York City and Athens, GA, Kaoru Dill-Ishibashi now spends his days in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California, heading over Highway 17 to surf when not making music. The singer and multi-instrumentalist is an industry veteran, fronting Brooklyn indie band Jupiter One and spending time as a member of Elephant 6 offshoot, Of Montreal. The Berklee grad has also performed with a wide range of fellow musicians, including Regina Spektor. https://lnkd.in/eVJCyqNN

Episode 676: Steve Cropper He's quick to laugh with a twang that betrays his Southern Missouri origin. Steve Cropper discusses his accomplishments with modesty, rarely offering a glimpse into a career that profoundly impacted the course of 20th century popular music. As a core, founding member of Booker T & the MGs, the guitars helped form the backbone of the Stax Record sound. Cropper cowrote some of the era's most iconic songs, including "Knock on Wood," "In the Midnight Hour" and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, the latter of which he almost mixed following Otis Redding's untimely passing. The MGs made their own mark with the massive success of "Green Onions," before Cropper transitioned into a successful producing career and served as the longstanding guitarist for comedy duo, The Blues Brothers. https://lnkd.in/eNcAQKZv

Episode 677: Franz Nicolay (The World/Inferno Friendship Society, The Hold Steady) Band People is part music writing and part business book, rounded out by academic research and a host of footnotes. It's a pragmatic look at the life of road warriors in an increasingly untenable industry. More than anything, however, it's a labor of love from lifelong touring musician, Franz Nicolay. https://lnkd.in/eXKiT-kP

Episode 675: Graham Wright (Tokyo Police Club) In November, Tokyo Police Club will play its final show. Saying goodbye is never easy, but the Ontario-based band's members seem surprisingly okay with the whole thing. At the end of the day, very few of us manage to eke out a 20-year career playing with high school friends. Graham Wright acknowledges that, perhaps, the reality of the situation hasn't entirely set in, but for now, the band is enjoying what's left of the ride. https://lnkd.in/eSQ9d_KM

Episode 672: Joe Gatto In 2020, Joe Gatto struck out on his own. It was surprising turn, as the Impractical Joker left a beloved and lucrative TV series that found him performing alongside a trio of lifelong friends. The move, Gatto says, was about prioritizing what matter -- namely, his wife and children. Of course, a resume like his means starting over doesn't require a clean slate. Gatto has since launched a successful standup career with multiple tours culminating in his first special, September's "Messing With People." https://lnkd.in/e9Tqe2-G

Episode 671: Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak (Mercury Rev) Jet lag is a drag, leaving Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak?at a decided disadvantage during our conversation. Mercury Rev just got back from Australia, but the veteran guitarist happily powers through. It's just one of those annoying things that one grapples with, being one of two consistent members of a globe trotting band for the last 35 years. Grasshopper's answers are thoughtful and engaged, as we wade through Mercury Rev's celebrated history. https://lnkd.in/ezG35TGb

Episode 670: Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy Her coauthor and husband, Scott Marvel Cassidy, is at the dentist for an emergency root canal, so Maria Bamford and I push ahead. Decades after establishing herself as one of standup's sharpest -- and funniest minds -- she's trying her hand at yet another medium. In June, Fantagraphics released Hogbook and Laser Eyes, a collaboration between Bamford and Marvel Cassidy that recounts their meeting, marriage and lives through the eyes of their beloved elderly rescue pugs. Transcript available?here. https://lnkd.in/ery-5_Rv