A-Sides

2024 is the "Year of the Beasto" on A-SIDES! Following up on Calico's recent appearance on A-SIDES, her Beasto Blanco bandmate Chuck Garric joins A-SIDES for Episode 148. Not only does he share a few details on Beasto's upcoming studio album titled Kinetica, Chuck also shares a few influences that have fueled Beasto's creation, touring with the Alice Cooper band, and more! Huge thanks to Chuck for taking time out of his busy schedule, which even includes motorcyle building, but also thanks to everyone who listens! You can follow Beasto Blanco on social media, hit their website, and even watch their newest music video for "Run For Your Life" on Youtube!

Glam had bitten the dust, Grunge was king, but another wave of metal was breathing down it's neck. That was the year of 1994. Corey Rozzoni from The Great Affairs makes his 8th appearance on the podcast to discuss 1994's many highlights, including debuts from Weezer and Green Day, grunge classics like Superunknown, even The Lion King soundtrack, and Bob Rock's influence on several bands from this decade. Thanks for pressing play on the latest episode of A-SIDES!

The year of 1991 was a melting pot for the rock genre, with Seattle bands claiming the throne at the top of the charts, Sunset Strip glam becoming passe, and the Bay Area metal bands getting caught in the middle. A-SIDES welcomes back Paul Tincher (previously on Episode 130) to discuss the bands on the Clash of the Titans tour, led by Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, and the intersecting rising rock acts that crossed their path. Thank you to Paul for sharing his expertise and thanks to all who listen to Episode 146!

After a chance meeting at Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding fundraiser in December, Andy welcomes special guest Daxx Nielsen for Episode 145 of A-SIDES. Daxx shares his earliest interest in music, growing up in the era of MTV, performing at Wrigley Field, recording and performing with Cheap Trick, and more! Huge thanks to Daxx for taking time to be a guest on A-SIDES and thanks to all who listen. You can follow Cheap Trick on tour this year and beyond by visiting their website.

Ahead of the upcoming fourth studio album from Beasto Blanco, Calico Cooper joins A-SIDES to discuss her history with Beasto and more! She shares how she first became involved with the band, touring Germany, playing small stages vs large arenas, her transformation with each Beasto release, family traditions, and even thoughts on the Barbie movie! Huge thanks go out to Calico for being a guest on this episode of A-SIDES and thanks to everyone who listens. You can stay updated with all things Beasto on their website- https://beastoblanco.com/ You can also support Alice Cooper's Solid Rock organization by visiting them at the Solid Rock website.

A-SIDES Episode 143 welcomes drummer Rich Beddoe, whose past includes roles in Finger Eleven and Saint Asonia. He shares stories from the road, what sparked his passion for drumming, his sobriety, and his newfound role as a father. We also talk about "gate keeping", learning to accept yourself, radio DJ's, and a surprising influence from Queensryche. Huge thanks to everyone who listens to this episode and big thanks to Rich for sharing his stories.

The worlds of music and pro-wrestling collide for Episode 142 of A-SIDES as special guest "Showtime" Eric Young discusses his passion for music. Describing it as the "ritualistic pleasure of vinyl", not only does Eric share how he developed his extensive record collection, he also discusses the positives and negatives of social media, a unique comparison of pro-wrestling and listening to a record on vinyl, his favorite album of 2023, and even his love of breakfast food! Huge thanks to Eric for carving some time out of his busy schedule to share his passion for music and thanks to everyone who listens!

Episode 141 of A-SIDES features special guest Janel Duarte, bassist and co-vocalist of Conquer Divide. They just released their sophomore album, Slow Burn, which has scored accolades from Metal Hammer, Sirius XM's Octane, and Loudwire. Janel shares her inspirations, favorite horror films, aspirations and goals, and looks ahead to more touring for Conquer Divide in 2024. Huge thanks to Janel and the Conquer Divide team for the conversation. You can find their music on your favorite streaming platform, find tour dates and merch on their website, and follow along with the band on Instagram. Thanks for listening!

A-SIDES previously took a look at the career of DIO on Episode 127, starting with the acclaimed 1983 album Holy Diver through 1987's Dream Evil. Returning guest and friend Corey Rozzoni makes a follow-up appearance here to dissect several albums from the later period of DIO, sharing stories about Lock Up The Wolves, Strange Highways, and Killing The Dragon. Corey and Andy discuss the differences in changing guitar players, evolving the sound to fit the times, "Bone Tone", the aura of Jimmy Bain, keyboards in rock music, and more pizza analogies. Huge thank you to Corey, who has now made his 7th appearance on A-SIDES, and thank you to everyone who listens!

There was an era when releasing a live album was a launching pad for a rock band, for artists such as KISS and Cheap Trick. They were later released to commemorate tours like the Family Values Tour, OzzFest, and festivals like Woodstock '99. A-SIDES welcomes back Patrick Kennison of Heaven Below, as he shares his favorite live albums, from the 70's into the early 00's. He also shares a few stories from his days touring in The Union Underground; attending the Power Trip music festival; and more! Huge thanks to Patrick for making another appearance on A-SIDES. You can grab Heaven Below merch at their website here and also stream their music on your favorite music app. Thanks for listening to another episode of A-SIDES!

Nashville-based rock band The Great Affairs dropped a smashing set of 10 songs (plus 1 original holiday song) this fall titled, Sleepwalker. Singer/songwriter Denny Smith, who also acts as my musical guide, joined A-SIDES for another appearance to discuss the new album, a few of his favorite soundtracks throughout the years, Paul Williams' catalog of hits, soothing sounds of the beach, and a certain bloated KISS record. You can follow Denny and The Great Affairs on their website here and stream Sleepwalker on your favorite streaming service. Thanks to Denny for his 8th appearance on A-SIDES and to everyone who listens!

With a chill in the air and leaves on the ground, there's not a better band to have on your stereo than the spooky sounds of Type O Negative. The band from Brooklyn, NY known as "The Drab Four" combined elements of heavy metal and goth with a dark sense of humor, and we paid tribute to them with Episode 137. We not only share our favorite songs but also our origins of discovering of Type O Negative, along with stand-out lyrical moments, long forgotten shops from Central Illinois' past, and record store CD samplers. Grab your favorite black hoodie, dye your hair pitch black, and drop the needle on this 'Halloween-themed' episode of A-SIDES.

New heavy rock act Flat Black erupted onto the scene this summer, opening for Godsmack and releasing 3 ferocious singles, with their latest titled "Justice Will Be Done." Vocalist Wes Horton joined A-SIDES from a tour stop in Canada for a candid conversation about his vocal process and keeping himself in shape, cooking, and even being visited by rescue animals backstage! Stay updated with Flat Black at their website, which has links to purchase merch as well as their tour dates. Huge thanks to Wes for taking time out of his schedule; thanks to the Flat Black team for making this happen; and thank you to everyone who listens!

Returning guest and friend Freddy Herrera chats with A-SIDES about the recent Everclear live album, Live At The Whisky A Go Go. The release celebrates the band's 30 year history and also includes new studio recordings of "Sing Away" and "Year Of The Tiger." Freddy also shares his thoughts on discovering new music and hungry young bands, family life, as well as a few stories from the road. Many thanks to Freddy for taking time out of his touring schedule to chat and also thanks to everyone who listens. You can stay updated on all things Everclear through their website here.

For many metalheads, a striking album cover is as integral as the music contained within, when debating classic albums. Episode 134 of A-SIDES features a conversation with one such artist, Marc Sasso, who has created amazing illustrations for Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, and more. We not only learn about his backstory and making connections in the art world, but also hear about his techniques, his favorite bands, some of his favorite pieces, and even New York pizza! You'll not only find Marc's work in the world of heavy metal, but also comics and pro-wrestling, through his website here. Huge thanks to Marc for sharing his stories on this episode of A-SIDES!

A-SIDES Episode 133 features special guest Rico, guitar player/songwriter/singer with the Nashville-based band, The BraziLionaires. He grew up in Central Illinois, perfected his craft in California, and after returning to Illinois, formed a Latin-jazz fusion, The BraziLionaires. In addition to hearing about Rico's background, we also start this episode briefly discussing a historical theater in Peoria, IL, which is in the middle of a restoration project. The BraziLionaires will be performing at a benefit to raise funds for this project on September 30th, called The Blockbuster Bash for the Madison Theatre. Huge thanks to Rico for sharing his stories and expertise on A-SIDES. You can find their music online on several streaming apps, also follow the band through their Facebook page, and support the efforts to restore the Madison Theatre here.

Revisiting Aerosmith for A-SIDES Episode 132, we follow-up on a topic originally started last year in Episode 107. This time we hit their "comeback era", which started in 1985 with Done With Mirrors, but kicked into high-gear following an unlikely collaboration with Run DMC. Listen as we share our top ten songs, from album cuts to b-sides, Desmond Child's contributions, Liv Tyler vs Alicia Silverstone, and more. This episode also marks our 4-year anniversary of this podcast, as we launched it in September of 2019. We've reviewed countless albums, discussed many of our favorite bands and songs, interviewed great musicians, and made friends along the way. Thanks for listening!  

Pistols At Dawn is a hungry new band in the world of modern rock, with a firestorm of momentum following several hot spring tours. Founding member and drummer Adam Jaffe joins A-SIDES for this episode to discuss their origins, his passion and drive for rock music, several favorite bands and inspirations, and also what the future looks like for Pistols At Dawn. Huge thanks to Adam for being my guest for Episode 131 of A-SIDES and thanks to everyone who listens.   You can stay up to date on all things Pistols At Dawn by visiting their website here or by following the band on Facebook.

In our nearly 4-year history of A-SIDES we've featured many deep dives into an array of musical topics, but this latest episode might be the most definitive deep dive yet! Episode 130 welcomes notable Central Illinois music collector, Paul Tincher, along with returning guest and record store owner Denny Smith, to discuss the minutiae that goes along with collecting music. Buckle up as we dive into the far reaches of purchasing import releases, bargain bin cassettes, color variants, and truck stop CD compilations! Thanks for listening!

Extraordinary vocalist and Central Illinois native Liv Warfield is due to release her third studio album on September 15th, titled The Edge. For this second appearance on A-SIDES, we not only dive into the creation of her album, but also reflect on the powerful influence of Tina Turner, her tenure with Chicago's Cabaret ZaZou, live performances, and more! Huge thanks to Liv for taking time away from her busy schedule to join A-SIDES. You can follow along with Liv at her website for tour dates and use this link to dive into her new album, The Edge! Thanks to Liv and also everyone who listens!