A-Sides

Episode 128 feels like our biggest episode to date, as we attempt to define and share our favorite songs from the rock 'n roll genre known as "Power Pop." Taking its roots in the British Invasion of the 60's, the genre casts a wide net that includes 90's darlings Jellyfish, solo artists such as Matthew Sweet, and especially all-too-brief 70's bands Badfinger and Big Star. Hosts Brent and Andy share ten songs each that are chock full of hooks, slick production, and harmonies that will stick to you like honey. Thanks for pressing play on this latest episode of A-SIDES!

2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the heavy metal classic, Holy Diver, which fueled the discussion for this episode of A-SIDES. Andy welcomed Corey Rozzoni of The Great Affairs back to discuss heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, his namesake band DIO, the first four classic studio albums, as well as their favorite tracks, the ever-increasing usage of keyboards, Vivian Campbell's guitar playing, his successor Craig Goldy, and even how many times "rainbow" is used as a lyric! We're off to the witch for Episode 127 of A-SIDES!

Everclear reached a milestone of 30 years in 2022, which is being celebrated with their first ever live album from the historic Whisky A Go Go on September 8th, 2023. Ahead of this release and a big fall tour with The Ataris, Art Alexakis spoke with Andy for this episode of A-SIDES. While Art shared a few anecdotes from a previous album, The Vegas Years, and performing alongside Cheap Trick, it's more than just about the music for him. He's a family man, he's honest about his struggles, and is a real class act. Huge thanks to Art for this conversation, as well as thanks to Bari Lieberman, Joey Waterman, and Freddy Herrera for their assistance in making this happen. You can find Everclear on tour by visiting their website here and also find Live At The Whisky A Go Go on vinyl through your local record store. Thanks for another spin on A-SIDES.

For this special episode of A-SIDES, Andy turns back the clock to 1989, the year Warrant went went to Number 2 on the Billboard Charts with their debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. Frequent guest Denny Smith (of The Great Affairs) lends his expertise as they discuss the first four studio albums from Warrant, several times when Denny performed on the same bill as the band, their music videos, lyrical inspirations, and even the production wizardry of Beau Hill and Michael Wagener. Huge thanks to Denny for returning to A-SIDES as well as inspiring this episode's topic. Thanks for listening to Episode 125 of A-SIDES.

Following a week packed full of concerts, Brent and Andy sat down to not only share stories from those shows, but also their personal "Top Five" Janet Jackson songs for Episode 124. The duo traveled to Moline, IL for a concert headlined by one of Brent's childhood favorites, Ugly Kid Joe, with Fozzy and Pistols At Dawn performing as well. Then Brent attended a jam-packed amphitheater show featuring Ms. Jackson. In addition to those concert stories, we also learn a few barbecuing tips, Janet taking control of her career in 1986, the simpler times of 1980's lyrics, and more. Thanks for listening to another episode of A-SIDES!

Episode 123 of A-SIDES features special guest Ace Von Johnson. The intent of this conversation was to chat about collecting vinyl, but it quickly descended into the depths of fandoms, from Danko Jones to Danzig, and recent metal band Unto Others. Ace shares his interactions with several musical heroes, the facade of gatekeeping, making connections, and more!   As much as Ace is enthusiastic about his favorite bands, he is passionate about dogs, specifically pit bulls. You can follow and support Ace through his Patreon, which in turn helps him in advocating and caring for pit bulls. He also has his own website as well, acevonjohnson.com, and he is very active on social media.   Huge thanks to Ace for being the lastest guest on A-SIDES and thanks to everyone who listens.

With Alice Cooper celebrating his 75th birthday this year, it sparked the idea behind this episode of A-SIDES. Andy reached out to Acey Slade (from such bands as Dope and Murderdolls) to discuss his history with the "Godfather of Shock Rock", from performing as an opening band to launching an Alice Cooper line of coffee through his Catfight Coffee brand. Acey also shares several of his favorite songs, his appreciation for Alice's work ethic, and more! Huge thanks to Acey for sharing his stories on this latest episode of A-SIDES. You can find Catfight Coffee at their website, which features several styles and roasts, Catfight merch, coffee accessories, and more! And don't forget to follow the man himself, for tour dates, music, merch and more at Alice Cooper's website.

Much like movie franchises explore their roots with a prequel, this latest episode serves as a precursor to the beginning of hosts' Brent and Andy's friendship prior to A-SIDES. For Episode 121 they discuss early 1990's power pop darlings Jellyfish, exploring their favorite songs, the differences between Jellyfish's two albums Bellybutton and Spilt Milk, bonkers lyrics, as well as Brent's least favorite fruit. Thank you for joining us for another episode of A-SIDES!

Multi-talented musician Nikki Stringfield is the latest guest on A-SIDES! She not only discusses her upcoming solo album titled Apocrypha, but also her work with The Iron Maidens, as well as with her husband Patrick Kennison in Heaven Below. Nikki shares a few of her early musical favorites, artwork, and even her love for horror films, including an experience when she was behind the scenes on a movie set! You can follow Nikki and Patrick's band Heaven Below at their website and also keep an eye out for their upcoming 2023 studio album. You can support Nikki at her webstore and grab her newest musical releases here. And stay up to date on The Iron Maiden's busy tour schedule at their website. Big thanks to Nikki for the fun conversation and thanks to everyone who listens!

Talented guitarist and vinyl enthusiast Tony Higbee makes his second appearance on A-SIDES' Episode 119. He previously spoke with Andy for Episode 21, in which they barely scratched the surface of his massive collection. This time the two dive deeper to discuss hunting for elusive albums, protecting your records, essential records to own, and his love for Power Pop. Huge thanks to Tony for sharing his stories! You can catch him on the road with Tom Keifer's tour dates here at the Tom Keifer Band website.

Musician and pop culture enthusiast Danny Lopez joins A-SIDES for Episode 118. Danny is currently performing with several LA-based tribute bands for System of a Down, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Linkin Park. He shares his origin stories with those projects and how they weaved together, discovering music as he grew up, and staying prepared for what comes his way. You can follow Danny at @heydannylopez on Instagram and keep up with his busy schedule. Thanks to Danny for sharing his stories and also to everyone for listening!

A-SIDES Episode 117 features a conversation with multi-talented vocalist Cris Hodges. Just as he was about to embark on a months-long tour with Pistols At Dawn, Cris shares how he joined that band, singing for In The End: A Linkin Park Experience, solo music, staying fit on the road, his fitness routine, and mental health. You can follow along with Pistols At Dawn at their website and stay up to date on their current tour plans; Cris' band In The End can be found here; and you can find his solo album Black Hole Magic streaming here. Huge thanks to Cris for being a guest on A-SIDES and thanks to everyone who listens.  

Following up on past episodes which featured John Massaglia, we welcomed him back to A-SIDES to discuss The Truth Council's latest EP, The Perfect Wheel. After that discussion, we shifted gears to share our favorite bassists, encompassing a variety of styles from Jazz to Prog Rock and Heavy Metal. See! Whose lists will overlap! Witness! Brent's fury over the music of Styx! All this and more in our jam-packed 116th episode of A-SIDES! You can also follow John and The Truth Council on social media through Facebook and on Instagram @thetruthcouncil Thanks to John for joining us and thanks to everyone who listens!

Jarred Pope joins A-SIDES for Episode 115 to discuss all things rock n roll. He shares his many influences, his background growing up in California, how he joined the bands for both Damon Johnson and Tom Keifer, a few of his favorite venues, and his passion for the art of music. You can keep up with Jarred on the road by visiting the websites for both Damon Johnson and Tom Keifer. Huge thanks to Jarred for sharing his stories for this episode and also thanks to everyone who listens.

Episode 114 of A-SIDES features another deep dive into the KISS discography, this time focusing on the era when the band removed their make-up. For our third episode on KISS, we highlighted our ten favorite songs released between 1983's Lick It Up and 1997's Carnival of Souls. Along with our favorite songs, we also discussed seeing KISS live in 2020, the new members that joined KISS in this era, correlations to Bon Jovi, Paul Stanley's wardrobe choices, and also Gene Simmons 'Demon' persona. Thank you to everyone who listens to our newest episode of A-SIDES.

Notable Kerrang! magazine collector Kenny Wright (of The Great Affairs) returns to A-SIDES for Episode 113, this time discussing "The New Wave of British Heavy Metal." Kenny and Andy discuss the roots of "The New Wave of British Heavy Metal", also known as NWOBHM, which includes bands such as Judas Priest and Motorhead. They also touch on several notable bands from within the genre, classic albums, their influence on emerging acts in North America, and quickly changing musical trends. Supreme thanks to Kenny Wright for the fun conversation and also thanks to everyone who listens! Up the irons!

Fellow metal-head and musician Patrick Kennison (of Heaven Below) joins A-SIDES to discuss his favorite cover songs, plus several covers recorded on Heaven Below's most recent album, Rest In Pieces- A Tribute To The Departed. Patrick shares the ideas behind covering his favorite artists on Rest In Pieces, what inspired him to pick up a guitar, Bob Rock albums, sports, and his plans for Heaven Below in 2023. You can find Heaven Below at their website or follow them on Facebook here. Huge thanks to Patrick Kennison for taking time away from his busy schedule to chat for this episode and thanks to everyone who listens!

A-SIDES is back for the first episode of 2023! Brace yourself for this deep dive into 'Guilty Pleasures', or better yet, 'Guiltless Pleasures'. With songs ranging from Cher to Bobby Brown to Richard Marx, Andy and Brent share their reasons for why they love these songs, as well as the stories for why they've been made to feel guilty about them. Thank you for listening to this episode and joining us for the last three years of A-SIDES episodes. Cheers to 2023!

Its time for the annual 'Year End Favorites' list from A-SIDES. Brent and Andy sit down to share their favorite albums from 2022, plus concert memories, and other nonsense that you'll find from A-SIDES on Episode 110. Several albums discussed are from Ghost, The Cult, The Afghan Whigs, Ozzy Osbourne, and more. Throw another log on the fire, grab a beverage, and enjoy this toasty episode of A-SIDES. Thanks for listening!

Speaking with Sam Koltun for Episode 106 put his band Budderside onto Andy's musical radar, so he sought out founder and vocalist Patrick Stone for a future episode. The release of this episode also coincides with the release of Budderside's newest single, "Joker". Patrick speaks on the subject matter behind their latest single, along with inspirations behind his lyrics, album artwork, and the band's music videos. Hopefully you'll seek out Budderside, too! You can follow along with Budderside at their website here and also check out the video for "Joker." Thanks for listening to this newest episode of A-SIDES!