A-Sides

Andy and his guest Kenny Wright of The Great Affairs set the wayback machine to 1982. KISS' Creatures Of The Night was released in the Fall of '82 amongst a slew of heavy rock records, and we discuss the impact this had on Kenny at the time, as well as how the album still holds up decades later. We touch on Kenny's favorite tracks on Creatures, a few of the highlights from within the new box set, and even a few KISS-related releases from that era. Thank you for checking out this newest episode of A-SIDES. You can also follow along with Kenny and The Great Affairs on their website or check out their new Holiday single on Youtube.

Fire up Episode 107 of A-SIDES, as we hand-picked our favorite songs from Aerosmith's classic era, starting with their 1973 debut album through 1982's Rock In A Hard Place. Along the way we shared an honorable mention or two, discussed our entry points into the band, which albums we've bought (and re-bought!), if we saw them live, and even touched on the recent Midnights album from Taylor Swift; which brought Andy's fandom into question. Thanks for joining us for another spin on A-SIDES!

Sam Bam Koltun (Dorothy, Faster Pussycat, Budderside) joins Andy for Episode 106 of A-SIDES! They discuss his roots in the Midwest and several bands that influenced him growing up, what it's like to sleep and eat on the road as a touring musician, the Jurassic Park movies, and more! You can follow Sam as a patreon and gain behind-the-scenes access and other exclusives here. You can also check out Sam with Budderside as the 'Scooby Gang' in their music video for "Ghostlighting." Huge thanks to Sam for being a guest on A-SIDES and thanks to you for listening to our newest episode.

Episode 105 features a dive into the horror-punk band, Misfits, as we countdown our top ten favorite songs. Not only do we share our favorites, but we also sample the latest Catfight Coffee flavor "Crimson Roast" (which is a nod to this episode's band), you'll learn our opinion on the manliness of "Man Caves", suggest songs for your next home improvement project, and Brent gets a little too fired up about people's questionable taste in music. So style your hair into Devil's Locks, fire up your coffee pot, and press play on this Halloween-themed episode of A-SIDES. Thanks for listening!   Catfight Coffee's excellent Crimson Roast coffee is available at their website along with a whole line of other favorite blends.

Steve Perry fronted Journey across multiple decades and released 8 studio albums during his tenure with the band. This newest episode of A-SIDES features returning guest Shane Tassart (of The Hot Summers) giving a singer's perspective on Journey, as well as sharing his discovery of their music, his connections with the band, taking care of your voice, and even shares his fandom of the Halloween film series. You can follow Shane and The Hot Summers through their Facebook page here. Its always a pleasure hearing Shane's perspective on the music industry and we hope you enjoy Episode 104. Thanks for listening!

Scream for me, A-SIDES!! Episode 103 is dedicated to the most metal vocal moments, as Brent and Andy select their favorite screams from singers such as "The Metal God" Rob Halford and Sebastian Bach. They also try out a beer from Surly Brewing Company in Minnesota, discuss the latest album from Ozzy Osbourne, vintage clothes shopping, and as much nonsense as they can fit into an hour podcast. Thanks for coming back for another round of A-SIDES!

For Episode 102 of A-SIDES, this could be considered another "bucket list" guest for Andy, as he spoke with Torkjell Rod, also known as "Toschie", from the heavy metal band Audrey Horne. Toschie discusses the origins of the band, the creation of his lyrics and artwork, how he became a tattoo artist, and more! Huge thanks to Toschie for being a guest and thanks to everyone who listens. You can find Audrey Horne's music on your favorite streaming platform or support the band by picking up an album through Napalm Records here.

Drummer Zak St. John joins Andy for Episode 101 of A-SIDES. They not only discuss his roots in the Midwest but also how his passion for music started at a very early age. Over this hour-long conversation, he shares many past projects, and even a few projects on the horizon. While his resume is a mile long, he achieved that through hard work and dedication, and I felt his work ethic is very inspiring. You can follow Zak at his website here to follow along with his many projects and catch him out on the road. Thank you Zak!

For the 100th episode of A-SIDES, it seemed fitting to dive into Brent's favorite band, Motorhead! We toast to the late Lemmy Kilmister and "The Loudest Band In The World", by sharing our Motorhead origin stories, our favorite songs and lyrical moments, favorite albums, which song Brent wants played at his funeral, and even look back at a few highlights from the last 99 episodes. To everyone who has listened to A-SIDES or has been a guest, thank you!

Episode 99 is another deep dive into the discography of Prince, covering his studio albums from 1985's Around the World In A Day to 1994's Come. Not only do Brent and Andy share their favorite songs, but Brent reveals a musical anecdote from his past, we find out about a cruise ship obsessed with The Gold Experience, Gene Simmons vs Prince and their sexual conquests, along with the usual off-topic tangents. Thank you for pressing play on another episode of A-Sides!

Nearing the 100th episode of A-Sides, this episode features returning guest, Shane Tassart. He not only shares the details about the recording of the long-awaited debut album from The Hot Summers, but also delves into a few stories from his past about interacting with Gene Simmons, the brotherhood he shares with fellow songwriters Denny Smith and Mick Sweda, and possibly busts the myth about KISS' blood being used in a comic book! You can follow The Hot Summers on Facebook and find their music on your favorite streaming service. Huge thank you to Shane Tassart for making his second appearance on A-Sides and a big thanks to everyone who listens!

Returning with the second installment in our journey through the KISSOLOGY, Episode 97 of A-Sides tackles the "dark era" of KISS. During this era from 1979 to 1982, the band lost two founding members, ventured away from their typical brand of hard rock, and even wore capes, but managed to find their way back with the help of several outside songwriters (including Bryan Adams!) Brent and Andy share their favorite songs, but also pinpoint who was the weakest link in KISS, make the case for Creatures of the Night being a worthy successor to Destroyer's expansion of their "sound", and debate the quality of 1981's concept album, Music From The Elder. Thank you for pressing play on the newest episode of A-Sides!

For Episode 96, Andy spoke with Joshua Ketchmark, ahead of his forthcoming studio album titled Blood. The album's release will be on July 8, 2022 and it takes inspiration from Joshua's background in the Midwest. They not only touch on this new release, but also several past albums and EP's, the benefits of having a home recording studio, our expectations when attending concerts, and which member of KISS still owes him 6 bucks. It was a pleasure to chat with Joshua and don't miss out on his new album, Blood. You can find his catalog on all streaming platforms and follow along with Joshua online here.

For Episode 95, Andy is joined by Arnela Moore of the power trio, The Rumours. Known for their high energy shows, The Rumours are about to hit a run of West Coast dates, called "The Filthy Bathroom" Tour. Andy chatted with Arnela ahead of this tour about picking up the bass, joining The Rumours, what inspired the tour's name, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, swearing, KISS, and our mutual friendship with Bob Long. Thanks for pressing play on Episode 95. You can find Arnela's pre-loved thrift shop online here- Pre-Loves or follow The Rumours on Bandcamp. 

Episode 94 of A-Sides features a topic that has been brewing since the early days of this podcast; covering the music of Prince. With his discography reaching nearly 40 albums, the only option was to break his career up into "era's", with Episode 94 tackling his first 6 albums from 1978 through the release of Purple Rain in 1984. As a longtime fan, Brent shares his background with Prince, while Andy shares his unique impressions as a newer listener. They also discuss Prince's influence on other artists, ponder the formation of a band with all bass guitar, and debate Purple Rain vs Thriller as the album that defines the 1980's. Thanks for pressing play on Episode 94 of A-Sides!

Episode 93 features a deep discussion on the power trio King's X, with friends Freddy Herrera and Corey Rozzoni returning to the podcast. The guys not only share their favorite albums, but also discuss various side projects and solo albums, sneaking into concerts (Kids don't try this at home!), the struggles of making it in the music industry, and cuckoo clocks! Huge thank yous to Freddy and Corey for taking the time to share their stories and thanks to everyone who listens!

After 3 long years and 91 episodes under their belts, Brent and Andy are finally devoting an entire episode to KISS! This episode dives into the original era of the band, featuring a discussion on the first 6 studio albums, from their self-titled album through 1977's Love Gun. They share their favorite songs, rank the albums, trade Paul Stanley impressions, highlight several underrated performances, and even jump ahead to their appearance on MTV's Unplugged. Reach for some cold gin and enjoy this episode of A-Sides! Thanks for listening!

For Episode 91, we chose to dive into our favorite Foo Fighters' songs. With the band's career spanning over 25 years, 10 studio albums, numerous Grammy Awards, and even a recent horror comedy movie titled Studio 666, there's a lot to cover in this episode. We not only share songs, but discuss the origins of a "foo fighter", seeing the band in concert, Brent's obsession with destroying dry wall, and also detour into a brief Nirvana rabbit hole. Thanks for pressing play on Episode 91!

Ahead of her upcoming shows in Illinois, Liv Warfield spoke with Andy on Episode 90 for a quick chat about her background in Peoria IL, finding her voice through karaoke, recording a live album at New York City's Cafe Wha?, and her favorite places to eat back home. If you are able to catch her electrifying live shows, you can get tickets at The Scottish Rite Cathedral or The Space in Evanston. If you cannot see her live, you can follow along with her on her website. Huge thanks to Liv for taking the time to chat, to Erika Tooker for her assistance, and to everyone who listens.

Episode 89 features Matt Andersen of The Great Affairs, as he chats with Andy about his life from growing up in Kentucky to working and performing in Nashville, TN. Matt shares stories about working his first show in the rafters, performing as an opening act for various 80's legends, and the best spring break ever in 1997. You can follow along with Matt and The Great Affairs through their website - https://dennysmithmusic.com/. Thanks to Matt for taking part in this episode, also Corey Rozzoni for his production skills editing this episode.