Advertise on podcast: Stereo Embers: The Podcast

"One Last Heist" A singer/songwriter, a Professor, an author and the creator of the beloved cabaret-style multi artist extravaganza Cabinet Of Wonders which has featured everyone from novelist Rick Moody to Kristin Hersh to Steven Page, Wesley Stace is a man who, as the expression goes, wears many hats. The British-born, Cambridge educated Stace first came onto my college radio radar in 1989 under the name John Wesley Harding. I was immediately on board--his songs were literate, urbane and cheeky, but also heartbreaking, self-aware and wise. The John Wesley Harding character put out close to twenty marvelous albums including Here Comes The Groom, Why We Fight and Adam's Apple. Reverting to his birth name, Stace has put out just under ten albums, including his marvelous new one, One Last Heist. Satirical, soulful and catchy as ever, One Last Heist is a brilliant blend of witty pop smarts and atmospheric ballads. Over the course of his career Stace has recorded with Springsteen, Lou Reed and Roseanne Cash, written international best-selling novels and taught at Princeton. www.wesleystace.com (http://www.wesleystace.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Threads + Bluesky+ IG: @emberspodcast [email protected]

"One Last Heist" A singer/songwriter, a Professor, an author and the creator of the beloved cabaret-style multi artist extravaganza Cabinet Of Wonders which has featured everyone from novelist Rick Moody to Kristin Hersh to Steven Page, Wesley Stace is a man who, as the expression goes, wears many hats. The British-born, Cambridge educated Stace first came onto my college radio radar in 1989 under the name John Wesley Harding. I was immediately on board--his songs were literate, urbane and cheeky, but also heartbreaking, self-aware and wise. The John Wesley Harding character put out close to twenty marvelous albums including Here Comes The Groom, Why We Fight and Adam's Apple. Reverting to his birth name, Stace has put out just under ten albums, including his marvelous new one, One Last Heist. Satirical, soulful and catchy as ever, One Last Heist is a brilliant blend of witty pop smarts and atmospheric ballads. Over the course of his career Stace has recorded with Springsteen, Lou Reed and Roseanne Cash, written international best-selling novels and taught at Princeton. www.wesleystace.com (http://www.wesleystace.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Threads + Bluesky+ IG: @emberspodcast [email protected]

"Don't You Push" If Coleridge was right and friendship is a sheltering tree, then Julie Christensen lives in a very big forest. It's true. She knows a lot of people and she has a lot of friends. When you listen to us chat you'll hear organically how this Iowa native has moved through the world making friends everywhere she goes. Let's back up. Julie first landed on my radar when I was a high school DJ and SST Records sent our thrash metal radio station records by her band Divine Horsemen. The fiery post-punk outfit who even now bring to mind The Gun Club, are only part of the story, so I'll do what I can to fill in the gaps. After a stint in college and playing with the band Longshot who opened for John Prine and Asleep At The Wheel, Christensen left Iowa for Texas where she played with Passenger and did some more studying at the University of Austin. But it was her move west where things really picked up speed. She fell in with the rockabilly punk scene, joined Divine Horsemen with her husband Chris D of the Flesheaters, got divorced, found sobriety and then? You can tell I'm speeding along here because Julie tells her story far better than I can, but long story short, her old pal Roscoe Beck from Passenger became Leonard Cohen's Musial Director and he suggested Christensen sing with the legendary bard. And that's exactly what she did for nearly twenty years. Julie has a series of powerful solo albums like Love Is Driving and Where The Fireworks Are and her new single "Don't You Push" is a reaction to the darkness and frustration of what's currently happening in our country. As for her voice, well, putting it simply, Julie Christensen's delivery is as towering as it is graceful. Filled with equal parts muscle and finesse, her phrasing is poetic, precise and riveting. And she's a lovely person and just wonderful to speak to. www.stonecupid.com (http://www.stonecupid.com) www.juliechristensen.bandcamp (http://www.juliechristensen.bandcamp).com www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) IG + THREADS + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Draw The Outline" The Irish-born singer/songwriter Sorcha Richardson keeps moving from strength to strength. Her debut First Prize Bravery was nominated for the Choice Music Prize, her second album Smiling Like An Idiot went top five in Ireland and her new one Draw The Outline is already being touted as one of 2026's very best. And for good reason. From Fake Venice to Illinois Again, Draw The Outline is a stirring, sonorous and lyrically impressionistic song-cycle about finding a stable place in a turbulent world. Effortlessly exploring connection and isolation the album is a moving blend of folk, pop and indie rock that's brave and bold, yet vulnerable and wistful. Over the course of her career Richardson has lived in Brooklyn, supported everyone from Villagers to Snow Patrol and had a number one album on the Irish indie charts. She's deeply gifted and with this new album asserting herself as one of the great songwriters on the planet. www.sorcharichardson.com (http://www.sorcharichardson.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) IG + THREADS + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Lift Me Up" Over the course of a series of critically-acclaimed and best-selling albums like I Bificus, Superbeautifulmonster and 2024's Champion, Bif Naked has established herself as one of the most dynamic and arresting artists you're likely to run into. The Canadian singer/songwriter's refusal to be categorized has been the secret to her being able to move through genres like EDM and Pop-Punk and with artistic ease. Her I Bifficus memoir is an essential read and it details a life that found her moving from New Delhi to Kentucky to Manitoba. Bif Naked has played with everyone from Green Day to Sarah McLachlan to The Cult, she's released a spoken word record, voiced video games, appeared in videos by Moist and A Simple Plan, and acted in everything from Buffy The Vampire Slayer to The L Word. To get an idea of how fearless, bold and groundbreaking she is, the documentary One Of A Kind will give you a generous glimpse of the power and grace of Bif Naked. The pleading ache of her new single "Lift Me Up" finds Bif Naked sounding better than ever. Yes, she's busy, but we fit in a little chat. "Pathways" Filled with glimmering synths, jangling acoustic guitars and swirling psychedelia, Meltt's new album Pathways is one of the year's great pleasures. The Vancouver outfit's fourth effort is a sonorous and ethereal blend of catchy hooks, dreamy melodies and percussive invention. Comprised of childhood chums singer/guitarist Chris Smith, drummer Jamie Turner, guitarist James Porter and bassist Ian Winkler, Meltt's sound brings to mind everyone from The Stone Roses to the Crystal Fighters. The band is on the road as we speak and that's where I caught them. So let's meet Meltt. www.bifnaked.com www.meltt.bandcamp.com (http://www.meltt.bandcamp.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers: Threads + Bluesky + IG: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Welcome Back Love" The San Francisco-born Martin Luther McCoy is a straight up quadruple threat. An actor, guitarist, singer/songwriter, and producer, McCoy is one of those guys who does a lot of things really well. He's released a handful of brilliant solo albums like The Calling, Rebel Soul Music and his brand new one, Welcome Back Love, which we'll get to in a minute, he's collaborated with the Roots, the SF Jazz Collective and Lady Bug Mecca from Diggable Planets, appeared in films like Julie Taymor's Across The Universe, appeared in Yale Repertory Theater's Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts, 1, 2 & 3) and played live with everyone from Jill Scott to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A smoldering platter of Neo soul, funk, pop, Afrobeat, gospel, hip-hop and R&B, Welcome Back Love is one of the most transformative musical experiences of the year. From "Reimagine The World" to "Warmth Of Other Suns," Welcome Back Love is deeply satisfying and soulfully precise. And Martin is not only a gifted artist, he's a really cool guy. www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) G + BLUESKY + THREADS: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Automated Paradise" The Bristol-born Jon Klein got his start with the late-seventies post-punk outfit Europeans. After their break-up he formed the porto-goth band Specimen, who put out a handful of winning singles, but splintered before an album could be released. In 1987 Klein joined Siouxsie and the Banshees and went on to record three records with them: Peepshow, Superstition and The Rapture. Although Klein left the band in 1994, from there he moved from strength to strength, playing and recording with Shriekbak, Thomas Dolby, Talvin Singh and Space Tribe. He toured with Sinead O'Connor as her lead guitarist in 1995 and he played everywhere from Pinkpop to Glastonbury to Lollapalooza. Klein is one of those guys who has always stayed busy: he played in the band SNAIL, toured Southeast Asia as the musical director for Dr. Penguin's Magic Circus, went to art school and knocked out a degree in Fine Art and Critical Theory, has his own production company called Ground Control, co- produced an album for Fangoria, which hit Number One in Spain, composed soundtracks for film and theatre companies and played in the supergroup, Spammed with Horace Panter, Rat Scabies and Terry Edwards. He's also a filmmaker, an international fine artist and he is a member of the Tuned In Community Music Project with Jah Wobble. Klein and Jah Wobble have put out several fabulous albums, including A Brief History of Now and their latest effort, Automated Paradise. A jittery blast of searing post-punk and cultural dread, Automated Paradise finds Klein in fine form, slashing brilliantly away through each composition with fiery resolve. www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) IG + BLUESKY + THREADS: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"All The Beauty" With close to 15 albums under his musical belt, the New Jersey-born Pete Yorn is one of the most arresting and compelling singer/songwriters on the planet. Ever since his auspicious Gold-selling 2001 debut musicforthemorningafter, Yorn has moved from strength to strength, with albums like Day I Forgot, Nightcrawler, Hawaii and his marvelous new one, All The Beauty. More on that last one in a second. Over the course of his career, Yorn has amassed quite a highlight reel--here's a partial list. He's collaborated with everyone from Guided By Voices to Matthew Good, shared bills with R.E.M., Crowded House and Weezer, played Carnegie Hall, given the commencement address at his alma mater, Syracuse University, composed the score for Me, Myself and Irene, appeared in Killers Of The Flower Moon, put out a handful of excellent live albums and teamed up with Scarlet Johansson for The Break-Up album and the Apart EP. Let's get back to All The Beauty. From introspective numbers like Never Said No and Out Of My Head to the jangling beauty of Estate to the crushing closer "Everything," All The Beauty is a riveting and spellbinding listen. As for Mr. Yorn, he couldn't be a nicer guy and this was a really cool chat. www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) IG + THREADS + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Boxing The Compass" Haircut 100 have always been one of my all-time favorite bands. The only tricky thing with having them as a favorite for all these years is there's only one album, 1982's Pelican West, which is a flawless platter of beachside new wave that effortlessly veers into pop, jazz, and funk. There is a second album Paint by Paint and there's nothing wrong with what's on it, the problem with that album is what's not on it. And that's Nick Heyward. Heyward left the band after the debut and embarked on a rather brilliant solo career, releasing classic albums like North Of A Miracle, Postcards From Home, and From Monday To Sunday. Getting back to the platinum selling Pelican West, for a debut album it was a scorcher. It anded three songs in the top ten on the UK singles chart and both the single Love Plus One and the album itself went top 40 here in the states. "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet," Rousseau once quipped, and one listen to Haircut 100's new album Boxing The Compass proves him very correct, indeed. Filled with harmonic smarts, endless hooks, slinky sax grooves, jazzy lines and pure percussive wonder, Boxing The Compass is the ultimate pop rush of the year. Haircut 100 sound rejuvenated, revived and undeniably battle-ready. This is a shimmering platter of melodic majesty that's timeless and essential. www.haircut100.com (http://www.haircut100.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) [email protected] IG + THREADS+ BLUESKY: @emberspodcast

"Battle For The Yellow" The Six-Foot-Six John Tesh cuts an imposing figure, but consider the numbers of his CV. He's got six Emmys, four Gold Albums, one Associated Press Award, two Grammy nominations, close to fifty albums to his name, including Live At Red Rocks, Music In The Key Of Love, Monterey Nights and Sports, close to ten million albums sold and his live shows have raised 7 million for PBS. Those are some numbers. The New York-raised Tesh showed up on the pop culture radar alongside Mary Hart when they hosted Entertainment Tonight, but Tesh knew he was destined to do other things. Like a lot of other things. In fact, Tesh has done so many things, in fact, if I listed them all we'd be here for a while, so let me give you a quick primer: He's worked as a sportscaster, covering everything from the Olympics to Wimbledon to the Tour de France, he's a radio host, a composer, a musician, an actor, a news anchor and an author. Tesh's new album The Cycling Remixes is an exhilarating blend of inspirational rhythms and motivating instrumentation that's tailor made for athletes who are looking for music to inspire them to get up that hill or across that pool. A dexterous keyboardist, Tesh plays with muscle and heart, his compositions soaring into the stratosphere with authenticity and belief. www.tesh.com (http://www.tesh.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Threads + Bluesky + IG: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Remembering The Trashcan Sinatras' John Douglas" We've devastated to hear the news of the passing of the Trashcan Sinatras' John Douglas. We're so grateful that we had a chance to sit down with him last year for a chat. The Scottish-born singer/songwriter/guitarist was a lovely guy and this conversation is a generous glimpse into his creative process. Our thoughts are with his friends, his family and his bandmates.

"We Were Made For These Times" It's been 40 years since the Grammy-Award winning band the Klezmatics formed in the East Villag. In the same way the Pogues fused Irish folk with punk rock, the New York klezmer outfit have grafted centuries-old Yiddish music with iterations of contemporary music including jazz, gospel, punk, classical, Latin, and Balkan styles. With nearly twenty albums under their musical belts, including Rhythm and Jews, Jews With Horns, Letters to Afar and their wonderful new one, We Were Made For These Times, the Klezmatics remain one of the most spellbindingly singular bands on the planet. Over the course of their career they've collaborated with Arlo Guthrie, Allen Ginsberg and Itzhak Perlman, played shows in over twenty different countries, performed on PBS' Great Performances, recorded a live CD at New York City's Town Hall and snared a Critics Award as well as a New York Jewish Music Award. Their music has appeared everywhere from Sex and the City to Late Night With David Letterman and their new album continues to add to their winning legacy. A stirring, inspiring and soulful offering that, in the band's words is, "rooted in protest, hope, and resilience, We Were Made For These Times pairs Black gospel, Latin American, and avant-jazz voices with Yiddish folk and the results are joyful, life-affirming and brimming with optimism. The L.A. born vocalist, accordionist, pianist, guitarist Lorin Sklamberg is a lovely guy and this is a great chat. www.klezmatics.com (http://www.klezmatics.com) www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Threads + BLUESKY + IG: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Parallel Universe" When I was working in college radio it seemed like Hypnolovewheel was putting out a record every year. And it felt that way because they pretty much were. Although they'd put out two records in the eighties, in the '90s the Long Island outfit released a trilogy of albums in an indie rock whirlwind: there was 1991's Space Mountain, 1992's Angel Food and 1993's Altered States. An EP followed and--well, that was pretty much it. More on that in a second. Over the course of their seven-year career, Hypnolovewheel toured with Kitchens of Distinction and King Missle, opened for fIREHOSE, the Jesus Lizard and the Fleshtones, got played on 120 Minutes and got rave reviews from The New York Times and were featured in Spider-Man comics. The band's compositions were loaded with clever lyrics, sneaky rhythms and hooks galore and each song jangled away with grinding, catchy beauty. Falling somewhere between R.E.M. and Lotion, Hypnolovewheel are one of those bands that may have been overlooked simply because college radio was a crowded and competitive field, but their new compilation Parallel Universe is a perfect sampler of what you might have missed, were you one of the folks who missed these guys the first time around. Drummer Peter Walsh passed away in 2021, but the remaining members are active in the reissue campaign of their back catalog and there's a lot of music to hear. https://hypnolovewheel1.bandcamp.com/album/parallel-universe https://www.instagram.com/hypnolovewheel/ www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers: Threads + IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"On 2 U" It's hard to imagine a band working today that captures the grit and the glamor of Los Angeles better than Starcrawler. Formed in 2015 by teenage classmates, the young band tore out of the gates with an aggressive blend of crunchy punk and deliciously sleazy hard rock. Led by singer Arrow De Wilde, Starcrawler are one of those rare out of the box bands that knew who they were early on--which is really just a way of saying they sounded like they were born ready to be rock stars. The band's three long players--Starcrawler, Devour You and She Said--form a winning triptych of driving and doomy rock and roll that's powered by DeWilde's winning vocal bite. The band, which is made up of DeWilde, Cash and his brother Bill, and rounded out by Seth Carolina and Tim Franco, play tight sludgy riffs, whiplash drum fills and prowling baselines that stalk through each number with muscle and nerve. One of the most charismatic, dynamic and adrenalized live acts on the planet, Starcrawler have done a lot in the last decade; they've played South By Southwest, Later With Jools Holland, toured all over the U.S., Europe and Australia, played shows with Garbage and Nick Cave and have just released their new single "On 2 U." As for guitarist Henri Cash, the Southern California native is a busy guy--known for playing a three-string guitar, Cash's riffs are inventive and intuitive and beneath their aggression is an undeniable discipline and craft. Cash has collaborated with the band Plague Vendor and along with Sophia Skye he formed the duo Cash & Skye, who put out a seven-inch on Jack White's Third Man Records. He's a busy guy, so we're grateful he took the time to sit down with us. www.starcrawler.com www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) BLUESKY + THREADS + IG: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]

"Real Life Evolution" With close to ten brilliant albums under her belt, including Real Life, To Survive and The Classic, it's hard to think of a more critically-acclaimed artist in recent memory than singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joan As Police Woman. After studying music as a violinist at the College of Fine Arts at Boston University with her lifelong friend Mary Timony of Helium, the Maine-born Joan Wasser Wasser played in punk bands, joined the Dambuilders, formed Black Beetle and played with Those Bastard Souls and Antony and the Johnsons. I'm cutting corners here, but over the course of her winning career, Wasser has become one of the most in-demand musicians on the planet. She's played, recorded and toured with the likes of Iggy Pop, Damon Albarn, Rufus Wainwright, Elton John, Tony Allen, Lou Reed, Sheryl Crow, Lloyd Cole, Joseph Arthur, Scissor Sisters, Tanya Donelly, David Sylvan and John Cale, just to name a few. Joan As Policewoman's new album finds Wasser revisiting her Real Life album on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary. Reimagined with soul, grace and musical precision, Real Life Evolution not only demonstrates the elasticity of the original compositions, it also demonstrates how art can be reimagined and reinterpreted by the artist themselves. Featuring guest like Iggy Pop and Krystle Warren, Real Life Evolution simmers with reggae grooves, jazzy shuffles, and spare, indie rock ache and it's not only the perfect companion to the original, it stands proudly by itself. www.joanaspolicewoman.com (http://www.joanaspolicewoman.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers: IG + BLUESKY + THREADS: @emberspodcast Email: [email protected]