Advertise on podcast: Blowing Smoke with Twisted Rico

Kier Byrnes has played a Belgian prison, performed for the troops in the Middle East, and toured 17 countries with his band. Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners blend Irish folk and traditional country — accordion, chicken-pickin' guitar, whiskey-soaked ballads, foot-stomping jigs — and have the hardware to show for it: New England and Boston Music Award wins, plus a spot on Americana UK's Top 10 for 2025. Kier joins us for a conversation about road life, roots music, and what keeps the kettle burning. Music Clips by The Charms, The Dogmatics, Shurr Jr., Alice Austin, Black Helicopter, and Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

Michael Robert Kelly is the guy you call when your band needs a bass player. In addition to fronting his own project, The Brother Stereo, he's stepped in for his brother Matt's band, the Dropkick Murphys, and logged a ton of shows with the legendary James Montgomery Band. Most recently, while on tour with the Violent Femmes as Brian Ritchie's bass tech, Kelly got the call to fill in after Ritchie suffered a serious bicycle accident. He tells us the whole story. Music clips from: The Charms, The Dogmatics, The Zulus, Blame It On Whitman, The Long Wait, and The Outlets Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

Singer/songwriter Katy Nathan first came on our radar when she was running a Joe Perry fan page. Now she's back to talk about her debut single, "Torrential Downpour." Music Clips by The Charms, The Dogmatics, Victory At Sea, Black Helicopter, Ape Hangers, and Katy Nathan Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

In this episode, we're joined by legendary rock 'n' roller Charlie Farren, who gained prominence as the lead singer of The Joe Perry Project on the 1981 album I've Got the Rock 'n' Rolls Again, and later with his own band, Fahrenheit. Music Clips by The Charms. The Dogmatics, Victory At Sea, Blame It On Whitman, FBI, and Charlie Farren Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo Contact: [email protected]

In this live episode recorded at WMFO in Medford, MA, we're joined by legendary hardcore drummer Mark McKay (The Long Wait, Slapshot) and an acoustic performance by Tad Overbaugh, accompanied by Chuck Vath. Music Tad Overbaugh - "July", "Hurricane Season"(LIVE) Black Helicopter - "Egypt MA" The Dogmatics "I Love Rock N Roll" additional music clip from The Charms Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo WMFO Audio recorded by Mike Newman on March 21, 2026

This episode features brothers and bandmates Jacob and Nicolas Bitove of Toronto's self-described "punktronic" band ROMES, here to talk about their brand new album Sonic Trash. If you haven't discovered ROMES yet, they've been carving out a gritty, high-energy sound that blends raw rock attitude with glitchy electronic vibes. Sonic Trash leans hard into that aesthetic — distorted synths, punchy beats, and a chaotic DIY energy that somehow feels both nostalgic and fresh. Drawing from industrial, dance-punk, and hints of '90s grunge, it's loud, a little messy in the best way, and absolutely full of personality. The kind of record where it sounds like they hit "record" and just went all in. Music Clips by Black Helicopter, Tad Overbaugh, Shurr Jr, Speedfossil, and Romes Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo Please support this podcast at patreon.com/twistedrico

In the episode, we're joined by Ramona Lundberg of the Norwegian pop punk band Ramona's Tea Party to discuss their new album, Pour Your Heart Out. Music clips from Ramona's Tea Party, The Zulus, The Long Wait, The Charms, The Dogmatics Produced & Hosted by Steev Riccardo

In this epsiode, we are joined by Bill Hein and Andrew Zicklin, co-owners of Label 51 Recordings and Flatiron Recordings both based in Denver Co. We get into both labels, plus some history between Bill and the host, who worked together at Enigma Records back in the 80’s. Music Clips by The Charms, The Dogmatics, Victory At Sea, Black Helicopter, The Long Wait , and Applied Knowledge Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

In this episode, we're joined by rock star, actor, radio personality, and one of the coolest dudes around — Michael Des Barres. We look back at his remarkable life of rock 'n' roll and acting, which included bands like Silverhead, Detective, Chequered Past, and The Power Station, along with a stellar assortment of TV and film appearances. These days, Des Barres is back in the rock ring with his explosive new single "Kiss or Kill Me" on Rum Bar Records — and he's here to tell us all about it. Music Clips from The Charms, The Dogmatics, Blame It On Whitman, The Long Wait, The Zulus, and Michael Des Barres Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

Tad Overbaugh is one of Boston's finest songwriters — criminally under the radar, but not for much longer. Tad crafts a sound that's been beautifully described as "alt-country music viewed from Boston," a gritty, lived-in blend of roots rock, Americana, and dive-bar pop that draws comparisons to The Replacements, Drive-By Truckers, and Steve Earle. It was fellow Boston-based songwriter Tom Baker — a man whose taste we've long admired — who essentially grabbed us by the collar and told us just how good this guy is. And Tad's new record is all the proof you need. Music Clips by The Charms, The Dogmatics, The Zulus, Black Helicopter, and Tad Overbaugh Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

In this episode, we are joined by Ali Lipman and James Christopher of the up and coming Boston emo-punkers Cape Crush! These guys have been tearing it up since around 2021 with anthemic, high-energy tracks that blend raw emotion with seriously catchy punk rock. Music Clips from The Charms, The Dogmatics, The Long Wait, Blame It On Whitman, and Cape Crush are included in this epsisode. Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

This is the pilot episode of a new podcast currently in development called Out On The Couch. Chris Doherty of Gang Green wrote the song that inspired the podcast, so there’s no better way to kick things off than with our friend Chris. Music by Gang Green, courtesy of Taang! Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

Harold Bronson is a true pioneer of the American independent record scene. As co-founder of Rhino Records, he helped build the label into America’s leading reissue powerhouse, preserving decades of rock history through beloved compilations like Nuggets. Earlier, while attending UCLA, Bronson was a music writer and a founding member of the early ’70s L.A. band Mogan David & His Winos. His memoir, "Time Has Come Today" captures that journey through unforgettable stories of early L.A. and legendary artists—many of which he shares with us on the show. Its a wild rock n roll ride.... Music The Charms "So Pretty" "Don't Let Me Down" The Dogmatics "I Love Rock N Roll" Ape Hangers "She Comes Again" The Long Wait "Your Plight" The Love Me Nots "Fall Down" The Prime Movers "Where Its At" Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

On this epsiode we are joined by Sandy Skye Netburn, a New York–based singer, songwriter, and guitarist crafting songs through the lens of teenage life. With sharp wit, modern language, and emotionally charged melodies, her music blends humor and honesty to spark inspiration and goosebumps. And she is a great guest! Music The Charms "So Pretty" The Dogmatics "I Love Rock N Roll" The Long Wait "Your Plight" Greg Allen's Fringe Religon "She's Stones" Blame It On Whitman "Bad Mood Walkin" Ape Hangers "She Comes Again" Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

Kerrin Connolly is about as DIY(Do It Yourself) as it gets as is evidenced by her body of work. She writes the songs, plays all the instruments, makes the recordings, and ultimately manages, promotes, book, and markets it all. And did we mention she's really good at it. Music Clips: Kerrin Connolly "Quiet" The Charms "So Pretty" The Dogmatics "I Love Rock N Roll" Greg Allen's Fringe Religion "She's Stoned" Black Helicopter "Egypt MA" Ape Hangers "She Comes Again" Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo