Make It Big!

While suffering from a broken foot, Paul checks in with his old friend Ryan Brown - drummer extraordinaire and current skin beater for Dweezil Zappa's band (the name of which we're not actually printing here because there's some controversy about it - check out the WTF episode with Dweezil for details). It's a pretty long episode because they had a lot to catch up on, but well worth it! ABOUT RYAN BROWN Ryan Brown is a professional drummer and percussionist in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his gig as the drummer for Zappa Plays _______ he plays with Los Angeles-based bands Black Belt Karate, SexTapes, AM/FM, The Fuxedos and Madras, and in the bands of artists Arrica Rose, Karem Malicki-Sanchez, Colin Armstrong, Josh Canova, Space Oddity and rapper J Naugh-T. He has toured with Taiwanese pop star Chyi-Chin and L.A. bands OWL and Ultraviolet, performed on “Last Call with Carson Daly” with Ingrid Michaelson and played the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland with R&B artist Niki Haris. He has recorded

Paul talks to guitar legend Chris Masuak (all the way from Spain!) about his long and amazing musical history, overcoming language differences through rock n roll, his loathing for "junkie chic," and much, much more. About Chris (by Barman) Chris “Klondike” Masuak's musical history reads like a muscle car ride through the mean streets of Australia’s rock and roll underground. The Canadian-born prodigy achieved teenage notoriety as guitarist for legendary Radio Birdman and then waged a War Against The Jive with Australia's hardest working rock and roll band, The Hitmen. Next came a stint with the original (and defining) line-up of The New Christs, followed by international prominence with the chart busting Screaming Tribesmen. Klondike has never stood still, exploring his country roots with Chris Boy King and the Kamloops Swing, swinging down Texas blues side roads with The Juke Savages, and getting tubular with The Raouls. In 2007, Chris was inducted, with Radio Birdman, into the Australian Recording In

This week on the show Paul sits down for a chat with Brooklyn-bred blues chanteuse Ida Blue, followed by a phenomenal, intimate performance by her band. If you're a fan of early blues, this is the episode for you! Recorded on location at Freddy's Bar & Backroom in Brooklyn, NY. "Born and bred deep in Mill Basin, Brooklyn...long and lanky, with gold nameplates and brass knuckles, she proves day-in and day-out that swagger is the name of the game. Ida makes a sweet song sassy, a bitter song rawkus, and a love song raunchy. Her performances are in a class of their own, and Blue is timeless; working as a conduit to give that same quality to the music she shares. Ida Blue is a female-led Bodega Blues group, with its core emanating from the rich and roaring voice of Brooklyn born Ida herself. With support from members of 'Leon Redbone' and HBO's Grammy winning Boardwalk Empire Orchestra, you'll hear blues as a thunderous stomp that permeates your ears with satiating, sweet coos and a sassy temperament that make

Steve Rosenthal opened The Magic Shop recording studio in NYC’s Soho neighborhood in 1988. In 2014, he won his fourth Best Historical GRAMMY for his work on The Rolling Stones’ Charlie Is My Darling. He has produced, mixed and restored archival projects for Woody Guthrie, Alan Lomax, Jelly Roll Morton, Harry Nilsson, Billy Joel, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, and many others. He has also produced and engineered new music for Lou Reed, Natalie Merchant, Suzanne Vega, Dave Van Ronk, Laura Nyro, Charles Brown and Ollabelle. Steve and his wife Jennifer Gilson also owned and operated The Living Room, New York’s iconic singer-songwriter venue. The Magic Shop is featured on an episode of Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways, and may be best known today for being David Bowie's studio of choice for his last two albums, The Next Day and Blackstar. Unfortunately, both the Magic Shop and The Living Room were priced out of Manhattan by increasing rents and a considerably changed music business. The Magic Shop's last day of operatio

Karina Deniké is a vocalist and songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Cambridge, England to Czech dissident artists, Deniké spent her early years performing street theatre throughout Europe, Northern Africa, and India. Upon settling in Oakland, California at age 12, she immersed herself in the vibrant local arts and music scenes of the area, soaking in everything from punk shows at the legendary 924 Gilman to the talents of jazz/soul greats Jon Hendricks, Fred Marshall (Vince Guaraldi, Chet Baker), and Sugar Pie Desanto. At age 18 she released her first album with the dual female fronted Dance Hall Crashers, and at 22 she was signed to major labels MCA and Warner/Discovery. Deniké has made a lifelong study of the finer nuances of vocals, harmony, and performance, moving fluidly from intimate torch song chanteuse to soul singer to punk powerhouse. From pop music to jazz to modern composers' works, she has lent her voice, arrangements, and compositions to more than 30 records, soundtracks, and co

Celebrated for his innovative programming and exciting performances, conductor David Leibowitz has achieved international acclaim for his work on the concert, opera, and ballet stage. Mr. Leibowitz is the Music Director/Conductor and founder of the award-winning New York Repertory Orchestra. Some recent highlights of his tenure there have been a fully staged production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio and a landmark performance of Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 3. As an avid fan and champion of today’s music he has commissioned, worked with, and performed local and world premieres by some of today’s most important composers; such as Paul Moravec, Lowell Liebermann, Harold Farberman, Stephen Dembski, John Schwabe, Salvador Brotons, Michael Shapiro, and Steven Rosenhaus. From 2003-2013, Mr. Leibowitz held the post of Principal Conductor with the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra and has recently been guest conductor of the New York Opera Exchange, conducting performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Gounod’s

Paul has a fun, in-depth conversation with another Stripminer, and also Zappa Records recording artist, Holland Greco. Holland is a Los Angeles vocalist, songwriter, performer, and musician. She released her debut album, Volume One, on Zappa Records in June of 2014. It is two contrasting E.P.s showcasing the light and dark sides of her personality and musicality. Side A: Tunnel Vision, reflects her first-loves of poetry, radio hits of the 70’s, 80’s, & 90’s, and uniquely stylish audio/visual presentation. The chic instrumentation combines ukulele, dance beats, upright bass, beautiful keyboards, and a horn section to cook up a world of sophisticated pop confection. Side B: Murdergram: Songs of the Misfits. It’s an homage to the horror punk songwriting of Glenn Danzig with new arrangements inspired by the cinema of Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and rumbling electric guitar pioneer, Link Wray. Holland’s first major musical project, The Peak Show, was signed to Atlantic Records. They had numerous lice

Paul sits down for a long, fascinating conversation with his band mate and partner-in-crime Brett Anderson, lead singer for The Donnas and co-founder of The Stripminers with Paul. Outro music - "Admission Theme" by The Stripminers

This week Paul sits down with his old friend Steve W. Lauden, a rock drummer turned crime fiction writer. Steve was signed A&M Records in 1998 with his band Ridel High, for the album Emotional Rollercoaster. He was then signed to Hollywood Records with his band Tsar, whose eponymous debut came out in 2000. Tsar's sophomore release, Band Girls Money, was recorded while they were on Hollywood, and was later released on TVT Records in 2005, after Lauden had left the band. Tsar reformed in 2010 to release the Dark Stuff EP, featuring the original lineup. Steve continues to play and record with Tsar and a number of other musical projects. Most recently, Lauden began writing crime fiction. His debut novel "Bad Citizen Corporation" will be published by Rare Bird Books in October, 2015. His novella "Crosswise" will be released in 2016 by Down & Out Books. Paul sat down with Steve after his reading at The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles to talk about rock, drumming, dead bodies, screenplays, and other awesome s

Episode 2 of Make It Big! is the second part of Paul's in-depth interview with legendary drummer D.J. Bonebrake of X, The Knitters, The Stripminers, and more. Learn why your band probably isn't going to work unless you pluck it.

This is the first part of Paul's two-part interview with punk legend D.J. Bonebrake of X and The Knitters.