The Pogues would be forgiven for thinking they shouldn't carry on after the death of frontman Shane MacGowan. It was his voice and songwriting that gave the band that extra special spark. Luckily, they won't be putting the band to bed just yet. Founding member Spider Stacy joins us this week to discuss their decision to get back out there in front of the fans on tour this fall, celebrate their legacy, and keep those incredible songs alive. We also get into the continuing impact of "Fairytale of New York", the period in the 90s when Shane left the band, and the stories behind several of their best songs. Along with the Chieftains, the Pogues have done more to keep traditional Irish folk music alive than just about anyone else and they remain one of Ireland's greatest musical exports. We're lucky to have them!  www.pogues.com

Author Selena Fragassi joins us this week to discuss her new book Alanis: Thirty Years of Jagged Little Pill. Can you believe that album is 30 years old now? The book discusses the making of the album and what Alanis managed to tap into that made it the juggernaut it was and our conversation covers the highlights as well. Check it out!  www.quarto.com/books/9780760395677/alanis www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod  

One of the brightest lights of the Britpop splash of the 90s were Kula Shaker. They successfully merged guitar-driven rock with psychedelia with strong Indian themes so seamlessly there was no one else like them. After two successful albums and huge singles like "Tattva", "Govinda" and "Hey Dude", and with frontman Crispian Mills on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the band took a break for a few years before storming back in 2007 and releasing great albums since. Last year saw their latest album Natural Magick and more new albums are promised for 2025 and '26. Crispian joins us this week to discuss it all including the Indian influences, coming from a "royal" family, and everything else. It's a good time to be a Kula Shaker fan!  www.kulashaker.co.uk  www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod  

Bands like Seven Mary Three couldn't have existed any other time but in the 90s. Grunge was king, guitars were heavy, and bands were full of angst. This formula served them well when "Cumbersome" landed at #1 on the rock charts, but the label didn't get behind much else and despite the band carrying on for a decade playing to a rabid fan base, they never had another hit (or much respect). Lead singer Jason Ross joins us this week to discuss the journey, including his ongoing career in the business side of music and why the band aren't likely to get back together. The good news is their independently released debut album Churn from '94 has just been remastered and re-released on vinyl for the first time.  I think you'll be surprised by what a fun, music-loving guy Jason is. Enjoy!  www.7m3.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

The mind of Tim DeLaughter must be an interesting place to spend some time. In the 90s he fronted the esoteric rock band Tripping Daisy that saw a lot of success with their second album I Am an Elastic Firecracker and the hit "I Got a Girl" in 1995. After their guitarist died of an accidental drug overdose, Tim masterminded the wholly unique Polyphonic Spree - the collective of 25 or so musicians clad in robes creating quasi-spiritual chamber pop. It was a circus you couldn't wait to join. Tim joins us this week to explain himself - where have these grand ideas come from, what is the state of the Spree these days, being mentored by David Bowie, and the 30th anniversary tour for Firecracker that kicks off this week. He's one of a kind! Enjoy.  www.trippingdaisy.com www.thepolyphonicspree.com  

Steve Barton returns to the show this week to fill us in on a couple of new goodies from his world. First of all, a live Translator album called Beyond Today: Live at the Farm San Francisco 1986 was just released and it's a treat for longtime fans. It's a live document of what was meant to be their last show from the original run. Of course, they've since reunited for shows over the years, but this album shows a band letting it all hang out one more time. Then we get into his most recent solo album, Time Hard Won, that shows him at the top of his game. Enjoy!  www.translator-band.com www.stevebartonmusic.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

What can you say about the Beach Boys that hasn't already been said? Especially now with the recent passing of leader Brian Wilson, the band is back to the forefront where they deserve to be. Former member Al Jardine recently released a new EP called Islands in the Sun and he and I talked about it two days before Brian died. That fact gives a unique spirit to this interview as it will likely go down as one of the last Al gave that was about him and his music solely. I was especially curious about the band's 80s period since it's less talked about as well as the upcoming tour Al has planned, his approach to his solo music and more. It was already extremely fortunate to have Al on the show. With Brian now being gone, it's a moment I'm grateful that we captured forever.  www.aljardine.com  www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

If all you've heard from Nada Surf is their novelty hit "Popular" from '95, you'd be forgiven for not knowing they morphed into one of best bands in the world over the last 25 years. Starting with 2002's Let Go, the guys have released a constant stream of nearly perfect records and continue to mature in a beautiful way as evidenced by last year's Moon Mirror. This week front man Matthew Caws joins us to talk about their incredible transition, dealing with ADHD, balancing the band with his other projects, and why he always wears the same shirt. Nada Surf might be the best band of the 21st century. See for yourself!  www.nadasurf.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

We don't throw the word :"icon" around here too often, but when you're a founding member of two of the biggest Goth Rock and Alternative Rock bands ever, the label is deserving. David J is partly responsible for shaping an entire culture, not many can say that. This week sees the release of two new ambitious projects - one a book of poetry called Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer, as well as a new album of some of those poems put to music called The Mother Tree. A US tour also kicks off this week to support it. David tells us all about his musical career including the current state of both of his bands, how royalties are distributed, how the success of "So Alive" changed his life, and one of the best Bowie stories we've ever heard. It's pretty fun hearing from an "icon" like David. Enjoy!  www.davidjhaskins.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

David Lowery has cracked the code for having it all. In the 80s he fronted the beloved Camper Van Beethoven who rose to (indie) fame with "Take the Skinheads Bowling" and "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and sounding like no one else at the time. Then, when they broke up in the early 90s, he started Cracker which was even more successful commercially with huge hits like "Low" and "Get Off This". Eventually, he found a way to merge the two into a single touring unit which is completely unique to them. Along the way, David has released a solo album or two, including his latest magnum opus - Fathers, Sons and Brothers - a 28-track audio autobiography of sorts. Oh, and he teaches at the University of Georgia. Who does this? No one. David joins us this week to discuss it all.  www.davidlowerymusic.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Writer Gary Graff returns to discuss the release of the 501 Essential Albums of the 80s. When he was on a few months ago to discuss the 90s version, we explored the process for creating the list, who contributed, and how they decided what made it and what didn't. This time we go straight to the fun stuff - what was missing! It makes for a friendly, but impassioned debate, which is exactly the point of books like this. Enjoy!  www.quarto.com/books/9780760393369/501-essential-albums-of-the-80s www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Australia has been blessed with some of the greatest songwriters of all time. On their Mount Rushmore has to be Robert Forster and Grant McLennan of the Go-Betweens. What started out as spiky post-punk, eventually morphed into some of the most lush and perfect pop music ever made. If you don't believe me, listen to 1988's immaculate 16 Lovers Lane for proof. Not feeling they'd gained a big enough audience, the guys parted ways for a while until reforming in 2000 and keeping it going until Grant's death in 2006. Robert's solo work is also excellent and he's releasing a great new album, Strawberries, this week. We discuss how he writes such amazing story songs, his influences, the unique story behind the new album and a ton more. He's one of the best there's ever been and we're lucky to have him.  www.robertforster.net www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

When a musician as legendary as drummer Stan Lynch invests his time and efforts into a new project, I want to know what it is. His new band is called The Speaker Wars and they make the exact kind of American rock and roll you'd expect with Stan's pedigree. The new self-titled album will be out this month. Stan and I also discuss his time with Tom Petty, his relationship with the other guys, what gets him excited about making new music, and some of his collaborations like Eddie Money, Henry Lee Summer and Del Shannon. Stan's a super easy going guy who doesn't seem to have a care in the world. I'm jealous!  www.thespeakerwars.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

We were happy to hear from Midge Ure again to discuss his upcoming appearance at the popular Cruel World festival. Piggybacking on that is a short tour of some U.S. cities with fellow 80s synth luminaries Blancmange. We get into these, his upcoming Catalog tour where he'll bring out many of the less obvious singles from his long career and tons more. He's a true gentleman and one of rock's greatest treasures. Enjoy!  www.midgeure.co.uk www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

This week we're celebrating 10 eventful years with the lovable Limahl! The guy has maintained a career in the public eye thanks to two gigantic hits and a relatively small catalog - just one album with Kajagoogoo and three on his own. That's not much, but the legendary look and sound still carries a lot of weight and nostalgia. He just released his cover of "A Horse With No Name" which you wouldn't think would make sense and yet it's fantastic. He talks openly about how he's stayed relevant all these years, his coming out journey, his relationship with his former bandmates, the "Stranger Things" effect, and more. You'll come away loving him even more. Enjoy!  www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod www.limahl.com

We've said it before, but the 90s were the peak time for "chick"-fronted alternative rock bands. There were so many good ones and among them was that dog. fronted by this week's guest, Anna Waronker. They only managed three albums, but they made a great impression. Anna put out a couple solo albums, but she also pivoted to making music for TV which she's done successfully for a while. She currently does the music for Yellowjackets with musical partner Craig Wedren of fellow 90s survivors Shudder to Think. We discuss her whole career, her legendary dad Lenny (who was just accepted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame), her famous friends like Maya Rudolph and Jack Black, her husband Steve McDonald of the band Redd Kross (she did the music for the recent documentary on the band which is now available to rent at the link below), and a ton more. She's the best!  www.reddkrossfilm.com/watch www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod  

With as "out there" as Geggy Tah's music was, and as clever as their biggest hit "Whoever You Are" was, it would be easy to not take them seriously. The thing is, they were serious about being as creative as possible and seeing what music could be without any borders. The duo of Tommy Jordan and Greg Kurstin produced three albums in the mid 90s that explored songs as if they were found art projects, mixing in whatever instrument or genre worked. After the band ended, Greg went on to form The Bird and the Bee and then became one of the biggest producers in the world while Tommy continued to do his own thing. Here's the story of one of the most delightfully weird bands of the decade!  www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

The Old 97's have been keeping the fire of alt-country lit for over 30 years and have never lost their vibrant spirit. A lot of that is thanks to jubilant front man Rhett Miller. Whether with the band or on his equally excellent solo outings, Rhett has set himself apart as one of the most engaging artists and songwriters around. That spirit is on display in a new Old 97s record called American Primitive, a 2022 solo album called The Misfit, and even his fun podcast called Wheels Off. He joins us this week to talk about all of it and more. He's truly one of the nicest guys around. Enjoy!    www.rhettmiller.com www.old97s.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Ben Folds Five cut a swathe in the 90s like no one else. This boisterous three-piece with a lead piano instead of a guitar sounded like no other and had three successful albums to show for it. Eventually the band broke up and Ben went on to be a celebrity in his own right while drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Rob Sledge were less visible. Darren joins us this week to discuss what his career looks like. In addition to working with bands like The War On Drugs and Hiss Messenger Service, he's also put out a few solo albums that sound very different from his old band (check out 2023's Central Bridge for proof). We discuss both sides of his career and much more. Enjoy!  www.darrenjessee.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Ricky Byrd got clean 37 years ago and has devoted those years to helping others do the same. In fact, he's put out some fantastic solo albums meant to help those people get clean. But, right now he wants to rock. Ricky's new album NYC Made is a classic rock and soul album in the spirit of Southside Johnny and his old band, the Blackhearts. It's one of the best of the year so far. Ricky talks about his life with Joan, his solo journey since getting clean, working with Little Steven, the Yankees, and a bunch more. Fascinating guy and a force for good! www.rickybyrd.com www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod