Now we're talking. Camille Sledge is, for starters, an amazing singer, songwriter and entertainer, as proven in her outstanding work with the wildly entertaining and popular Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra. She is also a force for good in the music industry through her founding of the non profit School of HipHop PHX. Through this school she is helping young African American/Black and minority youth access art education through the elements of HipHop and instrumentation including ...

Where to even start with this renaissancewoman. Jeremy “Bacpac” Franko is an Architect, acoustician, writer, poet, DJ, dancer, prolific mural artist and instigator. She played guitar with the European punk band the Raincoats in the 70’s. And now she is making video art too. A powerhouse of energy and creativity and an inspiration for how to live a long, interesting, and exciting life. Come on in for some great stories and a healthy dose of warm energy from this amazing...

Ali Hedrick has been booking bands since the 90’s and has the experiences and stories we all wish we could have been there for. From interning at Touch and Go Records to starting one of the largest independent booking agencies in the country she has been working hard to get your favorite bands into the places where they can blow you away with their performances. She has worked with an impressive roster of bands. From Nick Cave to Mumford and Sons to Bon Iver to Death Cab for...

Here's a great story! Cody Blackbird was drawn to the Native American flute at 8 years old. He took that early inspiration and honed it into his own Alter-Native genre incorporating rock, R & B and funk with, of course, a heavy dose of soulful flute magic. Here we discuss the wildly improbable way his band got started in Alaska, years of touring, his inspiring activism and a wide variety of other stuff just for fun.

With a smile a mile wide, Mean Gene has transcended his physical limitations and proved that a fired-up soul is the main requirement for making great music. He's been writing and performing his grungy desert alt country songs for years now as a solo artist, as Mean Gene and the Soul Scorchers, Rockin' Chair, The Blinding Suns, and Mean Gene and the Green Sardines. And he's just getting started. Big goals, big dreams, and a big heart will no doubt take him far. Come on ...

From poor farmer to guitar shop owner to Chief Luthier at Gretsch, to setting up guitar factories in Asia, Donnie Wade has had a very, very interesting life. His passion for music started at a very young age where he risked severe punishment to sneak out and get just a glimpse of the happenings at the strictly forbidden local underground (black) music hall where Freddie King was driving 'em wild. His stories are wide ranging and wildly entertaining with a sharp wit and a lovable d...

When you're good, and you're cool, everybody wants you. Max Crawford has been charming his way into playing with loads of great bands with his warmth, ripping sense of humor and adventurous attitude. He came by and shared generously a few of his adventures in this realm of music. Not only is he a founder of an in-demand horn section called Total Pro Horns, he's played with Wilco, Poi Dog Pondering, and the Mekons just to name a few. Come on in and be amazed...

Here's a treat! Arizona's preeminent music historian, archivist and scholar came up for a rollicking, laugh-filled, wildly informative discussion about Arizona music history, becoming a DJ as a kid, his wide ranging career in the music business and his tireless efforts to preserve and document the music of Arizona. His Audio Ranch podcast is absolutely filled with interesting, well-curated song selections that will keep scratch your musical itch for a very long time. H...

Head slammin. Feet shakin. That's how you do it. Meliza Jackson plays guitar for the Darts (US) and is having a blast doing it. Their new album is on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label and is on the verge of release into the wild. Come on in for a lively discussion about life on the road and making shit happen in the music biz.

The more you look, the more you love. There is a mountain to discover where this man is involved. An influential writer, creative director of Hello Merch, overseer of the world of WASTOIDS, neck deep in Aquarium Drunkard and Transmissions, and pushing great music on Range and Basin. Look them all up. You'll like them. He's also a musician under the moniker JPW with a recent solo release called Something Happening/Always Happening on Fort Lowell Records. And...

Instruments to drool over. Fantasize about. Lust after. Stephen Stratton has been building stringed instruments since graduating from the Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie in Phoenix in 1998. He now creates playable works of art from his shop in the Sacremento Mountains of New Mexico. Stephen stopped by the Goldwater Building to chat about, you guessed it, guitars, as well as the life and times of this remarkable craftsman.

Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew came through town again with their band The Boxmasters. And being the generous chaps that they are, gave us an invite to come hang out on their tour bus for a bit and get the lowdown on their current adventures.

He's a busy man, but we finally got him! Jim Bachmann is a wizard of words and an Americana master with his signature "good timing Stonerbilly" sound and a presence of wisdom and authenticity. He's been making music solo and and along with his band The Day Drinkers for over a decade now and is still making the rounds. From playing "professional busker" gigs on a sidewalk downtown to opening for Billy Joe Shaver, Whitey Morgan and the 78's, Dallas Moore, Shinyribs...

He’s a prolific songwriter, an alt-country pioneer, a damn good talker and a fountain of thoughtful insight about music, touring, and keeping a band together for over 30 years. He’s the primary songwriter for the Old 97’s with 12 studio albums and a long list of song placements in movies and TV shows. He has also released 7 solo albums in his spare time. On top of all that, he’s got a damn good podcast of his own called “Wheels Off” about the messy reality of living a creati...

He’s a writer of songs. He’s a player of guitars. He’s the winner of a multitude of songwriting competitions and is a regular performer at a long list of venues all over the southwest and beyond. From the bars, to the coffee shops to the theaters and festival stages he’s been pouring out his special blend of bluesy folk for the last 20 some odd years. To know him is to love him and he’s right here laying out his warm, thoughtful, hilarious insights into songwriting, touring, famil...

Brace yourself! Pastor Carl Wiman is about to preach! He’s the head of a little church out in Whitman, AZ and is always bringing music to the people and giving whole heartedly to his community both locally and abroad. He started playing in bands when he was 12 years old at the Moose Lodge in Ajo, Arizona which started him on a path of musical pursuit which took him to making records, producing radio shows, and combining church services with pro wrestling matches! He’s ...

Magnificent solo artist and, of course, front man for The Wallflowers, Jacob Dylan is one of the greats. Grammy’s, mega-hits, quadruple-platinum, all of that. But it didn’t come easy. Jacob had to grind it out in the clubs and had frustrating record label problems like so many other musicians. But the greatness of his songwriting prevailed and the body of work speaks for itself. We snuck onto the tour bus while The Wallflowers were playing in Tempe, AZ and grabbed a qu...

At 15 he was playing in bars. By 25 he was writing huge hits as a member of the Gin Blossoms. And 30 plus years later he's still writing great songs and conjuring great sounds as a solo artist, collaborator, session player, producer and composer for TV and film. He's pretty much done it all and he was nice enough to stop by and tell us all about it. This is a lovely, warm, wide ranging conversation about life and the love of music so come immerse yourself in this magic.

They've threatened to do this for a while now. And it's on the verge of release! Jon and Blaine discuss the making of their fabulous new record and the great fortune that was showered upon them. Loads of heavy hitters showed up to contribute and the results are fantastic! Come on in and get the inside scoop on who's involved, where the songs came from and how this all came about.

This guy has pretty much done it all in the music business. For over 50 years he’s been a performing and recording musician and played all over North America, Europe, Africa, you name it. He’s released 17 albums and the list of great bands he has opened for is way too long to list here. He was the owner of the Sun Club in Tempe which was a big part of the scene that helped launch a number of huge bands. You want stories? Here they are. The good ones. ...