Your Next Favorite Band

Love? said the Commander - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:00 -0400

I've heard tracks from Love? said the Commander consistently on Dan Drago's 25 O'Clock Pod pretty regularly over the years. And every time it always caught my ear, and tug at my emotions. I suppose that's where the genre label "emo" truly comes from.

At some point, when I heard another one of their brilliant songs, I just said "alright, that's it. I've gotta have them on the show". And reached out to Kate Hall and Chris Bishop and we started to plan for it.

Then they pitched me this great idea - they do this thing called Secret Songs where you can engage with them to use their talents to write a song for something or someone special. You just provide them with the prompts and some key details to include lyrically. So they offered to do that for the show and, if I was down, to have me hear it for the first time live during the broadcast.

Naturally I asked them to write about the show's love and connection to ... Musikfest! Especially with that right around the corner. And so I gave them all the details around the Exordium, the Picks of the Platz, the Aw Shucks corn, the mugs, and so on. Can't wait to take a listen with all of you!

Don't miss this one - you'll love Love? said the Commander!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

As always, our hope is to bring you "your next favorite band". If you tuned in today because you already knew this musician - thank you very much! We hope that you enjoyed it and would consider following us and subscribing so we can bring you your #nextfavband in the future. And check out nextfavband.com for our entire catalog of interviews!

If you have a recommendation on who you think OUR next favorite band should be, hit us up on social media (@nextfavband everywhere) or send us an email at nextfavband@stereophiliastudio.com.

Thank you to Carver Commodore, argonaut&wasp, and Blair Crimmins for allowing us to use their music in the show open and close. It makes everything sound so much better!

Let’s catch a live show together soon!

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Disterbenz - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400

I was able to see Disterbenz (the moniker of Gabrielle Sterbenz) perform live a few years back when she opened for Wheatus and was majorly impressed. She has a powerful voice and a performance that includes looping of her vocals and guitar that really impresses. And the songwriting is stellar - mostly Americana, but really a sound all her own.

You may already know that she is a member of Wheatus as a backing vocalist. But her catalog of solo music is vastly different and worthy of your ears.

We'll hear all about Gabrielle's journey and inspirations as well as her upcoming brand new music about to be released - we get an exclusive early listen to share it with you on the show!

We'll also share a few tracks from her catalog so you can get a full Disterbenz experience. Don't miss it!

Disterbenz

Americana singer-songwriter, Gabrielle Sterbenz, has performed her music in 49 US States, Canada, the UK and EU, and Australia

While writing and recording her own music, she made ends meet as a backing vocalist, with stints on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, as a backing vocalist for Robbie Dupree (Steal Away), and as a sidewoman for Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing).

Gabrielle is currently releasing songs from her second studio album, “Icky Guy,” which she made with producer, Philip A. Jimenez, in Huntington, NY, the very town where she got her start singing.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Behind the Sound: Wheatus - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We had the great honor of spending time with Wheatus to learn all about how they achieve their iconic sound.

We had this awesome group of humans on 3 years ago to dive in to their backstory, and we did that on the sidewalk during Wayne Music Fest. One of our fav episodes for sure!

We then hatched the idea to get back together during one of their concerts in Bethlehem to capture their load-in, sound check and performances for our Behind the Sound series.

So tonight we share what we pulled together with frontman Brendan B. Brown, and bandmates Gabrielle Sterbenz and Matthew Milligan to get their additional insights and commentary.

Can't wait to share this one!

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Lia Menaker (Part 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 22:00:00 -0400

When we had Lia Menaker on back in October, we had out traditional episode format planned and ready, but a combination of some things going on in her life that were connected to her recent release "I'm Still Here" and a perfect synergy with guest co-host Galen Deery, we ended up just talking about things like heartbreak and hurt, and processing things.

At about 32 mins in to that one, I realized the banter was just too good, and shelved the research and ditched the traditional format and asked Lia if she'd come back on so we could stay with the "concepts" chat.

It was a great episode and so worth checking out, but felt we needed to honor Lia's journey and tell her story so this episode will stay disciplined on that. Like learning about her time at the CDC and how that shaped her worldview.

We'll be joined once again by Galen Deery as guest co-host. Can't wait! Don't miss this one.

Movie "Subject" that Lia scored and spoke about during the episode

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Orillia - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

One of the things we love the most on this show is when an artist grabs two (or more) genres and brings them together brilliantly and just turns your preconceived notions of what to expect in music on it's ear. When we took a listen to Orillia for the first time, we knew we were on a ride down a new road and were going to enjoy every turn.

We're joined by frontman and songwriter Andrew Marczak and his collaborator, harmonizer and partner Peach for a dive in to their backstories and across their music catalog.

Under his moniker Orillia, Andrew Marczak follows the long tradition of folk music's more progressive stewards, commanding audiences with his unique bracing tenor and skeletal arrangements. With 2 albums under his belt, he has toured across the US, Canada, and Europe, and currently resides in Chicago with his partner and collaborator, Peach. His newest record, Fire-Weed, is out now on Far West Records.

I sounds like they'll be able to play something live during the show as well! Can't wait for this one.

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Jacob Givens - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:00:00 -0400

There's a good chance you've seen Jacob Givens have a hilarious reaction to a killer track from the 90s, and if you haven't ... you should.

He's developed a series of videos that attempt to express what it was like to hear some of the iconic grunge music of the 1990s for the first time and how mind-blowing it was, and we'd never listen to music the same way after.

He also has a similar series of videos called Buried Treasures that look to reconnect everyone to some of the tracks and artists that may have been a little more under-the-radar and possibly forgotten about.

We'll share a handful of each of these shorts, and also hear Jacob's journey as music lover and entertainer - starting from the Midwest, and then chasing the dream to Los Angeles.

He's also a musician, performing in a 90s cover band called Temple of the Dads. And they have a benefit show coming up on Sunday June 14th 2026 at The Regent Theatre in L.A.

Can't wait to geek out grunge style!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

KOSER - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

We've been enjoying the music of KOSER for quite some time now, via Musikfest discovery and the Philly music scene. Koser is the namesake of the band and is the frontwoman with powerhouse performance chops, and a brilliant flair for melody and finding that hook that has you coming back for more.

During last year's Musikfest Daily LIvestreams, the universe did its magic, by having the schedule bring on Koser along with the people behind Soberplatz, and then the magic took over. Koser is herself on a sober journey, celebrating 8 years now.

Richard Liu was at that Daily Livestream last summer as well, and will join as our guest co-host for the episode. He's connected with both ArtsQuest and Sync Recovery and was a driving force behind making Soberplatz happen last year, and it's return again at this year's Musikfest.

KOSER is playing a free show on the Levitt SteelStacks this Friday, June 5th and it's called the Path to Soberplatz, to announce it's return. And they are also performing at Musifkest again this year as well.

This interview is sure to touch on a number of powerful and interesting topics, and it sounds like KOSER might perform live during the broadcast. Please tune in and share your thoughts and questions during the livestream!

Band Bio

KOSER is an alternative rock band known for fusing brooding textures with explosive energy. The group draws from post-punk, grunge, and electronic influences to craft a sound that’s delightfully soulful and sonically rich. Their music balances heavy, cinematic atmospheres with razor-sharp hooks and honest lyricism. Formed in 2022, KOSER is made up of 5 virtuosos whose live shows channel the same energy as their recordings— moody, immersive, and sneakily powerful. Pairs well with Mannequin Pussy, Radiohead, and Hayley Williams.

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Julez & the Rollerz - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Sometimes you just come across music that makes you feel good. Perfect for those summertime feelz - let's roll in Julez & the Rollerz!

I recently discovered this band and their music and know you will love them. And their videos are amazing! Can't wait to share it all, and to dive in to their backstory.

Don't miss this one!

Band Bio

After spending years cultivating a distinctively glittering fusion of glam-rock swagger, 70s-inspired riffs, and pure, unapologetic girl power, Julez and the Rollerz are turning their passions into anthems for a new generation of rock lovers. The Los Angeles–based quartet, Jules (vocals, guitar), Morgyn Payge (bass), Spark (drums), and Shea Carothers (synth), has created a sound that marries the intensity of stadium rock with the intimacy of a tight-knit sisterhood.

The formation of the band was a series of fortuitous connections. Jules met Shea in 2021 through a mutual friend, while Morgyn joined in 2022 after subbing on bass. Spark was introduced via another connection, jamming with the band during tour prep before officially joining by the end of the tour. Those initial bonds laid the groundwork for a musical and personal connection that’s palpable onstage.

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Celebrating 50 Years of Godfrey Daniels with Dave Fry & John Gorka - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 21 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Early in the year 1976, a young musician was seeking a place to perform where people wanted to listen. Frustrated by the spaces where you'd play to a crowd that was otherwise distracted, he sought to find and create an environment where the musician and the audience shared the room and the exchange of energy would be something special.

The owner of what was then the Lehigh Tavern (nowadays known as The Funhouse) mentioned that the doughnut shoppe next door was vacant. And the rest is history ... sonically beautiful history.

That person was Dave Fry and that space became the legendary Godfrey Daniels.

For this episode we honor the legacy of the space and help promote their upcoming Jubilee gala happening on Sat May 23rd to help raise funds for an exciting announcement happening that evening.

Details on the Jubilee gala to celebrate 50 years of Godfrey Daniels

I'm joined by special guest co-hosts Managing Director Ramona LaBarre and Board Member / committe lead for the Jubilee Kate Hughes.

And we have a special pre-recorded interview with co-founder Dave Fry and early performer and volunteer John Gorka, who's gone on to an illustrious career as a singer/songwriter and performer. We explore the founding of the club and how those early years quickly revealed that they built something special.

Please enjoy, consider supporting Godfrey Daniels, and hope to see you at the jubilee!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Sadie Gust - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 14 May 2026 22:00:00 -0400

A songstress from the moment she entered the world, Sadie Gust is the type of musician that was born to do it. And while she's only at the beginning of her journey, she's already garnering praise and earning accolades for her songwriting and performing.

Sadie has won the XPN 24-hour songwriting contest, made it to Hollywood on American Idol, and has released 2 EPs and several singles, with more on the way.

Her sound finds a way to sound like a familiar soulful standard but also urgently breaking new ground in rock, with vocals that soothe the soul. All built around lyrics that break your heart and take you out for a night on the town to forget all about it.

Dig in and listen over and over - time for some Sadie Gust!

Artist Bio

Sadie Gust is a 25 year-old singer-songwriter hailing from Philadelphia, PA. A unique mix of 70s soul/rock with 90s indie, she is making a name for herself and her sound by juxtaposing intricate melodies and carefully crafted lyrics with her rough, raspy tone and free spirit stage presence. With influences ranging from Fiona Apple to Radiohead to Pink Floyd, she strives to create a genre all of her own, bringing an interesting vulnerability, perspective, and sonic to rock music.

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Weakened Friends - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 07 May 2026 21:00:00 -0400

I became a fan of Weakened Friends straight off of the first listen of their iconic hit "Blue Again" back in 2019 in preparation of Musikfest that summer. This many years later, and now hosting a podcast, the opportunity came up to be able to interview Sonia Sturino and Annie Hoffman and I jumped at the opportunity.

They've just released brand new music, and it is there best stuff yet. The album is called Feels Like Hell, and comes out of a long wait - not quite "writer's block", more like waiting for the right time to harness the songwriting creativity.

We get in to all the things - their early journeys to music, how the found each other, finding balance between their approaches that can be at odds, and navigating where people are allowed to go on stage.

Band Bio

The story of Weakened Friends unfolds a bit like Fleetwood Mac’s—minus the cocaine, plus a dose of multivitamins. Just over a decade ago, vocalist Sonia Sturino invited bassist Annie Hoffman to start a new band. Now, ten years later, they’re three albums deep into the band that would come to define their lives—and Sonia and Annie are married.

Grounded in love, Weakened Friends make music to soundtrack the movie of your life—whether screaming along in the car with friends, serenading your cat, falling in love, getting married, or starting a band.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Symmetry Wood's Pyrus product with Gabe Tavas & Tim Keating - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

I had the honor of attending the first Sustainability Summit hosted by Martin Guitar last October and was so inspired by the speakers, the panels, the information and the people I met while I was there.

One of the speakers and tabling organizations was Symmetry Wood, and met co-founders CEO Gabe Tavas and CSO Tim Keating. I was so impressed with their inventive approach to replacing the precious tonewoods and endangered materials that go in to the making of musical instruments, particularly fretboards and fingerboards. I just had to bring them on the No Planet B Pre-Jam to share their story and their product with all of you.

Check out their site and sign up for their newsletter!

SYMMETRY WOOD'S MISSION
With our new wood, Pyrus™, we aim to help end unsustainable tropical hardwood logging and safeguard the third of tree species at risk of extinction.

HOW THEY DO IT
We use bacterial nanocellulose, which is very similar to the cellulose essential to tree-derived wood. It can be gathered as waste from kombucha breweries, or generated from other types of organic waste.

Pyrus® is a petroleum-free wood-like material sustainably produced with repurposed bacterial cellulose from the kombucha industry. Our material is dense, splinter-free, and contains no harmful ingredients that are often found in plastics and exotic woods.

Symmetry Wood found its earliest success in making and selling guitar picks cut from Pyrus®.

Guitarists all around the U.S. complimented the feel and durability, while appreciating the environmental benefit.

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Sustain Music & Nature with Betsy Mortensen & Harrison Goodale - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

I had the honor of attending the first Sustainability Summit hosted by Martin Guitar last October and was so inspired by the speakers, the panels, the information and the people I met while I was there.

One of the speakers and tabling organizations was Sustain Music & Nature, and met co-founders CEO Betsy Mortensen and Board Chair Harrison Goodale. I was amazed by their vision and offerings to bring musicians and protected lands together to inspire beautiful music to help share the story of these beautiful spaces and the importance of protecting them. I just had to bring them on the No Planet B Pre-Jam to share their story and their product with all of you.

Check out their site and sign up for their newsletter!

SUSTAIN MUSIC & NATURE MISSION:
Create partnerships between the music industry and environmental organizations

THEIR STORY:
Sustain is a non-profit organization that creates partnerships between the music industry and environmental organizations. We do this by identifying opportunities to connect musicians and nature organizations and increase awareness about the work of both. Sustain also promotes environmentally sound practices across all aspects of the music industry. We pursue our mission through two main project areas: Songscapes and Trail Sessions.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

No Planet B Pre-Jam 2026 - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Check this ep out for all things No Planet B Jamboree this year and then some. This is our 4th annual event centered around sustainability and conservation within the music industry and beyond.

I'll be joined by special guest co-host Aimee Kohler of The Running Kind, who's helping host the 5k Fun Run prior to the music starting for the 2nd year in a row.

Together we'll explore the phenomenal design by Em Kohler (her sister) and touch on all the details of the event: the tabling organizations, the Mayor's appearance, and of course the music. We'll share selections from Nervous Nikki & the Chill Pills, The Hot Mamas, and Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen.

And this year's festival has achieved a 2-Leaf certification from Musicians for Sustainability! We'll highlight how that came to be as well as who and what made it all possible.

And we'll also share highlights from our recent interviews with the leaders of Symmetry Wood and Sustain Music & Nature - two organizations making a great impact on the music industry in various green ways.

You won't want to miss this one!

#nextfavband #noplanetb #jamboree #musicsustainability #musicdiscovery #musicinterview #livemusic #music #musician #explorepage #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #musiclover #musicfestival #certifiedfestival #ecofriendly #climatechange #climateaction #renewableenergy

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Ben Kogan | Musicians for Sustainability - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:00:00 -0400

I attended a Sustainability Summit for the music industry hosted by Martin Guitar back in the fall of 2025. It was a great day of panels, Q&A and networking that includes musicians, manufacturers and support organizations all seeking to make the industry a bit more green, sustainable and less negative impact to the earth.

While there, I was able to listen to Ben Kogan speak on one of the panels, and share how "easy" it was to make certain decisions for hosting live music festivals that would be much better for the environment. And so I approached him during one of the breaks and asked him if he'd come on the show to talk about it, and perhaps help improve the No Planet B Jamboree's overall impact.

His organization Reusable Solutions and moreso Musicians for Sustainability help work with event organizers in key areas and if they establish certain benchmarks can become a certified festival at varying levels - which we've been able to achieve!

Tune in as we learn about Ben's music journey, the inspirations behind the nonprofits he's formed, and we talk through the process of getting a festival certified. It'll be a good one!

Band Bio

Ben Kogan Band blends Indie-Americana with jazz and bluegrass sensibilities. A graduate of the University of Miami for Jazz Bass, Ben spent two years in Boston performing with future household names like Rubblebucket, Lake Street Dive, David Wax Museum, and Della Mae, before spending 12 years in NYC and Brooklyn. He relocated to Woodstock, VT in 2021 with his wife and son and now lives in Barnard.

He is also a co-organizer of the Imagine Zero festival and founder of Reusable Solutions / Musicians for Sustainability.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Ruby Dear: 3-Song Set - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

For this week's episode, we met Jenny Founds, Jesse Braun and Jon Braun in their rehearsal space, and they fired up the instruments to give us an exclusive performance of 3 songs from the Ruby Dear catalog, one of which is not yet released!

They performed:

"This Will"
"Night Nurse"
"Spirit Go"

Enjoy!

#nextfavband #rubydear #musicdiscovery #musicinterview #livemusic #music #musician #explorepage #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #musiclover #musicfestival

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Ruby Dear - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:00:00 -0400

Back-to-back episodes find Jenny Founds, Jesse Braun and Jon Braun pulling double duty - this week focused on sharing the story and the original music of the killer power trio Ruby Dear. Bringing some of the most incredibly unique songs and powerful performances.

From tracks like "Spirit Go" that belong with the greatest anthems to ever come out of the Lehigh Valley, to "Screwed" that will have you dancing and crying at the same time, Ruby Dear put me in that delicious space where I can bring you your next favorite band and highlight our amazing local music scene all in one beautiful episode.

And once again met at the rehearsal space of the interviewees and they graciously agreed to perform live - one track for the episode, and then a 3-song set of exclusive performances, one song is not yet released - and it's a banger! Be sure to check it out in the bonus episode this week.

Band Bio

There is a door, a door you unlock with a key. This key comes in the form of a band. A band from another dimension - a dimension of not only sight and sound but of mind.

This band takes you into a land of both shadow and substance, through the smallest crack in the sidewalk that is our consciousness - the gray space which is the middle ground between light and shadow, science and superstition. This band lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This band, is Ruby Dear.

A rock band. A trio. A sound like no other.

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Behind the Sound: Start Making Sense - a tribute to The Talking Heads - Your Next Favorite Band

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Our Behind the Sound episodes seek to bring us, the concert goer, "backstage" so we can better understand how the iconic sound of a particular band is created. It has become something of a tradition to do this with a tribute band that does such an incredible job re-creating the sound and visuals of a band that has incredible music, and is someone we can no longer catch a live show of. This week we spend time with Start Making Sense, who've become the premier Talking Heads tribute band around.

Fronted by Jon Braun, who bears an uncanny resemblance to David Byrne, this gathering of musicians have brought an incredible commitment to creating the quirky and brilliant music of the much-loved band.

We'll spend time meeting everyone that makes up Start Making Sense, and see how it all comes together with Load-in and Sound Check, which at times is its own thoroughly enjoyable performance art.

And then we'll share some of the songs from a recent performance at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA and ask the band members to provide commentary throughout, both about their early stages and their fav moments from the road.

The music of Talking Heads has excited, inspired, and healed folks worldwide since their first show at CBGB’s in 1975. If David Byrne is one of the geniuses of modern times, then Start Making Sense is a tribute to genius. Start Making Sense celebrates the entire Talking Heads’ catalog meticulously executing the sounds and iconic live visual elements in every performance. Together these skilled and dedicated musicians enjoy bringing the unique, infectious energy of a Talking Heads live show that you know and love to the stage.

Don't miss this one!

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John Hollier & the Rêverie - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:00:00 -0400

This week we're honored to spend time with John Hollier and his band The Rêverie.

First - it's pronounced "oh - lee - yea". Second - getchoself ready for a French-Cajun blend of rock-n-roll, heartland grit, and cinematic storytelling with one foot in the swamp and the other charging ahead.

We'll spend time hearing about how John grew up on the crawfish farms in central Louisiana, learning music from his family, but not until he learned enough on his own. Then traveling to Nashville to continue his learning, but ultimately to unleash his natural, raw talent on the world.

And as much has you're going to love his recorded music, you'll have to catch a live show to see the genuine article as that is where they truly shine, in a wonderfully filthy way.

We'll also hear from members of the band on how they all came together and some memorable moments from tour and recording their album "Rainmaker" that just came out.

Guest co-host Jeff Wentz, who introduced me to this band and made them my next fav, recounts when he saw them perform and lead guitarist Zachary Scott Cline esq ripped a solo in a bathtub - you'll have to tune in to hear the full story!

Sounds like John will perform live acoustic on the show, and we'll share a bunch of tracks as well. Don't miss it!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

NextFavBand Sessions Vol9 - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Here's another compilation episode that includes the next batch of exclusive performances from previous appearance of #nextfavbands!

This collection is from October 2024 to this time last year June 2025. It also includes 2 of the 3 performers from last year's No Planet B Jamboree, 1 of the performers from this past Winter WonderJam, and all 3 of this year's No Planet B Jamboree performers. Whoa!

NextFavBand Sessions Vol9
- "Long After Dark" by Roberta Faceplant
- "Snakeskin Boots" by Drew & the Blue
- "Good Love" by Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen
- "Everything's Fine" by Dirty Dollhouse
- "The Heart of this Town" by Cass Noelle
- "Floor to Fall From" by The Hot Mamas
- "Optimist" by Brian Dunne
- "Goodbyes" by Kendall Lujan
- "Bad Haircut" by Zoe Lemon
- "Lose You" by Windser
- "Flowers from the Funeral" by Erin Fox
- "Out of My Hands" by Nervous Nikki & the Chill Pills

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and/or follow us on Instagram so you can keep up on the latest and find your #nextfavband !

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The Vindys - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:00:00 -0500

This episode is special - as it represents the perfect outcome of what this show was build on and all about. The Vindys were the band at the top of our "must see" list heading in to Musikfest 2025 last summer, and they exceeded expectations with an incredible performance. Then they were also super nice and agreed to come on the show. So here we are, sitting down with lead singer and head songwriter Jackie Popovec, lead guitarist John Anthony, and rhythm guitarist Rick Deak.

For the past decade, The Vindys have been captivating audiences with their signature blend of rock, soul, and pop. Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, the band has built a devoted following through electrifying live performances and heartfelt songwriting.

At the heart of The Vindys is powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Jackie Popovec, who has earned high praise from none other than Pat Benatar, who raved, “She’s amazing. That girl can sing her ass off.” She’s backed by an exceptional lineup, with John Anthony delivering electrifying lead guitar, Rick Deak on rhythm guitar, Owen Davis on drums, Brendan Burke on bass, and Nathan Anthony on keys. Together, this dynamic ensemble crafts a sound that Music Connection Magazine hails as “rock and roll at its finest.”

This is one you're not going to want to miss!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Listen to the Dissonance 2026 Preview - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 23:00:00 -0500

Our 3rd annual Listen to the Dissonance:songs and conversations about mental health event will take place on Friday, February 27th at The IceHouse in Bethlehem, PA. The show starts at 7pm ET and features brave stories and powerful music from CLOVER, Judah Kim, Barney Cortez and Patty PerShayla. Each have been on the show previously, so you can check out our interview with any and all of them at nextfavband.com.

The doors open at 6pm so you can also have time to meet with the 9 mental health organizations that will be present and get to know them, their people and the services they offer.

In this episode, we'll share a track from each of the performers and touch on the various organizations.

Joining us to help co-host will be Hannah Taylor - who is a stunning visual artists who designed this year's promotional poster images. She's also a phenomenal musician herself, and part of the band The Flying Vees, who also have an interview on our channel.

We also have highlights of interviews share - one with Ari Jacobson, Clinical Director of Backline.care, the organization we always raise funds for and spotlight as a part of this event as they provide free mental health services to the music industry. The other with Ed Schwartzman, father of Ben who was an incredible young musician who battled mental health issues and sadly took his own life back in 2007 at the age of 19 years old. Ed seeks to keep his son's legacy alive by sharing his music and his story.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and that you are doing ok. Please join us on Fri 2/27 if you can, for what is always a special evening.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Dan Levitin and Music As Medicine - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:00:00 -0500

Before ever even having a show, I had read the book This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J. Levitin simply because I was fascinated by the magic of music, and it was a wonderful read.

Then when I started to have my own show about music discovery, I "shot my shot" and reached out to Dr Levitin to see if he'd be open to coming on as a guest. And back in Nov of 2022, I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing him for episode 27 of Your Next Favorite Band. In addition to the book, we explore his personal journey as well as his catalog of music and songs he wrote.

That first book was released in 2006, and now almost 20 years later, he has a new book called I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine - and it shows how far the understanding of how music impacts the brain from a healing perspective has come. There've been many trials and testing and statistical proof of its benefits in helping Parkinson's patients walk, stroke victims speak, chronic pain sufferers get relief, and people who manage depression and addiction find some peace and connection. Ultimately helping people find themselves and some of the most human connections we have.

We spend time catching up with Dan and diving in to the content of his new book and the various ways that music is proving to be more magical than ever. Starting with "experiential fusion" or "flow", and on through to the brain chemicals that unlock some of the positive effects.

If you're a fan of music or science, you'll love this episode. And if you're a fan of both - consider this your next favorite episode.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Episode 200!! - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Episode 200??? I can't believe it. When first started doing interviews with musicians I admired, I thought I'd get maybe 10-20 people total to say yes to coming on the show. And now here we are 200 episodes in, and we're only just warming up.

I reached out to the person who was the guest on Episode 1 - Mike Mains. We chat about that, his personal journey, and how his bravery and vulnerability at a show I caught back in 2023 lead to the creation of our Listen to the Dissonance shows that feature songs and conversations on mental health. And his song "Around the Corner" has become the anthem and rallying cry for it.

I also sought out my "nextfavband" of the past 2 years - Smokey Brights. I was finally able to catch a live show recently when these Pacific Northwesterners headed east for a tour out this way. It was such a treat and an honor to get to meet them and to hear them perform.

Then I checked in with some of my closest friends who all have been guest co-hosts on the show - Kate Hughes, Greg Provenzo, James McLaine and Jeff Wentz, and they all hopped on to help steer this episode and share some fun and touching stories of what our show introduced them to.

Please let us know if we've had the honor of introducing you to your #nextfavband, and also who you recommend become our next fav. We'd love to hear from you!

Thank you all - this has been so incredibly rewarding and fun for me. I cherish every interview and every opportunity to introduce someone to new music.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Coda Music Streaming Service - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

The topic of streaming services comes up on our show a lot, and one thing we're always hoping to raise awareness on is how little revenue there is in that for the artist. But what if it wasn't like that? Coda Music is a new streaming service seeks to offer a more ethical treatment of the musicians who's art is on their platform.

We're joined by CEO Randy Fusee and COO Ted Andre who will help talk us through all of what differentiates their offering - both to the consumer and to the musician - and why you should consider switching over to them.

We've tried their service out, and it sounds great and is easy to use. Definitely look forward to learning more. And I like what I'm hearing regarding better revenue for the artists. Not to mention the commitment to reduce the use of AI music and empower the user to steer clear of that slop.

We'll also hear the backstories and journeys of Randy and Ted, and how Coda Music went from and idea to a reality.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Defend Public Radio with Lovecartel - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Many of our finest institutions are under attach by removing funding and support. One such pillar is public radio - stations across the country are faced with difficult decisions and intimidating challenges on how to accomplish their missions with drastically reduced or non-existing funding from our government.

Stations like WDIY here in the Lehigh Valley that provides so much for our community now approach an uncertain future with the hopes that the coommunity they've served for so long will continue to and increase their support financially.

And thanks to citizens like Lucas Wolk, there is hope. Lucas has organized the Defend Public Radio event, bringing together 4 bands, food trucks, local vendors and raffles and giveaways all in the hopes of generating funding and support for the station. And to inspire others to take similar action in other communities.

Lucas is also a member of the band Lovecartel - one of the bands on the line-up. They are joined by Drew & the Blue, We're From Antarctica and Dear Misty to hit the stage and delight our earholes.

In this episode we'll be joined by Executive Director of WDIY Margaret McConnell to learn first hand how these funding cuts have impacted the operation. And how they are persevering.

We'll also hear spend time with Lucas Wolk and Ash Kernan of Lovecartel to hear all about their band's journey, and the inspiration to put on this show to support WDIY.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Billy Joel Jr - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:00:00 -0500

This band from Chicago came flying in to our mindshare late in 2025 with their album release Ur A Star, and especially their track "Bad Heart" which caught our earholes so fast and furiously, it made our Top 19 Songs of 2025 list.

We'll spend time with lead singer and songwriter Ari Levin and learn all about this bands raw and infectious sound, and that's not where their duality ends. They are self-proclaimed indifferent slackers and obsessive romantics. We definitely need to get to the bottom of that!

We'll share some killer tracks of theirs and sounds like Ari will play something live during the show for us.

And of course, we'll need to explore the origin of the band name, and hear about the hilarious April Fool's gag they pulled that actually went viral before they even knew it. So funny.

You won't want to miss this one! First episode of 2026 comin in hot!!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Top 19 Songs of 2025 - Your Next Favorite Band & Song

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 01:00:00 -0500

We wanted to share our fav tracks from the year, so we were able to whittle it down to the top 19 according to our earholes.

We decided to provide the one track that we liked the best - which for 2025 is "Never Rest" by Great Grandpa. The remainder of the list is shared in chronological order of album release date.

Top 19 songs of 2025

"Never Rest" by Great Grandpa
“Weird Birthday Song” by Kendall Lujan
“Abandon” by Windser
“Eleven Sent (This Time)” by Courting
“Pleaser” by Wilby
“Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron
“catch these fists” by wet leg
“moody” by Royel Otis
“Please Don’t Cry” by Kacy Hill
“God’s Punching Bag” by Barney Cortez
“Atlas” by CLOVER
“Rivers” by Daisychain
“Brand New Day” by Sug Daniels
“Ain’t Looking Good” by Shane Guerette
“Way Down In The Valley” by Jesse Roper
“Legesse Abdi” by Damn Tall Buildings
“Northgate Way” by Smokey Brights
“Bad Heart” by Billy Joel Jr
“The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station” by CMAT

Tell us which ones catch your ears! And what were your fav tracks of the year? We'd love to hear from you.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Year Review / Preview Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 23:00:00 -0500

Join us on New Year's Day as we spend time with long time friend and previous co-host of the show David Moore to revisit the year that was 2025, and preview what we have in store for 2026.

We'll talk resolutions, guests, live events, Musikfest, and much much more (Moore?).

I even share my Top 19 Songs of 2025 and we’ll be releasing a bonus podcast only episode that shares each track. Be sure to check it out!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

WXPN's 885 Greatest Cover Songs (Second Half) - NextFavBand / 25 O'Clock / Yo! That's My Jawn

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Every year WXPN puts out a "Greatest" prompt for the listernship community to chew on and submit their Top 10 list. The station then compiles, calculates and computes the highest ranking 885 from those submissions. This year, we are determining the Greatest Cover Songs of all-time.

Here's how WXPN is defining a cover: A cover is when an artist performs or records a song created and released by someone else. Full stop.

I'll once again be joined by my fav Pod Pals Dan Drago from 25 O'Clock Pod and Nate Runkel from Yo! That's My Jawn.

In this second half, Dan, Nate and Phillip share their Top 10 lists providing commentary and rationale along the way. They also provide prognostication regarding what will make it to the ultimate top of the list being revealed by WXPN the next day.

There's also a tense moment around the song "Hallelujah" and Nate attempts to kick Phillip off the show. Pretty surprising given the season and the song (that is better covered by Puddle Pity Party).

Please share your picks for Greatest Cover Songs of All-Time!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

WXPN's 885 Greatest Cover Songs (First Half) - NextFavBand / 25 O'Clock / Yo! That's My Jawn

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Every year WXPN puts out a "Greatest" prompt for the listernship community to chew on and submit their Top 10 list. The station then compiles, calculates and computes the highest ranking 885 from those submissions. This year, we are determining the Greatest Cover Songs of all-time.

Here's how WXPN is defining a cover: A cover is when an artist performs or records a song created and released by someone else. Full stop.

I'll once again be joined by my fav Pod Pals Dan Drago from 25 O'Clock Pod and Nate Runkel from Yo! That's My Jawn to analyze and provide our commentary on the list as it's being released, share our predictions for the ultimate Top 10, and provide the painstaking detail that went in to our own Top 10 lists.

In this first half of the livestream, we spend time running through the list thus far (with only 1 day to go!) and we are also joined by special guests, WXPN on-air talen Wendy Rollins and Raina Douris, who both share what this list means to them and the station each year, and what was on their Top 10.

Wendy's List

"Hazy Shade of Winter" covered by The Bangles
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding" covered by Elvis Costello
"Love Is Blindness" covered by Jack White
"With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker
"Thank You" covered by Tori Amos
"Feeling Good" covered by Muse
"All Along The Watchtower" covered by Jimi Hendrix
"Hallelujah" covered by Jeff Buckley
"Success Has Made A Failure of Our Home" covered by Sinead O'Connor
"Alone Again Or" covered by The Damned

Raina's List

"The Chauffer" covered by Deftones
"Common People" covered by William Shatner
"Lake of Fire" covered by Nirvana
"Tainted Love" covered by Soft Cell
"Mad World" covered by Gary Jules
"The Hurdy Gurdy Man" covered by Butthole Surfers
"Faith" covered by Limp Bizkit
"Pursuit of Happiness" covered by Lissie
"Log Driver's Waltz" covered by The Hidden Cameras, Feist, Rufus Wainwright, and Mary Margaret O'Hara
"Changes" covered by Charles Bradley

Please share your picks for Greatest Cover Songs of All-Time!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Winter Wonder Pre-Jam 2025 - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 23:00:00 -0500

Join us as we express gratitude and honor the guests we've had throughout the year and invite them back to share a message for the season and perform a holiday tune.

We have messages and songs from:

Kyle Lacy & Amanda D'Amico - "Holly Jolly Christmas"
Kahone Concept - "Christmas, How I've Missed This"
Joe Edelmann - "Nice Dream / War Is Over"
Emma Bockrath - "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"
The Flying Vees - "On This Christmas Night"
Avery Ballotta of Damn Tall Buildings
John Kim Faye - "White Christmas"
Hermosa - "Wonderful Things"
Galen Deery - "Helplessly Hoping"
Koyal - "Santa Baby"
Lia Menaker - "Christmas Alone - Together At Home"
Zach Miller of Dr Dog - "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
Gina Zo - "Santa, Do You Know?"
Nervous Nikki & the Chill Pills - "Murder By Mistletoe"
TIOGA - "Blue Christmas"
The Hot Mamas - "Maybe This Year Will Be Better Than The Last"

And we will also share highlights from last year's Winter WonderJam event from Joe Edelmann and Emma Bockrath and hope you will consider joining us for this year's extravaganza happening once again at the legendary Godfrey Daniels on Sat Dec 6th at 7:00pm ET.

We will also honor and raise awareness of those homeless shelters and food banks in our communities that are doing such amazing work - in particular our own New Bethany in Bethlehem, PA, as well as the national nonprofit organization Feeding America.

Please join as we kick of the holiday spirit with this 4th annual Winter WonderJam programming.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Bird Streets - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 23:00:00 -0500

When I recently was introduced to the music of Bird Streets, it immediately jumped out as something special. Described as running the gamut from claustrophobic folk, to anthemic indie pop, to punk rock freakouts - there's something here for everyone.

One song in particular has been living in my earholes since I first heard it, and so I cannot wait to connect with John Brodeur, the mastermind behind the sound.

John has been writing and performing music for a good while now - first as part of a few bands, then for some solo music, and then most recently since 2018 under the nom-de-guerre Bird Streets. He's recently released the second album Escape Artist, and it his best work yet.

Starting at the age of 4 being introduced to music and exploring instruments - drums were the first love, then school introduced him to the flute and on to guitar and others after that. A true professional - this will be a great convo, filled with fun and nerdy music details.

And sounds like he'll perform live during the show! Don't miss it!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The Kyle Lacy Band - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0500

After one of the coolest moments of Musikfest this past year, and a killer set, we're so excited to spend time with rockabilly blues man Kyle Lacy!

Born and raised in Atlanta, based in NYC, this cat has the magical ability to transport an audience to the 1950s and experience rock-n-roll as it was taking its first steps.

We'll dive in to his catalog, his backstory, how he creates this time warp, and he will play live for us! Don't miss out!

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

State of Things Banter with George Hrab - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 22:00:00 -0500

A bunch of topics have been on my mind, and I wanted to talk about them with you all. Some of them are deep and that I wanted to ensure we got a musicians perspective on, so I reached out to my good friend George Hrab and he agreed to come on and banter with me.

We'll first review Halloween and some related topics and then talk about the recent announcement of the Winter WonderJam 2025 line-up and details, and also tease the 2026 events we've got brewing.

Related to those events, we'll touch on the topics of artificial intelligence both its impact on art and music, as well as the environment. And we'll also talk about music streaming and what are some of the options out there that are better for musicians.

I'll share my top 10 list for the WXPN Greatest Cover Songs of All Time adventure and talk about our upcoming episode.

And of course hear more about George's goings on as a musician, and his Hall of Fame Geologic Podcast.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Nep - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400

We were recently introduced to the infectious music of Nep and instantly knew we wanted to listen to more, and to hopefully bring her on the show. Multiple bangers later, here we are - right on the heels of the release of the brand new music on her debut full length release Noelle and right before she tours to support the new music.

The story of Nep begins in Daytona, Florida, a place of endless motorcycle rallies, sticky summers, and the kind of small-town culture she always knew she'd leave behind. Growing up surrounded by Bike Week and Biketoberfest, she felt both shaped and alienated by the noise of her hometown. "Beaches are fucked, Daytona sucks," she sings on Biketoberfest, mocking and mourning the place that raised her.

It's that push and pull, the desire to escape and the need to memorialize, that fuels her debut album, Noelle. Written during her senior year at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, Nep crafted the record with her best friend and collaborator Jake Sonderman. Between classes, late-night studio sessions, and college parties that often bled into the lyrics themselves, the pair built an album that feels both diaristic and cinematic: raw experience refracted through sharp, infectious indie-pop.

We'll explore her upbringing in a house of music and engineers, her college years where she blossomed and found her true self, and now here at the precipice of music stardom.

Nep will also perform live acoustic on the show! Don't miss it!!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Daisychain - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

When my ears heard the first moments of the song "Rivers" by Daisychain, everything stopped. It was one of those moments. I knew we were in "nextfavband" land. A deeper dive in to their catalog reveled countless bangers - all tracks stay true to a core dripping with psych rock blues, but they often take a moment to try on other genres, all to a great success.

Daisychain is a femme-fronted psych/blues rock trio from Chicago made up of Nickole Regala (bass, vocals), Frankie Sripada (lead guitar) and Sophia Williams (rhythm guitar, vocals).

Formed in 2017, Regala and Williams met at a local open mic night, and weeks later they were jamming. Sripada was invited into the mix, and the trio began rehearsing as Daisychain in the basement of their neighborhood coffee shop. Since then, the trio has toured the country, including playing Chicago's legendary Metro and now with their brand new full-length album, aims to cement themselves further within the rising Midwestern indie psych rock landscape.

Be sure to check them out and catch them play live when they perform near you!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Fabiola Méndez - Tu Próxima Banda Favorita (Your Next Favorite Band)

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:00:00 -0400

We have such a wonderful treat for everyone this week - we are honored to bring you a fantastic chat with the world renowned cuatrista Fabiola Méndez!

This brilliant musician picked up the cuatro (a classic folk guitar of Puerto Rico) at 6 years old and hasn't put it down since. She learned to play it from the masters of her country and then it earned her a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she was the first to graduate with the cuatro as her principle instrument.

We'll spend time learning about her musical and personal journey, but also about the history of the cuatro, and also the struggle of Puerto Rico as a colonized land for its entire history. Fabi is passionate about raising awareness about her beloved homeland, and also the rich heritage is has, and the strong female artists that are from there.

And Fabiola will perform live! You won't believe that she started out as an instrumentalist when you hear her gorgeous vocals.

And a huge thank you to guest co-host for this episode - Maraleen Shields!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Zach Miller of Dr Dog - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0400

We were so honored to be able to host the venerable Dr Dog on our show and loved our time with keyboardist Zach Miller. He took us through his early inspirations and then on in to the band - even experiencing some of the "chaotic and unhinged" live performances the provide along with us.

We also spend time exploring the latest announcement of them joining the Philly Music Fest line-up, and what all that means.

Zach also has some solo offerings, including the seminal and iconic "Synthesizer Man" which is sure to delight your eardrums.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Lia Menaker (Part 1) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0400

This was such a special conversation, and went differently than any prior episode - hence the "Part 1" shown here. We'll have Lia back for a dive in to her personal journey and inspirations, but this one started in the asbstract and Lia, Galen and I decided to stay there.

We played Lia's brand new (released yesterday) track "I'm Still Here" and she was brave and vulnerable sharing the full backstory which included reunion, empathy, and support, but then transitioned to manipulation, hurtfulness and the need for boundaries. So we continued exploring concepts together and touched on healing modalities, especially through music, connecting with others memories, and balancing the freedom of making mistakes with the polish of a finished piece of art. What an incredible convo!

So here is the original copy we developed for this episode, and be on the lookout for Part 2 with Lia where we'll get the full story and dive in to her story...

We fell for the music of Lia Menaker during the prep leading up to Musikfest this year. We could not wait to catch her set (even cutting our Daily Livestream that day short to make sure I could get there in time to see a good bit of the back half), and her performance did not disappoint.

For the feelers, the seekers, and the sonically curious, Lia Menaker’s "noirtronica" music is where soulful pop meets moody elegance and emotional grit. Her voice—rich with raw emotion and echoes of soulful greats like Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse—cuts through with a modern pop and R&B edge. It’s this balance, along with playful vocal loops and sonic experimentation, that continues to fascinate and guide her songwriting and producing.

Be sure to check out this very special musician and join us for this chat!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

3 Songs From Mercyland by TIOGA - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:00:00 -0400

Several years in the making, Mercyland from TIOGA is a 15-song, 3 Act, concept album that will take you on a special journey - both sonically and lyrically.

Greg, Austin, Derick and Henri took a moment during our recent recording session to play 3 of the most powerful track for us acoustically.

They perform:

"Run Until You're Clear"
"Megaton Soul"
"The Devil's On Call"

Please enjoy and make sure you check out Mercyland when it comes out. It's going to be special!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

TIOGA - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:00:00 -0400

We were able to get the full band together at Adamsplatz to hear each of their backstories, and their personal perspective on the journey this band is on. Standing at the edge of the precipice of releasing brand new music that is huge in many ways: the length of time they've been working on it, the scope of the concept of the album, and the sonic grandeur they are delivering to your earholes.

We also recorded a special exclusive 3-song acoustic set that will be released separately, so keep a look out for that!

TIOGA is a Philadelphia-based modern indie rock band known for blending danceable synth-pop with meaningful alternative indie rock, drawing inspiration from artists like New Order, The Killers, and David Bowie. The quartet, consisting of Austin Paragas, Greg Adams, Derrick Dieso, and Henri Tyler, explores themes of running from the past and new beginnings in their music.

Mercyland drops this week and their record release is happening in Philly this Friday Sept 26th. Check it out!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Kahone Concept - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 22:00:00 -0400

The journey that Kahone Concept takes you on is a thrill ride that you never know where its about to take you - he brings you in with clever wit and ridiculous visuals, then wins you over with pop hooks and infectious grooves, but then shows you the soft, vulnerable side of raw emotion and the lack of assuredness that all of us feel as we try to figure out this thing called life and how to navigate it. Its one of my absolute fav discoveries ever and I cannot wait to chat with Ben and learn more.

Kahone Concept officially began in 1969, but the foundations of this Pittsburgh-based pop artist/producer were laid long before then. 56-year-old Ben Kahone taught himself how to play a variety of instruments throughout his childhood, but as he’d struggled to find people to start a band with, he took matters into his own hands. Using a calculator (Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS) given to him by his high school, he began recording and producing tracks independently. Swearing he would never "make music with anybody but Mr. Wonderful (NBC's Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary)" he decided to legally change his name to Ben Kahone, leaving his friends and family behind to pursue his artistic vision. (The author must mention he has not left anyone behind, and continues to have great relationships with friends and family, but he insisted it be included). Kahone's debut album "The Greatest Hits" dawns a new era for the pop artist and is now available worldwide (Except North Dakota, he insisted that it specifically not distributed to that region. When asked, he chose not to comment).

Sounds like they'll be able to perform during the episode, and we'll share songs from his YouTube channel as well as video we captured from Musikfest that includes a signing hot dog.

And we're joined by guest co-host Gina Masotto! So safe to say you'll not want to miss this one!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Barney Cortez - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Fresh off dazzling and wowing us and all of Musikfest on opening night, Barney Cortez kicks off our first interview post-fest as we get back in to our regular programming. And we are honored to bring his sound on the show, as it's right up our alley, and we think you'll love it too.

In addition to having him share his story and his music, we were lucky to catch some video of his performance during Musikfest where he broke not 1 but 2 strings during the song! Can't wait to hear what was going through his head in that moment.

Sounds like he'll be able to perform live during the show as well.

And a surprise guest co-host - all the way from Hong Kong: Dan Drago of 25 O'Clock Pod!! Which may not be a complete surprise since Barney is from Philly and Dan is in fact the person to first introduce me to his music.

Barney Cortez is a songwriter/producer hailing from Philadelphia. Along with Nick Bockrath (Cage The Elephant), he founded the band Nicos Gun and was their sole singer/songwriter. 2018 found him breaking off to make his own EP "Pretty Thin", which introduced his unique brand of pop/rock sensibilities. After a steady release of four EP's, a tour of Europe and a string of singles, he released his debut album "Hullabaloo" on La Reserve Records. The song "Shit River" with Rayland Baxter made its way onto Spotify's "Fresh Folk" playlist amongst others.

2025 finds him gearing up for the release of his second LP "Earth Station", which was mixed by Jeff Lucci of Mo Lowda & the Humble. His most cohesive work to date, "Earth Station" shines a light on Cortez' clever mix of psych rock, sonic experimentation and heartfelt, honest storytelling.

Don't miss this one and be sure to catch Barney perform live when is plays nearby!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest Optimum 2025 - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0400

Be sure to tune in for our #BestoftheFest episode where we share our top highlights and nextfavbands we discovered from Musikfest 2025.

Our 4th annual highlight show and 4th livestreaming from Bonn Place Brewing. Come on down and join in the fun!

Featured are (chronologically from the festival):

Barney Cortez - "Drink Hard"
Kahone Concept - "Take Me Out To The Ballgame / Trashy State of Mind"
Slingshot Dakota - "Casino Night"
Gadan - "Boys In The Gap / Arkansas Traveler"
Ruby Dear - "Screwed"
Roi & the Secrete People - "Arizona"
Elias Hix - "Thinner"
Bren - "Happy Birthday"
The Vindys - "Chasin' / War Pigs"
KOSER - cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop"
The Kyle Lacy Band - "Cryin' & Shakin'" and the killer solo in the crowd
Atlassian - unsure of track title
Zoe Lemon - "Kurt Vonnegut Would Love You"
Drew & the Blue - "I'm Broke"
The Dracu-las - "Fire"
The Black Keys - "Wild Child"

We want to hear your Best of the Fest moments and discoveries from this year's festival, so please chat them in during the broadcast or DM them to us.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Highlights from Musikfest 2025 Daily Livestreams - Part 2: The Kass & Cass Show; and Soberplatz

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:00 -0400

An incredible week of Daily Livestreams from Godfrey Daniels during Musikfest again this year! Thank you again to Godfrey Daniels for letting us use the club as home base for this each year. Can't believe this was our 4th year doing it!

This highlight episode includes our time with:

Kassie Hilgert - CEO of ArtsQuest
Cass Noelle - singer/songwriter and passionate supporter of mental health services
Laura Waits - founder of Synchronicity Recovery Foundation
Richard Liu - member and former chair of the ArtsQuest Performing Arts Board and passionate supporter of sober services and safe places

Hope you enjoy! And subscribe on YouTube to catch these live along with our Picks of the Platz at next year's Musikfest. And our regular episodes of music discovery year round!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Highlights from Musikfest 2025 Daily Livestreams - Part 1: Ramona, Mallory & Bobby, Bo and Kyle

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 20:00:00 -0400

This highlight episode includes our time with:

Ramona Labarre - Managing Director of Godfrey Daniels
Mallory Zondag - visual artists and the designer of the 2025 Musikfest poster/mug
Bobby Siegfried - singer/songwriter of Chasing Daylight and Up & Up - a tribute to Coldplay
Bo Koltnow - journalist and news anchor of WFMZ 69 News
Kyle Edwards - founder of A True L.O.V.E. Story and the venue Inkwell

Hope you enjoy! And subscribe on YouTube to catch these live along with our Picks of the Platz at next year's Musikfest. And our regular episodes of music discovery year round!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Gadan - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:00:00 -0400

Musikfest Magic! We've learned that all 5 members of Gadan will be joining us today at Godfrey Daniels during their time here for the festival.

Gadan is Irish music with American flavor and Italian seasoning - a storming new band blending the drive of Irish trad and bluegrass with the soul of folk and Appalachian music… spiced with Italian flair! Featuring young yet seasoned Italian musicians, they joined forces in 2024 with Enda Scahill, tenor banjo legend and founder of We Banjo 3, and now featuring Eric Long from the US.

With no less than three outrageous, unlawful, and audacious banjos – plus fiddle, mandolin, and guitar – Gadan delivers a powerful “strings-only” sound, enhanced by a driving rhythmic pulse. Their high energy performance and audience engagement prove you don’t need drums to groove!

The band is made up of:

Jacopo Ventura - acoustic guitar, percussion
Lorenzo Testa - mandolin, tenor banjo
Enda Scahill - tenor banjo
Eric Long - clawhammer banjo, vocals
Joan Gatti - fiddle

Should you have a chance to see them perform live - do not pass up the chance!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest Exordium 2025 - weather forecast, delicious poutine, support, security, and a real expert

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this Part of the Exordium, we sit with:
- Matt Vymazal, owner of The Flying V Poutinerie and our hosts for the evening who detail their delicious food options on both North and SouthSide

- Jennifer Alphia from Lehigh Valley Girls Rock shares the latest from this supportive organization

- Bobby Martrich, Chief Meteorologist at EPAWA Weather Consulting to provide early thoughts on weather for the week

- John Moser, News Director at Lehighvalleynews.com and the original picker of the of Platz

- Gerard Longo of Underground Music Collective and Northside Sheriff for the Fest will discuss his latest including a book release and traveling internationally as a speaker on building a brand

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest Exordium 2025 - Live performances from Kendal Conrad and The Tribe!

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:00:00 -0400

Exordium Tyyyme!!! Here for your Musikfest prep! We'll be broadcasting live from The Flying V Poutinerie, one of the premiere food vendors during the fest.

Kendal Conrad a pop/country singer-songwriter from Pottstown, PA who enjoys horror movies, pancakes, and things that sparkle. In addition to her music, she's also on a mission to sing the national anthem in 50 different venues in 2025, and we are honored to be #46!

In addition, she performs "Come To Your Senses" and "Leader Of The Pack"

The TRiBE is a six-piece R&B > Funk > Hip-Hop band from Wilkes-Barre, PA.

They perform "Wallet" and "Hook It Up"

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest Exordium 2025 - "Must See" Bands and Best of the Fest Suggestions with Patrick Brogan

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Exordium Tyyyme!!! Here for your Musikfest prep! We'll be broadcasting live from The Flying V Poutinerie, one of the premiere food vendors during the fest. We'll check in with owner Matt Vymazal to see how their prep is going, confirm there's no potato shortage, and if they have any special menu items for this year.

In this Part 1 of the Exordium, we'll spend time with Patrick Brogan, Chief Programming Officer at ArtsQuest, and talk about the exciting list of "FestFavBands", key "must see" acts that may be your #nextfavband, and the Best Day of the Fest.

Then here's who were also on our lists for Must See Bands at Musikfest 2024

Patrick
CLOVER
TIOGA
Elias Hix
Grace Kelly
Rainbow Girls
Boys Go To Jupiter
Gadan
Fabiola Mendez
Shamarr Allen

David
Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise
Mike Lorenz Trio
Slingshot Dakota
Grace Kelly
Rainbow Girls
Boys Go To Jupiter
Joy & the Wildfire
Bermuda Search Party
The Vindys

Phillip
Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen
Zoe Lemon
The Jack Wharff Band
Gadan
Barney Cortez
Sam Tinnesz
Matt Freedman & the Herd
Kahone Concept
The Vindys

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

NextFavBand Sessions Vol8 - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

Here's another compilation episode that includes the next batch of exclusive performances from previous appearance of #nextfavbands!

This collection is from this time last year (late July and early August 2024) and all connect to Musikfest - either the episode right before with one of the magical free stage acts, during our Musikfest Exordium preview show, or from the Daily LIvestreams at Godfrey Daniels.

On that note, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and/or follow us on Instagram so you can keep up on the latest from Musikfest - we'll always offer our 5 Picks of the Platz each day and bring on some fun guests to entertain you.

NextFavBand Sessions Vol8

Dustbowl Revival
Cass Noelle
mrnoname
George Hrab
Elias Hix
Erin Kelly
Blair Crimmins & the Hookers
Emma Bockrath
Mike Mains

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Koyal - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0400

This week we'll spend time with Pooja, Noah and Wallace - the trio known as Koyal (like "Royal" but with a "K") who are generating incredible tracks and cookin with gasoline.

Now LA-based, Koyal is an indie pop-rock trio from ATL on the rise, composed of lead vocalist Pooja Prabakaran, guitarist/producer Noah Weinstein, and drummer Wallace. Formed in their college basement, the trio’s friendship and musical chemistry have propelled them forward, steadily building a loyal fanbase and a diverse discography ranging from soft acoustic to main stage disco-pop. In 2024, Koyal released three new disco and dance-infused singles “intoxicated,” “gasoline,” and “lotus lake,” which are off their sophomore studio album, breathe in. breathe out, out now.

Our Listen to the Dissonance initiative hopes help break the stigma around mental health. Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. And with BetterHelp, it’s easier than ever to take that first step towards feeling better. Click the link, or go to betterhelp.com/nextfavband and you will get 10% off your first month of therapy. That's https://BetterHelp.com/NextFavBand

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Nervous Nikki & the Chill Pills - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Get ready to orbit a unique asteroid belt of sonic influences seldom seen in one place, including punk, hip-hop, rock-n-roll and folk. But don't be nervous! We've got Nikki and all her chill pills to help us navigate things.

Nervous Nikki and the Chill Pills is a band based in the suburbs of Philly led by drummer and vocalist Nicole Bauza. Sonically, they orbit in a unique asteroid belt of influences. Together Nicole, Nathan, Doug, and Kendal bring you punchy bass lines, melodic guitar riffs, and group singing powered by raw emotion.

We'll be joined by frontwoman Nicole Bauza who writes, sings and play drums (sometimes guitar), as well as bassist Nathan Swavely. Together we'll explore their amazing music catalog, learn about the BMX vibe that permeates their videos, and what exactly contributed to the awesome band name.

We'll share their tracks "Mediocre At Best", "Day Off", "Red Hot Sun" and "Limits" and sounds like Nicole can play something live for us as well. Don't miss it!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Wilby - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:00:00 -0400

The ease at which Wilby produces music that is both familiar and brand new; as well as incredibly catchy and addictive is a joy to experience.

From the suburbs of Philadelphia, songwriter and performer Maria Crawford has been paving her way in the Nashville independent music scene since 2014. Formerly known as the folk artist Mar, Crawford developed the new moniker "Wilby" and released a debut EP Translucent Beauty under that name in 2021.

Crawford has been writing songs for over 15 years, using her music to identify and process emotions, find a way to be heard, and foster connection. Her songs invite listeners to explore both the shared human experience and the power of telling one's story.

Her debut album, Center of Affection, is set to release this October via Hit the North Records, with the lead double single "Pleaser"/"Spin" released in March 2025.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Erin Fox - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Who's Erin Fox? Just a powerhouse of poetically intense lyrics, haunting harmonies, and quirky chord structures that will have you basking spaces that are completely unfamiliar, yet somehow provide the comfort of home.

During our time togehter, we'll hear how she new this was the life for her at 3 years old, and how the gigging way feels right to her. We'll learn about her early inspirations, and how the navigated various outfits in the Philadelphia music community for nearly two decades, before stepping out and in to the spotlight to record her own music.

She's also a survivor - both of sexual assault at the hands of a music producer/manager as well as from brain cancer. Incredible bravery and vulnerability that she will share more about these parts of her story. So important to advocate for help and support on topics like these.

We'll explore her catalog of incredible music, exploring the topics of mental health, grief, and encapsulating the essence and struggle to find a silver lining after a cascade of tragedies. She'll also perform live on the show!

We also hear more about the phenomenal cover songs she performs with The Rock Orchestra - including her viral video of "Zombie" that has 9M views!

We are so honored to have Erin on the show to share her story and her music. You won't want to miss this one!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Windser - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0400

Ready for some brand new, ethereal, emotional, multi-layered music that makes you feel like you're taking a long drive up the coast?? Well then you'll love Windser.

Join us as we dive in to the full catalog, including the typical dive in to the early inspo growing up in Santa Cruz, CA, how he wanted to play like Hendrix and was surprised to become the lead singer, a flip to NYC where he started Mainland, and the flip back to CA but where that band comes to an end, leaving him feeling lost. Only to find himself writing introspective and deeply personal music under the moniker WIndser that immediately resonates with listeners.

Then a fateful hook delivered by his mentor had him singing "Next Year's Gonna Be Better Than This Year" at the top of his lungs, and it proved to be quite prescient. And what a story it is to share!

We'll share songs of his like "Shut Up and Kiss Me", "Abandon" and "TV", and WIndser will perform live on the broadcast. Don't miss it!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Summertime Music Festival Banter Pt 3: Livestream & Levitt SteelStacks - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Tune in as we triple collabo once again (now a semi-annual tradition) to discuss this summer's music festivals and concerts that are sure fire ways to find your next favorite band and shout to the world "yo...that's my jawn!"

As is customary, I will be joined by Nate Runkel from Yo! That's My Jawn and Dan Drago from 25 O'Clock Pod - who is now long distance, joining us all the way from Hong Kong!

Together we will explore the line-ups available throughout the Philly/Lehigh Valley area, but these are bands who'll be headed out on tour and will be coming to a stage near you almost certainly. And not quite in the short term, they will be certainly worth your time to check out.

This episode provides highlights of the livestream that surrounded the interviews with Jesse Lundy of Rising Sun Presents, and Mel Harris, Katie Hackett and Shona Carr, 3 of the founders of Sweet Juice Fest. As well as our dedicated time focused on the Levitt SteelStacks line-up for this summer.

Join us as we explore the Levitt SteelStacks line-up supported by the amazing Levitt Foundation and headed up by Shayna Super here for the Bethlehem location.

We highlight @oceanavenuestompers , @MeltTheBand , @AlexisCunninghamMusic , and @SierraGreenandtheGiants but the entire line-up is full of amazing artists.

We'll sprinkle in many other exciting performances on tap for this summer, and even preview what's down the road a bit like Musikfest, XPoNential and Philly Music Fest.

Come along for the ride with us and get pumped for what's available!

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Summertime Music Festival Banter Pt 2: the founders of Sweet Juice Fest - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Tune in as we triple collabo once again (now a semi-annual tradition) to discuss this summer's music festivals and concerts that are sure fire ways to find your next favorite band and shout to the world "yo...that's my jawn!"

As is customary, I will be joined by Nate Runkel from Yo! That's My Jawn and Dan Drago from 25 O'Clock Pod - who is now long distance, joining us all the way from Hong Kong!

Together we will explore the line-ups available throughout the Philly/Lehigh Valley area, but these are bands who'll be headed out on tour and will be coming to a stage near you almost certainly. And not quite in the short term, they will be certainly worth your time to check out.

Included will be a guest appearance from 3 of the founders of Sweet Juice Fest - Mel Harris, Katie Hackett, and Shona Carr and learn more about where this amazing festival was inspired in to being, and how it has evolved over time, including what's in store this year.

The 3 of us will also explore the Levitt SteelStacks line-up supported by the amazing Levitt Foundation and headed up by Shayna Super here for the Bethlehem location.

We'll sprinkle in many other exciting performances on tap for this summer, and even preview what's down the road a bit like Musikfest, XPoNential and Philly Music Fest.

Come along for the ride with us and get pumped for what's available!

#sweetjuicefest #nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Summertime Music Festival Banter Pt 1: Jesse Lundy of Rising Sun Presents - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 28 May 2025 23:00:00 -0400

Tune in as we triple collabo once again (now a semi-annual tradition) to discuss this summer's music festivals and concerts that are sure fire ways to find your next favorite band and shout to the world "yo...that's my jawn!"

As is customary, I will be joined by Nate Runkel from Yo! That's My Jawn and Dan Drago from 25 O'Clock Pod - who is now long distance, joining us all the way from Hong Kong!

Together we will explore the line-ups available throughout the Philly/Lehigh Valley area, but these are bands who'll be headed out on tour and will be coming to a stage near you almost certainly. And not quite in the short term, they will be certainly worth your time to check out.

Included will be a guest appearance from Jesse Lundy of Rising Sun Presents, who'll detail their various placements across Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts, Concerts Under The Stars in KoP, and Wayne Music Fest - among others. Just incredible what great booking their are putting together right now.

Come along for the ride with us and get pumped for what's available!

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Seize The Day Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 21 May 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Tonight we take a moment to reflect, remember and honor some musicians that left us too early. Recently I learned of Christine Havrilla's passing after a battle with cancer. And I was struck by this news and the fact that she was on my list to reach out to about possibly coming on this show. I was saddened that I had not done that sooner and now missed the opportunity.

And I remembered others who also left us too soon who I wished I had the chance to speak to. Some who passed years before I had a show like Ted Hawkins or Josh Clayton-Felt of School of Fish; and others who more recently like Justin Townes Earle and Karl Wallinger of World Party.

Each of these brilliant musicians leaves their legacy for us to still listen to and enjoy, and in fact could become your next favorite band.

Music in this episode:

"The Good and The Bad" by Ted Hawkins
"3 Strange Days" by School of Fish
"The Good Life" by Justin Townes Earle
"Way Down Now" by World Party
"Fortune Teller" by Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz

I've decided to still try to dedicate an episode to share the stories and the music of these artists and I've started research to see if there are people connected to them and can help us put it out there. If you're able to help contribute or introduce us to someone who can, please let us know.

Hope you like this episode, and remember to seize the moment.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Zoe Lemon - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 14 May 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Get ready for the stylings of Zoe (like Joe, not Zoey) Lemon. She'a a violinist, songwriter, and terrible cook (her words, not mine) with music that is introspective, with layered strings, delicate drums, and warm vocals.

Her debut EP, Tailspin, was featured on WXPN, WKDU, and NPR. I recorded my second EP in 2024 with Nashville-based producer Thad Kopec and it will be released this June.

Zoe has such a unique songwriting style that I know you're going to love it. We'll feature a few tracks like we always do, and she'll perform live on the show!! AND ... she's allow us to feature brand new, unreleased music too! Honored.

Be sure to catch this one!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Galen Deery & the Reason Why - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 08 May 2025 21:00:00 -0400

When I hear the music of Galen Deery, I would not be surprised if there were 12-28 musicians on stage, including stilt walkers and exotic animals joining in the vibe. However, the reality is that this is all created by Galen, and the Reason Why 4-piece. A testament to their layering and musicianship.

With brand new music off the brilliant album ESA, there's so much to take in from Galen Deery. His prior catalog is still so creative and worthwhile, but this new offering is the latest iteration from him and takes everything to a new height.

We were honored to be able to record this conversation over at Zeptepi Studios over in Easton, PA. The production quality of this banter is so much higher than we usually enjoy - thank you!

And thank you to James McLaine for guest co-hosting this episode.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

NextFavBand Sessions Vol.7 - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 02 May 2025 09:00:00 -0400

One of my favorite elements of having a guest on the show is when they perform live during the episode. We pull together these exclusive performances and present them to you, calling them the NextFavBand Sessions. This is the 7th such installment!

Live performances from prior episodes, including:

Moustapha Noumbissi - “Stumble”
Judah Kim - “Confetti”
Wila Frank - “All I Know Of You”
Gangstagrass - “All For One”
The American Hotel System - “Seattle"
The Hooten Hallers - “The Cobbler’s Children”
Nate 3.0 - “BLT”
Gina Zo of Velvet Rouge - “Shattered”
Smokey Brights - “Broken Too”
Greg Sover - “Temptation”

Be sure to go check out the full episode of all of these interviews over at nextfavband.com!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Hermosa - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400

Could you ever imagine collaborating on a large scale with someone you've never met in-person? And now make that collaborating on music together? Well that is exactly what this week's guests are pulling off, and quite well I must say.

Caitlin Sigler and Robert Goldbach have forged a unique musical connection that transcends borders and defies geographical limitations. It all started when Robert, based in Berlin, Germany, sought out a female vocalist and lyricist who could breathe life into his music. Fate intervened, and Caitlin, hailing from Philadelphia, USA emerged as the perfect match, and thus Hermosa was born.

So we coordinated to have both Caitlin and Robert on at the same time so we could learn more about how this magical collaboration works and more about how it all started.

We'll share some tracks of theirs and bathe in the 90s shoegaze lushness of it all. Don't miss this great convo that spans oceans and connects continents!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

No Planet B Pre-Jam 2025 - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Join us as we get everyone ready for the 3rd Annual No Planet B Jamboree! We'll share music from all 3 performers on the line-up and some additional "sunny" tracks in hopes to root on some lovely weather for the event.

We will also have some great guests, including:

Paige Roth from Reverb.org
Lisa Pammer from Green Pond Packaging
Aims Koh from The Running Kind

Learn more about the Pre-Jamboree Fun Run hosted by The Running Kind

And we'll share some articles from journalists who're providing important updates on what's going on in the world.

Vanuatu urges World Court to recognise climate change harms - Reuters
Can Pulling Carbon from Thin Air Slow Climate Change? - Scientific American
Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie review – an optimist’s guide to the climate crisis - review by The Guardian
Top 15 Climate Tech Startups Revolutionizing Sustainability in 2024 - Visable

Whether you're planning on joining us for the live, in-person event this Saturday or not, this Pre-Jam is not to be missed!

Music shared during this episode, with permission from each artist:

"Lost Without" by Shane Guerrette
"Lucille" by Roberta Faceplant
"Love You To Death" by Drew & the Blue
"Mississippi Sun" by Roi & the Secret People
"Red Hot Sun" by Nervous Nikki & the Chill Pills

#noplanetbjamboree

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The Flying Vees - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 22:00:00 -0400

We've got some unapologetic lady-power Americana! We saw The Flying Vees open for a band down in Philly and we were hooked within half a song. Tight harmonies, filthy guitar, and killer keys made for a set that left us wanting more.

The Flying Vees are a bonafide supergroup composed of four seasoned musicians of varied backgrounds. Brechyn Chace (vocals), Shannon Vasile (vocals), Caitlin Ramsey (keys) and Hannah Taylor (guitar/vocals) joined forces in 2020 to create their unique brand of wry, gothic, harmony-heavy Americana. Lovers of punk, country, folk, and maudlin, sad-girl caterwauling will be equally at home at a The Flying Vees show.

We can't wait to share their music and hear the stories behind them. Gonna be fun!

Our Listen to the Dissonance initiative hopes help break the stigma around mental health. Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. And with BetterHelp, it’s easier than ever to take that first step towards feeling better. Click the link, or go to betterhelp.com/nextfavband and you will get 10% off your first month of therapy. That's https://BetterHelp.com/NextFavBand

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

John Kim Faye - Your Next Favorite Band

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:00:00 -0400

We had the honor of being able to sit and "talk at the Diner" with Philly music legend - John Kim Faye! In addition to being an incredible songwriter and musician, John's wildly funny and an amazing storyteller.

With a career that spans 3-4 decades - including successful runs with The Caulfields, IKE, John Faye Power Trip, John & Brittany and now his solo efforts, most recently the album The Long Game, John Faye is a power-chord hit machine.

In addition to the music catalog, John recently released a memoir titled The Yin and the Yang of it All. The audiobook is particularly good and includes some powerful immersion audio to the text read by John himself.

Be sure to check out Asian American Pie 2, happening May 17th at Milkboy down in Philly, featuring Judah Kim, Kikashima, and a reunion of the band IKE in honor of their 20th anniversary.

Come join us at the diner table!

Our Listen to the Dissonance initiative hopes help break the stigma around mental health. Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. And with BetterHelp, it’s easier than ever to take that first step towards feeling better. Click the link, or go to betterhelp.com/nextfavband and you will get 10% off your first month of therapy. That's https://BetterHelp.com/NextFavBand

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Avery Ballotta of Damn Tall Buildings - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0400

We were excited to learn about Damn Tall Buildings heading in to last year's Musikfest, and they more than exceeded expectations - becoming our "Best of the Fest" and fav find from the line-up. We were then thrilled when they also agreed to come on the show.

The fiddle player Avery Ballotta joined us in-person on their home turf of Brooklyn, NY. Known as "Montana" as he's originally from Bozeman, we took a beautiful deep dive in to his personal story, his journey to Boston, how he changed his audition song walking through the door to perform, and how the band came together while at college. Their busking spirit is where they found their path, and they've never looked back.

During our chat, you'll also learn how to tell the difference between a fiddle and a violin, what micro-gravity is, and how to support their music making efforts in a manner that harkens back to the Renaissance times.

We share a bunch of their music along the way and even compare the distinct lyrical differences between a Max song and a Sasha song. All written collaboratively by this brilliant trio.

Do not miss the chance to see them play live, and I hope you enjoy this interview!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Brett Kull with special guest Glenn Rosenstein - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Brett (William) Kull is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, and engineer from the United States. He is best known for being a founding member of the band Echolyn, and long standing member of Grey Eye Glances. Brett is also an adjunct college instructor sharing his love for audio engineering and sound design.

We'll spend time exploring all 3 of those projects - the solo stuff, GEG and the amazing prog-rock of Echolyn, which is about to release brand new music.

And we have the extreme honor of having a special guest on the show - Glenn Rosenstein. Glenn is a 5 time nominated, 3 time Grammy winner, and also won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. He's also the producer behind Grey Eye Glances breakout album Eventide, as well as the Echolyn records.

Please join us and share in the chat your questions for what is sure to be an excellent chat about all things music!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Listen to the Dissonance 2025 Preview - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 23:00:00 -0500

Time to get ready for the Listen to the Dissonance shows happening on Fri 2/28 and Sat 3/1! In this episode we will share music from each artist, provide info about each of the incredible organizations who'll be at the events, and we will dive in to interviews with amazing human beings.

We'll also spend some time admiring the incredible poster design by Marissa Paternoster.

The interviews are highlights from our time with:

Ari Jacobson, Clinical Director at Backline
Dan Whitener of Gangstagrass, a musician who stopped touring with the band in order to go back to school and become a therapist
Rhonda Miller, Executive Director of Speak Up For Ben and the Oasis Community Center

The songs we will hear are from the stellar line-up for this year's Listen to the Dissonance event:

Brittany Ann Tranbaugh
Brian Walker of A Day Without Love
Cass Noelle
Jon Worthy

And the organizations that will be at the events to answer questions and detail what services they can provide are:

Friday, Feb 28th at the IceHouse

NAMI Lehigh Valley
Resilient Lehigh Valley
Speak Up For Ben and Oasis Community Center
Clubhouse of Lehigh County
New Bethany
Find Yourself & Be That
Lehigh Valley Girls Rock
Stained Leaf

Sat Mar 1st at 118 North

NAMI Main Line
Project Healing Hive

Thank you to our sponsors!

WDIY
BetterHelp
Tumbleweed Photography

#musicandmentalhealth #listentothedissonance

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Kendall Lujan - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Ever want to know what it sounds like to go vintage shopping with a friend who spills all the details about their shitty ex in a distinctive mid-range vibrato? Well this is the episode for you!

Come join as we spend time with Portland, OR based, singer/songwriter Kendall Lujan. Her music grabbed my ears from the first time I heard it, and I've had it on heavy rotation ever since. Extremely fresh and new take on things, and her voice and vocalizations are distinctly her own.

In addition to diving in to her catalog (hard to decide which tracks to play!), we also learn that music was her comfort and happy place, even as a baby, and the universe orchestrated a chance meeting with one Carlos Santana who gave her encouragement and advice (albeit a little weird) at 11.

However struggles with anxiety and performing her own music kept her from playing her originals publicly until 2020. But she was recognized for her unique talent rather quickly by Dominic Schmidt of Rola and helped her record her music and get on tour in Europe. She now has a handle on the anxiety, but it needs to be worked like a muscle, she says, and if she doesn't exercise it, it can become difficult again.

Her debut album Lucky Penny drops this week! And Kendall will perform live on the show with us, so don't miss it!

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Theo Bleak - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 22:00:00 -0500

This week we are in for a special treat as we "hop across the pond" and land in Dundee, Scotland to connect with innovative songwriter, composer and producer Theo Bleak, whose music resonates with a profound sense of place and reflection, somehow achieving a sound that is equally familiar and unfamiliar, nostalgic and yet completely new.

With each note, she weaves a sonic tapestry that captures the beauty and complexity of the world around her, drawing listeners into a journey through time, nature, and emotion. Her music is deeply influenced by the landscapes of Perthshire and Angus, where she finds inspiration during reflective walks through the countryside.

Theo Bleak’s work is more than just music; it is an exploration of the human experience through the lens of nature’s ever-changing beauty. With each piece, she offers a moment of introspection, a chance to reconnect with the world and with oneself. Her music is a journey—a walk through the countryside of the mind and heart, where every step brings a new revelation.

Bleak's 2023 EP Pain made the shortlist for Scottish Album of the Year (SAY), and features the universally loved hit "Raining All The Time", which will be our encore song at the end of the broadcast.

We'll dive in to her songwriting efforts, which she acknowledges can leave her quite spent and "incredibly unwell", but she can't imagine doing anything else.

We also touch on the collab she did having James Graham join her to sing on the track "Don't Borrow Grief From Later", which the title alone leaves you musing on its poetry.

Hope you'll join us for the this lovely chat and the very medieval Scottish vibe, but mostly for Theo Bleak's incredible music.

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Fantastic Cat - Part 2: Brian Dunne - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:00:00 -0500

The exciting supergroup Fantastic Cat is so great, we're featuring an episode on each one of it's members. So with this endeavor, you get 5 nextfavbands! You're welcome! They are all that good - trust us.

Our second Cat is Brian Dunne, who is not your grandma’s antiseptic, pseudo baby boomer singer songwriter. Known for his laugh-to-keep-from-crying, darkly humorous lyrics, Dunne’s work reconfigures the limiting nature of the genre. This DIY ethos, born from a healthy New York cynicism self-conceptualized, funded, and dragged to every willing venue, found an easy home at Kill Rock Stars.

Releasing his fourth album in early 2023, his first on KRS, Dunne is bending the sounds of American rock into masterfully composed, existentially poignant, wildly catchy renderings of being alive.

We'll dive into his creative process where he loves songwriting, lyrics, titling the track, and album sequencing. He loves each part!

We also spend time talking about the "inner critic" and how sometimes it can be motivating, and other times it can prevent you from creating and drive you mad.

We'll share a bunch of tracks from Brian's catalog, like "Sometime After This", "New Tattoo" and "Something To Live For" and he'll regale us with a live performance during the broadcast.

We then also get to the seminal moment when he joins the supergroup Fantastic Cat and share a few of those songs as well.

We are joined this episode by guest co-host George Hrab who was just inducted in to the Podcast Hall of Fame!!

So fantastic...indeed!

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Jeff Heiskell of The JudyBats - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 21:00:00 -0500

This week we jump back to the 1990s to hear the story of The JudyBats with frontman Jeff Heiskell. This band has an incredible catalog and they reached the charts so you will probably recall a track or two of theirs if you were in your teens or 20s at that time. Or you might be a raving fan and can't wait to hear more about them. And if you don't know their music at all, well...I'm kinda jealous, because you're about to find your next favorite band, just 3 decades later.

The JudyBats were founded when Jeff Heiskell and Ed Winters were playing together and heard a neighbors house playing music as well and ran in to the group of Tim Stutz, Johnny Shugrue and Terry Casper at a local bar in Knoxville, TN and agreed to start playing together. They added Peggy Hambright and the took off as The JudyBats, finding success locally pretty quickly, then getting signed to Sire Records. The first track they released was for a tribute album the label was putting out, and it found immediate success too.

I've really enjoyed the fact that we've been able to bring on bands and musicians from the 90s to share their stories and their music. These are people who I was a massive fan of and never thought I'd get to speak with at all, let alone in some kind of legitimate capacity. I enjoy bringing on the likes of The Samples, Wheatus, Tripping Daisy and this week's guest The JudyBats as their music is all so good it is still relevant today and worth your time. It doesn't matter when good music was written and released, if it's awesome and you haven't discovered it yet, then that's all that matters. Plus, with these bands, we get the complete picture of what it's like to find success, and then see it flicker and go out, which allows us to learn more about those aspects of the music industry and the story arc of the career. It's certainly not all fun times and glamorous.

And each of these have pushed through and continuing to create and perform, either under a new name and evolution, or still carrying the flag and moniker of the original. Jeff now releases music under the title Heiskell and it is very good. We wrap things by learning more about that and share a song or two.

So let's enjoy this insightful chat with Jeff Heiskell of The JudyBats as he's got great stories to tell! And hope you enjoy the music whether you already knew them or if they're new to you. Thanks for listening!

And big thanks to Dan Drago of 25 O'Clock Pod for joining on this one, as he was a fan of The JudyBats while listening to them on WBER from Joey Guisto, who helped me discover them as a freshmen in college at Geneseo.

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Meg Elsier - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0500

I love when you discover music that just scratches that part of brain that wants to listen. Cutting edge and fresh, but yet also calling back to that familiar sound of shoe-gazey grunge - Meg Elsier has just released some crazy great music on her album Spittake.

She's has stunningly gorgeous vocals that are laid on top of a bed of industrial fuzz. This effort to juxapose counterintuitive aesthetics is brilliantly executed.

And on top of all that, she's a pleasure to talk to. In our interview, we learn about her inspirations growing up, discuss her anxiety around recording and releasing music, and how she was able to get more of what she wanted by involving others in the process. We also explore the dynamic of having both Asian and White heritage (her mom is Korean and her dad is American) and ways that has shaped her.

We'll share the powerful tracks "ifshitfuq", "iznotreal", and "forlyleinsanfrancisco". Enjoy!

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The Hot Mamas - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:00:00 -0500

Happy New Year! We kick off the year with The Hot Mamas - an all-female collective (coagulation?) full of depth and loaded with surprising instruments.

One member describes them as ... if you went to a junkyard and you had a bathtub and you filled the bathtub with everything you could find in the junkyard and then you put it on some skateboards and rolled it down the street, and then the bathtub tipped over and a bunch of hot girls in Scarves and bolas galore on roller skates roll up and they pick up the trash ... I mean instruments and they just start playing ... very professionally.

With instrumentation ranging from toy piano, clarinet, banjo, accordion, ukulele, washboard, dueling kazoos to amazing harmonies, The Hot Mamas not only entertain and know how to have a good time but they also captivate audiences with their depth. Their writing styles range from jazzy to pop, from sea chanteys to murder ballads, soulful blues to drinkin’-when-you’re-sad country tunes. The Hot Mamas are quirky, fun, profound and sincere and not to be missed!

Joining us are Mallory McKendry, Jess Young, Maria Leckey and Jen Kidd and they'll share their personal journey's finding music and how the came together to form the super group. We'll share their brand new single "Ford Escort", some other tunes from their catalog, a surprisingly awesome cover from their Musikfest set - and they'll perform live!

Be sure to give them a like and subscribe, and catch a live show when they perform near you - they are incredible!

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Year End Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0500

Phillip and David tie a bow on 2024 and also look towards some exciting plans for 2025.

First, they announce the line-up for Listen to the Dissonance 2025, which is happening Friday, Feb 28th in Bethlehem at The IceHouse and Sat, Mar 1st in Wayne at 118 North.

Then Phillip shares the podcast download stats for 2024 - where the show saw in increase of +31%!

Phillip also shares video from 2 shows he saw recently - Swept Away on Broadway - written by The Avett Brothers and starring Adrian Blake Enscoe of Bandits on the Run - and Fantastic Cat from World Cafe Live.

They then round things out with some highlights from the Winter WonderJam earlier this month. "What Are You Doing New Years?" performed by Emma Bockrath Trio, and "Nice Dream / Happy Xmas" by Joe Edelmann, as well as this years 90s pop song translation holiday shenanigan bit.

Of course we close things out with "Silent Night". Happy holidays and have a great and safe new years. See you in 2025!

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WXPN’s 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:00:00 -0500

Philadelphia-based radio station WXPN often asks listeners to submit top 10 lists for various types of music to be compiled, calculated, and ranked to produce a list of the 885 best, according to those that were submitted. This year, they dedicated that to songs of that have been release from the year 2000 to today.

Of course we'll be joined by Dan Drago of 25 O’Clock Pod, and Nate Runkel of Yo! That’s My Jawn and we'll each share our thoughts on the list as it wraps up, who was on our Top 10 lists and how they curated it and whittled it down.

And who knows - maybe there will be a surprise or two during the broadcast.

Phil's Top 10 List

"I and Love and You" by The Avett Brothers
"The National Anthem" by Radiohead
"S.O.B." by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
"Black Parade" by Beyonce
"Around the Corner" by Mike Mains & the Branches
"'Gideon" by My Morning Jacket
"Hollywood Lovesong" by Dirty Dollhouse
"It's All Over Now" by Blair Crimmins & the Hookers
"Bulletproof Glass" by The Accidentals
"If Nothing Happens" by Corver Commodore

Dan's Top 10 List

Spoon- "Finer Feelings"
Hop Along- "Texas Funeral"
Aesop Rock- "Labor"
Low- "When I Go Deaf"
Neko Case- "This Tornado Loves You"
Four Tet- "My Angel Rocks Back And Forth"
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists- "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?"
Parquet Courts- "Borrowed Time"
Grandpaboy- "Eyes Like Sparks"
Luna- "Black Postcards"

Nate's Top 10 List

"IMPOSSIBLE GERMANY" - WILCO
"MAYBE TONIGHT" - NICOLE ATKINS
"GREATEST MISTAKE" - HANDSOME BOY MODELING SCHOOL FT. JOHN DATES & JAMIE CULLUM
"WATER" - THE ROOTS
"PAPRIKA" - JAPANESE BREAKFAST
"EXPERT IN A DYING FIELD" - THE BETHS
"NEVER FIGHT A MAN WITH A PERM" - IDLES
"BLESSINGS" - CHANCE THE RAPPER FT. TY DOLLA $IGN, ANDERSON.PAAK, BJ THE CHICAGO KID, RAURY & JAMILA WOODS
"MISS SWEENEY" - WEEZER
"I WANT LOVE" - ELTON JOHN

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Virtual Winter WonderJam 2024 (Part 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:00:00 -0500

Tune in for our annual year-end extravaganza where we reflect back on all of the great interviews and experiences we've had during the year.

In Part 2, we start with a very special premiere of music from The Christmas Sweaters: Alex Radus & George Hrab

We get the opportunity to share "John, the Christmas Hero" and it is incredible.

Their album release show is on Thur 12/19 at The IceHouse

Then we hear holiday music, performances, and messages from:
- We're From Antarctica - "For A While"
- Gerard Longo of Underground Music Collective
- Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen - "Xmas Is A Time To Say I Love You"
- CLOVER - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
- Jesse Lundy
- Gangstagrass - "Santa's Favorite"
- Craig Larimer
- Dirty Dollhouse - "Party Dress"
- Brittany Ann Tranbaugh - "The Christmas Flannel Song"
- Jonathan & Philip from ARKAI
- Mike Mains & the Branches - "Christmas Magic"

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Virtual Winter WonderJam 2024 (Part 1) - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:00:00 -0500

Tune in for our annual year-end extravaganza where we reflect back on all of the great interviews and experiences we've had during the year.

In Part 1, Hear holiday music, performances, and messages from:
- Judah Kim - "Weltanschauung"
- Jacob Betts of The American Hotel System
- Roberta Faceplant - "Merry Grittmass"
- Raina Douris of WXPN / World Cafe
- Anthony D'Amato of Fantastic Cat - "Merry Christmas, I Guess"

And meet the performers of our live, in-person event happening this Friday, December 6th at Godfrey Daniels:
- Joe Edelmann, frontman of There, There - a tribute to Radiohead
- Emma Bockrath
- Kate Hughes

We'll hear "Winter Wonderland" in the key of Radiohead by There, There
and the wonderful original tune "On Film" by Emma Bockrath

Find out more info and purchase tickets at our site:
https://nextfavband.com/winter-wonderjam-2024/

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Cass Noelle - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0500

One of the most lovely part of the holidays is traditions - and the Thanksgiving week episode is becoming one of our favs. We will once again gather 'round the fire for some gratitude banter, this year with Cass Noelle.

Cass Noelle is a Lehigh Valley native with an angelic voice whose strength as a songwriter comes from her ability to set to music her perseverance through hardship and finding hope where it feels hopeless. Audiences are often moved and connect with her music as it helps them feel that they are not alone.

“Someone To Help You” is about her husband who passed away from a drug overdose after years of battling addiction. She shares many resources on her website for anyone who is ready to ask for help. https://www.cassnoellemusic.com/sthy

Cass plays 2 songs live acoustic for us to enjoy - one written only days ago currently called "The Heart of this Town", and her set closer "Goodnight". She also helps usher in the holiday season with some holiday songs at the close of the show.

We hope you enjoy our fireside chat to learn more about her story and her upcoming music to be released early in 2025.

Cass will be a part of our 2nd annual Listen to the Dissonance event in Feb 2025.

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Fantastic Cat - Part 1: Anthony D'Amato - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:00:00 -0500

The exciting supergroup Fantastic Cat is so great, we're featuring an episode on each one of it's members. So with this endeavor, you get 5 nextfavbands! You're welcome! They are all that good - trust us.

First up is the folk & roll with NJ grit of Anthony D'Amato. His musical journey is full of moments of perseverance and ingenuity where he has often blazed his own trail while also following in the path of the masters like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.

In addition to excellent song writing and performing, Anthony is an accomplished photographer, and offers both to his fans with an ingenious merch idea - a photo book of his art that provides the lyrics and a digital download code of the music. This takes the listener on an all new type of journey.

We also get to he seminal moment of the creation of Fantastic Cat and learn that Anthony is properly rated as the best of the cats.

We are joined this episode by guest co-host George Hrab and we catch up on his upcoming holiday music (2 different offerings!) and learn about the pre-school who took a democratic approach in naming its classroom turtle.

All great stuff - don't miss it!

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Dirty Dollhouse - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 22:00:00 -0500

It's no secret how big a fan we are of Dirty Dollhouse - from Chelsea Mitchell's angelic, ethereal vocals, to her songwriting that is as clever as it is catchy - it hard to not be a card-carrying member of the Dirty Dollhouse fan club.

Then add in the fact that she's the owner of one of the coolest vinyl record shops around - Newtwon Book & Record Exchange. It's the stuff of legend.

To top everything off, they're releasing new music for the first time since Queen Coyote in 2020. We spend time exploring the pain of not getting to fully celebrate that incredible record, but how it fueled this latest release - The End.

And Chelsea performs "Everything's Fine" live acoustic for us in the shop. Don't miss it!

Dirty Dollhouse Links

Dirty Dollhouse Music

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Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 23:00:00 -0500

Get ready to for some swagger-injected bluesy rock!

DUSTIN DOUGLAS & THE ELECTRIC GENTLEMEN’s dynamic, heavy, sexy & dirty, blues-influenced rock n’ roll bring vintage sound and vibe to modern ears.

Fronted by the transcendent lead guitarist/singer/songwriter Dustin Douglas, The Electric Gentlemen command the stage with virtuosic musicianship and rock spirit mixed with punk attitude that leaves even the most discerning music fans falling in love with their style.

Dustin came on the Musikfest Daily Livestreams and then we caught their set later that day, and couldn't get enough. We've been playing their music non-stop since, and cannot wait to spend some more time digging in to their story and their music.

Inject that swagger rock in to my veins!

Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen Links

Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen Music

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Virtual Halloween Surf-Punk-Rock Madness with Drew & the Blue - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Trick or Treat!!! We had so much fun spending time with Drew & the Blue in their spooky garage, and we ask them to treat us to a 3 song set of their surf-punk rock-n-roll madness for a special exclusive performance to broadcast on Halloween for you all.

Included in this set is their brand new track "Jellyfish Jam" which actually is officially released today. They also perform "The Bat" and their Halloween anthem "Oogie Boogie".

Happy Halloween everyone!!

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Drew & the Blue - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 22:00:00 -0400

Get ready to Oogie Boogie! We've been invited to join Drew & the Blue in their garage studio to take in some of their garage-kept surf-punk rock-n-roll madness, where they've recorded a bunch of their tracks, like their latest single "Cigarette".

Original parts. Est. 2018 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Drew & the Blue is Drew West, Taylor Lawrence, and Mandy Veloz.

The band takes inspiration from the sounds of garage and surf, along with many of the primordial rock 'n' roll icons. Their debut self-titled album was released in April 2022, and provided the band with a platform to begin touring the east coast of the U.S.

The Blue has opened for bands such as: Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds, Black Lips, Southern Culture on the Skids, Jon Spencer, Bloodshot Bill, Nekromantix, and Daikaiju.

We take a dive in to their origin stories, inspirations and what they've got planned for the future. We also share a bunch of their great music, including some highlight from their electric set during Musikfest this past summer. They also perform "Snakeskin Boots" for us live in the garage and it's not to be missed.

Then we've got a scary surprise for you all - stay tuned for more info - bwwwaaaahhhahahahahahahha!!!

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Reef the Lost Cauze - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Born in West Philadelphia, Reef the Lost Cauze came up in hip-hop as a lethal battle-rap MC. He defeated opponents in all types of venues, from school grounds to grimy back alleys to professional competitions.

His first two albums, The High Life (2002) and Invisible Empire (2003), were released locally and put his name on the map for Philadelphia's underground rap scene. In the years that followed his third album, a few local mixtapes were released, but the Philadelphia MC had success in doing several collaborations and features. He was invited into the Philadelphia crew JuJu Mob, who released their 2005 album Black Candles on Eastern Conference, as well as the underground super-collective Army of the Pharaohs.

Reef the Lost Cauze has released 13 albums in total, the latest of which - The Triumphant - dropped earlier this year, and is his most introspective and reflective to date. With this powerful work, Reef continues to pave a legacy of one of the finest MCs around. Few have the rhyme and flow talent, but it is the stories he tells, and the perspective he offers you to share for a moment that truly sets him apart.

Please join me as we spend time with Philadelphia's own, Reef the Lost Cauze.

Be sure to catch him at Philly Music Fest on Fri 10/25 at Milkboy Philly along with (friends of the show) Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise, Queasy, and Catbite. Or whenever you can get the chance to see him perform. You will be amazed!

Reef the Lost Cauze Links

Reef the Lost Cauze Music

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Philly Music Fest with founder Greg Seltzer - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0400

As Dan Drago puts it - "there's no other festival quite like Philly Music Fest in any other city". Started by Greg Seltzer and his wife Jenn back in 2017, Philly Music Fest has set out to honor, celebrate, and support the Philadelphia music scene. We'll spend time hearing from Greg on everything from setting up the nonprofit to get this going, to getting the concept off the ground, the "at best: successful" beginnings, to the dynamic and highly impactful and sought after ticket it is today.

We start things off with Greg by learning about where his love of music comes from and also hearing about the books he's written: The 1965 Project and The 1968 Project - where he's connected the historical events and the music month-by-month of those years that came out. Incredible research and analysis!

The other elements of Philly Music Fest that we touch on is how it is artist-focused and it is built to ensure they get paid a proper wage. Then, this festival only taps in to the independent venues that support the vibrant scene and make sure they get paid as well. Then, with the remaining revenue, the donate to 8 key nonprofits in Philly that provide music education to students to support the upcoming headliners of tomorrow:

Rock To The Future
Settlement Music School
Musicopia
Play On, Philly
Girls Rock Philly
Beyond The Bars
World Cafe Live
Philadelphia Youth Orchestra

Dan Drago is our guest co-host who's show 25 O'Clock pod is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and to honor that he's released Want To Play A Song?: Live On 25 O'Clock, Vol. 1 - a 10 track digital download of live performances from over the years, and all proceeds are being donated to Philly Music Fest.

Hope you enjoy this chat as much as we did! And hope to see you down at Philly Music Fest, and support this incredible organization and see amazing Philadelphia music!

Check out the line-up and purchase tickets here!

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Roberta Faceplant - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Katie Feeney, the lead vocalist and songwriter for the Philly-based Outlaw Americana band Roberta Faceplant, is a honky tonk hurricane with a voice that blends the raw, rock n’ roll grit of Janis Joplin with the whimsical, western smoothness of Patsy Cline.

Staffed by a gang of mischievous musical veterans, Roberta Faceplant’s live show is high-energy roadhouse joy infused with a rebellious spirit that'll keep you on the dance floor all night. The sound has captivated audiences in the Northeast Corridor with elements of southern rock, old school country, rockabilly, and the blues blending perfectly into a melting pot of killer melodies, memorable riffs, and lyrical storytelling unlike anyone else doing it today.

The band just released their debut EP, Yee Haw Stuff, on July 26, 2024 and is working on a follow up record slated for early 2025.

Katie plays a song so new, half the band hasn't even heard it yet ... and you get to hear it here on this episode of Your Next Favorite Band!!

Thank you to guest co-host Mike Egan!

Roberta Faceplant Links

Roberta Faceplant Music

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Concerts for Democracy Preview Show - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 22:00:00 -0400

Concerts for Democracy is a live concert and non-partisan workshop series focused on helping audience members find and use their voice towards positive change. Headlined by world-renowned "art-ivist" Eljuri, this event brings the community together through music and offers access to voter registration opportunities through Headcount.org.

This will be coming to the Lehigh Valley on Saturday October 5th, 2024 to the Inkwell venue in Allentown and will feature many more ways to learn and enjoy and come together. Info about Concerts for Democracy at Inkwell.

So this episode we welcome the founder and owner of Inkwell Kyle Edwards as our guest co-host to share more about the artist-led space and how "everyone is welcome at the well". We'll also hear from Eljuri about her legacy and these Concerts for Democracy. And we'll also hear from fellow musician and passionate advocate for voting rights - Gina Zo of Velvet Rouge.

Please take a moment to enjoy these people's commitment to their communities and the American right to vote, as well as their art and excellence on display.

If you live near Allentown, PA, we hope you might join for this free event on Sat 10/5. And if not we hope you take a moment to confirm you're registered to vote, that you know where your polling place is, and that you know your candidates and which ones represent your more important values.

Links for Inkwell

Links for Eljuri

Links for Velvet Rouge

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Catch-up (Ketchup?) Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Join Phillip & David as they play catch-up - they'll recap everything that has happened since Musikfest, while trying not to reference the festival by name. They'll touch on shows they've seen, concerts and festivals coming up in Oct, Nov and Dec, and some new music they're in to. They'll share some live recordings they got of Patty PerShayla & the Mayhaps and ARKAI. They also have a recording of David's return to the stage after a number of years!

They'll also promote the upcoming Concerts for Democracy at Inkwell in Allentown PA on Sat 10/5/2024 featuring Eljuri, as well as announce the dates for the Winter WonderJam on Friday 12/6/2024, and Listen to the Dissonance on Friday 2/28/2025.

Pour some ketchup on it!

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We're From Antarctica (at Live at the V) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Approaching the release of their third album, we sit down with all 5 members of We're From Antarctica: Paco Brown, Jessie Rae, Jon Blanco, Mac Kressley, and Chris Rauch - who are all...in the band.

We discuss their Antarctican origin story as a band, and also how each of them found music and their journey to join forces. We also explore their catalog and touch on their evolution and how their sound has matured at each stage. They recently were a part of a cool project called Ocean Avenue - an Emo/Pop-Punk Musical and how they were hand-picked for that.

In addition to great music, they also have some wonderful videos. We specifically spend time with "Misdirection" which is inspired by the wild and amazing show Danger 5, and directed by the incredible talented Haoyan of America
http://haoyanofamerica.com/.

Take the trip with us to Antarctica (really the Lehigh Valley) and learn why their music has the vibe of what you'd put on while cooking dinner for a friend you've secretly been in love with for 2 years now.

Thank you to The Flying V Poutinerie for letting us record up in their Live at the V space for this episode.

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ARKAI - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Even when you hear the description "genre-defying electro-acoustic duo" that does not even begin to describe the brilliance that is ARKAI. Jonathan Miron and Philip Sheegog are Julliard trained, but not limited by the constraints that classical training can sometimes put up - and perhaps even hold dear.

The soundscapes that they are dreaming up and orchestrating are mind-bending, and you have to see it to believe it. They can often sound like a full orchestra of players, but it is just the two of them. And they generate some of the most beautiful, sweet tones, balance with some heavier rock elements that delight. I often find myself smiling just listening and watching them perform.

Their recent release Crossroads is a journey. We spend time hearing all about it, and the many stories behind the music, as well as the gorgeous videos that shot for the 3 singles out thus far.

We'll also hear about their early inspirations - amazingly Jonathan was handed a cello first, but had to switch to violin, and Philip wanted to play music listening to his sister play violin, and was invited to take up the cello. This type of beautiful symmetry and the universe being on their side shows up time and again in the story of ARKAI. Enjoy!

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Highlights, NextFavBands & Best-of-the-Fest Moments from Musikfest 2024 - Your Next Favorite Band

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 14:00:00 -0400

What an incredible 10 days! We can't wait to share all of the special moments we captured during Musikfest 2024. Some really amazing performances.

We also found several nextfavbands that we'll share who we're coordinating with to bring on the show for an interview in the coming weeks.

And we want to hear from you! What were your #bestofthefest moments and what #NextFavBand did you discover??

Featuring performance clips from:

Hannah Wicklund
The Groove Merchants
Jack Wharff & the Tobacco Flatts
Pepperwine
Damn Tall Buildings
Roi & the Secret People
Wynton Existing
FLEECE
ARKAI
Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen
Blair Crimmins & the Hookers
Emily Drinker & the Funky T
The Amish Outlaws
Velvet Rouge
TIOGA
Hans Williams
Mike Mains & the Branches
Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise
mrnoname
Drew & the Blue
Dustbowl Revival
Cass Noelle
Zach Person

For more highlights, visit our web page dedicated to Best of Musikfest 2024

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The Amish Outlaws origin story and tales from their permanent rumspringa - Part 3 of Highlights from Musikfest 2024 Daily Livestreams

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 01:00:00 -0400

Musikfest 2024! Our fav 10 days of the year are back and we return to providing daily guidance on what bands to see each day along with bringing on a guest or two.

In this episode, we share the entire conversation with members of The Amish Outlaws as they share their bold lust for life and passion for music and performance have lead them on a permanent rumspringa. Musikfest royalty!

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Ramona LaBarre, Kyle Edwards & Kate Hughes, and Craig Larimer - Part 2 of Highlights from Musikfest 2024 Daily Livestreams

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Musikfest 2024! Our fav 10 days of the year are back and we return to providing daily guidance on what bands to see each day along with bringing on a guest or two.

Thank you so much to Godfrey Daniels for letting us set-up for these special 10 days to use as homebase for these livestreams.

In this episode, we'll hear highlights from Days 5, 9 and 10: we spend time learning more about Godfrey Daniels and their 48 year history with Managing Director Ramona LaBarre. We also learn more about a brand new venue in Allentown called Inkwell with muralist Kyle Edwards who founded A True L.O.V.E. Story and Inkwell, as well as their talent booker Kate Hughes, who is also a comedian and radio show host. Then we hear from Craig Larimer and the journey that Bethlehem has been on to achieve World Heritage status with UNESCO.

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Blair Crimmins & the Hookers talk about their instruments - Part 1 of Highlights from Musikfest 2024 Daily Livestreams

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Musikfest 2024! Our fav 10 days of the year are back and we return to providing daily guidance on what bands to see each day along with bringing on a guest or two.

Thank you so much to Godfrey Daniels for letting us set-up for these special 10 days to use as homebase for these livestreams.

In this episode, a bunch of Hoookers stop by! Blair Crimmins is very much to blame for our show even becoming a thing. About 3 years ago, before I even had any interviews under my belt, I asked him if he'd be willing to come on for an interview and, without hesitation, said "yes". So he became interview #1.

2 years ago we brought on the rest of the band, and so we will do that again this year, however this time we'll spend some time "gettin nerdy" about their instruments and how they achieve that sound that immediately whisks you off to another time and place.

Come join the fun and be a Hooker too!

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Dustbowl Revival - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0400

As mentioned on the Musikfest Exordium last night, we had the privilege of scheduling time with frontman of Dustbowl Revival - Z Lupetin, in advance of their performance at the Fest on Sat 8/10.

Before they hit the road with their booty-shakin americana folk soul, Z sat down with us virtually from SoCal to share this tremendous band's story and music. This is one of the top bands on the list this year, and was definitely a "holy crap that's on the free stage" moment for us.

Z has been a writer and a musician since a young age, in bands since he was in 8th grade. It was film school and a desire to be a screenwriter that brought him to Los Angeles, but the never-ending need to be in a band had him turn to Craig's List to start one up out there. And thus Dustbowl Revival was born.

This 7 piece joyride of sound has had a core throughout, and always surrounded by incredible talent to round things out. We'll dive in to their catalog and spend time with some special tracks specifically to hear the backstory and inspiration behind them, as well as the evolution and maturation for the early years to today.

Z will also perform live acoustic during the interview! Don't miss this unique opportunity. And go see them live whenever they are near. If you catch the show in Bethlehem, PA at Musikfest and you see me there, stop by and say hi!

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Musikfest Exordium 2024 Part 3: Live performances from Cass Noelle and mrnoname

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Exordium Tyyyme!!! Here for your Musikfest prep! We'll be broadcasting live from The Flying V Poutinerie, one of the premiere food vendors during the fest.

Cass Noelle is an incredible songwriter with powerful lyrics, beautiful melodies and performed with excellence and stunning vocals. She's also a strong advocate for addiction awareness and promotes asking for help and provides several resources available on her website.

She performs "Out Is Down" and "Someone To Help You"

mrnoname is an alt-pop duo with the unique arrangement of Noah on vocals, samples, and either keys or ukelele and Logan on drums. Their hardcharging, dancey alternative is extremely fun and will catch your ear even if this isn't typically your genre.

They perform "Obsession" and "Alive"

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Musikfest Exordium 2024 Part 2: weather forecast, delicious poutine, a look back and a peek forward

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Exordium Tyyyme!!! Here for your Musikfest prep! We'll be broadcasting live from The Flying V Poutinerie, one of the premiere food vendors during the fest.

We'll check in with owner Christie Vymazal to see how their prep is going, confirm there's no potato shortage, and if they have any special menu items for this year.

In this Part of the Exordium, we sit with:
- Christie Vymazal, owner of The Flying V Poutinerie our hosts for the evening and details on their delicious food options on both North and SouthSide
- Bobby Martrich, Chief Meteorologist at EPAWA Weather Consulting to provide early thoughts on weather for the week
- LVN John J Moser, Deputy Director of News at Lehighvalleynews.com and the original picker of the of Platz
- Gerard T. Longo of Underground Music Collective and Northside Sheriff for the Fest will discuss the inaugural Education & Industry Conference as well as how set-up is going

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Musikfest Exordium 2024 Part 1: "Must See" Bands with Patrick Brogan from ArtsQuest - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 23:00:00 -0400

Exordium Tyyyme!!! Here for your Musikfest prep! We'll be broadcasting live from The Flying V Poutinerie, one of the premiere food vendors during the fest. We'll check in with owner Christie Vymazal to see how their prep is going, confirm there's no potato shortage, and if they have any special menu items for this year.

In this Part 1 of the Exordium, we'll spend time with Patrick Brogan, Chief Programming Officer at ArtsQuest, and talk about the exciting list of "FestFavBands", key "must see" acts that may be your #nextfavband, and the Best Day of the Fest.

We ALL had Preservation Hall Jazz Band. That is a definite and should be on everyone's list.

Then here's who were also on our lists for Must See Bands at Musikfest 2024

Patrick
TIOGA
Bren
Teke::Teke
The Dracu-La's
Hannah Wicklund
Shwayze

David
The Arcadian Wild
Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise
Dustbowl Revival
Melt
Robert Jon & the Wreck
FLEECE

Phillip
Mike Mains & the Branches
Blair Crimmins & the Hookers
Dustbowl Revival
Damn Tall Buildings
Fantastic Cat
Zach Person

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

VetTix.org with Chief Strategy Officer Steven Weintraub - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Back in 2008, veteran Michael Focareto was assigned a project as part of a self-help course he was taking, that asked him to develop something that would help the community and enlist others to help him bring it to life. He looked around the sporting event he was at and saw many empty seats. Knowing how much events like this would mean to the thousands of veterans and first responders across the country, he created the Veterans Ticket Foundation.

This organization seeks to receive donations of tickets to just about anything: concerts, sporting events, racing, monster trucks, children's theatre...the list goes on! And they built the VetTix.org website to help facilitate and validate everything.

We're joined by Chief Strategy Officer Steven Weintraub, a heavily decorated veteran of the Marine Corp himself, spending 32 years with them, reaching the rank of Colonel. He found the challenges of returning to civilian life difficult and knew it was for others too. So he received a Masters in Business Administration, and joined Veterans Ticket Foundation.

This incredible organization reached 1M tickets donated 9 years ago, reached 10M donated 2 years ago, and then got to 20M donated 6 months ago.

We cannot wait to hear more about Steven's story and that of VitTix.org, and learn how we can all support them and our veterans.

"Give something to those that gave!"

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Greg Sover - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Get yourself ready for some shreddin! We bring on incredible bluesman Greg Sover to talk about his journeys to Philly, from Brooklyn and finding his talent for the guitar, which is truly special. He also has found his voice, which is sharing stories that are relatable and seek to create unity and work through issues together, not just overcome them.

The child of Haitian immigrants, Sover was raised on Konpa music, which lays an important foundation in his style. Bob Marley was the first english-speaking songs he heard, which also contributes to his creative process. And then he starts to learn more and more American styles - country, pop, R&B, rap, and of course...the blues.

Sover has been joined by so many incredible titans in the industry, in particular Billy Cox - Jimi Hendrix's long time bassist., who recently played on Sover's latest release HIS-Story, on 2 covers of Hendrix tunes. One "Remember" was not release here in the US originally and so this is one of the rare versions that exist, and a true testament to Sover's talent since Cox chose to play on the track.

Greg will perform live acoustic on the show, which is not to be missed. And be sure to catch him live when he performs near you!

Here's the article by Greg Sover authored for American Blues Scene

Greg Sover Links

Greg Sover Music

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Smokey Brights - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:00:00 -0400

Prepare yourself to be immersed in warm, harmony-rich, disco rock anthems by the purveyors of pure energy - Smokey Brights. Based in the Pacific Northwest, the Smokeys are fronted by husband/wife duo Ryan Devlin and Kim West. Rounding out their harmonies and exceptional musicality is Luke Ragnar on bass and Nick Krivchenia on drums.

We've been obsessed with the music of Smokey Brights since we discovered them, which surprisingly, was only recently. They have a way of constructing a song that is so familiar, yet brand new - making you feel the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s all at once, and yet totally current. Songs that are haunting, but somehow comforting - like a story of warning, that fills you with hope.

We'll take a dive in to several tracks with Ryan and Kim, and learn how they all met as students and aspiring musicians working at the same pizza shop. Since they were broke, they decided to record some covers together as gifts for their loved ones, and realized they had something special. 10+ years later, they're still producing incredible music and performing it across the country and overseas.

We feature "No Getting Out", "I Love You But Damn", and "Unity", and they play 2 songs live acoustic - "72" and "Broken Too". And Tiny sings along!

Smokey Brights Links

Smokey Brights Music

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NextFavBand Sessions Vol.6 - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Check out all of the exclusive live performances from our livestream episodes from October 2023 to March 2024.

Includes:
00:06:25 - "You Have Changed" by ‪@BanditsOnTheRun‬
00:13:00 - "Spooky" by ‪@cloveronthemic‬
00:18:11 - "I Hate Love Songs" by ‪@SethWitcher‬
00:23:59 - Ripped Solos and National Anthems by ‪@DaveHillOfficial‬
00:30:21 - "Spells" by ‪@easyhoney3080‬
00:34:57 - "Lost Without" by ‪@ShaneGuerrette‬
00:37:47 - "Bushwick" by ‪@BrittanyAnnTranbaugh‬
00:41:24 - "No Control" by ‪@alexradusmusic‬
00:48:48 - "Belly of a Whale" by ‪@Blaircrimmins‬ ‪@captaincrimminsandthestory81‬
00:52:25 - "DIY or Die" by ‪@Adaywithoutlove‬

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Velvet Rouge - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Ready for some gypsy-soul rock-n-roll?? Well you're going to love the music and the convo with Gina Zo of Velvet Rouge. They have brand new music coming out to continue their exceptional offerings and performances that made them Philly's hottest rock band.

Gina's been singing and dancing pretty much since she could start to talk and walk. And took to all aspects of being a musician just as quickly - writing songs as soon as she was gifted a guitar, and then immediately began prospecting with venues for gigs, showing a willingness for the grind of getting your name and music out there.

Then at 17 she auditioned for The Voice and made it to the show on Team Blake. There she did receive coaching from Gwen Stefani, which you can see homage to in her performances.

Off of the success of the show, she was able to sign with a label, however here she experiences the darker side of the industry where she didn't have control over her own content and image and it has her take a break from singing, writing and performing.

Luckily for us, she eventually gets motivated to "get the band back together" and now called Velvet Rouge, they've committed to go all out and also to advocate for change in the treatment of women in the industry.

Also, recently come out as bi-sexual, Gina is also an advocate for being your most genuine self, and released the anthemic "Faking It" about the struggles with navigating that. Happy Pride!

All that and much more to look forward to in this interview, including a live performance from Gina of "Shattered" which is releasing the same day as this interview. This accompanies the previously released summer power jam "Lonely Since The Day We Met", and the full EP comes out in a month on 7/26. Join for the EP release show at Johnny Brenda's on 7/27!

Lastly, we'll have our typically trivial details to explore - like what's up with this broken toilet seat on the wall....???

Velvet Rouge Links

Velvet Rouge Music

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Yo! That's My Banter with guest co-host Nate Runkel - Your Next Favorite Jawn

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Today we displace the guilt and embrace the pleasure as we welcome Nate Runkel as a guest and a co-host, so I guess its a guest co-host! We've done super collabos with Nate previously but today the focus will be on just us and some knucklehead banter.

First, we'll promo the upcoming songwriter's round we helped co-curate the line-up of: Sounds of the Underground on Fri 6/21 on the Levitt SteelStacks stage in Bethlehem, PA. This exciting opportunity is shared with Gerard Longo of Underground Music Collective.

Then Nate and I will dive in to his show (show...s) primarily Yo! That's My Jawn, but also 2 Old / 2 New with Bruce Warren of WXPN, Oops...All Bards, and more.

Nate does a cool thing on all of his YtmJ episodes where he puts each guest through the "Jawntlet". We touch on some of it here, but the full content of my overanalysis will get release as a bonus episode...

Anyway, tune in everybodeeeeeee!

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BONUS: Sounds of the Underground - promo guest appearance on iHeartRadio WXLV hosted by Kate Hughes

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Recently, we made a guest appearane on the Lunch Express hosted by Kate Hughes on iHeart Radio WXLV the X.

We promoted the upcoming Levitt SteelStacks show on Friday, June 21st: Sounds of the Underground (co-curated by Gerard Longo at Underground Music Collective and Phillip Reese at Your Next Favorite Band) will feature eight eastern Pennsylvania-based performers across two stages.
https://www.alexradus.com/
The evening kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with a Nashville-style songwriters round, where you will get to experience a variety of genres, from folk and Americana, to indie rock and hip hop.

Our performers are…

Chelsea Mitchell of Dirty Dollhouse
Greg Adams of TIOGA
Tye Vallone & Brie Emsee of The Groove Merchants
Alex Radus
Bren
Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise

Then, we kick the evening into overdrive at 9 p.m., right across 1st St. on the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square. There, we’ll be joined by high-powered, harmonic rock band The Beautiful Distortion, before closing the evening with Radus’ well-regarded alt-rock project, Hot4Robot.

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The Hooten Hallers - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 22:00:00 -0400

One of our favorite finds of 2023, we saw The Hooten Hallers in concerts and could not believe what we were experiencing. They bring a unique and even peculiar vision of Americana: a fiery, bluesy, rock & roll fever dream. You're going to love it!

Joining us is John Randall - player of both electric and lap steel guitars, and fronts many of the bands songs with his infernal growl, reminiscent of a love child between Tom Waits and George Thorogood.

They also have brand new concept music about to be released - a rock opera called The Devil's Egg. The album comes out this August, but we will get to share of the music and hear all about it, as well as the tour that is planned to support it, where they plan to perform The Devil's Egg in its entirety in order each night.

Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform so you don't miss an episode!

The Hooten Hallers Links

Website
Pre-Order The Devil’s Egg direct from the band! – due out August 9, 2024
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok

The Hooten Hallers Music

Vinyl and CD’s and other merch direct from The Hooten Hallers
Spotify
Apple Music
Youtube
Bandcamp

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BONUS: Exceprt 3 of 3 from Summertime Festival Banter - guest appearance by Shayna Super, Executive Director of Levitt SteelStacks

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0400

In this triple collabo, I'm joined by co-hosts Dan Drago of 25 O'Clock Pod and Nate Runkel of Yo! That's My Jawn to share our thoughts on which concerts and festivals are not to be missed this summer.

In this segment, we're joined by special guest Shayna Super, who as Executive Director of the Levitt SteelStacks, leads the effort to curate the line-up for the FREE shows on that stage Thur, Fri and Sat, all summer long, She's also a Program Director for ArtsQuest so also helps lead the efforts of Musikfest and many other concerts and fests the rest of the year as well, but today our focus is on Levitt SteelStacks.

First she shares how the Levitt Foundation came to be and the wonderful offerings they have across the country - 7 permanent stages (SteelStacks is one) and several other temporary stages in many many cities.

Then we review the SteelStacks line-up (which is stellar) and each share some of the favorites we are looking forward to in particular and play a song from them.

We feature the following artists and their performance date is noted:

Levitt Foundation's national touring act this year
7/26: The War & Treaty @TheWarAndTreatyOfficial

6/21: Sounds of the Underground - all local songwriter's round curated by Gerard Longo of Underground Music Collective and Phillip Reese from Your Next Favorite Band @UMCNashville @nextfavband
7/5: Bandits on the Run @BanditsOnTheRun
7/18: Happy Landing @happylandingxo
8/17: Patty PerShayla & the Mayhaps @PattyPerShayla
8/24: Gina Chavez @GinaChavezmusic
9/13: Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band @bigdamnbandofficial

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

BONUS: Exceprt 2 of 3 from Summertime Festival Banter - guest appearance by Sug Daniels

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -0400

In this triple collabo, I'm joined by co-hosts Dan Drago of 25 O'Clock Pod and Nate Runkel of Yo! That's My Jawn to share our thoughts on which concerts and festivals are not to be missed this summer.

In this segment, we're joined by "light of the world" and hot, up-and-coming artist Sug Daniels out of Philadelphia. She was on our show last summer where we dove in to her full back story and highlighted her music.

Today, she joins us to help promote the upcoming Your Next Favorite Band presents... show at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, PA - the first-of-its-kind event where we curate a line-up of artists for you to enjoy that you may not have heard of before. If you trust us from the weekly show, then this is your chance to catch that energy live! The line-up also includes Roi & the Secret People Acoustic in addition to Sug Daniels. It all takes place Sun 6/9 at 4pm ET (doors & cake at 3pm) and tickets are $25 in advance. Learn more and snag those tix at either godfreydaniels.org or nextfavband.com.

Sug is also a co-producer of the Sweet Juice Fest event which takes place each year in Philly. This year, it happens on Sat 7/6 at The Farm at Aubrey in Germantown. Head to sweetjuicefest.com to learn more.

Hope you enjoy Sug and her run down of these 2 events!

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BONUS: Excerpt 1 of 3 from Summertime Festival Banter - guest appearance by Jesse Lundy of Rising Sun Presents

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0400

In this triple collabo, I'm joined by co-hosts Dan Drago of 25 O'Clock Pod and Nate Runkel of Yo! That's My Jawn to share our thoughts on which concerts and festivals are not to be missed this summer.

In this segment, we're joined by special guest Jesse Lundy of Rising Sun Presents and Point Entertainment. He was a guest on our show back in January for a full interview, and boy was it a good one. He's an incredible storyteller and a master at recognizing talent on the rise.

We discuss the festivals and line-ups Rising Sun Presents was a part of curating, including:
- Sing Us Home festival in Manayunk, PA
- Concerts Under The Stars in King of Prussia, PA
- Wayne Music Fest in Wayne, PA
- Eagleview Summer Concert Series in Exton, PA (which is where he joins us from for this guest spot!)

And they are connected to a number of other venues, festivals and outlets around the Philly area, and is always finding incredible new talent to put in front of this great audience we have in Eastern PA!

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Roi & the Secret People - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0400

No secrets here! We are thrilled to bring you the story and the music of Mike Roi and his band Roi & the Secret People. He started his journey in Jupiter, FL, spent time in Philly and NY as things picked up, and then the woman he loved and the town of Easton in the Lehigh Valley inspired him to lay down roots, all while releasing incredible music.

We'll dive in to how he started his music journey on the wrong foot...or horn really...by attempting to describe the saxophone but receiving a clarinet. Then on to high school bands that didn't really know how to play, and then cracking through his introversion to become one of the most electric frontman in the biz.

Roi & the Secret People have amazing songs that are meaningful as well - touching on topics of homelessness, substance abuse and even suicide prevention & awareness. We'll feature their brand new, not-yet-released song "Halo", as well as "Dog St", "Mississippi Sun" and "Phoenix".

We are honored to have the Roi & the Secret People acoustic trio a part of our very first Your Next Favorite Band presents... line-up - performing on Sunday, June 9th at 4pm ET (doors at 3pm) in Bethlehem, PA at Godfrey Daniels. Get tickets at godfreydaniels.org, or link to it along with music and details at nextfavband.com. Hope you can join us!

Roi & The Secret People Links

Roi & The Secret People Music

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BONUS: NextFavBand presents... - guest appearance on the Lunch Express show hosted by Kate Hughes on WXLV The X

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Recently, we made a guest appearane on the Lunch Express hosted by Kate Hughes on iHeart Radio WXLV the X.

We promoted the upcoming Your Next Favorite Band presents... show at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, PA featuring Sug Daniels and Roi & the Secret People: Acoustic, sharing the inspiration around curating a line-up of bands for the stage, details about the event, and music from each of the artists.

The show takes place on Sun 6/9 - the music starts at 4pm ET (doors + cake at 3pm) and tickets are $25 in advance. There is a discount code for musicians and performers so please reach out and we can supply that. We hope you can join us!

Get tickets on the event page at godfreydaniels.org or link to it from our "presents..." page on nextfavband.com.

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The American Hotel System - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 29 May 2024 22:00:00 -0400

We were super in to The American Hotel System heading in to Musikfest 2023 as one of our "Must See" bands, and we loved them even more after seeing them perform. So we are thrilled to be able to bring them on the show.

From Grand Rapids, MI, this alt-rock band that transcends the ordinary and expected. Founded in 2017 by Jacob Betts (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Hailey Petty (Drums), Jake LaMotte (Bass), and later joined by C.T. McCallister (Guitar), the band embarked on a journey that transformed them into a significant musical presence through genre exploration.

Opening for Bon Jovi in 2022, their powerful sound has resonated with audiences and garnered attention from Relix Magazine, BuzzMusic, CLOUT, and LEVELUP. As two-time Music Prize finalists and Grand Champions of Music Prize 2022, they stand as a dynamic force, pushing the boundaries of contemporary rock.

The American Hotel System Links

The American Hotel System Music

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Gangstagrass - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 22 May 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Time for us to check back in with Rench, Dolio the Sleuth, R-Son the Voice of Reason, and the rest of the genre-busting phenomenon that is Gangstagrass.

They'll take time while on tour to share with us the latest music they've got cookin' up for their upcoming release - The Blackest Thing On The Menu. We'll take a listen to "Only Way Out Is Through" and "Obligatory Braggadocio".

The crew will also play live for us during the broadcast!

There's also great stories to dive in to from the history of the band, and we'll hear their thoughts on how it was to compete on America's Got Talent.

If you haven't heard or experienced the wonderous sound of Gangstagrass, I'm jealous as I'll never forget the first time I had them take over my ears. Enjoy!

Links

Justified - TV show on FX
Information about their performance in The Caverns on PBS
Our previous interview with R-Son the Voice of Reason
Gangstagrass will be at Philly Folk Fest August 16-18

Gangtagrass Links

Gangstagrass Music

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Wila Frank - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 15 May 2024 22:00:00 -0400

This week we are joined by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Wila Frank - a hot, up-and-coming artist with a knack for taking the styles from her youth playing folk/americana music to a more alt-pop sound, all while making impossible sounds possible.

With music often referred to as "cinematic", "introspective" and many other superlatives, I just like to say its incredible, and you're going to love it.

Growing up on a farm in a rural bohemian town in Oregon (we'll get more detail on what that's like), she learned how to play the fiddle at the age for 4 (fueled by a little sibling rivalry) but didn't stop there, picking up the piano, mandolin, cello and guitar. She began songwriting at the age of 12 following the tragic loss of her father, which helped her cope and move through the grieving process.

Now in Nashville, she released one of our favorite records last year: Black Cloud, and her hit "Tonight" made our Your Next Favorite Song for 2023 Spotify playlist. She is set to release new music this year as well, so we'll dive in to that and she'll even play some of it live for us during the interview.

Be sure to check out her music and tune in for the interview!

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Listen to the Dissonance highlights: powerful songs & brave conversations about mental health - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 09 May 2024 22:00:00 -0400

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're releasing highlights from our Listen to the Dissonance event from back in February, where we brought together 4 incredible musicians to share songs and conversations about mental health.

This special day featured:
- Mike & Shannon Mains
- Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise
- Seán Barna
- Carly Comando of Slingshot Dakota

We also were spotlighting the work and efforts of Backline.care, and this event helped raise a donation of $511!

Also spotlighted was the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and please check out their services, especially if you or someone you know and care for needs help.

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Judah Kim - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Tune in this week as we spend time with Judah Kim - a Philly-based "underdog" DIY alt-rocker who's songs have soaring vocals, and structure that put your ears at ease. David puts forth a "Beatles/Radiohead" vibe, and that sounds just about perfect.

Judah was born in Philly, the 7th of 8 from parents to immigrated from South Korea. A proud Asian American, Judah is passionate to share that a path in rock n roll is there and to raise awareness on the mental health impact of a culture with a excessively strong emphasis on academics and success. So he and 4 other Asian American fronted bands came together to produce Asian American Pie and will be all performing on Sat May 11th at World Cafe Live in Philly.

Check out his blog article "Why an All Asian Rock Show is Important"

We'll also spend time discussing the rest of Judah's story and share some of his music, like the incredible tracks "Fate" and my personal favorite "Backdoor". Judah will also perform live during the broadcast, and with his home studio this is sure to sound amazing.

Don't miss this one!

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Eliza Hardy Jones - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0400

This week's conversation will have it all - incredible music, inspiring story, deep conversation about overcoming grief, international relations, trips to the arctic circle, synesthesia, quilting with brilliance, and even the Philadelphia Eagles. Yep...all of that! So you will not want to miss our conversation with Eliza Hardy Jones.

Of course, primarily this is about the first item on that list - and Eliza has just released a gem of an album called Pickpocket, and while it's full of the journey through the grief of attempting to have a child and feeling like you've tried everything, the music somehow has the ability to ease the pain and bring comfort...and hope.

We'll explore this wonderful release with her, and take a trip with her through all of the other incredible elements of her story - including her time performing with Grace Potter, Iron & Wine, and her current band The War on Drugs. Which also lead her to work with Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson as the vocal coach for the Philly Special Christmas albums. And the incredible Song Quilt Project!

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No Planet B Pre-Jam 2024 - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0400

During this episode we also talk about the Earth. We only have one! So we need to take good care of it, like it does for us. Awareness is everything, so we will be sharing data and info, we'll shine a light on people and organizations doing great things, and of course some music along the way that's inspired by the need to take action. We'll also preview important details for the No Planet B Jamboree happening this Sun 4/21 in Bethlehem.

Guests of the livestream include:
- Divya Desai, Executive Director of The Energy Co-op (our sponsor for this event)
- Paige Roth, Director of Volunteer & Community Programs at Reverb.org
- Eljuri, singer/songwriter and "art-ivist"
- Hila the Earth, eco-rapper

We'll also hear from Congresswoman Susan Wild, our Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania

Music selections will include:
- "I Know Where the Beez Have Gone" by The Slambovian Circus of Dreams
- "grass getting greener" by Easy Honey
- "Salva La Tierra" by Eljuri
- "Dirty Talk" by Hila the Earth
- Selection from "Almanac Behind" by Daniel Bachman
- "How Was I To Know" by Missy Higgins

We hope you join us on our FREE in-person, live event on Sun 4/21 at 2pm in the courtyard of The Sun Inn in Bethlehem, PA featuring performances by Galen Deery & the Reason Why, CLOVER, and Moustapha Noumbissi. Please register at nextfavband.com!

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Moustapha Noumbissi - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0400

Get ready for the psychedelic soul of Moustapha Noumbissi - Philly-based multi-instrumentalist who music is emerging and on the rise right now.

Born in Belgium to Cameroonian parents, Moustapha grew up a participant of many musical traditions, including West African drumming, American pop, and choral music.

We get in to all of that and then some...how he acquired his guitar from his college roommate before he even knew how to play, how his enormous hands impacted his learning and playing of the guitar, and how being an athlete shaped his approach to music. And he will play live during the interview!

Also, Moustapha is the headliner for our 2nd Annual No Planet B Jamboree on Sunday, April 21st 2024, so please Save the Date and plan to come on out to this FREE event in Bethlehem. More details are available at nextfavband.com/no-planet-b-jamboree-2024/

A huge thank you to John Vettese and Bruce Warren from WXPN for letting use 2 songs that Moustapha recorded live at WXPN in Philadelphia for The Key Studio Sessions. You can check out those videos and an article about them here

Moustapha Noumbissi Links

Moustapha Noumbissi Music

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A Day Without Love - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Brian Walker is on a mission to spread good vibes. He achieves this through many, many ways. Of course our focus today will be to feel those vibes through his music and his band A Day Without Love.

Take a moment to spend some time as we hear about his early inspirations, how his poetry got turned in to the first songs, and how one of them, inspired by the ugliness of domestic violence that he helped stop, became the band name and launched the mission to help others rise above their own struggles.

Brian will perform live, and we'll share additional tracks from his catalog that shows off his infectious folk punk sound.

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Episode 100! Featuring Blair Crimmins & the Hookers, Carver Commodore, and George Wacker of Lehigh Valley with Love

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 23:00:00 -0400

98...99...100!! We've been livestreaming and publishing podcasts for almost 2 years now, releasing content weekly for the majority of that time, and we are now at our 100th episode. Can't believe it! Thank you all so much for tuning in, downloading, and trusting us to introduce you to "your next favorite band".

To help us honor the century mark, we'll be joined first by George Wacker of Lehigh Valley with Love, who provided a platform for this idea to germinate, then by Blair Crimmins who was the very first guest I ever interviewed, and then by Carver Commodore, who were the band that made me feel validated throughout the process of inviting, prepping, interviewing and the various shenanigans that follow. We also may have another surprise or two up our sleeves as well for the broadcast.

We will be announcing our line-up for the No Planet B Jamboree, which is happening Sun 4/21 at 2pm ET in Bethlehem, PA, which includes Moustapha Noumbissi, CLOVER and Galen Deery & Mystik Fool. More info to follow!

We'll be having all the feels for sure. And we'd love to hear if there have been any bands we've introduced you to over these 100 episodes, and who you think we should make OUR next favorite band, and seek to bring on for episode 101+.

Thank you all once again...this has been quite the honor.

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Alex Radus/Hot4Robot (at Lost Tavern Brewing) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:00:00 -0400

Do you think you can play like Django? How about Radus? Well think again, and tune in for our in-person convo with incredible finger-pickin singer-songwriter Alex Radus and prepare for "genre whiplash"!

We sit down with him and learn about how people recognized his talent at a young age, earning him the opportunity to attend the Augusta Heritage Center - dedicated to the preservation of traditional American styles of music and performance. There he is inspired by the sounds and mentors, learns many different styles of playing, begins writing the music he was meant to create, meets Maria Woodford to form the folk duo Duende and they start busking/touring across the country....and the rest is history.

Now a resident and part of the fabric of the rich Lehigh Valley music scene, Alex continues to perform throughout the area solo, as a trio, and as the recently formed rock group Hot4Robot along with Dave Cahill.

Alex performs acoustic - "No Control" from his catalog, and "Just Human" from the Hot4Robot album.

This interview and the performances were recorded at the Bethlehem location of Lost Tavern Brewing.

Grab a pint, pull up a chair, and enjoy our time with Alex Radus!

Alex Radus

Hot4Robot

Alex Radus / Hot4Robot Music

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Social Creatures - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 22:00:00 -0500

We were introduced to Social Creatures back during Musikfest, and we stuck around to listen to them which made us late to our broadcast of the daily livestream because they were so good. A true "Best of the Fest" for 2023 for sure.

Based in Brooklyn, NY, Social Creatures is producing music that is both nostalgic and new, both fun danceable and emotionally raw. Their music includes killer bass lines, shredding guitar licks, creative drum lines, dreamy synth, and vocals that are soaring and attainable.

They were selected by the Charter Arts class participating in the Musikfest Marketing program put on by ArtsQuest with area high schools, so their sound is something that everyone is enjoying.

We'll share their songs "Half The Keys", "Nothing Changes", and some live footage we snagged during Musikfest that you'll want to see, especially the active shenanigans of the drummer. So fun to watch! Then we play their release from just last Friday (3/1/2024) "Fly The Loop".

Lots of great music coming from Social Creatures and tours to support the releases, so be sure to catch them live when they play near you. You will love it!

Social Creatures Links

Social Creatures Music

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Brittany Ann Tranbaugh - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0500

This week we are joined by the ever-clever, award-winning, queer Americana artist from Philadelphia - Brittany Ann Tranbaugh. We have so much fun in this convo diving back to the early years and talking through all of the ups and downs that have lead her to the full-time musician life she is currently leading.

Songwriting and performing has always come easy, but this super-talented musician who was hailed as being "the future of folk music" did go through a time that she needed to focus on her mental health. Something that should be applauded and we can all benefit from hearing about.

Back at it and better than ever since 2021, Brittany is on a roll that includes a John Lennon Songwriting Contest win for "Kiss You" and an album produced by Tyler Chester. Can't wait to see where things continue to progress for Brittany Ann.

Please enjoy our interview with her, including the sharing of recordings of "Kiss You", "The Good In That", and "Can't Wait, No Rush", and she also will perform music live that is both recently released, and no yet released (at the time of this recording).

Brittany Ann Tranbaugh Links

Brittany Ann Tranbaugh Music

Bandcamp (Music and Merch direct from the artist!)
Spotify
Apple Music

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Shane Guerrette - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 23:00:00 -0500

Are you ready for some hip, cool, under-the-radar blues?? Be prepared to be blown away by the smooth guitar and killer vocals of Shane Guerrette.

Surrounded by music his whole life, he picked up the guitar at a young age, and enjoyed early success posting covers of popular songs in his style to YouTube. However it never felt quite fulfilling and started to write and record his own music. Which was also immediately successful.

Shane's writing and performances are a throwback to a time filled with coolness, and he seems to produce a sound well beyond his years somehow. He's even had his music featured in a Brunello Cuccinelli & Oliver Peoples sunglass ad.

He's just starting a tour supporting Black Joe Lewis, and will be releasing new music heading in to the spring.

Links
Website: shaneguerrette.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify Channel

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Julia Steiner of Ratboys - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0500

In 2023, Ratboys released their latest album The Window, and it was our fav of the year. We also got to see them perform at Johnny Brenda's in Sept last year. So when the opportunity came up for us to interview frontwoman and lead songwriter Julia Steiner we were so pumped!

We spend time to hear more about the latest album, how they met producer Chris Walla and how he inspired them to try new things, and the stories behind some of tracks (can't believe they did "Black Earth, WI" in only 2 takes!). She also shares her passion for album sequencing and how she goes about selecting the order for the tracks on the album.

We also learn more about her story finding her music path, how she met Dave Sagan in college, and how the rest of the band formed across their catalog of albums.

In addition to "Black Earth, WI", we share the official video of "It's Alive!", some video we captured at the Johnny Brenda's show of "Charles Bernstein" (a deep cut off their first album), and close the show out with my fav track off the latest album "Empty".

This is such a fun convo with one of the best out there right now - you won't want to miss it!

Links
Website: ratboysband.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify Channel

Nepco Guitars: nepcoguitars.com

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On A Roll Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0500

We are on a roll!! This past weekend we hosted the inaugural Listen to the Dissonance event, and we are so pleased with how everything turned out. We'll share some details and thoughts, and a highlight or two.

But we'll only take a breath or two before moving on, because we've got to announce the details of the 2nd annual No Planet B Jamboree! It will be on Sun 4/21 at 2:00pm ET in the Courtyard of The Sun Inn. And we have a back-up plan should the weather force us indoors - so you can comfortably SAVE THE DATE! Tune in for more details, and like/subscribe/follow as we continue to reveal more info about the bands who're going to be a part of things.

As a treat, tonight we will share the incredible, 6-song exclusive performance Sean Kelly of The Samples recorded for last year's No Planet B Jamboree. We've never released it before, so if you didn't tune in last year, or weren't a part of The Samples Fan Page group on Facebook, it wasn't out there for you. But will be now! Sean's performance of these songs that all share his passion for Mother Earth and the environment are incredible. Don't miss it!

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Listen to the Dissonance Preview Show - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0500

Listen to the Dissonance: songs & conversations about mental health is blossoming in to a special event. Want to learn more? Tune in to our episode this week as we preview everything!

The music of the incredible artists, interviews with our spotlight organizations Backline.care and NAMI, as well as details about the various organizations that will have information tables for you to meet with at the event.

A great way to get ready for the event on Sunday, February 4th at 2:00pm ET in Bethlehem, PA at The IceHouse.

Get details and purchase tickets here.

Listen to the Dissonance will feature live performances from:
- Mike and Shannon Mains of Mike Mains & the Branches
- Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise
- Rachel Ana Dobken
- Seán Barna
- Carly Comando of Slingshot Dakota

And spotlighting the services and efforts of:
- Backline.care
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Local organizations with information tables include:
- NAMI Lehigh Valley
- Higher Grounds Music
- Find Yourself & Be That
- Project Healing Hive
- Reset: Outdoors
- Lehigh Valley Girls Rock
- Lovely Little Lotus

Sponsored by:
- Cafe the Lodge
- Members 1st Federal Credit Union
- Touchstone Theatre

And thank you to Tiffany Sondergaard of --ts Brand Elevation for helping us connect all of this wonderful community members for this special day

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Easy Honey - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:00:00 -0500

Brush away the winter weather with the music of Easy Honey! This incredible band out of Charleston, SC has the dual sound of fresh indie-rock balanced with familiar feel-good beachy vibes. The duality in their music continues lyrically, with songs like "Steady In Vertigo" and even their name - since there's no such thing as "easy" honey.

We'll be joined by co-frontman/guitarist Selby Austin, and bassist Webster Austin. They'll share about their beginnings while at college at Sewanee, the move to Charleston, and where they see taking things now that they're back to a full schedule of touring.

The environment is very important to them and is often in their messaging and interest, so we spend some time on that since that is a topic of importance for us as well.

Selby will perform their song "Spells" live on the show, and we share some video we captured during their Musikfest set of "Gotta Get Back".

This group has such a fun, infectious vibe and sure to be your #nextfavband!

Easy Honey Links

Easy Honey Music

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Raina Douris of WXPN and NPR's World Cafe (at Louie Louie) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500

Oh my how the turns have tabled! Join us as Phillip sits down with award-winning host of internationally syndicated music interview program World Cafe - Raina Douris, over a cheese plate at Louie Louie in downtown Philly.

We'll learn how her "loud voice that carries" and having strong opinions lead her to be selected for a unique opportunity in high school, and it was over from there. The pride of Stouffville, Ontario went to to host radio shows broadcast across all of Canada, and then to become only the 3rd host of NPR's World Cafe.

Raina has many admirable and inspiring moments in her career, and she's a great storyteller, so you won't want to miss this one.

Raina Douris Links

Other Links Discussed

Pretty Dim Wonder podcast – Raina plays the bartender
Rain’s World Videos

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Jesse Lundy of Rising Sun Presents - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Interested in learning more about the music scene in and around Philly over the past several years? It’s hard to find a more knowledgable nor better teller of the stories than Jesse Lundy. Previously over Point Entertainment , now with Rising Sun Presents, he takes us through his journey to becoming a talent buyer, where he got his start, and how he has the knack of finding the right artist for the moment and opportunity.

Such great stories of amazing musicians abound! Be sure to check this one out.

We’ve also got an exciting announcement of an event we’re hosting for in-person experience in Bethlehem, PA on Sun 2/4/24 - Listen to the Dissonance: songs & conversations about mental health.

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Behind The Sound: There, There (a tribute to Radiohead) - Your Next Favorite band

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 23:00:00 -0500

Happy New Year! 2023 was a great year for us, and we've got some extremely cool stuff planned for 2024. So let's start things off hot right away!

This week we present a completely new type of episode for us - "Behind the Sound". These episodes will focus on the gear and tech of a band to understand how they achieve their distinct sound. For our first installment, we sped time with There, There - a tribute to Radiohead.

We first met Joe, Colin, Ben, Cory and Charles (and the drum machine) at Musikfest 2022, and loved what they did so much, they became the first tribute band to be interviewed on our show in September of that year. Check out that interview here: https://nextfavband.com/2022/09/15/th...

After catching a few more of their shows, we collectively had the thought and the interest to do a show that focused on the various elements that get them in the neighborhood of the iconic Radiohead sound. We hear about their effects pedals, their pick-ups, sample pads, chaos pads, "rackzilla", and much more!

The guys were kind enough to allow me to attend their load-in and sound check for a show they were doing at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem, PA. Watching them get everything in its right place on stage and then testing it all to make sure it sounded great was a sight to behold. So we documented and shared it all in condensed form here for you.

Joe and Cory and the rest of There, There even provide additional insight and context on some of the various elements we'll be discussing as well as chat about the history of Radiohead as a band.

Whether you like Radiohead's music or not, you'll be sure to enjoy this dive in to how a band sets up for a complex show like this, and what all goes in to creating the music for your earholes.

Come with us as we go "Behind the Sound" with There, There - a tribute to Radiohead.

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The Rumble feat. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 21:00:00 -0500

Do you hear that rumble that I hear?? Phillip and David join the second line this week and spend time with The Rumble - a beautiful fusion of the swagger of modern bayou funk with Black Masking carnival culture of Mardi Gras.

We were there when they dropped an atomic funk bomb at Musikfest and now they are nominated for a Grammy in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category for the debut release Live at the Maple Leaf earlier this year.

We'll spend time with them to learn more about their history, how they came together and formed, and the music they've written together. We'll also learn more about the gorgeous Black Masking Indian culture and the Golden Eagle tribe in particular ... and how Chief Joseph made his entire suit by hand!

We are certain you will love their music, and we can't wait to hear more.

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Winter WonderJam 2023 Highlights (Part 3 of 3: Interviews) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:00:00 -0500

Happy Holidays and Merry WonderJam 2023!! We had spectacular time this year bringing great conversations and music to the stage of Godfrey Daniels and out to the livestream channels. We've carved up the highlights in to 3 parts, and here is the first one dedicated to the interviews.

In this segment, you'll hear from Mike Duck, our sound engineer extrodinaire, who speaks on our host venue Godfrey Daniels; from Marc Rittle, Executive Director, and Tim Burke, Development Director of New Bethany. You can still make donations directly to them by texting "NextFavBand2023" to 41444

We also spend time with Bethlehem's Mayor J William Reynolds; and with owner of Deja Brew and President of the board of the SouthSide Film Festival Jeff Vaclavik.

And lastly, comedian and member of our headliner Fig for a Kiss: Addyson Teal joins us for a fun bit centered around the phenomenon that is the Hallmark Christmas Movie.

#winterwonderjam

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Winter WonderJam 2023 Highlights (Part 2 of 3: Live Music Headline Performances) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:00:00 -0500

We were blessed to have our Winter WonderJam 2023 headlined by 2 amazing performers and prior guests: Tyler Asay of The Tisburys and Fig for a Kiss. They even all joined the stage at the end for a heartwarming rendition of "Silent Night".

Please enjoy both entire sets here as our gift to you!

Thank you to Mike Duck for making everything sound so great, and to Godfrey Daniels for allowing us to set-up in their wonderful venue for this.

#winterwonderjam

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Winter WonderJam 2023 Highlights (Part 1 of 3: Holiday Music from Prior Guests) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 22:00:00 -0500

Grab some hot cocoa and curl up by the fire to enjoy some wonderful holiday jams all submitted by prior guests who've been on the show this past year.

00:02:10 - Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise - "Winter Wonda'land"; "Holiday"
00:09:54 - Patty PerShayla - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
00:14:06 - 7Horse - "The Warmth of the Season"
00:20:03 - Jon Worthy - "Joy to the World"
00:23:23 - The Polyphonic Spree - "Silver Bells"
00:29:28 - Pepperwine - "Present Without A Bow"
00:33:02 - Rachel Ana Dobken - "Please Come Home For Christmas"
00:39:24 - Wheatus - "Mean Christmas"
00:43:53 - Gabrielle Sterbenz - "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem"
00:50:17 - "Aramaic All-Star"
00:54:23 - R-Son the Voice of Reason / Gangstagrass - "Hardly Stand The Wait"
00:57:56 - Bandits on the Run - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
01:01:45 - Emily Drinker with Ethan Cain - "This Christmas"
01:04:16 - IVA - "Count Your Blessings"
01:06:01 - Sug Daniels - "Santa Baby"
01:13:37 - CLOVER - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
01:18:52 - Tyler Asay of The Tisburys - "Christmas Tears"
01:23:45 - Fig for a Kiss - "Jingle Bell Jig"
01:29:06 - Fig for a Kiss with Tyler Asay of The Tisburys - "Silent Night"

#winterwonderjam

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WXPN's 885 Greatest Songs by Women - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Philadelphia-based radio station WXPN often asks listeners to submit top 10 lists for various types of music to be compiled, calculated, and ranked to produce a list of the 885 best, according to those that were submitted. This year, they dedicated that to songs by women.

Tune in for the triple collabo when Phillip is joined by Dan Drago of 25 O'Clock Pod, and Nate Runkel of Yo! That's My Jawn podcast as they share their thoughts on the list as it wraps up, who was on their Top 10 lists and thoughts around how they curated it and whittled it down. They'll also share which songs broke their heart to leave off, and which ones have them scratching their heads.

Check out the full list of all 885 songs here: https://xpn.org/countdown/885-greatest-songs-by-women/

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Tim DeLaughter of The Polyphonic Spree - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 13:00:00 -0500

What robed goodness! This episode Phillip and David get to spend time with the frontman and mastermind behind The Polyphonic Spree, Tim DeLaughter.

They've just released brand new music that is stunningly beautiful. The record is called Salvage Enterprise and it is a treasure to enjoy, especially front to back, in order as it was intended. We'll hear all about that and what it took to get here - it's been about a decade since their last release, and Tim shares some details around that.

We also learn about the months leading up the release and how he partook in a listening experience, taking the music on the road to play for people in parks and various locations to try it out and get feedback (and that badass photo of him).

This is also the 4th guest this year that was a iconic musical fixture for Phillip during his college years, as Tim was the frontman of Tripping Daisy back then. He'll take us through the usual chronology of their story and how that chapter closed, only to open a new one with The Spree. Which lead to some cool "firsts" that we'll talk about in commercials (Apple/VW) and television (Scrubs).

Website: thepolyphonicspree.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify

Be sure to check out a show if you can, especially the Holiday Extravaganza in Dallas in mid-December, or their planetarium shows that will be coming in 2024.

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Dave Hill - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Do you enjoy watching someone rip solos? Do you love laughing? Do you like listening to people who have embraced their Canadian roots? They you will be sure to love this week's show, when Phillip and David spend time with comedian, writer, musician, actor, radio host, and man-about-town Dave Hill.

Dave has just published another stellar book called "The Awesome Game", his 4th title overall following "Tasteful Nudes", "Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and "Parking The Moose". Buy them here

Also, his band Valley Lodge's song "Go" was used for the opening them of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. However,

Dave’s mostly imaginary Norwegian Black Metal Band Witch Taint has sold a lot of t-shirts.

In 2007, Variety magazine named Dave one of their “10 Comedians to Watch,” something he still won’t shut up about. Some things are hard to let go of.

Dave has made out with a lot of chicks, is sweet at guitar, and smells really great. You can ask anyone.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Seth Witcher - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Gather round the fireplace for some thanfulness banter as Phillip and David are joined by Seth Witcher, who's incredible voice, and dynamic songwriting have him soaring right now. He's also the perfect guest to join during the week of gratitude as the topic, as he's one of the most humble and grateful people you'll ever meet.

Songs of his featured will be "I'm Afraid of Love", "Marionette" and "I Hate Love Songs". Be on the look-out for his new music dropping on 12/5/2023 "Give Yourself Away".

Be sure to catch him live when you can, and get your tickets early has he's sold out Godfrey Daniels twice this year.

Website: sethwitcherofficial.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify

In the open, we'll take a peek at the design for Musikfest 2024 created by Lauren Beck (the window is now open for musicians to submit for consideration to be booked), we'll share highlights and our thoughts on the Songwriter's Round we co-produced with Underground Music Collective this past Friday 11/17/23, and also provide info about New Bethany Ministries Luminaria Night and our "text-to-give" code for this year.

Text "NextFavBand2023" to 41444 and help us hit our goal and beat last year's amount of total funds raised!!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The 8 musicians of the Songwriter's Round - Your Next Favorite Band (s)

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Join Phillip and David as they share the highlights from the promotional interviews with the 8 local musicians who are a part of the Nashville style "songwriters' in the round" event co-produced with Gerard Longo of Underground Music Collective (UMC) / The Quinn Spinn.

This event will take place on Friday November 17th, 2023 at 8pm ET in the Blast Furnace Room of the ArtsQuest building. You can learn more and purchase tickets here: https://www.steelstacks.org/event/141...

The night will include 2 groups of 4 singer/songwriters, each performing 4 songs "in the round" - a style popularized in Nashville, TN.

Group 1

Mike Roi - Roi and the Secret People
Greg Adams - TIOGA
Carly Comando - Slingshot Dakota
Chelsea Mitchell - Dirty Dollhouse

Group 2

Karen & Amy Jones and Dave Doll - The Beautiful Distortion
Teri Bracken - Brontë Fall
Bobby Siegfried - Chasing Daylight
Billy Bauer - Billy Bauer Band

We hope you enjoy hearing more from each artist and join us on 11/17 for what should be a special night.

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CLOVER (on the mic) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Join Phillip and guest co-host Dan Drago from the 25 O'Clock podcast as they are joined by the nomadic, socially conscious songstress CLOVER, and her partner Dani Sundream to explore together.

Like so many, CLOVER had just released spectacular new music that was on the rise right when the pandemic hit. So they took to the road and busked around the country until things were safer. Now fresh off a performance at Musikfest and about to release all new music, she's ready to take things to the next level.

We'll also dive in to the many important topics that permeate her music - sustainability, female empowerment and managing grief...to name a few.

Getting CLOVER on the mic will not be an event you'll want to miss!

Website: www.cloveronthemic.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify

I Lost Both of My Parents Within 2 Months / My Grief Journey Through Songwriting

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Spooky Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Boo! Phillip and David engage in some banter on Halloween - covering a list of top ways to die in 1632, the ungood fate that met our friendly neighborhood praying mantis, and they share a listener suggested song that fits the vibe of the day - "Jazz y Metal" by Claudio Borda.

Then...shocker...Phillip saw some live music. He shares some pics and clips from recent concerts of Loreena McKennitt, and Quinn Sullivan, and Quinn's opener Shane Guerette.

Things close on a high note as they look towards the upcoming interviews in Nov and the Winter WonderJam in Dec.

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Mike Mains & the Branches - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0400

This episode we meet up with Mike Mains while on tour at Ardmore Music Hall in support of the their latest release Memory Unfixed, and sit down for an open, vulnerable and courageous conversation.

Phillip explores the Mike Mains & the Branches music catalog and the journey they've taken their listeners on, and where this new record lands. However the time between when this record's music was written, and when it was released was a difficult but important time for Mike.

Mike shares the struggles he was dealing with around addiction, abuse and depression leading him to have to take a break and work through all of that. Now on the other side, and "starting to like himself", Mike is sharing his story on stage and with us here in hopes that it can help others know there is hope and there is help.

Please take a moment to listen to his amazing story and enjoy his brilliant music. And be sure to check in on those you care about to make sure they're ok.

Website: mikemainsmusic.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

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Introducing You To Your Next Favorite Band (a crossover with ECM Collective and The Quinn Spinn)

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:00:00 -0400

This week the tables get turned as Phillip and David get interviewed by "The Quinn" Gerard Longo of ECM Collective on his podcast The Quinn Spinn.

Enjoy hearing some of our origin story and more about the upcoming Nashville-style songwriters round event we're co-hosting together in Bethlehem featuring some of the regions most talented artists and musicians.

https://nextfavband.com/

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Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0400

We are so excited to spend time with Kuf and Christine! Luckily, they'll help us get centered first with some "Intro Mantra" and set the vibe - one of love and positivity.

This duo is putting out some of the best music and most unique sounds around right now. And if you haven't heard the pairing of poetic lyrics and dope beats with soaring vocals and angelic harp then now is the time!

We also will hear how they met and joined forces, and also established the wonderful Higher Grounds Music organization to provide resources and advocate for mental and emotional health and positivity.

In addition to "Intro Mantra", we'll feature "PhiLOVEdelphia", "Be Free" from Musikfest, and we are blessed to share "High Vibrationz" post credits in advance of its release worldwide.

Links
Website: www.kufknotz.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

Higher Grounds Music organization - inviting those in community to join in unity through the expression of creative arts

Bio
Named Philadelphia Magazine Best Rapper of 2022, Kuf Knotz Blends hiphop poetry with deep grooves of soul and beats sun kissed with the spirit of Lo-Fi & 90's era vibes. “Christine Elise” is a classically trained harpist, pianist, and vocalist who has been consecutively touring across North America along with studying music therapy at a masters level led her to find a passion for community music therapy. The unlikely pair connected and built the project with a similar vision, wanting to create positive, forward-thinking music driven by a strong message.

Their releases include 2018 Higher Grounds and Community in 2021, along with releases available only at a show near you.

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Bandits on the Run - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0400

This is a hold-up! Now while this group of Bandits only wants to steal your attention and your earholes, you will give it willingly as their music is so incredible with soaring harmonies, stunning orchestrations (of guitar, cello, and a myriad of instruments like accordion) along with touching lyrics - you're sure to get the chills.

Bandits on the Run hail from NYC and include Adrian Blake Enscoe, Regina Strayhorn and Sydney Shepherd. When performing, they take on the "bandit personas" of Roy Dodger, Clarissa the Clairvoyant, and Bonanza Jellyfish respectively.

We will explore their music, which defies all genre and really becomes one of their own, as well as their back story and how they became the Bandits, busking in the NY subway system.

We'll feature "Love in the Underground", "Sing You To Sleep" and they'll perform "You Have Changed" live on the show. AND we'll get to share their upcoming single "Reach Back" a week before its available! Be sure to pre-save now and download when available.

Website: www.banditsontherun.nyc
YouTube channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

LIZZIE: the musical - go see Sydney Shepherd in the title role!

"Group Projects Never End" - essay by Regina Strayhorn for Atwood Magazine

"Emily's Brothers on Dickinson is total 19th Century Bro" - about Adrian Blake Enscoe's character on Dickinson, by Martha Sorren for Bustle Magazine

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NextFavBand Sessions Vol. 5: Live Performances from Interviews May-Aug 2023 - Your Next Favorite Band

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 21:00:00 -0400

Check out all of the exclusive live performances from our livestream episodes from May to August 2023.

Includes:
00:01:54 - "Slow Down" by @tediousbrief6037
00:06:53 - "Valentine" by @WheatusOfficial
00:12:22 - "Heavy" by @sugdaniels
00:16:40 - "When Love Knocks You Down" by @the_tisburys
00:22:23 - "Routines" by @seanbarna
00:28:43 - "Disco Nap" by @seanbarna
00:35:44 - "Shaman (Part 2)" by Galen Deery of @mystikfool
00:39:27 - "Nothing To Me" by @whatthebren
00:43:00 - "Prom Dress" by @whatthebren
00:48:03 - "Panic Attacks" by @foxroyale545
00:51:08 - "Patchwork" by ARKAI @arkaimusic
00:55:47 - "Acceptance" by @RachelAnaDobken

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

NextFavBand Sessions Vol. 4: Live Performances from Interviews Jan-Apr 2023 - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:00:00 -0400

Check out all of the exclusive live performances from our livestream episodes from January to April 2023.

Includes:
01:54 - "Runner" by @terribleorangethings
07:26 - "To Feel Alive" by @emilydrinkermusic
12:38 - "My Funny Valentine" by @corinnemammana
15:45 - a set of 3 Celtic tunes "Trip to Pakistan / The Golden Stud / Palmer's Gate" by @figforakissband6299
23:13 - "Did You Ever Look So Nice?" by @seankelly205 of The Samples
26:42 - "I Don't Care What You Say" by @jonworthy
31:06 - "Road Rough" by @troublecityallstar
36:47 - a NextFavBand free-style by @rsonthevoiceofreason
39:13 - "Mid-Air" by @IVAVOICE
43:56 - "Terraforms" by @TIOGATheBand

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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Rachel Ana Dobken - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Fresh off of her fire set at Musikfest, we're joined by Rachel Ana Dobken who's bluesy rock is continually reaching new heights...and she's releasing new music to take it even higher!

We'll dive in to her backstory and learn how Ed Sullivan contributed to her dreams of becoming a rock star, and how anxiety set-up an obstacle course that she had to navigate to get there. She also hears her songs as a drummer, so we chat a bit about how that impacts her process and the end result.

We'll also share some live performances from Musikfest - one from the set with the band, and one acoustic recorded during the Daily Livestream at Godfrey Daniels earlier that day. Both are songs that are going to be part of the upcoming release. And we get an early peek at the first single "Cruel Cruel Cruel".

Be sure to check this rocker out!

Website: rachelanadobken.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Patty PerShayla & the Mayhaps - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Join us for a "high speed" interview with Patty PerShayla & the Mayhaps, and bask in their powerhouse rock with punk spirit. We'll learn more about how this self-taught guitarist and DIY musician went from Grand Rapids, MI to Nashville, TN, from writing Harry Potter parody music to rippin' gritty rock and blues, from awesome Rush tributes to the equally incredible power trio of the Mayhaps.

We'll share some great songs of theirs from early in their catalog, as well as some of the recent releases off of Perpetual Motion Machine. Don't miss this one!

Patty PerShayla & the Mayhaps songs featured:

"Real Problems" - Tiny Desk recording
"Slo Mo"
"Spill"
"Do It For Me"

Website: www.pattypershayla.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify Channel
Bandcamp

"Closer to the Heart" cover
"Panama" cover with Sav Buist from The Accidentals

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Best of the Fest! Performance highlights and stories from Musikfest 2023 - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Join us as Phillip and David take you through each day of Musikfest and they share videos of their favorite performances and funny stories from this years Musikfest.

Who will be their #nextfavband? Who is scheduled to come on the show in the coming weeks? You'll have to tune in to find out!

Clips of musical performances of:
00:10:05 - Slingshot Dakota "Casino Night"
00:16:39 - AJR “Ordinaryish People”
00:21:20 - The Groove Merchants cover of “Someone Else To Be My Lover”
00:24:07 - There, There (Radiohead Tribute Band) cover of “Idioteque”
00:31:19 - Easy Honey “Gotta Get Back”
00:36:19 - Social Creatures “It’s Cold Out Here ”
00:40:11 - CLOVER “Atlas”
00:43:24 - The Rumble ft. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. “We Are The Rumble”
00:47:28 - The American Hotel System “21st”
00:50:14 - Donna the Buffalo “Revolution”
00:58:19 - Corinne Mammana
01:01:10 - The Accidentals “KW”
01:04:20 - The Tisburys “Back to California”
01:07:35 - Richard Liu wins the Cover Song Game when DMC Due performs “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O'Connor
01:10:30 - Bandits On The Run “Love in the Underground”
01:14:30 - Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band "Pot Roast and Kisses”
01:18:28 - Musikfest Bunny!
01:20:45 - mrnoname “Alive”
01:25:10 - Fox Royale “Blow This Up”
01:28:45 - Mystik Fool “Yellow Feathers”
01:31:09 - Dirty Dollhouse “Underdog”
01:33:59 - Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise “Be Free”
01:38:54 - Wheatus “American in Amsterdam”
01:43:30 - Pepperwine “Feather”
01:46:04 - ARKAI “Rise Up” and “Dot the Dragon’s Eyes” and story
01:52:30 - Rachel Ana Dobken “Just a Dream”
01:55:40 - Jon Worthy & the Bends “Never Lie to You”
01:59:22 - Billy Bauer Band “You’re my One”
02:04:43 - Igor & the Red Elvises “Bacon”

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Highlights from Musikfest 2023 Daily Livestreams (Part 2 of 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Here's the second half of the highlights from our Daily Livestreams during Musikfest 2023. We broadcast live each day of the fest from Godfrey Daniels. During the livestream we share Picks of the Platz and updates on weather for that day, and then bring on a guest or two. We take the highlights from the interviews with those guests and share them here. In addition to some great content, it can also be a cure for post-fest depression!

This episode includes highlights from the interviews with and performances by:
- Galen Deery of Mystik Fool performs "Shaman (Part2)"
- Joziah & TInk from the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
- Bren performs "Prom Dress"
- Meghan Laverty talks about being a manager of musicians
- The boys from Fox Royale perform "Panic Attacks"
- Jonathan and Philip from ARKAI perform "Patchwork"
- Rachel Ana Dobken performs "Acceptance"

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Highlights from Musikfest 2023 Daily Livestreams (Part 1 of 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Here's the first half of the highlights from our Daily Livestreams during Musikfest 2023. We broadcast live each day of the fest from Godfrey Daniels. During the livestream we share Picks of the Platz and updates on weather for that day, and then bring on a guest or two. We take the highlights from the interviews with those guests and share them here. In addition to some great content, it can also be a cure for post-fest depression!

This episode includes highlights from:
- Ramona LaBarre, Managing Director of Godfrey Daniels
- Ryan Hill, Senior Director of Programming for ArtsQuest
- Addy Teal-Young, Programming Specialist for ArtsQuest and member of Fig for a Kiss
- Craig Larimer, Director of Marketing for Historic Bethlhem Museums and Sites
- Jeff Wentz, Festival Rookie
- Greg Provenzo, Festival Rookie
- Max Swan, saxophonist and songwriter
- Frank DellaPenna, Cast in Bronze
- Dan Drago, host of 25 O'Clock Podcast

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Kassie Hilgert, President & CEO of ArtsQuest - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0400

In the midst of the busiest week all year, Kassie Hilgert sat down with us to talk all things Musikfest - what it means to her and to the community, the most important aspects of it, and where it is heading. We also dig in to some "Musikfest Weird", and she also get vulnerable when we share some highlights of great moments from the past.

We do touch on her story and the accolades she's been receiving, but she's too humble to shine too much of a spotlight on that. Highly deserving of all she is recognized for, Kassie is a great leader and important icon for young woman and for the LGBTQ+ community.

This was such a great conversation, we want to share highlights from it all on its own, and it contains so much great info for those interested in learning more about the festival and other offerings from ArtsQuest. Enjoy!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest Exordium 2023 Part 2: Weather Projection, ArtsQuest Board, and music performances! - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 22:00:00 -0400

We start Part 2 of the Musikfest Exordium podcasts with the all important weather forecast with Bobby Martrich, chief meteorologist at EPAWA. Over the 10 days of August, the fest can often be hit with a heat wave, thunderstorms, hail, etc, so it's important to be prepared. Last year we lucked out with near perfect weather, so lets see if Bobby, can work his magic again this year!

Then we'll spend time with Igor from the Red Elvises to hear about his amazing story growing up in the Ukraine, winning Star Search with Limpopo in the 90s, and coming to the US. He'll even perform an acoustic song live!

We'll then hear from Richard Liu, the chair of the Performing Arts board at ArtsQuest. We'll learn more about how the board works all year long to play a role in bringing arts and culture to the Lehigh Valley. He'll also share how effective and helpful the Musikfest app is for navigating the schedule and getting to see as many of the artists you logistically can.

Ever wonder what it takes to set everything up and respond to the various emergencies and incidents throughout? We'll be joined by "Sheriff of the Northside" Gerard Longo, who you'll remember was on our show back in May to share his story and how he founded Underground Music Collective in Nashville, but comes back every year to play a vital role in getting Musikfest up and running smooth all week long. We'll also have an exciting announcement to share!

Then we'll wrap things up (obvi) with music. We'l be joined by Billy Bauer and Bobby Siegfried, who both have sets during the fest for their own projects, and then join forces on the last day for a DMB tribute set. They'll play a few songs and get us ready for Musikfest!!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest Exordium 2023 Part 1: "Must See" Bands with Patrick Brogan from ArtsQuest - Your Next Favorite Band

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Here for your Musikfest prep! We'll be broadcasting live from The Flying V Poutinerie, one of the premiere food vendors during the fest. We'll check in with proprietors Christie and Matt Vymazal to see how their prep is going and if they have any special menu items for this year.

We'll spend time with Patrick Brogan, Program Director at ArtsQuest, and talk about the exciting list of "Returning Favorites", key "must see" acts that may be the #nextfavband, and the Best Day of the Fest. We'll also start a new tradition with a fun game to play trying to predict unique cover songs.

We'll also sit with Jack Silva, Superintendent of Bethlehem Area School District to learn more about the BASD/ArtsQuest classes offered at Freedom and Liberty High Schools where the students learn the process, and even receive a budget to book a line-up of bands!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Seán Barna - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Do not miss this episode! Philly goes 3-for-3 in July as Seán Barna takes a moment during this tour that supports his recent album release An Evening At Macri Park to sit with Philly and David and share his story.

An incredibly vulnerable convo as they touch on his "viscerally queer" epithet, the deep emotional hurdles he worked through as a college freshman following the loss of his brother to a tragic car accident, and how he faced feeling like a "Dishonest Artist" and came out publicly and as an artist (link to his article: https://www.hackwriters.com/Barna1.htm)

There are also plenty of laughs, and great stories that include Adam Duritz of Counting Crows as well as lots of other mentors and people who help guide Seán along the way.

Seán's drum performance for Mr. Lemon Bay High School pageant

And he'll play not 1, but TWO songs live during the interview - "Routines" off of Cissy EP, and the opening overture and first track off of the recent album, "Disco Nap". We'll also share our fav songs off An Evening At Macri Park, "Benjamin Whishaw Smiled" and "I've Been Sleeping With Strangers". Seán is such an emotional performer and we can't wait to hear his acoustic renditions of these raw, visceral songs.

Be sure to catch him when he performs near you!

Website: seanbarna.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

Bio
Seán Barna is a viscerally outspoken queer artist and performer, embedded in the tradition of fearless queer storytelling.

Seán was a semi-professional drummer by age fourteen and graduated with a degree in classical percussion at age twenty-two. Barna has since served as the drummer of Deaf West Theatre’s Los Angeles production of Spring Awakening and the national Broadway tour for The Producers

Seán has released 2 albums, several EPs and singles. Released in May 2023, An Evening at Macri Park, - his second LP and Kill Rock Stars debut, —is a character study of the dimly-lit Brooklyn queer bar, Macri Park, and the creatures who thrive within its walls.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The Tisburys - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Come join Phillip and David as they spend time with Tyler Asay, frontman for The Tisburys, a wonderful Philly-based power-pop/indie-rock band who are reaching new heights with every new release. Their latest, Exile On Main Street, is loaded with both incredible songs, but also with subtle homages to inspirations, and easter eggs to go hunt for.

We'll share their latest single "Garden" and close with "Back to California" from the pandemic-impacted Sun Goes Down LP. And rumor has it that Tyler will be able to play something live for us! Don't miss it!!

Bio
Formed in 2015 by singer-songwriter Tyler Asay and lead guitarist John Domenico, The Tisburys are an Indie Rock / Power Pop band from Philadelphia, PA.

The band has released three full-length albums, most recently 2022’s Exile On Main Street, along with several EPS and singles . Their music has received praise and radio play from NPR & 88.5 WXPN, and have been featured on Steven Van Zandt’s Underground Garage. They have shared the stage with national acts including the Gin Blossoms and Jenny Lewis and local Philadelphia heroes such as The War On Drugs.

The band is gearing up for their first US tour and recording their fourth LP in 2023.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Sug Daniels (at Flannel Restaurant) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0400

What a special ray of positive light we have this week! Tune in as Phillip and David go on location to spend time with Sug Daniels, the DE born/Philly based artists who's ukulele-driven folk soul vibes are soaring and people just can't get enough. We'll learn about her early inspirations, her previous bands FlowCity and Hoochi Coochi, and what led her to the uke. And her recent experiences joining The Black Opry and performing at SxSW and at Willie Nelson's ranch.

Her recent release "When I'm Gone" took off like a rocketship, and she's about to release "Take Your Time", and we've got an early sneak peek! Sug will also play live on the show.

Sug Daniels Website: sugdaniels.com
Black Opry Website: blackopry.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

The interview was recorded live from Flannel Restaurant in East Passayunk in Philadelphia, and owner/chef Marc Grika spends a few moments sharing some history of the establishment, key details, and when to catch live music (every Fri and Sat night).

Flannel Webiste: flannelrestaurant.com

Bio
Sug Daniels is a Delaware born, Philadelphia based, singer-songwriter, story teller, and producer who is using the tools around her to capture the emotions of an era. Daniels’ work is as colorful, vulnerable, and charismatic as her personality. She thoughtfully combines elements of folk, R&B, and soul alternatives to create personal and tender music interlaced with messages of truth and positive change.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

7Horse (Part 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Phillip and David welcome back Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio from 7Horse for the second half of their convo, after Phillip spent a little too long swimming in the waters of the past, and the story of their first band - dada.

They'll start things off with a "previously on Your Next Favorite Band" recap, to bring us quickly back to where we left off. Then we'll hear all about the trials and tribulations of post-dada, the iphone recording of the guitar riff labeled "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker", and where it all went from there.

We'll specifically spend time with that track, "Low Fuel Drug Run", "Two-Stroke Machine" and "Try To Forget It", and hear loads of great stories along the way.

Website: http://www.7horsemusic.com/#intro-section
7Horse YouTube channel
7Horse Spotify

Get tickets to the "Hot Summer Night" show at The Roxy in West Hollywood on Sat Aug 19th, 2023, which will include a set by dada!!

Trailer for Wolf of Wall Street featuring "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" by 7Horse

Bio
Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio, the multi-instrumentalists behind 7Horse's self-described "postpunk dystopian blues," have been exploring unfenced territory together for 30 years. Kickstarting their partnership as members of dada — the platinum-selling alt-rockers behind '90s hits like "Dizz Knee Land" — they now pack a different punch with 7Horse, blurring the lines between '70s-sized rock & roll, Vegas showbiz glitz, and bluesy grit. It's a sound rooted in groove and Gretsch guitars, rhythm and riffs, desert-rock crunch and cinematic sweep. A sound that nods to the best parts of the past while still pushing forward.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Wheatus (at Wayne Music Fest) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Tune in as Phillip spends time with Brendan B. Brown (BBB) and the crew of Wheatus at Wayne Music Fest and share how they are "more than just a Dirtbag". They have incredible stories to share from their 20+ years of touring internationally, and have an phenomenal catalog of music to check out that will make this band that you may know for one hit, in to your #nextfavband. They even play "Valentine" live during the interivew, and it will blow you away and stick with you for days.

Thank you to Wayne Music Fest for allowing us to set-up on site for the interview. And thank you to Indywood Studios for their video of "Tipsy" from the 2017 UK Tour.

Website: wheatus.com
YouTube Channel
Bandcamp
Patreon

"More Than Just A Dirtbag" playlist - songs handpicked by the band (and Phillip) for where to start your exploration of the Wheatus catalog beyond "Teenage Dirtbag"

Jackie Chan Adventures - closing credits is "Chan's the Man" a rewrite of "Punch Ass Bitch" off the first album

Bio
Teenage years may be fleeting, but it seems ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ is for life, as Wheatus’ debut single popped up yet again in 2022, making itself known in a way never seen before in the form of a TikTok trend. The “Teenage Dirtbag photos” trend has now been embraced by nearly a million people.

They continue to spend as much time as possible on the road, both for headline shows and as a support act across North America. Wheatus have also made a triumphant return to festival stages, playing high profile events like Audacy Beach Fest, and will be playing Musikfest 2023 this summer on Fri Aug 11th at 9:30pm on the Americaplatz SteelStacks stage.

To date, the eclectic rock outfit has released six studio albums, two live albums, and multiple additional singles.

#teenagedirtbag #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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Will Donnelly of Low Cut Connie - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

This week we go on location as Phillip heads downtown to Philadelphia to meet up with Will Donnelly, who is the guitarist for Low Cut Connie. We'll hear all about his path to the band, how he and lead singer Adam Weiner made the most of the pandemic, and some great stories from the road. The "Guitar Salad" also makes some boss effects pedals and we'll learn more about those. Join for this great convo!

Low Cut Connie is an American rock and roll band based in Philadelphia, PA. The band has earned praise for its high-energy live performances. Low Cut Connie has also gained notoriety for attracting high-profile endorsements such as a surprise inclusion on Barack Obama’s Spotify Summer Playlist in 2015, and a personal association with Elton John, who has called the band one of his favorites.

Band website: lowcutconnie.com
Guitar Salad website: www.guitarsaladfx.com

Barack Obama's playlist includes Low Cut Connie

Thank you so much to Milkboy Philly for letting us set-up and hold the interview there! And thanks to Cory Elmi for coming on to share some Milkboy details.

Milkboy Philly website: milkboyphilly.com

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The Elephant 6 Recording Co. documentary - Interview with Director C.B. Stockfleth

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Your Next Favorite Band was honored to interview creators of some of the music-related entries in to the SouthSide Film Festival in Bethlehem, PA.

In this episode, we get to experience the wonderful world of The Elephant 6 Recording Co. with Director C.B. Stockfleth. We learn about their beginnings, where their music pursuits took them, and how their shared visions kept them together and supporting each other in spectacular ways.

SouthSide Film Festival

Elephant 6 Recording Co. movie

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Lipstick of the Brave - Interview with Madstone Rowan of Tripping Jupiter and Barb Morrison

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Your Next Favorite Band was honored to interview creators of some of the music-related entries in to the SouthSide Film Festival in Bethlehem, PA.

In this episode, we hear from Madstone Rowan of Tripping Jupiter who is the songwriter and performer of the song, and the Executive Producer. We learn all about the inspirations and validations growing up, and how they approached Bill Plympton to be Illustrator and Director

We are also joined by Barb Morrison for this interview, who is the Music Producer and mentor to Madstone.

Thank you to Wildsound for allowing us to share audience feedback from their showing of the short film at their festival.

SouthSide Film Festival

Tripping Jupiter

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Pistoleros: Death, Drugs & Rock n Roll - Interview with Producers David Hilker and Jeff Freundlich

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Your Next Favorite Band was honored to interview creators of some of the music-related entries in to the SouthSide Film Festival in Bethlehem, PA.

In this episode, we dive in to the story of brothers Lawrence and Mark Zubia and their band The Pistoleros with producers of the documentary by the same name, David Hilker and Lehigh University grad Jeff Freundlich, both of Fervor Records.

SouthSide Film Festival

Pistoleros movie

Fervor Records

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SouthSide Film Festival (highlighting music-related entries) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

We'll see you...at the movies! Join us for a special episode where Phillip and David spend time with founders and board members of the SouthSide Film Festival in Bethlehem, PA - Jeff Vaclavik and Ben Bertalan. We'll hear about the history of the festival, how to support it and attend to enjoy some of the films and festivities. Then we'll hear from some of the film makers of the music-related entries in to this year's festival, which is another method of music discovery in our pursuit of finding your next favorite band.

SouthSide Film Festival website: southsidefilmfestival.com

First, we dive in to the story of brothers Lawrence and Mark Zubia and their band The Pistoleros with producers of the documentary by the same name, David Hilker and Lehigh University grad Jeff Freundlich, both of Fervor Records.

Pistoleros movie website: www.echohousefilms.com/pistoleros
Fervor Records: fervor-records.com

Then we learn all about the inspirations and validations growing up of Madstone Rowan of Tripping Jupiter in their short film Lipstick of the Brave. Madstone is Executive Producer, Bill Plympton is the Illustrator and Director, and also joining for the interview is Music Producer Barb Morrison.

Tripping Jupiter website: trippingjupiter.com
Listen to "Lipstick of the Brave"
Audience feedback from Wildsound

And finally we get to experience the wonderful world of The Elephant 6 Recording Co. with Director C.B. Stockfleth. We learn about their beginnings, where their music pursuits took them, and how their shared visions kept them together and supporting each other in spectacular ways.

The Elephant 6 Recording Co. movie: elephant6movie.com
The Elephant 6 Recording Co. website: https://elephant6.com/

We hope you enjoy these interview highlights during the episode, and we will release the full versions as separate BONUS episodes

If you can't make it to the SouthSide Film Festival, you can find these movies out there and be sure to check them out. You're sure to enjoy them, and they may just be your #nextfavband.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Tedious and Brief - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Join us for this episode where Phillip and David are joined by Jamie Jacobsen of Tedious & Brief, who's music and convo is certainly not the former, and you won't want it to be the latter.

As is typical for the artists we bring on, Tedious & Brief's music is hard to categorize. They refer to it as "crispy jams" and we love their synth pop sensibilities with clever and genuine lyrics that are extremely relatable. But most of all, they just keep producing banger after banger since their original smash "Papercuts" back in 2019 (which we will share a tremendous live recording of from Musikfest 2022).

Website: tediousandbriefmusic.com
YouTube Channel
Spotify Channel
Bandcamp - T&B Audiotree sessions

Thank you so much to Audiotree for the amazing recordings of Tedious & Brief. It was so great to share them!

Bio

Jamie Jacobsen is an indie pop songwriter who heads up the groovy, slickly produced project Tedious & Brief. Jacobsen took up guitar and songwriting at a young age. She has mentioned her earliest influences include Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which has evolved into a more polished sound featuring airy synth elements and vocals akin to Maggie Rogers or Lorde.

Her debut single “Papercuts”, set the mood for the rest of Tedious & Brief’s debut self-titled EP. They have also released a live album featuring their performance on Audiotree live and several singles, including “Not That Deep”, “Middle Class” and most recently “Tired Work”.

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Gerard Longo - CEO of Underground Music Collective and host of The Quinn Spinn - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 25 May 2023 08:00:00 -0400

An episode chock full o' stuff!! Tune in with Phillip and David as they are joined by Gerard Longo, founder and CEO of Underground Music Collective and host of the Quinn Spinn podcast. They'll spend time learning all about his story, which includes battling and beating cancer at age 16, starting the Quinn Spinn on the radio in college, the beginnings of the "underground" with Lehigh Valley Underground before moving to Nashville to launch UMC, and the recent announcements of the creative agency, and his personal successes of being in the running for Mr Health and Fitness!

An incredible story that is one to hear for sure. And the shared platform of Underground Music Collective and Your Next Favorite Band have an exciting announcement to break during this episode too! Don't miss it!!

Underground Music Collective - undergroundmusiccollective.com
The Quinn Spinn podcast
YouTube Channel

Vote for Gerard to be come "Mr Health and Fitness"!!

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Springtime Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 18 May 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Join Phillip and David for this installment of their Knucklehead Banter. They'll spend time going through the line-up for the Levitt SteelStacks stage, give early thoughts on the recent release of some of the Musikfest free stage artists, and get in to some other conversational shenanigans.

The Levitt Foundation - levitt.org
Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks - levittsteelstacks.org

"Returning Favorites" to the Levitt SteelStacks stage:
5/25 - Emily Drinker
6/8 - Jackson Pines
6/22 - Hotel Fiction
7/28 - argonaut&wasp

Musikfest - musikfest.org

"Returning Favorites" to Musikfest (as of 5/17/23):
Dirty Dollhouse
Dylan Zangwill
Fox Royale
Jon Worthy & the Bends
Pepperwine
The Accidentals
The Groove Merchants
There, There
Tioga

More information on "must see" performances coming as the full Musikfest line-up rounds out and the schedule is released. Stay tuned!

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MusicPro Insurance (VP and Program Manager Laura Donelan - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 11 May 2023 08:00:00 -0400

When a musician hits that point where they begin viewing their art as a business, there is some bureaucracy to establish: bank accounts, tax prep and insurance. These might be anything from overwhelming to annoying, but are important and can bring immense value.

Today Phillip and David focus on the insurance part as they are joined by Laura Donelan, Vice President and Program Manager of MusicPro Insurance - an insurance agency dedicated to the unique insurance needs of musicians to protect their gear from various potential perils, like theft, accidental damage and fire.

Be sure to tune in - insurance has never been so fun and interesting!

MusicPro Insurance Website: https://www.musicproinsurance.com/
Laura Donelan LinkedIn

Bio
In 1999, MusicPro Agency was created as a joint venture with The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and was offered as an exclusive benefit to its members but was later expanded to all music professionals, as well as hobbyists, collectors, students and educators. Today they have close to 10,000 active policy holders.

The MusicPro program provides coverage for all types of instruments, and recording, sound and lighting equipment.

Joining us is Vice President and Program Manager, Laura Donelan, started her insurance career in 1987 and has been with MusicPro for almost 20 years.

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BONUS - Music Selections and Live Performance Highlights from the No Planet B Jamboree!

Fri, 05 May 2023 08:00:00 -0400

"Get to the music, Phil!" Here is all of the music from the episode and highlights of the live performances from the inaugural No Planet B Jamboree. Enjoy!

Recorded Song List:
- "Do Not Destroy" by Cicada Rhythm (recording courtesy of GPB Media)
- "Terraforms" by TIOGA (exclusive recording for the Jamboree!)
- "Under The Sun" by The Darling Suns
- "Caravanserai" by Loreena McKennitt

Live Performances:

Dylan Zangwill
- "Back Home"
- "Don't Go"
- "Because It's You"

Sean Kelly of The Samples
- "Close To The Fires"
- "Nature"

Pepperwine
- (New Song)
- "Bad Vibes"
- "Grey"

Thank you to our sponsors The Tavern at the Sun Inn, Godfrey Daniels and The Energy Co-op

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Highlights from the No Planet B Jamboree - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 04 May 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Enjoy these highlights from our recent cautionary celebration during Earth Month - the inaugural No Planet B Jamboree!

Featured are our interviews with:
- Paige Roth from Reverb.org
- Blair Crimmins & the Hookers sharing his music as "Captain Crimmins & the Story Boat Band" sponsored by Soul Shine Schools
- Ellie Wyatt from Music Declares Emergency, including her song "Long Forgotten Road"
- Eljuri sharing her song "Salva La Tierra"

Along with important stories and "green" details provided in between.

NY Times - "Can Flashy Music Festivals Go Green?"
American Express - Carbon Emissions Tracker
United Nations (un.org) - General Assembly Adopts Resolution Requesting International Court of Justice Provide Advisory Opinion on States’ Obligations Concerning Climate Change

Thank you once again to our sponsors The Tavern at the Sun Inn, Godfrey Daniels and The Energy Co-op.

Consider switching your provider of electricity, natural gas and/or home heating oil over to The Energy Co-op for fully renewable generated resources.

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IVA - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Tune in as Phillip and David spend time with the rising cinematic, opera-pop of IVA. They'll check in with her about her early inspirations from her "Renaissance Man' grandfather to watching "Hard Days Night" everyday before kindergarten. Then starting to train as an opera singer at 9 years old, to studying at illustrious universities and then abroad in Sweden. Which lead to a fateful opportunity to join a skit on the Conan O'Brien show, and opened even more doors that she confidently walked through.

Website: https://ivavoice.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify

Bio

IVA is a vocalist and songwriter with a ethereal powerful voice and a cinematic feel to her music.

She trained at Princeton University, the Juilliard School, and the Manhattan School of Music before moving to Stockholm, Sweden, on a Fulbright scholarship to study the music of her ancestors. Early on she signed her original music with Universal Sweden, performing on national TV and radio while making her debut at the Swedish Royal Opera.

She’s been tapped “Who’s Next” by M Musicians Magazine, called “supremely talented” by Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, and featured in Billboard.

She’s released several albums and EPs with her most recent being her Americana-tinged four song EP Nobody’s Woman in March 2023 after making a breakthrough with “Run” on Spotify and AAA radio.

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R-Son the Voice of Reason - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Get ready for some Philly vibe! Phillip and David spend time with R-Son the Voice of Reason - MC, BoomBap Therapist, True School alumnus, member of the world's greatest bluegrass/hip-hop band, Gangstagrass. They'll cover his story starting from rhymes in the back of the school bus in 1st grade to the recent release of his latest solo jawns, and all the topics in-between. Rumor has it R-Son will freestyle on the show! Don't want to miss it.

Website: boombaptherapy.com
YouTube Channel
Facebook Page

Bio
R-son the voice of reason describes himself as an old dude with Philly attitude, rhyme skills & true school flavor; add in degrees in criminal justice and 40 years of comic book nerdery.

A member of the group Gangstagrass, the World's Greatest bluegrass hip hop band, with releases since the early 2000’s.

Delivering extraordinary wordplay & freestyle fire, R-son the voice of reason releases started with 2017 The Art of Words and most recently, 2023’s V IV V (five for five).

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Rock Docs podcast (hosts David Lizerbram and Andy Keatts) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Phillip and David spend some time with fellow podcasters David Lizerbram and Andy Keatts, hosts of the phenomenal Rock Docs podcast - recently signed to the Treble Media family of offerings. We'll learn how they got inspired to dedicate conversations towards music documentaries, dive in to a couple of key episodes, and hear what they've got planned coming up. Tune in, and then check out their show - subscribe and give them a rating!

Rock Docs on Apple Podcasts
Rock Docs Twitter
Treble Media website: Treblezine

Bio
Created in 2021 by David Lizerbram and Andrew Keatts, Rock Docs dissects music documentaries from the perspective of music fans, even if the hosts are not always specifically fans of the artist covered in each film.

Each episode is dedicated to one movie. Sometimes they cover a band they know really well, and sometimes they are learning about them by watching the rock doc and discussing.

Rock Docs can be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting service or app.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Quinn Sullivan - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Holy Smokes...we got a natural!! Incredible blues guitar prodigy Quinn Sullivan took a moment from touring to spend with Phillip and David to share his other-worldly experiences - being on the stage by 4, on the news by 5, the Ellen Degeneres show at 6, being asked to play on a Buddy Guy record at 8, nationally touring his own music 9, playing Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival at Madison Square Garden at 14, and being a feature of the IFC films documentary "The Torch" about Buddy Guy's life and how he hopes to pass along the mantle of the blues down to the next generation of musicians like Quinn.

All this while continuing to release amazing music - 3 albums since then, capped with Wide Awake in 2021 where he was featured as the songwriter on all tracks.

All of this early success has been met with such grace and humility, making Quinn an even greater human being on top of a virtuosic guitar player. Don't miss this one! It's wicked ahsome.

Website: https://quinnsullivanmusic.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify

"The Torch" Documentary

Bio
Quinn Sullivan received his first guitar at three and gained national attention when he appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show at the age of six. Quinn has been touring the world since he was 11-years-old, playing storied venues such as Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl and has shared the stage with his mentor Buddy Guy, as well as Carlos Santana. His performance experience includes appearances on national television programs such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Cyclone, his debut in 2011, was released when he was 11-years-old, and he has released a total of four albums, with 2021’s Wide Awake being most recent and showing sophistication as a songwriter.

Quinn states “I WANT TO MAKE MUSIC THAT MOVES PEOPLE. THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS FOR ME. ”

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

7Horse/dada (Part 1) - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Some horses were always meant to run wild! Join Phillip and David as they spend time with Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio of 7Horse, and their filthy postpunk blues. Wait til you hear the stories of these 2 lifelong musicians, and their sound! They are sure to impress and you'll be surprised at how much you already know from them.

Note: we actually didn't get to everything we wanted to, and we were over 90 mins! So we are calling this "Part 1" and will schedule another time with them to dive deep and get to everything.

Website: http://www.7horsemusic.com/#intro-section
Website: http://dadaforever.com/

7Horse YouTube channel
7Horse Spotify

Trailer for Wolf of Wall Street featuring "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" by 7Horse

Bio
Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio, the multi-instrumentalists behind 7Horse's self-described "postpunk dystopian blues," have been exploring unfenced territory together for 30 years. Kickstarting their partnership as members of dada — the platinum-selling alt-rockers behind '90s hits like "Dizz Knee Land" — they now pack a different punch with 7Horse, blurring the lines between '70s-sized rock & roll, Vegas showbiz glitz, and bluesy grit. It's a sound rooted in groove and Gretsch guitars, rhythm and riffs, desert-rock crunch and cinematic sweep. A sound that nods to the best parts of the past while still pushing forward.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Virtual Reggae Sunday with Trouble City All-Stars- Your Next Favorite Band

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 17:00:00 -0400

Chillax with the smooth reggae dub of Trouble City All-Stars on this Sunday, any Sunday, or any day of the week for that matter. It's here for when you need it!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Trouble City All-Stars (at the Bonn Place Bavarian Tavern) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Tune in as Phillip spends time with Matty, Todd and Seth Juknevic of Trouble City All-Stars - Bethlehem's premier reggae, dub band. They'll explore all of the back story of how they found their instruments, their stride and their story.

They are on-location this week at The Bavarian Tavern, a future location of Bonn Place Brewing.

And they play live during the show! Please enjoy this Bethlehem gem.

Facebook page
Spotify channel
Bandcamp

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Jon Worthy - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Come join Phillip and David as they spend time with Nashville-based rockstar, and literal poster child for Your Next Favorite Band - Jon Worthy. Jon's electric performances have been blazing the Bethlehem stages over the past few years. At one of them, Phillip captured the photogenic performance in silhouette and thus our main image was born!

We'll hear all about Jon's early years finding his groove, and his more recent successes becoming a full-time musician and his upcoming releases. He'll even play live on the show!

Website: https://jonworthythebends.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

Link to crowd funding for pressing vinyl of upcoming new music release

Feelings: A New Musical - music and lyrics by Jon Worthy

Bio
Based out of Nashville for almost 10 years, Jon Worthy is a musician & producer whose sound has been be described as if Nirvana had a baby with The Lumineers.

Jon shares, “I'm comfortable with whatever anyone listening to my music wants to call me, I make the music I want to make”. Playing over 100 shows a year while working a full time job, he continues “Live, I am pure adrenaline, energy and passion”. In 2022, he made the leap to being a full time musician.

Jon has released three full length albums along with EPs and singles. With over 80 songs released and a new album currently slated, and he has had tracks placed in programs on Netflix, Major League Baseball, USA, and more. Worthy is also busy with his side project KJ Wild featuring Nashville artist/songwriter Kiki Halliday. His newest single “I don’t care what you say” is set for released on March 29, 2023.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Sean Kelly of The Samples (at Boonton Coffee) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Phillip and David were honored to be invited to interview Sean Kelly of The Samples IN PERSON! This is one of their longest and strongest #favbands and were so pumped to make this a reality. So they headed to Boonton Coffee in Boonton, NJ where Sean had performed the night before to hear all about how he famously dropped out of high school (the system actually failed him) and headed out to Boulder, CO to "find a place inside the wind" and write and play music.

This is a wonderful interview filled with nuggets and stories that you might know, and some you probably never heard before (we sure didn't!). So please take a listen and enjoy!

Website: https://thesamples.com/
YouTube Channel
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thesamples

Info on The Thunderbird!

Bio
Best known for his tenor voice, unique guitar playing and songwriting, singer/songwriter Sean Kelly is the front man for The Samples. While attending only one year of high school, he began playing guitar and composing his own songs. After moving to Colorado in 1987 to start a band, Kelly became a fixture on local club stages as the front man for The Samples, playing original songs with a variety of rock, reggae and folk. When not touring with The Samples, he enjoys playing his songs acoustically. Kelly’s songs have been featured in various soundtracks and advertisements including "Could It Be Another Change” in the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower and in television’s Younger and in ads for MSNBC’s election coverage. With The Samples, Kelly has released twelve studio albums, several compilations, EPs and live releases.

Boonton Coffee - https://www.boontoncoffee.com/
Make the perfect coffee, with the perfect beans. Fresh roasted beans are a world apart from "off the shelf" varieties. Our small batch roasting philosophy ensures our customers get the best product available. Coffee selections may change to reflect seasonal harvest.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Fig For A Kiss (at McCarthy's Red Stag Pub) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 11:00:00 -0500

Slainté! Join Phillip and David as they head over to McCarthy's Red Stag pub in Bethlehem, PA to meet up with Fig For A Kiss - an incredible local Celtic music trio.

First, Phillip sits down with the owner and founder of McCarthy's, Neville Gardner and learn about his path to the States and starting up the shop Donegal Square and Granny McCarthy's Tea Shop (which ultimately becomes the Red Stag).

Then they are joined by Addyson, Seth and Lucas to hear their personal stories and those of the band. Pull up a chair, pour a pint or some whiskey and enjoy the sounds of Fig For A Kiss!

Website: https://www.figforakissband.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

Bio
Based Out Of The Lehigh Valley, Fig For A Kiss Is An Acoustic, Irish Folk Band With A Unique Blend Of Celtic And Contemporary Influences.

Currently consisting of Seth Baliles on Guitar, Concertina, Addyson Teal on Fiddle, and Lucas Mitsch on pipes, whistles, hurdy gurdy and “etcetera”. Named after a favorite traditional tune, they have released a self titled EP in 2019, combining traditional songs with originals. Their latest single is “Frobisher Bay”, released in the fall of 2022.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Matthew "Paco" Calleri of Steel City Vintage (at Bethlehem House Gallery) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0500

This week Phillip and David go "on location" to broadcast from the Bethlehem House Gallery, where they first chat with Director and Curator Ward Van Haute to learn more about the gallery and the artists who are displayed there. One such artists is their guest for this week - Matthew "Paco" Calleri.

Paco's pieces are made with glass, metal and rock n roll.
From guitar stands, to mirrors to "SOBs" (Star of Bethlehem) and all can be purchased or you can request custom colors, metals and fabrics. Also, his company Steel City Vintage offers many other services like backline rentals and repairs of vintage instruments.

Join in to learn more about all of these exciting local businesses dedicated to art and music, and the people behind them.

Bio
Matthew "Paco" Calleri combines his love for collecting and restoring vintage musical gear with his 25 years of experience in Lighting and Scenic design. Cracked cymbals, random drum shells-even old motorcycle engines!-are transformed into furnishings and decor. In 2013, Paco started Steel City Vintage, services include amp repairs and backline rentals, repair, and sales of vintage guitars, organs, and gear.

Website: https://steelcityvintage.com/
Socials: https://www.facebook.com/steelcityvintageLLC

Bethlehem House Gallery
Bethlehem House Gallery specializes in both emerging and established regional artists, and provides original, innovative art in a variety of contemporary styles for a range of household budgets. Their four annual shows demonstrate the practical use of contemporary artwork in modern interior design by exhibiting works in a furnished environment. The team at Bethlehem House believes that anyone can be an art collector-and that all homes can be enriched by original fine art.

Website: https://www.visithistoricbethlehem.com/visit/merchant/bethlehem-house-gallery/
Socials: https://www.facebook.com/BethlehemHouseGallery

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Corinne Mammana - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Spend some time with Phillip and David on Valentines Day with some romantic jazz as they are joined by stunning vocalist Corinne Mammana.

Praised by JazzTimes for “superb technique”, and All About Jazz for her “sheer genius” arrangements, American jazz singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist and bandleader Corinne Mammana is passionate about preserving the music of the past while placing her own personal spin on the American Songbook, as well as popular tunes from the past few decades. With creative arrangements sung in a sophisticated and soothing style, fans have described Mammana’s voice as a cross between Norah Jones, Julie London and Stacey Kent.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

NextFavBand Sessions Vol. 3: Live Performances from Interviews Jun-Dec 2022 - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Enjoy this special treat - We took all of the live performances from our interviews last year June through December and featuring them all tonight.

Including:
01:48 - "Briggs" - Mike Mains & the Branches
05:57 - "I Should Know Better" - Aubrey Haddard
11:36 - "Green As Ever" - Aubrey Haddard
15:41 - "I Like You Around" - Hotel Fiction
21:10 - "Hammer" - Jackson Pines
26:18 - "In Your Arms Tonight" - The Family Crest
32:45 - "Panic Attacks" - Fox Royale
36:05 - "There Is Delight" - Daniel Levitin
40:32 - "I Don't Know" - Chasing Daylight
45:34 - "Something's Coming" - Emily Drinker

Thank you to all of the artists for their performances!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Marcos Tanaka (App Developer) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Join Phillip and David for a dive in to music discovery as they sit down with award winning app developer Marcos Tanaka. Together they explore Marcos' background, the latest developments in APIs and their impact, as well as dive in to 2 of his apps: 2020 App of the Year MusicHarbor and the way to get your fix on liner notes, MusicSmart. Marcos has also released Best New App of 2022 MusicBox, and the "watch later" app Play.

Website: https://marcosatanaka.com/
Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@mactanaka@mastodon.social

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Super In To It Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Join Phillip and David as they cover why they are not sharing the "best of" moments of 2022, (Spoiler Alert: Phillip got married) and share some the "favorites" that performed at the wedding.

They also provide some of the recent releases of new music by prior guests like The Darling Suns, Emily Drinker and Jackson Pines, and cover the concerts they are interested in attending in the coming weeks and details upcoming guests in February.

1/25: Neko Case
2/5: Sean Kelly
2/11: Marielle Kraft
2/18: Zoe Keating
3/17: Yo La Tengo
4/14: Ripe

Then Phillip drops exciting news on an upcoming episode still in the works for this April. David is "super in to it" and we hope you will be too.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Emily Drinker - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 10:00:00 -0500

Join us as we sit down with neo-folk songstress Emily Drinker, who recently performed during our Winter WonderJam. A Philly-native, with deep roots connected to music and the area, Emily shares stories of her early days being exposed to musical theatre and Philly Folk Fest, beginning songwriting in college and then joining a band for a run of performing on cruise ships in the Mediterranean. Then to return home and to producing her own music - the 2017 EP Run The Race, and the 2022 album Starting to Feel.

Emily also performs live during the show - a song that is not yet complete! (If you have an idea for the bridge, let her know!)

Website: https://www.emilydrinker.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

Bio
Emily Drinker is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Philadelphia. She blends folk, pop, and rock with a high-energy band and soulful 3-part harmonies through live looping. Emily has been featured by NPR Music, Philadelphia's WXPN, and played at many regional festivals including Firefly, Musikfest, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. In the summer of 2022 Emily opened for rock icon Pat Benatar, songwriting legend JD Souther, and bass virtuoso Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon’s Graceland). In addition to her busy performance schedule in Philly and its surrounding areas, Emily enjoys working as a session vocalist doing sync work for national TV shows. Most recently, Emily's band won a contest that awarded them a slot playing on the Martin Guitar Main Stage at the 60th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival in August, which was a dream come true for this rising star. Emily released her first EP, Run the Race, in 2017 and her most recent release is 2022’s Starting to Feel.

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Terrible Orange Things - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Join us for the first episode of the new year as we spend time with Donovan O'Rourke and Simon Wernovsky from Terrible Orange Things. In addition to an amazing band name, they play some of the most raw and authentic rock music around, teeming with emotion and angst of when life is in flux, which happens at any and all ages.

They've compared their sound to "an unholy blend of Goo Goo Dolls and Blink 182, with some Switchfoot and the soundtrack to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2".

Website:
YouTube Channel
Spotify Channel

"My Beautiful" by Baby Blue Sound Collective featuring Donovan O'Rourke

Bio
Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in the summer of 2019, Terrible Orange Things is the brainchild of long time friends and first-time collaborators Donovan O’Rourke on bass and vocals, James Buniak on guitar, and Simon Wernovsky on drums.

The band immediately set to work writing their first singles, “Alien” & “Stutter”. When it came time to reveal their music to the world the band knew that they wanted to create content that reflected their own lighthearted, comedic, and adventurous personalities and thus the Adventures of Terrible Orange Things was born. The band released the official video for “Alien” on May 1, 2019 and hit the ground running on a sci-fi adventure of their own creation, following it up with the sequel, “Stutter” in August.

Shortly after beginning work recording their debut EP, “Lovely Sounds for Lonely Times” the band was forced into a year long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the band returned with their third original single and video, “Brighter” in April of 2021 and followed shortly thereafter by the full Lovely Sounds EP in December.

After a handful of shows in 2022 and the release a new cover video for Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”, the band has taken a step back for live performances to begin work on a new sound for their follow up EP, “Why Don’t You Make Like a Tree and Grow”, to be released in 2023.

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Year End Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Join Phillip and David as they reflect upon 2022 and "put a bow" on things for the new year.

They start with discussing the "nether" that are the 5 days after the holidays before the New Year and ideas on how to improve that (knuckleheads). They then reflect back on the Winter WonderJam and share how much was raised for New Bethany Ministries ($665!!). They then play clips of original music played live and in-person that evening:

"I Don't Know" by Bobby Siegfried of Chasing Daylight
"Something's Coming" by Emily Drinker

They then provide a preview of the upcoming interviews for January

Jan 3rd - Terrible Orange Things
Jan 10th - Emily Drinker
Jan 17th - Best of 2022 - highlights from YNFB interviews
Jan 24th - Shamarr Allen
Jan 31st - Marcos Tanaka - Apple App Developer

The announcement of the upcoming "Best of" episode leads Phillip and David to share highlights from some of the their favorite moments from the various interviews from the year. (yes we know Phillip, they are all your favorite)

Thank you to all of the musicians and venues who've made this possible and to all of the listeners for tuning in. This has been a memorable start to things and can't wait to see where things go from here!

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Your Next Favorite Yule Log - Music from your #nextfavs during last year's Holiday Spectacular!

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Gather round the fireplace for some holiday songs that are sure to bring "tidings of comfort & joy"!

We're starting a new tradition for this week that we are off from recording, and will share the best of moments and all of the music from last year's holiday show. Last year was the inaugural episode of its kind, and was when we were part of the Lehigh Valley with Love podcast, co-hosting with George Wacker.

26 songs total, including 7 originals, and 1 polka!

Featuring performances by:
- Seth Witcher - “Jingle Bell Rock”, “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas”, “The Christmas Song”, ”Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
- Carver Commodore - “Wonderful Christmas Time”, "Blue Christmas", "You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch", "Sleigh Ride” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
- Corinne Mammana - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” and “Loveliest Gift” (original)
- Gangstagrass - "Santa’s Favorite” (original) and “Please Christmas Don’t Be Late"
- Jon Worthy and Kiki Halliday - “Last Christmas”
- Hannah Gill - "Thinking of You (Social Distancing Blues)” (original), “Blue Christmas” and “Home For The Holidays” (original)
- Eljuri - “The Little Drummer Girl"
- Robbie Lawrence - "Santa Must be Polish"
- Dirty Dollhouse - "Party Dress” (original)
- Pepperwine - "This Christmas” and “Santa Claus is Comin to Town”
- Ryan Tennis - "Coming Home” (original) and “All Through The Night"
- Puddles Pity Party - “Oh Holy Night” and “Silent Night”

Happy Holidays and hope you and yours are safe and healthy.

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Winter WonderJam 2022: Holiday Songs and Highlights from Musical Guests - Your Next Favorite Band

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0500

Live from Godfrey Daniels! Enjoy this edited version that includes all of the holiday songs and highlights from the guests who joined us that played them, especially the 5 live performers.

Deep gratitude and thanks once again to Godfrey Daniels, especially Ramona LaBarre, for allowing us to broadcast from there, and also to Mike Duck who's genius on the sound made it all happen flawlessly.

Listing of performers and songs
- There, There "Winter Wonderland (Radiohead's Version)"
- Jackson Pines "Christmas In Washington" by Steve Earle
- Billy Bauer "No Place Like Home For The Holidays"
- Abbie Gardner "The Day After Christmas" (original)
- Marc Douglas Berardo "Home Again For Christmas" (original)
- The Accidentals (and their Dads) "The Christmas Song"
- Jim Cheney and Josh of Deep Roots "Let It Snow!"
- Mike Mains & the Branches "Jingle Bells", "O Come Emmanuel", & "Christmas Magic" (original)
- Freekbass "Happy Holidays To You" (original)
- Carver Commodore "New Xmas" (original)

Live performers
- Corinne Mammana "Christmas Time Is Here", "In The Christmas City" (original)
- The Will Kiss Band "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton
- Bobby Siegfried of Chasing Daylight "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "Merry Christmas Darling"
- Pepperwine "Present Without A Bow"
- Emily Drinker "Down To The River To Pray", "Silent Night"

And thank you to New Bethany Ministries for being the light to those in need. You can still text NextFavBand to 41444 to make a donation to this wonderful organization.

The Winter WonderJam was sponsored by Webfoot Digital: https://webfootdigital.com/

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Dan Drago, host of the 25 O'Clock Pod (Part 2 of 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500

This week we're joined by Dan Drago, the host of 25 O'Clock. In the second half of the convo, we hear how he started and made 25 O'Clock the longest running music podcast in Philadelphia (we think). Also, very cool moments around music that "flipped a switch" for our ears and where we were introduced to them, which spans from WBER, listener supported radio station in Rochester NY, to Beavis and Butthead, and more!

Bio
Dan Drago has called Philadelphia home since 2004, moving there from Western New York to establish a homebase while playing in bands and touring. Playing actively and touring from 2004 to 2013, Dan threw himself into the Philly music community. In 2014, he got out of the van, set up a mic, and created 25 O’Clock: a podcast focusing on the Philadelphia music community. He started interviewing guests at his kitchen table and eventually put together his own studio in 2015. Dan has kept his finger on the pulse of Philadelphia music for almost eight years and 250 episodes, as of the time of this recording.

Dan lives in South Philadelphia, plays bass in Philly band Lovecartel, as well as occasionally performing his own solo work. He volunteers at Rock To the Future, teaching songwriting and production to students who don’t have easy access to music programs.

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Dan Drago, host of the 25 O'Clock Pod (Part 1 of 2) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500

This week we're joined by Dan Drago, the host of 25 O'Clock. In the first half of our conversations, we hear more about his story, how he navigated back to Philly from Western NY, music influences, bands he played in, and his international smash hit "South Street Bridge".

Bio
Dan Drago has called Philadelphia home since 2004, moving there from Western New York to establish a homebase while playing in bands and touring. Playing actively and touring from 2004 to 2013, Dan threw himself into the Philly music community. In 2014, he got out of the van, set up a mic, and created 25 O’Clock: a podcast focusing on the Philadelphia music community. He started interviewing guests at his kitchen table and eventually put together his own studio in 2015. Dan has kept his finger on the pulse of Philadelphia music for almost eight years and 250 episodes, as of the time of this recording.

Dan lives in South Philadelphia, plays bass in Philly band Lovecartel, as well as occasionally performing his own solo work. He volunteers at Rock To the Future, teaching songwriting and production to students who don’t have easy access to music programs.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Daniel Levitin - Your Next Favorite Band (and cognitive neuroscientist)

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500

It's not every day you get to spend time with a highly decorated cognitive neuroscientist who's also an award winning musician who has done research on what happens in your brain when listening to music. Since this is often our pursuit and our hope for you the viewer/listener, we were honored and humbled to have Daniel Levitin join our show for an amazing conversation around science and the love of music.

Bio
Daniel J. Levitin is an award-winning neuroscientist, musician, and best-selling author. His research encompasses music, the brain, health, productivity and creativity. He is Founding Dean of Arts & Humanities at the Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute, known as Minerva University since 2021, in San Francisco, and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal. He is the author of This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, The Organized Mind, A Field Guide to Lies and Successful Aging.

As a musician (tenor saxophone, guitar, vocals and bass), he has performed with Mel Tormé, David Byrne, Rosanne Cash, Sting, Bobby McFerrin, Victor Wooten and Tom Scott. Levitin has produced and consulted on albums by artists including Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and on the films Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction, and has been awarded 17 gold and platinum records.

In December 2021, Daniel released his second album, sex & math.

Website: https://www.daniellevitin.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify

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Thankful Banter - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Join us this week for a fireside chat as Phillip and David gather for some banter that includes snippets from the recent Screaming Females concert they attended, previews of upcoming guests (Daniel Levitin and Dan Drago), early details on the upcoming Winter WonderJam episode which will broadcast from Godfrey Daniels on Dec 13th, and spend a moment sharing what they are thankful for...you the listener!

Thank you for a wonderful start to this journey. Hope you are enjoying the ride!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Trey Schibli (Creative Technologist) - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0500

You may know him as the lead singer and guitarist for argonaut&wasp, but this week Trey Schibli joins us to talk about his visual art and what it means to be a Creative Technologist. He's done work for Disney, Netflix, MTV and the Foo Fighters. Check it out at https://www.treyschibli.com/ or on his Instagram at @treyschibli.

Bio
Trey Schibli describes himself as a Creative Technologist and artist with experience in creative concepting, experiential, motion, and interactive design. He is deeply inspired by lighting and projections not only as illuminations but also as a spatial device.

He utlizes real-time technologies in conjunction with music production suites to create toolsets, interactive experiences, generative artworks and previsualizations.

In addition to visual and interactive work, he is a highly experienced sound designer and music producer and a member of Argonaut and Wasp. Works includes composition for full length feature films and music production for various television shows.

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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Accessible Festivals and the Inclusion Festival - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Tune in as we are joined by Executive Director Amy Pinder and learn all about Accessible Festivals, a wonderful organization to work to make sure that all festers have what they need to be included and feel welcome to join in the fun.

Ticket grant programs, ensuring safe spaces, and providing sign language interpreters are just a few of the incredible initiatives this organization provides. They even have their very own Inclusion Festival annually! Be sure to check this one out as it is sure to raise your awareness.

Accessible Festivals Mission Statement
Our mission is to foster connection and understanding through the universal language of music, to provide a platform where people of all abilities and identities can connect and build relationships, and to inspire the creation of safe, inclusive, and equitable communities.

Amy Pinder Bio
Amy is the co-founder of Inclusion Festival and a speech-language therapist with over fifteen years of experience working with individuals with disabilities and neurological differences in a variety of educational, vocational, and community settings. As a therapist, Amy incorporates joyful, regulatory, and play-based movement such as yoga, juggling, and hula hooping. She is also the founder and owner of Circles of Communication, a private practice that offers integrative speech-language therapy and alternative education programs in Central New Jersey.

Inclusion Festival website
Accessible Festivals website

Take advantage of the Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program!

Get involved by donating, volunteering and take advantage of their offerings for your festival or place of work!

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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Fox Royale - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0400

After delivering a powerful close to Musikfest 2022, Fox Royale have continued to deliver at high level - releasing new music and non-stop touring to support. Join us as they take a moment while on tour to share with us their story, their song writing and their music. We have a very cool recording of their high-energy performance during Musikfest and they will be performing live acoustic during the show!

Bio
Fox Royale make anthemic, jangly indie-rock that sparkles with the same energy as acts like Cage the Elephant and Vampire Weekend. Before they were in a rock band, the members of Fox Royale were in a traveling orchestra. The band was born when high school friends Nathan Hurley, Davis Drake, and Evan Todd along with Nathan's younger brother Caleb began jamming in their parents homes. Eventually they started thinking "Hey let's try a little harder at this." The band then began touring extensively for three years, Eventually earning a stage in front of War Road music management, who gave them their first record deal. Fox Royale has since put out two singles with another on the way, arriving April 9th.

Website: https://www.wearefoxroyale.com/
YouTube Channel
Spotify Channel

Article about filming "Out of My Hands" video shot during the pandemic

Website for Eldritch, USA - the energetic horror/comedy/musical that Nathan Hurley wrote the music for and is due to be released in 2023

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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The Family Crest - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0400

It's amazing to think that Liam McCormick and John Seeterlin originally sought to bring musicians together for one recording. Now, almost 15 years, 7 releases and over 500 "family members" later, The Family Crest is one of the most compelling songwriters and performers out there.

Join us as we spend some time with Liam and John to hear all about their beginnings, the stories behind some of their songs and concepts, and listen to some of their beautiful music. Liam even plays live on the show!

Bio
The brainchild of composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Liam McCormick, orchestral indie band The Family Crest was started as a recording project with co-founder John Seeterlin (bass) as a final release before bowing out of the industry. Instead of leaving music, they were inspired by their peers to set out to reinvent how a band could be created, starting The Family Crest with an audacious and bold vision of cultivating a musical community. “We always liked making music with people - getting a bunch of people together and singing. So we put ads everywhere,” says McCormick. “We posted on Craigslist, distributed flyers, and emailed old friends from school.” The outcome was greater than the original duo imagined, with over 80 people credited on the first recording the band produced and over 500 musicians credited throughout their catalog.

The Family Crest has released three full-length albums and three EPs, including their critically-acclaimed breakout LP, Beneath the Brine. Most recently, the band has been releasing pieces of their current musical concept album series, The War, with the latest addition to the series, The War: Act II being released in May of 2022.

Website: https://www.thefamilycrest.com/home
YouTube Channel
Spotify
Bandcamp

"Go Home - Growing Up Bi-Racial in America" by Liam McCormick

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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Jackson Pines - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0400

This week we are joined by Joe Makoviecki of Jackson Pines and learn...a LOT!! In addition to band history, we learn about the different guitar playing styles of Appalachia, some folk music history of the Pine Barren of NJ, and even some blueberry history. We also dive into their song writing process, and Joe even plays a song live during the interview of something not yet released! And it sounds amazing. Enjoy!

Jackson Pines is a band from the Pine Barrens of NJ, that now call Philadelphia home. Consisting of singer-songwriter Joe Makoviecki and stand-up bassist James Black, Jackson Pines harks forward with melodies and rhythms from the past. Combining minimalistic acoustic arrangements and taking cues from the ethos of folk, blues, and indie rock, Jackson Pines tells stories of hard times, overflowing love, disappointment, and hope. In 2017 they released “Purgatory Road” produced by Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers, The Lumineers) and “Lost & Found EP” to critical acclaim. Their latest full-length album “Close To Home” was released July 2021, and features a full band accompanying Joe and James’ signature rhythms and melodies.

Jackson Pines
Website: https://www.jacksonpines.com/
Spotify
YouTube Channel
Bandcamp

Article about "Failure" - https://www.jacksonpines.com/writing

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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MarchFourth - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0400

This week we bask in the captivating grooves and brassy swagger that is MarchFourth. We're joined by several talented members of the entire offering - trumpet, sax, trombone, percussion, bass and even dancers, acrobats and stiltwalkers! All befitting of a MarchFourth experience.

MarchFourth is a kaleidoscope of musical and visual energy that inspires unabashed dancing and an atmosphere of celebration. With costumes inspired by band camp meets circus, the band consists of electric bass, guitar, 4-piece percussion corps, a 7-part brass section, dancers, acrobatics, stilt-walkers and a very diverse musical repertoire. Far from a "marching band" in any traditional sense, they have been known to swagger down Main Street playing a few tunes before taking the stage.

MarchFourth travels in one big tour bus, bringing their unique brand of party wherever they go. Their show is a sonic journey with worldwide influences, echoing the deepest grooves of American funk, rock, and jazz then boiling it all together in cinematic fashion, with showmanship, flare, and most of all: heart. This genre-busting, joy-inducing, in-your-face experience is not to be missed!

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

MarchFourth

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Marielle Kraft - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0400

This week we meet with Marielle Kraft, who just released brand new music - her Heartspace EP - on Friday, September 30th, 2022. Currently touring to support the release, she found time with spend with us to share great stories of her music, her journey and what she's got planned for us to enjoy. We know she will be your #nextfavband

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Bio
A Rhode Island native who is now based in Nashville, Marielle Kraft is an indie pop singer/songwriter who began playing guitar at 16 and was soon writing songs that strike chords with listeners everywhere. Her gift for storytelling is evident through her use of salient detail, raw emotion, and poignant word choice to describe moments “exactly as they feel.”

Since leaving her full-time teaching career to pursue a life committed to creating music, she regularly plays at venues across the United States. Marielle released her debut single "How Far You Feel," in 2017 which has collected over 1 million streams across platforms. Her debut EP “The Deep End” was released in 2019 and sophomore EP “Heartspace” landed on September 30, 2022 lead by singles “Shrink” and “I Kissed A Boy”.

In Marielle’s own words: “I write songs.I tell stories. I drink coffee.”

Website: https://www.mariellekraft.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2RQN5...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/marielle...
Bandcamp: https://mariellekraft.bandcamp.com/

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The Darling Suns - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0400

Fresh off their Musikfest performances (booked by the BASD offerings) The Darling Suns forge a style of their own, in the genre-defiant mold we love to feature here on Your Next Favorite Band.

The Darling Suns combine modern indie with folk and alternative roots. Taking influence from early 2000's indie rock, the band forms a familiar sound but strikes a path in their own direction. They pride themselves on their visual and emotive lyrics as much as their instrumentation and arrangement.

The Darling Suns:
Rob Krause - vocals, guitar
John Stenger - guitar, synth
Lindsey Ward - violin
Zachary Kidder - bass
Charlie Dresser - drums

Website: https://thedarlingsuns.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6G3l56qPxIhoSLtoGy8mIm?si=bAnqgwGpTNOfpMRk3bpa-A
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc49vk5H6QHHCqGTcIxh-Eg

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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Hotel Fiction - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0400

Join us and we spend time with Jade Long and Jess Thompson, the powerhouse duo from Athens, GA known as Hotel Fiction. We'll hear about their history, their first opportunity to play live, how deadline driven they are, their Musikfest experience and then they play some awesome unreleased music for us.

Hotel Fiction is just two gals, Jade and Jess, who are making their dreams come true one day at a time. After graduating college in May of 2021. Later that Summer they released their debut album “Soft Focus”, and are currently working on new music coming very soon.

"We feel very grateful to do this whole music thing, and we hope our music can make your bad days (and good days) even better".

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife#songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

Hotel Fiction

Jade Long - keyboards, vocals
Jess Thompson - guitar, vocals

Website: https://hotelfiction.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3k9WgzHiUobiS8ge4dQX9R?si=r3WZn5isRQK9Yn0-jlI7tA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQBffFguSp0AfpoxMCe9MGw

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There, There - a tribute to Radiohead - Your Next Favorite Band

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0400

It will take a lot to get a tribute band to be a guest on Your Next Favorite Band. But when I saw There, There perform at Musikfest 2022, I was completely blown away. It created that magical Musikfest moment that we all are in search of over those 10 days. Certainly a #bestofthefest for sure.

There, There is New York City's premier Radiohead tribute act, playing songs from throughout the band's iconic multi-decade catalogue. The band, formed in the late summer of 2017, is a diverse mix of music veterans and newcomers to the NYC music scene.

Join us as we sit down with members of the band and learn more about their history, their Musikfest experience, and how they get that iconic sound down so good! We also hear their Musikfest experience and some breaking news on when we might be able to get to see them again.

There, There - a tribute to Radiohead:

Joe Edelmann (known for his Radiohead-centric YouTube channel) on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards
Ben Shin (formerly of well-known NYC Pink Floyd Tribute, Us Not Them) on lead guitars, vocals and keyboards
Colin Mahoney (formerly of the Talking Birds) on drums and percussion
Charles Boehmig (formerly of Atlanta-based Beatles tribute The Buggs) on bass
Cory Furlong (of Burne Holiday) on guitars, vocals and percussion

#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician #singer #guitar #song #newmusic #explorepage #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife#songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival

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"Getting Back To Normal" - Knucklehead Banter to catch up, and preview the fall/winter

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400

Phillip and David dive in to their knucklehead banter to recap and recover from the explosion of content off of Musikfest in August, and tease some of the upcoming interviews as things return back to "normal". They also share many of the concerts they'll be attending this fall - come join them!

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The Godfrey Daniels Sessions - all the live performances from the Daily Livestream during Musikfest 2022

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 21:00:00 -0400

We have a treat here for you with this bonus episode. You’ve been listening to the highlights of the Daily Livestream I was doing during Musikfest 2022, and many of the performers were gracious enough to perform live during during the interview. So we gathered them all here in one spot so you can enjoy!

There are 7 total performances and at least 4 of them were either unique versions being created for the first time, or the premiere performance. One is so new it doesn’t even have a name yet!

Thank you so much to Godfrey Daniels and Ramona Labarre specifically for their generosity and support in letting me conduct these on site all week. It was a special place to broadcast from all week with great acoustics, and there was even some “visitors from the other side” from time to time who seemed to appreciate the content as well. Be sure to check them out at GodfreyDaniels.org.

Performances include:

Eljuri - “Tierras”
Greg Adams of TIOGA - “Goes On Forever (Panopticon)” - Premiere performance!
Billy Bauer - “Unnamed” - So new it doesn’t even have a title!
Seth Witcher - “I Hate Love Songs”
Jon Worthy - “Don’t Wanna Let You Down”
Mike Lorenz - “Strummies & Bark/Woof“ - Premiere performance!
Tye Vallone - “Midnight Mountain Queen” - First ever solo performance!

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Best of the Musikfest Daily Livestream from Godfrey Daniels (the second half)

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 18:00:00 -0400

During Musikfest I was lucky enough to set up at Godfrey Daniels all week to interview various guests - a combination of musicians playing at the festival as well as people who are part of organizations who support the arts and music.

This episode contains the highlights from the second half of Musikfest. Be sure to check out the previous episodes of the first have, and the full interview with all of the members of Blair Crimmins & the Hookers, which happened at the midway point. Coming soon is a special bonus episode containing all of the live musical performances.

Definitely want to take a moment to sincerely thank Godfrey Daniels and Ramona Labarre specifically for their generosity and support in letting me conduct these on site all week. Be sure to check them out at www.GodfreyDaniels.org

Guests in this episode:

Jack Silva - Asst. Superintendent of Bethlehem Area School District
Kassie Hilgert - President and CEO of ArtsQuest
Billy Bauer
Seth Witcher
Bart Cooper - artist and designer of the 2022 Musikfest mug
Jon Worthy
Mike Lorenz of the Witherbees
Tye Vallone of the Groove Merchants

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Blair Crimmins & the Hookers - from the Best of the Musikfest Daily Livestream from Godfrey Daniels (the midway point)

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 15:00:00 -0400

The full versions of the interviews are all available on our YouTube channel by day, and we thought we’d take the best moments and release them here as podcast episodes for you to enjoy. Hopefully you might check out some of the unedited ones as there’s some great stuff in there.

This episode is dedicated to the time with with Blair Crimmins & the Hookers, a dixieland jazz and ragtime group out of Atlanta, GA. It was so cool to spend time with each member of the band that we decided to release this one mostly unedited. Enjoy!

Guests on this episode:

Blair Crimmins - vocals, banjo, guitar
Danny Wytanis - trombone
Ryan Moser - trumpet
Luke Weathington - clarinet, saxophone
David Tyberg - bass
Adam Wolfe - drums

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Best of the Musikfest Daily Livestream from Godfrey Daniels (the first half)

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 14:00:00 -0400

This episode contains the highlights from the first half of Musikfest, then we will release the full interview with all of the members of Blair Crimmins & the Hookers, which happened at the midway point, then the second half interviews, and a special bonus episode containing all of the live musical performances.

So let’s get things started with Ramona Labarre herself!

Guests in this episode:

Ramona Labarre - Managing Director of Godfrey Daniels
Taylor Van Kooten - Art Director of Lehigh Valley Style
Eljuri
Greg Adams of TIOGA
Craig Larimer of The Morning Call
Tiffany Sondergaard of —ts PR & Event Planning

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Musikfest 2022 - Polka and the roots of Musikfest with Robbie Lawrence

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0400

Did you know the festival was built on the foundation of polka and European folk music, in the Moravian tradition of celebrating local music, local food and local beer? Robbie Lawrence "The Polka Prince" joins us to provide interesting nuggets and details about those early days and how he has taken the torch to carry polka music on. He also shares info about his Steelworkers Polka Band and when to catch them during the fest.

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Musikfest 2022 - Beer flavored beer and being a brewer at "Mucusmess" with Bonn Place Brewing

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0400

Founders and head brewers Sam and Gina Masotto from @Bonn Place Brewing Company join us to share how they met, decided to open a brewery and knew that Bethlehem, PA, particularly Southside, was the place to make it all happen. They also detail the challenges of mug fills during the fest and encourage everyone to respect business owners and "don't be a...jerk".

Be sure to sample their delicious beer-flavored beer and get your mug filled respectfully!

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Musikfest 2022 - Delicious Poutine and being a food vendor at the 'fest with The Flying V

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0400

Proprietors Matt & @Christie Vymazal of the Flying V Poutinerie and Food Truck share their roots of how they met and fell in love...with french fries, cheese curds and gravy. So much that they started a business around it. They also detail what it's like to be a vendor during @Musikfest , their clever set-up of tradition Canadian versions on the "northside" and more American takes on poutine on the "southside", and the current challenges of obtaining enough potatoes to get them through.

Be sure to check it out and definitely sample some of their incredibly delicious poutine during the fest!

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Musikfest 2022 - Weather Forecast and Trends with Bobby Martrich

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0400

August in the Lehigh Valley promises 2 things: it'll be hot and it will rain. Often heavily. So the 10 days of Musikfest need the best weather forecaster out there - Bobby Martrich from EPAWA (Eastern PA Weather Consulting).

We were lucky enough to have him join our Exordium and he shared his thoughts about how we will fare across the 10 days of the festival.

He also shares the other offerings of EPAWA and how you can tap in to them, even as an individual.

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Musikfest 2022 - "Must See" Bands and Best Day of the Fest with Patrick Brogan

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 22:00:00 -0400

Musikfest is the pinnacle of the year for live music lovers anywhere near the Lehigh Valley. With 427 bands this year set to shred the platz's we needed the assistance of the man behind it all - Patrick Brogan, Chief Programming Officer at ArtsQuest.

We decided to first highlight the "Returning Favorites", those bands that have been on the show previously that are obvious "must see" acts. Then we each selected 7 bands that were at the top of our list and compared them. Where there were overlaps, we focused there. We also shared our thoughts about which day is "Best of the Fest" should someone only have the ability to partake in one day of festing.

Returning Favorites: @TIOGA The Band @Eljuri @Blair Crimmins and The Hookers @We Banjo 3 @Jon Worthy @Argonaut & Wasp @Pepperwine Whitehall @Carver Commodore @thegroovemerchantsband @Ryan Tennis

Must See Bands
On all 3 lists: @JJGreyMusic
On 2 lists: @RDGLDGRN @Kat Wright @The Beaches

Patrick: @HAPPY LANDING @The Funkitorium @DRIVE DRIVE @shamarrallenmusic

Phillip: @LowDown Brass Band @Jeffrey Gaines Music @besphrenz @Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen

David: Slingshot Dakota Catbite @Graffiti Smile @Hotel Fiction

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Lehigh Valley Girls Rock - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0400

We are joined by Jennifer Alpha (Board President) and Jolie Lanning (a previous camper turned volunteer extraordinaire) from the wonderful nonprofit Lehigh Valley Girls Rock to share the history of the organization and their personal connections to it, and how it has shaped their lives.

Lehigh Valley Girls Rock is dedicated to empowering girls, women, non-binary and transgender folks through music and art. LVGR is run by dedicated volunteers from the Lehigh Valley. Their team is comprised of musicians, artists, educators, parents, and all-around amazing people who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of youth and adults who may experience marginalization because of their gender.

Lehigh Valley Girls Rock

Website: https://www.lvgirlsrock.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHPOsQAJM4SFOuayuS2NKfw

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

The Arcadian Wild - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:00:00 -0400

Led by songwriters Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick, and with the support of Erik Coveney on bass and Bailey Warren on fiddle, The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genre, blending the traditional with the contemporary in order to create a unique acoustic sound that is simultaneously unified and diverse, they bring a unique blend of thought-out composition and musical accessibility. With roots in formal vocal music and influences from progressive bluegrass and folk, The Arcadian Wild offer up songs of invitation; calls to come and see, to find refuge and rest, or to journey and wonder.

Their most recent release Principium, a four-movement song-cycle that explores human relationship, flourishing, degradation, and redemption, was released in February 2021, and debuted at #3 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart.

Please join us as we spend time with Isaac and Lincoln to listen to their stories and hear their music as they become your next favorite band.

The Arcadian Wild
Website: https://www.thearcadianwild.com/home
Spotify
YouTube

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Aubrey Haddard - Your Next Favorite Band

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Aubrey Haddard was 15 when her world was rocked after seeing Susan Tedeschi and from that point forward, she forged her own path in music by bearing her spirit with relentless moxie. She has been praised as having “nascent star power;” and her songs “bursting with life.”

After cultivating music in Boston through 2017, Haddard released her brashly intimate debut album Blue Part in July 2018 to wide critical acclaim. She was praised by NPR affiliate WBUR as having a “nascent star power;” DigBoston described her songs as “bursting with life.”

Following the release of her debut, Haddard spent the following two years heavily circulating national tour circuits as both a headliner and support act for numerous globally recognized bands. With lead by singles “Just A Wall” and “Green As Ever” Aubrey Haddard’s second full-length album, Awake And Talking, will be out August 19, 2022.

Please join us as we listen to her stories and hear her music (she's playing not 1 but 2 songs live during the show!) from this bluesy, soulful, pop songstress who rocks and is sure to be...your next favorite band.

Aubrey Haddard

Website: https://www.aubreyhaddard.com/
Spotify
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AubreyHaddard

As always, our hope here is to bring you “your next favorite band”. If you happen to already know and love Aubrey Haddard, thank you so much for tuning in! We ask and encourage you to subscribe on YouTube or Twitch, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to keep up with what we have going on.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Bright Dog Red - Your Next Favorite Band

Sat, 02 Jul 2022 09:00:00 -0400

In this episode we learn about the improvisational collective Bright Dog Red = spending time with founder and mastermind of concepts Joe Pignato and their wizard of sounds Cody Davies.

Bright Dog Red

Website: https://brightdogred.com/
Spotify
YouTube

As always, our hope here is to bring you “your next favorite band”. If you happen to already know and love Bright Dog Red, thank you so much for tuning in! We ask and encourage you to subscribe on YouTube or Twitch, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to keep up with what we have going on.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Mike Mains & the Branches - Your Next Favorite Band

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 23:00:00 -0400

We kick off Season 2 with a tremendous interview with founder and frontman Mike Mains of Mike Mains & the Branches. We learn more about how he was born to write and play music where the songs make you dance while lyrics make you cry. He also provides incredibly honest thoughts and feelings about his struggles with depression and also the highs and lows of marriage, and how he puts that in to his music.

Mike Mains & the Branches Links

Website: https://mikemainsmusic.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0OCgRH2JnfJo0nNDJzEG0Q?si=WSNKvCkpS7y8J7WM81c5Hg
YouTube

Mike also asked that we share links to the National Suicide Prevention lifeline and The Trevor Project as they are helping to spread awareness and be a resource for anyone who is struggling and in need of help.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

BONUS! - All of the live performances from Season 1 of YNFB

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0400

Many of the bands and artists who came on the show performed live during the stream. Here is a compilation of all of those moments from Season 1 (co-hosted with George Wacker and originally produced as Lehigh Valley with Love: Music).

Thank you to all of the musicians for allow us to share this with you!

Blair Crimmins: "Mean Mean Man"
Hannah Gill: "Brighter Someday" (Thunderstorm version)
Pepperwine: "Grey"
Eljuri: "Paloma"
Ryan Tennis: premier of "Oh Alexandra"
Marc Douglas Berardo: "This Alone Will Set You Free"
Carver Commodore: "Better" and "The Search For Meaning"
The Groove Merchants: "Drown In Your Love"
The Accidentals: "Bulletproof Glass" and premier of "Eastern Standard Time"
Greg Adams of Tioga: "Undercurrents"
Freekbass: fully improvised "Party All Night Long"
Whitehall: first ever acoustic performance of "Mexico"

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...

Your Next Favorite Band: Best of Season 1 - Supersized Episode!

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 19:00:00 -0400

Season 1 was co-hosted with George Wacker and produced as Lehigh Valley with Love: Music. Before we take our first steps as Your Next Favorite Band, we take a moment to look back at the highlights and best moments of our 17 interviews and our Holiday Spectacular.

We once again would like to thank all of our guests from Season 1 - Blair Crimmins, Hannah Gill, Pepperwine, Eljuri, Ryan Tennis, argonaut&wasp, Marc Douglas Berardo, The Groove Merchants, Carver Commodore, Chelsea Mitchell of Dirty Dollhouse, Enda Scahill of We Banjo 3, The Accidentals, Gangstagrass, Greg Adams of Tioga, Freekbass and Sammi Garett, John Altieri of Red Baraat and Whitehall.

We’d also like to thank our guests who came on during this look back: Jeff Wentz; Kenzie, Tara Brazal; Kellie and Breece from Pepperwine; Greg Provenzo; James, Sandy and Jay of Clan McLaine; and Charlie Bonnell.

And finally a huge thank you to George Wacker who’s openness to all this and guidance along the way has made this all possible. Thank you George and thank you to Lehigh Valley with Love.

Credit and gratitude to Carver Commodore, argonaut&wasp and Blair Crimmins for the opportunity to use their music in the episode. It makes everything sound so good!

As always, our hope here is to bring you “your next favorite band”. If you happen to already know and love one of these bands, thank you for tuning in! Please stick around for the others as I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Next week, we take our first steps under this new banner and bring your interviews with Mike and Shannon Mains of Mike Mains & the Branches, and Joe Pignato of Bright Dog Red.

Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...