Laura Boland is a daughter, a sister, a significant other, a musician, and an old-school soul. She's also my guest for Episode No. 198.

When wearing her musician cap, Laura goes by the moniker, Elska, and you can find her stuff at elskamusic.me, and you can follow her on Instagram at @elskalullabies.

Laura was kind enough to stop by and visit with me about growing up, life moves and changes, writing, recording, mixing, incorporating Alex Alexander into the Elska fold, and a number of other things, including a few of her favorite albums. Those were these:

Heaven or Las Vegas (1990), Cocteau Twins

Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)

Fur and Gold (2006), Bat for Lashes

Chelsea Wolfe's Pain Is Beauty (2013)

Many thanks to Laura for her generous donation of time and good energy, and thank you to all of you that support the podcast.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this clip. They are snippets from a Bob Dylan tune called, "Man in the Long Black Coat," which you can find on his 1989 release, Oh Mercy. It has featured in this episode and is available to us all c/o Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

"Mama always said that dying was a part of life...but I sure wish it wasn't."

-- Forrest Gump

My journey as a fan of the Grateful Dead is -- from my perspective -- and interesting one in that I went from the tiny handful of FM-radio hits to Skeletons from the Closet: The Best of the Grateful Dead, and I didn't love it. At all, really.

Some time later everything changed.

I wasn't certain about the lineup and why the vocals sometimes didn't sound like Jerry Garcia's voice, but I eventually figured it out, and -- in typical fashion for myself -- I fell in love with Garcia's playing, Garcia's voice, and the sometimes-lovely keyboard playing. And that was kind of it.

It took me until the formation of Dead and Company to form my admiration and respect of -- plus love for -- Bobby Weir. Seeing the occasional photo of him in Birkenstocks (and ultimately barefoot) on his on-stage rug in addition to the occasional Instagram post of him in yoga poses, etc. really solidified my belief that this was a truly special human being.

I struggle with a number of things, and among them is the constant need for the reminder that social media isn't real life. So, when Bobby's passing was shared with the world, I bristled at verbiage in posts that started with phrases like, "I'm devastated."

At the same time, I also kind of understood.

Bob Weir -- from my vantage point -- was in incredible human, and we are so, so lucky that we shared living moments with him.

I say all of that to say this: Nicolette Paige joined me for Episode No. 197 and even though I didn't know her prior to her ringing my doorbell (and scarcely know her now), she seems like a delightful person. She -- I think -- is all about energy and love and positivity, and we could use a few more Nicolettes on this planet right now.

Mrs. Paige and I talked about family, growing up with incredibly supportive parents, putting on shows, seeing clients, peddling products, managing screen time, as well as a few of her favorite albums, which were these:

Bob Marley's Exodus (1977)

Bruised Orange (1978), John Prine

Jimi Hendrix's The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000)

Mama's Gun (2000), Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu's New Amerykah, Part I (4th World War) (2008)

Follow her at @nicolettepaigemusic on Instagram. Check out her Web site, soulchildawakenings.com, and -- if you're so inclined -- you can follow Soul Child Awakenings on the socials we know as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. She's also got two albums -- self-titled + The Other Side -- available via the streaming platforms.

A big thank you to Nicolette for the time and the vibes. A super-big thank you to you for supporting the podcast, and a massive thank you to Bob Weir, for being an absolute treasure.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips featured in this episode. They are snippets taken from the leadoff track of Bob Weir's 2016 record, Blue Mountain. It's a fantastic album, and I encourage you to check it out in its entirety. We have it available to us today c/o TRI Studios LLC, which is distributed under license by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company.

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

This is the Badass Records podcast, and I'm pleased to let you know that Episode No. 196 features none other than Joel vs Joel's very own, Joel Stratton.

Joel vs Joel's debut album, Smile in the Mirror, came out in August of last year, and Brad Smith (Episode No. 108) of Enigmatic Brunch Records was the wizard behind the curtains of making that happen.

But let's not let that detract us from Joel.

I am thankful for the opportunity to've sat with Joel and talked about his release, his approach, and, well, a few of his favorite records.

I know. It's the same old stuff every week(ish) here, but that turns out to be the actual skinny, so...his list looked a little something like this:

Talk Talk's The Colour of Spring (1986)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), Wilco

Elliott Smith's From a Basement on the Hill (2004)

Tinks (2014), Pether Schlamb

Anyway, please consider giving Joel an Instagram follow; you can find him at joelvs_joel_, and -- again -- his stuff is out there for both streaming and purchase. Check it.

Thank you very much to both Joel and to anyone/everyone that supports the show.

copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio pieces found in this here episode; they ain't mines. I managed ta' lift 'em from the ranks of a dusty, forgotten bin in the corner of my uncle's barn in Republic, and I figured they was worth sharin', so here's the skinny: This is an R.L. Burnside tune. It's one of many fine, fine cuts he shared with the world. This one in particular's called, "Got Messed Up," and I snagged it from his phenomenal 2000 release, Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, c/o Fat Possum Records. So there. Put that in your royalties pipe an' smoke it.

Andrew Turner of Andrew Turner Auctions sat down with me a handful of days ago, and we talked about some stuff.

Our Episode No. 195 conversation involved a little about growing up, family, life visions and the shifts therein, being a gigging musician, and so much more.

It's been a couple of weeks since an episode of Badass Records dropped, and -- yes -- most of that is associated with the craziness of the holidays, and I mention that to mention this: I hope that somewhere in the insanity of it all that you always have that feeling. And by "that feeling," I mean that moment that flitters in and out a few times every holiday season where you go, I'm happy to be on this planet with these people in this moment. It's really one of the few things left to us. That and being in nature and witnessing good acts.

This world is a weird one right now, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to sit down and talk with people.

In talking with Andrew, I learned about his Web site, his social-media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Threads). I learned about the grind behind his weekly auctions and the energy that goes into promoting them. I also learned about a few of Andrew's favorite albums. And those were these:

Richard Hell & The Voidoids' Blank Generation (1977)

Double Nickels on the Dime (1984), Minutemen

The Darkness' Permission to Land (2003)

The Black Parade (2006), My Chemical Romance

King Princess' Cheap Queen (2019)

Dragline (1992), PAW

I really enjoyed my chat with Andrew, and appreciate all that support the show. If you'd consider giving Andrew a follow on one (or other) of his situations, and think about attending one of his auctions, it'd make my 2026.

Cheers, everybody.

copyright disclaimer: It's too late for me to dial up the appropriate verbiage, but the simplest version of the message is that the audio samples in here aren't mine; they belong to the artist. That's always the case; I'm always only trying to put together a quality program and promote music. In this particular situation, I have borrowed a few snippets from Durand Jones & The Indications. The tune's called, "Love Will Work It Out," and it's one of the numbers off of his 2021 release, Private Space, which appears here (and everywhere) c/o Dead Oceans.

Ay, yo!

Life be life-in' right now, and I'm feelin' it; the usual stress of holiday hosting and shopping and scheduling and all the other stuff has my mind crinkled and my right shoulder blade in a knot.

It's a lot.

Sometimes, though, a little dose of blessing floats your way, and I couldn't be more grateful to share with you that I had the pleasure of meeting (and sitting with) the beautiful and the savvy, the sharp and the hilarious, the talented and ambitious, Kimology!

That's right.

Kim is a daughter and a sister. She's a flippin' playwright and a singer. You might see her modeling, or you might catch her making short films. She's featuring in videos and on Tech N9ne tracks. She's got her own (The Kimology Show) progrum, and co-hosts another (But Did You Listen to the Album?). And atop all that, she was kind enough to join me for Episode No. 194.

Few people know this (and it doesn't matter outside of my sphere), but this is a hard gig to maintain when it comes to the soliciting of strangers, the interview prep, the editing and the uploading.

Seldom -- and I do mean seldom -- do I interact with someone so lovely, so prompt, and so willing to come share a piece of this thing I curate. And, boy am I lucky that my algorithmic signals crossed paths with Kim's.

We talked about family, growing up, performing, directing, producing, writing, singing, recording, and a ton more.

We also talked a little bit about a few of Kim's favorite albums. Those were these:

Bad (1987), Michael Jackson

Boyz II Men's Cooleyhighharmony (1991)

T.E.V.I.N. (1991), Tevin Campbell

Toni Braxton's self-titled release (1993)

Never Say Never (1998), Brandy

Kim is @iamkimology on Instagram. Both of her shows can be viewed on YouTube, and the But Did You Listen to the Album? podcast has an IG handle as well; it's @bdyltapod. So, please subscribe to both of her situations, and support a lady that's doing good, is good, and will brighten your week.

'Preciate you for reading this.

copyright disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. All those things considered, I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets of one of the greatest album-opening tracks of all time, "Hot Sauce," by Big John Patton. You can find it leading off his 1986, six-track ripper, Blue John, c/o Blue Note Records and Capitol Records, LLC.

Alright, now...

Thanksgiving is in the rearview, and we are officially in the thick of holiday madness!

And, in wishing you happiness and sanity getting through it all, I'm pleased to share that Rodd Fenton joined me for Episode No. 193.

Rodd is a son, a sibling, a husband, a producer, an engineer, a guitarist in a band, and he has an A+ em-dash game, to boot.

Rodd's production/recording company is called Solstice Audio. You can follow them at @solsticeaudio on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, and their Web site is solsticeaudio.com.

His band is Field Daze, and their stuff is on the 'Gram at @fielddazekcmo, and you can find them on the Web at fielddazekc.com.

It was a true treat meeting Rodd and chatting with him a couple of weeks ago. We talked gear, guitars, recording, making music, and we also took a look at a few of his favorite albums, which were these:

Between the Heart & the Synapse (2005), The Receiving End of Sirens

Coheed & Cambria's Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)

Broken Bride (2005), Ludo

The Dear Hunter's Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading (2007)

Peripheral Vision (2015), Turnover

Please consider giving Solstice Audio a look for your next recording project, and definitely check out Field Daze. Many thanks to Rodd for the time and energy, and cheers to all of you that support the podcast.

copyright disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. All things considered, I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are samples from a track entitled, "Ride On" by AC/DC. The tune comes from their 1976 release, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and exists c/o Australian Music Corporation Pty Ltd.

I'm feeling a tiny bit too gassed to look it up, but I think this is maybe the fourth-consecutive episode of the podcast to drop on Thanksgiving.

Thursdays aren't fantastic for metrics it seems, but what's more likely is that this thing just isn't really marketable in terms of audience growth.

And that's okay. There was never a pipe dream to have it all blow up. It's always been about connecting with people and sharing stories. And I'm pretty proud to be closing in on 200 episodes/four years of sittin' down with folks to talk about life and music.

Point being, nobody's really paying attention to anything on Thanksgiving; they're all movin' around and preparing and whatnot. Most folks, anyway. And I want to give a special shoutout to those that aren't: To those that have spent or do spend this particular holiday without friends or without loved ones -- shouts out to you. You are loved, even if sediments of solitude occupy a portion of your day. Or your life.

I don't know how the way current times feel compares to The Depression or Civil Rights or the late '70s when there were gas lines or any of the rest of it. I just know that it makes me a little sad everyday that people are being ugly to each other.

It almost feels criminal to discover yourself enjoying something like a little time away from the grind when there are people out there that would give anything to have the grind be a part of their lives.

So, I'd like to just...share a human moment, and say that I appreciate all of you that are currently inhabiting the planet. I mean, if you're fuckin' with other people and doin' creepy shit that ain't kosher -- well -- knock that off.

People in traffic annoy me often. Same with comments-section campers. And don't get me started on the homeslices and the girlfriends that think that what's happening in the United States right now is fine. Lemme tell ya': Fine would be fantastic. <Marcellus Wallace voice> Shit's "pretty fuckin' far from okay."

So hopefully today some of you can wiggle yourself into that once-familiar feeling of things being okay, and you can enjoy your sweet potatoes, and compliment the pie crust, and -- of course -- offer to do the dishes.

Anyway...Matthew Naquin is this week's guest. He was kind enough to share some of a Tuesday evening with me a couple of weeks ago, and together we hammered out Episode No. 192.

We talked about his illustrations (Check him out on Instagram at @thesanmateo.), his music (thesanmateo.com plus Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music), life, family, comedy, and a bunch more, including a few of his favorite records, which were these:

U2's The Joshua Tree (1987)

Gentlemen (1993), The Afghan Wigs

Portishead's Dummy (1994)

F# A# Infinity (1997), Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Radiohead's Amnesiac (2001)

Check out our chat, and check out all things Matthew Naquin/San Mateo. Cheers and thank you.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. That being said, I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a DJ Shadow tune called, "What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 1 (Blue Sky Revisit)," and you can find this cut on his 1996 release, Endtroducing, c/o Mowax Recordings, A&M Records, Ltd.

Every Now and Zen I wax a little existential on here; doing so at least gets in the neighborhood of scratching that writer itch.

Daylight Savings has been over for a bit, and I think we're all still adjusting to it getting dark at 5:00 (soon to be 4:30), bracing for the holidays, and stirring the miniature marshmallows of emotion into the cocoa that is the forthcoming cold.

I have a fat bundle of youth basketball games to look forward to watching to, and the last week or so with my high-school-freshman daughter has been decent, better perhaps than it was at the end of October, so that's where my focus is attempting to be right now: on the positive.

On that note, I continue to be excited about the podcast continuing to roll in the direction of its 200th episode, and this week's was a bunch of fun.

Chris Clark of Blue Oyster Culture Club (as well as Sisters of...) joined me for Episode No. 191, and I really enjoyed getting to know him and talking about his experiences growing up, making pals for life, joining bands, and making music. We also had a look at a few of Chris' favorite albums. Those were these:

Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

Season to Risk's self-titled debut (1993)

Sunny Day Real Estate's Diary (1994)

Show (1994), The Jesus Lizard

Sigur Rós' () (2002)

Find Chris on Facebook or Instagram (@beerdedclark) to keep tabs on all things B.O.C.C., and find the two Sisters of... releases on Apple Music or Spotify.

Thanks to Mr. Clark for making the trek down to K.C. from St. Joe, and props to all of you that support the show.

Note: Bill Brownlee's other Web site is called There Stands the Glass; I called it something else by mistake during my conversation with Chris.

copyright disclaimer: I used snippets of Robert Plant's "Big Log," for this episode, and they're not mine; I own zero rights to them. It's a cut from his 1983 release, Principle of Moments. Plant came up in our conversation, and was very much on the brain once I hit that portion of the episode edit. So, I quickly poked at Plant's solo hits looking for this one, and when I found it I remembered that I've always found the name to be stupid. Until a few moments ago when I glanced at the song's Wikipedia page:

"'Big Log' was written in the middle of winter. We'd run out of fuel for the fire. We found the remains of an old tree lying outside, which was about 15 feet long, but had nothing to cut it with. So we put one end in the fire and slowly burnt it, till it was hollow."

And now I love the name. Kudos to guitarist Robbie Blunt for writing some super-fantastic licks for this tune. Timeless.