Badass Records

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!

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...

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...

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...

What is up, everyone?!

We're back -- after a small pause -- with another episode featuring a guest, and I'm thrilled to share, regardless of how LinkedIn-y that sounds -- that I was lucky enough to see my interview with Phil Kilmer to the other side.

Meaning, it took a year and-a-half to make it happen. Which is fun!

In that vein, I'll pause for two seconds to say thank you to anyone that's ever replied to my outreach, and everyone that has helped me to see...

I'm equal parts excited to share this episode and sad that the project has come to a close, but before I get all emotional, know that the Apple Music playlist that serves as a companion to this episode can be found here. If that isn't your platform and you want me to create one for you for yours, D.M. me on Instagram or drop a comment on the YouTube post; happy to do it.

It's Episode 189 then and this is my first crack at a discography-series installment all by my lonesome.

Ladies and gentlemen -- Please put your hands together for Holly Day!

Holly is a daughter, a sibling, a wife, a mother of two, and a darn fine TikTok'er.

She's also my guest for Episode No. 188.

I had the pleasure of meeting Holly about a decade ago, and she's just as awesome as she was back then. We talked a little bit about growing up, parenting and navigating the world as adults, as employees, and as appreciators of music. Speaking of which, Holly and I took a...

It has been a hot minute since the last installment of a discography-series episode dropped, and I couldn't be happier than to share that I was able to convince Sammy Sanchez to join me for a breakdown of the King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard catalog.

Sammy and I go all the way back to Two Thousand and Twenty-Two, when I met him for the first time after having his awesome father, Cesar, sit down with me to talk music and life.

I've gotten to know Sammy via these (now five total...

Allison Mendoza, a.k.a. @buffaloroamks on Instagram, is my guest for Episode No. 186.

Allison is a sister, an aunt, an embroiderer, and a lover of instant-film photography.

She's also a person with whom I enjoyed talking a great deal.

We talked about growing up, family-business life, and -- yes -- we also took a peek at a few of Allison's favorite albums. Those were these:

Amor Prohibido (1994), Selena

Fleetwood Mac's The Dance (1997)

Evermore (2020), Taylor Swift

The 1975...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls -- Please put your virtual hands together for this week's guest of Badass Records podcast, Josephine Tsaur!

Jo' is the fantastic mastermind behind Hidden Gems KC, which you can follow on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and/or YouTube.

Hidden Gems KC is the channel you need to follow to find out about all of the cool stuff you might not know about in Kansas City, so -- as Kid Fry Cook once said -- please run up her numbers.

Jo' and I...

Please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to the Badass Records Podcast stage...Andrew Dodderidge, ladies and gentlemen!

Andrew is a son, a sibling, and a lover of both music and movies. He's a guy that dabbles in photography, but really gets the creative grease hot when it comes to putting words in print. In fact, he does that very thing for Kansas City's very own, The Pitch.

My guest for Episode No. 184 was kind enough to share a little bit of time with me a few Saturdays...

Kate Taylor is a daughter, a sibling, a wife, a mom, and an expert craftswoman. She's also my guest for Episode No. 183.

Learn more about Kate's awesome artwork at @matchboxkansascity on Instagram. Find her on Facebook at Matchbox KC, or reach out to her regarding a commission piece you'd like her to create for you at matchboxkansascity at gmail dot com. She's also on Threads.

It was lovely meeting Kate and learning a little bit about her story. She's often posted up at First Fridays, so keep your eyes peeled for...

I can't take credit for it 'cause Suzie told me that one of her friends already made the statement, but typing, saying, or thinking Suzannah Johannes sounds like you're talking about a cousin of Roseanne Rosannadanna.

Regardless...Suzannah Johannes -- my guest for Episode No. 182 -- is a resident of one of the finest towns this side o' The Mississippi'.

It's called Elle Eff Kay if you're keepin' score at home.

Anyway...Suzannah was kind enough to drop by to chew the fat with me about collaborating...

Mikey Wheeler is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a musician, and a tattoo artist. He's also my guest for Episode No. 181.

Every now and again I wax emotional about what a good human with whom I've had the privilege of sitting on the other side of the table of, and when I do so it is 100 percent not in an effort to speak any less of the other fine folks that've been kind enough to join me.

We've all got a story or stories. We've all rowed the...

Eric Martens is a son, a sibling, a husband, a father, and the owner of Border Brewing Co.

He's also my guest for Episode No. 180.

Eric was kind enough to carve out a small slice of his Tuesday evening a week or so ago to come spend it with me. And for that I am grateful.

Border Brewing Co. is located in the proverbial heart of downtown KCMO at 512 E. 18th Street, and you can give them a holler at 816-469-5287 or find their stuff online...

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

This is Episode No. 179, and it features the lovely Sherrie Ortiz, who is the owner of Just One Day Travel Tours.

Sherrie is a daughter, a wife, a mom, an entrepreneur, and a business owner. You can find out more about Sherrie's Kansas City-based guided-tour operation at justonedaytraveltours.com, as well as on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Sherrie and I talked about her previous life in the retail-bakery world, her leap to launch Just One Day Travel Tours, as well as a few...

FYP too local? IYKYK, amirite?

@Dus10 is (if I'm not mistaken) the first TikTok-er I've connected with and seen an interview through to the end.

And I'm a better person for it.

@Dus10 is a son, a sibling, a father, a human, a man, and a Kansas Citian (whether he wants that last part to be the case or not). He's also my guest for Episode No. 178.

@Dus10 and I sat down for a few to chew the life fat a couple of...

Gather 'round, gather 'round! It's Episode No. 177, and I am stoked to share with you that this week's guest is Joshua James Warren of Joshua James & The First Aid Kit.

Joshua joined me for a conversation about growing up in Arkansas, pit-stopping in St. Louis, and calling Kansas City home (for the time being, anyway). We also talked about the gigs he puts on at Grinder's, The First Aid Kit's singles and EP (available where you stream) their current LP project, and lots of stuff in between all of that.

We...

Hanna Nicole was kind enough to join me for Episode No. 176. She is a daughter, a sibling, a model, an influencer, an entrepreneur, and she is also the brand manager for Health X Fitness, a clothing brand that specializes in athletic/lounge wear for women.

When we sat down a couple of Saturdays ago, we talked about family, growing up in a small town, being the oldest of five kids, joining the armed forces as a parachute rigger, transitioning back to life after services, the launch and the learning curve of getting her modeling career...

In the first couple of these solo episodes I did, I tried to time the tracks playing with me listening to the same clips. Turned out to be tedious and lacking in desirable results. The last one I did featured a five-spot of albums, and I went a different direction. Maybe it was better; maybe it wasn't. I think I ultimately realized that the script didn't mesh with the song excerpts in a very story-friendly fashion, so I (possibly subconsciously) tried to do a better job on that particular piece this time around.

Either way...

Miguel Antonio is a son, a sibling, a husband, and a father of four. He's a solo musician, and he's also a member of Run With It Band. Of greater importance, he is my guest for Episode No. 174, and of even greater importance, he is the host of the #LiveandCreate podcast.

I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed sitting down with Miguel to bullshit for a handful of hours, and I am grateful for his time. Please give him a follow at @justthemiguel on Instagram, and give the band a follow over at...

Tasha Ransom is an artist.

More specifically, she is a musician, a painter, a photographer, and a writer. She's also a great conversationalist, and she is my guest for Episode No. 173.

Tasha stopped by last week and sat across from me at the table. We swapped a great many phrases and touched on things like growing up, family, self-discovery, and music. Somewhere in the mix, we managed to have a brief gander at a few of her favorite records. Those were these:

Our Mother the Mountain (1969), Townes...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls --

It is my privilege to share with you that Brian Kraemer and Nic Aguero of GFM Recording Studios in Blue Springs joined me for a fine, fine conversation that became Episode No. 172 of this here podcast.

Their spot lives online at gfmrecording.com and I encourage you to follow them on Instagram, as well. They are learned (shouts out to Chuck) in the recording arts and geared for creating custom beats, mixing, mastering, and are just the right fit for artists, bands, agencies, and...

Vanessa Kramer is a daughter, a wife, a mother, an author, and one heck of a fun, funny, and sharp conversationalist. She's also my guest for Episode No. 171, which gives me great honor to say.

Vanessa and her husband, Kyle, stopped by for what turned out to be a delightful chat a couple of weeks ago, and we rolled through the morning and into the afternoon, talking family, upbringing, marriage, partnership, parenthood, publishing, and so much more. We also managed to devote a little bit of time to a few of Vanessa's favorite albums, which...

Ernie Yates of Stone Eagle joined me for Episode No. 170, and it was an honor and a privilege to meet him and chat for a few. Ernie's pipes Stone Eagle's blues-influenced, southern/stoner rock, and you can keep tabs on them on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter; and you can check out their stuff where you stream. Were you to seek them out in the digital world, you'd likely find "Sirens" from April of this year and their EP, Backside of the Mountain, from 2024.

But enough about Stone Eagle; let's talk Ernie.

...

I may've mentioned this before, but -- more often than not -- when I open the front door to greet a guest, it's our first time meeting one another. And the vibes in that initial moment vary. Sometimes they're neutral. Occasionally they're curious. Every now and again, the good energy is palpable, and such was the case when I met John Knell on my porch.

John is a local artist, a son, a husband, a father, a fantastic conversationalist, and he joined me for Episode No. 169.

We chewed the fat for...

Marcus Rattler joined me for Episode No. 168, and -- while none of my guests have been mental slouches -- Marcus has to be one of the sharpest dudes I've sat down with to date. Mr. Rattler is a son, a sibling, a father, and a musician. He's one heck of an educated guy, and he brings good energy with him as he navigates this life.

Marcus plays steel pan and drums in sundry outfits, and you can check out his content on TikTok (@marcus.rattler.music), on Instagram (@marcusrattler), on Facebook, and on YouTube. He's...

"The purpose of this record is to demonstrate a neglective factor in funnel pickup design. Namely, the ability of the pickup to stay in contact with the groove modulation over a wide range of frequencies and intensities. In other words, to track the groove..."

-- DJ Magic Mike, "The House of Magic," Bass is the Name of the Game (1988)

I've been peeling back the layers of the music-world onion for as long as I can remember.

One of my fondest chapters in that book of memories is...

My guest for Episode #166 is a daughter, a fiancée, a mother, and an artist.

She has a tremendous aura about her. She's been blessed with compassion, intelligence, talent, determination, fantastic conversational skills, and she has boldly faced that which life has dealt her.

Her name is Morgen Agesen, and she deserves steadfast applause for being an awesome human being.

As Executive Assistant for Art Garden KC, Lead Designer for Worlds of Fun, and In-House Muralist for Vignettes Bar, Morgen still manages to find time for her o...

I couldn't be happier to share that -- not only is the wonderful Lisa Alpert back, but -- the Becoming a Swifty series has had new life breathed into it.

Yes.

It's Episode No. 165 of Badass Records, but installment number four of Taylor Swift talk.

If you didn't happen to catch Lisa's first episode, please check out No. 147, and -- in today's episode -- take note of all of the phenomenal guests Lisa has sent my way.

Anyway...Lisa and I had a...

After a couple of weeks off for rest and recalibration, Badass Records is back with a new episode, and this one features the fantastic Cole Bales of Black Light Animals.

Cole is a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a bandmate times two, and he's my guest for Episode No. 164.

Black Light Animals has an upcoming RecordBar gig. That's Thursday, May 1st at RecordBar. They also have a new album out. It's called Last Call Love Songs, and you can find it digitally or get yourself a vinyl copy via their Bandcamp...

Pleased as punch to share that Til Willis made his return to Badass Records after an 80-episode gap; if you're doin' the math at home, he was here for Episode No. 83 back in September of 2023, and it was a great one. Highly recommend you visit (or revisit) it.

This time around -- for Episode No. 163 -- it was smooth sailing' for Til and I to pick up where we left off last time, and talk about a healthy bunch of cool stuff.

At the forefront of said stuff, Glass Cactus, the...

It was an honor and a privilege to meet Marilee Rose and chew the life-story fat with her a couple of weeks ago.

She is a daughter and a sibling and a mother and a fiancee. She's a years-long entrepreneur, a lover of planning and travel, and a gangster in her own right. She's also my guest for Episode No. 162.

Marilee and I talked growing up, being a businesswoman, acknowledging adversity and flourishing in spite of it, and being an artist/creator, a connector, a dreamer, and one who manifests. We...

Please put your hands together for Mr. Jamie Campbell!

Jamie is a son, a brother, a husband, an actor, a stand-up comic, and he's also my guest for Episode No. 161.

Find Jamie at jamiecampbellcomedy.com, on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and where you stream. If you go the YouTube route, be sure to check out his hour-long special, Big Dad Energy, and if you go the social-media route, keep an eye out for not only his upcoming new hour (courtesy of Dry Bar Comedy), but also a handful of movie projects...

Derrick Benitz joined me for Episode No. 160, and I'm super-grateful that he stuck with me through a period of correspondence, ultimately making the trek over in late January to bullshit with me about photography, growing up, Spotify playlists, and being happy/healthy in life.

Find Derrick on Instagram under the @nomadphotog handle, and please peep his handsome Web site, derrickbenitz.com.

Whilst we were fat chewing, Derrick and I managed to touch on a few of his favorite albums. They were these:

Metallica (1991)

Dr. Dre's...

Solomon Alpert joined me for Episode No. 159. Solomon is a son, a brother, a husband, a father figure, and a Reentry Counselor at Benilde Hall, a facility which helps folks by fostering sustained recovery, stable housing, economic self-sufficiency, and improved mental and physical well-being. An honorable career and facility, to say the least.

This week's guest came highly recommended courtesy of his wife, Lisa, who joined me for Episode No. 147 (and is tentatively slated to join me once more, this time for the newest installment of Becoming a Swifty), and he did not disappoint. There's...

Pleased to've met Jeremiah James Gonzales and learned all about Redder Moon for Episode #158. Redder Moon's blend of gothic new-wave/post-punk can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Bandcamp. They've got something in the neighborhood of eight releases available to check out, including a single from late last year, with more stuff coming soon.

Jeremiah was kind enough to share a portion of an evening in January with me, and I enjoyed hearing about his songwriting, recording, and band history. We talked about growing up, family, friends, and a few of his favorite...

Ladies and gentlemen...It's Lukas!

The brain child behind Sentimental Creatures was kind enough to make the hour-long commute to the B.R.P. studio amidst winter conditions last month, and I was grateful he did, as we talked growing up, God, earning first-gig cap feathers, and a ton more.

Lukas and his outfit can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, plus all streaming services.

Learning about all that has transpired in a short time for both Lukas and Sentimental Creatures was exciting, as was our conversation...

Amber Lea is a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother figure to her husband's two kids. She's an incredibly intelligent woman with a great sense of humor that has taken on the challenge of facing health and medical issues with an admirable sense of strength.

She's also the owner of Dear You Tattoo (4470 Rainbow in KCK), and she's my guest for Episode No. 156.

I usually chat with my guests for a few minutes before we launch into the conversation, and somewhere along the way in that transition, I cut...

Kyle Maggart of Brothers Music in Shawnee joined me for Episode No. 155, and I enjoyed the heck out of our conversation.

His joint can be found at 12206 Johnson Drive, and they can be reached at 913-766-3869, or followed on Instagram as @brothersmusickc.

We talked about growing up, getting into music at a young age, starting a business, and collecting a ton of vinyl.

Naturally, we talked about a few of Kyle's favorites, which were these:

Blue Train (1958), John Coltrane

The...