Champaign Is Also A Band

Episode 33 Holly Monet of Merry Travelers - “Flight of the Bodhi”

Sven takes 5 and sips Pinot Noir with Holly Monet as they talk about the song "Flight of the Bodhi," smell the locally grown wildflowers, and declare "That's not fog!"
SONG: Flight of the Bodhi
ALBUM:  Unreleased
BANDS: The Merry Travelers (2016-present) Rainbow Flag (acoustic folk duo with Rachael Wilson, 2014-2017)
Favorite treats: Drink: Red Wine// Treat: Take 5
Photo credit: Holly Monet
Refs:
Vignette
WEFT 90.1
Merry Travelers on WEFT Sessions [VIDEO]
Bodhisattva
Kenna Mae (EP 13)
Rose Bowl Tavern
Champaign Street Fest
Big Grove Tavern
Sleepy Creek Vinyards
Hogchute Opry
The Red Herring (Restaurant and Venue)
Klezmer
Vivian McConnell (EP 14)
Grandkids
Caffe Paradiso
Urbana First Fridays
Imbibe Urbana
Vegfest
Primitive Lights (EP 10)
Mermaid Heaven
Emily Anne Band (EP 12)
Cannabis
Illinois Legalizes Cannabis January 1st, 2020
Delight Flower Farm

Episode 32 Taylor Loveall and Sarah Cramer of Maps of the Midwest - “Painted Trains”

Sven enjoys a Little Kings Cream Ale and a Snicker-doodle blizard with the newly formed Maps of the Midwest : Sarah Cramer and Taylor Loveall.  We talk about the song "Painted Trains" which was recorded live in the Blue Box Studio.
SONG: Painted Trains
ALBUM: Unreleased 
BANDS: Taylor: Bright Blue Mourning and Taylor Loveall (Solo) Sarah: Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra, Dollypop, Relevator, Sleeping Okami
Favorite Treats: Sarah: Kombucha and DQ Snicker-doodle Blizzard Taylor: Little Kings Cream Ale and Cherry Pull 'n Peel Twizzlers
Photo credit: Sven
Refs:
Dave King (Duke of Yuke)
Solo version of "Painted Trains"
The Rose Bowl Tavern
Loose Cobra
The Canopy Club
The City Center
The Great Coverup
Pygmalion Festival
Ryan Groff of Elsinore
Ryan Groff as Whitney Houston [Video]
The Iron Post
Dave Pride (The Fights, Primitive Lights)
Rebekah Songer Band
Cowboy Monkey [past music venue]
Garden of the Gods (Shawnee National Forest)
Kenna Mae (Ep. 13)
Kombucha
SCOBY
Tim McGee (Ep. 10)

Episode 31 Tom Duggan of Vestiges - “Rituals”

Sven grabs a slice of berry pie and hunkers down for a conversation with Tom Duggan about his song "Rituals" as recorded by the band Vestiges. We talk about free writing, finding treasures, and the origins of Hand Sandwich Records. 
SONG: Rituals
ALBUM: World Tour EP
BANDS: Smoke Aggression, Wasteoid Workforce, Patriot Patrol, The Uncreatures, Eternal Mirrors, Crystal Warlock, Conroy Wolf, Vestiges, 
Favorite : Vegan Berry Pie
Photo credit: Gillian Gabriel
Refs:
Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium: Chapter 17 Gettysburg and Now (Carl Sagan)
Marshall Amps (goes to eleven) This is Spinal Tap [Video]
Hogchute
The Rose Bowl Tavern
N. M. Garcia
The Merry Travelers
Little Black Spiders
The Iron Post
Fostex X14
Hand Sandwich (Metallica Behind the Scenes Reference) [Video]
Decayed Lace - WEFT 90.1 FM
FAWM.org
Radio Maria / Torta Maria -– roasted Poblano peppers, corn, goat cheese, sweet potato and mole layered between flour tortillas and topped with Chihuahua cheese
Agar Flakes
Miso Paste
 

Episode 30 Dan and Austin of Not for the Faint of Heart - “Gun To Your Head”

Sven chats with Austin Yancy and Dan Wachtel from the band Not for the Faint of Heart about their song "Gun To Your Head." We pop the Skittles and chug the Fitz's in this sometimes serious - sometimes lighthearted - all honest pod about taking chances, loving metal, Metallica, dropped A tuning, Metallica, being called a doodoo head, Metallica, rippin' sweet clappers at a cooler, and did I mention Metallica????
SONG: Gun To Your Head
ALBUM: Gun To Your Head - Single
BANDS: Dan: Rocket Mouth, The Wachtels, Skyote, Raise the Dead, Not For The Faint Of Heart, Chuckie Knucks, Knucksville Records. Austin: Not for the faint of heart, Gorerott, spilling satans blood, chuckie knucks, some solo stuff here and there Favorite Treats: Skittles, Fitz’s
READ UP ON METAL GENRES HERE
REFS:
Miss May I
August Burns Red
The Acacia Strain
Mark Wyman (ToneGood Studio)
Cannibal Corpse
Karthik (Episode 27)
Metallica
Trivium
Static-X
Motörhead
Behemouth
Pantera
Corporate Greed (NFTFOH Album)
Slayer
MEGADETH
Anthrax
Silverstein
T.J.P - The Contract
Limp Bizkit
Eminem
KORN
IMC
The Iron Post
Black Dalia Murder
Lorna Shore
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus 
In Waves ( Song by Trivium)
Your Betrayal (Song by Bullet for my Valentine)
New Kids on the Block
Metalocalypse
Beavis and Butt-Head
GWAR
Ride the Lightning (Album)
Master of Puppets (Album)
Kill 'em All (Album)
...And Justice for All (Album)
Guitar Hero
Error Records
See You CD & Vinyl
St. Louis Blues
Presidents' Trophy
Wayne Gretzky
Steve Yzerman
StL Cardinals
Stanley Cup
Ken Hitchcock
LA Kings
Violent Gentlemen
Bench Clearers
Detroit Red Wings
Throwing Octopus at Red Wings Games (I said Squid)

Episode 29 Anka Radley (The Dawn Patrol formally: Clockwork Owl) - “Plato's Cave”

With a bit of satire and whimsy, Sven sits down with Anka Radley of Clockwork Owl to talk about her song "Plato's Cave" recorded in the Blue Box Studio. We talk philosophy, analogies, performing live, and her love of the CU DIY music scene.
SONG: Plato's Cave
ALBUM: Unreleased
FAVORITE Treats: Hot Chocolate & Fresh Fruit
Photo: Ash Stahulak
REFS: Plato's Cave
Hotel California
Elliot Smith
Between the Bars [youtube link]
Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Hey, Chicago [Spotify Link]
Bob Forrest
Thelonious Monster
The Bicycle Thief (You Come and Go Like a Pop Song)
Jon Fratelli (The Fratellis)
Ocean Glass
Motes
Waluigi's Mansion
Audible Meats [RIP]
Independent Media Center
Rose Bowl Tavern
Mark Lanegan [Screaming Trees]
Snake Migration
Monty Python
The Muppets
Robin Williams
The Onion
 
 
 
 

Episode 28 Neil Yeager - “Sophie”

Sven sits down with Neil Yeager of Sunwise to talk about his song "Sophie" off the EP: "Something Happened Here, Once." We talk about Sophie Scholl and the "White Rose," Midwestern nice, and the ever evolution of the Champaign-Urbana music scene.  
SONG: Sophie
ALBUM: Something Happened Here, Once
BANDS: Devildogs, Lil Nathan Jr., jigGsaw, Johnnyork, Withershins, and now Sunwise Favorite Treat: Triptych's Dank Meme with Oreos
Photo By: Troy Stanger Photography
Don't miss the November 15th, 2019 show at the Brass Rail with: Withershins, Take Care, Vaudvileins, and Sisser
REFS:
The Canopy Club
IDF (Illinois Disciples Foundation)
The Iron Post
HighDive (The Accord)
The Brass Rail
Esquire Lounge
Mike 'n Molly's
Illini Union Courtyard Cafe
HUM
Rose Bowl Tavern
Wilco
The Jayhawks
Willie Nelson
Tom Petty
Cowboy Monkey
Soundman Bob
SHINER
The Appleseed Cast
The Life and Times
Velvet Elvis
Matt Talbott (HUM)
Scurvine
sewingneedle
Blackbird
25 O'Clock Brewing Co.
Sipyard
IMC
Motes (Episode 1)
Schlafly Tap Room (November 14th Sisser with Vaudevileins and Withershins Show)
Aquamarine / MT FUJI IN BLUE
Prologue / Aerial
McCallister Audio

Episode 27 Karthik Kakarala - Part 2 - The Exerpt

CW: Reference to Suicide
Part 2 (the excerpt)
Sometimes interviews go in a different direction and don't necessarily fit with a regular episode.  This excerpt from my September 29th interview with Karthik needed a space.  This part 2 meant a ton to me and reminded me why I keep doing this podcast. 
Karthik, thank you for sharing you.
 
Refs: 
Ten Grand (info and music links)
Ten Grand (Band Blog)
Ten Grand (Article)

Episode 27 Karthik Kakarala - “Albedo”

Sven sits down with Karthik to talk about his song "Albedo," what makes up public venue, "infiltrating the scene," and his favorite non-musical thing. Stay tuned to the very end to hear what it will sound like when Karthik's pedals become self-aware... 
SONG: Albedo
ALBUM: Unreleased
BANDS: Pizza Party at... Wicker Event, Of Course You Realize... Solar Shadows, Karthik Kakarala, Kakarala Ensemble, Kakarala Quartet, ((siuIU)), Siege Circuit, Birthday Cookie, acidfuneral, Solar Shadows TrioFavorite Thing: Dark and Stormy
 
REFS:
Ghost Planet
IMC
Loose Cobra - Singer Songwriter Snakepit
Rose Bowl Tavern
Earthlight
Decide Today
THX 1312
Apsal'ara
The Iron Post
Blips and Chitz-Closed. Now The Birdhouse
Dumb Records - The Black Sheep Cafe -Closed
Nightshop
Tranformers
Orson Wells
Leonard Nimoy
Eric Idle
Robert Stack
Vangelis
Albedo (Wikipedia)

Bonus Episode 6: Activator Magazine

Sven met up with Activator Magazine's Co-Founders Joseph Copley and Scott Faingold at Dumb Records in Springfield, IL. to talk about Activator Magazine, it's beginnings, growth, surprises, and a little about Springfield's music scene.   
REFS:
ACTIVATOR Magazine
Dumb Records
Solution Printing
Looming
Jon Spencer
Flipper
Christine Pallon (Spandrels, La Louve, Carly Beth)
Girls Rock C-U
Kate Laine / (Cover of October 2018 Issue)
The Elf Shelf Books & Music 
The Black Sheep Café 
Backwards Day
Dexter Anodyne
Black Box
Blushe
Graveswitcher 
Moondead 

Episode 26 Adam Porter of Wingclipper - “Ghost Dance”

Sven chats with Adam Porter of Wingclipper to talk about his song Ghost Dance.  Find out what all the bright lights in the sky are, is Godzilla really a bad guy, and what amazing musical things are going on at Parkland College!
SONG:  Ghost Dance
ALBUM: Secrets of the Stars
BANDS: Mutual Concepts, Wingclipper, Faded Black T-Shirt
Favorite Thing: Black Coffee and Berry Pie
Photo by: Andrew Waner 
 REFS:
Carl Sagan (Cosmos Series)KaijuGodzillaUltramanParkland CollegePerimeter Road Sound Recordings The Inn Keepers (Recording)Leah Jean (Recording)Compilation AlbumPrevalence (recording)Perimeter Road Music FestivalNectarElsinoreThe Data WavesWPCD FM 88.7 (about)WPCD FM 88.7 (Streaming) Mark Rubel (Pogo Studio)The Blackbird AcademyThe Analog Hour (Mondays 9am)