Episode 103 - Mike Riley Returns

My guests this month are 3rd Grade Friends. They’re a Annapolis-based math rock band. They brought Justice The Genius Child with them, who appears on their forthcoming EP. They break down their early collaborations, and how they reunited to start 3rd Grade Friends. They explain the elementary school theme through their discography. Justice talks about starting the ‘what’s dope’ events in Annapolis. The artwork this month (a tribute to Onyx’s Bacdafucup) is by I Taste Sound. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Mike Riley and I talk about Deliver; Mike’s comedy/horror comic set in Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden Of Earthly Delights. He breaks down what it’s like to be embarking on his first crowd-funded venture. I play some songs from my forthcoming album. Mike’s art this month is an homage to De La Soul’s De La Soul Is Dead. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

My guests this month are The Van Allen Belt. They’re a Pittsburgh-based electronic pop band. I’ve known them for many years, and we’ve played shows together in Pittsburgh and Ohio. I caught up with them after their recent Baltimore show. They break down how they came together as a band. They talk about getting invited to open for Stereolab in their early days, and how that experience led them toward retooling their live show. We discuss the art of booking a tour, and the art of enjoying yourself on tour. The artwork this month (a tribute to Heltah Skeltah’s Nocturnal) is by I Taste Sound. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

My guests this month are ialive and Darko The Super. I first heard ialive when he invited me to play his record release show in Philly. I got turned on to Darko’s music just a few months ago, after seeing them do a dual set in Baltimore. ialive breaks down his long history as a hip-hop fan, his first projects and his recent tours. Darko talks about what drove him to want to rap and make beats as a teenager, and his prolific album output. They tell me about creating their collaborative duo album, and the forthcoming sequel. The artwork this month (a tribute to Lords of the Undergrounds’s Here Come The Lords) is by I Taste Sound. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Height Zone World is back! My guest this month is Vel. He’s a singer-songwriter/rapper from Cleveland. I first got turned onto his music when we played together in Cleveland in 2007, and I got a copy of his debut album, “Meow, Fool!” He talks about growing up in Cleveland and his entry into music through playing clarinet and jazz bass. He breaks down how he arrived at his songwriting style, and his specific / topical lyrics. We discuss the struggles of getting music out into the world on a budget, and reworking his songs with his new band The Velcats. The artwork this month (a tribute to Motley Crue’s Girls, Girls, Girls) is by I Taste Sound. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

My guest this week is Heddie Leonne. She’s an MC from Olympia, WA. She’s been in the bands Nextdoor Neighbors, Night Fox and Everybody Weekend. She’s currently working on her solo hip-hop debut. We first met when I played in Olympia with her band in 2007. She talks about starting Nextdoor Neighbors with her friend Kathy Cote, and the forward momentum they felt during their early years as a band. We talk about the confusion she felt when that project came to halt, and her struggle to regain her composure in the music world. We discuss the newfound freedom she’s established with her solo projects, and the moves she’s made in the Olympia hip-hop scene. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to The Fugee’s The Score. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

My guests this week are Don't Cry Paula. They're a hip-hop duo from Little Rock, Arkansas. We first met when we played a show together in Arkansas in the fall of 2013. They talk about their early solo ventures, and the shared influences that inspired them to join forces. I ask them what it's like to do what they do in a place like Little Rock. They tell me about the making of their recently-released triple album, Rogue Dreamscapes. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to UTFO's Skeezer Pleezer. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Mike Riley and Height catch up and spin tunes from recent HZW guests.

My guest this week is Weird Paul. He’s a Pittsburgh-based musician that’s been putting out amazing albums since the mid-80’s. We first met when we played a show together in Pittsburgh in 2005. He talks about releasing about his first homemade tapes in high school, and making his live debut at a Beat Happening show in 1988. He tells me about Homestead Records putting out his Lo Fidelity / Hi Anxiety album in 1991, and the confusion he felt after severing ties with that label. He explains the feeling of being on a windy/rocky path toward success, and says he feels more confident than ever that music is his calling. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Too Short’s “Cocktails.” This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

My guest this week is Mikal kHill. He’s a North Carolina-based MC and producer, and a member of Thought Criminals and Malibu Shark Attack. We first met when we played a show together in Charlotte, NC in 2011. He talks about his early solo efforts, and about how being embraced by nerdcore hip-hop fans helped push his career forward. I asked him about his outlook on balancing music, fatherhood and a day job. He talks his new years-in-the-making solo album, and explains why that will probably be his final solo album. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Y’all So Stupid’s “Van Full of Pakistans.” This episode is hosted by Splice Today.