Going Off Track

This week we're revisiting a great conversation with indie/alt-singer/songwriter Jon Snodgrass who has collaborated with everybody, from The Descendents and Lagwagon to Chuck Ragan. He takes us many places, from writing jingles for friends to Warren Zevon and baseball.

Matt Byrne, drummer for arguably the world's biggest hardcore band, Hatebreed, joins us to talk about the art of the epic breakdown, literally rocking out in the cradle, and life on the road with Ozzfest. Hatebreed links

Senior Staff Writer at The Ringer, Howard Beck joins us again on the eve of the start of the NBA season to talk... well BASKETBALL! There's some other fun stories too, like meeting Muhammad Ali and his Nickelback beef. Needless to say, Benny is giddy with this one.

Master chef and Texas Is The Reason bassist, Scott Winegard got with us this week to talk about music in the kitchen, food, ghost stories galore and upcoming stuff for TITR. Scott's stuff

The absolutely amazing, talented singer songwriter, Nicole Atkins joins us for a really fun, funny, informative and truly off-track conversation. From punking "Weird Al" Yankovic to getting locked in the Beacon Theater bathroom by a ghost, it's a great ride. Nicole on the web

This week we're digging back into the archives to revisit a great chat with Chris Shiflett, guitarist for a little band called The Foo Fighters (via No Use For A Name and let's not forget Me First and the Gimme Gimmes!)

Everybody loves Rusty! It's impossible not to. The H2O guitarist has lived a life of adventure and we get a chance to talk about a lot it here - from the early days, building a halfpipe in the band house and possibly inspiring Fugazi?, barely surviving getting shot to touring the world with his heroes, this episode goes off track in all the right ways.

Rancid drummer and The Used founder Branden Steineckert grew up in Utah between a steel plant and a prison — chased by cops for skateboarding  and then later having to call them to his home for domestic abuse. (They were useless.) Now he gets to play drums in one of the world's best punk bands! This is a deep, fun, upbeat conversation with one of music's most resilient dudes.

This week’s guest is Johnny Whitney, frontman of the all-star band Evil Island, whose members come from Johnny’s former band The Blood Brothers, as well as Glassjaw and …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Johnny tells us how he got Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto to appear on their new record—and what an incredible experience that was. He also talks about growing up in Seattle just as Nirvana was breaking through, and how that moment shaped his own interest in music.

Ensign frontman, Tim Shaw tells us tales of learning the ropes with Sick of It All, getting his ass kicked at a Discharge show and being healed of road-douchery by Rancid. Of course he and Benny also get into a lot of reminiscing about CBGB and the New Jersey scene.