My Top Five Records

Today on the podcast we have Mo Pittle.  He picked these five records:  GREATEST HITS VOL 1 - EAGLES MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK - BLUES BROTHERS REAL TO REEL - ROGER CLYNE AND THE PEACEMAKERS 1984 - VAN HALEN LEGEND - BOB MARLEY He’s the owner of Jewboy Burgers here in Austin, Texas.  The Jewboy Burger website state, “born in Cleveland with ties to Philadelphia and Washington, DC was raised in El Paso, Texas. Not the first place you’d expect to find Jews, but they’re there. Growing up among the Homeboys, he became affectionately known as “El JewBoy.”  By trade, Mo is a copywriter and he told me, and I quote, “I like to be around cheeseburgers and nice people.”  I would like to mention that there are no advertisements in this podcast.  I have a truckload of fun doing this but it takes at least 20 hours to research, listen, record, edit, and produce each episode.  If you are willing to help, you can support on my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MyTopFiveRecords/membership.  Every dollar helps!

Today you have the pleasure of learning more about Slade Cleaves.  He picked these five records:   SWORDFISHTROMBONES – TOM WAITS NEBRASKA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RECORDINGS - WOODY GUTHRIE MISSION OF THE CROSSROADS PALMS - STEVE FORBERT DEAR DANGER- BILLY HARVEY   Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone Country calls Cleaves “a master storyteller, one influenced not by the shine of pop-culture but by the dirt of real life.”   While he released a handful of recordings during the early '90s, he gained significant notice with No Angel Knows, which was released on Rounder's Philo subsidiary in 1997. Joined by former Lucinda Williams guitarist and producer Gurf Morlix, and combined his interest in folk songs, early rock and roll, and traditional country music into an amalgamation of styles becoming known at that time as Americana. After reading in Rolling Stone about Bruce Springsteen's inspirations for the Nebraska album, he climbed into his parents' attic to rediscover the treasure trove of albums which he recalled hearing as a child – Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry - and which became his guide to becoming a stellar songwriter. After signing with Jimmy LaFave's Music Road Records, he issued Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away (2009, featuring liner notes from fan Stephen King), the two-disc Sorrow & Smoke: Live at the Horseshoe Lounge (2011), and Still Fighting the War (2013), produced by beloved Austin guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb. The album was praised as "one of the year's best albums" by American Songwriter and "carefully crafted, . . . songs about the struggles of the heart in hard times" by the Wall Street Journal. The New York Daily News called his music "a treasure hidden in plain sight," while the Austin Chronicle declared, "there are few contemporaries that compare. He's become a master craftsman on the order of Guy Clark and John Prine." I would like to mention that there are no advertisements in this podcast.  I have a truckload of fun doing this but it takes at least 20 hours to research, listen, record, edit, and produce each episode.  If you are willing to help, you can support on my Patreon which is https://www.patreon.com/MyTopFiveRecords Close your eyes.  You’ve got your top 5 records on your iPhone and you are doing chores around your house.  What 5 records do you have? www.slaid.com 

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place! Hear what Chuck says about how Dusty Springfield "Dustifies" things and how Alejandro Escovedo defines punk music.  He's had a stellar career and has had his compositions and co-writes recorded by many artists including Alejandro Escovedo, Bruce Springsteen, Heart, Peter Wolf, Kim Richey, Arc Angels, Micky & the Motorcars, Chris Knight and Kelly Willis. I would like to mention that there are no advertisements in this podcast.  I have a truckload of fun doing this but it takes at least 20 hours to research, listen, record, edit, and produce each episode.  If you are willing to help, you can support on my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MyTopFiveRecords  Here is Chuck's website if you want to sign up for his newsletter or find out where he is playing: http://chuckprophet.com    

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place!  Here what Miles has to say about jazz and he said, “Rock demands your attention”. So true!  He’s got some killer stories to boot.  Love how he sings things and melodies.  While you are at it, check out the podcast image.  He sure can write songs but he ain’t so good and carving his initials in to my table.   http://www.mileszuniga.com/ http://www.fastballtheband.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mileszuniga/ https://www.facebook.com/mileszunigalovesyou/   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place!  Today’s episode of the My Top Five Records podcast features Jo James.  Jo has worked and performed with some of the industries top acts and also received the honor award at the 100% Music Songwriting Contest.  You may have seen him featured on Season 17 of The Voice.  John Legend said, “Great raw talent and his voice is lovely to listen to”.  Blake Shelton said, “I love Jo’s voice”.   Once we started talking about Rumors, it started raining and my dog was outside trying to get in here.  Maybe someday I’ll get a better studio with better sound proofing!   You can find him on the good ole interweb at: https://www.jojamesmusic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jojamesmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/jojamesmusic/    

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place! Today’s episode of the My Top Five Records podcast features Jaimee Harris.  Born in Waco, TX, to Austin and now in Nashville, I was stoked to have her in person to do the podcast.  I loved the way that she took the time to revisit her records.  She is a songwriter’s songwriter.  My favorite thing she said was “Fiction is the super highway to the truth.”  So true!!  And as a child, she asked for a Pegasus.  A flying horse.    https://www.jaimeeharris.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jaimeeharris/ https://www.facebook.com/jaimeeharrismusic   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/

Today I have Jesse Dayton on the My Top Five Records podcast.  If you ask me, Jesse is a legend.  He’s also a good friend of my good friend, Shilah.  He’s got a career that I wish I had.  He has a radio show on Gimmie Country that just got picked up by I Heart Radio every Wednesday at 4pm Central.  It’s killer.  He has worked on horror movies with Rob Zombie and directed one of his own.  He has written his own memoir call Beaumonster.  Please buy and read it.  It too is killer.  He’s played with an insane amount of legendary musicians.  When Waylon Jennings cut his hand making dinner, Jesse filled in for him on guitar.  Waylon’s son, Shooter, is his good friend and is producing his coming record.  The list goes on…   If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but if you were to give a star for each one of your top five records on the Apple/iTunes platform (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!    JESSE DAYTON https://www.jessedayton.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jessedayton/ https://www.facebook.com/JesseDaytonHardcharger   THE BIG GUN SHOW https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place! As we keep chugging along with season two, I am thrilled to have Carlson on the show today.  He was born in SoCal and after snagging a culinary arts degree moved to Hawaii where he decided that he was going to pursue music. He won a LA Music Critic award for best male album for Different Town, which he recorded while on tour in 14 different cities and countries.  He also made a rockumentary with the same name to accompany it that rockumented it all.  He told me that music is the international language and that it is not just communicative but also productive.  An example is how he saw a accordian busker on the street and had him play on it. You should definitely check it out.    He’s also got another project called Radio Company.  It sounds super cool as well.   I forgot to ask Steve where he was taking his top five records.  He said that he would take them to the grave so he could listen to them after he’s gone.  Classic!   STEVE CARLSON https://www.stevecarlson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/stevecarlson https://www.facebook.com/stevenpaulcarlson   THE BIG GUN SHOW https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place! As season two continues, I am thrilled to have Graham Weber on the show today.  He is highly involved with and organization called The House of Songs.  He plays in a band called Western Youth (that I LOVE) and has his solo thing going on as well.  I was at SXSW this year and saw Western Youth.  I’m not sure if you know my drummer Yates Hagan but he left us.  I was listening think how much he would love them and the tears started flowing.  He would have loved them.       You can find him on the good ole interweb at:   www.grahamweber.com/ www.western-youth.com https://www.instagram.com/gdub5000/ www.facebook.com/grahamwebermusic www.thehouseofsongs.com    

Want to understand your musical heroes better?  Search no more. This is the place! As season two continues, I am thrilled to have John Chipman on the show today.  He has been playing music professionally for over 25 years and has played with an insane amount of musicians from the Resentments (who I so love!), Slaid Cleaves, Band of Heathens, David Grissom (who I think defines what Texas Blues really is), and of course my favorite, Kelley Mickwee.  If you ask me, I think he is a top three drummer here in Austin. He has toured numerous times in Europe and the Far East.  He moved to Austin after studying music and graduating from the University of Oklahoma.  In the 2007-2008 Austin Chronicle Music Awards, he won best drummer.   In Modern Drummer, he passes along some tidbits of what he has learned from other musicians: Never ask of music. When you expect music to do things for you, it will not happen. Music itself is the reward. If any success or fame comes as a result of playing music, be forever thankful, because you have already experienced more than 95% of the people who have ever picked up a pair of drumsticks have. The fewer notes you play, the more money per note you are making. Save your big stuff for the last chorus of the last song in the encore. Never play in a trio with a husband and wife. Never cop an attitude. There is always somebody better than you. If you see someone who might not be up to your personal yardstick, watch even closer, they will teach you something you didn’t know.