The Hustle

Our Book Club this time features author Paul Rees who has recently written one of the most enjoyable rock books of recent memory - Raised on Radio: The AOR Glory Years. Even though he's a Brit, Paul was the perfect guy to author this oral history of one of America's most unique musical genres. All the major players - Steve Perry, Pat Benetar, Tom Scholz, Lou Gramm, Gary Richrath, Steve Lukather and scores of others - weigh in on where this genre came from, why it succeeded despite critic's hating it (of course), and why it ended. You'll love this conversation AND the book! 

www.dacapopress.com/titles/paul-rees/raised-on-radio/9780306836046/

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Bassist Greg Norton was the George Harrison of the mighty Husker Du. While alpha's Bob Mould and Grant Hart competed for album space and song excellence, Greg remained a loyal soldier in the background playing his part well. When the band broke up in the late 80s, he changed careers and became a chef for a while. Finally in the last few years, a musical project has come along that's deserving of his massive talent - the all-star punk band Ultrabomb. The supergroup (members of Social Distortion and Soul Asylum round it out) just released their third album, The Bridges That We Burn which easily rivals anything their original bands released. Greg discusses his post-Husker Du years and his thoughts on those years and the history of Ultrabomb. We're lucky to hear from him. Enjoy! 

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

www.ultrabomb.bandcamp.com

We celebrate our 11th (!) birthday in usual fashion - by bringing on someone a little extra special. This year they're a lot extra special. This year we're featuring the great Todd Rundgren! Todd is about to go out on the Damned If I Do tour next month, hitting Europe in August. Todd and I discuss why some people love him religiously and some don't, whether he's ever had a bad idea, what makes his sound so singular and what we can expect from these shows. The man is one of a kind and we love him for it! Enjoy! 

www.todd-rundgren.com
www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

We've been featuring a lot of artists lately that earned their bona fides pushing the boundaries of what electronic music could do. Well, few did it as ruthlessly as Cabaret Voltaire. From their beginning in the late 70s making "music" that's more creative sounds than tuneful songs, to their evolution over the next several decades stretching genres to suit their muse, the "Cabs" never went pop or sought hits. Frontman (and last original member) Stephen "Mal" Mallinder, joins us this week to discuss the farewell tour they're about to embark on, the new live album, But What Time Is It Really they're leaving as a parting gift to their fans, and the journey they've been on for 50 years. Be sure to catch one of these last shows before they're done forever! 

www.facebook.com/CabaretVoltaireOfficial/
www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Richard Barbieri has been pushing the boundaries of synth-based music for almost 50 years. Japan may have originally been lumped in with the likes of Duran Duran and Ultravox, but they evolved in a way few bands outside of Talk Talk could even understand. After they ended and Richard evolved even further in groups like Dolphin Brothers and Rain Tree Crow, he was then snatched up by Steven Wilson and hopped on the Porcupine Tree train for a few more decades. He's continued to release music under various guises whenever he felt like it and he recently dropped a new solo album called Hauntings that shows him exploring even deeper.  He joins us this week to explain it all and discuss how he got from point A to Z in a hugely diverse career. Enjoy! 

www.kscopemusic.com/artists/richard-barbieri

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod