Crash Chords: Autographs

Today Matt welcomes the core members of Cyn Factory Burlesque, producers/performers Mary Cyn, Sarah Tops, and Johnny Caligula, and performer Dick Move. All hailing from New York, New York, the guests share their stories on how Cyn Factory started and how each member joined the group. Mary chats about the other shows she has produced including Original Cyn and Epic Win Burlesque; Dick and Johnny chat about how they found their dynamic in sharing the stage as hosts; and they all share some of their favorite moments from performing at The Bier Baron in Washington, DC, their self-proclaimed home away from home. And so, from the future of Cyn Factory to their connections in the industry, here's presenting Matt Storm and Cyn Factory Burlesque. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Gary O: podcaster, producer, and nerd hailing from NYC. As the holidays are upon us, this episode of Autographs is a bit more casual with Matt and Gary delving into a lengthy conversation on pop culture as a whole. They chat about Gary's experience with conventions, interviews, and creating content; they chat about his previous appearance on the Crash Chords Podcast; and then they cover the top 10 movies of 2016 according to Box Office Mojo. And so, from Disney, to superheroes, to gaming and more, here's presenting Matt Storm and Gary O. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Jeff Baker, a pop singer/songwriter hailing from Brooklyn, NY. Jeff's latest single---the "I Am" single---was recently released with an accompanying lyric video. In addition to YouTube, you can sample Jeff's music on Soundcloud. With Matt, Jeff chats about his origins in pop punk and his decision to go solo. He also chats about the time he spent overseas in Thailand and how the music scene differs in that part of the world. And finally, he discusses his plan to release consecutive singles as opposed to a full LP. And so, with some added bonding over mutual favorite bands, here's presenting Matt Storm and Jeff Baker. Continue reading

In the mood for some girl empowerment? And girls? Well today, Matt welcomes Raina Sinclair, Betty Brash, and Paige Literati as the three producers of Magical Girl Burlesque (and as performers in their own right). Inspired by a genre of manga that focuses on the power and inner strength of girls and women, Magical Girl Burlesque joins Matt to discuss their origins as a burlesque troupe and how they all got their start, individually. From the details on how they create their acts, to discussions on Matt's involvement as a host, and even their activities outside of burlesque, here's presenting Matt Storm and Magical Girl Burlesque. Continue reading

Today, Matt interviews all four members of the band Three Pints Shy---Jonathan Siregaar, David Anthony, Robbie Taylor, and David Mikofsky---all who identify themselves as a Celtic pub band from New York. With their latest release The Burlap Album now available, Matt chats with the guys on their band origins and their music & performance background. They also chat about their live shows, their songwriting process, and the fun they have with friends and fans. And so, here's presenting Matt Storm and Three Pints Shy. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes burlesque performer and producer Matt Knife, hailing from Brooklyn, NY. The producer of his own show Homo Erectus, Matt Knife discusses his performing & producing career, including some of the recent projects involving your host, Matt Storm: specifically, The Pink Room Burlesque's tribute to Mulholland Drive. He chats about his style of performance, what it's like to debut a new act that's never been performed before, and his background in theater production and costuming (and how that's informed his burlesque career). On these subjects and Matt's other artistic endeavors --- including his love of painting --- here's presenting Matt Storm and Matt Knife. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Joe Adragna, an indie rock singer/songwriter hailing from New Orleans, who performs under the moniker The Junior League. Upon the release of his single "The Stars In Our Eyes" (off the record Also Rans), Joe chats with Matt about being a multi-instrumentalist and what it's like to have full creative control over a record. They also chat about the New Orleans music scene, his song-writing process, and what it's like to put together a live show as a one-man band. Finally, with some notes on Joe's favorite hobby, reading---and his love of non-fiction in particular---here's presenting Matt Storm and Joe Adragna. Continue reading

This week, Matt speaks with the owners of Continental Recording Studio, based in Long Island City, Matt & Mike Gevaza. With Mike serving as the company's chief engineer/producer while Matt focuses on the business development side of things, the two brothers have grown their studio into a thriving outlet for artists of all kinds, right in the heart of New York City. With our host, Matt, they discuss the origin of the studio, their background as musicians, and the struggles faced by a physical recording space in the modern music landscape. They also chat about the variety of artists they have recorded, the future of the studio, and their presence on YouTube with a new series called Uncomfortable Covers. Continue reading

This week, Matt welcomes Sharon Knight, a Celtic/folk vocalist and mandolinist, hailing from San Francisco. With her latest album Portals and a music video for her single "Porcelain Princess" now released, Sharon chats with Matt about how long she was working on the new record and what went into creating the music video. They also touch upon her tour life, how she got started in music, when she started playing mandolin, and her Celtic/folk influences. With time to throw in her future plans and some information on the visual art she creates, here's presenting Matt Storm and Sharon Knight. Continue reading

This week marks a special episode of the series with your host, Matt, forgoing his usual interview to get candid & cozy with you---yes, YOU---the listener. Sit back as he gently inundates you with a barrage of events, updates, media recommendations, and some words of wisdom. In the way of events, he pitches some upcoming shows where he'll be DJing and stage managing as Stormageddon. Listeners can also enjoy a brief rant on what should be the values of all artists---nay, persons alike, those being the tenets of professionalism & integrity. Then, prepare yourself as Matt bombards you with a series of updates, name-drops, & recommendations: from podcasts to movies, music, games, and theater. He discusses the 'art of the playlist' and invites listeners to check out some of his favorite compilations (all of which can be found on his Spotify page). With some final thoughts on a prospective Q&A series that caters to listeners of the series and lovers of music, here's presenting Matt Storm (a.k.a. Stormageddon).

This week, Matt welcomes a singer/songwriter hailing from Stoney Creek, Ontario named Aaron Little. With his latest single, "Nobody To Talk To", off his upcoming record It's About Time (out on August 26th), Aaron touches upon his new record with Matt, discussing the inspirations behind it. He also chats about the music scene in Canada and how it might differ from the scene here in the states. Moving on to his background, Aaron lets us in on how his songwriting is affected by such factors as his music influences, his education, and whether he's playing with a band or as a solo artist. And so, with some final notes on the difficulties and challenges of being a modern indie artist, here's presenting Matt Storm and Aaron Little. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes back another "crossover guest" -- that is to say, a guest who made an appearance on our other series, the Crash Chords Podcast, in Episode #77. That guest would be the rapper, writer, director, producer, and video editor hailing from New York City, known as Hops. Given the opportunity for a second interview, Hops updates Crash Chords on his latest exploits. Having stepped away from rap temporarily to work on a dance record, Hops discusses his current job doing video editing for Fortune.com as well as a short film he's directed called Take Me With You. Seeing as there's plenty afoot for the talented producer, the two also discuss the current state of the film industry and media's effects on modern-day society. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Zeiss, a singer/songwriter hailing from Lindenhurst, NY. With a rich Rock and Roll background and an album out called Indecisive Station, Zeiss chats with Matt about the writing process for the album, how long it was in the works, and the inspiration for many of the tracks. With Matt, Zeiss also tackles the importance of performing live and emphasizes how much he values a strong "live music" scene in an artist's life. He also talks about the role his family has played in his music career before getting into some upcoming projects (including a new single and another album). He even expressed his wish to branch out into other genres -- such as opera! Continue reading

For the 50th episode of Autographs, Matt welcomes back a guest you might remember from Ep. #8: solo rapper and founder of the rap group ThoughtCriminals, Mikal kHill. As of today, his brand new record Human Disaster is available on Bandcamp, an album long in the making, the details of which kHill shares with Matt in this episode. kHill also discusses his other projects, including two weeks notice, the ThoughtCriminals, and a song from his previous record The Snuggle Is Real called "light of day" (featuring Jesse Dangerously). Experienced in beat production, he also discusses what went into producing Adam WarRock's latest record Gifted Student. And so, from the artist's future plans to a delightful tangent on the game Skyrim, here's presenting Matt Storm and Mikal kHill. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Dangrrr Doll, a burlesque performer, producer, and cosplayer based in Brooklyn, NY. Dangrrr Doll is the producer of the Comic Con Vixens, the official burlesque show of NYCC. She is also the producer of RAWR! Burlesque and of the Nerdlesque Festival. With Matt, Dangrrr Doll chats about her start in burlesque, what goes into the process of creating some of her acts, and the difference between performing and producing. Touching upon her future endeavors (and her grand vision for the future of burlesque), she explains how confidence plays a role in her art, and how it's been the fuel that propels her towards her next act. So without further ado, let's propel ourselves towards Matt Storm and Dangrrr Doll. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Brooklyn burlesque producer & performer Anja Keister. The producer of D20 Burlesque, Anja is the first Crash Chords "crossover guest" in that she has now appeared on both the Crash Chords Podcast and on Autographs. You can hear us tackle her album pick, Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats in CCP Ep. #161. Today is a special episode of Autographs because Anja is coming on to promote her upcoming show: D20 Burlesque Tribute to Podcasts. Matt (a.k.a. DJ Stormageddon) will be a special guest DJ for this event. Hear Anja discuss the inspiration for the show and the kinds of podcasts Anja listens to. Also hear about the performers, about some of Matt's favorite acts (and how they came to be), and about Matt & Anja's work in the 2016 Nerdlesque Festival. The host of performers for the D20 event will include Anja Keister, Iris Explosion, Seedy Edie, Triple Jay, Fancy Feast, Mx Macabre, Ravenessa, Legs Malone, and a special duet by Mary Cyn and Johnny Caligula with go-go by Taylor Sweet -- and,

Today, Matt welcomes Austin Aeschliman of Smashy Claw, an experimental rock duo from Longmont, Colorado consisting of guitarist Austin and keyboardist Nathan Long. A veritable engine for new ideas, Smashy Claw is currently engaged in a year-long project to release a new song every week, each accompanied by a brand new YouTube video. Presented for general entertainment (and to spur public interest in the group), these songs are currently compiled into Smashy Claw's newest record, Claw Machine. With Matt, Austin discusses the band's name & its inception, his early influences and what spurred him to start writing, as well as the band's writing process. Also touching upon the band's primary sources of inspiration, Austin discusses plans for the future of Smashy Claw and their involvement with The FuMP, of which former Autographs guest Insane Ian is also a member. Filled with macabre imagery, surrealist overtones, and brought to life by its talented animators, Smashy Claw's YouTube channel won't disappoint. So g

Today Matt welcomes Doc Wasabassco---fake doctor, but real burlesque kingpin, hailing from Brooklyn, NY. Doc is the host and producer for a burlesque company which he's come to emblemize. On his humble beginnings in burlesque and the origin of Wasabassco entertainment and showcases (which is closely tied to Andy Heidel and The Way Station), Doc chats about how he had to overcome tremendous stage fright and how he wasn't always comfortable behind a microphone. He chats about the variety of shows and themes that Wasabassco has tackled over the years, the NY burlesque community, as well as the Agents of Wasabassco (a tight and supportive community within the company). Finally, with a word or two on Matt's involvement with Wasabassco as a DJ, and some gabbing about movies and comics, here's presenting Matt Storm and Doc Wasabassco. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes the lead singer and bassist for The Dollyrots, Kelly Ogden. The Dollyrots' newest album is a live album called Family Vacation: Live From Los Angeles, released alongside a DVD of the same name! The album is essentially a live greatest hits of the band's 16-year long career. Hear Kelly and Matt chat about how the band has evolved over the years and where it's headed in the future. She chats about her life as a rock n' roll mom, and how that's affected her writing, touring, and especially scheduling. She also chats about why the band decided to release a live album instead of a new LP, why they included the cover of "Brand New Key", and what that song meant to Kelly specifically. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes singer/songwriter Khaled Dajani from New York City. Recently having released an EP under the moniker Songs for the Birds, called Volume 1, and an album called Luci under his given name, Khaled chats with Matt about his early influences and when he first started writing. They dive into the evolving NYC music scene, into how social media can be both a blessing and curse for the modern musician, and into his versatility and love for all---or most---genres. He even tells us of the origin of his band name Songs for the Birds. Continue reading