Crash Chords: Autographs

Today, Matt welcomes fellow Brooklyn resident, content creator, and internet personality, Mike Rugnetta. You might know Mike as host of the Idea Channel for PBS Digital Studios, or as host of the podcast Reasonably Sound. He's also a composer (among other things). With Matt, Mike discusses the origins of the Idea Channel, a YouTube series self-described as examining "the connections between pop culture, technology, and art." He talks about the show's development, the origin and impact of his uniquely thorough Comment Response videos, and the active community surrounding the series. He also talks about his work with Reasonably Sound, along with his background in theater, music composition, computer science, and critical theory, all of which inform his many projects. Finally, with some inevitable asides on comics, movies, and video games (not to mention a brief hosts'-hat switcheroo), here's presenting Matt Storm and Mike Rugnetta. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Ayron Jones, the guitarist and frontman of the rock band Ayron Jones & The Way. Hailing from Seattle, Washington, the band's latest releases are the singles "Boy from the Puget Sound", and, as of this February, "Lay Your Body Down." They also have a full-length album from 2013 called Dream. Hear Ayron chat about what it was like growing up in Seattle during the grunge movement and how it affected his musical development. He also talks about what it was like working with Sir Mix-A-Lot and having him produce the album Dream. Enjoy some final notes on Ayron's love of playing live as well as his hopes for the band's next tour. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Jared Sochinsky, lead singer of the band Parade Grounds. Fresh off an EP released last July called The Wait, hear Jared chat with Matt about how he got his start in music. Also hear him discuss his experiences performing in New York, how children have affected his music & writing, and the music video shoot for the title track of his new EP. Also addressing Jared's major inspirations, and some plans for the future of the band, here's presenting Matt Storm and Jared Sochinsky. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes a rapper called Spose from Wells, Maine. Spose's latest projects have included a collaborative record with Cam Groves called We Smoked It All 3: The Album and a solo record called Why Am I So Happy? Both were released in 2015. Matt had first seen Spose perform when he was in town with MC Chris and MC Lars in 2014---the same show in which MC Lars was interviewed for CCA Ep. #13. As that inevitably launches into a discussion of MC Lars's uniquely supportive personality, Spose also chats about his dual influences from rap and rock, and who helped to inform his art & career. They also discuss Spose's writing process, including an in-depth track breakdown of Why Am I So Happy? Finally, they discuss the effect that current events have had on Spose's music, along with how he connected with the artist Watsky on the track "Nobody". Enjoy! Continue reading

Today Matt is joined by Grace Kendall, a ukulele folk singer/songwriter hailing from Asheville, North Carolina. With an album still fresh from March 2015 called Can You Hear Me?, Grace chats with Matt about how she got her start in the wizard rock scene, having performed under the name Snidget before transitioning to her given muggle namesake. Grace also chats about her inspirations, the indie music scene, and some unique ways in which she's gotten her music out into the universe -- including live streamed concerts! They even find extra time to mutually extol the Broadway hit Hamilton, so strap in! Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Storyville, a rapper, producer, and sound engineer hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. As a rapper, Storyville's latest release is the collaborative album Soul Veggies, released in February 2015 with previous guest Mega Ran. With Matt, Storyville discusses how Soul Veggies came to be and how long it took to make happen. They also chat about the state of the music industry, the evolution of rap music, and Storyville's work as a producer & engineer. Matt also dives into the accomplished engineer's helpful audio production blog, The Pro Audio Files. Enjoy! Continue reading

For the last Autographs of the year, Matt sits down with Bassist Peat Rains and Cellist Bryan Wilson of You Bred Raptors?, the inquisitively-titled, enigmatic instrumental band based in Astoria, Queens. Infused with funk, folk, jazz, classical, and alternative rock, the band's discography is available on Bandcamp along with their latest LP, Grant, which was released in November of last year. Avid buskers, Peat & Bryan speak with Matt about what it's like trying to make a living as full-time musicians in New York, and how the city's ever-changing music scene continues to impact performers. They also discuss their differing tastes, their writing process, and their residency at the show Sleep No More. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Arizona rapper Bag of Tricks Cat. Curious about the name? Behind it is a sentimental story of how the rapper owes his deep love of music to his grandmother, Ann Bennett, who sang the "Felix the Cat" theme song in 1959. Although Bag of Tricks Cat has taken his music career in different directions, the love of music remains and is currently firing the production of an LP called Cat's Out of the Bag, which will feature his already-released singles "Never Sober" and "Dream Girl". The full album will be released in Summer 2016. With Matt, Bag of Tricks Cat discusses his biggest influences; his writing process; and close collaborator, touring mate, and former Autographs guest Mega Ran. He also chats about the video shoot for the "Dream Girl" single and about how the new record will differ from his previous, The Cat That Never Came Down. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes composer Joseph Bertolozzi. With a penchant for exploring unorthodox tools, timbres, and sound environments, Joe's sonic ambitions are taking him to new heights and to new nations. Many may know Joseph for his previous album, Bridge Music, released in 2009 and composed using elements of percussion produced only by New York's Mid-Hudson Bridge. To build on this project, Joseph's newest album, Tower Music (or Musique de la Tour) will be composed using percussion sounds made only using the Eiffel Tower. It will be released by Innova Recordings -- the label of the American Composers Forum -- on April 29th, 2016. Hear Joseph chat about what it takes to record such large-scale projects and the challenges he must face when trying to promote and share them. Also hear him chat about his upbringing, his influences, his writing process, and what it's like to compose music both with standard instrumentation and to use sounds from structures. Enjoy! Continue reading

Give a warm welcome to Claire Alys, an R&B/Soul singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. A teacher by day and a soul singer by night, Claire’s brand new EP Creature is now available and can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp. Listen to Claire chat with Matt about her writing process, her influences, and how she got started singing. She also chats about what it’s like to be an indie artist with a full time day job, about the choice to release an EP instead of a full-length, and about how being a musician has affected her teaching. She… Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Kevin Martin, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the hard rock band, Candlebox. Candlebox recently signed with Pavement Entertainment and have a brand new album coming out early next year. Matt chats with Kevin about the writing process for the new album, some details about the band's past, the influence of their self-titled debut, and how that album affected the band's growth. Kevin also offers a fascinating perspective on what it was like to live and play during the rise of the grunge scene in Seattle. Finally, Kevin chats about his family life and down-time activities. He also mentions Candlebox's current and upcoming tours, and discusses the future of the band. Continue reading

Today, Matt is joined by Carly Ritter, a country/folk singer-songwriter hailing from Los Angeles, California. With a self-titled debut now available on iTunes and Amazon, Carly Ritter chats with Matt about the time she's currently spending in Nashville to hone her craft, and what she has come to learn from other songwriters. Hear her discuss the details of her songwriting process and where she pulls inspiration, all while stressing the importance of strong discipline when trying to learn anything with a creative mind. She also chats about the supportive nature of the independent creators community, and touches upon the works of bluegrass covers currently in the making. Continue reading

Today Matt is joined by Ruben Romero, a writer at and founding member of the production company Think Alike Productions, a company that will appear at the 2015 New York Comic Con. Ruben was pointed in the direction of Autographs by previous guest Bob Salley (Ep. #27), who is also a member of Think Alike Productions. Touching upon Ruben's role in the creation of Think Alike, Matt also pries into his creative origins as a writer, his past pursuits as a rapper, and some background on the two comics he is currently writing: The Agency & Prey for Angels. They also have a nice long tangent on the influence of Star Wars and their mutual excitement for The Force Awakens. Enjoy! Continue reading

Come celebrate the 30th episode of the series by hearing about Matt's chance honeymoon encounter with Matt Donnelly, Paul Mattingly, and Jacob Smith of Matt & Mattingly's Ice Cream Social, a podcast out of Las Vegas and spinoff of Penn's Sunday School Podcast (which Matt Donnelly co-hosts with Penn Jillette). Matt & Paul---successful comics who were found teaching improv classes aboard the Celebrity Summit cruise ship, en route to Bermuda---graciously agreed to meet with Matt Storm for an impromptu podcast under the Autographs banner. In front of a small audience, hear them talk about the origin of their show, the state of comedy, and the difference between pushing the envelop and advocating reprehensible behavior. Cruise with them all by pressing play! Continue reading

Today, Matt has the honor of speaking with Jewel Thief, an indie rock band from Rahway, New Jersey. You'll be hearing Kevin Smith on guitar/vocals/keyboards, Kevin Urban on guitar/vocals, Conor Carolan on bass/vocals, and Craig Jardonoff on drums. Not always called Jewel Thief, the band had originally established a following under the name Congress. Hear them discuss with Matt what it was like to make this transition, along with how they got their start, their major influences, and what it's like balancing a day job with being a musician. So listen in, get to know the band, and support them in their endeavors! Their latest record, Speak Electricity, was released on March 24th 2015. Continue reading

Crash Chords covers 'Vinyl Day' at Barnes & Noble... LIVE! In honor of the retail giant's exclusive marketing event, merchandise manager Joe Mastropiero invited Crash Chords's own Matt Storm & Steve Nagel to conduct a 'live audience' podcast through CC: Autographs. Held on July 25th, 2015 (in the music section of Barnes & Noble's Staten Island outlet), Matt & Steve confronted Joe on all things vinyl related, media related, marketing related, and Joe related! Listen in for some hard-hitting questions on the status of the beloved music format, followed by an up-close (and public) interview with the music-loving proprietor. Finally, we wrap up by taking some amazing questions from our delightfully curious audience. Many thanks to all who came! Now let the spinning begin! Continue reading

This week, Matt welcomes Bob Salley, a writer from Boston, MA. Bob's latest projects include the comic book, Salvagers, of which 3 issues are currently available (with the 4th on the way), and the weekly web comic, Jasper's Starlight Tavern. You'll hear Matt and Bob chat about the Salvagers universe and its unique set of characters, his inspiration for creating Jasper's Starlight Tavern, his love of sci-fi, and the influence of music on the aesthetic of the Salvagers series. Also hear about his "Indiegogo" campaign -- a crowdfunding site spurred by a desire to give back to the fans. And finally, stick around for some helpful advice on time management, and how to conjure up focus for the projects you're most passionate about. Continue reading

Welcome to the one-year anniversary of CC: Autographs! For the occasion, Matt is joined by the first FULL band to appear on the series: the pop/punk/rock ensemble known as Sexy Heroes, hailing from Upper Saddle River, NJ. In anticipation of their newest album Yellow Fever (and its September release date), you'll hear bandmembers Mike Watts, Nick Everett, Nick Magliano, and a belated Chris Watts discuss everything from their songwriting process, to the evolution of the bandname, to their downtime shenanigans, and finally, the band's future. For touring info, single releases, and a discussion on crowd funding, tune in to this exclusive interview! Continue reading

This week, Matt is joined by Alexis Brown of the metal & hard rock group Straight Line Stitch (based out of Knoxville, TN). As of today, they'll be celebrating the release of their new EP Transparency. They'll also be wrapping up their west coast tour, and will now be headed east for the remainder of the summer. Matt and Alexis chat about how she started singing from a very young age, and how she wasn't always a rock singer. She also discusses her tour life and the social makeup of the 'touring band' mentality. The first single on the EP is called "Human Bondage", which was also accompanied by a video shoot. Hear about how that experience went down and plenty more with this exclusive interview between Matt Storm and Alexis Brown. Continue reading

Today we welcome Jose Urquiza, lead singer of 3 Years Hollow. With Matt, Jose discusses the band's 2014 LP The Cracks, which was spotted by Matt in a Crash Chords article last year. With a singing talent that dates back to childhood, Jose burgeoned forth with the heavy rock scene, which later shaped his style and sound. Hear Matt and Jose discuss their mutual love for the heavy rock acts of the late 90s and early 2000s. Also hear about Jose's touring life, the band's next record, and finally an upcoming tour with SOil and Powerman 5000 (whose lead singers were featured in earlier Autographs interviews). Continue reading