The Hustle

David Lowery has cracked the code for having it all. In the 80s he fronted the beloved Camper Van Beethoven who rose to (indie) fame with "Take the Skinheads Bowling" and "Pictures of Matchstick Men"…

Writer Gary Graff returns to discuss the release of the 501 Essential Albums of the 80s. When he was on a few months ago to discuss the 90s version, we explored the process for creating the list, who…

Australia has been blessed with some of the greatest songwriters of all time. On their Mount Rushmore has to be Robert Forster and Grant McLennan of the Go-Betweens. What started out as spiky post-pu…

When a musician as legendary as drummer Stan Lynch invests his time and efforts into a new project, I want to know what it is. His new band is called The Speaker Wars and they make the exact kind of …

We were happy to hear from Midge Ure again to discuss his upcoming appearance at the popular Cruel World festival. Piggybacking on that is a short tour of some U.S. cities with fellow 80s synth lumin…

This week we're celebrating 10 eventful years with the lovable Limahl! The guy has maintained a career in the public eye thanks to two gigantic hits and a relatively small catalog - just one album wi…

We've said it before, but the 90s were the peak time for "chick"-fronted alternative rock bands. There were so many good ones and among them was that dog. fronted by this week's guest, Anna Waronker.…

With as "out there" as Geggy Tah's music was, and as clever as their biggest hit "Whoever You Are" was, it would be easy to not take them seriously. The thing is, they were serious about being as cre…

The Old 97's have been keeping the fire of alt-country lit for over 30 years and have never lost their vibrant spirit. A lot of that is thanks to jubilant front man Rhett Miller. Whether with the ban…

Ben Folds Five cut a swathe in the 90s like no one else. This boisterous three-piece with a lead piano instead of a guitar sounded like no other and had three successful albums to show for it. Eventu…

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Ricky Byrd got clean 37 years ago and has devoted those years to helping others do the same. In fact, he's put out some fantastic solo albums meant to help those …

This week is the great guitarist Paul Pesco! What hasn't Paul done? Even he loses track of it all. He was an "unofficial" member of the System, the Breakfast Club, and C+C Music Factory (he also play…

Our guest this week is guitar virtuoso Dean Parks! Dean was one of the first call session guys in the 70s and 80s that helped make great artists even better. He worked for Motown with legends like St…

Author Jeff Apter joins us again to discuss his excellent new book, Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly. In the annals of rock history, Carl often gets overlooked as colleagues like Elvis, Jerry Lee…

REO Speedwagon have been one of the most reliable American rock bands for over 50 years. Certain members may come and go, but that name, that quality, and the excellent songs of lead singer Kevin Cro…

Paul Young has carried on a deceptively diverse solo career since he first broke out in 1983. He's had many big hits - especially the #1 "Everytime You Go Away - but his work has never fit nicely in …

The Moody Blues have been an institution in our lives for 60 years. 60! Not many other bands can say that. Though the remaining members Justin Heyward and John Lodge are doing their own things now, i…

Director Nigel Dick is behind some of the most iconic videos (and images) in rock history. Whether it's Britney Spears, Guns n Roses, Oasis, Tears for Fears, Cher, Def Leppard, or hundreds of others,…

The Saints were a very important band in the history of Australian rock. Their mixture of melodic but greasy garage rock with a punk spirit was unlike anything else in the 70s. It produced the song t…