The Folk Alliance International Conference starts today in Kansas City

folk alliance
Rock Star Journalist has been suffering a little lately, as I’ve been working a lot of freelance for the Pitch in advance of the Folk Alliance International Conference. It’s a five-day conference taking place in Kansas City this week, starting today, and running through Sunday. I had the fun job of interviewing some of the showcasing artists in order to help promote it, and that’s pretty much sucked all of my energy lately. However, I’ve gotten to speak with people like actor / musician Ronny Cox about the new Robocop remake, ask BR5-49’s Chuck Mead about his work on Broadway, and so much more. You can check out all my interviews (sans one, which hasn’t run yet) after the jump, as well as details of how to attend the conference.
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Podcast #107, “Rush to Judgment”

scales of judgmentRecording this podcast, I was all kinds of excited about getting it done, doing a phone interview, and then heading out to enjoy some sunshine. The sunshine disappeared, some support screws sheared off on our bed frame, and I spent an hour and a half at the hardware store and kneeling in our bedroom with a drill.

Sometimes, you should just be happy for what you’ve accomplished — namely, putting together a really poppy, upbeat podcast that runs the gamut from nerd rock to stoner jams. It’s a blast and a half this episode, despite everything that followed.

Podcast #107, “Rush to Judgment”
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Ken Hollings’ “Welcome to Mars” a freewheeling trip through the future of the past

book cover - welcome to marsKen HollingsWelcome to Mars: Politics, Pop Culture, and Weird Science in 1950s America is not the book you think it is. Maybe I misinterpreted the press write-up for it, but I cracked it open expecting a treatise on how the climate of postwar America influenced the films and televisions of the era.

Now, that is an element of Hollings’ book. But, otherwise, I was terribly wrong, and I’ve never been so glad to have made an error in judgment. The actuality is that the author has created a year-by-year documentation of 1947 through 1959, drawing connections from the stories of Lemuria, Project Bluebook, the RAND corporation, and LSD.
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Podcast #106, “Melancholy Dance Party”

dance catThis episode of the podcast is just one big mix. It’s just as much due to my foggy, sore throat, as it is due to the fact that these songs just ended up flowing really well. It’s a little creepy, a little dancy, and maybe even a little melancholy.

If you liked what you heard, I highly suggest tracking down pretty much every release featured on this particular installment of the podcast. Most notably, you should really go to the trouble of listening to the Bombay Royale’s peformance at globalFEST 2014, streaming at NPR Music. It’s their debut US performance, but most importantly, it’s just good music.

Podcast #106, “Melancholy Dance Party”
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