A-Sides

Episode 132 - Aerosmith Part 2

Revisiting Aerosmith for A-SIDES Episode 132, we follow-up on a topic originally started last year in Episode 107. This time we hit their "comeback era", which started in 1985 with Done With Mirrors, but kicked into high-gear following an unlikely collaboration with Run DMC. Listen as we share our top ten songs, from album cuts to b-sides, Desmond Child's contributions, Liv Tyler vs Alicia Silverstone, and more.
This episode also marks our 4-year anniversary of this podcast, as we launched it in September of 2019. We've reviewed countless albums, discussed many of our favorite bands and songs, interviewed great musicians, and made friends along the way. Thanks for listening!
 

Episode 131 - Adam Jaffe

Pistols At Dawn is a hungry new band in the world of modern rock, with a firestorm of momentum following several hot spring tours. Founding member and drummer Adam Jaffe joins A-SIDES for this episode to discuss their origins, his passion and drive for rock music, several favorite bands and inspirations, and also what the future looks like for Pistols At Dawn. Huge thanks to Adam for being my guest for Episode 131 of A-SIDES and thanks to everyone who listens.
 
You can stay up to date on all things Pistols At Dawn by visiting their website here or by following the band on Facebook.

Episode 130 - Consuming Music

In our nearly 4-year history of A-SIDES we've featured many deep dives into an array of musical topics, but this latest episode might be the most definitive deep dive yet! Episode 130 welcomes notable Central Illinois music collector, Paul Tincher, along with returning guest and record store owner Denny Smith, to discuss the minutiae that goes along with collecting music. Buckle up as we dive into the far reaches of purchasing import releases, bargain bin cassettes, color variants, and truck stop CD compilations! Thanks for listening!

Episode 129 - More With Liv Warfield

Extraordinary vocalist and Central Illinois native Liv Warfield is due to release her third studio album on September 15th, titled The Edge. For this second appearance on A-SIDES, we not only dive into the creation of her album, but also reflect on the powerful influence of Tina Turner, her tenure with Chicago's Cabaret ZaZou, live performances, and more! Huge thanks to Liv for taking time away from her busy schedule to join A-SIDES.
You can follow along with Liv at her website for tour dates and use this link to dive into her new album, The Edge!
Thanks to Liv and also everyone who listens!

Episode 128 - Power Pop Top Ten

Episode 128 feels like our biggest episode to date, as we attempt to define and share our favorite songs from the rock 'n roll genre known as "Power Pop." Taking its roots in the British Invasion of the 60's, the genre casts a wide net that includes 90's darlings Jellyfish, solo artists such as Matthew Sweet, and especially all-too-brief 70's bands Badfinger and Big Star. Hosts Brent and Andy share ten songs each that are chock full of hooks, slick production, and harmonies that will stick to you like honey. Thanks for pressing play on this latest episode of A-SIDES!

Episode 127 - A Dio Deep Dive

2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the heavy metal classic, Holy Diver, which fueled the discussion for this episode of A-SIDES. Andy welcomed Corey Rozzoni of The Great Affairs back to discuss heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, his namesake band DIO, the first four classic studio albums, as well as their favorite tracks, the ever-increasing usage of keyboards, Vivian Campbell's guitar playing, his successor Craig Goldy, and even how many times "rainbow" is used as a lyric! We're off to the witch for Episode 127 of A-SIDES!

Episode 126 - Art Alexakis

Everclear reached a milestone of 30 years in 2022, which is being celebrated with their first ever live album from the historic Whisky A Go Go on September 8th, 2023. Ahead of this release and a big fall tour with The Ataris, Art Alexakis spoke with Andy for this episode of A-SIDES. While Art shared a few anecdotes from a previous album, The Vegas Years, and performing alongside Cheap Trick, it's more than just about the music for him. He's a family man, he's honest about his struggles, and is a real class act.
Huge thanks to Art for this conversation, as well as thanks to Bari Lieberman, Joey Waterman, and Freddy Herrera for their assistance in making this happen. You can find Everclear on tour by visiting their website here and also find Live At The Whisky A Go Go on vinyl through your local record store.
Thanks for another spin on A-SIDES.

Episode 125 - Warrant with Denny Smith

For this special episode of A-SIDES, Andy turns back the clock to 1989, the year Warrant went went to Number 2 on the Billboard Charts with their debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. Frequent guest Denny Smith (of The Great Affairs) lends his expertise as they discuss the first four studio albums from Warrant, several times when Denny performed on the same bill as the band, their music videos, lyrical inspirations, and even the production wizardry of Beau Hill and Michael Wagener. Huge thanks to Denny for returning to A-SIDES as well as inspiring this episode's topic. Thanks for listening to Episode 125 of A-SIDES.