Episode 79 - The Electric Grandmother

My guests this week are Pete Faust and Mary Alice Hamnett of The Electric Grandmother. They’re a self-described Sitcom-Core duo from Hawaii/Ohio. We first met a few years ago, when our tours crossed paths in Toledo, Ohio.

We talk about how the band started as Pete’s solo bedroom project before morphing into a live duo. We discuss the constant TV and movie references in their music, and they explain why sitcom characters have been popping up in Pete’s poems and songs since the mid-90s. Pete talks about some of the confusion that stayed with him after a near death experience as a teenager, and how it came to a head after moving to DC and working on their new album.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Crucial Conflict’s The Final Tic. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 78 - Al Rogers

My guest this week is Al Rogers. Al is a young MC from Baltimore. He recently released an excellent full-length collaboration with Drew Scott called Luvadocious.

We talk about how he began making music during his reckless teenage years, and how music put him on a new path. He discusses his first live performances, and his change from doing standard hip-hop sets to putting on energetic dance-heavy performances. He breaks down his new album Luvadocious, and how Drew Scott, Blaqstarr and Baltimore radio host LaDawn Black all contributed to the project.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Outkast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 77 - Mrs. Paintbrush

My guest this week is Mrs. Paintbrush, aka Jackson O’Connell-Barlow. Jackson is one half of Pittsburgh’s Grand Buffet, and he’s put out three solo releases as Mrs. Paintbrush. We’ve been friends since we first toured together in 2000, and he’s always been a rap older brother to me.

We talk about his early influences, and his personal Mount Rushmore of Chuck D, David Bowie, Kate Bush and David Lee Roth. He breaks down his early shows with Grand Buffet, and how he developed into a formidable live performer. We talk about his recent Mrs. Paintbrush releases, and where he wants to take the project in the future.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to The D.O.C.’s No One Can Do It Better. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Epsode 76 - Stillborn Identity

My guest this week is Cody Jones, aka Stillborn Identity. Cody is an MC from Pittsburgh, PA. We’ve played many shows together through the years. He stopped by my house for an interview after his recent Baltimore show.

He talks about growing up skating and playing in punk bands, and how he entered the hip-hop realm. We talk about the inherent confusion involved in traveling the country playing small shows, and what inspires him to keep going. We also discuss his TheThrowAwayDays zine and his new Slow and Steady EP.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Tha Alkaholik’s 21 and Over. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 75 - Al Lover

My guest this week is Al Lover. Al is a great producer currently residing in Austin, TX. We first met when we played on the same bill in Asheville in 2007, and we’ve been friends and collaborators ever since.

We talk about his early work with North Carolina’s Fist Fam, and his transition from being an MC to creating a one-man instrumental act. He talks about the excitement he felt while first discovering the contemporary psych rock scene in San Francisco, and how his remixes of that music led him down a new path. We reflect on how we went on the worst (but most fun) tour in the history of the music business, and he tells me about his more recent touring success in Europe.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.