Six Questions With Matty C

#024: Six Questions With S.W. Lauden

Remember The Lightning [https://rememberthelightning.substack.com/] is a love letter to guitar pop. Its author and our guest, S.W. Lauden [https://open.substack.com/users/1333108-sw-lauden?utm_source=mentions], has been firmly in the grasp of rock and roll since he can firstremember. S.W. has truly lived a life in rock trenches and lived to tell the tale. He’s not only spent a life writing about rock and roll, he played drums in one time major label darlings, Tsar [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Jx7jww5wU], as well as in his current band The Brothers Steve [https://bigstirrecords.com/the-brothers-steve]. Lauden’s writing on music has been a lifelong love affair culminating in several non-fiction books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/S.W.-Lauden/author/B01320CTOE?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true] on the subject, and with a series of punk rock detective novels [https://www.amazon.com/stores/S.W.-Lauden/author/B01320CTOE?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true] featuring musical PI, Greg Salem. S.W. has even collected the best writing from his Substack along with several guest contributors for an annual pair of physical books on the subject of guitar pop and its various iterations and purveyors. On today’s episode of Six Questions, S.W. and I pored through a half dozen musical conundrums, covering his earliest home recordings, a mercurial English mastermind, the overwhelming impact of one particularly raucous band from the midwest and so much more. Please note that there are some audio imperfections in this particular episode. You’ll likely notice a slight hum during much of my chat with S.W., and the recording quality of my mic is not its usual pristine clarity. My apologies for the digital garble, but it shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying the chat. Let’s get into it. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#023 Six Questions with Bill Boyle

On this week’s episode of Six Questions with Matty C, I welcome in my friend and previous WAIM pod guest Bill Boyle into the Sheddio for six sonic riddles. I first got to know Bill Boyle from his insights and analysis at Stand Up with Pete Dominick [https://standupwithpete.com/]. While Bill’s day job is owning and running a series of parking garages around the DC Metro area, his real genius is breaking down complex information into discernible chunks. I have learned as much from him about the war in Ukraine as I have from any single news outlet. Bill is not a journalist, and would never promote himself as such, but he has an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. He’s incredibly well read, well researched, and well traveled. He has also had the good fortune not only to see much of the world, but he also possesses the curiosity and background to genuinely understand the stories behind that travel. During our six musical queries, Bill covers a great deal of ground from a broken nose in a college cafeteria to a Cambodian rock legend, and a ton of sonic territory in between. We start things off with a bit of roving discussion before jumping into the six questions. I decided to keep the entire chat because it actually does a wonderful job setting up the meat of the conversation. So, enjoy this rather inflated installment of Six Questions with me and Bill Boyle. Let’s get into it. Cheers,Matty C ------------------------ End CreditsThank you so much to Bill for joining me. You can listen to his first appearance on the WAIM pod at https://whatamimaking.substack.com/p/what-am-i-making-017-travel-talk?utm_source=publication-search [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/p/what-am-i-making-017-travel-talk?utm_source=publication-search] Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.  Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe. You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  You can email the show us at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com [whatamimakingblog@gmail.com]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking [http://speakpipe.com/whatamimaking] Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#022 Six Questions with Robert C. Gilbert

On this week’s episode of Six Questions with Matty C, I welcome in music writer and Substacker, Robert C. Gilbert [https://www.listeningsessions.ca/] for a half dozen sonic queries. Robert kicks us off with a trip back to one of the true origin points in the history of rock and roll. We talk about an icon whose legacy has often overshadowed his actual work, and we explore the dark, mysterious power of first wave rock and roll in the mind of a youngster. We travel on to New York in our next query for a legendary concert that happened in February of 1964, just down the street from where the Beatles were making their famed appearance at Carnegie Hall. In our third query, we take a deep dive into the life and work of a musical mastermind that Robert describes as someone who makes art that makes the audience more empathetic. Question four finds us exploring the work of a misunderstood and often overlooked singer/songwriter with a powerful, singular voice. There is talk of a 2011 show featuring one of Robert’s lifetime idols playing in his home city. That concert even ended with something of a personal interaction with the artist for Robert, and led to a night he will remember forever. And we wrap things up in the same spot where we began as Robert’s listening habits come full circle. Here now are me and Robert C. Gilbert with Six Questions. Let’s get into it. Cheers,Matty C ---------------- End Credits Thank you so much to Robert for joining me. You can find his terrific Substack, Listening Sessions at https://www.listeningsessions.ca/ [https://www.listeningsessions.ca/] Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.  Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe. You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  You can email the show us at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com [whatamimakingblog@gmail.com]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking [http://speakpipe.com/whatamimaking] Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#021 Six Questions with Jason Thompson

This week, I welcome Substacker, music writer, and Navy veteran Jason Thompson [https://earcandyupdate.substack.com/] into the Sheddio for a half dozen musical queries. Jason spent 24 years serving in the United States Navy. During that time, he managed to see all seven continents and spent time visiting 57 different countries. After his career in what he calls Uncle Sam’s Yacht Club, came to a close, Jason returned home to the Detroit area where he has thrown himself into his terrific music based Substack, Ear Candy Update [https://earcandyupdate.substack.com/]. As Jason and I careen through a half dozen musical riddles, we cover a great deal of ground from the early days of first wave rock and roll through the use of artillery at a live performance, and to a boutique label in Cinicinnati churning out the very best in modern soul and R&B. Jason shares his unabiding love for a quartet of English lads that led the way for his political activism and education. We hit upon a rare show by a songwriting genius that Jason was lucky enough to witness. And, we channel the raw power and unbridled energy of a pack of Detroit kids that helped to define the very sound of garage rock. Cheers,Matty C --------------------- End Credits Thank you so much to Jason for joining me. You can find out all about his work at https://earcandyupdate.substack.com [https://earcandyupdate.substack.com] Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.  Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe. You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  You can email the show us at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com [whatamimakingblog@gmail.com]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking [http://speakpipe.com/whatamimaking] Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#020: Six Questions with Patrick Hicks

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C. It’s a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks here at What Am I Making. In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into. -------------------------- Before we jump into the show, I do need to remind you that this podcast and all of the work that I do at What Am I Making is powered solely by listeners like you. I cannot continue this work without your support. Please sign up today for a paid subscription. Plans start at just $5 a month, and all of that money goes back here to support me and my work. -------------------------- This week, I welcome Patrick Hicks [https://patrickhicks.substack.com/], a music historian, podcaster, and Tik Tok host [https://patrickhicks.substack.com/p/4-years-of-making-videos] into the Sheddio for a half dozen questions focused on film. Patrick, who was a great guest last year on the WAIM pod [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/p/waim-podcast-096-rock-historian-and?utm_source=publication-search], shared with me that he was thrilled to have the chance to discuss movies, even though he is known for being a music guy. During our chat, Patrick and I cover a beloved animated film that has only improved with age for him. We dip our toe into the water of American race relations through the lens of a genuine cinematic classic. Patrick also makes a rather unusual choice when discussing the portrayal of love on screen, but his answer is beautiful in its simplicity. We travel deep inside an art installation that began as a jokey form of protest, and became something much larger and more significant. Patrick synthesizes the elements of his cinematic doppelganger, who fittingly, also hails from the Windy City. And, we finish things off with an hilarious story about a mother-son movie experience that changed the family vocabulary. You’ll find all of this and more as we delve into six questions with Patrick Hicks. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C -------------------------- End Credits Thank you so much to Patrick for joining me. You can find out all about her work at https://patrickhicks.substack.com/ [https://patrickhicks.substack.com/] Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.  Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe. You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com [http://whatamimaking.substack.com].  You can email the show us at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com [whatamimakingblog@gmail.com]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking [http://speakpipe.com/whatamimaking] Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]