Zodiak, playing Philadelphia in 2017; photo courtesy Zodiak.
Zodiak, playing Philadelphia in 2017; photo courtesy Zodiak.

INDIEcent Exposure #32: INTERVIEW — Zodiak, on Basement Brew

PLUS: Eight other artists you should be listening to right now.  * EXPLICIT *

Zodiak, playing Philadelphia in 2017; photo courtesy Zodiak.
Zodiak, playing Philadelphia in 2017; photo courtesy Zodiak.

Welcome, lovers of Indie music the world over, to Episode number 32 of INDIEcent Exposure. I am the mongrel. And I have a massive show for you, so I’m going to keep the chatter to just a shred of my usual monologue. Listen to the episode and then SUBSCRIBE through Apple Podcasts or Google Play Music.

In this Episode

Amanie Illfated • “The Hills” • Saturn (10/2018 release)
Armonite • “Blue Curaçao” • And The Stars Above
Zodiak • “Waiting on U” • Basement Brew
Zodiak • “Don’t Be Debbie” • Basement Brew
V Sparks • “The Game Of Everybody Knows Its You” • Moderne Life
Corporate Christ • ‘Dead in My Head” • The Pornographer
Day Bled Ion • “Orbiting Nothing” • Shuffler
Johnny Punish • “Way Too Cool” • The Strange Story of Johnny Punish Vol. 2
Motel Pines • “Sincerest Apologies” • A Sad History
Mikalyn Hay • “Mirror” • 12:15

One of the very special treats I have for you is actually kind of a retroactive clip of shame for me. I suffered a crash maybe a year and some ago and was sure that an interview I was wicked excited to record was lost forever. This week, cleaning out some back-up folders I came across a recovered mp3 of my conversation with a new icon of the DMV scene, Zodiak.

The recording required a bit of cleanup, and references to dated events have been edited out, but I knew I couldn’t wait another week to present it to you, along with two amazing tracks off their 2016 release Basement Brew. Humbly, with my mongrel tail between my legs, I offer my sincerest apologies to Zodiak, who deserved this feature long ago.

I think before we get to that interview, though, and their song “Waiting on Us” from that album, I’m gonna get our collective ears fired up with two tracks that hit my inbox just this week.

Armonite

Armonite. Amazing. Kind of like if Kansas had formed in Italy instead of, well, Kansas; photo courtesy Armonite
Armonite. Amazing. Kind of like if Kansas had formed in Italy instead of, well, Kansas; photo courtesy Armonite

We’ll cock an ear towards Italy and have a taste of the track “Blue Curaçao, by Armonite off their new release, And the Stars Above. Composer Paolo Fosso and violinist Jacopo Bigi have known each other since they were were in bands together as teenagers, but split up for about fifteen years before applying their classical training to their reunified endeavor. I know you’re going to be blown away by their sound, and since I know you’re going to want to find out more about them, I’ve got links to their site in the show notes. But you knew I’d say that. I do that for all the artists on this show.

Armanie Illfated releases Saturn October, 2018; photo courtesy Armanie Illfated.
Armanie Illfated releases Saturn October, 2018; photo courtesy Armanie Illfated.

Amanie Illfated

First though we’re going to hear from Toronto-based Amanie Illfated who shared a track off her soon to be released album, Saturn. Born in South Sudan, Amanie is an activist, writer and model who who uses her platform to improve the lives of at-risk women and girls, as well as focus attention of the humanitarian issues in her native homeland. So let’s get things going with Amanie Illfated’s, “The Hills,” here on INDIEcent Exposure.

Amazing talent, right? And just awesome folks, too. Hopefully, the next time I hear from them, I’ll find out that they’ve got another release scheduled. If so, I’ll be sure to get it out there to you before I crash again.

V Sparks has all the grit AND glamour of a late 70's / early 80s power band. But they're hot today. Which is why you can listen via the Interwebs; photo courtesy V Sparks.
V Sparks has all the grit AND glamour of a late 70’s / early 80s power band. But they’re hot today. Which is why you can listen via the Interwebs; photo courtesy V Sparks.

V Sparks

Amazing talent, right? And just awesome folks, too. Hopefully, the next time I hear from them, I’ll find out that they’ve got another release scheduled. If so, I’ll be sure to get it out there to you before I crash again.

This next artist is another reunited story. And yeah, it sounds. So. Good. Guitarist Prescott Kagan and vocalist/keyboardist Alan Lewis formed V Sparks back in 2005, took the Chicago music scene by storm with epic performances and a few releases of their deliciously updated take on glam rock before parting in 2011. In 2016, they announced that Lewis would be rejoining the band, and that new material was forthcoming. Their just released, album, Moderne Life, is nothing short of mindblowing. You can detect DNA from an assortment of house-hold name bands in the grooves, and it’s all skillfully riveted together with their own original essence.

Let’s have a listen to “The Game Of Everybody Knows Its You,” and you’ll get what I mean.

Day Bled Ion

“Day Bled Ion is an eight EP project by musician and artist Daniel Body. Each EP begins as the album art and the 5 songs for each are an expression of their corresponding covers.”  Image courtesy Day Bled Ion.

When I heard this release, I thought, I want be at V Sparks show just prior to a midnight premier of the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” on November 2nd. Is that too much to ask?

So I have a favor to ask…and no, don’t freaking forward button through this. This is easy. I want you to help me reach listeners all. Over. Planet. Earth. I want you to share a link to this episode on your socials, but don’t just copy and paste. TAG SOMEONE you know would like one of the songs in this show, and name the artist in your post.

See, the tracks I play in these episodes are some of the absolute best tunes I’ve ever heard anywhere, and I’m an old fuck, so that’s saying something. You helping this podcast go viral could launch one of these bands to stardom. Or at least keep them from having to eat Ramen for a couple of months. You could be the hero of this story. And when some artist is quaffing Moet on a 68th floor balcony after playing the Meadowlands, they’ll be raising their fishbowl to you. Whadya say? Share and share alike?

Corporate Christ

Corporate Christ  has earned the right to create music that flows like broken glass through your veins. Learn more at the artists site; photo courtesy Corporate Christ.
Corporate Christ  has earned the right to create music that flows like broken glass through your veins. Learn more about the artist at his site; photo courtesy Corporate Christ.

In this next set, we’ll hear “Orbiting Nothing,” by Day Bled Ion off their 2016 release, Shuffler. Musician, cyber-journalist, and proud social justice warrior Johnny Punish gives us “Way Too Cool” from The Strange Story of Johnny Punish, Vol. 2 and we’re going to start it off with “Dead in My Head,” off the 2015 release from Corporate Christ, The Pornographer. Oh…and that “Explicit” rating on this episode—might have something to do with this tune.

The Motel Pines

I have to say this. Every human has a story to tell. Musician’s tales tend to have juicier details and wilder plot twists than most, for some reason, and I don’t want anyone to think that just because I spend a minute talking about one band on an episode, that I won’t circle back around to going into the backstory of another band on another show. Honestly, I wish I could do full interviews with them all. But I guess that’s why I have shownotes. Go to greylockglass.com and find the post for this episode. At a minimum, I have links to band websites or social media pages, and I update the notes with new info as I get it pretty frequently.

Sometime you want need that old school feel. Image courtesy the Motel Pines.
Sometime you want need that old school feel. Image courtesy the Motel Pines.

AND you can request more info. Want me to interview an artist you’ve heard on this show? Use the Contact form to send me an e-mail asking for fuller coverage of them, and I’ll reach out to the musician and see if I can’t make it happen.

Mikalyn Hay

Mikalyn Hay—another amazing musician who makes us wonder what kind of potion they put in the water up in Canada; photo courtesy Mikalyn Hay via Facebook.
Mikalyn Hay—another amazing musician who makes us wonder what kind of potion they put in the water up in Canada; photo courtesy Mikalyn Hay via Facebook.

To put the wraps on this episode, I am thrilled to bring back wunderkind, Mikalyn Hay, who garnered a lot of praise from you all for “The Devil You Know,” off her 2018 release, 12:15 that I played last episode. Every tune off the album is a gem, so I thought I’d bring her back again so you could hear “Mirror.” Now, Mikalyn and I have been in touch about getting an interview scheduled, and time keeps slipping away from us. With a little luck, I can catch her before she goes platinum and doesn’t have time for lowly podcasters. Right now though, we’ll hear from act that I can NOT believe I haven’t played for you yet. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, here is The Motel Pines, offering “Sincerest Apologies” off 2017’s A Sad History.

Jason Velázquez

Jason Velázquez has worked in print and digital journalism and publishing for two decades.
Phone: (413) 776-5125

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