Garage rockers Alissa Klug and Brendan Albert of Queens & Kings join me on the show this week, celebrating the release of their hot new single and video “You Got Me”.    

We play a snippet from the single and talk about some songs that make their skin vibrate, in addition to other topics like stage fright, photography, Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, and where the intensity of their music really comes from. 

Queens & Kings playlist:

PJ Harvey – Grow Grow Grow

The Kills – Last Day of Magic

Temple of the Dog – Hunger Strike

Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows

Bucky James & Alissa Vox Raw – Walkin’ the Fine Line

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Julian Taylor drops by the NSTS studios this week to talk skin-vibrating tunes. His new record Avalanche is a funk and soul tour de force, and if you haven’t heard it yet, you should. Julian is a super talented musician and songwriter who should be a lot bigger than he is. 

We chat about his old band Staggered Crossing, a band I’ve loved since the late 90s, and lots of other stuff – the Funk Brothers, what sounds good and what doesn’t sound good driving in his new ’66 Mustang, bagpipe solos, hanging with Noel Gallagher, and more. But my favourite part of his visit was him playing an acoustic version of Staggered tune “Further Again”. You’re gonna love it.           

Taylor’s playlist:

Sturgill Simpson – All Around You

Mipso – People Change

The Frighteners – Nothing More To Say

Greyhounds – What’s On Your Mind

John Farnham – You’re the Voice

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No Sleep ’til Sudbury is back with Canada’s Queen of Punk, Bif Naked! 

Bif’s achieved a lot of things – topping charts with hit singles, beating cancer, and performing in Lilith Fair to name a few. We talk about the 20th anniversary of Lilith Fair and lots more – Desmond Child, New Wave, where I Bificus came from, Sudbury, protest songs, Iron Maiden and Madonna, and her upcoming seniors burlesque school. I love this woman.  

Naked’s playlist:

Foxy Brown – Hot Spot

Asking Alexandria – Moving On

Grimes – Realiti

Tarkan – Kuzu Kuzu

Belly – Now They’ll Sleep

Youssou N’Dour – No More

New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle

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My guest this week is Brainsights CEO Kevin Keane, whose organization measures brain activity and more specifically, emotional and physiological reactions to stimuli. Fascinating stuff.

Not surprisingly, Kevin also possesses a massive appreciation for the propensity for music to make our skin vibrate, and he shares some incredibly personal experiences he’s had in this regard. Conversations like this one define my reasons for doing this show.

NOTE: NSTS will be on vacation next week, returning to regular programming the week of September 9. Cheers everyone!        

Keane’s playlist:

Van Morrison – Tupelo Honey 

Elton John – Your Song

Radiohead – High and Dry

Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer

Pearl Jam – Black

Fela Kuti – Suffering and Smiling 

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The conclusion of my discussion with Twisted Sister founder and guitarist John ‘Jay Jay’ French airs this week, and what a discussion it was. His playlist is centred around John’s summer spent in London in 1972 and the music he experienced there, but the span of our chat is limitless. 

We talk about motivational speaking, the similarities of our top five records, continued reinvention, the one question he would ask The Beatles, riding a stolen motorcycle on Broadway in New York in the 60s, his perspectives on previous Twisted Sister members who abused alcohol, the details behind each of the six beers he’s ever had over the course of his life, and how The Rolling Stones and his other records got him through the day. He’s also a stickler for music trivia, and he tests my knowledge on the British Invasion (spoiler alert – I fail). 

French’s playlist (Part II):

Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up

Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly

The Temptations – Papa Was A Rolling Stone

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He’s back! Twisted Sister founder and guitarist John Jay Jay French joins me via Skype this week for part one of a very lengthy chat about all manner of musical subjects.

In part one, John and I talk about the recording of Twisted Sister record Under The Blade at the site of The Battle of Hastings, best of Beatles versus best of Stones, his guitar collection, four hundred thousand dollar turntables, the summer he spent in England in 1971, and so much more. And that’s only part one!  

French’s playlist (part one):

The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar

Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells A Story

The Who – Baba O’ Riley

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Back by popular demand this week is insights guru, semiotician, and NSTS listener favourite Charles Leech!   

This time around Charles uses the concept of synesthesia, which is the crossing over of intrapersonal senses, as a platform to discuss his musical insights. Once again, his perspectives and acumen are absolutely mind-blowing, to the point where you may find yourself mouthing the word ‘wow’ as you listen, likely more than once. Prepare to be fascinated, friends.       

Leech’s playlist:

Heaven 17 – Let Me Go

Journey – Don’t Stop Believing

Bjork – All is Full of Love

Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy

Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart 

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Want to hear some incredible rock and roll stories from a guy who was right there, collaborating with The Pogues, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads, and others? My guest this week is that guy, three-time Grammy winner and five-time Juno winner, mister Chris Birkett.

Chris was the chap responsible for producing Sinead O’Connor’s smash hit “Nothing Compares 2 U”, after having worked with Steve Earle, Alison Moyet, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and David Bowie’s producer Tony Visconti. The stories he tells during his visit are incredible – jamming with Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin, the hilarious way he met Peter Gabriel, the recording technique Sinead absolutely hates, and so much more. Oh, and his band Love Affair is responsible for that megahit “Everlasting Love”. You DON’T want to miss this.  

Birkett’s playlist:

Love Affair – Everlasting Love

Omaha Sheriff – Clothes Horse

Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U

Steve Earle – Johnny Come Lately

Buffy Sainte Marie – Starwalker

Chris Birkett – Be Creative (2019 remix)          

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I was thrilled to host the great Kevin Breit this week on NSTS. Kevin has played guitar alongside the likes of Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Marc Jordan, and so many others. 

I was particularly happy to have Kevin in because he grew up in the same Northern Ontario small town I did a few years before, and after he left he was mythologized up there during my teen years. I really enjoyed the chat we had about his incredible and tasteful playlist. His musical acumen is staggering, his stories are fascinating, and his new record Stella Bella Strata is unbelievably good.   

Breit’s playlist: 

Bob Dylan – Brownsville Girl

King Curtis – Whiter Shade of Pale

Randy Newman – Wandering Boy

Rosetta Thorpe – Didn’t It Rain

Mary Gauthier – I Drink

Hawksley Workman – We’re Not Broken Yet

Joni Mitchell – Sunny Sunday

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Indie singer songwriter Jordan Paul is an exciting young talent with an awesome voice and smart songs, and he drops by the NSTS studios this week with his guitar.       

In between performances of two of his songs, we chat about Indian classical music, Radiohead’s lesser-known records, skateboard videos, his favourite musical moment, Mazzy Star, and what awaited him at a mysterious Starbucks meetup.    

Paul’s playlist:

David Bowie – Five Years

Bob Dylan – It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Sharon Van Etten – We’re Fine

Elliott Smith – Everything Means Nothing To Me

Radiohead – Paranoid Android 

Death in Vegas – Help Yourself

Nat Bhairav – Hindustani Raag

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