EPISODE 18 of Z-GR! Radio
June 30, 2024
Andy Carhart was an early add to my playlist, and has been a mainstay since. He has reciprocated any social media attention I’ve thrown at him and is a huge advocate for emerging artists from all genres.
He and I sat down for our first virtual chat this week, and coincidentally, it’s Z-GR! Radio’s first NEWHD Take 5 Interview. Cool, no?
Andy’s got a new track out, and it’s on this episode, so make sure you check it out along with the rest of his fantastic library.
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Slashers / Konrad Berger / Matt Pop – Sex on Fire (Matt Pop Edit)
I know, I know – this is not the ‘Cover of the Week’ and Kings of Leon are most certainly worthy; I already had a killer cover in the lineup, but this take of ‘Sex on Fire’ is awesome and it’s a perfect way to open this week’s show.
Slashers is interesting – they expanded a one-off album to an ongoing project with revolving members and self-describes as a virtual headquarters where artists come and go. It’s effective, and for this track they teamed with Matt Pop, who’s client list includes none other than Erasure, Kim Wilde and Ace of Base.
Slashers
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Matt Pop
JJ Lovegrove – Trouble
JJ Lovegrove’s 2023 album ‘The Lines We Leave Behind’ is full of outstanding tracks, and ‘Trouble’ is a favorite of mine. JJ has a wonderful voice that captivates in whatever setting she chooses, and she was recently named Female Vocalist of the Year by Radio Wigwam and deservedly so. She’s been out and about lately, so keep an ear open for more dates and see her if you can.
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Black Nail Cabaret – Darkness Is a Friend
As happens, I found Hungarian Dark Pop duo Black Nail Cabaret 4 bands in after falling down a darksynth rabbit hole, and was rewarded with ‘Darkness is A Friend’ off of 2024’s Chrysanthemum album. I love the bass driven vibe and the vocal is fantastic – not to be missed, this is just a great track off of a great album.
Sulfurized Inhabitants of the Matchbook (si) – F=ma
I came across Sulfurized Inhabitants of the Matchbook in 2022 and totally dug their sound straight away – I ‘ve had half an eye open looking for a new release, but honestly, I thought they’d disbanded, so when I saw a social post a few weeks back, I knew it was time to get them on the show. The Bowie/Ronson vibe is on clear display, and I’m here for it. Also, they have some really great videos, so make sure you check them out.
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WillJack / Doctor Zee – End Of The World
Episode Three’s WillJack is a Canadian father/son band – originally known as Doctor Zee, I came across ‘End of the World’ on a very cool compilation released to raise funds for planetary awareness called ‘Minds Behind the Music’. I just love the song and am looking forward to new material from them – last I heard, they have some new stuff coming out this summer, and I’m looking forward to it.
Pennan Brae – Crashland
Vancuver’s Pennan Brae is straight up cool – not only does he release a ton of really fun, really great tracks, he’s a filmmaker who writes and stars in really fun, really great movies. ‘Crashland’ is off of the soundtrack for ‘Astronot’, Astronot is his 2018 film and though I’ve always put the remix of the track first, I have suddenly become enamored with the album version.
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TripleXMen / Ronja – Jolene
Dolly Parton’s arguably most famous song has been covered by some of the most famous artists on the planet with varied results – I usually just listen to Dolly’s original, but then I heard TripleXMen’s joint with Ronja and to my ears, this is the best cover of the track out, no lie. This collaboration has some great covers out there, but in my opinion, their take on ‘Jolene’ is their shining star.
TripleXMen
Ronja
Trashy Annie – Nuclear Meltdown
I really love Trashy Annie – they’re is back on the show, and while Episode 8 Opener ‘Knock Knock’ can be described punk rock country, ‘Nuclear Meltdown’ is all about Annie laying down her rules for emotional engagement and while not as bombastic, the track is every bit a powerful and a whole lot of fun.
Riley Smith – Heart Full of Gold
Andy Carhart – All Those Times
Colorado’s Andy Carhart is an outstanding guitar player who’s been on the show a few times now – I met Andy on socials a few years back and his track ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ is a favorite of mine – when I saw that he had a new track releasing today, I wanted to make sure I got it on the show right away. The track has a definite country vibe to it and interestingly, Andy used a guitar bow which adds some really nice depth to the track.
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Stray Pursuit – Let It Be Known
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