The Hustle

We've seen this movie before. Band comes out hot with their debut, have hits, sell millions of records, and then record a follow-up the label says isn't good enough so it gets shelved for a while and all that momentum stalls and never comes back. Fort Worth's Toadies lived it, After Rubberneck and the smash "Possum Kingdom" exploded, the label didn't hear a hit on the follow-up and told them to try again. Four years pass and when a new album does get completed, the label doesn't promote it. Though it was bumpy at first, Toadies carried on anyway and even have a new album called The Charmer and a huge North American tour kicking off any second. Front man Vaden Todd Lewis joins us this week to explain it all and share his stories. Enjoy! 

www.thetoadies.com

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Our Book Club this time features author Paul Rees who has recently written one of the most enjoyable rock books of recent memory - Raised on Radio: The AOR Glory Years. Even though he's a Brit, Paul was the perfect guy to author this oral history of one of America's most unique musical genres. All the major players - Steve Perry, Pat Benetar, Tom Scholz, Lou Gramm, Gary Richrath, Steve Lukather and scores of others - weigh in on where this genre came from, why it succeeded despite critic's hating it (of course), and why it ended. You'll love this conversation AND the book! 

www.dacapopress.com/titles/paul-rees/raised-on-radio/9780306836046/

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

Bassist Greg Norton was the George Harrison of the mighty Husker Du. While alpha's Bob Mould and Grant Hart competed for album space and song excellence, Greg remained a loyal soldier in the background playing his part well. When the band broke up in the late 80s, he changed careers and became a chef for a while. Finally in the last few years, a musical project has come along that's deserving of his massive talent - the all-star punk band Ultrabomb. The supergroup (members of Social Distortion and Soul Asylum round it out) just released their third album, The Bridges That We Burn which easily rivals anything their original bands released. Greg discusses his post-Husker Du years and his thoughts on those years and the history of Ultrabomb. We're lucky to hear from him. Enjoy! 

www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

www.ultrabomb.bandcamp.com

We celebrate our 11th (!) birthday in usual fashion - by bringing on someone a little extra special. This year they're a lot extra special. This year we're featuring the great Todd Rundgren! Todd is about to go out on the Damned If I Do tour next month, hitting Europe in August. Todd and I discuss why some people love him religiously and some don't, whether he's ever had a bad idea, what makes his sound so singular and what we can expect from these shows. The man is one of a kind and we love him for it! Enjoy! 

www.todd-rundgren.com
www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod

We've been featuring a lot of artists lately that earned their bona fides pushing the boundaries of what electronic music could do. Well, few did it as ruthlessly as Cabaret Voltaire. From their beginning in the late 70s making "music" that's more creative sounds than tuneful songs, to their evolution over the next several decades stretching genres to suit their muse, the "Cabs" never went pop or sought hits. Frontman (and last original member) Stephen "Mal" Mallinder, joins us this week to discuss the farewell tour they're about to embark on, the new live album, But What Time Is It Really they're leaving as a parting gift to their fans, and the journey they've been on for 50 years. Be sure to catch one of these last shows before they're done forever! 

www.facebook.com/CabaretVoltaireOfficial/
www.patreon.com/c/thehustlepod