Memory Tracks

Sam and I share a complete devotion to all things Prince, and our common love of one of the greatest musicians of all time warranted an episode where all 3 songs came from 1 artist. It was wonderful to hear how these songs came to define Sam's growing up in the 80s in the middle of the country. I feel like we could have geeked out for hours on Prince material, and this was only the beginning, but I hope you find new ways to appreciate The Purple One through this episode. Dirty Mind - Prince Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) - Prince The Beautiful Ones - Prince

I don't want to spoil the second half of the Wallis interview, but I can say that this was a very, very special conversation. I truly love these wonderful human beings and appreciate them coming onto the show. Hands on the Wheel - Willie Nelson (Matt) The Old Kind Of Summer - The Black Heart Procession (Joy) Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (Matt)

Approaching my 10th episode, I cheated a bit and decided to do something different. I interviewed two very good friends, who happen to be married to each other, at the same time. Walking into the interview, Joy and Matt did not know what tracks the other had selected. We revealed each track one at a time, ultimately splitting the episode into 2 parts. Here's part 1. You Talk Too Much - Run-D.M.C. (Joy) I Used to Love H.E.R. - Common Sense (Matt) Catch - The Cure (Joy)

Not only was Michelle an awesome guest with great selections and stories, she introduced the tradition of PLUR to me (see that Memory Tracks bracelet she made me), which you will have to listen for to learn about yourself. On a Good Day - Above and Beyond Sky High - Big Gigantic The Journey - Tom Misch

If you ever meet Chris Wright in person, it will only take you a minute to realize he's one of the best dudes there ever was. Chris and I have been going to shows together for years, and he once helped sneak me into Wrigley Field at 1:00 in the morning for a Pearl Jam show. While we don't get into that story, he shares a wide range of music with a few stories throughout his life. Ha Ha Ha - Flipper One More Bottle - Paw Fill in the Blank - Car Seat Headrest

Alvin will probably be my only guest that goes from a Dave Matthews Band song to Three Six Mafia's Project Pat, and I was totally here for it. He also brings us our first Christmas song reference, and I'm convinced he's picked the best version of a classic. But honestly I wish we had thought to play North Memphis on repeat. #41 - Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds North Memphis - Project Pat Silent Night - The Temptations

Brought on my good friend and former bandmate, Paul Banks, to talk about some special songs. We actually taped this while watching Game 7 of the World Series, and when we wrapped, hustled over to Deep Eddy bar during the rain delay to catch the ending. One week later, the file was still on the editing room floor when I read the news of Leonard Cohen's passing. Paul says that his last song selection, a cover of a Cohen song, is his favorite song ever. I decided to tack on the original version at the end of the podcast, because it is such a beautiful song, and I'm glad Paul was able to share that. Think of Rain - Margo Guryan Mother's Eyes - Jump Little Children Heart with No Companion - Ron Sexsmith/Leonard Cohen

Really enjoyed chatting with Mor in this episode. An AirBnB guest of mine, originally from Israel, living back and forth between there and Atlanta, I asked her on the first night of her stay if she would be interested in taping a podcast. Lucky for me, she's always wanted to be on a podcast, and was eager to take part in this one. Reckoning Song (One Day) - Asaf Avidan Marlene on the Wall - Suzanne Vega California Rain - Goldroom, Nikki Segal

Ever wonder what it would be like to have Lin-Manuel Miranda as your english teacher, and accidentally sub-tweet him lyrics of teenage love? This is just one of the amazing stories from my talented and hilarious friend Margaret Kaminski, another Los Angeles guest in town generous enough to sit down for the third episode of Memory Tracks. Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits Sweet Talkin Woman - Five Iron Frenzy Funny You Should Ask - The Front Bottoms

A quick weekend visit to Austin from an old friend, Doug Marshall, current Los Angeles resident and photography and music nerd resulted in the taping of episode two. The Grudge - Tool Untitled ("Popplagið") - Sigur Rós Says - Nils Frahm

For the first episode, I sat down with my good friend, Stuart Gray, who initially inspired me to start recording Memory Tracks. As - Stevie Wonder Words (Between the Lines of Age) - Neil Young Only You (And You Alone) - The Platters