Performance Anxiety

Today’s guest makes me look under the bed before I go to sleep. Welcome Belinda Kordic of Crippled Black Phoenix and the new project, Johnny The Boy. Belinda didn’t come from a musical family or start playing music at a crazy young age. But without any real experience, she joined her first band in her early 20’s and just ripped into doing necro vocals. She admits to doing them completely wrong, but it works for her and hasn’t damaged anything. After leaving her first band, STABB (which is actually an unusual acronym) she started a solo project called Killing Mood. It was a complete 180 in sound. But when it found its way into the hands of Justin Greaves of Crippled Black Phoenix, it was exactly what he was looking for. Justin joins us in this conversation and I’m so glad he did. It’s really fun to get multiple perspectives on their work together. That includes their new project, Johnny The Boy. They reveal the origins of not just the band but how the name was decided. We go pretty deep into Belinda’s entire career. But we also peer into the future. Belinda and Justin give us all a sneak peek into some projects they’ve been working on for the 20th anniversary of Crippled Black Phoenix, including some unusual covers. And good news, there are plans for live shows from both CBP and Johnny The Boy. So follow them @cbp_444 and @johnny_the_boy for updated info. Buy the albums on Bandcamp or through Season Of Mist Records. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Send us coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or send yourself merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. And keep an eye out for projects combining everyone in this episode! Now get yourself ready for a scream with Belinda Kordic of Johnny The Boy & Crippled Black Phoenix on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest just makes me smile. It’s percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah from African Head Charge. He grew up in Jamaica and began playing drums in the Rasta camps and Poco churches. He was running away a lot and sleeping in graveyards. Music helped him get out of those bad situations. He really connected with it and started helping out bands as a young kid, even becoming an unofficial roadie. He got a gig with The Foundations of Build Me Up Buttercup fame. All of this helped him start African Head Charge. Bonjo tells me how the band started and what African Head Charge means. He also tells me who gave him the name Bonjo. The band began as a studio project but he was eventually asked to take the music on the road. Unfortunately, his drums were stolen and he couldn’t. But that led to a great future relationship. It also led to him playing the main stage at Glastonbury.Bonjo’s DIY approach and his hard work with African Head Charge unintentionally pissed people off. After years of hard work, Bonjo moved to Ghana and took some time off; twelve years to be precise. But now Bonjo is back with a new African Head Charge album, A Trip To Bolgatanga. It changes his sound slightly and focuses on African drumming from Ghana. He’s got some special guests on it like King Ayisoba, Skip McDonald, and Doug Wimbish. Pick it up on Bandcamp, On U Sound, or wherever you get music. Follow Bonjo @africanheadcharge on social media. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on X or whatever Twitter is now, and Instagram. Send us some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy a shirt or something at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s get irie with Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah of African Head Charge on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guests make me reminisce. Trevor and Laurent from Pelican join me to talk about a lot of stuff. There’s so much history between them and they talk about what music was the most impactful growing up, how they met, and the coolness of riding shotgun and playing cassettes. Their pre-Pelican bands were just as unique as Pelican, but with vocals and more damage. And while Pelican is an instrumental band, that wasn’t planned out. But it worked and the music scene of Chicago supported it, so they leaned into it. Trevor gives us the stupid story of the band’s name and their desire not to be pigeonholed or defined by a genre. And while they are an instrumental band, there are a couple of songs with vocals. We get that story as well as the story about why Laurent left the band and what brought him back. Pelican has remixed and remastered their catalog from Hydra Head records. There are some great stories about that, too. But even better, there is new Pelican music in the works. And with that comes a more extensive tour. In the meantime, grab the remastered albums at thrilljockey.com or Pelican’s Bandcamp page. Follow them @pelicansong on Instagram on Twitter (or X). Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram and X. You can support us with some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or merch purchases at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s get intimate with Trevor & Laurent of Pelican on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is an episode about cults music. Music by and for cults, music of The Cult, and so on. But there is one thing I need to make clear. THIS IS NOT A SERIOUS LOOK AT CULTS! This is the exact opposite. And to prove it, I’m joined by Blinker The Star’s Jordon Zadorozny and multimedia artist extraordinaire, Vic Malang. There’s a ton of cult music out there. We talk about L. Ron Hubbard, Father Yod, Aum Shinrikyo, Charles Manson, Brotherhood Of The Spirit, and several others. Vic reveals his Manson obsession and Jordon has a weird, tangential connection to Jeremy Spencer and the Children of God cult. We also talk about Joseph Stalin, shoegaze pioneer. And we get an awkward story from Jordon about Ian Astbury & The Cult The show finishes with a bit of cult-y history of the Blinker The Star and Vic Malang and their collaborations. Jordan and Vic’s music can be found on Bandcamp. Check them out on Instagram @blinkerthestar & @vicmalang. Check us out @PerformanceAnx. Coffee us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. And check out the other shows, including the Metallica Report, Metallica’s official podcast on our home, Pantheon Podcasts. Now let’s get cult-y with Blinker the Star & Vic Malang on Performance Anxiety.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest makes me appreciate the evolution of sound. I’m joined by Shane Harrington, the founder, guitarist, and self described dictator of the band Cinemartyr. And this is actually take two of this podcast. Shane and I were deep into a great conversation before I realized I was having a technical issue. So we started over Shane hails from New York City via Limerick, Ireland, AKA Stab City. There really wasn’t a whole lot going on, musically, in Limerick, outside of Shane’s father’s traditional Irish band, Irish Rambling House. So when Fugazi came to town, it was big news. After that show, everyone who was there started a band, including Shane. But there really weren’t many places to play rock in Limerick. So Shane traveled a lot to play. But a trip to New York City proved as life changing as the Fugazi show. It was also one of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard. It involves visa fraud and the FBI. When Shane made the move to NYC, his band, OST, came with him; which was easy since it was basically just him. But streaming issues surrounding the band’s name placing the music in the soundtrack genre forced Shane to rechristen the band Cinemartyr. But that’s not the only change. The band seems to change it’s sound with almost every album. Listening to the discography in order is a journey of transformation. And, in my humble opinion, it seems to be the reverse of most bands. Instead of mellowing out as the band gets older, Cinemartyr seems to get more aggressive. And the latest album, Opt Out, is the most aggressive yet. So check out the album on Bandcamp and give them a follow @cine.martyr on Instagram. Give us a follow @PerformanceAnx, grab some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Float us some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. I hope you’re prepared for a rollercoaster of ride with Shane Harrington of Cinemartyr on this episode of Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is a reminder to always do your best. It’s Britt Lightning, guitarist for Vixen. Her journey to playing guitar really began after hearing Eruption in a shop and buying Van Halen albums that same day. She started playing guitar in a high school with no music program. But it DID have a guitar club. But she was the only girl and wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms. But she was dedicated and eventually became club president. She learned a lot of Metallica riffs and playing them in a guitar shop led to joining her first band and going on tour while still in high school, after some careful parental scrutiny. After that experience, she started her first all-female band. She recruited her sister on drums and they made their debut as the halftime show for a high level sporting event that I can’t name in the intro. All of that led to the band Jaded, which was truly a family affair. Her sister was playing bass while her parents manned the merch table and became roadies. After Jaded ceased, she auditioned for Lady Gaga. While she didn’t get that gig, it did lead to other amazing opportunities like touring the world with 4x Grammy & 22x Latin Grammy winner Alejandro Sanz. That is a wild story in itself and Britt tells it here. It also led to playing with Jason Derulo and touring with Rachel Platten. All of this led to her role as guitarist for the legendary band Vixen. But she does a lot more than just shred on classic metal. She is also a director for Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp. Britt explains what her duties are for the camp and how that led to an association with Teen Cancer America. This was such a fun discussion. I owe a huge thank you to Simon Davies of Teen Cancer America for the introduction. So make sure you follow everyone in this discussion. You can check out brittlightning.com, @brittlightning on social media, vixenofficial.com, teencanceramerica.com, and Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp at rockcamp.org. You can help out the podcast by buying us some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety, buying merch at performanceanx.threadless.com, or by following us @PerformanceAnx on social media. I hope you have as much fun listening to Britt’s story as I did on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest makes me appreciate my childhood. Lincoln Barr joins me to talk about a lot of stuff! He knew early on that music was his calling. He identified with the musicians he saw on TV before he could even play music. But he went to college for English, not music. He also met his wife at that time. Those two things were foundational for his musical style. He moved to Seattle and started the band Red Jacket Mine. Turns out, the families of the Red Jacket Miners weren’t exactly thrilled about the band. But fans of the music were! And the members of Red Jacket Mine have been an important part of Lincoln’s life ever since. After a few albums, the band ended. Life happened and people moved, including Lincoln and his wife, and it just became too difficult to continue. When he decided to start writing solo material, Lincoln changed everything. He confronted traumas from an abusive childhood. It changed how he wrote. It even changed how the music sounded, whether it’s his solo albums or the soundtrack he wrote for a fascinating documentary called The Past Is Never Dead. It’s the classic combo of dark minor key jazz & child abuse. But seriously, the music is a left turn from a lot of the stuff I listen to. I highly recommend Lincoln’s latest album, Forfeit The Prize. Links to buy it and to follow him on social media are at lincolnbarrmusic.com.  You can follow the podcast @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. If you’d like to support the show, try ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. It’s Lincoln Barr on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest makes me believe in inevitability. Mario Quintero is the singer and guitarist for the band Spotlights. He started the band with his now wife, Sarah. They met at the studio Mario owned. But before all of that, Mario was a kid from Colombia who grew up on his sister’s albums and traditional hispanic music (like Mario Quintero Lara). He went to college for recording but veered off into the jazz program, playing guitar. After college he opened a studio, where he met Sarah and that’s where our coincidences begin. It turns out that we all not only share a wedding anniversary but also ran into each other (Mario during the last Failure tour and Sarah at the last show I saw before the pandemic, Wovenhand & Om). The pair connected and began playing together soon after. Mario talks about the band’s name, working for some amazing other bands in many different capacities, and the difficulties in keeping a full time job when you're touring with bands like The Melvins and Deftones.  Spotlights’ new album, Alchemy For The Dead, is awesome and if you like heavy, melodic music, you’re going to love it. Pick it up wherever you get your music. Follow them @spotlightsmusic on Instagram. And if you get the chance, go see them live.  You can help the show out by following us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. You can support us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety with some coffee money or by buying merch on performanceanx.threadless.com.  And I hope you enjoy Mario Quintero from the ultimate husband and wife project, Spotlights on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest makes me want it to be 1990 again! It’s Brenda Sauter, bassist for the bands Wild Carnation, The Feelies, Speed The Plough, & The Trypes. But she didn’t start off on the bass. In fact, she started off playing the piano before moving to guitar. She began playing with her friends, which makes sense. Music basically defined her friend group at that point. She was playing a lot of folk music. Around this time, Brenda began playing…melodica! Yes melodica, the instrument all guitarists secretly wish they could play. One of the groups she was in even won a talent show judged by famed New York DJ, Cousin Brucie.  But there were too many guitars in the bands she was in, so she began playing bass. That proved fortuitous.  After sitting in with The Trypes, the eventually approached her about joining the band. That started a connection that eventually led to joining the band Wild Carnation. Not only did she join the band, she replaced famed bass player Michael Imperioli. He’s also dipped his toe into acting. Maybe you’ve seen some of his work. It took a little while for Brenda to accept because she didn’t have a cassette player in her truck and couldn’t listen to the demos! But once Brenda joined, they started working on their debut, Tricycle. She just didn’t know she’d be playing bass and singing, too. The album has been remastered and re-released. In addition to that, there is a treasure trove of extra tracks! And there’s more good news; Superbus, the follow-up to Tricycle, will be given the same treatment in the fall. So follow Wild Carnation on Facebook. Pick up the album on Bandcamp. And keep checking back for updates. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. Help support the show with coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or by buying stuff like shirts, coffee mugs, or shower curtains at performanceanx.threadless.com. So let’s jump right into today’s episode with Brenda Sauter of Wild Carnation on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest makes me wish I had a middle name…or two. But it’s OK. He gave me one of his. It’s Danny Lee Blackwell of Night Beats. I’ve wanted to have Danny for quite a while. So I have to thank our mutual friend Paula. Without her, this episode would probably not have happened. Danny and I soon discover that we have another mutual friend, Clyde Mays. And he keeps popping up when you least expect it.  We open the show with a cameo by Sam Cooke’s Night Beats album and my dogs, Albert and Hammond. Danny grew up in Texas and talks about his unusual influences like Indian classical music and his brother’s influence on his musical taste. He started off playing drums just to get into bands. That led him to playing out by the age of fifteen. But he had serious stage fright. But that anxiety helped reaffirm that this was his calling. Danny left Texas for Seattle because he loved everything about the city. Plus his sister was there. That’s where he started Night Beats. Danny talks about being open to magic in the studio and keeping things as raw as possible. He’s worked with a lot of great musicians, including Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which is how I became familiar with him. Danny discusses how they met and how important Rob has been to him and the band. The sound of Night Beats is always evolving and that is evident in the album Rajan, and it is something special. I think part of that is because Danny is not a gearhead, but he’s a collector. He’s willing to experiment and seek out unusual sounds. Rajan is out on Suicide Squeeze and Fuzz Club Records. Go get it. I’m not asking! And follow Danny @thenightbeats on Instagram & Twitter. Night Beats should be hitting the road soon so keep an eye out for that. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. You can help us out with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s get mysterious with Danny Lee Blackwell of Night Beats on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices