eric’s episodes

Six-Pack of Stray Cats, Volume One

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-19
Posted in: A Six-Pack Of, brian setzer, eric's episodes, includes music, kurt runyon, lee mccormack, stray cats. Leave a comment

Six-Pack of Stray Cats, Volume OneSix-Pack of Stray Cats, Volume One

On this Six-Pack episode, Lee McCormack of the Tramps Like Us Podcast and friend of the show Kurt Runyon join Eric Miller of Pods & Sods to talk Stray Cats.  Lee is shot out of a cannon on this one with the Stray Cats being his all-time favorite band – he has his guitar, he has all the trivia anyone would want, he has stories (including the time Slim Jim broke Lee’s personal drum head), and he has off-the-charts enthusiasm!!  Kurt gets in a few words edgewise, hehe… this episode is a real blast as we dig into the ultimate rockabilly band!’

So throw on your bowling shirt, slick back your hair and discover or rediscover the rockabilly greatness of Stray Cats!

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Six-Pack of Manowar, Volume One

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-18
Posted in: A Six-Pack Of, bj kahuna, bj kramp, eric's episodes, includes music, manowar, matt porter. Leave a comment

Six-Pack of Manowar, Volume OneSix-Pack of Manowar, Volume One

HOLD YOUR HAMMERS HIGH!!

On this Six-Pack episode, Matt Porter from The KISS Room and BJ Kramp of the Rock And/Or Roll podcast join Eric Miller of Pods & Sods to ride the winds of victory into Valhalla and discuss the music and Conan-like pageantry of Manowar. From loin clothes to tales of Thor and battles and triumphs, Manowar is certainly a unique band.  Their musicianship is aggressive, smart, and solidly beyond reproach, their image and lyrical content is definitely testosterone-laden and fantasy based.  Should they be winking with some of their songs a la Spinal Tap?  Is it all kayfabe??  What do they think of the “metal” posers of their day?!? We discuss all of this and much more.  But moreover, we play six fun and fist-pumping songs from this pioneering band in the power-metal, fantasy-metal genre!

So grab your broadsword, let the arrows fly, and ride with us into glory as we have some fun with a Six-Pack of Manowar!

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Steve Postell Picks the Essential David Crosby (and James, Joni, and Jackson)

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-08
Posted in: danny kortchmar, david crosby, eric's episodes, immediate family, includes music, james taylor, leland sklar, picks the essential, russ kunkel, steve postell, waddy wachtel. 1 Comment

Steve Postell Picks the Essential David CrosbyIMMEDIATE FAMILY WEEK!

Steve Postell Picks The Essential David Crosby (and James, Joni, and Jackson)

Steve Postell shares his essential David Crosby songs and more. Actually we start with James Taylor, then move onto Joni Mitchell, then Jackson Browne, and finally David Crosby.  Through this chronological journey in song, Steve paints the vivid and emotional picture of how he first discovered and “became a fan” of his Immediate Family brothers.  From a young musician reading the names of Danny, Russ, Leland, and Waddy in liner notes, to watching them live on stage with both James Taylor and Jackson Browne, Steve felt a strong kinship with these guys long before they ever met. He shares that story and it’s really wonderful.. he talks about each of the Immediate Family members one by one, what he admires, how they connected, and how they connect musically and as friends.  It’s a tremendous way to celebrate the band, their legacy, and their future together.  An absolutely amazing way to wrap up the arc of Immediate Family Week!

Long-time friends and musical collaborators Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell, and Leland Sklar have come together to form The Immediate Family. Tune in this week on Pods & Sods as they each share memories of their careers, pick the essential songs from some of their favorite colleagues, talk about their new album, and much more!

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Waddy Wachtel Picks the Essential Keith Richards

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-07
Posted in: danny kortchmar, eric's episodes, immediate family, includes music, keith richards, picks the essential, russ kunkel, steve postell, the rolling stones, waddy wachtel. Leave a comment

Waddy Wachtel Picks the Essential Keith RichardsIMMEDIATE FAMILY WEEK!

Waddy Wachtel Picks The Essential Keith Richards

Waddy Wachtel shares his essential Keith Richards songs. As a young guitarist, Waddy identified with the sounds of early Rolling Stones on record and on stage. And through his career in the 70s as Waddy was working with Zevon, Ronstadt, and dozens more, he connected with The Stones and became a friend of Keith’s.  Then one day, he got a call – THAT call from Keith.  Keith said “I’m forming a band and you’re in it.”  Keith could have invited any guitarist in the world to play by his side and he chose Waddy.  What does that mean to Waddy?  He shares his journey as it relates to the Stones discography, what he loves about their songs, and his musical partnership and friendship with Keith.  We also take a few brief detours into Frank Zappa, Don Everly, Lenny Bruce, Warren Zevon, and so much more.

Long-time friends and musical collaborators Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell, and Leland Sklar have come together to form The Immediate Family. Tune in this week on Pods & Sods as they each share memories of their careers, pick the essential songs from some of their favorite colleagues, talk about their new album, and much more!

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Leland Sklar Picks the Essential Billy Cobham

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-06
Posted in: billy cobham, danny kortchmar, eric's episodes, includes music, leland sklar, mahavishnu orchestra, picks the essential, russ kunkel, steve postell, waddy wachtel. Leave a comment

Leland Sklar Picks the Essential Billy CobhamIMMEDIATE FAMILY WEEK!

Leland Sklar Picks The Essential Billy Cobham

Leland Sklar shares his essential Billy Cobham songs. Following a six-week tour where Lee’s band The Section (with Danny Kortchmar and Russ Kunkel) opened for Mahavishnu Orchestra, Lee got a call from MO’s incomparable drummer, Billy Cobham, to join him on his first solo record.  That record would also feature Jan Hammer, the late Tommy Bolin and would become the ferocious masterpiece known as Spectrum.  Lee shares his memories of how that record came together, what it meant to him working with those fellow greats, how it influenced his approach and life, and so much more.  We also talk a lot about Immediate Family, his career, and even take some detours into The Wrecking Crew, The Funk Brothers, Phil Collins, and much more.

Long-time friends and musical collaborators Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell, and Leland Sklar have come together to form The Immediate Family. Tune in this week on Pods & Sods as they each share memories of their careers, pick the essential songs from some of their favorite colleagues, talk about their new album, and much more!

DOWNLOAD HERE (right click to save)

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Russ Kunkel Picks the Essential Bob Dylan

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-05
Posted in: bob dylan, danny kortchmar, eric's episodes, george harrison, immediate family, includes music, leland sklar, picks the essential, russ kunkel, steve postell, waddy wachtel. Leave a comment

Russ Kunkel Picks the Essential Bob DylanIMMEDIATE FAMILY WEEK!

Russ Kunkel Picks The Essential Bob Dylan

Russ Kunkel shares his essential Bob Dylan songs. In 1970, Peter Asher rang up Russ to come down “to the studio” because George Harrison and Bob Dylan were jamming. It was a night that Russ will never forget and he brings us into that room by sharing memories in this episode.  A few months later, Russ gets the call to record with Dylan for his New Morning record.  What did these once-in-a-lifetime experiences mean to Russ, how does he feel about those songs, how were the sessions, what has his work with Dylan meant for him personally and professionally?  We get into that while enjoying the songs for Russ’s work with Bob Dylan.

Long-time friends and musical collaborators Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell, and Leland Sklar have come together to form The Immediate Family. Tune in this week on Pods & Sods as they each share memories of their careers, pick the essential songs from some of their favorite colleagues, talk about their new album, and much more!

DOWNLOAD HERE (right click to save)

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Danny Kortchmar Picks the Essential James Taylor

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-05-04
Posted in: danny kortchmar, eric's episodes, immediate family, includes music, james taylor, leland sklar, picks the essential, russ kunkel, steve postell, waddy wachtel. 2 Comments

Danny Kortchmar Picks the Essential James TaylorIMMEDIATE FAMILY WEEK!

Danny Kortchmar Picks The Essential James Taylor

Danny Kortchmar shares his essential James Taylor songs. Danny and James became friends at a young age in New York and have followed each other professionally through early bands in the New York club scene, through collaborations with other artists, and obviously through James’ wildly successful career.  Danny picks his ten favorite (at the moment) James songs, why they’re meaningful to him, his memories or writing/recording them, and loads of James and Immediate Family anecdotes and trivia.

Long-time friends and musical collaborators Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell, and Leland Sklar have come together to form The Immediate Family. Tune in this week on Pods & Sods as they each share memories of their careers, pick the essential songs from some of their favorite colleagues, talk about their new album, and much more!

DOWNLOAD HERE (right click to save)

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Six-Pack of Kansas, Volume One

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-04-07
Posted in: A Six-Pack Of, alan miller, david ragsdale, eric's episodes, includes music, jeff miller, kansas, kerry livgren, rich williams, ronnie platt, steve morse, zak rizvi. 1 Comment

Six-Pack of Kansas, Volume OneSix-Pack of Kansas, Volume One

On this very special Six-Pack episode, Eric (that’s me!) is joined by his father, Alan Miller, and brother, Jeff Miller, to share a six-pack of Kansas songs.

We get into how our father, Alan, first discovered the band and the process he undertook to immerse (or indoctrinate) us into the world of Kansas music by taking us to see them in 1980 and blasting their music “full volume” in the car when we were kiddos. And how truly grateful we are for it. We share familial stories of seeing them live going back forty years, share some favorite songs and moments, our thoughts on the various lineups (all positive!), and so much more.  Kansas is truly a family affair in our households. We hope you’ll join us as we discuss and share some laughs and some deeper Kansas classics.

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Six-Pack of Little Steven, Volume One

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-04-06
Posted in: A Six-Pack Of, bruce springsteen, eric's episodes, includes music, kurt runyon, lee mccormack, little steven. Leave a comment

Six-Pack of Little Steven, Volume OneSix-Pack of Little Steven, Volume One

On this Six-Pack episode, Lee McCormack of the Tramps Like Us Podcast and friend of the show Kurt Runyon join Eric Miller of Pods & Sods to teach him on the solo catalog of E-Street guitarist and star of the Sopranos teeleee-vision show.  We’re donning our babushkas, throwing on our overcoats, and talking some politically charged rock and roll. From his earliest solo work with the Disciples of Soul through flights of fancy with reggae, big band, eighties power-rock, and much more.  We’re also getting into Steve’s unique position to bring to bear musical influences in his unyielding struggle for justice.

So throw your defiant fist in the air and discover or rediscover the soul-infused protest rock of Little Steven!

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Six-Pack of Adam Schlesinger, Volume One

Posted by Pods & Sods on 2020-04-05
Posted in: A Six-Pack Of, adam schlesinger, christine carlson-wolfe, eric's episodes, fountains of wayne, includes music, ivy, joe royland, jon lamoreaux, tinted windows. Leave a comment

Six-Pack of Adam Schlesinger, Volume OneSix-Pack of Adam Schlesinger, Volume One

On this Six-Pack episode, Christine Carlson-Wolfe from Zilch! A Monkees Podcast, Jon Lamoreaux of The Hustle Podcast, Joe Royland of Sit & Spin with Joe, rejoin Eric Miller of Pods & Sods to honor the great Adam Schlesinger.

Adam was as prolific and creative as they come – he worked in all aspects of music as a singer, a songwriter, a producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He worked in film, in television, and on stage – perhaps best known from his various bands Ivy, Fountains of Wayne, and the supergroup Tinted Windows.  He contributed unforgettable music for films like That Thing You Do, Ice Age, Josie & The Pussycats, Something About Mary, and dozens others.  He wrote for The Monkees. He even wrote the sweetest imaginable songs for Sesame Street. Tragically, he fell suddenly on April 1st as a result of Coronavirus complications. He was only 52. If ever there were a time to tell someone you love them, this is that time.  Adam will be sorely missed. His music and spirit will resonate in our hearts and minds for years to come.

So please join us as shed some tears, share some fears, and celebrate the brilliance of Adam Schlesinger.

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