When Chuck Mead was a young boy, he and his sister moved with their parents to Lawrence, Kansas. He got a drum kit as a gift when he was 12, and soon after started playing in the family’s band. It was made up of his mom, his dad, his grandparents and uncles who played country and western, and Chuck would also sing songs by Carl Perkins and Elvis.

An uncle taught Chuck how to play guitar and by high school, he was playing in bands with friends. He continued to play while attending The University of Kansas, still having a fondness for rockabilly and country, but was also listening to Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Springsteen and even the Ramones. His band, The Homestead Grays, recorded a couple of records and after college, Chuck moved to Nashville. He played in the window of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and before long, he and Gary Bennett formed BR549. Crowds packed in to see them play Robert’s on Lower Broadway. They were an enormous hit, and soon became famous worldwide. A few weeks after seeing him with his current band, The Stalwarts, I had the pleasure of talking with the extremely talented, and very very funny, Chuck Mead.

Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins. Follow him here on Instagram.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech. – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

It was a wonderful experience talking with someone I've admired for so long. I love her songs, I love her voice. And she’s just incredibly cool. In additional to her solo work, there’s such a long list of great bands and artists she’s performed with.

A list that includes – Pat Benatar, The dB’s, The Del-Lords, Dave Alvin, The Golden Palominos, Marshall Crenshaw, Van Dyke Parks, Vic Chesnutt, Wilco, Richard Thompson and many more. Syd’s debut solo album Surprise featured a lot of her pals from that list and her second album, War and Peace was backed by none other than that fantastic and much-loved band from Springfield, The Skeletons. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed talking with the one and only…Syd Straw.

Photo by Regan Kelly. @reganbrooklyn

Find wonderful songs and albums by Syd here at Bandcamp.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech. – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

While growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a young Beth Bombara took piano lessons in grade school. By the time she was entering high school, she had become interested in another instrument: her Mom’s electric guitar. She formed a punk band, Green Means Go, wrote some songs with her bandmates, and before long was playing for local audiences and gaining a loyal following. After attending college in both Michigan and Illinois, Beth moved to St. Louis, where she lives today. And, that following she had in high school…has now grown into a very large fan base. She stopped by the Frets studio today and I really hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed talking with the very talented singer-songwriter and guitarist, Beth Bombara.

Photo by Virginia Harold.

More information about Beth Bombara can be found here.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech. – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

The dB’s debut album Stands for Decibels was released in 1981, the album was praised by critics and over time, came to be loved by many fans who consider it a landmark power pop jangle classic. Stands for Decibels has now been reissued through Propeller Sound Recordings digitally and on CD, but also for the first time in the US on vinyl. My guest today on Frets is singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist – the one and only Peter Holsapple.

You can purchase the reissue of the dB’s Stands for Decibels from Propeller Sound here.

This episode was fueled by Stringbean Coffee. Find out more here.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech. – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

Brinsley Schwarz met Nick Lowe at school in the 1960s. They played in various bands with different group names and different members. In 1969, the band took the name of their lead guitarist, Brinsley Schwarz. On their studio albums, all from the 1970s, the band was made up of Brinsley along with Bob Andrews, Nick Lowe and Billy Rankin, with the addition of Ian Gomm on guitar and vocals, starting with their third LP, Silver Pistol. After releasing their final studio album The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz, Brinsley and Bob would become part of Graham Parker & The Rumour. Brinsley is not only a fine guitar player and vocalist, he also plays saxophone, keyboards and percussion, and…is also a luthier, working on guitars and amplifiers. These days he’s still writing and recording wonderful songs. It was a pleasure…and an honor, to talk with a guitar hero of mine, Brinsley Schwarz.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

In 1968, St. Louis band The Aerovons were getting noticed in clubs around town. Still in high school, their leader and singer, Tom Hartman, was composing their songs. The band was being managed by Tom’s mother, Maurine. She was determined to see her son and his bandmates make it big. Tom was 16 years old when he, his band and his manager mom made their first pilgrimage to England with demos in search of a record deal. They signed with Parlophone, but were asked to head back to St. Louis and write more material. A year later, the boys entered EMI Studio Two to record their debut album unaware that next door, in Studio One, their heroes The Beatles were recording their classic album, Abbey Road. Parlophone released some singles by The Aerovons, but problems among band members resulted in them falling apart. For several decades, their album Resurrection stayed in a vault before RPM in England released it on CD. Now, this legendary album has been remastered and reissued on vinyl. Stay tuned to hear the story of The Aerovons, as told by its founder and leader, Tom Hartman.

Photo by Karen Hartman.

You can order the vinyl reissue of Resurrection by The Aerovons from Euclid Records.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech. – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

Rick Holmstrom has played guitar in and with many bands over the years, backing West Coast blues and soul bands including William Clarke, Smokey Wilson, Johnny Dyer and Booker T. – He’s also enjoyed a very long run with the great Mavis Staples, who he’s touring with again this year. An amazing guitarist. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with Rick.

Photo by Greg Vorobiov. Greg is also a guitarist and his photography is fantastic. You can check out his work here.

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech. – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…

You might know her from some of the bands she’s been in or collaborated with, Pink Slip Daddy, The Friggs, Bubble Gun, Palmyra Delran and the Doppel Gang, The Coolies and more as well as her solo songs and albums. You also know her from her very fun and fantastic radio show Trash Pop Treasures on Little Steven’s Underground Garage. On the show today – the one and only Palmyra Delran.

Photo by Albert Mitchell

Save on certified Pre-Owned iPhones, Androids, AirPods, Macs, Smartwatches, accessories, and more at Plug Tech – http://plug.tech/DJFEY

Thanks for listening to Frets with DJ Fey. You can follow or subscribe for FREE at most podcast platforms. If you play guitar and are interested in being a guest, or have a suggestion for one, send me an email at davefey@me.com. You can also find information about guitarists, bands and more at the Frets with DJ Fey Facebook page. Give it a like! And – stay tuned…