Forrest Saucier joined me for Episode No. 138, and it was an absolute treat to get to know him a little bit.

Forrest is a son, a sibling, a partner, a man of numerous hats, and he's an important figure over at Tyler's House, which is a youth-oriented, non-profit organization over on the Kansas side that -- for my money -- is an amazing concept that needs more eyeballs on it and more of the community's dollars in its bank account.

In the world of interviewing, it's always refreshing to have a quick, sharp, eloquent guest on the other side of the table from me, as I tend to offer plenty of "Um"s and "you know"s and generally fumble for the words I seek, so thank you to Forrest for being who he is and what he is.

Hooray for Episode No. 137 being out and available to all of you fine listeners and viewers!

I'm stoked to share that Carley Martin Verbeck and I were able to sit down together and chat about all things Carley and her band, Scotch Hollow. Her husband Mark and I perused portions of his journey that led to the two of them meeting/ultimately forming the band back in Episode No. 116, so to have the other half of the duo join me was a blast.

Carley -- beyond being a wife and Scotch Hollow's frontwoman -- is also a daughter and a sister and a mom. We talked about growing up, family, education, careers, gigging, recording, ebbing and flowing with Scotch Hollow's pulse, and plenty more. We also had a peek at a few of Carley's favorite albums over the years, and those were these...

I have the utmost gratitude for Bill Brownlee gracing me with an appearance for Episode No. 136.

Bill is so many things, and I confidently say that barely knowing him.

What he is above all -- at least at this moment -- is generous for taking time out of his life to come sit with a perfect stranger, and I couldn't be happier about the conversation that resulted from his decision to do so.

Bill and I talked about his careers in the record-label industry and as a writer for The Kansas City Star. We discussed his fine, fine work over at Plastic Sax as well as There Stands the Glass, both of which I encourage you to make regular visits to, as the writings are keen and important to the Kansas City music scene. We also talked about a few of Bill's favorite records, which were these...

DJ Prodigy is a son, a brother, a partner, a father, and he's armed with an artillery of skills that would impress most any artist. He's also my guest for Episode No. 135.

Prodigy splits his time between Kansas City and Arizona, and while in town, he squeezed a chat with me in in between a handful of gigs. For that I am grateful.

We talked about growing up, finding one's way, producing, making records, dancing, beatboxing, and a bunch more. We also talked about a few of his favorite records, which were these...

Marty Wall is a son, a sibling, a husband, a long-time former Kansas City-radio D.J., and a voice-over artist. He fronts three different live-music acts, has some rich K.C. knowledge, and he's my guest for Episode No. 134.

Marty and I talked about music collections, radio formats and programming, gigging, family, and more. We also had a peek at two of his favorite albums, which were these:

• Elton John's Honky Chateau (1972)

• Spilt Milk (1993), Jellyfish

James Harmon is a son, a partner, a father, and a good-vibes kind of human being. He co-owns and co-operates Jammin' Nuggets Music with his lady friend, and you can find their spot at 115 S. Ohio in Sedalia, MO.

James and I talked family, growing up, passion projects becoming real-life projects, record-store shopping, making connections through music, and more. We also talked a little bit about a few of James' favorite albums, which were these…

Josh King is a sibling, a husband, a father, and an insanely intelligent human being. He mans the six-string, the vocals, and the mixing for the band, Low Forest, and he's my guest for Episode No. 132.

Josh and I talked growing up and education, Missouri-style. We touched on Low Forest's fascinating collection of releases on Bandcamp, where to follow them (Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, and we had a peek at a few of Josh's favorite albums, which were these…

L. Ron Drunkard, bassist for Red Kate, joined me for Episode No. 131, and it was a hoot.

We talked about band life, making records, supporting local music, news, politics, the awesomeness of Bob Mould, the lameness of touring acts frequently skipping Kansas City, and a ton more.

We also talked a bit about a few of Mr. Drunkard's favorite albums. Those were these…

Josh Plunkett is a son, a sibling, an entrepreneur, a business owner, a photographer, a videographer, and a world traveler. He's a guy that has figured out a thing or two about his allotment of time on this planet, and he's also my guest for Episode No. 130.

Josh was kind enough to give me a chunk of one of his Tuesday evenings a couple of months ago, and self-aware enough to warn me that he has no qualms going long in the discussion department. Little did he know that that was just fine with me.

Our conversation was fascinating and worth me not spoiling too much of it before you get in there and check it out for yourself. I will say, however, that we talked a bit about family, self-exploration, the human experience and what it can sometimes look and feel like out there amongst the others. And of course we had a peek at a few of Josh's favorite records.

I'm very excited to share that Dr. Alberto Villamandos joined me for Episode No. 129, and we talked a little bit about life as Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages & Cultures at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Go, Roos!

We also talked about him being the recipient of the 2024 Chancellor's Award for Community Engagement.

Dr. Villamandos was kind enough to share a portion of his evening with me amidst busy end-of-semester pressures, travel plans, and the many other things that keep his plate full, so I must extend some heartfelt gratitude for his generosity.

Jeremy Clark of Tracer Heights was in the house for Episode No. 128, and dang it if it isn't always refreshing to chat with a fellow Phishhead.

Trust me: I'm not trying to pigeonhole Jeremy or say that that's all there is to say about him. There's a ton more. Rare is the opportunity, though.

Anyway...Jeremy's a son and a brother and a bandmate and one heck of a sharp dude; I really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit. We talked a fair amount about Tracer Heights, what they're all about, and what his role as the bassist looks like. We also talked about a few of Jeremy's favorite albums. Those were these…

Lauren Textor was my guest for Episode No. 127, and my mind is still reeling from everything that she has accomplished at such a young age.

I have no real direct reason to be as proud of her as I am, but I am, nonetheless. And I truly feel that she is just getting started.

There're a number of ways in which one could keep tabs on this daughter, sibling, writer, producer, girlfriend, lover of Ireland, bandmate/cat mom. And those'er these: Muck Rack, Instagram, etc.

Lauren and I talked about a good many things, and of course a part of all that were a few of her favorite albums

Myla McCune, in all of her loveliness, graced me with her presence for Episode No. 126.

She's a daughter and a sibling and a sculptor and a gal that's not afraid to take on challenges. You can find her on Instagram or at mylalamar.com, if you're interested in checking out her work or commissioning her to do a piece for you.

Myla and I talked about school and art and family and growing up and gender-role expectations that're maybe midwest-rooted. We also talked about a few of her favorite albums. Those were these…

Philip Clark is a son, a brother, a husband, a vinyl collector, and a music lover. He has hosted a radio show and a podcast, and has been a vocalist for B.A.T.S., The Dead Laughter, and Johnny Switchblade.

He was also kind enough to be my guest for Episode No. 125 of Badass Records.

Philip and I covered a decent amount of ground in just under two hours, and a good portion of that was centered on discussing a few of his favorite albums. Those were these…

When Rich Wheeler shows up, shit gets weird.

I'm kidding. I stole a version of that verbiage from a Facebook post from a few months back. A musician that had just gigged with Rich wrote it with high-praise-worthy intentions, and I loved the heck out of it.

So, Mr. Wheeler was kind enough to lend me a portion of one of his Saturday afternoons not too long ago, and I was clumsy enough to screw up the video portion of our conversation, so...audio-only it is. And thank the heavens that I didn't botch that portion of the thing, 'cause this chat was next-level.

Rich just might be the sharpest dude I've chewed the fat with so far, and believe me -- there've been some sharp ones.

As the beat goes on, I found myself lucky enough to sit down with Brian McCarty, and visit with him about his life and his journey as a musician.

It's Episode No. 123, and this one was a treat.

Please join me and Brian as we talk about his roles in The Matchsellers, Greg Blake & Hometown, plus his duo setup.

We also poked around at family and growing up, the pursuit of dreams, happiness, and the appropriate life path to walk. We also took a peek at a few of his favorite records, which were these…

Maura Dayton. Awesome human being.

Maura -- in all of Maura's awesomeness -- is a daughter, a sister, a student, a bandmate, an expert in a good many things, and Maura's also my guest for Episode No. 122.

Maura might've had the greatest set of parents in all of American rock 'n' roll parenting history.

Who knows.

Either way, Maura's a person that knows a thing or two about music, has passion for music, loves playing music, and -- oh, yeah -- did I mention that Maura absolutely crushes it in the world of professional photography and can write copy to go along with it?

I hate to sound repetitive with my gushing, but man was Episode No. 121 a treat.

FK Menace came through and pulled no punches; we could've gabbed all evening.

I can't describe how fun this was. What an amazing journey for an awesome dude that is legitimately living the dream.

FK's a son, a brother, an artist, an activist, a DJ, a producer, and he's a guy you'd really struggle not to respect and admire. Solid, solid human being.

We talked a little bit about growing up, art school, inventing one's self, life lessons, and so much more. We also talked a little bit about a few of his favorite records. Those were these…

Jackie Myers!

Very excited to have met this lovely lady who's a highly educated human being, a professional pianist, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a dog lover, and a fantastic conversationalist.

Mrs. Myers stopped by for Episode No. 120, and we talked family, the road, recording, writing, experimenting, gigging, and more.

We also talked a little bit about a few of Jackie's favorite albums, and those were these…

Damon Arredondo is a son, a brother, a father, an entrepreneur, a dreamer, a brewer, and -- based on the four hours I spent with him in my basement studio -- an amazing human being. He's the owner and founder of Rizoma Liquid Creations, and he's my guest for Episode No. 119.

Damon and I talked about growing up, family, heritage and culture, parenthood, collaborations, mental health, and beer, to just mention a few topics.

We also talked about a few of Damon's favorite records, which were these…