Independent's Day Radio

If you look up the phrase 'Renaissance man' while flipping through a dictionary, it will describe such a person as someone "who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field." Being a professional musician in the new music paradigm fairly requires a level of acumen in diverse disciplines. Even artists with management need to be versed in social media, recording technology and the Internet, in addition to being accomplished musicians with a tireless and diligent work ethic. And being a successful musician also takes luck, and luck favors the prepared. Ted Wulfers is just that sort of artist. He has recorded five albums in eight years, including Lucky No. 7, which was released in January of 2013. He tours nationally as well as holding court at a weekly residency in Los Angeles, while splitting his time between L.A. and his hometown of Chicago. Wulfers owns and manages his own vintage recording studio, makes appearances on other artists' albums, scores music for video games, and still fou

The element of quirkiness can be an important aspect of an artist's music, and their personality. Some bands take it to the bank - think They Might Be Giants or Barenaked Ladies. Other bands add a bit of quirk to a very deft hand at songwriting and jump-start their career from there. Todd Snider's uber-clever "Beer Run" got him the attention, the laughs and the accolades necessary to build a solid career, and he's still renowned for a clever turn of phrase. But when you start off going for laughs, it can be hard to be taken seriously when it's time to tackle more serious subject matter in song. But for some artists, a Crispin Glover-like sense of quirk is simply their natural state of being, and that's just the unique territory of Los Angeles' Alias Means. Perhaps only an artist truly native to L.A.'s eclectic Silverlake neighborhood could so readily manage Means' somewhat illogical balance between quirk and heart. And maybe this driven lack of self-consciousness is the result of his newfound perspective on m

Borne of the back woods of Appalachia, bluegrass became a distinct musical style when Bill Monroe combined elements of traditional Scottish, Welsh, Irish and English music with a uniquely American influence and took his show on the road for a career that spanned 60 years. Monroe played this style of music he'd largely invented until the time of his death in 1996. But there are other towering figures in the genre who are still performing in 2013 - currently an octogenarian, Ralph Stanley won a Grammy for his version of "O Death" from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack in 2002 and is still going strong. Younger generations of musicians have followed in Monroe and Stanley's footsteps - sometimes expanding bluegrass and sometimes sticking close to the traditionalist style. Los Angeles' Rocky Neck Bluegrass Band is a new ensemble that falls more into the latter camp of tried and true bluegrass instrumentation, but also pushes its boundaries just a little by reworking some classic rock songs to fit into a mo

There is no doubt that being a professional musician means taking all kinds of gigs. Gigs can be recording dates, playing live shows, teaching and performing in more unorthodox venues under sometimes-dubious circumstances - anything to keep at it. One type of gig that nearly all musicians strive and starve for is called "the gravy gig" - a type of regular, well-paying situation that frequently brings in a reliable income and allows them the relative freedom to pursue other musical goals without as much concern for its profitability. Drummer Mitch Marine had been in the music business for nearly two decades when he got the call to join country pioneer Dwight Yoakam's band. Since then, Marine has recorded four albums with Yoakam, including 2012's acclaimed "3 Pears," and played hundreds of shows all over the world. It's a class-A gravy gig, and Marine has used the stability that comes with playing with a major artist to build a respectable career as a producer and session drummer with a growing list of artists

Joy Kills Sorrow was formed in Boston's fertile folk scene in 2005. Their lineup is pretty standard for a string band - guitar, mandolin, banjo, upright bass and vocals, but they are anything but an old-time string band. They retain the virtuosic tendencies of their bluegrass forefathers, but they are pushing the boundaries of a style not known for its avant-garde aspects. Also akin to the progenitors of bluegrass, their tempos can also set barns on fire, but there is something decidedly modern about the way Joy Kills Sorrow arranges the original songs that fill their two albums. They share more in common with mandolin prodigy, Chris Thile's post-Nickel Creek ensemble, Punch Brothers than they do with Bill Monroe, but they are savvy enough musicians to know that they are standing on the shoulders of giants. Every member of the band is a standout on their respective instrument, and they already have an impressive number of awards to their credit. With the band stacked with so many badass players it would be ha

Along with Les Paul, Leo Fender is widely known to be one of the two fathers of the modern electric guitar. Leo's Stratocaster model, still made today by the company that bears his name, is one of the most iconic designs in music history. But before the venerable Strat, Fender created the Esquire, which later changed names to the Broadcaster and eventually the Telecaster. Over the decades, this elegant but utilitarian block of wood and metal has become the standard issue instrument for country guitar players - so much so that hot country guitar players are commonly referred to as "Tele pickers." Dave Gleason is just this sort of picker who exemplifies today's brand of amped up, anti-establishment country with both style and substance. But there is more to this story - in the late 1960s, a couple musicians and tinkerers figured out a way to modify the Telecaster by routing out the backs of the instrument and installing a set of springs and levers that would allow players to bend strings and faithfully reproduc

Maturing as a musician is a peculiar process. Young bands often have a reputation for playing too loud or too fast. But maturity doesn't necessarily mean quieter or softer songs; it can mean simply that a band or artist's sound evolves over time as their lives inevitably change. Stagnation can spell artistic doom for a musician and some artists have leveraged their evolution into a long and successful career. The duo that makes up Los Angeles' Big Harp are most certainly grownups. They are married and have children, but their inventive brand of indie-noise-folk is anything but grown up boring. Singer/guitarist Chris Senseney's insightful stories are delivered in a warm baritone that is evocative of some strange but effective hybrid of Lyle Lovett and Leonard Cohen. Stefanie Drootin-Senseney's vocals provide a breathy sweetness that complements the sour of her partner's gruff musings, while her fuzzed-out bass brings a whimsical edge that keeps the whole operation from drifting too far into ponderous, introspe

The job of a back up singer can be a thankless one. They check their egos at the door and use their considerable talent to make the artist whose name is on the marquee sound good. It can be a great gig, but there is seldom much in the way of glory. After all, who remembers the name of the women who scat sang Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky" or the emotional climax of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter?" (Clare Torry and Merry Clayton for those keeping score at home.) But in the industry it is common knowledge that these vocalists in the shadows can often sing circles around their employers and have solid careers of their own. Grammy winner Sheryl Crow got her start singing backup vocals for the likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Don Henley before she took center stage. And such is the case for Nicole Gordon. She has a long list of credits supporting other artists and her powerful and dynamic voice has been the sound of numerous film and TV projects and commercial spots. She's also a quite capable

The music business has come full circle when it comes to releasing music on singles vs. albums. The Brill Building artists plugged songs one at a time, and for decades, it was singles that drove the industry. And then the 70s singer-songwriters and prog rock bands came along, and that meant that albums were meant to be enjoyed as a whole, with each track telling a small part of a bigger story. But there was always a stepchild of this either/or format - the EP. EP stands for 'extended play' and these releases are usually comprised of 4-5 songs - longer than a single but shorter than a full-length album. Artists and labels make them for various reasons - for live tracks, to bridge a long gap between albums - and always to keep an artist fresh in the public's mind. The dominance of Internet downloading in today's music retail environment has brought singles back to the forefront as consumers cherry pick albums for the tracks the like best. But the EP is making a comeback as well. Putting together a handful of so

Artists reveal their influences in myriad ways. Ask any performer or writer about their music and they'll invariably point you toward who got them excited about making their own music. When Eric Clapton was receiving deifying graffiti accolades around London in the 1960s, he was unabashed about paying tribute to the blues masters from whom he copped his licks. Garage bands are no different, and "three chords and the truth" is pretty familiar territory for amped up teenagers looking for a channel for their existential angst. But when your influences are off the jazz variety, simply aping them is a far more complicated proposition, and such is the case with Tim Reid, Jr. A quick spin of his new, sophomore album, Not Much Else to Do, will smack you upside the head with Reid's unfailing devotion to the unquestioned progenitor of 1970s jazz/funk/geek-rock, Donald Fagen and Steely Dan. But this is no easy feat. Dipping your toes into these hallowed and pitch-perfect waters means that you had damn well better have y

Great ideas start small. One man. One problem. One idea. Six years ago the music business was in a freefall. Corporate record stores were going out of business seemingly daily and independent record stores were struggling to keep their doors open. And then a small group of record aficionados and independent record store owners got together and hatched a great idea. A day designed to foment interest in record stores by connecting bands and fans in their common love of music. A day intended to stir the coals of interest in the archaic but uber-cool vinyl record format. A day to celebrate all that is cool about independent record stores. A day called Record Store Day. It started small - a handful of stores and several exclusive releases. By 2013, Record Store Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday in April and it features hundreds of exclusive releases by artists large and small in thousands of record stores worldwide. Michael Kurtz was one of those co-founders of Record Store Day and part of that grea

Six years ago, a dedicated group of vinyl aficionados and independent record store owners got together and launched an event called 'Record Store Day' - just about the time that corporate record stores were going bankrupt. Heavy metal juggernaut, Metallica, was one of the first bands to get on board, signing autographs and giving away t-shirts to 500 fans at a Bay Area record store for the event in 2008. By 2013, Record Store Day - celebrated annually on the third Saturday in April - has exploded into an international event celebrated at thousands of independent music retailers worldwide. Here in Los Angeles' Eagle Rock neighborhood, Permanent Records co-owners Lance Barresi and Liz Tooley run the sister store to their Chicago-based flagship used record store of the same name. Like many independent record stores, Permanent Records' Record Store Day events will feature in-store performances, meet and greets with artists, and a place where music fans can hang out and talk about their favorite bands and buy excl

Musicians can't choose the specific gig, song or happenstance that will bring them notoriety or a payday hit. Indeed, many artists have their fingers in a lot of pies - a sideman gig here, a songwriting contribution or guest spot there. After growing up back east, Los Angeles' Ted Russell Kamp's first big breaks came as the bass player for artists like Shooter Jennings and Wilson Phillips, but he is far from the kind of guy content to hold down the low end in the shadows next to the drum riser. He has eight albums of his own under his belt and the newest, Night Owl, was just released in early 2013. Kamp has infused Night Owl with the hard-won wisdom of hundreds of shows in smoky bars from the Atlantic to the Pacific - and far beyond - and a keen ear for a memorable turn of phrase. Kamp has made a lot of friends along the way, and the credits on all his albums read like a who's who of top-notch players and writers. Such a journeyman work ethic has served him well as his reputation as a solo artist continues to

Minneapolis, Minnesota may call to mind long, dark winters and Garrison Keillor's weekly paean to sensible Midwestern values, A Prairie Home Companion, but the city has always had a very rich musical tradition. This fertile scene is home to respected artists like The Replacements, Husker Du, The Jayhawks, Semisonic and The Purple One himself - Prince. Go ahead and add hometown artist Kevin Bowe to that list of top-notch talent from The City of Lakes. Since 1995, Bowe has played or written seemingly with every artist in The Twin Cities and several from far beyond. His credits include co-writing with Etta James and Lynyrd Skynyrd, recording and touring with Paul Westerberg and Freedy Johnston, scoring spots for ESPN and a thousand other gigs, sessions, songs and TV placements that we just don't have the space to list. His most recent record - recorded with his band, The Okemah Prophets - is called Natchez Trace, and it is a solid effort that showcases Bowe's considerable skills as a writer, producer, instrument

Building a career in music can be an inexact process. The influence of luck cannot be overstated. But luck, as they say, favors the prepared, and being prepared means hard work. Leftover Salmon bassist Greg Garrison's luck in the music business certainly can be attributed to diligent hard work, but also to the fact that he is supremely talented. After graduating from college, Garrison left his home state of Illinois and settled in the beautiful and musically rich territory of Colorado where he worked his way through a series of bands while getting a master's, and eventually a PhD in bass. Paying his dues led him to a regular gig with pseudo-bluegrass jam band legends, Leftover Salmon, and hundreds of shows and several albums ensued. As if that accomplishment wasn't enough, Garrison was also a founding member of mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile's post-Nickel Creek ensemble, Punch Brothers. Garrison is equally at home playing upright or electric bass and he easily and deftly bridges the gap between jazz and improv

Alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo might not have been the first band to find the common ground between punk and country music, but the little band from Belleville, Illinois grafted loud guitars onto up-tempo two-steps and fired a shot heard round the world for a lot of young songwriters. In that same raw, but rural tradition, the Los Angeles-based band, Nocona, would be right at home on Chicago's Bloodshot records - a label that many insurgent country bands have called home for nearly 20 years. Nocona might be new to the scene, but their lineage can be traced back to a pair of other Southern California bands that share a Jones for both George Jones and Minor Threat - Paladino and Old Californio. The new group got its start when guitarist and vocalist Chris Isom found himself with a handful of new songs while Paladino took a break after a year of touring. The result is a new band with a brand new record that eschews the broken hearted, tear-in-my-beer aspects of honky-tonk and instead pours considerable energy

With film and television, as with so many other things, music can completely change the mood of an experience. Music can enhance action or drama, imbue a sense of foreboding or elation or provide that tiny extra push needed to draw a tear from a viewer's eye. In the world of AMC's hit drama, Breaking Bad, composer Dave Porter has wholly unique and challenging world to fill with his soundtrack. The downward spiral of Breaking Bad's protagonist from a terminally ill chemistry teacher patsy to a murderous and power hungry drug lord wraps up its fifth and final season this summer, and Porter has scored every single episode. His music has brought the disparate worlds of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman a sense of otherworldly and gritty gravitas with a palette of sounds that mixes vintage analog synthesizers and unorthodox instruments - and like any good film scorer, he does it quickly, creatively and with a journeyman's work ethic.

One of the most important aspects of music is a catchy chorus - the singalong nugget of a tune that gets into your head and you just can't get it out. But there is another element in some harder rock songs that is just as important. It's called a riff, and riffs form the cornerstone of many of rock and roll's best-known tunes. Led Zeppelin may not have invented the riff as they are commonly known but they perfected and trafficked in them in a manner that launched the careers of innumerable disciples. The San Francisco-based band, The Stone Foxes, also build their songs around cocksure bluesy riffs, but they add a bit of 21st century cross pollinization to their brand of rock and roll. Guitars chug along bathed in spring reverb, Green Bullet harmonica yelps out of cranked small tube amps, foot stomps and handclaps keep time and choruses shouted in unison give the audiences something to sing along with. They've just released a new album in February of 2013 and they're bringing their message to the people with a

Some bands have one singer to handle all the lead vocals, and other acts build their sound around a pair of singers who arrange their parts so that they aren't just a lead part and accompanying harmony line. In the latter case, the pair of parts are written to work together as a sort of co-lead vocal. The paired singers in bands like The Indigo Girls and The Jayhawks continue to blend their voices in ways that make a whole that is musically stronger than the sum of its parts. The Los Angeles-based band, The Show Ponies, build their songs around the intertwined vocals of Clayton Chaney and Andi Schrock - and their band is certainly stronger for it. Their bio bills them as "a folk band with bluegrass and old tyme tendencies," - and that's 'tyme' with a 'y.' Their prevalent use of fiddle steers them towards bluegrass but their inclusion of drums pulls them back. Like so many bands of the new millennium, The Show Ponies dump all their influences into a pot and serve up the stew without being overly concerned abou

The electric guitar has been the weapon of choice for rock and roll artists since the early pickers discovered that their amps really did go to eleven. Since that time, the more tasteful and contientious guitarists have elevated the art of guitar tone - how the guitar sounds - to high art. To some players, how their guitar sounds is as important as the notes they play. By ever so carefully selecting the proper guitar with just the right pickups, matching it to the perfect tube amplifier and running it through a few choice foot pedals the instrument can soar like Gilmour, wheeze like Neil, sing like Knopfler, chime like The Edge or howl like Eddie. Artists diligently cultivate their own sound and eke out a sonic identity to separate them from the countless other axe slingers. Some guitarists and producers specialize in arranging electric guitars and parts so that each has a specific place in the final mix. Enter Stephen Sowan. He's a young singer, songwriter and guitarist who is set to release his debut album,