The Itch Rock Podcast

This week, we're scratching The Itch to talk Forever! Riot Fest 2025 is in the books and it was a ripper. Aaron joined the full house of performers and attendees for three days of great shows, bucket list bands, reunions, and, finally... a properly buttered up John Stamos. Check out his recap of finally seeing Green Day, Blink-182, Jack White, and Rilo Kiley, as well as a fresh add to his ever-growing list of favorite UK punks. Plu...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to go Beyond the Breakdown! Tori Kravitz, publicist, podcaster, and pit reporter extraordinaire, joins us to talk all about the off-stage side of the music industry! From working as one of Atom Splitter PR's all stars to spotlighting some of the coolest women in metal on She's With the Band to bringing back Warped Tori for this year's Warped Tour, she's a pro who lives, breathes, and ch...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to check off some bucket list bands! The reborn Linkin Park came through St. Louis with Jean Dawson, and the reclusive System of a Down came through Chicago with Avenged Sevenfold, Polyphia, and Wisp... and the full Itch squad went to see them! Plus, the legends in Nonpoint and Heartsick came to Pops with Upon a Burning Body in celebration of their albums Statement and To The Pain, leading to th...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to get Canadian! Raine Maida of Canada's rock royalty Our Lady Peace joins us as the band continues its 30-year celebration. We discuss the fan-inspired push that led them to reclaim the song "Whatever" as a mental health anthem, the tricky task of using technology to connect with your audience, and the decision Raine and his wife Chantal Kreviazuk made to be so open about the ups and ...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for community. Our friend Jay Scott, host of The Hook Rocks Podcast and one of the first music podcasters to welcome us into this world, is facing a long health struggle. In response, more friends of ours, who you may have heard us refer to as "The Groove Council" in past episodes, recently put together a benefit show for Jay's recovery. Aaron was able to attend, and what a beautiful n...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to play DED. As in, we've played DED's new album Resent (out September 19th) so much that we had to have frontman Joe Cotela on to talk about it. Joe talks about the perhaps unconscious decision to go heavier after a more melodic turn on 2021's School of Thought, how he prefers to use heavyweight guests like Chad Gray, Chris Motionless, and Danny Leal on more brutal tracks rather than for radio ...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to bring back the boys! Oxymorrons return for the first time since 2023 to tell us all about their new EP, Create. Destroy. Rebuild. Repeat. Life is very different for Dee, Jafe, and K.I. since their last appearance on the show, but they never cease to apply their lessons learned to their art and to their lives, or to share them with anyone who's willing to listen. As always, our conversation wi...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to make waves! Nathan Aurora of Aurorawave joins us for the second time this calendar year to discuss the band's new album Monument, how his vision for the year has become reality, and how The Itch played a role! It's a fun conversation that touches on genre-crossing guest spots, goal setting, and splitting time between two very different musical worlds. Plus, Nathan now has an audience of two t...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to celebrate! Just in time for Aaron's birthday, we've got a wish list interview with Nova Twins, whose third album, Parasites & Butterflies, drops Friday, August 29th! Amy Love and Georgia South joined us on the eve of their Warped Tour debut to talk about the new album, including the themes behind it and the wild video for "N.O.V.A.", which stars none other than Georgia's mot...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to feel better! After a crazy few years that took him from heartbroken to bedridden with ulcerative colitis to smitten with the love of his life, Matt Bigland and Dinosaur Pile-Up are back from the brink of extinction with the killer new album I've Felt Better. It's a welcome return after being essentially absent from the music world for five years, and the band hasn't missed a beat with their f...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to put on Happy Faces! And by that, we mean the debut album from Germany's indie punks PLAIINS. Chris, Flo, and Dizzy joined us to discuss how they remain playful in their music even while covering weighty topics like fanatical nationalism, music industry racism, and mistreatment of the working class. It's a fine line, but their album walks it well. Plus, Elton John turns back the clock, a deep ...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a Thursday episode! Aaron saw pod favorites Winona Fighter at the Q101 Lounge and pod newcomers MSPAINT at Wicker Park Fest, and he's got a wholesome tale to tell about it as we continue another run of Tuesday interview episodes. If you've ever wondered what an intimate radio station performance is like, this is the episode for you. Plus, an inter-generational bonding experience and a tribut...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to reach new heights! Halestorm's new album Everest arrives on August 8th, and drummer Arejay Hale stopped by to become a three-time guest and talk about it! This album was a growth experience for him as a writer, as he took a more prominent role as a lyricist as the band pivoted to a more internal approach with fewer co-writers than on previous records. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper Arejay...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for Lovecore! CRegg Rondell of Boy Hits Car joins us for a look at the band's history as they prepare for their first show in a year, a gig at the famous Whiskey a Go Go that was originally planned for May before Boy Hits Car was postponed due to Truck Hits Bar. We also discuss the impact of the band's self-titled album, the challenges of being independent in the streaming era, performing barefo...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for our cutest episode ever! not only did Dan get to see Babymetal, but he brought a couple kids of his own... and then had them on the show to talk about it! That's right, it's the proper debut of Dan's sons Dean and Jacoby, who have eyes on taking over the show. Hear them become famous before your very ears as they tell us all about their experience seeing Babymetal, Jinjer, and Bloodywood, an...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to go retro! We're showing hometown pride again as St. Louis' own Retro Champ joins us to discuss his past, present, and future in music. Retro is the very definition of "rap rock," taking inspiration from both classic MCs and nu metallers like Linkin Park and Hed PE. We discovered him when he opened for Oxymorrons, and in this discussion we dive into that relationship, as well as othe...

As mentioned in this week's conversation with elementary school teacher and dead7 frontman Jason Kozik, here's the story of Dan's high school match teacher, who bore a curious resemblance to Wayne Static of Static-X. We've had this clip in the archives since 2021. It was due to see the light of day. Enjoy.

If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sunday night broadcasting rock to the masses from 6-9pm CST on KCLC-FM...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for local boys to make good! Jason Kozik of St. Louis' own dead7 joins us on the eve of their debut release with SharpTone Records, Love What You Can While You Got Something Left To Love. The album, full of riffs, ambiance, and not entirely traditional arrangements (plus a dash of heavy pop punk), drops July 11th, and we share Jason's excitement for you to hear it. In this episode, we talk fine ...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for something new! Brand New is back for the first time since 2017, and we've got to talk about the Chicago date of their tour. But first, we'll explore their history, evolution, and of course, the elephant in the room. It's a complicated topic, but worth diving into.

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