The Basements Were Stars
The Basements Were Stars is a podcast that explores music and the musicians behind the artform. With a focus on indie rock, classic rock, jazz, electronica & beyond, episodes will feature album discussions, behind-the-scenes stories, and in-depth interviews with musicians/artists who shape the sound and grace the stages. Whether you're a musician, vinyl collector or just love discovering new artists, this show is your access to the music that moves us all. The title, The Basements Were Stars is a play on Sunny Day Real Estate's (one of my all time favorite bands) song, The Blankets Were Stairs
Episodes
I'm finally back after taking another long unintended break. Regardless, I'm back and my guest is none other than, legendary producer, Gordon Raphael, the sonic wizard behind The Strokes' first three recordings (The Modern Age EP, Is This It, and Room on Fire) and a bit of their fourth album, First Impressions of Earth. We get into his upbringing in Seattle, his early bands, moving to New York, opening his studio in the...
This episode is a response to Rick Beato’s video from last week, the latest offering to the discourse and talk around Wired’s now infamous article on Chaotic Good Project’s illicit marketing tactics and their client, Brooklyn “indie” rock band, Geese. Hopefully this is the last time I have to talk about this. Somehow, I doubt it.
Theme music & outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP
Background mus...
V. Paul welcomes SayMo, hip-hop artists/producer/poet/writer to the pod. They get into microphones, production techniques, the state of modern pop music, AI, System of Down, his upcoming Western Armenian project, and a whole lot more.
Follow SayMo:
Theme music & outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP
Background music by HitsLab • Ievgen Poltavsky, BMI
The Bas...
We're switching things up a bit this episode. I had a good sit down with Matthew Zeitoun (filmmaker/photographer/curator/comedian), co-founder of Phenotype Stages and resident/co-manager of Prototype 237 in Paterson, NJ. We had a nice conversation over a few beers on the patio of our mutual friend Paul Larsen's gallery. We get into our favorite Middle Eastern Paterson spots (both of our families are from Lebanon), his filmm...
We last left things with Bernard Georges joining Throwing Muses and the recording of their live album, The Curse. In this final installment of my talk with Dave we discuss the recordings of University, Limbo & Throwing Muses’ reunion album ("Uses"), Kristin Hersh’s creative process, album art, Dave’s solo project, Lakuna (which is also the namesake of his and his wife’s design company), Jane’s Addiction, Tricky, Massive Attack, Dav...
V. Paul welcomes back Dave Narcizo of Throwing Muses and Lakuna for a part 2 of their conversation. We last left off with Dave talking about the impact Fort Apache and the late Gary Smith had on him. We continue with the changes and adjustments Throwing Muses went through over the years. We also get into Newport’s hardcore scene back in the day, The Pixies, REM, The Real Ramona (my introduction to Throwing Muses), China cymbals, an...
V. Paul welcomes Dave Narcizo (one of his all time favorite drummers) of Throwing Muses and Lakuna to the pod. They get into growing up in Newport, the formation of Throwing Muses, signing to 4AD, the Boston scene, the late great, Gary Smith, and much, much more.
Theme and outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP
Background music by HitsLab • Ievgen Poltavsky, BMI
The Basements Were Stars is a Caspian Se...
V. Paul welcomes Eli Nowak of Break to Broken, No Wake, Doc Flo, and Dr. Reaper. Eli and V. are longtime friends, having come up in the same scenes and creative circles; their connection runs deep through mutual friends and shared musical influences. They discuss his musical family, musical upbringings, high school days, current projects, and a whole lot more.
Follow Eli Nowak and all his music projects: All links in his Link Tree
Th...
V. Paul welcomes Vram and Tarra Thiessen Kherlopian of Gustaf, Tea Eater, MamajoeVramajoe, Sharkmuffin, and The Big Drops for the first episode of The Basements Were Stars. They discuss their musical upbringings, influential bands, guitar pedals, classic Brooklyn & New Jersey venues, and a whole lot more.
Follow Vram & Tara:
Just a brief overview of the podcast and also a little about myself. I discuss potential future episodes and in general what to expect from the show. The title, The Basements Were Stars is a play off Sunny Day Real Estate's The Blankets Were Stairs. Because for many of us musicians the basement is where it all starts. I'm still looking for a co-host or even just a regular(s) to co-pilot this thing from time to time. Thanks ...
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