The Itch Rock Podcast

This week, we're scratching The Itch for All Hallows Eva (our idea, not theirs) and Grannyween (their idea, not ours)! KC and Dan saw a pair of shows in St. Louis featuring Itch guests [Eva Under Fire](https://evaunderfire.os.fan/), [Buckcherry](https://www.buckcherry.com/), and [Grandson](https://grandsonmusic.com/), plus the stylings of [Drew Cagle & The Reputation](https://drewcagle.com/) and an appropriately timed appearanc...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to play catch-up! The Itch saw so many shows in September and October that we're still recapping them in November! This work is exhausting, but it's worth it when you get to see legends, modern stars, and triumphant returns. And that's just what we did. First, Aaron and KC visited the Family Arena to see Everclear on their Sparkle and Fade anniversary tour alongside fellow alt rockers Local H an...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to join the Coffin Crew! Halloween is almost here, and what a more fitting guest than the man who puts the "fun" in "funeral," Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait! After toiling for years, the band has built momentum following some door-opening tour pairings and their excellent 2024 album Welcome to Suffocate City. Now, in the middle of their hectic 290 days on the road in 2...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to get buried... by the weight of good music. (That works, right?) Caskets frontman Matt Flood joins us ahead of the release The Only Heaven You'll Know, an album Matt has described as "the sound of me falling apart in real time." The new record finds him broadening his skills as a vocalist while the band explores heavier sounds and the lyrical themes somehow become more raw than ever....

This week, we're scratching The Itch for some favorites! We're covering three more shows from our stacked September run. First, Aaron cements his change of heart about Wargasm and experiences the energy of Black Cat Bill and Dropout Kings. Then Dan introduces his sons to Chevelle, the redemption-seeking Asking Alexandria, and Itch guests Dead Poet Society. And finally, all three of the guys catch one of our collective favorites, tw...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to jazz it up! Morgan James, whose path has taken her from Broadway to collaborations with Postmodern Jukebox and, most recently, Brass Against, joins us for a change of stylistic pace to discuss her new album Soul Remains the Same. On it she tackles legendary tracks from Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, and more, using soul, jazz, and R&B sounds to draw out the emotions of the...

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...