Decibel Geek Podcast

After a quick week off, we're back and we're spinning more covers but things are a little different this time. We're not going with tried and true covers this time. This time, we're going into the Bizarro World with some of the strangest rock and metal covers that still kick ass. These are tunes that were not necessarily originally intended for the rock and metal world but some visionary artists decided to show that, as Autograph, prophesied back in the 1980's, things go better with rock! We start the show with some talk about our recent discussion with Jan Kuehnemund of Vixen and the response we received as well as the swell new look of our official website and news on our Facebook fan page. We had to whore ourselves out a little. Moving on, we get into the music with our lone straight ahead rock cover. We had to go with this track because we couldn't squeeze it in on the Under Covers episode and it just plain kicks ass (regardless of band members' political views). We're not going to be spoilers

Anyone that was around during the glam rock era of the late 1980’s remembers the teased hair, lipstick, and revealing clothing. There was also a female rock band named Vixen that was giving the pretty boys a run for their money in the hooks and looks department. Plus, you could unashamedly stare at them and drool without requiring therapy in later years. We recently had an opportunity to spend some time chatting with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund about all things Vixen and some theories on the music business in general. Jan gave us all the details of the current Kickstarter project that Vixen has launched to help fund their next album. We take a trip down memory lane from Jan’s early days forming Vixen in St. Paul, Minnesota with high school friends to their journey out west to Los Angeles in the early 1980’s. It certainly was not an overnight success story for Kuehnemund  as she struggled for a number of years moving Vixen forward while enduring demanding producers and numerous lineup changes.

We have a jam packed episode filled with tons of music you may have never heard as well as a couple of tracks that you certainly won't want to hear again! Aaron and Chris take you through a journey of some of their all-time favorite hard rock and metal cover songs in this special edition of the Radio Sucks Radio Show - Under Covers. In this episode, you will get lots of great cover songs performed by artists such as Sebastian Bach, Metallica, Ace Frehley, Ugly Kid Joe, and Tuff among many others.  We also introduce a new segment to the show this week with 'Defend Your iPod'. In this new feature, Aaron and Chris put each other on trial over a song that is found on each others iPod. We think you will find the choices and revelations in this segment riveting, revolting, and downright weird. The only clue we'll give you is one song is angelic while the other explains how a redneck outing can be just what the doctor ordered when you lose an appendage. There's lots of music-y goodness for your head hole

We’re very excited to bring you this week’s episode. Today, we give you our recent conversation with Eddie Trunk. Mostly known from That Metal Show on VH1 Classic, Eddie has a rich rock and metal history that we delve into in this hour-plus in-depth discussion. From High School Student to Record Executive We venture back to Eddie’s teen years when he was introduced to the radio industry via a college station that taught radio basics to high school students. That led to his employment at a record store located across the street from a local rock and roll radio station in New Jersey. After a run of turning the radio station employees on to a number of rock and metal bands that they were ignoring, Trunk decided to take matters into his own hands and produced a deejay demo tape through a friends pirate radio station. The tape was good enough to earn him an internship at WDHA and later, his own show. While earning his stripes in rock radio, Trunk met Jon Zazula, then a local record shop owner. Zazula was starti

You just keep coming back to get your ears blasted and we thank you! Last week's Eric Carr episode really took off and we want to welcome all the new listeners. For the uninitiated, we try to mix things up throughout the month. While we love doing the interviews and have plenty more for the future, we also like to showcase some music as we're doing today. Corporate radio sucks. That statement is about as simple as saying that the sky is blue or Nickelback is the antithesis to good music. With that said, Aaron Camaro & Chris Czynszak set out each month to play you some deep cuts from rock and metal history that the payola-induced corporate fat cats shudder away from. This is the Radio Sucks Radio Show part 4! We've got a full slab of great music for you today. We start things off with a Motorhead track from the 'Iron Fist' album followed by a KISS track off 1974's Hotter than Hell. Our first break is comprised of a flashback commercial featuring an unlikely pairing between two acts; especially when you cons

A Sister’s Culminating Tribute & Mom’s a Groupie? In Episode 19 we chat with Loretta Caravello, sibling of the late, great Eric Carr of KISS fame.  Eric was taken way too early from the rock music world and Loretta has continued to keep his memory alive with the recent release of ‘Unfinished Business’; an album featuring now-completed versions of Eric’s songs that were previously incomplete. The songs are rounded out by a cast of special guests from the rock and metal world including Bruce Kulick (KISS), John Humphrey (Seether), and Ted Poley (Danger Danger) among others. The discussion starts with talk of the new album including Loretta’s memory of discovering Eric’s 1980 KISS audition tape and how his rendition of Shandi was the only track recorded in stereo on the tape, thus allowing its completion on Unfinished Business. Chris goes on to tell Loretta his Eric Carr story that involves car trouble after a KISS concert and his mother being mistaken for a lovesick groupie. Listen to the story, it makes mo

Where There’s a Will (& Enough Alcohol) There’s a Way For those of you that saw the post that was put up yesterday, you already know that Chris has had the week from hell and Aaron also had some rough news over the past seven days.  But, have no fear, another episode is here! We may be a day late but we’ve got all the bottom-end that you can handle and we’re not talking about Kim Kardashian (thanks for the extra hits Google Alerts). We’re picking our Top 6 Favorite Bassists today! Why 6 and not the requisite 5 that we always do? Well, you’ll have to listen to the episode to figure that one out but let’s just say that it was due to one of the hosts and it wasn’t the buzzed one. The Joy of Hops & Bulletproof Vests We eagerly anticipate a shitstorm of hatred from this episode since it’s about as subjective as it gets. What were our criteria? Well, this week Chris was going through so much that his criteria was basically, pick bassists that he digs and that are memorable. Aaron on the other hand did h

Diamond Dave & The Hype Machine For anyone living under a rock or not named Sammy Hagar, the hype surrounding the recently-released single and forthcoming album from Van Halen has sparked loads of excitement and speculation whether the new tunes will cause us to break out our Rubik’s Cube and ponder the days of bellbottoms through Wall Street excess.  The first album released by a David Lee Roth-fronted Van Halen since 1984; ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ promises to illicit reactions of all kinds on February 7th, when it’s released. The newly released single, ‘Tattoo’ has drawn mixed reviews as well.  The Car’s Out of the Garage & News You Can Use We are without co-host Aaron Camaro this week, as he’s on assignment with one of his other ventures. Never fear though, we brought in guest commentator Mitch Lafon from Bravewords.com this week. Before we delve into Van Halen, we have a few news items to discuss in the intro to the show. By the way, if you want to skip straight to the Van Halen discussion, it st

It’s the New Style for the New Year You’ll notice a change immediately during the theme song; an abrupt belch which is a sign of something new. We’re giving this whole live recording thing a shot and you’ll hear everything in this episode warts-n-all including Aaron and Chris stumbling over words, getting tongue tied, and sound effects going off without warning. It’s as unprofessional as it gets but at least it’s entertaining. Plus, Chris doesn’t have to play around with hours of editing so hopefully this will be a welcome change that will provide more content in the future. We start out talking about what we got for KISSMAS including Aaron’s review of the Ace Frehley autobiography, ‘No Regrets’ and the cool new Rocksmith game. We update Vinnie Vincent’s output for the holidays. Impressive! Chris gives a shout out to Cassius Morris from the Creatures of the Net podcast who recently did an impromptu interview with Eric Singer who called in during his live stream. Cassius is only 13 years old but is already

We decided that we wanted to have a healthy dose of pissed-off listeners and were pretty sure that this episode is a prescription for just that. The early 1990s for us old folks that remember it was a strange and magical time for rock music. Lots of transition was taking place in the pecking order of rock musics hierarchy with the mass music-consuming public deciding to ditch the Aqua Net and makeup mirrors and adopt a lumberjack-chic style to go along with their newfound depression.  In a quest to try and come up with a tougher Top 5 list than our previous episode that involved Top 5 Non-Makeup Era KISS Songs we decided to try and pigeonhole 5 albums out of this crazy matrix of material that was being produced in this Gulf War era of change. Full shownotes at www.dbgeekshow.blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hope everyone is over their tryptophan-induced coma. Thanksgiving was a great time for us at the Decibel Geek Podcast. We had a lot to be thankful for this year. We launched the show this year and added co-host Aaron Camaro.  Our audience is growing and we love talking about music! In short, we’re thankful to YOU for listening to the show. Today’s episode is a Nashville X-tra episode. We kick things off with a new Rage Against the Scene segment where Chris reviews some recent articles from the Nashville Scene and his reaction is not totally what you would expect. Could Chris be moonlighting as a hipster and disguising himself in skinny jeans, bad facial hair, and a bowler hat? Doubtful, but you’ll have to check out the segment to find out. Chris also has a bone to pick with 102.9 The Buzz. There’s been a lot of aggression building up over The Buzz in recent years and Chris is ready to let it all out. Hear his thoughts on their choice to constantly spin 90’s tunes and the complete degradation of The Buzz A

Another new episode already?? I know, it’s hard to believe but we just might be figuring out this whole podcasting thing and we’ve tried to cut back on the crack smoking in order to get some new material up for your ear holes. In this, our 12th episode, the Decibel Geek Podcast proudly presents the Radio Sucks Radio Show. No, we’re not talking about two boom boxes giving each other head (although that is a stimulating idea). Corporate radio sucks ass. We know that you agree. Why else would you be checking out podcasts? With that thinking, we decided that we’d ignore our non-existent Program Director and play songs that we think are cool. You’ll actually get to hear stuff that hasn’t been drilled into your head for the past 30 years on a repetitive basis in order to fill a payola scheme for the sake of freebies and concert tickets. This will become a regular feature on the Decibel Geek Podcast in the future; as long as we don’t get sued. We took pains to make sure that you hear the vast majority of these gre

We enter the month of November with a guest from the Great White North. Russ Dwarf has been entertaining audiences for nearly 30 years. Best known as one of the founding members of legendary Canadian band Killer Dwarfs, Russ has seen it all in the music business and gives the Decibel Geek Podcast a taste of his extensive experiences. In this in-depth discussion you’ll hear Russ’ recollections on such interesting moments as when Killer Dwarfs were sharing the same studio as KISS, the influence of Alice Cooper on Russ’ performance, opening for Iron Maiden with a buck naked drummer and why a healthy sense of humor can get you through some of the muck that you have to endure in the music industry. Russ also shares his views on youtube, downloading, and what he thinks of the current generation of bands in comparison to the scene of the 1980’s. Russ Dwarf is currently touring in Canada on an acoustic tour but is also involved with providing vocals for Canadian legends Moxy as well as the project Hard Road. You

We’ve got a brand spankin’ new Nashville Xtra episode for ya jam-packed with some old interviews!  Really, it’s more exciting than we make it sound.  We start the show with Chris Czynszak & Aaron Camaro welcoming you back into the fold; the local rock & metal fold! The Decibel Geek Podcast is growing by leaps and bounds and is getting new listeners from around the globe but as some chick wearing red shoes once said “There’s no place like home” and we try to show that with these Nashville Xtra episodes. We start things off with the premiere of Camaro’s Cut Out Bin; random ruminations on assorted albums, tapes, and demos that Aaron Camaro has recently checked out. Aaron reviews past cd’s by local acts of days gone by Lenny & Commander. By the way, if you are interested in owning the CD’s reviewed on today’s show, get in touch with us on www.dbgeekshow.blogspot.com and tell us you want it. We need to save the shelf space anyway. First come, first served. Next we have a pair of interviews with two important cog

Another show centered around KISS? I know, you’re shocked. We’re fans. We love KISS. Deal with it. There will be lots of opportunity to discuss the merits of new, fresh bands like Britney Fox and Pretty Boy Floyd in later shows. Chris Czynszak reminds everyone of his discovery of KISS on Dial MTV in 1987 and his brother’s reaction and guidance to the more ‘pure’ era of the band. But Chris still has a soft spot for that non-makeup era of the band. He also makes mention of the recent passing of Eddie Balandas, a close confidant of KISS during their heyday as well as the iconic intro voice on the Alive II album from 1977. He will be missed. Aaron Camaro shares his memories of first listening to Animalize as well as his monthly pilgrimage to the local record store to build build his KISS album collection. Obviously, we’re not going to reveal what Aaron & Chris’ choices were in these here show notes. That would be anti-climactic and stupid (I know, like this show right? Thought I’d go ahead and pre-insult us). 

We begin this week with an explanation of Aaron Camaro’s hobby of hanging out with big, beefy dudes that like to oil themselves up and roll around with each other. In other words, he’s involved in microphone work for professional wrestling in the Nashville area. Aaron gives us the lowdown on all of the relevant info that you need to watch hulking guys beat the snot out of each other and Chris calls him out for trying to turn the show into a roid-themed infomercial. Chris hasn’t been impaled by a turnbuckle….yet. Next, we are proud to bring you the first entry of Rage Against the Scene. This segment was a popular written feature that Chris used to write that was enjoyed by the Nashville-area hard rock and metal crowd. We decided to bring this feature back as an audio entity so you can hear Chris bitch all about what he hates about the Nashville Scene (publication) as well as the local rock scene in general. No one is safe from the ranting and Chris lets the bile spew forth with rants about the recent Soundlan

Rik Fox is a pioneer, artist, and has a unique perspective as an inside source of the rise of the American hard rock and heavy metal era of the 70s, 80s, and beyond. Rik witnessed the ascension of KISS, The New York Dolls, WASP, Motley Crue, among others. Never one to mince words, Rik is engaging, funny, and quick-witted. And with so many great stories, Decibel Geek delivers another memorable two-part interview. Without further ado, enjoy Rik Fox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rik Fox is a pioneer, artist, and has a unique perspective as an inside source of the rise of the American hard rock and heavy metal era of the 70s, 80s, and beyond. Rik witnessed the ascension of KISS, The New York Dolls, WASP, Motley Crue, among others. Never one to mince words, Rik is engaging, funny, and quick-witted. And with so many great stories, Decibel Geek delivers another memorable two-part interview. Without further ado, enjoy Rik Fox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This segment of the show has more guests, more stories, and more buffoonery than Part 1. We start off with my update of how the Vinnie Vincent story helped put me in  print with a quote of mine being used in a local Nashville publication. I also delve into the recent developments of Vinnie's comments on his recent "settlement", a deeper look at what the charges really mean, and a look at the bizarre treatment of many of his fans. The messabe board drama is compelling due to the fact that one of Vinnie's biggest fans started up a message board last year after Vinnie locked everyone out. The fraternization and open conversation between fans has led Vinnie to lable this forum as a "Hate Group". We get the low-down from www.vvforums.com webmaster Vic Radacic about how both forums came to be and why they are butting heads now. Bravewords' Mitch Lafon checks in from Canada with his take on Vinnie Vincent. Mitch was one of the few that got to see Vinnie on KISS' Creatures of the Night tour and explains his dis

I think Hell has officially frozen over! This episode is a long time coming and I hope it will inform people that have always wondered "What the hell happened to Vinnie Vincent?" The show begins with a quick recap of how I had the seedling of an idea of finding out what happened to Vinnie Vincent and turning it into a writing project. What began as a quick idea that would make an interesting magazine article snowballed when I received so much information from so many angles that I began to entertain thoughts of turning the story into a book.......then, I got realistic. A book at this point in time about a recluse guitarist who's 15 minutes of fame ended in the 1980's just wasn't practical; no matter how much I loved his music, songwriting, and intriguing story. I launched the Decibel Geek podcast when I remembered how much fun it was to interview some of the people that I grew up listening to and artists of today that I dig. I had already conducted some interviews for the Vinnie Vincent project at the time