Coming March 31st, Fools Like Me is the debut single by Jared Watson; a culmination of a heartache, blues, and life in the Bleeding Hearts Club Band.

Raised on Hair Metal and Honky Tonk, Jared stumbled into bands as a teenager, and spent his remaining adolescence honing glam metal musings. After moving to LA to stake a claim on the Sunset Strip, he became increasingly dissatisfied with the vapid, self-serving personalities he interacted with, and retreated into a world of blues and folk music while living near the canyons of West Hollywood.

Emerging with a blend of finger-picking and country-moaning, still holding a strong penchant for hard rock and glam metal, Jared welcomes you to the Satellite Blues.

Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill have been married for 22 years and playing music together for…maybe two.

Vicki is a founding member of the 1980’s group The Bangles, one of the most successful bands of that decade with over 6 million gold and platinum albums sold. In the 90’s, she became a member of critically acclaimed Americana band The Continental Drifters and remains with them today. The Bangles reunited in the 21st century to release four more albums, including a collection of rarities, and a collaboration with the Los Angeles bands Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade and the Three O’Clock.

John began working in clubs, singing and playing drums with his brothers when he was seven years old. The band grew to include their mother and little sister and The Cowsills became a sensation in the late 1960’s, enjoying several Top 20 hits. In 1981 John did some session work, landing on the Tommy Tutone hit, “867-5309 (Jenny)” and recorded and toured with Dwight Twilley. He also toured with Jan and Dean before becoming a mainstay of the Beach Boys touring band, playing guitar, piano, and finally sitting at the drum kit for over 20 years.

Vicki and John, along with their friend actor/musician Bill Mumy recorded three albums as The Action Skulls, including a pandemic-themed bluegrass record and their latest, From A Running Horse, released in 2024.

Vicki and John’s first LP, Long After the Fire, is a loving tribute featuring songs written by two of John’s brothers, Bill and Barry Cowsill. It will be released on Label 51 Recordings in April of 2025. The first single, “A Thousand Times” dropped January 24.

Caleb Spiegel (he/they) is a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a public elementary school teacher, a creator, a brother, an activist, a writer, and an explorer. He spent 20 years playing music professionally before earning a magna cum laude Bachelor’s degree in history from Lewis and Clark at the age of 37. Right before the whole world shut down due to covid Caleb enrolled in a Masters in Teaching program at Pacific University which he completed in a coat closet turned into an office while teaching kindergarten online and helping to guide his child through online elementary school. He is quite happy to have those 18 months behind him.

In 2024 Caleb was nominated for an Oregon Department of Education Teacher of the Year Award. He did not win and that’s okay.

Caleb enjoys building community. He likes cooking, making music, and laughing until he cries, all with people he loves. Caleb also likes to spend his money on stuff his friends make. He is lucky to have many very talented friends.

When it is warm Caleb likes to hike and look at beautiful things. When it is cold he likes to plan for hikes when it gets warm again. His phone is filled with pictures of his kid and too many pictures of the sky in the morning when the orange coming out of the east starts to mix with the darkness overhead.

Caleb’s nightstand has a giant pile of books on it. So does his dresser. He probably won’t get to them all, yet he keeps bringing home more of them. Maybe one day he will write one of his own.

Kelly LeMieux belts out the bass lines for anthemic rockers Buckcherry and has worked in high-profile roles with Goldfinger and Dave Mustaine’s side project MD.45. Beyond that, the Oregon native has toured with legendary punk rockers Fear, played with the bands Shrine and 22 Jacks, and served as a founding member of Electric Love Hogs. As an educator, he’s instructed students for Paul Gilbert’s Great Guitar Escape and the Portland chapter of the School of Rock. Buckcherry’s about to embark on a major tour with Alice Cooper and residency with Scorpions. We get the lowdown on this crazy rocker in real time!

Marty Meisner is a multi-talented musician and creative professional who first gained recognition as the bassist for The Mayfield Four, a rock band signed to Epic Records in the late 1990s. The band, fronted by Myles Kennedy, released two albums—Fallout (1998) and Second Skin (2001)—and toured extensively, sharing the stage with major acts like Creed, Screaming Trees, Big Wreck and Stabbing Westward. Their dynamic sound and powerful live performances helped them cultivate a dedicated fan base. After the band disbanded, Marty went through a period of self-discovery, eventually rekindling his passion for creativity through filmmaking. He founded MMM Video Productions, now one of the top production companies in the Pacific Northwest. Specializing in high-quality video production, Marty and his team work with businesses, musicians, and entrepreneurs to tell compelling visual stories. His studio is fully equipped for professional podcasting, and his work often centers on capturing the deeper “why” behind his clients’ missions. Currently, he is also producing a documentary film, further solidifying his impact in the world of visual storytelling.

Marty is currently re-surfacing in the music scene and is now performing with a new band that will be performing towards the end of this summer.  His band GIVE from the early 1990’s in Seattle, also plays reunion shows every year and hopes to perform in the cities where everyone else lives, which includes L.A., Tucson, Seattle, and the Portland area.

https://youtube.com/live/k3gJfx6reOQ?feature=share

1993: Legendary engineer/producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton) brings a Pignose amplifier and bass guitar to the Hollywood Hills home of British rock bassist, Kim Gardner. Kim, who was in The Creation and The Birds with Ron Wood, is surprised when Johns hands the bass guitar to his 14-year-old daughter, Eva. Johns then goes to turn up the volume on The Kinks’ classic “You Really Got Me” and proclaims, “Now this is a solid bass line!” Eva never looked back.

Eva began performing with live bands in her hometown of Los Angeles at the age of 14. Deciding to further her musical studies, she attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Eva continued her studies at UCLA, graduating with honors (Cum Laude), and earning a degree in Ethnomusicology. Her professional career began when she toured and recorded as the original bassist in The Mars Volta in 2001/2002. Since then, Eva has performed and toured with numerous artists worldwide, including P!nk, Gwen Stefani, Cher, Tegan & Sara, Moby and Veruca Salt.

In 2014, Eva became the first female artist to have a signature bass with Fender. It has been released for public purchase and is available worldwide.

Award-winning singer/songwriter Marina V unveils her electrifying new single, “Symphony & Metal”, a powerful anthem blending orchestral grandeur and metal intensity. The track features an all-star lineup, including guitarist Bruce Kulick (KISS), bassist David Ellefson (Megadeth), and renowned composer Steve Horner (known for Bridgerton), with Marina’s husband and co-writer Nick Baker on drums.

A NOTE FROM MARINA:

“I am beyond excited to release SYMPHONY & METAL! It is an honor to have incredible musicians and long-time friends on the recording, all of whom brought my vision to life. Thank you Steve, Bruce, David & Nick!

I feel that this song is a reflection of the timeless battle between our inner light and darkness, a message of resilience, and a call to never give up.

We are fragile, vulnerable, and beautiful (symphony) yet extremely adaptable, strong, and tough (metal). This duality resonates deeply with me, especially after experiencing life’s extremes in recent years—becoming a mom, losing my dad during the pandemic, and enduring the devastating effects of the war on my family in Russia and Ukraine. The lyric, ‘It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, it only matters if you get back up,’ has been my daily mantra.

When recording ‘Symphony & Metal’, I knew we needed serious bombast and musical wizardry for the epic sound of the song. My co-writer/husband/drummer and I were fortunate to enlist long-time friends and extraordinary musicians: legendary guitarist Bruce Kulick (KISS), GRAMMY-winning bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH), and award-winning composer Steve Horner (known for his string arrangements on Bridgerton, etc).”

David Ellefson shares: “I’ve known Marina V now for many years, as she was one of my clients when I ran Artist Relations for Peavey 2003-2010. She has written a fantastic song here and I’m proud to be a part of it with my buddy Bruce Kulick. The lyrics really describe the delicate balance of an artist’s life in music.”

Bruce Kulick adds, “Marina V and her husband Nick are talented and wonderful people. After listening to the song, I immediately knew what my guitar parts should be. I spent a year recording the KISS LP Revenge with Bob Ezrin and I am a huge fan of his work. I imagined he was guiding me with my guitar parts. Marina loved the approach as it gave the song another powerful dimension.”

It’s been a good few years for: singer/songwriter/producer/remixer Julian Shah-Tayler aka The Singularity.

  • He is currently very proud to be working with the legendary Mike Garson (David Bowie), David J (Bauhaus), Carmine Rojas (Bowie), Alain Whyte (Morrissey) and Robert Margouleff (Stevie Wonder/ Devo) on his next originals album “Honne/Tatame”
  • He has just finished executive producing the Aladdin Sane 50th anniversary cover album “Forget that I’m 50” with special guests including Gene Loves Jezebel, Human Drama and Beck Black among many others.
  • HIs 2022 album Elysium was #4 album of the year on “New Wave Podcast” and the single “End of the Line – Official David Chatfield Remix” was eligible for Grammy nomination as well as the single “Melt” being voted #18 single of 2022 by listeners of popular radio programme “Subculture Shock”
  • He is honoured to have remixed Wayne Hussey of Mission UK (a childhood hero) with Beauty in Chaos on their remix album as well as several other remixes on their followup female vocal album
  • His guest vocal on the next Beauty in Chaos single has a fantastic video……
  • His version of “In Your Room” and contribution to “Sister of Night” were on a number one Depeche Mode covers album in Germany
  • He is deep into his upcoming podcast “#bowiephiles” with interviews already conducted with Nick Launay, Mike Score, Michael Aston and many more scheduled.
  • He is also thrilled to have won his heat as “Oscar Wilder” of Strangelove the Depeche Mode Experience in the E! Networks show “Clash Of The Cover Bands”
  • “Actors on Actors” which he scored won two Emmys
  • He won a “Golden Trailer” award for his work with Lana Del Ray on Disney’s “Maleficent” trailer.
  • He also had one of his songs performed by “Tellavision” for Bill Clinton, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese during “Unite for Humanity”charity event at the Oscars.
  • Three of his songs were the “hits” for the focus band in the music movie “Plush” directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight)
  • He also recorded a sadly unreleased album with Joaquin Phoenix and Antony Langdon (Spacehog) as well as musical directing Island Def Jam artist Kerli
  • 4 of his songs cowritten with Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama/Shakespear’s Sister) were the main songs for the Astrid Angel band in the movie “Riot On Redchurch St” directed by “Trip City” and Martin Amis’ “Money” author/director Trevor Miller
  • His remix of Nico’s “These Days” with Daisy O’Dell was featured as KCRW’s “one to watch” He also cofounded a charity called “Art Angeles” teaching underprivileged kids music in Watts.
  • His Song “Talking In Your Sleep” won the ASCAP/Homegrown Hits best song of 2013 earning sponsorship from Protools and ESP guitars.

The Japanese duality “Honne/Tatemae” is indicative of the fundamental duality of life:

“Honne” being the person we really ARE, our true feelings and desires.

“Tatemae” being the behaviours and opinions we display in public.

“Elysium” was my deep dive into the optimism of Love, and this one is my cynical debrief after that relation”ship” sunk.

Here, I explore much darker and angrier territory than I ever have before.  It is the self-therapy album, the catharsis before the storm.

I need to believe in Love. I need to hold hope. I need to exorcise the snakes.

This is that album

Rob Daiker is a unique, powerful artist who brings his wealth of experience as both musician and producer to the stage. Since age sixteen Rob has pioneered his own sound and carved out unique pop landscapes in the music industry. From touring with bands such as the Dan Reed Network, signing his own project to a major record label, to producing acts such as Katy Perry and The Fame Riot, his experience extends to every aspect of the artistic process.

We take a look at Rob’s lyric video for the new single “Hold Me Down”, a collaboration with Northwest favorite Caleb Spiegel, talk about the forthcoming Dan Reed Network album and Rob’s experiences as a music producer, engineer and performer.

Watch the video for “Hold Me Down” below:

Listen to the new Pours Like Rain features that Rob references in this episode:

Rod’s professional music career began as a founding member of the groundbreaking group the Dixie Dregs when, as a student at the University of Miami in Florida, he met Steve Morse, Andy West and Allen Sloan. The university was a hotbed of musical activity during this period, playing host to brilliant future talents like Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Danny Gottlieb, T Lavitz and Bruce Hornsby. Playing under the official Studio Music and Jazz curriculum title of Rock Ensemble II, the Dregs honed their fusionesque chops. It was here that the band recorded its classic Great Spectacular album now available on CD.

The Dixie Dregs’ music combines rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk and classical influences into a rich, ever-changing tapestry of sound. All the while, Rod’s drumming weaves its way seamlessly and colorfully through this swirling musical landscape.

His unique, dynamic and musical drumming style has led to Rod’s winning the Best Progressive Rock Drummer award in Modern Drummer Magazine’s Reader’s Poll 5 years in a row (1986-1990) and Best All-Around Drummer (1999), earning him a permanent position in the magazine’s prestigious Honor Roll. The Dixie Dregs, whose last 6 recordings have each received Grammy nominations for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, are best described in the following Philadelphia Inquirer concert review, “The Dregs have their own unique language and style familiar to bluegrass and country music, refined with classical finesse and delivered with high-powered technology and rock energy. The band is possibly the most important, and certainly the most technically advanced, instrumental group in progressive fusion.”

When the group temporarily disbanded in 1983, Rod joined forces with Steve Morse who, along with bassist Jerry Peek, formed the Steve Morse Band. Rod remembers, “One of our biggest breaks came when we had the opportunity to tour for 3 months with Rush on their 1985-1986 Power Windows tour. I felt a surge of popularity, both as a band and as a drummer, as a result of performing night after night in sold out arenas packed with appreciative progressive-rock fans. And it was more than obvious that many of them were drummers.”

The Steve Morse Band recorded two albums, at which point Rod found himself at a crossroad in his career, as Steve Morse joined the reforming group Kansas. “I was ready for a musical change and to try something both new and challenging.”

Within a year of moving to New York City in 1986 after living in and around Atlanta, Georgia, for the previous 11 years, Rod met Kip Winger and Reb Beach, namesake and lead guitarist of the as-of-then-non-existent band Winger. “Kip and Reb had been writing and recording demos and forever being rejected by record labels. I met them at a point in their lives where they were completely driven to get signed. Nothing could shake their determination. We got together and jammed, hit it off, and two months later they called to say they got a deal and to see if I’d be interested in doing the record.”

The rest is history! Their self-titled debut album in 1988 sold over two million copies worldwide, earning the band a platinum album in the U.S. and gold albums in Japan and Canada. It also led to an American Music Award nomination for Best New Heavy Metal Band. This album was followed by In the Heart of the Young and, once again, platinum and gold awards were in the offing, coupled with non-stop international touring.

The band ceased activities in 1993 after touring for the highly acclaimed Pull recording, as dramatic changes were taking place in the music scene. Alternative music had replaced metal as the accepted music of the day.

In 2002, WInger reunited for a summer tour with Poison, CInderella and Faster Pussycat in support of ‘The Very Best of Winger’, a greatest hits collection. And in 2006, the band released the critically acclaimed, ‘Winger IV’, followed by tours in Europe, US, Japan and Australia.

In 1993, when Winger temporarily disbanded, Kip Winger set out to record his first solo album, This Conversation Seems Like Dream (1997), a dramatic departure from the first three Winger recordings, drawing heavily on world percussive rhythms, dark imagery and heavy grooves. Rod recorded the drum tracks for this album and the more recent Songs From The Ocean Floor (2001) at Kip’s home studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1997 also saw the self-titled debut release by the Rudess/Morgenstein Project, an instrumental progressive power-duo, featuring Rod and Dream Theater keyboardist extraordinaire Jordan Rudess. The seed for this project was planted one evening on the Dixie Dregs 1994 Full Circle tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when a sudden power failure shut down the guitar, bass and violin rigs. For whatever reason, the keyboards remained unaffected. And what followed was a blistering, 10 minute drum/keyboard power-duo jam, which brought down the house. It was that evening’s events, which inspired Rod and Jordan to form their “small in numbers yet mighty in sound” band. The Rudess Morgenstein Project has played concerts in the US, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, Germany, Holland and the UK. Additionally, Rod recorded the drum tracks for Jordan’s solo cds, ‘ Rhythm of Time’ and ‘The Road Home’.

Other on-going projects that Rod is involved with are jam band Jazz Is Dead which features creative improvisations of the music by the Grateful Dead. Members of JID have included T Lavitz, Alphonso Johnson, Jeff Sipe, Billy Cobham, Jeff Pevar, Dave Livolsi, and Jimmy Herring, with an ever-changing line up. Another project is Platypus, whose two recordings feature John Myung (Dream Theater), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and Derek Sherinian (Planet X). The music is a mix of instrumental and vocal tunes that blend many different styles together. An offshoot of Platypus is The Jelly Jam, a power trio featuring Rod, Ty Tabor and John Myung. Their debut release came out in 2001, and The Jelly Jam, ‘2’ was released in 2004

In addition to his recording and touring credits, Rod is very active in drum education. He is currently a Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Also, his highly recognized instructional materials include videos, audio cassettes and books. His most recent offering is Drum Set Warm-Ups, touted as the definitive text for developing and improving all aspects of drum set playing. Additionally, Rod has been a columnist for Modern Drummer Magazine (U.S.), Rhythm Magazine (UK), Sticks Magazine (Germany) and is an international clinician and involved with product development for Sabian Cymbals (Signature Tri-Top Ride), and Vic Firth Sticks (Signature Sticks and Isolation Headphones), with whom he has been an endorser for many, many years.

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