25 O'Clock
Philadelphia's longest running music podcast (we think), with your host, Dan Drago. Conversations with artists and community, intimate musical performances, in-depth discussions on performing, touring, recording, and being alive.
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Ross Bellenoit #2
12/24/2024
Ross Bellenoit #2
Dan brings back for another conversation, his last one was fall of 2016. A lot has been going on: Ross has continued to release music as a solo artist, as part of the face-melting jam band , and as part of . On top of it all, he continues to produce records at , and teach guitar to all ages and levels. Ross talks about growing up in Western Massachusetts (a fact we sort of skipped over last time), his mom's outstanding record collection, playing jazz at a young age, moving to Philadelphia to go to UArts, and staying ever since. Ross' latest LP is a brilliant instrumental jazz album called 'Signals', available wherever you get digital music, .
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Corey Bernhard
12/17/2024
Corey Bernhard
Dan sits down with pianist/composer/producer (currently a member of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert house band) about his journey from Boston to Philadelphia, and all the points in between. Steeped in the jazz and experimental scenes in Boston and New York, Corey landed in Philadelphia and founded Killiam Shakespeare, a beloved Philly insturmental hip-hop group. he's played with acts like Bilal, Snarky Puppy, Ed Sheeran, Ariana grande, Bootsy Collins, and so many more. Corey also gets into his upcoming LP, (), and how working with (Trap Rabbit, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sophie Coran) was an amazing collaboration of creativity, experimentation, and patience.
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Live at 48 Record Bar w. John Faye
12/10/2024
Live at 48 Record Bar w. John Faye
Dan has talked to on the show (), but this time they're doing it live. On December 4th, 2024, John held a vinyl listening party for his new LP, 'The Long Game', at in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. He asked Dan to come interview him live on stage in front of an audience, they recorded it, and decided it was cool enough to share with the world. Big thanks to all the staff at 48 Record Bar for making a wonderful evening, everyone who came and shared the night with us, and special thanks to (, The Butcher Brothers) for sitting front and center and engaging in just a bit of good natured heckling. Also included in this episode is an excerpt from , available wherever you get books. 'The Long Game' is out now wherever you get your digital music, and available on .
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Sexton Sideshow
12/03/2024
Sexton Sideshow
Dan has a full house this week with Sexton Sideshow founders Paula and Jim Minacci. As the sextons (or caretakers) of in Philadelphia since 2000, they started having events featuring Philadelphia artists like Deadfellow, Low Cut Connie, and EJ Simpson's long running one-man 'Jesus Christ Superstar' production. Paula and Jim talk with Dan about how they got into doing shows, being inspired by their son Dylan's journey into the music business, offering up their home to travelling artists from all over, and this month's big event: a musical tribute to 'O Brother Where Art Thou', now in it's 7th year. They even bring Philadelphia singer-songwriter (and past 25 O'Clock guest) to talk about the show and all that goes into making it happen (the show features almost two dozen Philadelphia area performers and artists). Sexton Sideshow Presents: 'O Brother Where Art Thou' is December 13th and 14th at Old Swedes' Church at Christan St and Columbus Blvd in Philadelphia. Tickets are available at the and on the the .
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Brendan Johnson (Stella Ruze)
11/26/2024
Brendan Johnson (Stella Ruze)
The last time Brendan Johnson of was , it was with his bandmate Katie O'Donnell, and it was less than a week before the world shutdown in March of 2020 (Dan didn't have another in-person guest for nearly a year and a half). It's been almost five years, but Brendan comes back to talk to Dan about the band, some line-up and life changes amidst them, and how embracing improvisation and extended instrumental sections gave them their latest LP, 'Origin'. Brendan and Dan get into their love of live improvisation, namely the band Phish, and the difference between proper "jamming" and just extended soloing. 'Origin' is , and on vinyl through the band's website. Stella Ruze will play an LP release show at .
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Jersey Wall
11/19/2024
Jersey Wall
Dan was moved to reach out to a seemingly anonymous person, based solely on liking his concert photography. And through that, Dan talks to Jersey Wall (or Eric, as he's known to some) for one of his first podcast appearances ever. Eric talks about growing up moving a lot, his dad's record collection, going to shows as a rite of passage into growing up, and his lifelong love of technology and innovation. Eric made his way to Philadelphia in 2009 and immediately found the music community to be not only full of great bands and shows, but also a great place to start delving into photography. Dan and Eric talk about the importance of comminity, of having something to offer, and how to ride the line between fan and contributor. Eric posts his photos on his regularly, and recently did the promo photos for Philly band (there's even a track from them at the end). Check out his IG where you can see his photos and contact him for future projects.
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Dirty Dollhouse
11/12/2024
Dirty Dollhouse
Dan traveled up to Newtown, PA to sit with front-woman Chelsea Mitchell in her shop, , along with her bassist Josh Machiz. Chelsea talks about growing up in Newtown, being an anxious, book-obsessed kid, and how she found her way into music by playing in the church worship bands and choir (where, as a bonus, she received classical voice training). She also talks about the trajectory of Dirty Dollhouse, beginning as a trio of her, Amber Twait and Vanessa Winters singing country harmonies, and how it morphed into the full band that it is today with members like Josh, Eric Lawry and Pete Hall. Dan, Chelsea, and Josh reminisce about an era in the Philly folk and rock scene that they all inhabited around the same time, and give their kudos to people who have helped along the way. Dirty Dollhouse's new LP, . The band will play a release show at . Also: Dan is getting ready to send the $$ from to Philly Music Fest (they're getting ready to announce their donation numbers very soon), so get yourself the comp exclusively on Bandcamp if you haven't already. All proceeds go to the charitable giving of PMF to music education charites in Philadlephia.
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Kat Rivers
11/05/2024
Kat Rivers
Dan and and met over a Philly music Discord, and started doing Monday co-working sessions at an Olde City coffee shop with a rotating cast of musicians and creatives. Kat talks about growing up in Paduka, Kentucky, her many years in musical theater (including the Walnut Street Theater, which is what brought her to Philadelphia), and stepping away from theater to focus on performing music. She gets into the nuts and bolts of working the wedding and cover band gigs, as well as how she finally put together her own band for her songs, . To quote Kat's current mantra, "There are so many ways to be good." Kat Rivers and the Second Sight have shows coming up this fall, including November 23rd at , and .
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Fall Playlist 2024
10/29/2024
Fall Playlist 2024
Dan recovers from a week of with a playlist episode. Ten tracks of Philadlephia music goodness, including a couple from the compilation out now exclusivley via Bandcamp. Also, Dan shares some big news, so don't miss that! Clickable playlist is below, support that artists you love!
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Mondo Cozmo
10/22/2024
Mondo Cozmo
Dan talks with Josh Ostrander, aka , from his basement studio in Los Angeles. After mutually admiring each other's set-ups through their computer screens, Josh talks to Dan about growing up outside Philadelphia, all the ups and downs with his previous groups La Guardia and Eastern Conference Champions, and the hard decision to shift to a solo project back in 2016. Since then Josh has toured constantly, put out multiple releases, and written more songs than he could ever know what to do with. Josh details how touring with Spoon just before their last album, 'Lucifer On the Sofa', was a master class in how a band reinvents itself, and those lessons would inform his own work going forward. His latest LP, , is out now and available wherever you get your digital music. Mondo Cozmo is playing , sharing a bill with Devon Gilfillian, The Tisburys, and Emily Drinker. is out now exclusively on Bandcamp, and is a compilation of 10 unique performances from the podcast over the last ten years. All the proceeds from the compilation go to support . Every year, PMF donates all the profits from the festival to music non-profits all over Philadelphia. Since their inception, they've donated over $500K to music and education charities throughout the region.
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Chiara D'Anzieri
10/15/2024
Chiara D'Anzieri
Dan has admired Chiara D'Anzieri's music () for a while now, and has wanted to have her on the show ever since. Chiara talks about coming to the US in her 20s after meeting Philly musician on a beach in Italy while he was on tour, and how the adjustment to life over here was an up-and-down journey. Trained as classical cellist, Chiara spent most of her young life traveling to play with orchestras and ensembles, and made the decision to pursue rock and pop music as she got older. We talk travel, touring in the US, , which is available on and everywhere you get your digital music. Santa Chiara is playing at as part of the first night of with Hurry and Slaughter Beach, Dog. This episode features an exclusive, unreleased song from Chiara that was recorded live at the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia earlier this year. is out now exclusively on Bandcamp, and is a compilation of 10 unique performances from the podcast over the last ten years. All the proceeds from the compilation go to support . Every year, PMF donates all the profits from the festival to music non-profits all over Philadelphia. Since their inception, they've donated over $500K to music and education charities throughout the region.
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Chris Pires (Catbite)
10/08/2024
Chris Pires (Catbite)
Dan talks to Chris Pires, drummer for Philly ska-punks , in lieu of their Philly Music Fest appearance. Chris talks about convncing his parents to let him have a drum kit, all the different acts he's played with, and how Catbite formed out of nowhere as a "thing to do". Chris also gets into the dynamics of a band relationship, and the importance of having real, adult conversations amongst bandmembers about what you want out of a band and out of life. Catbite are headlining the at Milkboy with Reef The Lost Cauze, Kuf Knotz and Christine, and Queasy. Catbite are currently on tour in Europe with The Slackers, with West Coast dates planned for the rest of 2024. is out now exclusively on Bandcamp. It features 10 original performances from the podcast's archives, and all the proceeds go to support Philly Music Fest's charitable giving.
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Brackish
10/01/2024
Brackish
Dan sits with Connor Byrne and Tim Fitzpatrick of to talk all things punk and emo. Connor and Tim have known each other since high school, and get into growing up in central New Jersey, each of their guitar playing dads, early days of the band, how they keep it challenging and fresh for themselves, and how it's not an "emo revival" lately because, to them, it never really went away. The guys even play TWO songs live in the studio. The newest , is out now and available on all digital platforms. is out now! It's 10 unique performances from the show going back over the 10 years of 25 O'Clock. All the proceeds go to support the charitable giving of Philly Music Fest, who have donated over $500K since their inception to Philadlephia music charities and programs. Help PMF increase their giving to all the amazing organizations, and get a great compilation of performances by Philadlephia musicians as well. Available exclusively on Bandcamp.
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Dominic Angelella
09/24/2024
Dominic Angelella
is someone Dan has described as a "known quantity". He's helmed bands like DRGN KING and Lithuania, and put out his own solo work for years in Philadelphia. But in an attempt to have no fixed address, he's found himself living in Ireland for the past year or so. Dan talks to Dom about his earlier days in the Philadelphia music community via University of the Arts (RIP), getting touring opportunities with bands like mewithoutyou and Foxing, touring with Lucy Daucus and Natalie Prass, and all the while working on his own songs amidst tour dates, bus rides, and stolen moments in stairwells. His latest album, , is out now on all digital platforms, and also available on vinyl through his Bandcamp. ALSO: . The compilation features 10 original live performances from artists on the podcast. All the money from the compilation will go to Philly Music Fest's charity department. is a multi-day, non-profit music festival that has given . The pre-order gets you access to two tracks off the compilation, and will be fully available on 9/30. Let the pre-ordering begin!
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Brittany Ann Tranbaugh
09/17/2024
Brittany Ann Tranbaugh
Dan has wanted to have on the show for a couple of years, and it’s finally happening. Brittany talks about growing up in the Lehigh Valley, playing open mics and coffeehouse gigs as a teen, getting her songwriting to where she needed it to be, and her amazing band. Fresh off an outstanding show at Johnny Brenda’s at the time of this interview, Brittany talks about all the ups and downs of being an independent artists, life on the road, finding community away from home, and fielding unsolicited opinions from Internet trolls. Her , as well as on vinyl through her website. She will be playing at on Sunday, September 22nd at 12pm.
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Justin Kerecz
09/10/2024
Justin Kerecz
Dan met a little while ago, and the two hit it off immediately, sharing their love of the oft-debated-genre of power pop, as well as a general love of songwriting and home recording. Justin talks about growing up going to musicals in NYC with his grandparents, navigating his way through various bands, and realizing eventually that he'd rather just play everything and record it himself. From his early days using iPhones, tablets, GarageBand, and the evolution of his songs and records, Justin has been putting out songs since 2017. , is out now wherever you get your digital music. Follow him , and (he makes very entertaining videos to go with his music).
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Dylan Gallimore (The Lower Aetna)
09/03/2024
Dylan Gallimore (The Lower Aetna)
We're back from summer break! And we're getitng it all back on track the right way with Dylan Gallimore, frontman and songwriter of . Dan and Dylan get into Dylan's roots in Medford Lakes, NJ, his path into songwriting as a ficiton writer, the loneliness of a millennial queer kid growing up in the Pine Barrens, the kids you grew up with that you don't think about anymore, the bond between him and childhood best friend/band member Kayla Rae Molocznik, creating strong characters to drive a song, Craig Finn and Bruce Springsteen, and much more. , and is out now and available wherever you get your digital music.
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Ryan Wells
07/30/2024
Ryan Wells
Dan sits down with Ryan Wells, frontman and songwriter for (you betcha that's a Neil Young nod). Ryan talks about growing up in Manasas, getting turned onto music by bands like U2 and REM, both of whom were still proving themselves to the world as he was a teen. He recalls his first band Radio Ghost Town while he was living in NYC, moving to Philly and casting around for a new group of folk to play with, and putting together Red Means Run. Ryan also goes into how producer Derek Chafin () helped shape their newest LP, 'Things You Hold True', from Ryan's usual alt-country leanings into something broader and fuller, borrowing from as much Tom Petty as Uncle Tupelo. . Just a reminder: we're taking off the month of August to do summer stuff, go down the shore, all that. See you back here in September for a fall season full of great bands, shows, records, conversations, and intimate performances. , lots of great artists to discover! See you in September!
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Roberta Faceplant
07/23/2024
Roberta Faceplant
Dan first talked to Katie Feeney, aka , back in April of 2020 as one of his first virtual guests at the start of the pandemic. It was a different time then. Katie came over to the studio in person this time, and the gab starts right off the bat (Dan and Katie are both self-admitted gabbers). Katie talks about the birth of the Roberta Faceplant project and persona, the forming of the current lineup, which features her former You Do You bandmates Drew Parker and Aaron Boczkowski, as well as Nick Anastasi (Honey Butter, Southwork, Fat City Reprise) and Mykk Hoffman (The Funky T, Emily Drinker). The band's , is out July 26th wherever you get digitial music. A quick primer on names and places (lotta names come up in this one): John Faye- former frontman of The Caulfields, Ike, John and Brittany, singer-songwriter, author, and elder statesman of the Philadelphia music community Dave Kiss- Philadelphia promoter going way back, owner of Dave Kiss Presents Ang Bocca- powerhouse Philadelphia singer and songwriter Kara Koser- also powerhouse Philadelphia singer and songwriter, frontwoman of Koser Crystal Engel- co-owner of Moon Rose Vintage, founder of Mamamoon Vintage Brittany Ann Tranbaugh- Philadelphia singer songwriter, touring artist, community leader Todd Mecaughey- engineer and producer at Cambridge Sound Studios, member of Secret American, formerly of the New Connection MilkBoy South Street (formerly Lickety Split)- two-floor venue on South Street in Philadelphia, home of Katie's open mic
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Brendan McGeehan
07/16/2024
Brendan McGeehan
Dan first heard of back when he interviewed . Brendan talks about growing up on coastal Maryland, gravitating towards the bass at a young age, his journey as a record producer, and his first time solo-outing . With the foundation of the tracks recorded largely in one long session, Brendan pieced together a stellar instrumental LP called , featuring players like Adrian Harpham, Logan Roth, and Will Brown, as well as countless guests. 'New Moon' is out July 18th wherever you get digital music (as well as a vinyl pre-order), and the band will play .
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Summer 2024 Playlist, Vol. 2
07/09/2024
Summer 2024 Playlist, Vol. 2
As promised, here's another set of Philadelphia music for the summer! Use the clickable playlist below to link up with the artists you love, see them play, check out their records, all of it. There's so much great music coming out this summer, sometime we have to take a sec to take it in. Enjoy! 10.
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Summer Playlist 2024, Vol. 1
07/02/2024
Summer Playlist 2024, Vol. 1
It's playlist time again! So many Philly artists are putitng out new music this summer, so here's just a small selection of what's on offer. See the clickable playlist below for direct links to all the artists you'll hear on this episode. And, as you can imagine, Vol. 1 implies another set coming next week. Dan was sent so much great music, he had to make two whole episodes to hold it all. This week features a set of music from artists, . 10.
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Quincy Stallworth
06/25/2024
Quincy Stallworth
Dan has known of Quincy Stallworth for years, especially for Quincy's job running SoFar Sounds concerts in Philadelphia since around 2018. Quincy sits down to talk about his musical upbringing in the Baptist churches of Southwest and North Philadelphia, his early bands, and how he always excelled at the "business" side of being in a group as much as the musical side. Quincy and many others were all abruptly terminated from SoFar last winter, but Quincy already has his next thing going: , an intimate listening room over the bridge in Mount Holly, NJ. Dan and Quincy get into a lot: Bowie, cocaine albums, how to keep something from getting too big, the ups and downs of his SoFar journey, and how you'll always find yourself drawn to driven, creative people no matter what. Check out , as well as , and .
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James Haro
06/18/2024
James Haro
came from Los Angeles (San Gabriel to be exact) over 15 years ago and made his home here in Philly. He talks with Dan about growing up in an old mission town, being a "secret songwriter" from age 6, early bands and projects (mostly lost to the depths of MySpace), coming to Drexel for college, and why he never wanted to leave. James began his current project, , during the early pandemic times, writing and recording out of (you guessed it) a storage unit. He's since released singles, put on a one-man show for Fringe/Canonball Fest in 2023, and continues to be active in the community with a . James' newest EP, 'Go Ahead', is out on June 20th and available wherever you get digital music.
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Benjamin Hughes #2
06/11/2024
Benjamin Hughes #2
Dan and Benjamin Hughes of have been friends since about 2011 or so, when their bands played together in New York a few times. Dan holds Ben up as one of his favorite songwriters of all time, and Ben returns to the show for the first time in about six years. Ben talks about the recent Night Windows records, including the most recent 'In Memories' LP, and delves into how the songs came together, the difference with the writing process on the last couple of records, and how he didn't write or do anything musical for nearly half a year during the pandemic. Grief, sadness, small-town life, and how to come out of it are all themes that live large in the Night Windows song book, and Ben gets into all of it. is out now and available wherever you get digital music, and also .
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Chris Kasper
06/04/2024
Chris Kasper
Dan has been a fan since he first heard him on WXPN over 15 years ago. Chris sits down to talk about growing up a metalhead drummer, surrounded by a whole family of musicians. From loud drums and Led Zeppelin to discovering bluegrass and Appalachian folk while living in West Virginia, Chris reminisces on moving to Philadelphia almost 20 years ago, meeting peers like Amos Lee, Ben Arnold and Birdie Busch at Dawson Street Pub, playing shows at The Fire, and growing into the Americana singer-songwriter that we all know. Improvisation, uncertainty, working in the moment: these are all things that Chris loves to employ when making records, and his newest is no exception. Chris Kasper's latest LP, 'Sunlight In An Empty Room' is out now, , and .
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Bret Tobias
05/28/2024
Bret Tobias
Dan talks with Bret Tobias, formerly of The Bigger Lovers and Moped, now helming . From seeing the Replacements on MTV, discovering House of Love and Philly's own The Wishniaks, it was inevitable that Bret make his life about music. Bret talks about his aversion to being classified in any scene or community, the independent music feeding frenzy of the mid 90s that had being wined and dined by A&R and execs, and the sudden, overnight disappearance of said attention. He takes us through the saga of The Bigger Lovers and the many records and tours alongside some of their heroes (Superchunk, Minus 5, Jonathan Richman, Alex Chilton, etc), and how he's always kept something going musically, no matter what. The Bret Tobias Set put out an absolutely stellar EP last year called , and the band is a who's-who of Philadelphia indie rock, featuring members of A.M. Mills, Photon Band, and The War On Drugs. A new record is on the way this fall, and we're honored to offer a special sneak peak at their upcoming single, "Fait Accompli", due out on June 20th.
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James Everhart (Cosmic Guilt)
05/21/2024
James Everhart (Cosmic Guilt)
Dan talks with James Everhart, a man who's been part of a lot of Philadelphia music over the years, about his long tenure amidst bands like Low Cut Connie, Scantron, and his current project, 10-member supergroup . James talks about hitting the road with Low Cut Connie right out of college, and how he had to pull back from the touring life for his own mental health and stability. Dan and James talk about the careful balance that it takes to have a band with 10 members, British psych folk, James' designs for , letting each member put their mark on a song, a close eye on visual aesthetics, and the inspiration for their newest album being . Cosmic Guilt's newest album, 'Palace Of Depression', is out May 31st and wherever you get digital music.
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Todd Mecaughey
05/14/2024
Todd Mecaughey
has been part of the Philadelphia music community for a good while, in bands like New Connection and . He's also an engineer and producer at , and has been since its inception. Dan and Todd talk about their love of Phish and the Grateful Dead (and how both bands are pretty dang punk rock), learning the ropes under as a young engineer, watching the upward swing of Secret American fall apart and turning to podcast production for a paycheck during the pandemic, the 'Workaholics' cast and touring as their live FOH tech for their podcast 'This Is Important', and balancing fatherhood and family life with the never ending demands of the music business.
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Judah Kim
05/07/2024
Judah Kim
Dan goes in deep with as he talks about growing up "lucky number 7" of 8 siblings, the influence of his older brothers' garage bands, the lack of any Asian American role models in alt rock, studying voice and production at Berkley, sobriety and gratitude, and the burnout that comes with always having to make "content". With a journey that's taken him from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and back again, Judah and Dan discuss the pitfalls of being an independent musician, Judah's interest in mental health as it applies to Koreans, and the weight of insurmountable expectation and ambition that can come from growing up as a Korean American. Judah is part of , featuring a lineup of Asian American/Pacific Islanders bands and artists, including Moonroof, Beau Freres, Alyssa Garcia, and longtime friend of the podcast, John Faye.
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