Shows
The True Tunes PodcastPhil Madeira's Falcon FliesThe public may best know Phil Madeira as an ace-in-the-hole sideman for high-profile Americana artists like Emmylou Harris, while Nashville insiders know him as a songwriter's writer and a go-to studio musician as well. While his career goes back well over 50 years, over the last decade or so, Madeira has released a series of superb, highly-focused solo albums and creative collaborations that have focused on various aspects of his musical, lyrical, and overall artistic skillsets. On his latest project, Falcon, (releasing July 18), Madeira combines all of these elements seamlessly. It presents as a sort of "Best Of Phil Madeira"...
2025-07-0749 min
The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM Backstage with Sam Wade of the Hadestown Cast BandThe Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown is a fantastic retelling of the myths of Orpheus’ journey to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice alongside the marriage of Hades and Persephone, set amidst the visual and musical elements of New Orleans during the 1920s and 1930s. On this episode, we visit with guitarist, songwriter, and producer Sam Wade, who has been on the road with the traveling version of this stunning musical for most of the last year and will continue in that role again next year.
Wade has been a friend and collaborator of ours for a few years. He...
2025-07-0125 minThe True Tunes PodcastDug Pinnick of King's X: 50+ Years of Musical PassionKing's X, the band formed by bassist, songwriter, and vocalist Dug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill roughly 40 years ago, has pushed musical, lyrical, and even technological boundaries since its debut. Before that, these musical adventurers brushed up against the Christian music subculture as members of Phil Keaggy's band and others. But despite their early connection to the Jesus Movement - or perhaps because of it - they decided to specifically avoid any connection to the Christian music market when they formed King's X. Thousands of Christian rock fans nonetheless embraced them, parsing the imagery in their...
2025-06-161h 13
The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM "Jesus Music" pioneer John Fischer & Counterculture V. SubcultureJohn Fischer was making "Jesus Music" in the mid-1960s - before it was even a "thing." At a recent live event in Fullerton California, JJT invited Fischer to join the conversation and talk about those early countercultural days and how it all came together. Before there was an industry, a genre, or even a movement, there were kids with guitars and a desire to experience God in a meaningful, tangible way. Fischer went on to become one of the accidental innovators of a new style of music. But when the counterculture became a subculture - and a movement...
2025-04-1141 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM Robert Deeble on the Therapeutic and Spiritual Power of Music to Bridge the Space Between UsWe've loved Robert Deeble for a long time around here. His brand of thoughtful alternative folk fit right in with artists like Over The Rhine, Vigilantes of Love, Innocence Mission, and Victoria Williams - and his side gig as a graphic artist lent a gorgeous visual perspective to all of his releases. His output has slowed over the last couple of decades as he became a successful psychologist and built a thriving practice in Oregon. So it was very good news indeed when we heard that he was about to release a new album - produced by Ric Hordinski...
2025-03-0634 min
Good Patron - UTR Media76: Mike Farris, Chris Taylor, Phil MadeiraThis month's Good Patron Challenge is to COMMIT to being a Good Patron this year! Plus Garret brings you the scoop on the latest crowdfunding campaigns.- - - SPOTLIGHT CAMPAIGN - - - * Mike Farris - The Sound of Muscle Shoals* https://mikefarrismerch.com/collections/all-items - - - OTHER CAMPAIGNS - - - * Chris Taylor - I Carry the Flame - https://www.christaylorworld.com/i-carry-the-flame TrueTunes episode https://truetunes.com/taylorflame/ * Phil Madeira - Falcon and Super Session - https://www.kickstarter...
2025-02-0422 minThe True Tunes PodcastChris Taylor Carries The Flame (+ Sixpence on the Jukebox!)Chris Taylor is a lifer. His first bands, (Windows and Love Coma,) were covered by True Tunes when we were just getting started back in the early 90s. While his bandmate Matt Slocum went on to form the alternative pop group Sixpence None The Richer, Taylor continued to release projects as Love Coma and as a solo artist. He also became an accomplished painter along the way. Now, almost 35 years later, Taylor continues to break new artistic ground. His most recent Love Coma project (which included contributions by Slocum) was a stunner, and his brand new solo project - "...
2025-02-011h 18The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - The Choir's Translucent AmbienceDerri Daugherty, Steve Hindalong, and Dan Michaels surprised all of us when THE CHOIR dropped a fully-realized, manufactured, and ready-to-ship ambient instrumental project called Translucent in late 2024. Although the band has been incorporating ambient elements in their music since the 80s, this was a first for them. Join us as we discuss how Translucent came together, how the band approaches this element of their sound, and more. Find the show notes for this episode HERE. (Or go to truetunes.com/translucent)
If you missed our in-depth, career-spanning conversation with The Choir, find it HERE. We also did a...
2025-01-1844 min
The True Tunes PodcastSpecial 45RPM: Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville (Live Conversations w John J. Thompson)True Tunes Podcast host John J. Thompson recently celebrated the "soft-release" of his new novel, "The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville," with live events at Vinyl Tap in East Nashville and The Wheaton Public Library in the Chicago area. This special edition features clips from both events as JJT takes questions from Fr. Preston Sharpe of Sacrament Church (and guests) in Nashville, and Jeff Elbel (Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois Entertainer) in Wheaton.
The episode also features a chapter from the fully produced audiobook and a bit of the original song "Sweet Marianne" by JJT featuring P...
2025-01-1156 minThe True Tunes PodcastChecking Russ Taff's Cover Story (with Taff, Steve Taylor and John Mark Painter) 6-time Grammy winner Russ Taff’s voice has defined the emotional potential of Gospel music for over half a century. His perfectly raspy tenor transcends genre and era, first as the lead vocalist for Gospel legends The Imperials, then as a phenomenally successful solo artist. That legacy now takes on a whole new depth as Taff unveils Cover Story, a collection of rock, soul, and Americana songs that resonate deeply with the struggles he has privately endured throughout his life onstage. Longtime fans may be surprised to find the Gospel singer interpreting tunes by The National, Prince, Blind Willie Johnson, Bob...
2024-08-211h 24The True Tunes PodcastJennifer Knapp Goes Back to KansasThere’s nothing like a relaxed, sit-down conversation – especially when discussing complicated things like faith, love, and art. True Tunes is committed to long-form dialogue in a world that is increasingly (and tragically) defined and governed by social media metrics and pithy one-liners. This conversation with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp may be our longest yet – but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Knapp has come a long way since her debut LP, Kansas, was certified Gold 25 years ago. She followed that with two more critically acclaimed and commercially successful LPs in the Christian music mar...
2024-08-172h 13
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: The Prayer ChainOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the pioneering LA-based alternative rock band The Prayer Chain back in 2018.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and che...
2024-07-1604 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: RoemerOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the Berlin-based American ex-pat indie artist Roemer.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERC
2024-07-1605 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Bill MalloneeOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the prolific and acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Bill Mallonee (of Vigilantes of Love.)
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip a...
2024-07-1604 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Tonio KOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with artist and songwriter Tonio K.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!
2024-07-1605 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Drew HolcombOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Drew Holcomb when he visited a class at Lipscomb University's School of Music.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-ti...
2024-07-1604 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Chagall GuevaraOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Steve Taylor, Dave Perkins, Lynn Nichols, and Mike Mead of the most amazing and unlucky band of all time: Chagall Guevara!
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please j...
2024-07-1604 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Kevin MaxOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Kevin Max.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!
2024-07-1605 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: GungorOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Michael Gungor.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!
2024-07-1604 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Faith as Counterculture (w David Bunker)On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with poet, teacher, chaplain, and music industry veteran, David Bunker. This clip comes from the "Sacred Psychedelia" sidebar in the episode that featured Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper. Bunker also joined us for a 45 RPM episode on Creativity and Artist Care.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and...
2024-07-1605 minGood Patron - UTR Media70: Starflyer 59, Poor Old Lu, Galactic CowboysGarret shares the value of genuinely listening to music. He also shares the latest crowdfunding campaigns, pre-orders, and an exclusive interview with UTR founder Dave Trout.--- SPOTLIGHT CAMPAIGN ---* Starflyer 59 - Lust for Gold pre-order* https://velvetbluemusic.com/?product=starflyer-59-lust-for-gold--- OTHER CAMPAIGNS ---* Galactic Cowboys - A New Mission - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galacticcowboys/galactic-cowboys-a-new-mission* Joe Christmas - Burnt Ends & Crisp Remainders - https://joechristmastcc.bandcamp.com/album/burnt-ends-crisp-remainders-pre-order* Ken Tamplin - Stand Up and Shout Box s...
2024-07-091h 12The True Tunes PodcastLuxury: Making The Most Of Their Second ActIn the mid-nineties, it seemed to many of us that Luxury might be the band most likely to find real success in the wider alternative rock market. Their three-decade journey, however, has defied all expectations. From their early days of alt-punk abandon through a harrowing and deadly car crash and onto a very different path that found three of the members embracing Eastern Orthodoxy and eventually becoming priests, this is a story like none you have ever heard. Through all of the struggle and pain, Fathers Lee and Jamey Bozeman, (vocalist and guitarist,) Matt Hinton (auxiliary guitars,) Father Chris...
2024-06-201h 31The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Luxury on the Jukebox (New Episode Preview)This 45RPM episode features a look back at over 30 years of the music of a relatively obscure but critically acclaimed indie rock band, Luxury. We will go back to the beginning, when the band was known as The Shroud, playing with jangly punk abandon at their college in Toccoa, Georgia. We launched this podcast five years ago - when Luxury reconvened to record and release Trophies, their first new album in a decade. We've talked about that album since then several times (and you'll hear about it on the main show), but this flashback fills the rest of the...
2024-06-1717 minThe True Tunes PodcastAn Alternative Legacy Changes Hands: Randy & Matthias LaytonRandy Layton has been a tireless advocate of some of our favorite artists since the 1980s. He was also an early influence and encourager of all things True Tunes. His "Alternative Records" imprint helped to define the indie / DIY approach long before it was common, and his current campaign to reissue yet another incredible (and obscure) album by Robert Vaughn and The Shadows is one more example of his undying passion and love. Now, as Randy faces a devastating turn in the battle he has been waging with cancer, he is handing the reigns over to his son Matthias...
2024-05-211h 08The True Tunes PodcastGod Gave Rock and Roll To You: The Clash of the CCM Historians w Dr. Leah Payne and JJTDr. Leah Payne, author of the new book God Gave Rock and Roll To You, joins us to talk about the roots - and fruits - of the contemporary Christian music subculture. From the Pentecostal and Holiness movements of a century ago to the January 6th riots, Payne and host John J. Thompson wrangle with the odd and sometimes troubling history of the scene. You'll hear an amazing collection of historic and contemporary song clips along the way. Find the full show notes at TrueTunes.com/GodGaveRock.
If you want to support the show, please join our P...
2024-03-041h 22
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: PropagandaOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with rapper, author, and activist PROPAGANDA!
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
To hear the original show CLICK HERE.
If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one...
2024-01-0404 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: The ChoirOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty, and Dan Michaels of The Choir. Few bands embody the spirit of spiritual yearning, artistic exploration, emotional risk, and impressionistic ambiance as completely as this veteran crew.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out. ...
2024-01-0405 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Young OceansOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Eric Marshall, who has been releasing some of our favorite alternative worship music for well over a decade under the moniker YOUNG OCEANS.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
To hear the original show CLICK H...
2024-01-0405 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Neal MorseOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Prog Rock legend Neal Morse (of Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colours, and The Neal Morse Band.) Morse took us on a journey through the history of progressive rock and his own artistic and spiritual discoveries.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance t...
2024-01-0404 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Phil Cook’s Spiritual HelplineOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Pianist, songwriter, and filmmaker Phil Cook. Cook - who cut his teeth as a member of Bon Iver - has been releasing some incredible solo material lately AND has been chronicling some of the best North Carolina roots Gospel music through his label Spiritual Helpline. His film Stay Prayed Up knocked us out!
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more t...
2024-01-0405 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Natalie BergmanOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the Third Man Records artist Natalie Bergman. Her story, and her music, captivated us as she added her humble (but seriously impressive) offering to the Jesus Music repertoire.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
To he...
2024-01-0405 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Sandra McCrackenOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with songwriter, worship leader, artist, and hymnist, Sandra McCracken. Having recently joined forces with Taylor Leonhardt, Jess Ray, and Leslie Jordan to form The Paper Horses, Sandra continues to evolve and innovate.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out. ...
2024-01-0404 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Terry Scott TaylorOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with songwriter, artist, and pioneer, Terry Scott Taylor. Between his solo work, his groundbreaking work with the band Daniel Amos, his collaboration with The 77s' Michael Roe, The Choir's Derri Daugherty, and Adam Again's Gene Eugene as The Lost Dogs, and even his more experimental or humorous work with The Swirling Eddies or as the composer of soundtracks for animated shows and video games, Taylor has been setting invitingly high standards since the 1970s. If there is ever anything resembling a...
2024-01-0404 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Steve ScottOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with artist, poet, author, and theologian STEVE SCOTT - who also served as the Arts Editor of the original True Tunes News magazine back in the 90s. Scott just released The Way of the Sevenfold Secret, a collection of poetry with accompanying music and ambient sound, that he described to us when he originally joined us on the show.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "g...
2024-01-0403 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Taylor LeonhardtOn this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the always impressive and effervescent singer, songwriter, and producer, Taylor Leonhart. Taylor - who has recently joined forces with Sandra McCracken, Jess Ray, and Leslie Jordan to form The Paper Horses - continues to bring old-school songwriting soul to a new generation.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've...
2023-11-2604 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Michael RoeOn this "True Tunes Microdose" (an impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com) we revisit a short bit of our chat with Michael Roe of The 77s and The Lost Dogs. The episodes with Mike proved to be some of the most popular in the history of our show, with many long-time fans chiming in and some new fans joining the tribe as well.
About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long...
2023-11-2203 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Amy GrantWelcome to the True Tunes Microdose, an impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com. As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
Amy Grant's music may be a bit more "mainstream" than most of the stuff True Tunes was known for back in the day, but her commitment to honesty, integrity, and transparency made her one of our heroes. W...
2023-11-1505 min
The True Tunes PodcastMicrodose: Charlie PeacockWelcome to the True Tunes Microdose, an impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com. As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.
Charlie Peacock is one of the hearts, minds, and voices who inspired the True Tunes story when it first launched in the mid-80s! He was our first guest when we launched this show as well.
...
2023-11-0603 minThe True Tunes PodcastMylon LeFevre (In His Own Words)Mylon LeFevre was an award-winning, genre-defining, trailblazing artist and songwriter who had a song cut by Elvis when he was just a teen, got kicked out of his family's legendary Souther Gospel band for wearing his sideburns too long, and released on the earliest and most significant Gospel Rock albums ever ("We Believe" circa 1970.) He went on to work with a Golden Rolodex full of mainstream rock royalty in the 70s, including George Harrison, Eric Clapton, The Who, and many others, before turning his life around in 1980 and channeling all of his creativity and passion into the production of...
2023-09-221h 26The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM The Choir’s 1988 Classic LP ”Chase The Kangaroo”The Choir's 1988 LP Chase The Kangaroo is a classic, and when we heard that they had launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary funds to remaster and re-release it on vinyl and CD, we decided to pull together this special episode to lend some support. We spoke to primary songwriters Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty about the album a few years back but never used most of the recording. Here it is, along with clips from the recently remastered LP.
You can join us in support of the Kickstarter HERE - and find more info, photos, a...
2023-08-0328 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM John Pantano (Pantano/Salsbury) On Their 1977 Larry Norman Produced LP ”Hit The Switch”John Pantano’s rock and roll roots go back to the 1960s psychedelic rock scene and the very genesis of the Jesus Movement. He and his friend, the late Ron Salsbury, were the core of JC Power Outlet - one of the earliest Jesus Rock bands on the scene. After two albums for Myrrh Records, the two signed with Larry Norman’s vanguard Solid Rock label and changed their creative moniker to “Pantano Salsbury” for the release of their acclaimed, beloved (and doomed) 1977 album, Hit The Switch. That LP, long sought by collectors, is finally being remastered and re-released by Randy...
2023-07-2823 minThe True Tunes PodcastLoving The Alien: JJT & Allan Aguirre Talk Bowie (Plus Scaterd Few & Spyglass Blue on the Jukebox)On this episode we are joined by veteran artist and author Allan Aguirre (Scaterd Few, Spyglass Blue) to explore the artistic legacy of the late – and truly great – David Bowie. We’ll also crank up the Jukebox to listen to some of Allan’s music, which was clearly inspired by the Thin White Duke, but took that inspiration in many different directions.
For full show notes, including a list of all of the music used on this episode, check out the show notes page by clicking HERE or visiting TrueTunes.com/LovingTheAlien.
If you w...
2023-07-191h 36The True Tunes PodcastWild Harbors in Paris: Safety Is OverratedWe often hear that being in a band is like being in a marriage. But what about when being in a marriage is like being in a band? What about those truly crazy people whose marriage IS a band? Chris and Jenna Badeker, aka Wild Harbors, have been carving out a functional and creatively exciting path as indie pop artists for several years. On this episode, they join us from Paris, where they were serving as Artists In Residence. We hear about their uniquely risky career choices, the path that led them overseas, and the cultural differences between faith-formed...
2023-06-2157 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM Did The Joshua Tree Fall on The 77s? (More Roe From The Cutting Room Floor)The 77s' 1987 self-titled album was not only that band's first real shot at the "big-time" success their fans knew they deserved. It was also the climax of a creative explosion from a unique Sacramento community that had been cooking up spiritually driven, culturally engaged, artistically excellent music for about a decade. On this special "From The Vault" episode of the podcast, we unveil previously unheard tape culled from frontman Michael Roe's conversation with True Tunes and with The Electric Jesus Podcast to finally answer one of the most fascinating questions of all time: Did U2's breakthrough album The...
2023-05-0132 minThe True Tunes PodcastMore ”Alternative” Than You’ll Ever Be (Randy Layton’s Long Strange Trip)Randy Layton may not be a household name, but that's not the point with people like him. Layton has been advocating for some of the most important - if not famous and successful - artists of the last forty years through his label Alternative Records and his previous work with the enormously influential Sacramento label Exit Records. He was all about the "Alternative" back when that word meant something. Layton has helped release projects by The 77s, Vector, Steve Scott, 2 Pound Planet, Robert Vaughn and the Shadows, and many others. Although we have heard pieces of this conversation here...
2023-03-301h 38The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM Charlie Peacock Revisited (From The Vault)The very first episode of this podcast - which premiered back in 2019 - featured a conversation with award-winning producer, songwriter, and artist Charlie Peacock. Charlie, one of the artists who inspired the launch of the original True Tunes in the 80s with his progressive, genre-bending, standard-setting music, was later associated with artists like Switchfoot, Civil Wars, and others. He is currently experiencing one of his most prolific phases as both a musical artist and as a visual artist.
When we first launched this show, we didn't know exactly what the format would be. As a result, a l...
2023-03-1730 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM U2’s Achtung Baby Jukebox RewindThis 45RPM episode opens the True Tunes Vault and finds a conversation host John J. Thompson had with friend, fan, and artist manager Nick Barre about U2's initially shocking album, Achtung Baby, 30 years after its original release. With the band back in the news - both for Bono's stunning new memoir Surrender and their corresponding collection of reimagined older songs - and the announcement of their Las Vegas homage to their 30-year-old re-birth - it seemed a good time to revisit this reflection.
Full Show Notes available at TrueTunes.com/Achtung
I...
2023-03-1023 minThe True Tunes PodcastOutsider Art w Finster & Yingst + Mountain Goats on The Jukebox (True Tunes Live)True Tunes host John J. Thompson recently traveled to Cleveland, TN, to speak at a festival in honor of Rev. Howard Finster – the enigmatic painter, pastor, and musician who first came to international prominence when his art was used on album covers by Talking Heads, R.E.M., and Adam Again, and is considered by some to be the father of contemporary folk art. Painter and woodcut printmaker Kreg Yingst, whose art has graced recent album projects by Vigilantes of Love and others, presented at the festival as well and joined John for a conversation. Plus, we crank up th...
2023-02-161h 31The True Tunes PodcastTonio K. Walks On: Notes From A Lost WorldIt takes some special instruments and a unique perspective to appreciate the frustrating version of "success" that weaves in and through Tonio K.'s long strange trip of a music career. He should have been one of those critical reference points of the heady '70s and '80s, right up there with Warren Zevon and Joe Jackson. He had the wit, the sneer, the shades, and the major label hookups. But even with the odds in his favor, a hall-of-fame roster of supporting band members, and people like T Bone Burnett supporting him, it wasn't until he started...
2023-01-242h 06The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM Calling Out The Ghosts: JJT & Michelle Thompson (The Wayside) + Producer Matt Goldman (Underoath, Luxury) discuss new musicIf you think True Tunes host and founder John J. Thompson is objective about music - merely a dispassionate observer or fact-gathering journalist... think again. "Before I wrote about music," he admits, "before I worked in the industry at all - before I promoted concerts or started True Tunes back in the 80s - I was a kid with a guitar, bad hair, and way more confidence than talent. Inspired by heroes like T Bone Burnett, Steve Taylor, Bob Dylan, Bono, Mark Heard, Bruce Cockburn, The 77s, and all of the bands Terry Scott Taylor was in, I knew...
2022-12-1941 minThe True Tunes PodcastProg Rock, Complex Art, & Cultivating a Discerning Ear: Neal Morse’s Epic JourneyWe finally scale the misty mountain of PROG ROCK on the True Tunes Podcast - with none other than the venerable Neal Morse as our guide! As a founding member of Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colors, and his own Neal Morse Band, he has been setting the standard in modern prog rock for decades. He has also developed his own streaming app to deliver his entire catalog (over 80 albums!) and curates his own Morsefest - an annual gathering of progressive rock fans from around the world. His personal and musical journey is as inspiring as his epic music.
2022-12-081h 49The True Tunes PodcastSinging In The Choir w Nikki Lerner + Over The Rhine’s Nowhere Else Fest rocks the JukeboxWe knew that Over The Rhine’s Nowhere Else Festival was going to be something special. We've heard about the meals, the music, the songs being sung under a big tent in their wide Ohio backyard. And yes, we grew up seeing Over The Rhine play show after breathtaking show under a similar tent at the Cornerstone Festival in West Central Illinois. We knew it would be great. But we were still not prepared for just how wonderful two days of understated, organic, family-style music could be. A steady drizzle of rain couldn't come close to dampening the spirits on...
2022-11-222h 01The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM David Bunker on Artist Care and Nurturing the CreativeDavid Bunker, who currently serves as the chaplain of Judson University's Music Business and Entrepreneurship program, and has a long history as both a music industry leader and as an artist and songwriter himself, joins JJT to talk about the idea of "artist care" from the perspective of both creatives and those who wish to serve them. Bunker has been deeply embedded in the True Tunes DNA since John first shared his vision for a store, venue, magazine, and community that would dare to engage music - and art in general - with brain, heart, and guts fully engaged...
2022-11-1611 minThe True Tunes PodcastTyson Motsenbocker Loses His Milk Teeth (+ Madison Cunningham’s ”Revealer” on the Jukebox)Tyson Motsenbocker is quite an anomaly. He's a young, hip songwriter/artist who crafts alternative, modern-sounding pop (in the tradition of Postal Service or Death Cab) with obvious compositional influences coming from sources much older. He is also willing to tackle difficult, even controversial issues – including racism, hypocrisy, addiction, immaturity, and mental health challenges – with both scathing insight and self-deprecating wit. And as if that is not enough, after spending his formative years in the Evangelical subculture, Motsenbocker leaves one foot in that world, even while critiquing it and his own long-held beliefs, in the process. His latest album, Milk...
2022-11-011h 54The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM What Good Is Music? (with Pastor Chris Williamson of Strong Tower Bible Church and Transformation Crusade)What good is music, anyway? Is there something happening in the arrangement of certain melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and lyrics that might actually have a meaningful impact on hearts and minds in these dark, divided, and confusing days? We decided to talk to someone who would know; a man who is a pastor, an artist, an advocate for social change, and a fan of great music.
Chris Williamson is the Pastor of Strong Tower Bible Church in Nashville, TN – a community that has been passionately committed to diversity and integrity for decades. Before founding the church, how...
2022-10-1919 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM Creativity Will Save The World w Tom Willett (12” Extended Mix)Tom Willett's roots go back to the counterculture of the 60s. He played bass in one of the earliest "Gospel Rock" bands (Sons of Thunder) and worked alongside artists such as T Bone Burnett, Tonio K, Mark Heard, The Choir, Sam Phillips, Phil Keaggy, and many others as an A&R rep, marketing man, and career coach. He has also spent decades as a teacher, helping college students as they sought to carve out meaningful careers as songwriters, artists, or future industry leaders.
Since his retirement from the industry a few years ago, Tom has b...
2022-10-1227 minThe True Tunes PodcastBill Mallonee (Vigilantes of Love): From Americana’s ”Next Big Thing” to Indefatigable Digital BuskerBill Mallonee has been lauded as one of the 100 greatest living songwriters by Paste Magazine and honored by Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Billboard, and more. Before “Americana” was even known as a musical genre, his Athens GA band Vigilantes of Love was helping to define it. Later, with albums produced by Peter Buck of R.E.M., Mark Heard, Jim Scott, and Buddy Miller, it seemed all but inevitable that Bill and his band of outlaws would break through to the big time (whatever that means.) Instead, over thirty years into his career, Mallonee is duking it out...
2022-09-281h 55The True Tunes PodcastBeatles & Outlaws: Ken Mansfield Comes Down From The RoofKen Mansfield has been "in the room" for several major cultural watershed moments. After a meteoric rise through the ranks at Capitol Records in the 1960s, where he worked with artists like Lou Rawls, The Band, and The Beach Boys, Ken was personally chosen by The Beatles to head their Apple Records enterprise in the US. He happened to be working at the Apple offices in London during the sessions that were captured for the Let It Be album and film, including their now famous live concert finale on the roof. Ken, long dubbed "the man in the white...
2022-09-141h 36The True Tunes PodcastPhil Cook’s Spiritual Helpline (From Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, & Megafaun to Gospel Glory)After being affiliated with Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, and Megafaun – and releasing a series of his own acclaimed solo projects, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Phil Cook surprised many with the launch of his new roots gospel label, Spiritual Helpline, and producing a rousing new live roots Gospel album by North Carolina local legends, The Branchettes. Though the group was formed over a half-century ago, they never recorded a live album until now. The soul-stirring experience was captured in the documentary film, Stay Prayed Up, which is currently available on demand and is screening at film festivals around the co...
2022-08-311h 47The True Tunes PodcastLove Is Underrated: Undercover (+ What’s Shakin’ & Reality Rock on the Jukebox)On this episode, we are joined by keyboardist and songwriter Ojo Taylor, guitarist and writer Gym Nicholson, long-time lead vocalist Sim Wilson, and drummer Gary Olsen of the Orange County rock band Undercover for an expansive conversation recorded in front of a live audience at the Audiofeed Festival in Illinois. Undercover emerged in the early 1980s at the pole position of the frenetic “second wave” of Jesus Rock that saw an explosion of New Wave, Punk, Rock, and pop bands like Lifesavors, Altar Boys, Lifters, Common Bond, Crumbacher, Youth Choir, and others fill high school auditoriums, bowling alleys, parks, and...
2022-08-171h 34The True Tunes PodcastDavid Eugene Edwards of Wovenhand: Apocalypse Ain’t for the Faint of HeartFew artists have committed to the ethic of apocalyptic – even gothic – Americana as completely as Colorado’s David Eugene Edwards. From his early work with The Denver Gentlemen and 16 Horsepower to the last two decades of material he has offered via Wovenhand, Edwards practically haunts every stage, and album, with spirits that are simultaneously spectral and Biblical. On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, John J. Thompson sits down with Edwards in front of a live audience at the Audiofeed Festival in Champaign, Illinois to talk about his origins, his musical concepts, and his mystical perspectives on everything from t...
2022-08-031h 21The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM The Prayer Chain: Backstage in ’18The Prayer Chain is the only band that ever appeared on the cover of the old print version of the True Tunes magazine twice! Though their original run lasted only six years, the band has reunited a few times since breaking up in 1996. One of those was a 2018 show in Anaheim, and JJT was there – in a backstage freight container at a "secret show" at a club called The Wayfarer the night before they rocked the House of Blues. This podcast didn’t even exist yet! But here we have a glimpse of these four friends looking back on twen...
2022-07-2808 minThe True Tunes PodcastChagall Guevara: Revolutionary Art, Halcyon Days, & Long-Play Redemption (+ a Squint Jukebox Meltdown)The musical highways and byways of this great land are littered with the bedazzled corpses of countless, failed, one-shot rock bands. How many of them, though, would be able to enlist the support of thousands of fans three decades after their demise and raise over $140,000 to mix and master a long-lost live recording – and – release a new studio album – and – celebrate it all with a blistering live show at none other than Music City's hallowed Ryman Auditorium? That’s what Nashville’s Chagall Guevara just did. True Tunes’ John J. Thompson was invited to the band’s secret Music City rehearsal l...
2022-07-202h 11The True Tunes PodcastThe Cornerstone Festival: 10 Years Gone (and counting...)The original Woodstock Festival happened once. The Cornerstone Festival, however, gathered an unlikely and diverse group of rock and rollers from around the world to two different pieces of land 29 years in a row. Even as the so-called “Jesus Movement,” of the late 60s, and its’ fascinating musical soundtrack, transformed throughout the 80s into more of a subculture than a counterculture, and "Contemporary Christian Music" became more mainstream, Cornerstone kept the fire of revolution burning. With a radical lineup – both musically and educationally – this event was unique in the world. It was responsible for launching several artists not only into the t...
2022-06-292h 25The True Tunes PodcastWalking St. Paul’s Blvd with Michael McDermott (+ Peter Himmelman on the Jukebox)Not everyone walking St. Paul’s Boulevard makes it out alive. No one survives it unchanged. This mythological road plays home to a haunting cast of characters, and our guide on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast is none other than the road’s creator - and street-sweeper: singer, songwriter, and seeker, Michael McDermott. No one tells a story like this Chicago native. Maybe that’s because so few who walk the path he’s walked live to tell their tales. McDermott has been crafting some of the most inspiring, and heartbreaking gritty folk-rock this side of the Graceland...
2022-06-151h 52
The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - New Tunes From Rich Mullins’ House (An Early Listen to a New Tribute)True Tunes is excited to come alongside our friends at Old Bear Records and UTR Media as they pay loving homage to the songs of Rich Mullins with a brand new, analog recording made in a house Rich owned outside of Nashville. On this special 45RPM episode of the podcast, we check in with Old Bear owner and member of The Brothers McClurg, Chris Hoisington, who – along with others – conceived of this special conceptual tribute album. Chris also got us some rare audio so that we could offer you, our listeners, an early glimpse at this very special project.
2022-06-0721 minThe True Tunes PodcastMichael Roe Did It For Love (Pt.2) [The Lost Dogs, 77s, Kerosene Halo]In the conclusion of our conversation with Michael Roe we talk about one of JJT’s favorite 77s songs in great detail, along with the birth, evolution, survival, and impact of The Lost Dogs, and the hard-won lessons Roe has learned along the way. The Choir’s Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty offer some revealing perspectives on their brother-in-arms and singer/songwriter/visual artist and Love Coma frontman Chris Taylor reflects on Roe as both a fan and as a young artist under his tutelage.
And don’t miss Part One in which Roe talks about h...
2022-05-311h 46The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Character Witnesses for Michael Roe (Terry S. Taylor, Jimmy A, Randy Layton, A-Train, & Jan Eric Volz)On this special @45RPM episode we continue our exploration of the life, music, and legacy of Michael Roe by checking in with some of his closest friends and compatriots. We hear from his 77s bandmates: Aaron "A-Train" Smith and Jan Eric Volz, Exit Records soulmate Jimmy Abegg, longtime advocate Randy Layton of Alternative Records, and fellow Lost Dog Terry Scott Taylor.
On Part 2 we will continue to dig deep with the man himself, diving into one of JJT’s all-time favorite 77s songs and hearing all about the formation, evolution, and tragic beauty of The Los...
2022-05-2514 minThe True Tunes PodcastMichael Roe Did It For Love (Pt. 1) [77s, Lost Dogs, Kerosene Halo, Etc,]Very few artists have accomplished what Michael Roe has over the last forty years. Between his work with the seminal rock “laboratory” (The 77s,) his membership in a veritable supergroup of unknowns, (The Lost Dogs,) his own solo work, and numerous collaborations (Kerosene Halo with The Choir’s Derri Daugherty for instance,) Roe has made an indelible mark on thousands of hearts and minds. That he has done all of this in relative obscurity is a testament to the deep, spiritual, drive that propels him even when the “system” has let him down. In a fair world, Michael Roe would be a...
2022-05-181h 35The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Listening Carefully w Buddy Miller & Ian FitchukOn this special "from the archives" edition of our @45RPM podcast, we re-visit excerpts from two episodes from 2020 that had a profound impact on the direction of the show. Artist, songwriter, producer, and Americana legend Buddy Miller, and Ian Fitchuk (who won Producer of the Year that year for his work with Kacey Musgraves) both talk about how important it is to listen carefully - and how listening skills impact both their work as artists and their relationships. For more information visit the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/45-Listening.
Listen to the FULL EPISODE with Buddy M...
2022-05-1110 minThe True Tunes PodcastCoffee w Propaganda: World Building, Critical Thinking, & History Healing (+ Midnight Oil on the Jukebox!)Aside from being one of the most exciting indie hip-hop artists around, Jason "Propaganda" Petty is an academic, an author, a poet, and a lover of great coffee. Join us as we talk through his idea of "Terraforming" - making space for life to thrive in hostile environments. And speaking of hostile environments, it has been said that every animal in Australia wants to kill us. On this episode's Jukebox feature we listen carefully to the passionate and socially engaged alternative rock that Down Under's Midnight Oil has been crafting for fifty years. No, they don't want to kill...
2022-05-051h 48
Rick Lee James Podcast NetworkEpisode 467 - The Jesus Music with John J. ThompsonVoices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 467 The Jesus Music with John J. ThompsonOn this episode I’m joined by John J Thompson, former Associate Dean of Trevecca Nazarene University’s School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s a speaker, producer, author, artist, and the founder of the podcast “True Tunes.” He is an expert on all things Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). As a consultant and historian he was interviewed for the new documentary “The Jesus Music Film”, which is now steaming on Hulu.“The Jesus Music” interviews some of Christian...
2022-05-0439 min
Voices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast)Episode 467 -The Jesus Music with John J ThompsonVoices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 467
The Jesus Music with John J. Thompson
On this episode I’m joined by John J Thompson, former Associate Dean of Trevecca Nazarene University’s School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s a speaker, producer, author, artist, and the founder of the podcast “True Tunes.” He is an expert on all things Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). As a consultant and historian he was interviewed for the new documentary “The Jesus Music Film”, which is now steaming on Hulu.
“The Jesus Music” interviews some of Christian music’s most recognizable...
2022-05-0439 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Steve Scott & The Gospel of John as Creative Cultural Critique (pt 2)In this second installment of our conversation with poet, author, teacher, and pastor, Steve Scott, we listen in on a conversation he hosted in JJT's home a few years back. Following up on the theme of "the mission of sacred art" from Part 1, this time we hear about Steve's observations on The Gospel of John as both a call to - and an example of - creative cultural critique. Show notes and links available at TrueTunes.com/scott2
The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a t...
2022-04-2708 minThe True Tunes PodcastEric Earley (Blitzen Trapper) + Sacred Psychedelia on the Jukebox (w David Bunker)Blitzen Trapper has been making some of the most interesting and compelling experimental folk/rock/alt-country/progressive music since The Flying Burrito Brothers, and their frontman, main songwriter, producer, and musician, Eric Earley joins us on the podcast to talk about the whole story. From his own roots as a musically adventurous kid to the band’s most recent album, Holy Smokes Future Jokes, to "cosmic humility" and his work with homeless veterans in the Portland area, Earley is a fount of mystical, meaningful, art.
We also crank up the Jukebox for a deep dive int...
2022-04-191h 39The True Tunes PodcastKeyboard Warriors: Ronnie Martin (+ Steve Fairnie / The Technos on the Jukebox)Songwriter, artist, and analog synth advocate Ronnie Martin (Joy Electric, Brothers Martin, Dancehouse Children, Morella’s Forest, etc) has been crafting catchy, devotional pop music with analog synthesizers for over 30 years. We catch up with Martin to talk about his latest project, From The Womb of the Morning The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours, his current life as a pastor, and more. Plus Randy Layton (Alternative Records) and poet/theologian Steve Scott join us at the Jukebox to revisit a tragically overlooked 70s and 80s era synth pop entourage known alternately as Writz, The Famous Names, or Th...
2022-04-071h 48The True Tunes PodcastSteve Scott on the Missional Purpose of Art (pt 1)Artist, author, poet, and pastor, Steve Scott, delivers a critical challenge to the question: “Why should art matter to everyone?” Scott has been producing rich, soulful art in a variety of media for over 50 years. He is an international speaker on the subject of Sacred Art and even served as the “Arts Editor” during the print magazine days of True Tunes in the 90s. This short episode delivers a soul-thumping vision of the missional purpose of art. In Part 2 we’ll hear about Scott’s growing conviction that the Gospel of John is itself both an example of, and a promotion...
2022-03-3006 minThe True Tunes PodcastMeet Doe! (+ Aaron ”A-Train” Smith on Stevie Wonder in the 70s on the Jukebox)On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we spend some quality time with one of the most exciting and fresh contemporary Gospel artists to emerge in years. DOE, (aka Dominique Jones) first came to our attention as a member of Forever Jones – an eclectic Gospel group that included her parents and siblings. With her solo debut LP Clarity, released on Jonathan McReynolds’ new label with RCA Inspiration, (and including contributions by Israel Houghton, Matt Maher, McReynolds, and more,) DOE demonstrates talent, wisdom, and vision beyond her age. Her self-assured style, which includes elements of Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill...
2022-03-241h 38The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - ROEMER on Knowing Our Role (Pt. 2)On this second installment of our conversation with singer-songwriter ROEMER, (aka Ben Seidl,) we explore how his experience hosting an open mic night in Berlin, combined with his careful study and practice of sound missiology, might inspire us to engage our communities with integrity, compassion, and authenticity. (Full Show Notes HERE.)
The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/tru...
2022-03-1608 minThe True Tunes PodcastRoyce Lovett’s Unlikely Journey (+ The Roots of Gospel Rap w Soup The Chemist & Chris Williamson on the Jukebox)Royce Lovett's blend of soul, hip-hop, and Gospel has found a wild path into the world - from a Motown Gospel debut to NBC's The Voice and beyond. In this episode, we hear a slew of his music as he unspools the story of his inspiring journey so far. On the Jukebox, we listen back to some of the earliest examples of Christian Hip Hop and trace the roots of Rap back to Gospel, with pioneering musician and author Soup The Chemist and early artist and church-planter Pastor Chris Williamson. (Full music list, links to Royce on The Voice...
2022-03-101h 29The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - ROEMER on Bonhoeffer, Marx, and Missiology (Pt. 1)Berlin-based singer-songwriter Ben Seidl, aka ROEMER, stops by to talk about mission, missiology, and a surprising intersection between Deitrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Marx in his community. Roemer's recent albums have haunted our mixtape and best-of lists for the last couple of years.
The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.
2022-03-0406 minThe True Tunes PodcastAndy Zipf, Achtung Baby, and the Power of PlaceOn this episode we are joined by singer-songwriter Andy Zipf on the eve of the release of his latest single, “Did You Know I Was A Ghost?” and in anticipation of his upcoming album, How To Make A Paper Airplane. Zipf, a 20-year veteran artist, has worked with labels and functioned as an indie. He has been in bands and has been a solo artist. His latest album, however, takes his work to a whole new place. Drummer and percussionist Jay Bellerose, bassist Jennifer Condos, keyboardist Tyler Chester, and upright bassist Dennis Crouch, have played with T Bone Burnett, Robe...
2022-02-251h 37The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Andy Zipf Knows He’s A Ghost! (Special Live Performance)Singer-songwriter Andy Zipf is about to release a new album, How To Make A Paper Airplane, and will soon be featured on the full-length True Tunes Podcast. In this advance peek we get to hear a special live, solo, recording of his new single, "Did You Know I Was A Ghost".
The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropp...
2022-02-1808 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Why We Need Love Songs: A Quick Chat w Phil Madeira about ”Bliss”Singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Phil Madeira, who can regularly be found backing up amazing artists like Emmylou Harris, is out with his latest project, "BLISS." This collection of love songs may seem like a bit of a change-up by this famously acerbic artist - especially after last year's edgy "Hornet's Nest," so we caught up with him to talk about this project and the concept of "love songs" in general.
Why do we all keep going back to art - even silly love songs - when it comes time to walk through our most important experiences...
2022-02-1313 minThe True Tunes PodcastBruce Cockburn: Kicking at the Darkness for 50 Years (and counting!)We are beyond thrilled to welcome one of the most essential artists of the last half-century to the True Tunes Podcast. Bruce Cockburn has written over 350 songs and released 30 studio or live albums since 1970, and four different compilations. 22 of his albums have been certified either Gold or Platinum in Canada. He has received 13 Juno Awards, is in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2001 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony that included testimonials by Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett, Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, and Bono. He holds multiple honorary Doctorate de...
2022-02-071h 58The True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - Cockburn Jukebox Overtime (with Chris Taylor)On our second episode of the new short-form TrueTunes@45RPM show, we bring you MORE Bruce Cockburn! Host John J. Thompson and singer/songwriter Chris Taylor continue their dive into 2 more favorites from Bruce: "Loner" and "Gospel of Bondage." For more info visit TrueTunes.com.
Thanks to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.
(Believe it or not, there was even MORE to this conversation, which has been sent to our Patreon backers separately.)
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2022-02-0510 minThe True Tunes Podcast@45RPM - THE PREMIERE (feat Terry Scott Taylor in 1981 and 2021)Introducing TRUE TUNES @ 45RPM - the new short-form version of the deep-dive conversations happening in the main True Tunes Podcast and at TrueTunes.com. In honor of the release of his stunning new solo double-album This Beautiful Mystery, this premiere episode features a conversation with Terry Scott Taylor from the Daniel Amos Alarma! Radio Special (produced by our own Bruce A. Brown in 1981) alongside a clip from our conversation with Taylor in the fall of 2021.
As always, THANKS to our Patreon supporters and to the amazing staff and volunteers at VisionTrust.org. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A D...
2022-02-0412 minThe True Tunes PodcastHere’s To You! Michael Been (of The Call) From The VaultAs we crack open the True Tunes Vault once more, we unveil a previously unheard 1994 interview with Michael Been of The Call – one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated bands of the 80s. Peter Gabriel once called them “The Future of American Music” and The Chicago Tribune said they “may well be the closest thing America has ever had to its own U2.” Their urgent, inspiring, blood-and-guts rock and roll may have never gotten the attention it deserved, but those fortunate enough to have heard their music – either on record or in concert – were impacted for life. True Tunes’ John J. Thompson...
2022-01-251h 35The True Tunes PodcastYoung Oceans, The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, & The Radical Purposes of Worship and MusicAs Young Oceans, Eric Marshall has been crafting thoughtful, artful, often liturgical music for over a decade. That makes him an “elder statesman” (or at least a mentor and role model) to many of the young, passionate, alternative worship artists in the trenches today. But his story goes back much farther than that. Through his early, and often frustrating days as a guitarist in a rock band, to several years signed to a failed mainstream pop development deal, to years working in the New York indie rock scene, Marshall developed a musical language, and a particular set of skills, that...
2022-01-141h 55The True Tunes PodcastJukebox Rewind: 30 Important Albums & 13 Worthy Singles from 2021From major names to indies from the underground, and across a slew of genres, this True Tunes Jukebox Rewind is our attempt to shed light on some of the music that has meant a lot to us over the last twelve months. Relax and check out thirty albums and thirteen singles as we brace for whatever the next year holds. And don’t miss our massive accompanying playlist with these and many more songs from 2021. Hard times make for fascinating, and important, music. Tune in and listen with us. Thanks to all of the artists who continue to dig de...
2021-12-311h 39The True Tunes PodcastThe New Sacred Indie Underground: Beach Chapel, Lovkn, & Cross Worship Give Us A TourOn this ground-breaking episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we explore fascinating corners of the current - and quite compelling - world of indie music being made by artists determined to use their work for spiritual purposes. Many are crafting tunes specifically for worship, while others are using their voices to shine a light on issues related to justice, theology, or life in general. Adam Lamah (Beach Chapel,) Stephen Lufkin, (aka Lovkn,) and Troy Culbreth (Cross Worship,) act as tour guides into this growing scene. We hear about their unique stories – and the emerging community of young artists blazing th...
2021-11-181h 40
The Way Home with Dan DarlingThe Way Home: John Thompson on "The Jesus Music Film"Today I'm joined by John Thompson, Associate Dean of Trevecca Nazarene University's School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. He's a speaker, producer, author, artist, and the founder of the podcast "True Tunes." He is an expert on all things Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). He was a consultant and was interviewed for the new film "The Jesus Music Film." If you grew up in the 90s listening to CCM, this film is for you, telling the story of Christian music over the last 50 years. On this episode, we talk about the film and different movements in Christian music.This episode...
2021-10-2842 min
The Way Home with Dan DarlingThe Way Home: John Thompson on "The Jesus Music Film"Today I'm joined by John Thompson, Associate Dean of Trevecca Nazarene University's School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. He's a speaker, producer, author, artist, and the founder of the podcast "True Tunes." He is an expert on all things Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). He was a consultant and was interviewed for the new film "The Jesus Music Film." If you grew up in the 90s listening to CCM, this film is for you, telling the story of Christian music over the last 50 years. On this episode, we talk about the film and different movements in Christian music.This episode...
2021-10-2842 min
Christian Music Archive Podcast065 John J. ThompsonI'm honored to welcome John J. Thompson to the podcast. John is the founder and curator of True Tunes and host of the new True Tunes Podcast. He is also a music industry veteran, musician, publishing executive, author, promoter, retailer, pastor… well, he's worn a lot of hats over the years. He is a major music fan and has a desire to see all of us "Listen to better music and listen better to music."
John J. Thompson: Website, TrueTunes, Facebook, and Twitter.
And of course, on our page: Christian Music Archive.
Christian Music Ar...
2021-10-271h 00
Legacy: CCM's Greatest AlbumsThat Jesus Music is ElectricIn this episode we return to the countdown and talk to Sherri Youngward about her debut album, "Faces, Memories, Places." We are also joined by special guest, John J Thompson of the True Tunes podcast to talk about the "Jesus Music Movie" and the upcoming amazing comedy, "Electric Jesus."https://www.facebook.com/groups/legacyccmsgreatestalbumshttps://legacyccmsgreatestalbums.wordpress.com/https://truetunes.com/the-true-tunes-podcast-is-here/http://www.sherriyoungward.com/
2021-10-261h 27The True Tunes PodcastJesus Music Movie Summit (Andy Erwin & Chris White) + Jesus on the MainlineLately, it seems Jesus not only rocks, but He’s also a movie star too. The Jesus Music, a documentary written, directed, and produced by The Erwin Brothers (“I Can Only Imagine,” “I Still Believe,” “Woodlawn,”) traces the roots of Contemporary Christian Music back to the Jesus Movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s via archival footage and new interviews with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Kirk Franklin, Michael Sweet, Toby Mac, and scores of other Christian artists and insiders. Electric Jesus is the fictional story of a Christian heavy metal band and the young ingenue that stows away on their RV a...
2021-09-211h 31
Reaching For Real Life with Sean Azzaro"I Don't Believe In God Anymore" and The Christian Music System It made national news...lead singer of CCM band Hawk Nelson declares he no longer believes in God. Sean opens the discussion with John Thompson - the Dean of Trevecca School of Music and Worship Arts (Nashville), and founder of TrueTunes.com. "Churched" and "Un-churched" have added "De-Churched" to the label list...but let's get real. Reaching for Real Life calls for community. You'll enjoy this conversation.
2020-05-2733 min
Gourmet Music Podcast - UTR Media35: White Heart’s Freedom 30th AnniversaryIt's widely considered one of the highest quality and influential albums in Christian Rock history. We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of White Heart's album "Freedom."
------------------ TRACK LIST ------------------
* "Invitation"
* "Bye Bye Babylon"
* "Over Me"
* "Let The Kingdom Come"
* "Power Tools"
* "The River Will Flow"
* "Sing Your Freedom" [LIVE]
^^ All songs are by White Heart from the album "Freedom" (1989)
-------------- CREDITS --------------
* Host & Producer: Dave Trout
* SPONSOR 1: Joel Ansett - https://is.gd/joelasp
* SPONSOR 2: John Lyzenga - https://is.gd/johnlsp
...
2019-10-171h 10Good Patron - UTR Media15: Micah Michelle, Strahan, Luke WoodThe art of overpaying. Garret continues his conversation with a panel of guests to discuss the artist experience at music festivals, and the support that can be shown through tipping extra at the merchandise table. And a bunch of active crowdfunding campaigns too.
----------- SPOTLIGHT CAMPAIGN ------------
* Micah Michelle - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/micahmichelle/micah-michelles-2nd-studio-album-a-daily-office-of
------------OTHER CAMPAIGNS------------
* Strahan - Prayer and Vulnerability - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/strahan/prayer-and-vulnerability-a-new-album-and-book-by-s
* Luke Wood - Here and There - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lukewoodmusic/here-and-there-0
* Three Strands EP...
2019-04-0328 minGood Patron - UTR Media14: Rose Blossom Punch, Jessi McNeal, The ThroesShould I go to a Christian music festival? Garret talks to a panel of festival experts to get their insights. Plus we'll give you some current crowdfunding campaigns that deserve your attention.
-------------SPOTLIGHT CAMPAIGN---------------
Rose Blossom Punch - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rose-blossom-punch-on-vinyl
-----------OTHER CAMPAIGNS------------
Jessi McNeal - new full length album
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jessimcneal/brand-new-full-length-album-from-jessi-mcneal
https://noisetrade.com/jessimcneal/promised-land-sampler
Cindy Morgan - Autumn & Eve: Old Testaments Vol. I https://www.cindymorganmusic.com/
The Throes - All The Flowers Growing In Your...
2019-03-052h 29