In vino veritas, is a Latin expression which - when translated - means, “In wine, there is truth.” While that concept might be slightly romanticized, there’s no doubt that a little bit of truth, and a whole lot of vision - with nice cabernet - can influence an adventurous idea, or two. But, you’ve got to have the follow through the next morning to make all of those lofty thoughts reality.

With, or without wine, Michael Dorf is a visionary, someone who has the ability to see opportunities that others miss. It all started in the 1980s when he took a chance on opening the Knitting Factory in New York City. That club became a beacon of cutting-edge taste and style during the 80s and 90s at a time that was ripe for indie music to make its impact on the city’s larger cultural milieu. His next major venture was the City Winery food, wine, and performance space brand which - though originated in NYC - has since been expanded to several other locations nationwide.

While the success of those businesses no doubt make him proud, it’s the philanthropic angle to his imaginativeness that really inspires him. Michael Dorf Presents has produced several concerts with philanthropy in mind paying tribute to some of his favorite music and often featuring guest appearances by legends of the performing arts community.

March 26th at Carnegie Hall finds Dorf producing People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith which also happens to be the 20th anniversary of his concert series. 100% of net proceeds will go to music education for underserved youth, and concertgoers can expect to see Michael Stipe, Ben Harper, Kim Godon, Flea, and many other surprise guests on stage.

So, you might want to find yourself a safe space to listen to this episode and enjoy a glass of wine, and let Michael’s vision inspire your own. What are your dreams? What skills and interests do you have that can make the world a better place? Enjoy that pinot noir, but - like Michael - get ready to put in the work.

Determination is an incredibly important part of success in any industry. But, in music and media, one must be constantly doing their thing in front of as many audiences as possible, all the time. Sure, this is an exhausting part of the gig, but - in many ways - it’s mandatory. Based in Los Angeles, Goldiie Lux had an interview scheduled with me during a week where the City of Angels experienced the worst fires it’s ever known.

While Goldiie (born Naomi Simon Summers) was just outside of the evacuation zone, she managed to meet me for this chat, even if it meant sitting in a car parked nearby her home as she checked on news about the fire's progress. As the saying goes, the show must go on, and it’s a showbiz lesson that Goldiie has clearly learned well. She didn’t let a once in a lifetime catastrophe stop her from meeting with me to talk about her recently released EP, SIN (South Music Group).

So, join me for a chat with Goldiie: it’s interesting to speak with an artist right at the beginning of their career, to try and guess the directions it might take. Here’s an artist who is eager to talk about her new music and plans even as the haze from the fires in Los Angeles surrounded her car and threatened the place she currently calls home. That’s determination: that’s Goldiie Lux.

Good friends can get you through difficult times. They have your back through thick and thin, they know how to anticipate if you need support, and they can always be relied upon for understanding. However, when that friendship involves music, it can be even richer and more fulfilling.

José Medeles and Nathan Trueb have known each other for many years and have worked on a few projects in the past. They met at Jose’s world renowned drum shop - Revival Drum Shop in Portland, Oregon - when Nathan was looking to purchase some percussion instruments. After jamming and getting to know one another as musicians, they officially joined forces and created a new self-titled project that they call Another Glory.

Nathan and José both have that yin and yang that is a valued dynamic in any work group: Nathan feels most comfortable creating songs of a more traditional nature, while José tackles those compositions with some left-of-center approaches and concepts.

Nathan joins me to discuss the interweaving of both artists' creativity. We also talk about a few of the special guest stars that appear on this record, specifically Wilco’s, Nels Cline and Ben Harper, too! A mystery guest joins us during our chat, as well, but let’s keep that character a secret for now.

Massachusetts has always been aligned with revolutionary thoughts. Anyone paying attention in elementary history classes knows that our very own American Revolution began in Boston Harbor with a little event known as the Boston Tea Party. Just because a thing is a certain way, doesn’t mean it should stay that way forever: that’s Boston, that’s America.

So, how about a revolution against the current state of the music biz? It’s no secret that there’s been a plethora of controversy surrounding streaming versus physical media and also the often unfair payouts that musicians earn. Enter Will Dailey, a Massachusstes-based singer and songwriter who’s decided to explore a few unique ways to share recorded music with his audience.

His latest album, Boys Talking will only be available in physical formats: both on CD and vinyl; but, no streaming. As you’ll hear Will explain, it’s an effort on his part to make a connection with those who love his music, to keep his compositions out of the wind tunnel that the streaming world can often feel like, and - of course - it’s a way for him to keep a larger percentage of the profits that come from selling physical media.

He’s got a keen perspective on these things that sound pleasantly out of step from the norms of the 21st century. In fact, they sound a bit...revolutionary.

It’s not always what we say, sometimes it’s more about what we leave out; the silence in between our words can speak volumes. The same can be said of music, particularly the music of Roger Eno who has recently released a companion piece of sorts to his last release titled, The skies, they shift like chords (2023). This newest album is an extension to some of those musical thoughts and is named the skies: rarities. This release also continues his relationship with the Deutsche Grammophon label.

Eno has a long history of creating music, he’s released a number of solo albums, but has also composed for film and other media outlets. Of course, he’s also worked with his brother Brian Eno for many years, beginning with 1983’s Apollo which also featured Daniel Lanois.

As you’ll hear Eno explain, his recent exploration is a sort of artistic pattern of his that more musicians might consider trying out. Instead of releasing an album and moving onto the next idea, Roger continues to find ways in which each of his albums might be expanded, either built upon or deconstructed. In this conversation, Eno shares his process which gives us the opportunity to see the skies - musical and otherwise - from Roger’s vantage point.

Roger’s music might be considered very “serious” to many folks, but - as you’ll find - in our chat, we have a lot of fun.

When we talk about an individual being artistic, usually we’re referring to the visual or graphic arts field, and every so often, music. However, an infusion of art is really necessary in any branch of knowledge: coding, medicine, logistics, education or any other field for that matter really all require a bit of an artistic eye to be elevated to its pinnacle.

Isaac Watters uses his inherent artistry in two fields where he’s been successful: you may have seen some of his work as a set designer and art director, but he’s also an architect. When he’s not immersed in either of those careers, he’s focused on music. Recently, Isaac has released his latest album, New Space and Time and while he’s got a number of concepts that are unique to his music, on this record he further explores concepts relating to the natural world and the way we humans inhabit it.

So, think about your own life. You may not work with a paintbrush in your hand and you may be completely tone deaf. But I’ve got a hunch, that if you look within yourself, there’s a skill that you have that others think is incredibly artistic.

Is your passport up-to-date? If it’s not, now might be the right time to submit your application to ensure it’s valid. Because you’re going on a bit of an international trip: from Brussels to Denmark and right here back to the good old United States of America. You’re taking a little bit of an excursion and you’ve got the best excuse to do so: good music.

Nicolas Michaux has been listening to plenty of great music over the course of his lifetime and now - on this third full length album - he’s putting those influences together and mixing them with his own voice. And depending on his mood, his voice may be singing in either English or in his native tongue, Francais.

His latest record is titled, Vitalisme (which he helps me to pronounce) and it’s focused on his current worldview that - even though it was recorded on a small island off of Denmark called Samsø - it still reflects the anxieties and fears that we we face together, not as citizens of a specific country, but as denizens of this planet we call Earth.

So, it’s time to start wrapping up your time in the departure lounge because the announcement has been made to begin boarding. But - as with any trip abroad - prepare yourself to be surprised not at our differences, but by our collective similarities.

Who didn’t love hanging out in grandma’s basement? There were always a lot of fun things down there. If you were lucky, there might have been an old stereo console crafted out of impossibly heavy wood tucked between the air hockey table and a dart board. It’s possible too, that it still worked. The dials would light up and a DJs voice wafts in from across the airwaves: these are magical and musical moments. Those consoles were great, and maybe a new generation of listeners might appreciate such a unit in their own living environment.

Enter Debra and Scott Salyer who began their journey as furniture makers in the early 2000s in San Diego. While balancing their day jobs building custom furniture, they started developing early concepts for a modern record console.

In 2016, their passion turned into a full-time venture after meeting Greg Perlot, a former senior executive at Sonos. Greg, who had experience in wireless HiFi, shared their vision of combining the convenience of streaming with the timelessness of vinyl, and together they set out to reinvent high-fidelity audio for a new generation. It’s at this point that the three of them founded Wrensilva.

What began as a simple idea grew into a pioneering company focused on merging analog and digital music experiences. With a talented team based in San Diego and beyond, they are reviving HiFi audio with cutting-edge design. Today, from their updated workshop, they create beautiful pieces that blend art and technology and they endeavor to redefine the future of HiFi for music lovers worldwide.

I recently wrote a piece for Michael Fremer’s Tracking Angle site where I explored - first-hand - one of Wrensilva’s console models. I encourage you to check it out, but on this episode, we sit down to Scott Salyer and hear - first-hand - the story of how he and his team are creating what is no doubt the best hifi console on the market today.