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Today’s episode of the My Top Five Records podcast features Mile Zuniga.  Miles was a member of Fastball based out of my home town of Austin, Texas.  Fastball released All The Pain Money Can Buy in 1998 and it reached platinum status within 6 months of its release.  Songs “The Way” and “Out of My Head”, reached #1 and #14 respectively on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs.  They were nominated for two grammys, Best rock performance for a duo or group and Best Long Form music video for the song “The Way”.  They also received five The Austin Chronicle awards: 1998's   I had a ball talking with Miles.  I got a chuckle when we were talking about jazz and he said, “Rock demands your attention”. So true!  He’s got some killer stories to boot.  Love how he sings things and melodies.  While you are at it, check out the podcast image.  He sure can write songs but he ain’t so good and carving his initials in to my table.   If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but if you were to give a star for each one of your top five records on the Apple/iTunes platform (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   http://www.mileszuniga.com/ http://www.fastballtheband.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mileszuniga/ https://www.facebook.com/mileszunigalovesyou/   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Today’s episode of the My Top Five Records podcast features Jo James.  Jo has worked and performed with some of the industries top acts and also received the honor award at the 100% Music Songwriting Contest.  You may have seen him featured on Season 17 of The Voice.  John Legend said, “Great raw talent and his voice is lovely to listen to”.  Blake Shelton said, “I love Jo’s voice”.   Once we started talking about Rumors, it started raining and my dog was outside trying to get in here.  Maybe someday I’ll get a better studio with better sound proofing!   You can find him on the good ole interweb at: https://www.jojamesmusic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jojamesmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/jojamesmusic/    

Today’s episode of the My Top Five Records podcast features Jaimee Harris.  Born in Waco, TX, to Austin and now in Nashville, I was stoked to have her in person to do the podcast.  I loved the way that she took the time to revisit her records.  She is a songwriter’s songwriter.  My favorite thing she said was “Fiction is the super highway to the truth.”  So true!!  And as a child, she asked for a Pegasus.  A flying horse.    Late in season one, I implemented quizzes into the mix and this will continue on future podcasts and this will continue for the foreseeable future.  Don’t matter what I’m going to ask.  It’s all fun and smiles.    If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but if you were to give a star for each one of your top five records on the Apple/iTunes platform (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   https://www.jaimeeharris.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jaimeeharris/ https://www.facebook.com/jaimeeharrismusic   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/

Today I have Jesse Dayton on the My Top Five Records podcast.  If you ask me, Jesse is a legend.  He’s also a good friend of my good friend, Shilah.  He’s got a career that I wish I had.  He has a radio show on Gimmie Country that just got picked up by I Heart Radio every Wednesday at 4pm Central.  It’s killer.  He has worked on horror movies with Rob Zombie and directed one of his own.  He has written his own memoir call Beaumonster.  Please buy and read it.  It too is killer.  He’s played with an insane amount of legendary musicians.  When Waylon Jennings cut his hand making dinner, Jesse filled in for him on guitar.  Waylon’s son, Shooter, is his good friend and is producing his coming record.  The list goes on…   If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but if you were to give a star for each one of your top five records on the Apple/iTunes platform (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!    JESSE DAYTON https://www.jessedayton.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jessedayton/ https://www.facebook.com/JesseDaytonHardcharger   THE BIG GUN SHOW https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/

As we keep chugging along with season two, I am thrilled to have Carlson on the show today.  He was born in SoCal and after snagging a culinary arts degree moved to Hawaii where he decided that he was going to pursue music. He won a LA Music Critic award for best male album for Different Town, which he recorded while on tour in 14 different cities and countries.  He also made a rockumentary with the same name to accompany it that rockumented it all.  He told me that music is the international language and that it is not just communicative but also productive.  An example is how he saw a accordian busker on the street and had him play on it. You should definitely check it out.    He’s also got another project called Radio Company.  It sounds super cool as well.   I forgot to ask Steve where he was taking his top five records.  He said that he would take them to the grave so he could listen to them after he’s gone.  Classic!   If you don’t mind heading over to Apple podcasts and giving us a review, we’d sure appreciate it awful good! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   STEVE CARLSON https://www.stevecarlson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/stevecarlson https://www.facebook.com/stevenpaulcarlson   THE BIG GUN SHOW https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

As season two continues, I am thrilled to have Graham Weber on the show today.  He is highly involved with and organization called The House of Songs.  He plays in a band called Western Youth (that I LOVE) and has his solo thing going on as well.  I was at SXSW this year and saw Western Youth.  I’m not sure if you know my drummer Yates Hagan but he left us.  I was listening think how much he would love them and the tears started flowing.  He would have loved them.   Late in season one, I implemented quizzes into the mix and this will continue on future podcasts and this will continue for the foreseeable future.  Don’t matter what I’m going to ask.  It’s all fun and smiles.  And today, Graham nailed 5 for 5 questions.  Good on ya, Graham!   If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but if you were to give a star for each one of your top five records on the Apple/iTunes platform (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   You can find him on the good ole interweb at:   www.grahamweber.com/ www.western-youth.com https://www.instagram.com/gdub5000/ www.facebook.com/grahamwebermusic www.thehouseofsongs.com    

As season two continues, I am thrilled to have John Chipman on the show today.  He has been playing music professionally for over 25 years and has played with an insane amount of musicians from the Resentments (who I so love!), Slaid Cleaves, Band of Heathens, David Grissom (who I think defines what Texas Blues really is), and of course my favorite, Kelley Mickwee.  If you ask me, I think he is a top three drummer here in Austin. He has toured numerous times in Europe and the Far East.  He moved to Austin after studying music and graduating from the University of Oklahoma.  In the 2007-2008 Austin Chronicle Music Awards, he won best drummer.   In Modern Drummer, he passes along some tidbits of what he has learned from other musicians: Never ask of music. When you expect music to do things for you, it will not happen. Music itself is the reward. If any success or fame comes as a result of playing music, be forever thankful, because you have already experienced more than 95% of the people who have ever picked up a pair of drumsticks have. The fewer notes you play, the more money per note you are making. Save your big stuff for the last chorus of the last song in the encore. Never play in a trio with a husband and wife. Never cop an attitude. There is always somebody better than you. If you see someone who might not be up to your personal yardstick, watch even closer, they will teach you something you didn’t know.   Late in season one, I implemented quizzes into the mix and this will continue on future podcasts and this will continue for the foreseeable future.  Don’t matter what I’m going to ask.  It’s all fun and smiles.   If you don’t mind heading over to Apple podcasts and giving us a review, we’d sure appreciate it awful good! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband  

As season two continues, I am thrilled to have Kelley Mickwee on the show today.  Kelley is a fellow Cherokee who moved to Austin from Memphis and joined up with a killer four piece called the Trishas.  She’s a Shiny Soul Sister in Kevin Russell’s Shinyribs.  She’s a founding member of Red River Songwriters along with Drew Kennedy, Josh Grider, Walt Wilkins, Susan Gibson and Brandy Zdan.  But what I admire most about Kelley is her show on Sun Radio called River Girl Radio.    We talked about her love of said show and how the theme of the often has her diving into deep artist listening.  Much like my passion for doing this podcast.   Cleaning also comes into our conversation about her records.    If you don’t mind heading over to Apple podcasts and giving us a review, we’d sure appreciate it awful good! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   Cheers!   www.kelleymickwee.com www.thetrishas.com www.redriversongs.com www.sunradio.com www.shinyribs.org   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

As season two continues, I am stoked to have John Spong on the show today.  He was nominated for a National Magazine Award in 2009 and twice won the Texas Institute of Letters’ O. Henry Award for Magazine Journalism. He is the author of A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove and his stories have been collected in Best Food Writing and The Best American Sports Writing.  He’s got two boys named Willie Mo and Leon.   Spong is a native Austinite and in my opinion, a walking Willie Nelson encyclopedia.  I say this not only because he pretty much invented the Texas Monthly issue on Willie but also I have listened to every episode of his podcast called One By Willie where he has a notable Willie fan talk about their favorite Willie song.  Check it out, it is WILLIE cool.  My favorite episode is season two’s podcast with Don Was.  Another one of my heroes.   And because he knows so much about Willie, today’s podcast we each picked our favorite three Willie records and discussed them.   If you don’t mind heading over to Apple podcasts and giving us a review, we’d sure appreciate it awful good! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   Cheers!   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Season two of the My Top Records podcast starts today.  We've got Mitch Ballard for your listening pleasure.  Mitch moved from Nashville to Austin a couple few years ago to start the BMI office.  This office reminds me why Austin is Austin.  Organization like HAAM and SIMS.  No other city has such a focus on their artistic integrity.  Makes me proud to be a 7th generation Texan.    Before Mitch opened the BMI office here in Austin, he’d been called the Swiss Army Knife of the country music business.  He started off by turning down a music scholarship to North Texas because he didn’t really want to play the trumpet anymore.  He was a tour manager for BJ Thomas for 8 years.  He owned a website building company for musicians and then an LED concert company.  Yeah, he knows the music biz.  I love podcasts like this on because I don’t really have to talk.  I threatened to trash my Encyclopedia of Country music.  What would I need that for when I can just call Mitch?   If you don’t mind heading over to Apple podcasts and giving us a review, we’d sure appreciate it awful good! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   Cheers!   https://www.instagram.com/mitch_ballard/ https://www.facebook.com/mitchballard   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Today’s guest is Weldon Henson.  He might have the best honky tonk voice that Austin can call it’s own.  I’d describe it as a mix between Merle Haggard and Ray Benson  He plays the honky tonks in and around Austin.  In particular, a weekly gig at the Broken Spoke and monthly at Ginny’s.  When you hear him talk about his top five records, I believe that it is clear where his influences lie.       Moving forward all podcastees of the My Top Five Records podcast will have to now deal with quizzes. They won’t know what I am going to ask them but I assure you that they will have a good time.  Weldon did pretty dern good.   If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but a star for each one of your top five records on iTunes (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   Let’s get to the conversation.  But first…   Close your eyes.  You’re at the furtherest place out there.  What 5 records do you have?   http://weldonhenson.com/music/ https://www.facebook.com/weldonhensonmusic https://www.instagram.com/weldonhenson/ https://twitter.com/weldonhenson   https://thebiggunshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but a star for each one of your top five records on iTunes (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   Today’s guest is Harmoni Kelley.  She spells her name H A R M O N I and we had a full on blast talking about her top five records.  Much like many of my other podcastees, Harmoni had a terrible time choosing what records we were going to talk about but we had a killer time.    Harmoni has only played bass and she has played with the likes of Bob Schneider, Fastball and now tours stadiums with Kenny Chesney.  In our talk, she mentions how she ended up picking her top five like the way that she approaches music.  It’s so awesome when a podcastee comes to some sort of revelation.  Truly awesome.    Also, I have a new update to the My Top Five Records podcast.  Moving forward all podcastees will have to now deal with quizzes. They won’t know what I am going to ask them but I assure you that they will have a good time.   https://harmonikelley.com/ https://www.facebook.com/harmonikelleymusic https://www.instagram.com/harmonikelley/   www.thebiggunshow.com https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  You can find My Top Five Records pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts but a star for each one of your top five records on iTunes (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   It is another honor and privilege to have today’s guest on My Top Five Records podcast.  Mike Stinson.  He’s one of my hero honky tonk songwriters.  If you’ve never heard his music, please check him out.  He’s incredible.  If you can see him live, even better.  He is up east right now and his new single called Close Enough For Government Work.  Check it out   Today we talked about how when he was 15 in a record store and when he heard Bob Dylan’s, Infidels, he asked who it was and then had to buy the record.  He told me that Peter Wolf of the J Geils Band was picking the walk on and off music for the Stones.   One of my favorite things about Mike is that he was a drummer first.  It is my belief that drummers make the best songwriters.  Think about Dave Grohl.  I feel they understand, like Mike says, the math behind the song.   https://mikestinsonmusic.com/bio https://www.facebook.com/mike.stinson.50 https://www.instagram.com/stinsoncountry/   www.thebiggunshow.com https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

It is another honor and privilege to have today’s guest on My Top Five Records podcast.  Chris “the Whipper” Layton was one half of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Rhythm section Double trouble.  The way he picked his top five records was super cool.  Not only did he play with Stevie but he and Double Trouble also joined forces with The Arc Angels and Storyville.   If you're digging on what we're laying down, please give us a review on iTunes.  A star for each one of your top five records (that's five stars!) would be super appreciated!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-top-five-records/id1494022573   https://www.facebook.com/chriswhipperlayton https://www.instagram.com/whiptale/   www.thebiggunshow.com https://xtwww.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

It is an honor and privilege to have today’s guest on My Top Five Records podcast.  Mike Flanigin is in my humble opinion the best B3 player around.  He playing consistently at CBoys with Jimmie Vaughn, at least when that Covid dude isn’t wreaking havoc on us.  Come on Covid.  Can’t you leave us alone?   So yeah, he plays with Jimmie.  He is also buds with Billy Gibbons and has performed with ZZ Top, Steve Miller, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Charlie Sexton, Doyle 2 and Bonnie Raitt to name a few.  I actually opened up for him once at our mutual friend, Tom Amiss’, annual party   One of my favorite stories is how he used to tour as a guitarist with a LA band and returned to Austin to join the Antone’s Nightclub house band.  That’s when he decided to change instruments and start playing the B3.  He hooked up with organ legend Big John Patton to learn the craft.  And guess what, Big John has a record in Mike’s top five.   In 2015 he released his debut record called The Drifter.  Rolling Stone said, “The Drifter is a road trip-worthy record that veers from punk rock to desert pop to Bible Belt Blues, it’s disparate parts glued together with the swirl and swoon of B3 organ.  This is day-driving mood music, with Flanigin creating his own version of atmospheric Americana.”    And just this year, he dropped a brand new record called West Texas Blues and born out of his and Sue Foley’s Texas Blues Party that they streamed live on Facebook.  They went into the studio as a three piece.  Just Sue, Mike and Chris “Whipper” Layton of Double Trouble.    I quote Flanigin saying about the record, “As much as I labored over ​The Drifter​ album, which took me three years to make, and I had a lot of different types of genres, and people, and guests, this was the exact opposite.” Flanigin said. “This was ‘Let’s go in and let’s do what we do,’ and we play the blues. That’s what we’ve been doing our whole lives.”   I was driving back from Houston yesterday and thought I would put it on.  Well I did and I could not turn it off for the entire ride home.  If you like the blues, you’ve got to check it out.  An All Star cast of blues legends kicking out an homage to some Texas Blues music.   So PLEASE people go out there and support music.  Support the artists that make you groove.  Allow those who create to keep creating.  Get out there or go online and buy Mike Flanigin’s new record.  While you’re at it, I’d recommend you pick up The Drifter as well.   We talked about how he knew Lazy Lester and how Texas music is for dancers.  We talked about how Billy Gibbons plays on 7 strings and how that shows in his touch AND how he knows professional card tricks.  It was like a history lesson.    We had a slight technical difficulty and about 10 mintues got cut from our conversation.  It was primarily about Billy Gibbons.  We talked about Dusty has motorboat fingers and that is what makes ZZ Top ultimately unique.  He also talks about how he likes to record live in the studio and how he started singing again because Jimmie Vaughn pretty much made him when they were on tour.    What also got cut was where you can find him online.  You spell Mike’s last name F L A N I G I N.  As he says, with two N’s and two I’s   http://www.mikeflanigin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mikeflaniginofficial/ https://www.instagram.com/mikeflanigin/   If you’ve got the gumption, head over to THE BIG GUN SHOW DOT COM and check out what my band is up to these days.  You can also catch us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube with a handle of thebiggunshowband.  Go to our website and sign up for our email newsletter so that you can get updates about our coming record called Honky Rock.   www.thebiggunshow.com www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Today I’m talking to Wayne Sutton.  I used to go see him rock it something like twice a week with Little Sister back in the day at the Black Cat.  Free hot dogs and 1 dollar Pabst Blue Ribbon tallboys.  Then they changed their name to Sister 7 and Darrel Phillips joined the band and they just kept rocking.  I told him the story when I saw Darrell in Wichita at Barleycorns.   We talked about his new record called The Blue Worm and how a Blue Worm is a Pilipino knife fighting move.  He said that all the records he picked are driving records and laughed as he said how blown away how Joni Michell wrote all the songs wacked out on blow.  No pun intended.   If you’ve got the gumption, head over to www.thebiggunshow.com and check out what my band is up to these days.  You can also catch us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube with a handle of thebiggunshowband.  And when Covid leaves us alone, our most consistent gig is our monthly residency at The Little Longhorn Saloon here in Austin.  Home of Chicken Shit Bingo.  We play the happy hour on the first Friday of every month.  Bring Grandma.  She’ll have a blast.   https://www.facebook.com/donkey44 https://www.instagram.com/waynesutton27/   www.thebiggunshow.com https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Today I’m talking to Robert Wagner.  He’s been around Austin for quite some time.  He’s got some great stories that synch with his top five records.  He talks about how the Jesus Christ Superstar band was Joe Cocker’s touring band.  He told me that Lou Reed did not like the positive press that the positive press his band was getting so he fired them. And then then went to Jesus Christ Superstar.  And his dad!!!  Dick Wagner!!!  He saw Alice Cooper live.  And lastly, he got painted quarters so that he could play the jukebox.   https://www.facebook.com/robertwagneraustin https://www.instagram.com/singeratx/   www.thebiggunshow.com https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Today I’m talking to Bruce Castleberry.  He’s the lead guitarist for both Vallejo and Southtown.  He’s also starting something up with AJ Vallejo called Brodie Lane.  I saw the first incarnation of Brodie Lane but apparently now it is different.  FYI, they call him Lightning because he never strikes the same thing (or plays the same thing) twice.   One of my favorite parts of this specific podcast is all the stories he has to go along with his favorite records.  We talk about how he sound checked the Cult’s equipment at the Alamodome.  How the brothers used to play the same set before they got together.  We talk about how they used to call him Cornelius Courvoisier and about how in his youth someone sorted some PCP of an amp.   www.thebiggunshow.com https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband

Today I’m talking to Mike G.  He’s the main man in his band, the Jukebox Heroes.  Today’s episode is going to be a little different.  Usually, I speak with the podcastees about the top five records that they could only have for the rest of their lives.  About a year ago, I was at the One 2 One bar on South Lamar and having a talk with Mike G.  We were talking in depth about the Stones and I mentioned that he should be on my podcast.  Then I said, let’s make it a top 3 Stones records podcast.  After many high fives, hugs and laughs, we decided we were going to do it.  Basically, this episode is two Stone’s fanatics talking about a subject they both love.   https://www.jukeboxatx.com/ https://www.facebook.com/jukeboxatx https://www.instagram.com/jukebox_atx/   www.thebiggunshow.com https://www.facebook.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.instagram.com/thebiggunshowband/ https://www.youtube.com/thebiggunshowband