Archive for Artist of the Week

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Ruff Mix Recycling Day…and I LUUUUVVV Recycling

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2011 by djhalo

BLau!!!  Coming at you this Tuesday afternoon with a TON of dope goodies; 2 Pop Session Mixes, 2 Artists of the Week and 1 plea to help a homie win an online DJ competition…WOE!!!  Yeah it’s that jam packed.  Biggup as always to Adam’s World Blog for letting me relentlessly JACK site content, and not even threaten to punch me in the face…although that may change as I recently told him I think I might have killed one of his homies…I can’t be sure though, but it MIGHT have been one of them.  Plus there’s going to be the usual sprinkle of pontificating about future events as well…will they come to pass???  I guess you’ll have to wait and see…WHALLAH!!!

HALO Sessions; Pop Mixes

For this segment of Halo Sessions I present to you 2 pop music mixes I did as various demos within recent memory; both have alot of bright moments, some EH moments and a few WTF moments.  Overall a fun listen in general of some audio crack Top 40 tunes you know and love.  Click the links below to DL, Peep game and you bee the judge…

POP MUSIC: DANCE SIDE

This demo was made for a high energy type spot that is not so down with the rippty rapp rappin…No Worries!!! I got you covered…showing off Pop’s danceable side like that record i found in the trash behind the library when I was but a pup in the DJ game…memories

POP MUSIC: TOP 40 URBAN SIDE

This demo was created for a specific party promoter who wanted a mix of all things Urban…Voila!!!  Some fun mixes here and alot of crappy RnB…

 

ARTISTS OF THE WEEK

Showtyme 2/28/11

O.I.S.D.uary is coming to a close this week with the last, but certainly not least, member of O.I.S.D. to be featured here, Showtyme. For those looking in recent Artist Of The Week history and only seeing four of the members of O.I.S.D. you might be wondering “where’s J.Monopoly?” He was actually featured in 2009 back when “Right In The Kissah,” his collaboration with Top $ Raz and Kalil Kash, was tearing the roof off shows all over NYC.

With O.I.S.D. prepping a new album, and with them having become one of NYC’s preeminent underground hip-hop groups, I decided to dedicate the entire month’s worth of Artist Of The Week features to them. I asked the members of the group the same questions so their distinct personalities could shine. One of my favorite results from this are the different stories of how each member came to be a part of the group. J.O. led off the series of interviews, E.Y.E.Q batted second, Khid 2 Che was featured last week, and now Showtyme is closing things out and tying up any loose ends. For full article please visit Adam’s World Blog…

Chronikill 3/7/11

The Chronikill trio of Charlie Cypher, Zerox One, aka Rox, and Keyno Speedz have been a staple on New York City’s underground hip-hop scene for quite a while now. Whether it’s been their own performances, or the Doin’ Alright series of shows they throw at the Bowery Poetry Club, they know how to pack a place, and they know how the keep their wall to wall crowds happy. I caught up with all three members of Chronikill this week to find out a little bit about their history, what goes into throwing a successful event, and what some of the wilder Chronikill and Doin’ Alright moments have been. Spoiler alert – stage diving and crackheads are BOTH involved.  For full article please visit Adam’s World Blog…

 

VOTE FOR DJ ANUBUS!!!!

YES YES!!!  The Homie and Cut Crew Member DJ Anubus has entered the wild world of Online DJ Battles (WHOA Blossom…) and I am asking you to both check the routine below and if you are feeling it, click the link below and vote for his routine.  What do you get out of doing this???  Uhhh, the satisfaction that you helped boost someone else’s ego and garner them praise despite your’s being horribly bruised and in desperate need of praise???  Stop being a baby and JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!

If you are feeling the routine click the link HERE to vote for DJ Anubus!!!

 

 

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Tuesday is Recycling Day…and I Looooove Recycling

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , , on November 23, 2010 by djhalo

Whattup Whattup!!!  So this week is Turkey filled awesomeness combined with annoying & awkward family interactions…pretty sweet!!!  Luckily I was hatched so I will just be doing my thang thang on the holiday; maybe a turkey sub from Subway.  I hear Jared loves em’…

So this week I have TWO artists of the week recycled from Adam’s World Blog and a brand spanking new Subways & Sidewalks Podcast!!!  A veritable feast for the mind and ears…WHOOOOAAA BLOSSOM that was corney!!!  Call me Nebraska from now on…

 

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: BOP ALLOY (Substantial & Marcus D)

Substantial was one of my original Artists Of The Week when I started this feature back in 2006. Since then he’s gotten married, moved from Brooklyn back to his original home of Maryland, release a couple albums, and had a child. The one thing I don’t think he’s done is sleep, because even with all that going on he still found the time to link up with Seattle producer Marcus D to create Bop Alloy. This week I caught up with both Substantial and Marcus D to find out more about the Bop Alloy project, including how they came together for it, the musical direction it goes in that will have longtime Substantial fans cheering, and why they’re so big in Japan.  For Full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

 

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: NOTAR

Born in New Haven, CT, Notar’s had two huge influences that have affected him from day one. First there’s his family’s work ethic. Having owned a grocery story in Hamden for generations, Notar’s never known a time when his family wasn’t doing for self. Second is his family’s musical side. His father was a trumpet player and it wouldn’t be long before Notar followed in his musical footsteps. Half Italian and half Lebanese, Notar went his own route musically, and it’s done him well. An emcee backed by a full band, Notar recently caught the ear of Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, who started a label and quickly inked Notar to a deal.
Now residing in NYC, Notar has made a name for himself in the hip-hop scene there, as well, most notably at Freestyle Mondays. This week I caught up with Notar to find out more about his music, how the closing of Sin Sin, which was the longtime home of Freestyle Mondays, affected him, and how seriously we should take his blog’s title of Notar for President.  For Full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

 

SUBWAYS & SIDEWALKS; HALO RE:mix Edition

A brand new (Literally, I did it last night) Subways & Sidewalks Podcast for your ears with the focus on this episode being…ME.  Yup you guessed it, my ego maniacal ways got the best of me when I was searching for themes and I decided to focus on remixes and more specifically, MY remixes.  Don’t worry other remixes get love in this episode too…sheesh!  Check the playlist below…

Intro
Dizzee Rascal – Sirens (HALO Remix)
Grand Buffet – Things that go Bump in the Night (Ultimate Club Mix)
Plastic LIttle ft. Amanda Blank & Ghostface – Crambodia (Pink Skull Remix)
Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass (HALO Remix)
Break
Serengeti – Crystal (HALO Remix)
Uffie – SUV (Armand Van Helden Remix)
Elle Goulding – Starry Eyed (Jakwob Remix)
Iron Lyon ft. Vordul Mega – Spiralin’ (HALO Remix)
Break
Domer – Mello Me (HALO Remix)
JR & PH7 ft. Evidence – Bow Down (HALO Remix)
Bisco Smith ft. human?, Grimace & Esen – Railroads (HALO Remix)
Dante LaSalle ft. Aztek – Dead Weather (HALO Remix)
OUT

If this sound like something right up your alley, then please feel free to click the album art above or the link HERE to download it.  If you’re a bit on the fence, ‘eh I dunno, do I really want this dude taking up my HD space?”, then please check the stream @ Rapreviews.com. Either way do check it out; I put a whole TWO HOURS of my time into it!!! That’s blood, sweat and tears…

 

 

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OHHH SNAP! I’m back and badder than ever…

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , on November 9, 2010 by djhalo

HOOOOLIIEEE COW!!!  It’s been a minute right???  Well I was on Hiatus for a min but I am now back, for the time being at least, and I have got some crazy stuff for you!!!   I have been planning this Euro trip for January, which is going pretty well, next I have my recycled Artist of the Week for this week aaaand a slew of new beats for you to peruse.  Sooooo, let’s get into it!!!

DJ HALO Takes Europe!!!

I will be doing dates in London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Prague…stay tuned for the specifics as dates get confirmed.

 

Artist of the Week; Wordspit

A lot of folks may recognize WordSpit from his appearance in the Dollar Van Demos McDonald’s commercial that ran earlier this year. Believe it or not, it was an instance where a billion dollar company was recognizing the impact of underground hip-hop. WordSpit is not a corporate shill, he’s a veteran emcee in New York City’s underground hip-hop scene, and this week I caught up with him to find out what kind of effect the ad campaign has had on his visibility, who he is as an artist, and where he gets his insane amount of energy from. For full story visit Adamsworld Blog…

 

NEW BEATS!!!!

So I have been finishing up a GANG of old stems and making new tracks in the last few days, like Books, you should…CHECKEMOUT

DrumEnBass

TOyPiANo

1996 RULES

 

WORD.


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Whuttup Wednesday; Ketchup Edition!!!

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , on September 8, 2010 by djhalo

Hollerate!!!  What’s good???  Hope your week is cruising like you were ghost riding the whip (slow and rudderless???).  In anycase cool things here at the halodoesntsuck labs…most notably a back catalog of Artist of the Week’s coming at you like Blau (SP?)!!!  So sit back and enjoy the ride before you have to hope off the hood and steer for a minute out of the way of that HUGE Mack truck…Ghost riding is the best…

Artist of the Week 8/16/10; Illus

Born in Bridgeport, CT, raised in Stratford, educated throughout NYC, and now residing in New Haven, Illus is known for a variety of artistic endeavors. A veteran when it comes the pen and the pad in more ways than just one, in addition to penning his lyrics, Illus is also an accomplished comic book artist, and has led panel discussions on the topic at CMJ, NYU, and various Comic-Cons. His latest album, Feel Good Music, is a collaboration with producer J.J. Brown, and it’s already drawing rave reviews from the likes of Chuck D, who Illus notes “said it was one of the best albums of the year on his radio show.” He adds “hearing him say that was pretty amazing.” This week I caught up with Illus to find out more about his dual loves, in what ways they crossover, and the song he felt he had to make.  For full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

Artist of the Week 8/23/10; Hank & Cupcakes

A few weeks ago I made a trip into the city to see Hank & Cupcakes. I’d heard, and dug, their self-titled EP and figured they’d be a good time live. With Hank, bass in hand, hitting the stage in sunglasses and unbuttoned coveralls, and Cupcakes taking her place standing behind her drums, wearing a shiny silver half jacket over a cropped top and also donning shades, I knew the performance I was about to see was definitely going to be different. In this case, different was good. Very good. Funky, vibrant, and just plain fun, Hank & Cupcakes are dance music with an attitude, and within one song they had the entire audience, myself included, moving to their beat. I caught up with the duo soon after the show to find out more about who Hank & Cupcakes are, how Cupcakes fell in love with the drums, and where they feel the unintentional sex appeal of their music comes from.  For full article, visit Adam’s World Blog…

Artist of the Week 8/30/10; Navegante

Hearing a Latin infused version of the Depeche Mode classic “Personal Jesus” is the kind of thing that perks my ears up and makes me take notice. The two man band that was providing the tune was Navegante, and they were opening for last week’s Artist Of The Week, Hank & Cupcakes. I started paying close attention to their set, which was heavy with thumping bass lines that moved the crowd. I was really impressed and left with their latest EP, which is self-titled. This week I caught up with both men of Navegante, Jean Shepherd and Washington Duke (pictured L to R), to find out more about their music, their migration to being unclassifiable genre-wise, and what they’ve learned after experiencing more than their fair share of industry shadiness. For full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

Artist of the Week 9/6/10; Mariella

It’s rare, but every once in a while the entire hip-hop community embraces a female singer and makes her an integral part the scene. In New York City that singer is Mariella. Along with iLLspoKinN, Mariella co-hosts Freestyle Mondays at Sin Sin, one of the city’s longstanding hip-hop events, and that, along with the respect everyone has for her singing abilities, has made her one of the first ladies of NYC’s underground hip-hop scene. This week I caught up with Mariella to find out about her journey in music, how she became a part of the city’s hip-hop community, and the interesting way Bob Ross has had an impact on her life. Yes, that Bob Ross, the king of the white man afro.  For full article, visit Adam’s World Blog…

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Whuttup Wednesday!!!

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , , on July 28, 2010 by djhalo

Hollerate!!!  So things are getting hectic around the Halodoesntsuck studios…August is gonna be a BEAST; Two weeks on the road with Pseudo Slang (Chicago artist on Fatbeats Records, check the link!!!) and two private events the following two weekends!!!  Oye Veh!!!  But, it’s gonna be good time for sure…since I was absent last week with Artist of The Week you get a DOUBLE shot this week (awww snappy son!!!) so let’s get into it so I can bask in the reflected glory that is Adam’s World Blog’s Artist of the Week.

ARTIST OF THE WEEK; SINTEX (last week)

A lot of artists like to say they can see the future of music, but how many have actually been to the future? According to Sintex, he has, and it was the inspiration for his 2009 album, 2020. Originally from Ohio, but now a Queens, NY, resident, Sintex’s story is an interesting one, and not just because of the time travel. Sintex had an extremely religious upbringing, and when I caught up with him this week he discussed it with me, as well as the way in which he rebelled against it. Also, since Sintex claims to have been to the future, I grilled him on when we’re going to get hoverboards, flying cars and robot maids.  For Full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

ARTIST OF THE WEEK; SOCE THE ELEMENTAL WIZARD

I’ll admit it, I probably should have been aware of Soce (pronounced So-Say) The Elemental Wizard a while ago. He’s a part of the NYC hip-hop scene and we have a lot of friends in common. Ironically, it was Iowa’s own Coolzey who, in a way, introduced us. During the 12 week run of Coolzey songs on this site one of them, week ten’s “Graduation Day,” was produced by Soce. Soce tagged me in a Facebook post about it, and alakazam, suddenly I was introduced to the wild world of Soce The Elemental Wizard. This week I caught up with him to find out more about that wild world, including his love of wizardry, how being openly gay has affected the way he’s been received within hip-hop, and how he scored the best website name on the planet.  For full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

INTERVIEW; PROLYPHIC (of Prolyphic and Reanimator)

As Strange Famous Records continues to mount an impressive roster of artists, I would like to take a look back at one of the beginning artists and albums they dropped from Prolyphic & Reanimator ‘The Ugly Truth’.  This records is Choc-A-Bloc full of jams that will make even the biggest hater’s head nod a lil bit.  Had a chance to sit down with Prolyphic when they first released the record waaaay back in 2007 and get his thoughts on eveything from his humble beginnings with Galapagos4 as one half of Stick Figures (alongside Robust) as well as how he linked up with both Sage and Reanimator.  Click the picture or link above to download; the zip come packed with treats two tracks off the album cover art and more!!!

Be on the looks this week for TONS more content for you to rock the F out to over the weekend!!!  SHIZAAAM!!!!

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Whuttup Wednesday; Recylcing Edition!!!

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , , on July 7, 2010 by djhalo

Hey, Hey!!!  So it is about a million and 2 degrees outside the frosty AC of the Halodoesntsuck studios and I am not feeling it AT ALL…can’t it be winter already, at least fall???  Lots of cool stuff coming up soon; Tour with Noah 23 & Brzowski, Rocking at Live @ 5, a few mixes and some new beats should be all served up by this time next week…Awwww Snap!!!  Wanna say Peace to the two Japanese girls who freaking KILLED it last night at the Full Spectrum showcase.  Tried to converse with the DJ but it was quite clear she had a limited grasp of English…c’est la vie.

[late] Artist of the Week this week is no other than all city famous Beatboxer…Greymatter!!!  Check it…

You may remember a few weeks ago I told a story about meeting two artists while waiting for the 6 train. The first artist was the recently featured Truth Now. The artist that was doing the beatboxing during their freestyle session was Grey Matter. After honing his craft and linking up with Kid Lucky and Beatboxer Entertainment, Grey Matter, although he still loves a good session on the train, has become one of the leading beatboxers in NYC. This week I caught up with him to find out more about how he became interested in beatboxing, why we see so few great beatboxers today, and the secret power of beatboxing that was revealed to him in Paris.  For full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

On last thing…

Just a graphic design piece I did recently, the text is taken from a Common Market song (Winter Takes All) off their album Tobacco Road…click on the JPEG to check their site.

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Tuesday is Recycling Day and I Loooove Recycling!!!

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , on June 15, 2010 by djhalo

YO.  Just got in and am covered with grass buuuut am posting anyway in this grimy gas soaked state anyhow cause it’s like that…Got artist of the week, a video of the ILLEST posse cut ever recorded and a quote off the same album that makes me laugh every time I think of it (serious, on line at the store yesterday…burst out laughing and got more than a few raised eyebrows).  Later in the week I will be posting my continuation of the ‘SXSW 2010; Collected Interviews from the Dirty Dirty’, some new podcasts of my recent Morning Shows and Six Feet Deep, as well as other cool treats.  It’s an exciting week here in the halodoesntsuck studio aside from the office reorganization that is going on as we speak (who knew mail could pile up so quickly…oye!!!).  Now on with the show…

This Week’s artist of the week is a singer and one heck of a singer at that…Michelle Shaprow!!! Click the stunning photo below or link to check out her Soundcloud page and see for yourself!  Thanks to Adam’s World Blog for always being nice enough to give me the content to jack…Holla!!!

I’m always open to suggestions for my Artist Of The Week features, so when my buddy Clyde over at ProHipHop.com, who rarely recommends artists to me, told me I had to listen to a singer by the name of Michelle Shaprow I immediately went to his site to check her out. Clyde wasn’t lyin, Shaprow has some serious skills. Having once charted on the Billboard dance charts as a vocalist over club tracks, Shaprow has slowed things down a bit and much of her new work, some of which can be heard on her Purple Skies EP, has a jazzy feel to it.
The internet has actually been a longtime friend to Shaprow; she met her current manager, Collin Stanback, via Facebook. Her story, however, starts with her nomadic childhood, which saw Shaprow and her family move all over the country. The songstress eventually set up shop at Yale for college and quickly found her way into the music industry. One interesting ride with Warner Bros. later, she’s now enjoying the freedom of being an indie artist. This week I caught up with Shaprow to find out more about that freedom, what brought about her shift in musical stylings, and how her dance fan base has reacted to her new sound.  For Full article check Adam’s World Blog…

BEST POSSE CUT EVER!!!

This is quite possibly the ILLEST posse cut to have ever been recorded (Sorry CT it’s not that track ‘The Coming” from a few years back…good, but not great like this) features basically every grimy south rapper of the height of the gangster rap era.  Pay special attention to the Gangster N.I.P verse…AAAAAAMazing.

Quote of the Century

On the album that ‘Bring it On’ is from, Ghetto Boys 4th and last record ‘Till Death Do Us Part’, there is an outro that contains this quote…“To all you youngsters out there looking to get into this rap business…it’s a smart move…”.  Really???  Dang!!! Wish I had known that before I wasted time and $$$ getting a piece of paper that says I learned stuff…HI-Larious!!!

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Whuttup Wednesday!!! Recycling, Tour, Mixes…

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , on June 3, 2010 by djhalo

Holy Crap!!!  Whut the F is up…it’s Halo the F-ing G…HUGE Update today that is choc-a-blok with goodies!!!  Let’s get into it cause i gotta bounce for the Halo Summer Jam Tour like right now.

First up, is this week’s Artists of the Week; MC Faceman!!!  Holler!!!

Sometimes it takes doing something a little different to get noticed. The MC Faceman knows this, which is why at the last Bondfire he jumped on stage with a megaphone for his time on the mic. I’d known The MC Faceman for a little while, and knew he was a talented emcee, but in a sea of artists, it was the megaphone that made me remember him most out of all the amazing acts I saw that night. Earlier this month The MC Faceman released the free downloadable EP 2010: The Year of The Worker Bee, and this week I caught up with him to find out more about his music, how the internet helped give him his name, and why he’s much more interested in meeting contractors and lawyers than famous people.
For full article visit Adam’s World Blog…

RUFF MIX MADNESS!!!

Yes, Yes!!!  A few mixes have been bubbling in the Halodoesntsuck labs and here are two good ones; One Electro and One straight commercial Hip-Hop…Peep Game!!!

Gangster Grillz with the MOST ILL

Just a live mix I recorded of newer tracks I had gotten recently and it came out pretty decent…Click the cover art or Link above to Download.

It’s a Demo!!!  Hip-Hop for the Cluuuub

Commercial Hip-Hop Demo I made literally yesterday and I am feeling how it came out…Checkit!!!  Click the Cover art or link above to Download.

DJ HALO SUMMER JAM TOUR!!!

That’s right, it’s BBQ season and all so i am hitting the road to rock out with my homies across the country!!!  Check the dates below….

Thursday 6/3 @ Rock Bar, Plymouth MI
Friday 6/4 @ B. Dubs, Deerborn MI
Saturday 6/5 @ TBA, Chicago IL
Sunday 6/6 @ Mince Meat Radio, Windsor MI
Monday 6/7 @ TBA, Ann Arbor MI
Tuesday 6/8 @ TBA, St. Louis MO
Wednesday 6/9 @ TBA, Kansas City, MO
Barring any last min books I should be back up to NYC on Friday for HOLLA!!! and Saturday Hookahs & Halos…

Aiight that’s all for now, have a long drive ahead of me and I am already late (thaaanks website…rrr)!

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Tuesday is Recycling Day and I Loooove Recycling!!!

Posted in Posts with tags , , , on May 25, 2010 by djhalo

Yoooo!!!  I have to shuffle off to Buffalo real soon so I just wanted to hit you with the Artist of the Week and be out…This week’s feature is none other than NYC underground favorite BS!!!  Hell Yes it’s BS!!!  Peep Game…

Don’t let the name fool you, there’s nothing BS about BS. A part of NYC’s next generation of up and coming emcees, BS has rocked the mic with a litany of former Artists Of The Week (aka B-Listers, for the uninitiated), including Chaz Kangas, Jesse Abraham, and Premonition. In fact, the first time I saw him perform it was with a group of artists I’d known for a while, so it was almost as though he’d arrived on the scene already co-signed. To BS’s credit, he’s never taken advantage of that feeling and continues to work his ass off to get heard. This week I caught up with BS to find out more about the man behind the initials, including what those initials stand for, where you’ll never find him, and why instead of sneaking into shows he now has to sneak out of them.  For Full Article, Check Adam’s World Blog… (As always thanks for the content jack!!!)

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Tuesday is Recycling Day and I Loooove Recycling!!!

Posted in Posts with tags , , , , , , , on May 18, 2010 by djhalo

PUNK ROCK!!!! Was feeling a bit down today doing my Morning Show on WPKN, finished strong with a punk rock set of Rancid, NOFX, Op Ivy, Bad Religion and am feeling much better…something about spring and punk rock are like Paddington and Marmalade, they just go together.  So before I get into the Artist of the Week, peep this video of my favorite Bad Religion song of all time…American Jesus (as me for what the song means sometime…Holler!)

And for good measure…Blatz…

OK, Ok, ok…now that you have been all amped up from those two videos, let’s get into the Artist of the Week, Premonition!!!

The first time I heard Premonition was the remix to “Double Time” that was on the Spills & Jesse Abraham album Alphabutter. The song featured half a dozen of NY’s finest and when Premonition’s verse came on my initial reaction was “damn, who’s the dude with the deep-ass voice of God?” Then I started listening to his lyrics and thought “damn, the voice of God has some serious skills!” Over the next few months I’d run into Premonition at a number of shows and find that in addition to being able to shine on a track he can also rock a mic live. A truly passionate emcee, this week I caught up with Premonition to find out more about that passion, who’s going to end up on his future tour bus, and his strange connection with comedian Judah Freidlander.  For Full Article click the link to Adam’s World Blog HERE…

That’s all for now…Don’t forget to check the Live Dates section for a show I will be doing this Friday in Danbury CT for a great cause (I am donating more than my $5, you should too), the Bisco Smith interview (click the link to download) I posted yesterday aaaaand the updated Six Feet Deep & Morning Show pages.

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