Episode 16 – Travis Allen (A Very High-Powered Class Of Rap Rednecks)

Travis Allen has played a huge role in my music over the years. He was the main instrumentalist on my album Bed of Seeds, and he’s been the DJ for many Height With Friends tours. While he’s currently on hiatus from the music game, he has remained my benevolent guide through the realms of music theory, guitar maintenance and more.

Travis and I are old pals, and I can listen to him talk about anything. I was glad to get his unique disposition down to tape. We talked about heavy things like losing a parent at an early age, and goofy things like a Halloween party where every kid showed up in the same ninja outfit. He made sure to represent far-Western Maryland to the fullest.

This week, Mike Riley hooked us up with an homage to Oh My God!, by Doug E Fresh. As always, this was recorded at The Lineup Room.

Episode 15 – Matt Pless (The Lightning Rod)

Matt Pless is a singer-songwriter from Baltimore. He’s been on the one-man folk-punk grind for many years, and was in a punk band for the years before that. I talked to him just as he was settling down from two years of perpetual touring.

Matt and I have been friends since I was a freshman in high school. We haven’t always kept in the closest contact, but we now find ourselves living similar lives, playing at the same venues and sleeping at the same houses across the country. We compared notes from the road, reminisced on our early days in Catonsville and discussed his frustration with being tied into the Occupy Wall Street movement.

For this week’s cover, Mike Riley came up with a tight homage to De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising. It all went down at The Lineup Room.

Episode 14 – Drew Scott (We’re Just Getting Weirder)

Drew Scott is a member of Black Sage and Something Complex. I talked to him as he was putting the finishing touches on his Drewcifer Scott solo album.

He talked about starting out as a producer in New Jersey, starting Something Complex in Fort Myers, Florida, and entering the Baltimore music world. He talked about the challenge of navigating a new scene, and about the rapid success of Black Sage. He told me about how he pushes past the feelings of being burned out on rap, a topic on which I often need advice.

This week, Mike Riley cooked up an homage to Gangstarr’s Step In The Arena. It all went down at The Lineup Room.

Episode 13 – Height Spinning Tunes (Height Never Sleeps)

A special episode of me spinning tight tunes in my basement.

Passalacqua – The Baptism
CX Kidtronik – A Weapon
Tuff Turf – Dead ’14
Al Lover – Snake Hands
Eze Jackson – Rappin’ Over Dan Deacon
Lord Grunge – Gorilla Man
Ms. Paintbrush – Rick’s
Jack Toft and Lil Cake – Bettin’ On An E-Cig
King Rhythm – Gone Days

Mike Riley paid tribute to Biz Markie’s The Biz Never Sleeps with this week’s cover art. As always, this podcast is brought to you by The Lineup Room and Mike Riley Comics.

Episode 12 – Secret Weapon Dave (A Record Paradise)

Secret Weapon Dave, aka Dave Barresi, is a DJ and producer based in Baltimore. He is one half of the production duo The Adults, with Mickey Free. Dave was my main collaborator on the last three Height albums; Versus Dynamic Sounds, Versus Electric Rockers and Versus The Continental MC’s.

We talk about his early days in the hardcore scene in Massachusetts. He breaks down his move to Baltimore, and why it’s a paradise for crate-diggers. We also build on how it isn’t true that everything is on the internet

For this week’s art, Mike Riley came with an homage to Kool G Rap and DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead Or Alive. It all went down at The Lineup Room.