It's not very often that you get to speak with an artist who's been hailed as a musical pioneer.  It's also not very often that that musical pioneer happened to be your high school English teacher.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Lemos, founder and lead singer of Controlled Bleeding, nearly ten years after seeing him last.  Instead of discussing Of Mice and Men and The Catcher in the Rye, Paul delved into tales of being banished from his home as a youth and his quest to make music his way.

Although he's been involved in a number of projects under various titles, i.e. Breastfed Yak, Controlled Bleeding is Lemos and Lemos is Controlled Bleeding.  The group amassed a global cult following as it blazed a trail from the late 70's and on in a genre no one could really put a finger on. According to their website, "The band's classic first album, KNEES AND BONES...stands as one of the earliest documents of American power electronics...issued in 1983."  Despite the label, the group is truly experimental and no two albums seem to sound alike.  Per their Facebook page, we'll just go with "Experimentalprogfusionfuckery."

Lemos is an incredibly insightful, creative, and sometimes ghostly artist who has birthed some of the loudest and most eclectic music I have ever heard in my life.  Perusing Controlled Bleeding's discography on Spotify is not a journey for the light hearted but one that all true music fans must embark on.

Enjoy and check out Controlled Bleeding's site:
http://www.controlledbleeding.com


Controlled Bleeding Interview

During World War II the Greek island of Crete was occupied by the Nazis and was a strategic stronghold. To take back the island, Great Britain created a small band of misfit resistance fighters consisting of poets, historians, and Cretan shepherds. Their job was to muck things up for the Nazis, but one day they decided to do something completely audacious: kidnap a German general and get him off the island.

Against all the odds, they accomplished their mission.

How’d they do it?

My guest today on the podcast went to Crete to follow in the footsteps of these WWII resistance fighters and along the way discovered that they had tapped into the ancient Greek art of the hero. His name is Christopher McDougall and in his book Natural Born Heroes, he takes readers on a whirlwind tour through history, psychology, and fitness to show how these clever, courageous Englishmen emulated Odysseys and other Greek heroes and what regular Joes can do to live more heroically. In today’s episode, Chris and I discuss the mindset, the virtues, and the skills needed to become an ancient Greek hero.

#195: How to Live Like an Ancient Greek Hero

Shelter

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Luke O'Brien and Brian Aranda in Luke's new home in Philadelphia and it was like no time had passed.  Granted, I had only spent so much time with them as me and my wife followed their band, A Cool Stick (RIP), through NYC or had them play a house party in my backyard on Long Island (AKA Quogueapalooza) but they greeted me like an old friend.  They took me on an amazing journey through their entire friendship and how they've grown as musicians.  It was fascinating to hear how they got their start at Loyola College in Baltimore where they started their band and then went on to collaborate on a separate project (HAHA-YO), which propelled Luke on his path as a solo artist.  I have never seen someone put so much passion into something as Luke has put into his music and it shows.  His enthusiasm and messages are genuine and inspirational. If you haven't heard heard him, go find him!

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Luke O'Brien & Brian Aranda- Full Interview

In the summer of 2011, I had the privilege of meeting Peter Frampton's tour manager, Donnie Lewis, at a Frampton show in Baltimore, MD and on January 20, 2012, he joined me for a live on-air interview on WLOY Loyola Radio.  

This interview took place during the Frampton Comes Alive! 35 Tour right after Peter Frampton was reunited with his lost 1954 Gibson Les Paul, which had supposedly been destroyed in a plane crash 31 years earlier.  Frampton would use the Les Paul again for the 1st time at the Beacon Theater when the anniversary tour came to New York City in February 2012.  

I was lucky enough to be front row for the legendary performance, thanks to Donnie.  He's been a great friend and I will never forget his generosity, especially towards such a Frampton fan as myself. 

Controlled Bleeding Interview

Mike the Psych