DJ Mike Show #198 – 3/13/2021: Interviews with Steve Almaas and Tamar Berk!

DJ Mike Lidskin spent ten years at a National Public Radio station in Chicago, returned to California in 1997 and created Twirl Radio, and now hosts 30 hours of programming a month at Woody Radio. His two shows, “The Show With No Name” and “The Saturday Thing”, feature the finest independent music and artists from the rock era. Mike’s on a mission to not “just spin rock music, but to educate listeners about this vital art form.” Indeed, he doesn’t just announce the songs, but gives histories about some of the artists, the albums, and the songs themselves.

You can catch the DJ Mike Shows live on Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. PST and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. PST at Woody Radio, http://www.woodyradio.com.

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS:
Some days, it’s a real treat to do radio. Ok, who am I kidding? Any day I can pull up a microphone and start broadcasting, it’s a real treat. But this past Saturday’s show was even treatier than that. I got to interview two really great artists, Steve Almaas and Tamar Berk.

Steve Almaas has had a long and distinguished music career, starting out in the legendary Minneapolis music scene with his punk outfit Suicide Commandos. Later on, a move to New York, and the formation of the critically-acclaimed country-ish rock band Beat Rodeo. (Editor’s note: Beat Rodeo’s “Without You” is one of our own Boris Boden’s all time favorite songs–as in Top 20 of all time.) Steve’s worked with some great musical luminaries over the years–Richard Barone, Mitch Easter, Don Dixon, Richard Gottehrer, and so many more. He’s been single-minded in his pursuit of making music over the decades, and his latest effort, “Everywhere You’ve Been”, is wonderful.

The album features clever songwriting, heartfelt, friendly vocals, and great ensemble playing. Stylistically, it ranges from folk and Americana to more upbeat, midtempo rockers. Let’s talk about that ensemble. Steve put together some of his favorite collaborators, folks he loves playing with, to make this record. It shows, as the overall vibe of the album is easygoing, low key, and charming. And the creativity happened anywhere and anytime. Two of the songs were literally dreamed up during the same airplane trip. I’m calling this the “Songwriter’s Mile High Club”–if you write a song on a plane, welcome to the club!

You’ll want this album. More info at https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Almaas-50639262420/

Later on, we met Tamar Berk. She’s had a long journey, both literally and figuratively. Geographically speaking, she moved from her native Cleveland to Chicago, where she made a name for herself, playing in many different bands (most notably, Starball) during that fertile musical renaissance the city saw in the 1990s. Then on to Portland and more bands, and finally, to San Diego. It was kind of inevitable that she’d wind up in California–it suits her really well.

Along comes 2021, and Tamar’s new album, “The Restless Dreams of Youth”. It immediately resonated with me. Really well written songs. She’s incapable of writing a bad one. Her vocals are deep and rich, and at times, soaring. She’s that rare singer whose vocals completely set the tone and mood of the song. And these songs range from moody and introspective, to gloriously rocking, upbeat, and cathartic. Melodies that stay with you, long after you’re done listening, and the only cure is to listen again. She assembled a great band to help realize her vision–a record that reexamines the past, through the lens of these times. Overall, her sound is somewhere between the best parts of Exile In Guyville-era Liz Phair, and Aimee Mann. Not a bad place to be. You’re going to need this record. More info at https://www.facebook.com/TamarBerkMusic/.

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