And now we close out the year! Dan has put together a short playlist of some of his favorite tracks of 2021. Featuring Philly artists like John Faye, Hurry, The Lunar Year, and more. Happy New Year to all, looking forward to even more great music in 2022. Go to 25oclockpod.com and click on the episode blog post for a clickable playlist of all the artists. 

Dan talks to two Johns this week as part of the 2021 Year End Wrap Up: writer/musician/DJ John Morrison and  head of WXPN's The Key John Vettese. Each John talks about songs they liked from 2021, shows and events that they saw, and some of the work they put out this year amidst all of the ups and downs. Featuring music from Mannequin Pussy, Shortie No Mas(s), and Tyshawn Sorey and King Britt. 

Dan and Katie talk about all the music she's made as The Lunar Year, including their outstanding Left Of The Dial Live Session. Growing up in Bucks County, living in the Midwest, songwriting and recording, the undertaking of making a live record, and more. Plus: live performance at the end! So glad we can do that again!

Dan reunites with Rahsaan Lucas of AfroTaino Productions, and they reminisce about a few shows they did together years ago. Rahsaan talks about his early love of music, being a DJ, how he got into concerts and event promotion, how AfroTaino formed with his partner Marángeli Mejía Rabell, and everything that AfroTaino has been doing during the pandemic, as well as what they have in store for the future. 

In Part 1, Dan talked to Paul about how he got into music, producing and performing as Starkey, and his days in the burgeoning Philly electronic music scene. In Part 2, Paul talks about his work as a music educator, his role as the head of the music production and business departments at Community College of Philadelphia, the school's own Spring Garden Records label, and the expertise and experiences he brings to the classroom.

Dan sat down with Paul Geissinger at the studios in Community College of Philadelphia to talk Paul's music, his work as electronic artist and producer Starkey, his days producing shows as part of the Philadelphia electronic music scene with folk like Dev79, his introduction to grime and garage as it was forming in the early 00s in London, and how he helped bring it over to the states. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, focusing on Paul's work as an educator and all the great work he's doing at CCP, and their in-house label, Spring Garden Records. 

Dan talks with Keith Marlowe of The Miners (and formerly of Tornado 5) about their new record, 'Megunticook', alt country from the 80s to today, the Philly alt-rock scene in the 90s, becoming a frontman, and the joys of the current vinyl shortage. 'Megunticook' is available now everywhere you get digital music.

Dan gets to talk to the whole Keely Sibilia crew: Keely, producer Robby Webb, and keyboardist Dan Finn. The band discusses their new LP, 'Death Of A Romantic', how they went into making the record with no material at all, the ups and downs of music school (the three are all UArts alums), growing into an adult from a 20-something, and why they love making music in Philly.

Lisa Flynn has been part of the Philly music scene going way back, from growing up in Northeast Philly, booking the Trocadero and North Star Bar, to her bands Workhorse III and Lisa Christ Superstar. Dan and Lisa talk about her new LP, 'Soundtrack Of the Floating World', (produced by Joe Nicolo), guitars, being a nurse during COVID, Trocadero balcony shows, and more. 

Dan sits down with Jamie Salvatore and Morgan Russo of Jamie and the Guarded Heart in person (woohoo!). Jamie and Morgan talk about growing up in working class suburbs of Philly (Conshohocken and Norristown respectively), Jamie wanting more than his day job as a cover musician, Morgan giving him the push he needed, and Jamie drafting Morgan into the band from the start. And as a huge bonus, they play a song live in the studio, something that's been sorely missed on the show for the past year or so. Jamie and the Guarded Heart have a new single out called "I Don't Love You", available wherever you get digital music. 

Dan talks with Lindo, a Philly born poet, spoken word artist, teacher, and activist, about his work, how he uses multimedia to get his work out there, Black Lives Matter, and how starting a chess club in middle school was his first taste of how to change things for the better. Follow Lindo on his Instagram at @lindoyes.

Dan talks to Kitzy, producer of the Left Of The Dial podcast and video series, established in early 2020 and going strong as ever. They talk about striving to be consistent when it comes to creating content, wanting to improve other podcasts' audio, Kitzy's production work on the new Erin Fox LP, and the growth of Left Of The Dial as a whole. You can buy the live recordings of all of their sessions at their Bandcamp, it supports both the bands and LOTD.

Dan and Sean talk about Sean's journey from New Jersey to New Orleans to Philly, getting comfortable in the Philly scene, his work with Spring Garden Records at Community College of Philadelphia, Ortleib's (obviously), and why streaming algorithms lump him in with The Beatles and Leonard Cohen.

Dan talks with Becca of famed Philly jamtronica band Solar Circuit. Becca hips Dan to the finer points of the genre, how her expansive synth rig works, choosing who to get involved with as a band, being a woman in the jam band world, and what the band's been up to during the pandemic. Solar Circuit has a new LP, 'Pulling at the Source', available everywhere you get digital music. 

Dan talks to Brianna about DIY spaces, safety and consent at music venues, and her multiple Emmy awards. Brianna directed and produced the upcoming documentary, 'Safe x Sound', a film about safe spaces in DIY music with Brian Walker (A Day Without Love). 

Dan talks with Phil and Eric of Philly psych rockers Lito and the Shepherds, and it's the first in person conversation on the show since Match of 2020. It's a great time, they talk guitars, their new record 'Never Thought I'd See The Day', getting back out to play some shows, and much more. You can get their new LP at their Bandcamp and anywhere you get digital music. 

Dan talks to Matt Scottoline of Philly power-pop masters Hurry about the new record, 'Fake Ideas', the pocketbook that goes with it, album aesthetics, how it's hard to practice guitar when you're a kid, the early days of the Drexel music business program, and how Matt learned that the best way to write a Hurry record was the same ol' way he's written every other Hurry record. 'Fake Ideas' is out now on Lame-O Records, and available everywhere you get music.

Summer is here, live music is happening, and that means a lot of music has been dropping over the last month or so. Dan puts together a playlist of top-notch Philadelphia bands and artists that have new music out now, and you can view the whole playlist complete with links over at 25oclockpod.com. Featuring Hurry, Grace Vonderkuhn, Omar's Hat, Kississippi, Bad Shapes, and more.

Dan interrupts Matt Taglang's New England vacation to talk about Athensville, their new record, 'Undressing Minds for Show', and the loaded term 'Dad band'. Matt talks about his days in his Penn State bar band, traveling the world as a teacher, meeting the Athensville guys later in life, and helps put to bed the old notion that you get more conservative as you get older. 'Undressing Minds for Show' is out now and available wherever you get digital music.

Dan takes the advice of a past guest (Susan Werner) and talks with slide guitar master Mike Brenner. Dan and Mike talk about his 90s band, The Low Road, Mike's countless credits (Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Company, Marah, Wild Pink, John Train, etc.), his anticipation of upcoming shows, and his time in India where he studied the chaturangui (an Indian slide guitar). Mike is out on tour with Wild Pink this fall in support of their new record, 'A Billion Little Lights'.

Photo by Ron Adelberg

Dan talks to Brian Walker (A Day Without Love) about his upcoming documentary, 'Safe x Sound', filmed during his 2019 Storytellers tour by Briana Spause. They discuss the themes like safe spaces, consent, acceptance, community, as well as DIY touring, sponsorships, and the future of DIY booking now that live shows are starting to happen again. Check out the trailer here, the film release is July 27th, and more info can be found at BS Productions.

Dan celebrates his 200th episode with a very special guest: Helen Leicht of WXPN and Philly music champion of many, many years. Helen got her start at KYW news, worked at WIOQ, and came to XPN in the early 90s where she featured Philly artists and helped strengthen the growing music community. Dan and Helen talk about helping break Tom Petty at WIOQ, hearing folk like Amos Lee and Melody Gardot for the first time, her love of The Beatles, and so much more. 

On the eve of the 200th episode, Dan takes yet another opportunity to highlight some great Philly music. Featuring new tunes from Dave Cope and the Sass, Emily Drinker, Ali Awan, Sophie Coran, Erin Fox, and more. Check out the clickable playlist at 25oclockpod.com with all the artists links.

Dan talks to Niyonu about growing up in Newark during the 60s and the Civil Rights Movement, coming from a musical household, how her activism grew, teaching, Quaker Meetings, community engagement, her past singing group Tribe 1, touring as a means to learning about the rest of the country, and so much more. She has a new single out now called 'Kiss Me (Bobbi's Song)', available wherever you get digital music.