The True Tunes Podcast

John Fischer was making "Jesus Music" in the mid-1960s - before it was even a "thing." At a recent live event in Fullerton California, JJT invited Fischer to join the conversation and talk about those early countercultural days and how it all came together. Before there was an industry, a genre, or even a movement, there were kids with guitars and a desire to experience God in a meaningful, tangible way. Fischer went on to become one of the accidental innovators of a new style of music. But when the counterculture became a subculture - and a movement became a market - he never lost that fire in his belly. What might the counterculture of the 60s have to tell us about our troubled times today - and what might a new Jesus Movement look - and sound - like if it was to break out now? Find John Fischer's website HERE. For full Show Notes (include a list of the songs featured on this episode) visit TrueTunes.com/Fischer or click HERE. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Chris Taylor is a lifer. His first bands, (Windows and Love Coma,) were covered by True Tunes when we were just getting started back in the early 90s. While his bandmate Matt Slocum went on to form the alternative pop group Sixpence None The Richer, Taylor continued to release projects as Love Coma and as a solo artist. He also became an accomplished painter along the way. Now, almost 35 years later, Taylor continues to break new artistic ground. His most recent Love Coma project (which included contributions by Slocum) was a stunner, and his brand new solo project - "I Carry The Flame" may be his best work yet. You may have heard Taylor when he appeared on our Bruce Cockburn episode, but this time it's all about him, his longevity, and how he keeps the flame burning after all these years. PLUS we spin the new EP "Rosemary Hill" by Sixpence None The Richer on the Jukebox! For more info visit the full show notes page at TrueTunes.com/TaylorFlame. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

True Tunes Podcast host John J. Thompson recently celebrated the "soft-release" of his new novel, "The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville," with live events at Vinyl Tap in East Nashville and The Wheaton Public Library in the Chicago area. This special edition features clips from both events as JJT takes questions from Fr. Preston Sharpe of Sacrament Church (and guests) in Nashville, and Jeff Elbel (Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois Entertainer) in Wheaton. The episode also features a chapter from the fully produced audiobook and a bit of the original song "Sweet Marianne" by JJT featuring Phil Keaggy and Jeff Taylor. The book is available in print, digital, and audio form at most East Nashville record stores and bookstores and at LostPerros.com. For more info, full show notes, and photos from these events, visit TrueTunes.com/BalladLive

6-time Grammy winner Russ Taff’s voice has defined the emotional potential of Gospel music for over half a century. His perfectly raspy tenor transcends genre and era, first as the lead vocalist for Gospel legends The Imperials, then as a phenomenally successful solo artist. That legacy now takes on a whole new depth as Taff unveils Cover Story, a collection of rock, soul, and Americana songs that resonate deeply with the struggles he has privately endured throughout his life onstage. Longtime fans may be surprised to find the Gospel singer interpreting tunes by The National, Prince, Blind Willie Johnson, Bob Dylan, U2, Duran Duran, Bill Withers, Paul Simon, and others. However, students of Roots Gospel, Americana, Soul, and Blues will immediately see the thread. These are songs of spiritual survival. (Don't miss executive producer Steve Taylor’s Kickstarter campaign to release the project on vinyl and raise funds to promote it to a wide audience.) In a surprising – and risky – move for a Gospel singer, Taff decided to go public with his long struggle with addiction, recovery, relapse, and ultimate inner healing via the revealing 2018 documentary Russ Taff: I Still Believe. Instead of ending his career singing in churches and at Bill Gaither’s Homecoming events, audiences responded with deep appreciation for his candor and humility. A recent conversation on the recovery-themed Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel is currently generating similar enthusiasm. Taff, now 18 years sober and free of the need to hide anything, is more excited than ever to share music – and his story – with audiences around the country and the world. Taylor, (the artist, professor, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker connected to projects by Sixpence None The Richer, Newsboys, Chevelle, and others) had pulled his critically acclaimed but ill-fated mainstream rock band Chagall Guevara (MCA) together for a one-time reunion show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. A special post-show afterparty at Jack White’s Blue Room included an on-stage jam with several musical luminaries, including Taff (who had worked with Chagall members Lynn Nichols and Dave Perkins on several projects.) Taff’s impromptu jam on Charlie Peacock’s “Down In The Lowlands” thrilled the small crowd. Hearing Taff slay those songs, Taylor remembered an idea his longtime friend, bandmate, and musical collaborator John Mark Painter had suggested much earlier. What if they took their old friend into a recording studio with a slate of great songs and captured that raw, guttural energy and emotional honesty? They have now done just that. We are thrilled to sit down with Taff, Taylor, and Painter on this very special episode of the podcast, and to give our audience a first listen to Cover Story. BACK the Kickstarter Campaign HERE (closes September 9th, 2024) For the full list of songs, links, and a video of the infamous "Down In The Lowlands" jam at Jack White's Blue room, see the full Show Notes at TrueTunes.com/Russ Get all of the info about host John J Thompson’s new novel “The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville” at TrueTunes.com/ballad. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

On this “Extended Play” 45RPM episode of the show, our good friend Chris White, writer and director of the romantic comedy/road picture Electric Jesus, takes us to the set where he recently directed a short film for the song “Come And Save Me” starring actor and musician Fred Armisen (SNL, Portlandia) and our favorite outsider folk-pop band, Danielson. The song started as an unpublished lyric originally composed by the late Jesus Rock icon Larry Norman. It was then set to music, with the blessing of Larry’s estate, by Daniel Smith (of Danielson.) The resulting song is a complete departure from the tongue-in-cheek hair-metal Smith composed for the fictional metal band 316 in Electric Jesus. While “Come and Save Me” was not used in the film, it did appear on the soundtrack. Now, however, White has written and directed a special short film for the song, with Fred Armisen as the starring actor. So, come with us to a film studio in Greenville, South Carolina, and hear from Chris White, Daniel Smith, Fred Armisen, and Mike Norman (Larry Norman's son) about how this fantastic project came together and how each of them approaches and interprets the meaning of “Come And Save Me.” If you missed these previous episodes, be sure to go back and find our conversation with Daniel Smith on the topic of outsider art, join us on the set of Electric Jesus (which includes our conversation with actor Brian Baumgartner of The Office), and find our conversation with Chris White and Andy Erwin about the different ways faith is approached in film. We also released a very special “From The Vault” episode that included a previously unheard conversation with Larry Norman and a then-recent conversation with Michael about their complicated relationship. And if you would like more info on the Electric Jesus story, seek out and devour BOTH seasons of their excellent podcast. (You’ll find us all over them.) We could not have presented this episode to you without the help of Chris and Emily White. Electric Jesus is available to stream now. If you have not seen it – please do! If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the Berlin-based American ex-pat indie artist Roemer. About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with artist and songwriter Tonio K. About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Steve Taylor, Dave Perkins, Lynn Nichols, and Mike Mead of the most amazing and unlucky band of all time: Chagall Guevara! About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!