Many thanks to Tennette who does not have a massive social media presence but is slowly building up a serious resume of appearances around NYC. Google her and get out to a gig! You'll be glad you did.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Will is also one of the founding producers of the Awkward Teenage Years  storytelling series. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch (?). You can also follow Will directly on Twitter and the 'gram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about Julia's work by following her on Insta. Or you can follow the links get more info about Happy Hour Story Hour every Monday at the Duplex (60 Christopher Street) and Top Shelf Stories at UCB, NYC (this month's show includes TVK alumni Adam Wade and Jeff Simmermon). 

Side note, were you aware that Tom's Diner is an actual place? It's actually called Tom's Restaurant and it is most famous as the "exterior shot" of Monk's Cafe in Seinfeld. The more you know.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

And don't forget to sign up for the TVK Mailing List. To continue to hear the latest and greatest regarding Keith's live shows and other fun stuff.

Oh! As promised here's the new TVK "places" playlist featuring London, LA, Ontario Cottage Country, New York - of course - and a little Birmingham).

While you're in a following mood make sure you add The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about her on her website or by following her on Instagram (not posting to Twitter anymore, so why should you?). While you're on her website be sure to read the info on Juanita's two books: Tales of an Inland Empire Girl and Portrait of a Deputy Public Defender: or, how I became a punk rock lawyer. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about Jesse by following him on Instagram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

He's an amazing storyteller and the writer of the one-man rideshare show We Are Traffic which you can learn more about here. If you're interested you can also follow Jonathan on Twitter and Instagram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As a saxophone-playing teenager, I've always been amazed by Charlie Parker. That said, my all-time favourite sax player has always been John Coltrane. For the longest time the ringtone on my phone was Giant Steps. So, why don't we call it this week's "this story reminds me of" track.

As promised here's the ticket link to my show The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity at the Montreal Fringe.  Also, there are only a limited number of tickets still available to the preview reading of the show at Variations Mile End on May 10th. You can get one of those here.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As I said in the intro this week, Greg's story really reminds me of a queer John Hughes movie. In light of that, it might be time to inform you that Smashmouth actually covered Simple Minds' classic Don't You (Forget About Me). You don't really want to hear it. The phrase "Smashmouth covering Simple Minds" should be enough. Oh wait, you're going to do it anyway? Oh well, don't say I didn't warn you.

As promised here's the ticket link to my show The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity at the Montreal Fringe .

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

John is a fixture in the storytelling scene in Northern California.  He's a storytelling instructor, coach, and assistant events producer for Capital Storytelling in Sacramento and the host of the Do Tell! open mic series in Rancho Cordova. He's also, in case you can't tell from the sensitivity and emotional tone of his storytelling, a really nice guy. You can check out more of John's storytelling talent on Youtube or follow him on Instagram.

As promised, here's a link to the dramatic and wonderful Jerusalem by Dan Bern. (The release when he screams "I am the Messiah, I am the Messiah!" gets me every time.

You can get tickets to Confabulation's Food Fights here. Hope to see you there!

Oh! And also, at the time of uploading, I still don't have a ticket link for my show The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity, but you can get to the front of the line on news like that by going over to our website volumeknob.net and signing up for the newsletter.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Frank's show It's Funny Now is at the Crow in Santa Monica the second Monday of every month. You can learn more about it here or by listening to the It's Funny Now podcast. You can also follow Frank on Instagram.

You can get tickets to TVK and Confabulation present: The Songs that Saved Your Life (at Sala Rossa, November 23rd) right here.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Do yourself a favour and watch this (it's one of the Comedy Central appearances Gastor referred to in the story and its hilarious) when you're done watching that check out his story Heavy High & Far which originally introduced me to this guy's talents. Gastor also has his own podcast (The War Report) which he co-hosts with fellow stand up Shalewa Sharpe. You should check it out and follow Gastor on Twitter, Insta and Facebook.  Oh, and don't forget to listen to his record Immigrant Made. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Back in 2011 I, along with a group of best friends started Story Luck, a Chicago based Non Profit.

It has been my life’s grand adventure. Where I’ve gotten a chance to create art so awesome, if I died today, I’d die happy and proud of what I’ve accomplished. From producing giant city wide games of tag wrapped in the story of a robot apocalypse ,to making a living teaching the art of storytelling via group cohorts. I’m grateful to be part of this universe where a guy like me can dedicate so much to storytelling.

Follow me on the social platform formally known as twitter @StoryLuck. There I help you tell better stories about your life through daily essays and writing tips.

You listened to my story today, your attention is valuable and I’d like to reward it. As such, DM me with a link to your favorite episode of the Volume Knob (pro tip: don’t pick my episode!) and I’ll send you a free gift pdf of 10 Storytelling Mistakes, why you’re making them and how to fix them.

Thanks, Dan!  So glad to be back sharing Volume Knob stories with you all! As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

You can get tickets to The Volume Knob and Confabulation Present: The Songs that Saved Your Life (live!) right here. I really hope to see you there in big numbers.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

An honour to have Emira give of her time and vulnerability this week. I have to admit it, I was surprisingly moved by listening to What a Feeling, while mixing the show. 

I found it really strange to hear something that I'd heard so many times associated with true emotion rather than mocked for being ubiquitous or silly (even if it might actually be both).  As always, I'd encourage you to spend a few minutes listening to the entire song either before or after you listen to the episode (or even both).

As Emira mentioned, she is a writer in addition to being a lawyer. Her essays can be found on her blog Montreal Murmurs  or in the pieces she wrote as the the CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation Writer in residence.  Her work has also appeared in The Montreal Gazette  and  The Globe and Mail.  Emira's storytelling has also been featured at a Montreal Confabulation show that you can listen to here. Check out her stuff!

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you're interested in getting tickets to see Keith (and five very talented storytellers) at the PHI Centre in Montreal, just follow this link! Hope to see you there.

As for Lionel Richie's All Night Long (All Night) (YES! That's the full title) it's pretty easy to underestimate as a cultural phenomenon in the early 80s. First of all, those of us of (um) a certain age will remember that Richie performed it at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The single itself went to number one in six different countries (including Canada) and the video (which, to be honest, is a hilarious throwback for me today) was actually produced by Mike Nesmith of the Monkees. Too much 80s pop culture!!!  As always, the story might sound even a little bit more interesting to you if you listen to the whole song. (Or if you're interested in a little rabbit-hole, Jacob Collier's Grammy winning re-arrangement)

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

Steve's work -- particularly in the "first wave" of New York storytelling around the turn of the century -- is not only funny, considered and wonderful, it's also very influential on many of the artists that I respect most in this space. Don't believe me? You can watch a bunch of Steve's work here. It's also worth mentioning as well that Steve recently finished his first novel, a black-comedy murder mystery set in the NYC storytelling scene,  and is currently seeking representation.

I don't want to get into another Bowie rabbit hole too quickly, but I did want to share one of the cool things I learned while listening to Young Americans on repeat over the last couple of weeks. Did you know that Luther Vandross got his big break singing back up on Young Americans? Now you do!

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

She won the 2015 3Macs carte blanche  QWF prize for her short story Self-Serve, and published Ghost Station in the Queer Perspectives edition of The Malahat Review. Deb is the production coordinator at Ada-X, a feminist artist-run centre.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

Attentive listeners may have noticed some alternate recordings of Bowie's Heroes in this week's mix. I rather enjoyed this version featuring the Gothenburg Symphony. It's not the original, obviously, but I'm quite fond of covers which take songs in directions very different from the originals. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

Even though Katie was, once again, not overly impressed by Zac Brown Band's Toes, I found it catchy as hell. Sometimes there's a reason why popular music becomes popular, after all.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

You can follow Erin on Twitter and Instagram and Story Collider on Insta, Facebook and Twitter.

Also, if you're looking for a blast of rhetro-pop sci-fi weirdness, spend 3 minutes or so watching this Spice Girls' video for Say You'll Be There and try to explain to me why there are exploding throwing stars in it.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

While listening to Celebrity Skin this week, I was inspired to head down a little rabbit hole regarding, well, Hole. More specifically, I read a few articles about Hole's bassist during the Celebrity Skin era, Montrealer Melissa Auf der Maur who, according to this 2010 article in The Guardian hadn't played a "real gig" before getting  on stage with Hole at Reading Festival in 1994. There's video of that show, including a moment where Courtney love inexplicably suggests that Auf der Maur is a French name, right here.

At any rate, Celebrity Skin is a massive banger and you should use any excuse you might have to listen to the whole song. (Just don't mention that lifeless Doja Cat cover).

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).
 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about him from his website and get info on the next How Was It? storytelling show on Facebook. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.
 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Many thanks as well to Mario for his time and vulnerability. 

In addition to being a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mario drums in the Ottawa band Gentlemen of the Woods. He also shares his very photogenic adventures in Italian food and culture through his Instagram account This Italian Kitchen. 

In case you haven't heard it, you really ought to take a moment to listen to Caravan of Love and enjoy the intense, very-80s religiosity of the music video (bonus points for id'ing a 23-year-old Fatboy Slim). 

If you're falling down a rabbit hole, you might also want to hear the -- very different sounding -- original version of Caravan recorded by Isley Jasper Isley . It was the title track of their album released in 1985.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.
 

Amber is a talented freelance writer with a list of clips as long as your arm. You can read some of them on her website (where you can also find examples of her storytelling and other writing credits -- including a piece she did for McSweeny's). You can also follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).

See you next week! Be kind to someone (even yourself) today.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you next week!

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.
 

Don't believe me? Even after listening to this beautiful story she's shared with TVK this week? OK, take six minutes to listen  to this amazing story she shared with The Moth. Just  lovely stuff.

Valarie isn't big on social media, but she is a very committed activist in NYC. This here, is an article of her work as an organizer of New York's annual Dyke March.  She also acted in a landmark film in New Queer cinema called The Watermelon Woman.  You can see one of Valarie's scenes in that film here.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list!

This guy is talented, charming and clearly an absolute grinder. In addition, he's a pleasure to work with. Remember the name, friends.

And, in case you don't want to wait for Jameer to hit it big before you learn a little more about him, feel free to follow him on Twitter and Insta. You can see the "live" version of his interaction with Travis Scott at Summer Jam right here. The retelling of this story to buzzfeed is also available here and this is a clip of Jameer's work hosting on BET.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).

See you soon! Be kind to someone (even yourself) today.

You should do yourself a favour and learn a little more about Julie by checking out her website and following her on Twitter and Instagram.  While you're surfing through there, be sure to check out this appearance she made on Risk! 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).

See you soon! Be kind to someone (even yourself) today.

She's been in the New York storytelling game for a long time appearing across the U.S., including NPR with Latino U.S.A., the Clearwater Music & Arts Festival, RISK! live shows and podcast, Story Collider, PBS’ Stories from the Stage, and the MOTH's GrandSlams and Mainstage in NYC. Many of Michele’s early Moth stories appear in her book Fish Out Of Agua: My life on neither side of the (subway) tracks (Citadel/Kensington). You can also find her on twitter and instagram as well as her website. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

You can learn more about him on his website or by following him on Insta or Twitter. He's also written a great piece on storytelling in Queens here.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you're interested in hearing more of Sandi's unique brand of humour and storytelling be sure to check out her website which has links to her appearances on Risk! and The Moth and to follow her on Twitter Facebook and Instagram.  While you're on Sandi's web page, be sure to watch the trailer for The Fabulist the 2020 documentary about her storytelling journey.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As I mentioned in the closing credits this week, Will's story this week is a "beat" in a full one-man show he recently produced at New York's Frigid Festival called The Lonely Road.  Keep an eye out for potential tour dates for that show (and check out Will's website to have a look at some of the pictures he show on his road trip).

Will is also one of the founding producers of the Awkward Teenage Years  storytelling series. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch (?). You can also follow Will directly on Twitter and the 'gram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you'd like to hear more of Bryan's work as a storyteller, producer and comic you should check out his website, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter or give Love Hurts a like on Facebook. 

As you can imagine, I end up listening to the song that saved each storyteller's life dozens of times during a production cycle. It's been awhile since I enjoyed spending that much time with one track as I have with In Your Eyes this week. What an amazing song! Funny thing is, I didn't know that it was (at least supposedly) written for actress Rosanna Arquette who Peter Gabriel was dating in the mid-eighties. I also didn't know (thank you, internet rabbit holes) that Arquette was also supposedly the inspiration for Toto's 1982 hit Rosanna. Talk about the face that launched 1000 ships...

As always, I love to hear from you. Be sure to follow the show on Twitter, Insta and Facebook and to get yourself over to the website to sign up for the mailing list! 

If you're interested, you can hear more of Ria on shows like Risk and The Antidote. You can also follow Ria on Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

This week's episode was one of those rare incidents where I wish there was video because rich is a special human being; genuine, gracious and funny. I really enjoyed making radio with him and hope this week's episode gave you some insight into his personality.

If you want more Rich Cardillo you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram or check out his appearances on The Moth, Story Collider, Nancy, Other Men Need Help and Love Hurts.

Bonus question: I (sorta) hid a third "faith" song in the mix this week. Did you hear it? If so, let me know via email volumeknobpod@gmail.com 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

Perhaps this damns her by faint praise given that America's most famous Calgarian is probably Ted Cruz. 

At any rate, it's for good reason that Ophira is so well and widely loved; she's almost embarrassingly multi-talented. She's an author, radio/podcast talent, stand up and a frequent host of many a live event at The Moth.  She's a houseplant gardener. 

She's also really nice. 

It was a real pleasure spending time (and making this episode) with her. You can (and should) learn more about Ophira at her web site, or by following her on twitter and instagram.

As you can imagine, I get to spend a lot of time with each of the "songs of the week" and few of them are as pleasurable to spend time with as Let's Go Crazy.  It's not only a shiny piece of candy from the days of my youth, it also has a little something in it for the law/copyright geek in me (the guy whose day job pays for this podcasting problem I have).

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. Have a safe and restful holiday season. See you all in 2022!

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can also learn more about Devin's work as a storyteller and social advocate on her website or by giving her a follow on instagram or twitter.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed David's story this week, be sure to check out the episode of the show he recorded in May or the TVK mixtape he did in September. David's memoir, Bad Kid is a fantastic read that I'd highly recommend and there's more info about him (including links to his storytelling workshops) on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Also, as promised, here's that scene from Cabaret:

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

That's it. That's the tweet.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, his energy, honesty and talent come through in everything he's done with The Volume Knob (and everything else he has put out into the world as an artist).  If you enjoyed David's story this week, be sure to check out the episode of the show he recorded in May or the TVK mixtape he did in September. David's memoir, Bad Kid is a fantastic read that I'd highly recommend and there's more info about him (including links to his storytelling workshops) on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Be sure to tune in again next week for the development of his relationship with Bob. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

That said, with an hour or two a day now spent wandering the same path through my neighbourhood, I now get to listen to all of my favourites on the regular. That list includes, probably unsurprisingly, The Moth. It's where I first heard John Mack's storytelling chops.  His story (about bringing his husband to his dying grandma's birthday party) is so precise and beautiful...I immediately looked him up and wrote him a fan email/invitation to appear on TVK as soon as I had put Theo's leash away. John Mack doesn't have any social media accounts, but you can send him fan mail via his web site. You can also hear episodes of The Gingham Altar, here. (Easter egg, the Gingham Altar Instagram account also has a vintage photo of Megan and John Mack. No telling if it was from homecoming, but I'd like to think it says a bit about their friendship). 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you feel like supporting agencies that help folks in situations of domestic violence you can donate to The Hotline in the States. Here in Montreal we're lucky to have the work of SOS Violence Conguale and Chez Doris (which works with homeless women and not solely situations of domestic violence. They're a great organisation that I've supported for some time).   

What more can I say about Brittany Brave and her remarkable story except that it only shows one side of her talents. She is also a very funny stand up. You can learn a lot more about her (and see her work) on her web site and by following her on twitter, instagram and facebook. She also has a whackload of content on YouTube. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You really ought to check out more about him including his website (which includes links to fantastic videos of several of his live performances) and his instagram and facebook feeds. While you're there, be sure to check out Jamie's book Dangerous When Wet. 

Jamie also has a pretty significant presence on YouTube and is one of the only storytellers I'm aware of who is taking full advantage of TikTok.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can read him and his work here!  His site includes many examples of his writing (and some pictures of Dave during his shaved-head hardcore phase). You can also follow him on youtube and instagram. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Cyndi is a force of nature who has been teaching, producing and inspiring storytellers in New York City for a very long time. You can learn more about her on her website and by following her on twitter, facebook and instagram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can follow her on twitter, instagram and facebook; check out the podcast (The War Report with Gastor and Shalewa) that she hosts with friend of TVK Gastor Almonte or listen one of her comedy albums Stay Eating Cookies or So, You Just Out Here?  There's also a tonne of her material on Youtube including this legendary interaction between her, the late Chadwick Boseman and Jimmy Fallon. I repeat, funny, funny and smart SMART.

Unfortunately, I had to edit out a fantastic explanation that Shalewa gave about the musical significance of John Hendrix, his trio Lambert Hendrix and Ross and the vocalese movement that they were a major part of but, if you're interested you should at the very least listen to the whole version of Gimmie That Wine either before or after you hear Shalewa's story.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

No playlist this week (I know, I know... if you miss them, tell me so at volumeknobpod@gmail.com) but I do have an anecdote. Unlike Tracey, I was able to attend Pearl Jam's first ever headlining tour (Montreal's Doughboys opened for them at the Robert Guertin Arena in what was then called Hull, Quebec). The story of getting those tickets was remarkable enough, but it wasn't until I heard Tracey's story that I realised that I'd been mishearing the lyrics to Once for almost 30 years (no, Keith, you dummy it's not "Once, oh party time"). 

Sigh. 

As always, I think the stories sound better if you listen to the whole song either before or afterwards.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I've had to hold off pulling together a playlist for the first few episodes of this season. Drop me a line at volumeknobpod@gmail.com if you miss them. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I think Kate was right about the ubiquity of Hit Me With Your Best Shot which has to be recognisable to most folks 7 to 70.  That said, I didn't know that it was co-written by songwriter (and member of the Order of Canada) Eddie Schwartz. The more you know.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

This week's playlist is kinda silly. I'm calling it Mr. Fahrenheit but it's a list of (mostly) covers on the theme of "don't stop".  You may only listen to it once, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! 

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

What Katie IS NOT is an aggressive self-promoter. She has no twitter account and her Instagram is private. So, if you want to learn more about her work you could do worse than getting to know New York's self-proclaimed "second longest running personal storytelling show" The Nights of Our Lives where  Katie is a frequent performer.  You can also follow The Nights of Our Lives on Twitter or subscribe to their podcast.

I had a lot of fun digging into my personal treasure trove of "dance-inspiring" music this week to make a playlist called A Steam Punk's Journey.  I found myself agreeing with Myles' review of Little Bird (ok, but not really for me). Despite this, though, it did lead me down some interesting (mostly 70s) rabbit holes. I hope you enjoy it.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.  While you're on the web, don't forget to sign up for the mailing list! I'd love to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest from Planet Volume Knob.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

This week's playlist is called  Songs About Blood and Whiskey (hold the blood, frankly). A list of songs about the drink and what comes after. I hope you enjoy it. 

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

This week's playlist features some of my own favourite art rock and art rock adjacent music. It's called Reflected like Fireworks I hope you enjoy it.  

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Apart from that, though, it WAS very cool to spend time with Louise and to have an excuse to listen to her very impressive output of music. You can find her solo work here on her bandcamp page and you can also have a listen to her work with her band Gold & Youth. Once you've done that, be sure to give Louise a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This week's playlist is called Unaware I'm Tearing You Asunder (from my favourite lyric in Running Up That Hill).  It features not only Kate Bush but some of her contemporaries and some more recent artists that remind me of her. If you enjoy it, please drop me a line to let me know.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Vinny's newest improv venture is called Improv College and, like I said, it features students and performers from all over the world. You can check it out here or follow Improv College on Twitter. You can also learn more about Vinny on Twitter and Instagram.  

This week's playlist is called With My Own Hands and it features a bunch of sing-alongable mid-nineties to early-aughts "rockin tunes" (to use Vinny's words). I hope you enjoy it.  

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can get copies of Teri's books, Bats or Swallows and Escape Plans by visiting her page at her publisher Invisible Publishing.  You might want to hunt her down on Twitter or Instagram if you are looking to buy a copy of her latest Zine.

I thought about calling this week's playlist Fairy Bread  or Nonpareils but settled on the more direct option and called it Hundreds and Thousands. Whatever you call it, it was a fun trip for me if a little bit off in all directions. You'll find some of my favourite Canadian (and non-Canadian) indie and lo-fi music of the early 90s and other stuff that's inspired by it. I hope you enjoy it! 

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about Devan and his work on his website.  In addition to his appearances on The Moth and NPR as a storyteller, Devan is also the co-founder of Unreeling Storytelling a Brooklyn-based organisation providing a storytelling platform for people of colour, women, and others marginalised folks.  You can also follow Devan on Twitter, and Instagram.

If you've never made the time to listen to a Volume Knob playlist, this week is the week to do it. This week's playlist (entitled How Much Time?) includes some of my favourite tracks which were inspired by (or made me think of) the death of George Floyd. 

It's funny how, during the Trump administration, there was a lot of talk about how social strife was "good for art" or "bound to result in a bunch of great punk rock". 

That hasn't been my experience. 

On the contrary, the black community's outpouring of anger and frustration has resulted in some vital, important music in the last 18 months. What's sad (and it's something that Devan points out in his story) is how much G-Smoke and Sault in 2020 sound like Syl Johnson in 1969 or Gil Scott-Heron in 1972. 

How much time, indeed.

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you want to learn more about David and his work, a good place to start is his his memoir, Bad Kid; a gentle, honest, funny and (if you grew up a little weird in a town smaller than your ambitions) deeply-relatable read that I'd highly recommend. Be sure to check out his website for more information about opportunities to take his storytelling classes. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

I felt a titch intimidated putting together a playlist based on David's story but my take (called The Dreams of an Octopus) has been on high rotation in the Serry household (and car) in the last couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy it. Can't get enough of that Robyn track...

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you're interested in hearing more of Anna's work, you should definitely visit her web site which has links to not only her storytelling but also her award-winning books. 

This week's playlist was a unique treat. I don't usually get to bust out the jazz standards. That said, if you're looking for a taste of fifties feel good music, be sure to check out Tales from the Victory Theatre which includes some of my favourite classic ballads.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you're interested in hearing more from him, definitely check out his podcast The Reluctant Phoenix which is a series of conversations with a wide variety of people who have restarted their lives whether or not they really wanted to in the first place.  As I mentioned on the show, Jeff's 2020 album Why You Should be Happy is available on all the regular platforms. You can also follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

I had a lot (like, a LOT) of fun putting this week's fuzzy, crunchy, stonery playlist together. It's called That Lizard Ate My Pants. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me if you think it's a good enough mixed tape to convince you (or Michelle Obama) to consider an open marriage.

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As I said in the show close this week, I ran out of time before I could make a mix based on this week's story. That said, if you're interested in hearing Beautiful Island (I guess more accurately called Isle.. though I'm going with the version in my memory) of Somewhere you can hear it here. During my story I said it was recorded in the 30s, I may have been off. Wikipedia tells me it was written in 1898 and gained popularity when it was played at the funeral of US President William McKinley in 1901.  

The more you know.

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

This week's mix is called Funky Baby. It's perfect for adding a little tempo and shake to your lazy afternoons. Hope you enjoy it.

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As I mentioned in the extro of this week's show, Burke brought his own music mix. It's most of the tracks from a mix tape that he and his high school friends exchanged in 1993. It's available here. If you were listening carefully, you might have heard that Burke's high school pal Colin from Helena Montana is actually Colin Meloy of the Decemberists. Small world.

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

When your story is as big and life-changing as Ed's is, you can tell it in many different ways. I think the version he told The Moth is a love letter of sorts to New York. I'm very proud that the version of the story he told here on TVK was a reflection on good fortune and privilege, and on forgiveness. I really can't thank him enough for sharing it with me, and with you.

If you haven't had enough of Ed's fantastic pacing and compelling voice you can check out his Ted Talk and the version of his story he told The New Yorker  for its We Are Witnesses portrait of crime and punishment in America.

As for the music, this week's playlist is called Fairytale of New York and it features not only Elton John (our first ever "two-time-story-inspiring" artist here on the show) but also Tom Waits, LCD Soundsystem, The xx and Johnny Cash. 

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I have been going down a MAJOR 90s (and related) hip hop rabbit hole since recording my interview with Gastor a couple of months back. As such, it was super fun to put together this week's playlist From Queensbridge to East New York. The list looks a little like the train trip I described in the intro to this week's show (minus the Jay Z. Just not my thing). I hope you enjoy it. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Matt founded the Confabulation storytelling series in Montreal in 2010. Since then, Confabulation has not only put on dozens of shows here but they have their own podcast and shows in both Toronto and Victoria.  Whew! For that amount of work dedicated to doing good things in the world, Matt definitely deserves a follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Matt's assumption that In My Life contains a harpsichord is actually a common misconception. The song's bridge is actually a piano solo played by Sir George Martin and then sped up. (The more you know). As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole of the song either before or after your listen to the story.  And when you've done THAT feel free to listen to this week's playlist which features In My Life and some of its contemporaries both in pop and (more fun for me) soul along with some more modern stuff for good measure. 

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

By that I don't mean authentic in the backhanded complement way (like when you're diplomatically calling someone irascible or weird). The Adam Wade who tells you a story is the genuine article, with a completely honest and emotionally brave interaction with the world. 

You could do much worse than spend some time reading this profile of Adam in the New Yorker, listening to any of his stories which have been recorded for The Moth or watching any one of his Moth slam appearances.   You could also listen to either of his albums Live at the Magnet Theatre (which is now free on Youtube) or You Ought to Know. 

Adam also teaches personal storytelling at the Magnet Theatre. So, if you're looking for another pando project, you might want to consider learning from one of the best. While you're at it, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

As for Space Oddity, what more can be said? Wonderful, odd, inspiring, otherworldly and, as familiar as it may be, still a piece of art that reveals itself to me in a different way, every time I hear it (also, how about Myles' review this week? You'll have to believe me when I tell you he hadn't heard Adam's story). In this week's playlist -- Is There Tang On Mars? -- I try to give Adam's Hoboken space walk its own soundtrack.  

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

In 2020 he serialised his novel Maxine and the Planets Unknown as a 20-episode podcast. It's worth a listen. Think of the children.

You can learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. You can also take storytelling classes with Brad at Kevin Allison's Story Studio.

I could go on for a looooooong time about alt-country in general and The Old 97s in particular. Like Brad, the alt-country movement hit me at a musically and personal important time. Bands that he mentioned (like Uncle Tupelo and Southern Culture on the Skids) and dozens he didn't, like Whiskeytown, Lucero, Slobberbone, Fiftymen and others were very very important to me in the late 90s. The idea of "starting a country band because punk rock was too hard to sing" has lost a lot of its charm as the purveyors of the sound have either moved on or transformed into (still loveable) dad rock, but I still occasionally dig out some twang and roll (especially for Kate who loves the sound of a two-step high hat). Check out this playlist of some of my favourite alt-country songs that remind me of Timebomb (including Timebomb) if you want to slide down the rabbit hole with me!  Some other time, I'm sure I'll make a playlist of just songs with Timebomb in the title.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Emily and I also had a fantastic chat about all SORTS of music (from hardcore to Lucy Dacus) when we were preparing to record their story. All in all, Emily is definitely worth a follow on instagram or twitter.  

As for Incendiary, were it not for Emily's story, I'd be drawing a complete blank. I can tell you they're fun as hell if you like 90s hardcore sounds. I can tell you they're responsible for ring entrance music for WWE superstar Aleister Black and also a reasonable cover (check out the distortion on the bass) of the Beastie's Sabotage. As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to Emily's story (am I the only one hearing a little Zack de la Rocha in those vocals?).  And, if you're interested in taking a trip into the pit with me (and some of the hardcore that Emily's story reminded me of) you can check it out here.

Bonus points if, like me, you head banged... just a little.

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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

The 50th Anniversary of the release of Carole King's Tapestry was just a few days ago (February 10th, 1971. Not in "69 or 70" as Sandi guessed).  Unlike a bunch of records released in the early months/years of my life (or, in this case, a little before I was born) I was truly unaware of its impact. Tapestry is not only one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, it was the single-biggest selling record of its era. It's also still one of the biggest-selling records ever recorded by a female artist. It was an interesting lesson on my own musical blind spots that I'd primarily thought of King as a songwriter and not a recording artist before doing this story with Sandi. The more you know… 

As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to Sandi's story. It's a fantastic recording that, if you close your eyes, can really make you a fly on the wall in that room in Queens with Sandi, Rhonda and Strawberry.  Also, if you want to hear not only a bunch of 70s easy listening classics (and more modern stuff inspired by 70s easy listening classics) but also a few examples of the amazing breadth of Carole King's abilities as a songwriter, be sure to check out this playlist I put together inspired by Sandi's story.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Listening to Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, I wasn't immediately transported to a pre-school montage like Myles was. It made me think more of the rambling, mid-to-late-70s rock-opera tracks like Jungleland or I Don't Like Mondays.  Also, it turns out that Elton John wrote the instrumental half of the song while actually contemplating the music that would be played at his own funeral. Maybe that's why it's so grandiose. 

I was going to go on a little "only in the 70s" rant/lament until I read that Axl Rose was inspired by Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding when writing November Rain for the Use Your Illusion sessions... The more you know.  (As an aside, am I the only person who is completely gobsmacked that November Rain has over 1.5 BILLION views on Youtube? Dang!)

As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to the storyteller's story. It really brings you closer to the events (especially in Madeleine's case). 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Though Katie wasn't fond of it I really liked the stark, open spaces in The Other Side of Mt Heart Attack. I'm also convinced that every time I hear it, I'll have an image of a slightly spooked young doctor, shuffling his feet down the hallway of a maternity ward. Such is the power of pairing up human stories with music. As always, I strongly encourage you to listen to the full version of the song before and/or after you listen to this week's episode. You'll be glad you did! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If you're interested in Catherine's writing you should check out her website  where you can get links to her Facebook , Twitter and Instagram accounts. While you're there, don't forget to check out info about all of Catherine's novels including a pre-order link for her next book Six Weeks to Live which will be released on May 4th, 2021.

Full confession: even though my sister-in-law was a producer on the Canadian version I have never watched an episode of American Idol.  As such, I have very little pithy to say about Daniel Powter's worldwide smash hit.  While researching it, however, I learned that the song first reached the public consciousness after being used in a Coca Cola commercial, so there's that.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about Leslie (and see her wide range of work) on her website. You can also follow her on twitter and instagram.  While you're learning more about Leslie, make sure to check out her weekly virtual karaoke nights every Saturday at the virtual piano bar of Sid Gold's Request Room.

I've always found it kind of wild that John Waters went from producing Female Trouble (a dark comedy partly inspired by Waters' friendship with a member of the Manson Family) in the 1970s and advocating on behalf of Salo to being the source material for a musical that my kids know all the words to.  Waters' original 1988 film (upon which the musical was based) was his first to receive a PG rating. Most of his previous work was rated X by the MPAA. 

As always, I strongly encourage you to listen to the full version of the song before and/or after you listen to this week's episode. You'll be glad you did! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

It was pretty interesting to hear how Por Jud is Daid has been treated by different productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic over the years. From the "straight up" version from 1955 featuring Gordon MacRae and Rod Steiger. To this almost Lyle Lovett-esque  version from the 2019 Broadway cast recording. The clips that you heard in the show were from the London cast recording from 1998 featuring Shuler Hensley as Jud and Ben's fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman as Curly. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this weeks show (or both!)  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

There is no official video for YYZ though this live concert from Rio in (I think) 2002 is definitely a trip (not every day you see a crowd of 10s of thousands of people singing along to an instrumental). 

Jake did a fantastic job of telling some of the story of YYZ but did you know it lost out on the 1982 Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental to Behind My Camel by The Police?  (And that Sting refused to play on Behind My Camel?)  The more you know... 

If you want to hear the original studio version, you really ought to to check it out here either before or after you hear Jake tell his story!   

Be sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. The newsletter will be especially interesting over the next few weeks if you're interested in getting details about the launch of Season 2 in the new year.

If you have a story that you think might be interesting for Season 2 please feel free to send an email to volumeknobpod@gmail.com!

Happy Holidays! I'll see you in the new year.

To be honest, when I started the show earlier this year, there were three lists of people that I wanted as guests: 

1) The people who knew me well enough to say yes; 

2) The people I kinda knew, but wanted to get to know better; and,

3) People who I had never met, but had admired as storytellers/artists/others. 

This 3rd group features the folks that I wanted to reach out to once I was confident enough in the show to feel that it merited their talents. Sage is one of the first guests from that list. She's a very experienced storyteller having taught storytelling at The Second City in Toronto and having won the Moth Grand Slam earlier this year. (Trust me non storytelling geeks, that's kind of a big deal). 

If you're interested in learning more about Sage and her work you should definitely check out her web site and follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or check out one of these videos of her telling stories at different events.

Though I am, like Sage, a child of the 70s, I had not heard Free to Be you and Me before recording this podcast (check out that BANJO, tho). 

It's an interesting project, though. As Sage describes it was a feminist, children's entertainment project conceived and executive produced by Marlo Thomas which featured some HUGE names (including Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack). The New Seekers were also a mystery to me before my interview with Sage but I WAS interested to find out that they were responsible for I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (which was a number 1 hit in the UK  but only after being a Coca Cola commercial). The more you know...

Anyway, as always, I encourage you to listen to the whole song either before or after you listen to the storyteller do their thing!

Be sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. The newsletter will be especially interesting over the next few weeks if you're interested in getting details about the launch of Season 2 in the new year.

If you have a story that you think might be interesting for Season 2 please feel free to send an email to volumeknobpod@gmail.com!

Happy Holidays! I'll see you in the new year.

Iron Horse's cover of Float On (as always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this week's show!) is part of a remarkably large sub-genre I'd broadly label as "bluegrass covers of pop music". Though I'd always loved some of these things as novelties (The Gourds' cover of Gin n Juice comes to mind) I had no idea of how much of this stuff was out there before researching John's story! 

Iron Horse alone have recorded two separate Metallica tributes, a Guns n' Roses record, as well as tributes to Nirvana and The Shins.  What I like about Iron Horse is that they seem to come by their practice of bluegrass honestly rather than playing it for "let's laugh at the poors" yucks as some of the bigger bluegrass "tributes" like this cover of Thunderstruck by Finnish band Steve n' Seagulls does.  

Anyway, if you want to keep digging, there's a spotify playlist  or (even better IMHO) you can just google "bluegrass cover" of any great pop song - the harmonies and musicianship of great bluegrass players really pull out the sweetness of good pop music.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

You don't have to be someone Keith knows to have your story on the show! John's story was pitched via volumeknobpod@gmail.com. You should send me the story of the song that saved your life, too!

I found it really strange to hear something that I'd heard so many times associated with true emotion rather than mocked for being ubiquitous or silly (even if it might actually be both).  As always, I'd encourage you to spend a few minutes listening to the entire song either before or after you listen to the episode (or even both).

As Emira mentioned, she is a writer in addition to being a lawyer. Her essays can be found on her blog Montreal Murmurs  or in the pieces she wrote as the the CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation Writer in residence.  Her work has also appeared in The Montreal Gazette  and  The Globe and Mail.  Emira's storytelling has also been featured at a Montreal Confabulation show that you can listen to here. Check out her stuff!

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I'm going to fail miserably if I attempt to say anything new about the genius that is Patti Smith and her 1975 debut Horses. It's a landmark how about I stop at that?

That said, I was pleased to read that Laurel's song pick from Horses, Birdland was based A Book of Dreams a childhood memoir of radical Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich which was also the inspiration for my favourite Kate Bush song Cloudbusting.

As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this weeks show (or both!)  Even if Katie is glad she never has to do it again... 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I won't link to the California Raisins' cover album of Motown classics but were you aware that their (huge hit) album was released on Priority Records which was later described by Billboard as one of the most important West Coast Hip-Hop record labels of all time? (The home of NWA, Ice T and Snoop). Weird, right?

As promised, you can hear The Mountain Goats' Dance Music right here.  If you haven't listened to the rest of the album of which it is a part (2005's epic The Sunset Tree) do yourself a favour. 

And finally, Doctor My Eyes is not, as Katie suspected, a proposal song to a Dr. that Jackson Browne may have been dating in 1971. Lyrically, it's pretty dark. That said, according to The New York City Tribune's William Ruhlmann , an earlier draft of the song was even less optimistic lyrically.  Despite the pessimism, it was  Browne's first every hit, peaking at 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this weeks show (or both!) 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I'm also really (really!) glad that Julie introduced me to Lucy Dacus. Since Julie told me that Night Shift was the song that she wanted to talk about, I've been listening to Dacus' 2018 record Historian on pretty heavy repeat. I'm not keeping as close an eye on these things as I used to, but is "big" sounding indie rock now pretty much completely dominated by amazing 20-something queer women? (Dacus, Courtney Barnett, Phoebe Bridgers and  Lindsey -- Snail Mail -- Jordan). Worth a ponder and definitely worth a listen to Night Shift before and/or after you hear this week's show. 

Oh, and if you like stuff that sounds like that, be sure to check out this duet of Phoebe Bridgers and Courtney Barnett covering Gillian Welch's Everything is Free. The guitar tone on that recording hits me. Right. There.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

If Zach was apologetic about his lack of knowledge about the tabla, Zakir Hussein and Hindustani music in general, imagine how hesitant I am! That said, it was a pretty interesting journey learning a little about something I really had less than no knowledge about a few short weeks ago.  There's a full version of The Essence of Rhythm on youtube and, though I won't probably be returning to it, I think it's pretty easy to see the mastery in it that inspired Zach all those years ago in Calgary.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Her work has appeared in some of the "biggest" venues in the personal storytelling "business" (hey, these are all relative terms, folks) including The Moth and Risk! If you're interested in more of Nisha's work you can check out her website and her different social media.  (You can even see here playing violin on her youtube channel!)

Though I didn't include it in the episode, Nisha and I had a pretty cool conversation about No Quarter and how the song's structure reflected John Paul Jones' desire to play long keyboard solos. The song is around 7 minutes long and there are about three-and-a-half verses of lyrics! 

Critics have made similar observations (and not only kindly). In fact, Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone called No Quarter "nothing more than (a) drawn-out vehicles for the further display of Jones' unknowledgeable use of mellotron and synthesizer."

Harsh.

FWIW, I've been rocking out to it a bunch lately and, with AC/DC unapologetically bringing back 1970s rock sounds  here in 2020, No Quarter has fit into my overall personal soundtrack quite nicely (along with a pile of Rush, for some reason).

As always, I strongly encourage you to listen to the full version of the song before and/or after you listen to this week's episode. You'll be glad you did! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As you may have gathered from Katie's review this week, Songs: Ohia is a band in pretty heavy rotation here at TVK HQ. Accordingly, when James proposed a story based on Farewell Transmission I was pretty excited. 

If you were listening closely, I used brief clips of two versions of the song in this week's episode. The album version and the demo which is all the more lovely for having been, seemingly recorded outside with the birds and cicadas playing their part. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole song either before or after you listen to the show and if you, like me, end up falling hard for Jason Molina's work you might want to listen to Didn't it Rain , The Lioness (which has, for my money, one of the sexiest choruses ever recorded) or maybe this acoustic version of Hold On Magnolia  which has stopped my heart more than once during the production of this week's show. Such a great talent, taken too soon.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Paul McCartney has told interviewers that She Loves You  was initially written  in Newcastle while the Beatles were on tour with Roy Orbison and Gerry and the Pacemakers and completed at his home in Liverpool. He says the song was initially inspired the call and response pattern in Forget Him by teen idol Bobby Rydell (check out the Brylcreem in that dreamboat photo!)  I don't hear it, myself. But I guess that's why he's a billionaire OBE and I'm...not. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the song before (and even again after) you hear the episode. I find it's especially interesting to hear a song as well known as She Loves you from someone else's perspective. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can hear another one of Kadi's stories (about a less than relaxing yoga retreat) here. She also has a  soundcloud ! Check it out to hear her young adult fiction podcast called YA! podcast. You can also check Kadi out @kadi_d on all the socials.

I'll See You In My Dreams isn't exclusively a ukulele jam. In fact, it first charted in the 20s! Since then it has been recorded by a virtual who's who (including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys). That said it's easy to see how Joe Brown's version  from the 2002 Concert for George (Harrison) at Royal Albert Hall in London is a favourite. Though I love Ella Fitzgerald's version, I think Kadi's dead right about how Joe Brown's recording embodies the lightness a loved one's warmly-held memory. And now I won't ever be able to hear it without thinking of the Quran and sheep skin jackets. 

As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the song before (and even again after) you hear the episode.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I have to admit that musicals have never been my cup of tea. That said, in preparing this episode I've been left humming Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You ... a lot! The kids have complained particularly that the quartet melody has sneaked its way into the nightly lullaby.  As always, you should take a minute to listen to the music before or after (or both!) you listen to the episode.

Please get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net (newsletters and interesting stuff soon to come to mailing list subscribers!).  Also, if you use Apple Podcasts to listen to the show, please take a moment to leave a review! It definitely helps others discover these tremendous stories.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

The Whole of the Moon is an interesting track with some serious staying power despite it's rather dated sounding production. The Waterboys' lead singer Mike Scott has always been a little cryptic in his descriptions of the subject of the song. He's contradicted suggestions that it's written for CS Lewis  or Prince, telling The Guardian that "The Whole of the Moon is about someone like CS Lewis, who seemed to see so much and explore issues much more deeply than most people, or it could be about a Jimi Hendrix-type person who comes 'like a comet, blazing your trail' and is gone too soon, but it’s not specifically about anyone."  

As always, I'd suggest that you listen to the song in full either before or after you listen to the show. 

Please get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net (newsletters and interesting stuff soon to come to mailing list subscribers!).

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can read a bunch of his writing on his blog Radio Free Canuckistan  or by picking up one of his books.

Learning more about Condition is tougher. You can pick up a copy of their 1985 record Mumbo Jumbo (which features Play Me That Rhythm) on Discogs. There is little to no other evidence of the band on the 'net!

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about him on his website.  You should also keep an eye out for his storytelling courses. He's an excellent teacher (he taught me!) who has been doing online work during the pandemic.

As always, I encourage you to seek out a copy of the song that inspired the story and listen to it either before or after you listen to the show. While you're at it, if you haven't already heard the synth-heavy original version -- released in 1985 by The Family, a Prince "side project" -- you might want to give it some time. It's one of those rare cases of the original being significantly less well known than the cover (on a list of many, but, some of my faves include The Tide is High, What a Man, Respect and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun).

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about Vesna's coaching practice on her website or by checking her out on Instagram. 

I had a B-L-A-S-T researching this week's episode. In large part because it gave me the opportunity to listen to literally DOZENS of covers of Stevie Wonder's Don't Worry 'bout a Thing.  If you're into falling down music rabbit holes, I created a Youtube playlist  so you can hear as many as you'd like.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn more about Andy's music on his website  or buy a copy of one of his records on Bandcamp.

Though it wasn't Myles' jam, you might want to set 15 minutes aside and listen to I Dream a Highway before or after you hear Andy's story. If you're interested in falling down a Gillian Welch rabbit hole  you can check out this track (which is my favourite) or listen to any one of the interviews she's given gain insight into her keen intelligence and artistic thoughtfulness.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at volumeknobpod@gmail.com 

Left and Leaving is the title track of a Canadian classic album that you should totally listen to if you haven't already. Maybe once before you hear Shane's story and then a second time afterwards.  If you listen wearing headphones you'll hear a cool interplay in the opening bars of Left and Leaving between the lead guitar (in one ear) and the rhythm guitar (in the other) it's a magic sort of call and response.  Which one is left, and which one is leaving? Your call. 

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at volumeknobpod@gmail.com 

Waub is currently working on a sequel to his bestseller the award-winning novel Moon of the Crusted Snow. 

If you weren't a teenager or in your early 20s in the early 1990s you may have missed out on the deeply angry and wholly political landmark that is Rage Against the Machine's self-titled record (featuring Take the Power Back). That said, you should definitely give the whole song a listen either before or after you listen to Waub's story. While you're at it, peep the lyrics so you don't end up like a certain insurance broker in Michigan... 

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at volumeknobpod@gmail.com 

In addition to being a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mario drums in the Ottawa band Gentlemen of the Woods. He also shares his very photogenic adventures in Italian food and culture through his Instagram account This Italian Kitchen. 

In case you haven't heard it, you really ought to take a moment to listen to Caravan of Love and enjoy the intense, very-80s religiosity of the music video (bonus points for id'ing a 23-year-old Fatboy Slim). 

If you're falling down a rabbit hole, you might also want to hear the -- very different sounding -- original version of Caravan recorded by Isley Jasper Isley . It was the title track of their album released in 1985.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

She is the co-author of The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business. You can read more about Lauren (and sign up for her coaching services!) at laurenbacon.com. 

You really ought to listen to Cranes in the Sky  either before or after you listen to Lauren's story. Grammy Awards are a complicated measure of whether a song is worth your time or not but it's worth mentioning that Cranes did win the 2017 Grammy for Best R&B Performance along with a 2017 BET Her Award and the 2017 Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award at the Soul Train Music Awards. If you read a little about Cranes  (including this pretty cool interview between Solange and her sister who you might have heard of) you can see how Lauren's story is quite similar to the events that inspired Solange to write the song.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Pete is the promotion brains behind Ottawa's Flora Hall Brewing. 

As always, you really ought to take a second to listen to all eight-and-a-half-minutes of Pictures of You  before or after you hear Pete's story. It's pretty interesting to compare Pete's recounting of walking around the bay, to the snowy images of the band  in the video, shot in 1990 in Ballachulish, Scotland.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Every week I’m going to ask an interesting person to share a story about how music has shaped them by getting them to describe the Song that Saved their Life. 

The cool thing about these stories is that they end up being about more than music. They’re stories about the essential emotions that music inspires: thought provoking, funny and sometimes sad.

The Volume Knob will be available later this summer anywhere you get your podcasts so get over to www.volumeknob.net and sign up for our mailing list or check us out on twitter and instagram.