A-Sides – Details, episodes & analysis

Michigan-based recording artist Sammy Boller has recently recorded and released his solo EP titled Midnight Garden. He joined the podcast for Episode 219 to discuss his guitar playing, several of his favorite Michigan musicians, touring the world, the best pizza, and even practicing yoga.

You can find Sammy's music and tour dates on his website which also includes link to purchase merch and more! His music can also be streamed on your favorite streaming app and his Bandcamp page.

Thanks to Sammy for the interview, Kevin Chiaramonte, and everyone who listens! Thanks for another amazing year of A-SIDES.

James And The Cold Gun is an emerging rock band from the UK, described as "South Wales' Loudest", and they are set to perform in Central Illinois on December 4, 2025. Whether you live in Central IL or not, James And The Cold Gun are a band that should be on your music radar as they have a hard-driving, straight up rock n roll sound.

Frontman James Joseph joined Episode 218 ahead of the show to talk about trying to eat right on tour, his connections to 90's rock legends, and even Christmas music. 

You can follow James And The Cold Gun on Bandcamp, their website for merch and tour dates, and even stream them on your favorite app. Thanks to James, the entire band, and WWCT FM for setting up this interview.

Tickets for the Dec 4 concert can be found on WWCT's website.

James Black guested on A-SIDES' Episode 164 last summer ahead of the band's run on Creed's Summer of '99 tour, which also featured the band 3 Doors Down. He shared stories on collecting records from film score composers such as John Barry, and a genre titled "exotica", which includes the works of Les Baxter.

For Episode 209, James returns to share more on his music collecting habits and details on the forthcoming studio album from Finger Eleven, titled Last Night On Earth. Ahead of the album's Nov 7th release date, the band has released 3 singles and will embark on a North American tour starting this fall. You can find their tour dates and pre-order the record on their website here.

Huge thanks to James for returning to A-SIDES! And thanks to all who listen!

Talented guitarist and vinyl enthusiast Tony Higbee makes his second appearance on A-SIDES' Episode 119. He previously spoke with Andy for Episode 21, in which they barely scratched the surface of his massive collection. This time the two dive deeper to discuss hunting for elusive albums, protecting your records, essential records to own, and his love for Power Pop. Huge thanks to Tony for sharing his stories! You can catch him on the road with Tom Keifer's tour dates here at the Tom Keifer Band website.

Musician and pop culture enthusiast Danny Lopez joins A-SIDES for Episode 118. Danny is currently performing with several LA-based tribute bands for System of a Down, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Linkin Park. He shares his origin stories with those projects and how they weaved together, discovering music as he grew up, and staying prepared for what comes his way. You can follow Danny at @heydannylopez on Instagram and keep up with his busy schedule. Thanks to Danny for sharing his stories and also to everyone for listening!

A-SIDES Episode 117 features a conversation with multi-talented vocalist Cris Hodges. Just as he was about to embark on a months-long tour with Pistols At Dawn, Cris shares how he joined that band, singing for In The End: A Linkin Park Experience, solo music, staying fit on the road, his fitness routine, and mental health.

You can follow along with Pistols At Dawn at their website and stay up to date on their current tour plans; Cris' band In The End can be found here; and you can find his solo album Black Hole Magic streaming here.

Huge thanks to Cris for being a guest on A-SIDES and thanks to everyone who listens.

Following up on past episodes which featured John Massaglia, we welcomed him back to A-SIDES to discuss The Truth Council's latest EP, The Perfect Wheel. After that discussion, we shifted gears to share our favorite bassists, encompassing a variety of styles from Jazz to Prog Rock and Heavy Metal. See! Whose lists will overlap! Witness! Brent's fury over the music of Styx! All this and more in our jam-packed 116th episode of A-SIDES!

You can also follow John and The Truth Council on social media through Facebook and on Instagram @thetruthcouncil

Thanks to John for joining us and thanks to everyone who listens!

Jarred Pope joins A-SIDES for Episode 115 to discuss all things rock n roll. He shares his many influences, his background growing up in California, how he joined the bands for both Damon Johnson and Tom Keifer, a few of his favorite venues, and his passion for the art of music.

You can keep up with Jarred on the road by visiting the websites for both Damon Johnson and Tom Keifer. Huge thanks to Jarred for sharing his stories for this episode and also thanks to everyone who listens.

Episode 114 of A-SIDES features another deep dive into the KISS discography, this time focusing on the era when the band removed their make-up. For our third episode on KISS, we highlighted our ten favorite songs released between 1983's Lick It Up and 1997's Carnival of Souls. Along with our favorite songs, we also discussed seeing KISS live in 2020, the new members that joined KISS in this era, correlations to Bon Jovi, Paul Stanley's wardrobe choices, and also Gene Simmons 'Demon' persona. Thank you to everyone who listens to our newest episode of A-SIDES.

Notable Kerrang! magazine collector Kenny Wright (of The Great Affairs) returns to A-SIDES for Episode 113, this time discussing "The New Wave of British Heavy Metal." Kenny and Andy discuss the roots of "The New Wave of British Heavy Metal", also known as NWOBHM, which includes bands such as Judas Priest and Motorhead. They also touch on several notable bands from within the genre, classic albums, their influence on emerging acts in North America, and quickly changing musical trends. Supreme thanks to Kenny Wright for the fun conversation and also thanks to everyone who listens! Up the irons!