The wonderful Julie Gribble and drummer Sean Bennett came by the Doghouse on Wednesday, June 25 to play a few tunes for us and talk about all sorts of things, including Julie's music, life on the road, and other fun stuff. This young lady already has quite an impressive resume to go along with her music, and we were honored to have her and Sean stop by to hang out with us for an evening. We're currently spinning many of the tracks from Julie's 2006 album, Echoes in my Head, and we were delighted to hear a few of the new songs that she's been putting together.

Julie's credits include the Lifetime movie “Dive at Clauson’s Pier,” popular Nickelodeon shows “Zoey 101,” “Drake and Josh” and their TV movie “Drake & Josh Go to Hollywood,” as well as "South of Nowhere" on Noggin and "Smallville" on the CW network. Guest appearances include: "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (2005 and 2007), “The Tyra Banks Show” (CBS), Good Day Atlanta (FOX), Daytime (NBC), Low Country Live (ABC), TV Guide Channel, and Cafe Central (CABLETV). Julie also received the 2005 LA Music Award for Best Adult Alternative Artist, has been featured in Music Connection Magazine’s Hot 100 unsigned bands (for both 2006 and 2007) and was also named one of the "Best Emerging Artists of 2006" in American Idol Magazine. Whoa.

You can now listen to the interview in our Archives section. Or, to find out a little about Julie another way, just watch the video below.

We were pleased to welcome Hittin' the Note Records' recording artist Tommy Talton to the Doghouse on Wednesday, July 2. Tommy was a founding member of the 1970s group, Cowboy, and spent many years as a sought-after studio musician, recording with the likes of: Bonnie Bramlett, Martin Mull, Corky Lang (West, Bruce and Lang, Mountain), Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Clarence Carter, country legend Kitty Wells, Alex and Livingston Taylor, Arthur Conley of Sweet Soul Music fame, and more.

Tommy has also toured extensively throughout the U.S. with Cowboy and with as a member of Gregg Allman's band, from Carnegie Hall (as special guests) to Fillmore West in San Francisco and most cities in between (Tommy was the guitarist on Allman's Laid Back album). Tommy lived and toured in Europe throughout the '90s and formed a group there, called The Rebelizers, with members of Albert Lee’s band, Hogan’s Heroes.

Tommy talked to Frank about his new band and their brand-new album, Tommy Talton in Europe, Someone Else's Shoes. We'll be posting the interview in our Archives section soon.

We had yet another fun-filled time in the Doghouse on Wednesday, June 4, as Len Rosen and Richie Mays of Len Rosen & the Tribe of Good Fortune came by for some great music and fun conversation. Eric Jefferson was back in the host's chair for this one, as Len and Richie treated us to some cuts from their fantastic debut CD, Always Tomorrow, and played a few tunes for us live as well. The guys also gave Frank an impromptu rendition of one of his favorite songs, Len's "Mr. Television." All in all, it was quite a fun evening.

Len Rosen & the Tribe of Good Fortune were also part of the lineup for our Birthday Bash on June 8, and we were glad to have 'em. They're a terrific live band with a truly unique sound. Len & the Tribe go by the motto: "we make music the old-fashioned way... we PLAY it!" They do that, and do it well. You can take a listen to it riiiiiiight here.

We were so grateful to have Roger Gregory, one of the most important figures in the club's long history, to come in and chat with us on June 11. Roger is perhaps best known as the longtime bassist for Blind Willie's house band: The Shadows. What you may NOT know (or you may after all; hell, what do we know?) is that Roger is also a co-founder of Blind Willie's! He and business partner Eric King literally built the club, along with some well-placed assistance and support from local musicians at the time. It was a definite labor of love, and it continues to this very day.

As for Roger's musical career with the Shadows, they released a bunch of great albums during the 1990s, such as: Party Tuff or Stay Home! (1992), It Ain't Easy Bein' Sleazy (1993), Steppin' to the Shadows (1994), Dreamtime (1994), Dark Side of the Shadows (1995), Pale Interpretators (1997), and One Night of Sin (2000). Sadly, the untimely and accidental death of singer/guitarist Mike Lorenz in 2001 changed things quite a bit. Fortunately though, Roger continues as the rhythm behind The Shadows, as well as providing musical arrangements for many touring stars for whom The Shadows back at Blind Willie's.

It was another rockin' time in the Doghouse on Sunday, May 11, as Alpharetta, GA's High Cotton performed for us as part of our revived Pickin' on the Porch series. The chatroom was a-buzzin' for this one, and we all enjoyed the great afternoon of fine, fine music.

High Cotton is a group of "seasoned" musicians whose collective experience gives their original songs a depth and quality that is timeless. Their sound combines soulful and devilishly passionate vocals from Laura Monk with a cool mix of rhythm guitar, deep bass undertones, percussion and smooth leads. High Cotton's unique sound stretches the "Americana" tag, resulting in the memorable songs on their latest CD, Pictures. We want to thank Laura Monk, John Monk, PJ Engemann and Dan Foster for entertaining us and our listeners. Y'all are always welcome in the Doghouse!

If you missed the show or just wanna catch it again, we'll be uploading it to our Archives section soon.

We were happier than a dog with two tails to have Atlanta's premier folk singer/songwriter/humorist (and Hounddog Radio featured artist) Johnny Roquemore return to our studio to give us a special in-house show on Feb. 17. Johnny was his usual witty and fabulously entertaining self, and we enjoyed every minute of it. We had a bit of a "hum" goin' on through much of the show, but Frank eventually found what was causing the minor glitch. Hum or no hum, the show certainly wasn't ho-hum, as Johnny gave us a string of delightful songs and some fine storytelling.

Johnny Roquemore (pronounced "ROCK-more" and it's the man's real name) is one of our favorite performers. His music is quite a unique blend of satire, down-home pickin' and clever songwriting. It's no wonder that he's been voted Creative Loafing Magazine Critics' Choice for "Best Local Singer/Songwriter" in Atlanta. They'll get no argument from us.

Johnny has been an actor, musician, songwriter and all-around entertainer for over 35 years. He performed on The Gong Show in the mid-'70s and his music has been featured on Dr. Demento's syndicated radio show. Johnny has also been a staple at the legendary Eddie's Attic club for many years. We don't know which we like better, his humor or his music. Thank goodness they're rolled together so nicely. You can hear what we mean right here.

Yes, it's true. Hounddog Radio recently made the local news (and, no, not the "police blotter" section). Atlanta's NBC affiliate, WXIA, contacted us about featuring HounddogRadio in a story on Internet radio's ongoing battle to overturn the U.S. Copyright Board's decision that allows the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to jack up royalty rates and essentially squash Internet radio as we know it. The story aired on WXIA's "11Alive News" evening broadcasts for May 1, 2007. We extend our sincere thanks to reporter Blair Meeks as well as the producers and staff at WXIA for contacting us and giving this story some much-needed exposure.

You can read the printed version of the story here.