Stereo Embers The Podcast 0501: Johnny Iguana (The Claudettes, "The Bear", Oh My God)

“Garage Glamour”

It’s hard to think of a more dynamic and exciting band as the Claudettes. The Chicago-based rock/blues/pop outfit have been at it since 2010 and with six albums under their belts, including their riveting new one Garage Glamour, The Claudettes have established themselves as one of the most singular outfits on the planet. From Dance Scandal In The Gymnasium to High Times In The Dark, The Claudettes’ music is informed as much by Junior Wells as it is The Minutemen. Are they a piano punk band? Sure. Are they a punk piano blues band? Yes. They’re all of that. The band’s new album Garage Glamour, which features the soulful Rachel Williams, is exhilarating, and life-affirming. It’s a sweaty sonic reminder that when the world is falling apart, like it is now, it’s music that keeps alive. As for Mr. Iguana, that’s the nom de plume of one Brian Berkowitz, the New Jersey-born, Chicago-based braintrust of The Claudettes. Iguana has played with Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, Eddie Shaw, Carey Bell and Oh My God, which is the band where our paths first crossed. You’ll hear about that in the chat, but a few more things to know about Johnny Iguana: he’s a brilliant piano player who plays with the perfect blend of muscle and finesse. He played on the Grammy-nominated album Junior Wells: Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends, played the Montreaux Jazz Festival, toured for three years as part of Junior Wells’ band and co-composed the score for season one of The Bear. He’s a great guy to chat with and this conversation was really fun.

www.theclaudettes.com (http://www.theclaudettes.com)
www.theclaudettes.bandcamp.com

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