SONIC IMPACT

Buffalo Tom frontman Bill Janovitz reflects on the musical path that took him from Long Island kid with a Fisher-Price record player to frontman of Buffalo Tom and best selling author of books about The Rolling Stones and The Cars.A major thread of the conversation was influence: the Cars, R.E.M.the Replacements and the rich Boston/Amherst scene of the 1980s all helped shape Buffalo Tom. He also unpacks the origins of key Buffalo Tom songs like “Taillights Fade” and shares standout moments from his career like performing “Taillights Fade” with with Pearl Jam at Fenway Park.Janovitz’s second creative life is as an author, where he has written acclaimed books on the Rolling Stones, Leon Russell, and the Cars.  Throughout, Janovitz comes back to gratitude: for his band’s longevity, for family, and for a career rooted in passion rather than spectacle.
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Richling traces his passion for music and film back to his 80s LA childhood listening to the sounds of KROQ and MTV, where he was inspired by British New Wave artists like The Cure, Human League, Echo and The Bunnymen. But it was Richling’s high school musical bond with friend Jacob Dylan that lead him to a 20 year run as a member of the Grammy winning group, The Wallflowers. 

Winning Grammys and touring the world with some of the most iconic bands in music history like The Who, Tom Petty and The Rolling Stones. More recently Greg has become a successful documentary filmmaker with “The Immediate Family,” the story of the world renowned LA session musicians who recorded and toured with artists like Linda Ronstadt, Carol King, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks and countless other.

Come along on this rich and remarkable musical/ film journey of this supremely talented musician, produce and filmmaker.
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In this in depth interview, Mickey Thomas reflects on his remarkable journey from singing the iconic vocal on Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” to becoming the powerhouse frontman for Jefferson Starship and later Starship. He shares stories from his early days in the Georgia rock and soul scene, the unexpected breakout success of “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” and how that moment launched him into one of rock’s most recognizable voices.

Thomas walks through the transition from Jefferson Starship—known for hits like “Jane,” “Find Your Way Back,” and “No Way Out”—to the re-formed Starship era, where he helped deliver some of the biggest pop-rock anthems of the 1980s. He talks candidly about the whirlwind success behind chart-toppers such as “We Built This City,” “Sara,” and the Oscar-nominated “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” and offers insight into the band’s evolution, reinvention, and enduring legacy.

The episode highlights Thomas’s signature voice, his resilience through band changes and industry shifts, and the stories behind the songs that helped define multiple eras of American rock.
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What if I told you that the Beach Boys didn’t actually play the instruments on some of their most iconic tracks, or that the Monkees were just the face of a phantom band operating from the shadows?

On this episode of Sonic Impact, we pull back the curtain on the greatest musical magic trick of the 20th century with filmmaker Denny Tedesco.

We are diving deep into the legacy of his father, the legendary Tommy Tedesco, and the secret society of session musicians—The Wrecking Crew and The Immediate Family—who were the invisible architects of the 60s and 70s sound. These unsung heroes built the soundtrack of our lives in single-take recording sessions, crafting the grooves for everyone from Frank Sinatra to James Taylor while the stars on the album covers took the credit.

Tune in to discover how a group of jazz cats accidentally invented the sound of rock and roll, and find out which legendary guitar solo was actually just a musician looking for his cigarettes.
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On this episode Lzzy Hale of Halestorm sits down for a conversation that's as powerful as her legendary vocals. She takes us behind the curtain of the absolute metal event of the year—the final Black Sabbath tribute—where rock gods gathered, and she stood as the only female performer invited to honor Ozzy Osbourne. What's the real story behind her name's secret connection to the Prince of Darkness himself? Lzzy gets raw and real, sharing how she went from a kid on a Pennsylvania farm to an icon, channeling what she calls the "beautiful panic" of the stage and the defiant spirit it takes to lead as a woman in hard rock. This isn't just an interview; it's a lesson in legacy, a blueprint for creative survival, and the untold story of a journey fueled by passion and a little childlike wonder. You have to listen to believe it.
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