Mr. Smolin is the performance moniker of Los Angeles songwriter Barry Smolin. Best known as the host of the psychedelic radio shows The Music Never Stops (1995-2012) and Head Room (2012-Present) on KPFK 90.7 FM in Southern California, Smolin has also released 4 albums of original music. Mr. Smolin’s music has been featured on the Showtime television series “Weeds.” Smolin is also the author of 2 novellas, “Wake Up In The Dreamhouse” (2011) and “Narcissus In The Dark” (2012), as well as a collection of poetry, “Always Be Madly In Love” (2011), and the fiction trilogy The Miranda Complex (2016). In 2013 Mr. Smolin collaborated with Double Naught Spy Car for the album “Heaven’s Not High”.
Double Naught Spy Car — Paul Lacques (steel guitar & guitar), Marcus Watkins (guitar), Marc Doten (bass), and Joe Berardi (drums) — has spent 20 years warping traditions in American music. They have been called surf noir, jazz on acid, spaghetti near eastern, and “difficult.” They are also known as members of other bands such as The Fibonaccis, I See Hawks In L.A., The Bonedaddys, The Atomic Sherpas, The Bastards of Belleville, The Underthings, Earthworm Ensemble, The Sheiks of Shake, and Non Credo. Double Naught Spy Car’s most recent release, “Panorama City,” is a collaboration with longtime co-hort, the Tony-award winning singer/songwriter Stew. Their previous albums include “Western Violence”, “Danger High”, and “Comb In Blue Water”.
Mr. Smolin and Double Naught Spy Car collaborated together in the second edition of Waywords and Meansigns, recording Book I Chapter 1, “The Fall”.
Credits — Barry Smolin, piano&keys&voice; Paul Lacques, guitar; Marcus Watkins, guitar; Marc Doten, bass; Joe Berardi, drums&percussion. Produced by Marc Doten & Barry Smolin.
Mr. Smolin also contributed three recordings to the Opendoor Edition of Waywords and Meansigns in 2017. “The Mooks & The Gripes”, page 152 line 16 through page 159 line 18.
“The Ballat of Perce Oreille”, page 175 line 7 through line 28.
“Ancients Link With Presents”, page 254 line 8 through 9.