Matt Connarton Unleashed 5-23-23

Hey everybody, welcome, Here we go. It is that time again or that time again for our Canadian listeners online, Here we go. It's Matt Connerton Unleashed. We are live from the studios of w m n H ninety five PM and Glorious Downtown, Manchester, New Hampshire. Also on Comcast ninety seven. If you're in Manchester, Hello to alive our online listeners across the nation and around the globe. You can go to my website Matt Connerton dot com for all of your live streaming options, social media links, contact info, show archives, etc. Etc. Today is Tuesday, May twenty third, two thousand twenty three, so nice to have you all with me.

By the way, the opening track that I played that was Alberta from the band Trevino or El Trevino. You can find them online both ways. They're on Spotify is just Trevino. But if you miss yesterday's show, we had Derek Lafford from the band Skype in from Phoenix and we had a great discussion and I love that band so much so I wanted to play one of their songs to open the show today. Alberta of the They got a what is It eleven or twelve I think songs on the album, but that's one of my favorites, so I wanted to open today with that.

I just think they're amazing and Derek and I had a great discussion. So if you did miss the show, I suggest you go back and check the archive. I think you enjoy it, and we have an exciting show for you today. We have musical guests coming up in the second hour, our Number two Numerods live in studio. Cody Pope and by Ring will be coming in. It's been a while since we've had some live hip hop on the show. It's been quite a while, actually, so I'm really looking forward to that. Cody Pope I have interviewed before, I think a couple of times over the years, so I've known him for a while.

I don't think i've met by Ringe, so today I will meet him and really looking forward to that. They're gonna come in, They're gonna they're gonna perform live in studio. They got a drum machine and they're gonna do a little last set for us and then after that we'll talk. So really looking forward to that. So that will be coming up today, and our Number two of the program and an hour number one, we'll see what other shenanigans we can get into. But the studio line is open six zoo three two five O six seven six three two five oz six O seven.

You can also tell us at six one seven nine one seven four four seven six. I'm on social media at Matt Connerton. You can email me Matt at matt Connerton dot com. And of course you can interact endo Pine in the Facebook live chat and we will say hello everybody in there in just a moment. But the best thing to do so that we can hear and fully enjoy your Dulca tones is to give us a call at six z three two five six seven. Let's see. Let's go ahead and say hello everybody in the Facebook live chat, and then we'll get into some stuff.

Let's see. Here, we've got Charles Richardson from the state of Florida. Florida's I don't know if you all have noticed, but Florida has been in the news quite a bit lately. Charles says, good afternoon, get ready for the Ron De Santis presidential train tomorrow, and pray to god it gets derailed. Now, Charles, one thing about that and I don't know if you are a religious man, but you know, I did go to I haven't been a church in a long time, to the chagrin of my father of course, who does listen to the show.

So but I believe, and Shannon and I had a conversation about this recently. I think now I could be wrong about this. Again, I haven't been a church in a while, but I believe theologically you are not supposed to ask God for things like train de railments or for people to be harmed in any way. I think that these are things you're not supposed to ask for. Now. I'm not saying that I've never, uh, you know, myself perhaps initiated something with the Lord and said, hey, you know, if by chance something horrible should happen to Vladimir Putin, you know, I mean, I wouldn't mind personally, just but my two cents.

And but I think you're really not supposed to do that. I think you're supposed to pray for for positive things, good healing things, and I don't think you're supposed to pray for a train to derail. Having that the Lord works in mysterious ways, we shall see And apparently Governor de Santis of Florida is announcing on Twitter, and he's doing something with Elon Musk, which seems like, I don't know. To me, that seems like it might be a little bit of a middle finger to Trump, because I thought Trump and Elon were cozy for a while there.

I mean, Elon did rein say Trump on Twitter? After all? Not the Trump actually really uses Twitter because he has his own thing, the Truth Social But yes, Governor de Santis. I think Chris Christi is rumored to be announcing this week as well, but I'm not sure. But yes, Governor Ron de Santis, it's gonna be gonna be getting in and the announcement will be on Twitter. Let's see.

Jay Fed is in the chat room, as well as Melanie Liberty from the Great State of Vermont. Hello the Green Mountains State. Let's see.

Jay Fed says, I hope there is some bass pumping. I assume. I assume you mean during our musical guests in the second hour there, Cody Pope and Byron g I would imagine there will be some pumping bass. We shall see. Um. Melanie says, you haven't been to church because it burns when you enter the building. How dare you? Why would that be? I am look, look, I am a very uh, I'm a very good boy. I am I'm actually I always say I'm so clean. I'm actually boring, not saying I am without sin. None of us are without sin.

But you know I don't do terrible things like put pineapple on pizza, for example, as we've discussed on the show. That's a sin. I believe, never never do that. You won't catch me doing that. Fredo joins us in the Facebook live chat or I do so love to say his full name, as you know, Alfredo Enrique Benavitis. He says, yo, yo, and we will be seeing Fredo here in studio with us, I believe later in this later in the month. Is it this month or next month? I forget when the exact data is, but looking forward to that as always.

And Fredo says, shout out to all my connor Tonight's yes, thank you, sir, thank you very much. Melanie also said in the chat room, and you know, instead of praying, you could actually do something that would help, like voting. I know it's a radical idea, Yes, well, yes, that is a good idea, actually not terribly radical. I encourage people to vote. Melanie says, sin is a made up concept by those looking to control the masses. Hence I am not a sinner. Huh, I see you found a loophole. Well, I don't want to get into a deep theological discussion because we have we have other things to discuss, like the debt limit.

Um uh. Now, yesterday on the show, we did uh talk about it somewhat, and I had intended to return to the subject in the second hour, but my conversation with Derek Relaford of the band L Trevino went longer than I anticipated, because not only did we talk about his music, but we talked about the podcast that he does about his hometown, Elkhart, which has apparently a ridiculously high murder rate for for a small place. But but we'll I do. I did see something reassuring on the debt limit right before I came on the air today that we'll look at um.

Fredo says in the chat room, there's definitely a correlation between states that have lower voter turnout and lower standard of living. Yes, true, absolutely, Crystal are friend from the great state of Illinois, joins us and says hello everyone, Hello, Crystal. Now I saw something. Now, this surprised me. When I look for

when I'm when I'm stressed, when I'm worried about something, and I look for comfort, for some comforting words, some reassurance, someone that I would not think to look for. These things, I would not look too for. These things would be Mitch McConnell, sentim Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, I would not look to him. But if you are a regular listener of the show, you know I am deeply concerned about the debt limit and that we are about to go over the fiscal cliff on what they ominously refer to what the Treasury ominously refers to as the X date, the date when we're out of money and we can't borrow anymore, because our elected lawgivers and overlords as I like to call them, have decided, what the heck, We're just going to go ahead and push the self destruct button on the global economy and see what happens as we carene toward that fate.

But reassurance has arrived. My friends, I hope you find this as comforting as I do, because Mitch McConnell, again not someone I would look to for reassurance and comfort. He says, according to the Hill dot com McConnell on possibility of default quote, everybody needs to relax une. That sounds good to me, Mitch. I would love to relax about this. I would love to just chill and not give it another thought or worry. I would love that. Let's see, now, I have not preread this, so let's see what he says in here.

Oh, apparently looking at this skinning through it. He goes on to say everyone needs to chill acts, which is even better. That's even better than relaxing. Chill acting. I believe that's a combination of chill and relax. The young people say that Mitch has picked up some young lingo. I used to think chill axe meant when you take an axe and you put it in your freezer. But no, I'm okay. That part I'm kidding about. And when I say I'm kidding, I mean I'm kidding about him saying chill as I don't mean I'm kidding about thinking that it was when you put an axe in the freezer.

I actually thought that's that's what it meant. Okay, it says here. Now let's see, let's get into deeper into what Mitch had to say. I'm calling him. I'm not calling him Senator McConnell like I would normally. I'm just calling him Mitch because I find him in this moment. I find him a source of comfort and reassurance. Let's see what our friend Mitch has to say. Again. This is from the Hill dot com. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, tried to calm fears of a possible debt default today, pleading with everyone to quote relax unquote as talks continue between the White House and the House GOP negotiators ahead of the likely June one deadline.

Quote. I think everybody needs to relax unquote, McConnell told reporters in his home Staatee. Hey, by the way, I just had a thought. You know, if again, if you're a regular listener, you might know this about me. I'm a certified hypnotherapist, and I just I often obviously, of course, as even if you've never been hypnotized, you would probably guess this that one of the things I say to my clients when I bring them into a state of hypnosis is I ask them to relax, Just just relax, just clear your mind and relax.

And I just I wonder how how Mitch would do as a as a hypnotherapist, And would any of you find him calming and relaxing? Would you would you want to be alone in a room with Mitch McConnell for a hypnotherapy session. Probably not anyway, Okay, so he says, I think everybody needs to relax. McConnell told reporters in his home state, again reiterating that the nation will not default on its payments, a declaration he's repeated throughout the negotiation process. Quote, the last ten times we raise the debt ceiling, there were things attached to it.

This is not that unusual. It is almost entirely required when you have divided government. Unquote. None of that convinced me. I'm afraid that. I mean, yeah, you can, you can look at the past and say, well, in the past, we always did it, But I'm worried about now. And and by the way, you know, President Biden, I think he's also got that same line of thinking. You know, he and Mitch McConnell they're about the same age. They're both u creatures of the Senate, right, both of them spending many decades in the Senate, McConnell continuing to do so, and of course Biden now president, Biden had become a vice president and now president um and uh.

So, I wonder if part of the problem here

is they don't understand there there are such institutionalists. I don't think they fully understand what's happening here politically, because the other thing that's developing today is now you have House Republicans saying they don't believe Janet yelling that that there's really anything to worry about, that we're actually going to default on June first, as early as June first, you know. And but there's also no excuse for not knowing that this is a real possibility, because look at how close we came in twenty eleven, and both Biden and McConnell were there.

Biden was part of the negotiations, he was Obama's vice president at that time. And look how close we came, so close that our bond rating was downgraded, and it did real damage to the economy. And I read some numbers just recently about in terms of jobs that were lost just because we came so close and it shakes the global economy, or it shakes the faith of other countries, and you know, in terms of the global economy, it shakes their faith in the United States. I mean we you know, this whole thing is based on our currency, right, everything's measured against the dollar.

And I wonder if if there's something there where these guys, and again McConnell's comments makes me wonder if it's the same thing that I think is wrong with Biden and Biden is you know, I I've been very critical of both the Democrats and Republicans on this. I think you know, you've got the Republican House Freedom Caucus. They used to be the Tea Partiers back in twenty eleven. Now they're the House Freedom Caucus. And some of them would actually be perfectly happy to default. Some of them are actually pro default.

We have the Republican frontrunner for president who apparently is pro default from what he was saying at the town hall. He says, am might as well, why not. You might have a bad day or a bad week, but that it's fine, just crazy crazy stuff, right. I don't know if I don't know if Biden or McConnell, and it's his McConnell's own party. I don't know if either of them quite realizes what they're dealing with here. I mean, I think it's possible that Biden actually did he really believe when he said months ago that no, we're not negotiating on this at all, and they need to pass this House needs to pass a clean raise of the debt ceiling and that's it, and not attach anything else to it.

We can argue about the budget separately, but they need to pass a clean debt bill, debt limit bill to raise the ceiling. Did he really believe that? And that's because this is the this is where and again I've been critical of both. I mean, first of all, I'm critical of the Republicans because I'm sick of them playing this game with the global economy. And we got into that yesterday a bit, and I wanted to circle back and talk about Biden's role in this, and then we ran out of time. But I'll just mention it here.

If Biden really believed, as I have to assume that he did, that he could just mand that the Republicans were going to just give him what he wanted and lift the debt ceiling clean, which again as I always say on the show, in principle is the correct position. In principle, I don't believe that anything should be attached to the debt limit. Even Trump had this right when he was president. That was Trump's position when he was president. We don't we don't use a negotiate, we don't use the debt limit as a negotiation.

Wedge. I think we're his exact words. It's reckless, it's stupid, and we're not going to do that. Ever, And he had the right position. Now he's done a complete one eighty. Now he's like, yeah, go ahead to fault. Fine, that will have a bad day or a bad week, whatever, it'll be great. Just I mean, that's what he said during the CNN town hall. Anyone who doesn't believe me, you can go look it up. This crazy talk. But you know, Biden, So then he didn't want to talk. He didn't want to talk to McCarthy because this position was he took a hard line, no, we're not negotiating on this.

Did he really think that they were just gonna cave. You've got in mckevin McCarthy, you've got a speaker who had to effectively give all his power away to the House Freedom Caucus to get elected speaker fifteen attempts. Oh yeah, as Fredo's pointing out now in the chat room, McCarthy is the weakest Speaker in decades because of his slim majority and band of reckless extremists he sold power to in order to get his seat exactly perfectly put, Fredo perfectly put. Does Biden not understand that? Because the other element to this is you have to remember, Okay, we might wake up one day to the news, hey they got a deal.

Great, Biden and McCarthy settled on something, but then they have to sell it to their to their own party members, you know, and it's gonna be harder. I mean it's hard for It's gonna be hard for Biden because progressives in the Democratic Party are gonna they don't want Biden to give up anything, and they want him to just go with well, actually some moderates to just want him to go with the fourteenth Amendment and take that risk, because they don't think it's a risk I do. They don't. But McCarthy's got to go back and sell this and sell this to to the Republicans in the House.

And I don't think for the reasons that Fredo just pointed out. I don't know that it's going to be easy, and we're rapidly running out of time here, we are rapidly running out of time. So

but this, to me, and again I find myself saying this a lot. I don't mean to be agist, I really don't, but this to me is actually, I would say, the best example yet of why Biden needs to step aside and let somebody else in terms of I don't mean he should resign the presidency. I just mean in terms of running again. And I know he's already announced, he's already launched his reelection bid, but gotta get gotta the Dems have to put up somebody younger who can see what's coming down the pike. See, because everything that's happening right now, I saw this coming.

I knew I knew this was coming. Somehow the president of the United States didn't know what was coming. To put it in very stark terms, because Fredo says, Biden finances first campaign and Beaver pelts, Yeah, he's he's eighty years old, and but but he's also an institutionalist, and he's used to the way things used to work, and the way things used to work is you raise the debt limit and you don't flirt with default. And he probably thought that what happened in twenty eleven when we came that close, that that was you know, that was a once in a lifetime thing.

We'd never let that happen again. Everybody learned their lesson when the bond rating was lowered, and so forth. Right, No, no, there's no excuse for the way Biden played this. Now, this is again. I've talked yesterday on the show about you know, where I blame the Republicans, and I've referred to it today, but where I blame Biden. And this is where. Look, there's some things about Biden I do like, some things I give him credit for, but on this, on this, this is indefensible, It's unforgivable. He put us all in peril by making the decision to say, no, I'm not negotiating on this back months ago when he said no, I'm not negotiating on anything.

They need to do the right thing, and again it would be the right thing. I agree with that. I agree in principle with his position, but in practice you have to deal with the cards you got to play the cards you're dealt, right, So, knowing, knowing you've got a weak speaker in Kevin McCarthy, who is beholden to the House Freedom Caucus, knowing that, knowing all of this, he says, no, I'm going to take the principal stand and I'm gonna say no, I will not negotiate on the debt limit. It should be a clean bill again, correct, but it's not gonna work.

So now, now when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, he gets to say about the president, well, look what is it a hundred days now, you know the President said a hundred days ago, more than three months ago, he said I'm not going to negotiate. So for a hundred days there was no talk. There was no negotiation because of the President said I'm not going to negotiate. Now here we are, so Biden doing that, Biden refusing to negotiate back then even talk about it and say no, we're not negotiating on the debt limit.

He handed McCarthy a club that McCarthy gets to us and just club it over Biden's head anytime he wants to well, don't blame me the president. You know I wanted to talk. He didn't want to talk. What a wonderful political gift he gave to Kevin McCarthy. And now, and now we're in a situation where the Republicans have all the cards. And I'll be honest with you. Now, the bill that the bill that the Republicans passed in the House, all the economic analysis that I've seen says that that bill has written and the very deep cuts that are in it would actually harm the economy.

And there was an analysis I saw today and this and I'm not talking about you know, liberal think tanks putting this out. I'm saying economists across the border saying this, it's so draconian in these cuts that it would actually I saw one analysis it would cost the economy about a half a million jobs at least. Fredo says, twenty two percent cuts to medicare. Oh yeah, it's brutal. It's brutal. Now, obviously that's in terms of negotiating, you start with asking for more than you know you're going to get, and you kind of work towards the middle.

I understand the President doesn't want to. You know, it was a long, hard slog to get things like the inflation Reduction Act pass for example. And I understand he doesn't want to give up these legislative gains, but listen at the end of the day, and this is this is a very bitter pill to swallow. But again, you have to play the hands you're delt. If it comes down to a choice between we either do something that even conservative minded economists say could actually harm the economy. I mean, Moody's Analytics, hardly a conservative outfit.

They said the Republican bill that was passed would would damage the economy. And again that's a negotiation. You know, you negotiate, which is in theory what's going on now, right, But if it comes down to a stark choice between we either do something that willfully damages the economy or we just go ahead and destroy the entire global economy, well I'd rather damage it than completely destroy everything. And by the way, for anyone who thinks I'm being hyperbolic, I'm not. When I talk about destroy.

This has the potential if we default, it has the potential to cause a global financial collapse that will make what happened in two thousand and eight look like a picnic. And we'll probably be closer on scale to the Great Depression. So you know, if, in other words, this is my long winded way of saying, if Biden has to swallow that very bitter a pill and give in a lot more than he wants to, and the Democrats have to give in a lot more than they want to thanks to the way that Biden has played this, which is it shows a degree of incompetence that I'm actually I find stunning, to be frank with you, absolutely stunning.

You know we're gonna have to again. I'd I'd rather, I'd rather give away more than more than anyone wants to h and damage the economy than risk just blowing the whole thing up. Global economic armageddon is my last choice. You know what I mean? Ron is on the line, high Ron, I've been I've been sitting here watching you. I was wondering how long it was going to take you to pick up that pen, to pick up what? Pick up the pen? You were going with quite a while without the pen indy hand. Oh okay, well I got it now.

You gotta know, hey, listen, I wouldn't want you to go off topic because this is a very important topic and I'm all the years I'm trying to pick up on whatever I can. But did you ever find out anything about the whistleblowers. I've read up a little bit about it. Yeah. I don't want to get into it right now because I want to see what else Mitch McConnell and his soothing words had to offer. But yeah, sure, but well we'll look at it this week. Yeah, yeah, that'd be great. And one more thing if you could look at in the near future or whenever.

I happen to watch sixteen minutes two weeks ago, and there was something that I really did understand. But it was like the treasures of all churches have like billions and billions and billions of dollars and they're like Trump, they won't explain what to do. We in a weirds held what they do with it, what's spent on It's a big hush hush thing. And that too. We had a whistle below and there was a guy that was on there and he just said, this is wrong. It's our thievery. And um, I don't know if that if that rings a bell in any way to you or your other listeners, if you know anything on that.

Obviously today's not today, But that was my other thing. I was like, wow, yeah, not a clue, but I'll look at it. Sounds interesting, all right, by friend. All right, Ron, thanks for the call. All right, all right, bye bye, all right, that was our friend, Ron. That does open up the line for you. Six zo three two five six seven six zo three two five six zero seven. Uh. Let's see. Um getting back to this the Hill dot com it says here, oh h. McConnell also said, quote, regardless of what maybe said about the talks, and by the way, not much as being said.

That's that's positive. But he said, quote, regardless of what maybe said about the talks, the President and the Speaker will reach an agreement. It will ultimately pass on a bipartisan of both the House and Senate. The country will not default. Unquote. I like his confidence. I I don't. I don't believe that's where we're headed. I don't. I mean honestly, now, listen, I don't want to be doom and gloom.

I know you're some of you are probably think it's a little late, Matt. No, listen, Honestly, here's what I think happens. Um. I don't think they reach an agreement. I have no faith in that at this point, I honestly don't, but I do think that Biden will uh try to invoke the fourteenth Amendment and uh to to avoid default. It'll be uh, you know, break last, grab the axe or whatever, the chill ax um and uh and then hopefully, hopefully Laurence Tribe and others who are you are advocating for that option.

Hopefully they turn out to be right. And Janet Yellen doesn't seem to think that'll work though, and that is very worrisome. But let's look at the rest of this says here. McConnell has been a steadfast backer of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy throughout the debt ceiling negotiation and has repeatedly said that President Biden must strike a deal with the Speaker this time around. McConnell had been expected to play a role given his relationship and past dealings with the President, but he has instead remained a supporting character.

Given the makeup of Congress, he has maintained that any deal must be amored out between the White House and House Republicans, and that is where the power lies these days, with the Democrat controlled Senate playing little role in the debt ceiling discussions. McCarthy was joined by McConnell at the White House for some talks. But those discussions, I see, I'd actually feel I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd actually feel better if McConnell was in the room. I really would. I don't mean in the room here with me.

That would freak me out. I'd be like, WHOA, what are you doing here? No, but i'd feel better if he was in the room for the talks every time. I wish he was taking a larger role here anyway, So those discussions have narrowed two teams, spearheaded by White House counsel Or Steve Richetti, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young and White House Director of Legislative Affairs Louisa Terrell or Terrell on the Democratic side, and Representatives Garrett Graves, Republican of Louisiana and Patrick Mhenry, Republican of North Carolina for the GOP.

Fredo says, I'd feel better if he stayed in his shell, referring to Mitch McConnell, he does look like a turtle. Talks remain ongoing, although the GOP negotiators complained today that the White House is not showing enough urge and see in discussions. See that kind of thing makes me think. I hear that kind of stuff, and I think they're not good. They're not going to come to a deal. It's going to be all about the fourteenth Amendment in the end. I really do think so. Due to the Oh and then there's this.

I didn't even realize this until recently. Due to the seventy two hour rule in the House and the time needed to cobble together legislative text, a deal likely must come together by late this week in order to pass it ahead of the X state of June one laid out by Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen. Yeah, I do not believe that's going to happen. I see no reason to think that's going to happen. So I do think we are, for the first time in our history, going to have to rely on the fourteenth Amendment one other thing.

It's already twenty of one other thing regarding the I wanted to look at this quickly. This is from Politico. Court sets legal showdown on the debt limit Fourteenth Amendment argument. Justice Department lawyers decline to say wether Biden has the power to defy a debt cap Let's look at this quickly. This just went up this afternoon. Quote. I'm sorry, no quote. How am I saying quote? I'll say a quote when there's something to quote. Okay. A judge in Boston has ordered a hearing next week on one of the key arguments that President Joe Biden has the legal authority to ignore the debt limit statute and continue to pay the federal government's bills.

U SEC Court Judge Richard Stearns said a May thirty one hearing on a lawsuit. This is already starting. Jesus sorry, let me start that paragraph again. I'm just frustrated by all of this, Judge Richard Stern said a May thirty one hearing on a lawsuit filed by a federal workers union contending that the fourteen Amendment empowers Biden another official society step to stand off with Congress that has threatened to potential default. Oh okay, so they're actually supporting him, But what is their standing to bring I'm a little puzzled by this.

I'm glad they're supporting it. So they're saying the fourteenth Amendment, that's this union's position, the Federal Workers Union, they're contending, well, yeah, they want to continue to get paid. Okay, I'm glad,

but let's see it says you're. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the so called X state for a default could come as soon as June one, just one day after the scheduled arguments on the National Association of Government Employees request for a preliminary injunction requiring Yelling to keep paying bills and salaries as usual. Yeah, I mean federal workers, Yeah, if they. I mean, that's the thing you have to understand too, for anyone who thinks that this isn't a big deal or doesn't fully understand what we're talking about, because polling data shows most Americans don't understand this.

They think it's like a government shutdown or something. It is not. This is far far more serious and a government shutdown, it's pretty serious. It costs the economy a lot of money. But you got to understand, if we default, federal workers suddenly aren't getting paid, the military suddenly isn't getting paid. Social Security effectively ends, you know. So if you're somebody out there who doesn't like Social Security, while you might be about to get your wish if you know, and there are people out there, even though Social Security is the most popular social program that the government administers, that might be about to end.

I mean, that's how serious this is. You know, this is none of this is none of this is un serious. It says here during a brief video conference to Tuesday morning, so that was this morning. Sterns see this, This part discourages me a little bit. Sterns sounded skeptical of arguments from the union's lawyers that disaster for the nation is impending. If he did not put the case on an even faster track. Sterns and a pointee of former President Bill Clinton, said, quote, if the emergency is as dire as you think it is, I would think that it's within the power of the president to address it using executive branch authority.

Unquote. Well, that's the thing, though, you can't really use. Trump tried to do that. He tried to send out checks on his own, separate of Congress, and nothing happened. You know, the Treasury didn't send out checks just because Trump said so, because the executive branch doesn't control the money. The legislative branch does. Before setting the May thirty one argument date. Sterns said he didn't see the union's request for a decision by June one as realistic. Yeah, I mean kind of last minute there, The judge said, quote, I understand there are time constraints given that events are developing, probably even as we're meeting, that probably make a decision prior to June first impossible unquote.

Stearns did not get a direct answer when he asked Justice Department lawyer Alexander Ellie or Eli. I think it's Ellie whether the Department disagrees with the central argument in the suit that the Fourteenth Amendment's assurance that US debt shall not be questioned means the president can ignore a statute capping the national debt. Ellie said he was not authorized to stake out a position on that question, and he suggested that the Department would argue that the union suit is not a proper vehicle to force COJ to come to a legal conclusion.

He said, quote this requires high level coordination among the US government unquote. But an attorney for the Union, Thomas Gooa Geoegan Geoegan, I'm just gonna call him tommyg pointed out that the claims of an imminent cataclysm from a possible default originate with the very officials named as defendants in the suit. Tommy EG said as he asked the judge to agree to a speedy process quote, this is an unusual case in which the defendants are predicting the calamity. The local rules do not take into account that there is a catastrophic looming in this case, catastrophe rather looming in this case.

The union's lawyer also suggested DJ is playing for time, but to avoid taking out a position that would have a profound effect on the ongoing talks between the White House and Republican House leaders, which, by the way, is my suspicion about why DJ has never revealed what the conclusion the OLC came to when they looked at this in twenty eleven. If you file a Freedom of Information Act request, you can't even find out they will deny it. You can't even find out why the OLC and the DOJ refused to tell Obama at the time that yes, you can use the fourteenth Amendment.

They advised against it, but they won't say why. And they refuse to say why. It's a secret. I would love to know, although I hope to never have to find out in a sense. But Tommy g said, quote, what we're faced with, I fear is that the government doesn't really have a position on this, but there is no time to prevent irreparable injury unquote. Cerns gave the Justice Department a deadline of May thirty to file a written response. I could clarify the government's view on the outer bounds of Biden's authority regarding the public debts, all very exciting.

We have time for a one call before the top of the hour if anyone wants to get in. Six three two five seven six three two five six seven. Uh, let's see. Let's look at the chat room. By the way, a lot of a lot of comments in the chat room on the subject. Um Fredo says, Republican congressmen are holding medical medical care from programs like Medicare all the way up to veterans benefits. Hostage. Um. If the Republican base actually cared about veterans, their blood would be boiling over Republican congressman taking away benefits from veterans to make concessions on the debt ceiling.

Uh. Melanie said regarding Mitch McConnell if I thought he'd make a good hypnotherapist, Melanie said, I find his lack of chin and spine distracting, so I'm unable to relax despite his reassurances. Uh. Fredo says, where were Republicans asking for cuts during Trump? The deficit increased by almost eight trillion under Darth tax of Vader. I'd see what you did there, Fredo. Yeah, Well, as I always say, I mean, Republicans only care about the deficits and debt when there's a Democrat in the White House.

Even a lot of Republicans acknowledge that. Oh, Jenny has joined us in the chat room, she says, shalom peeps. Frado says, but McCarthy is a week Oh, I read that comment already. Let's see. Charles Richardson says the president didn't know stuff shocking. Well, there's no excuse for him not being prepared for this, though, I mean, there really isn't. It's the incompetence of Biden, and this, like I said, is absolutely stunning. There's plenty of blame to go around. Crystal in the chat room says, I think Trump is okay now versus then on the debt ceiling is because if we now default on the debt ceiling, it falls under Biden at the end of the day, and he'll be blamed in history for whatever happened.

Right, That's a great point, Crystal. Whatever goes wrong economically, everybody blames whoever is president at the time time, even though the economy is obviously much more complex than that. But a perfect example is probably the most um remarkable example was in nineteen ninety two when George H. W. Bush, you know, after the First Gulf War, after he sent our troops into kick Saddam and the Iraqis out of Kuwait, he had the highest recorded approval rating in history, coming in at ninety percent, the highest approval rating in history ever recorded for a sitting president.

And I remember having conversations with people after that, other, you know, friends of mine who are very interested in politics, and uh, you know, the consensus was, and of course in the media, the consensus was that, you know, there was no way he would lose reelection, that he would easily cruise to a second term based on the strength of his so easily, what was it seventy two hours that that war and then and then the economy fell off a cliff, and he took the blame. Bill Clinton won the president.

See that's just what happens. So that's why the Republicans are in a no lose situation here. You know, if they get what they want, they can crow about that in terms of deep cuts. If they don't get what they want, If the economy does end up, if we do go into default and it is as catastrophic as most economists agree that it would be, and it's the end of the American economy as we know it, well everyone will blame Biden because even though there's plenty of blame to go around, and it will partially be Biden's fault, certainly, but even though there's plenty of blame to go around, everybody just blames the president.

People have a hyper simplified, reductive way of thinking about economics. When the economy is good and they like who's in the White House, they give that person credit. When the economy is good and they don't like that person in the White House, they don't give them credit. The inverse is also true when the economy is bad. If they like the person in the White House, they have nothing to say. If the economy is bad, and they don't like the person in the White House. They blame whoever's in the White House.

It's just how it works. So if we default and it's economically catastrophic and we enter another great depression, whoever the Republican nominee is wins in a landslide. So, but how does Biden? How did Biden not understand all of this months ago when he said I will not negotiate, So, I mean he almost deserves to lose. Really. Crystal also said, I think both parties are too concerned with tarnishing the historical record of whoever is at the helm when they are the opposing party. Oh, absolutely absolutely, Fred Will making a bunch of old jokes about Biden.

Those are funny. Oh hey. Kyle Clayton from the Morning Show with Peter White joins us in the Facebook live chat and says, looking, hey, how are you? Yes, looking at you too, Kyle, except I can't actually see you, You're not on the screen. But I believe our guests have arrived and they are in the hallway. So here's what we're gonna do. We're going to we'll play a little something, play some hip hop, get us in the mood. And then we'll show some love to our amazing sponsors. And then when we come back, Cody Pope and Byron g will be with us live in studio.

They're going to perform for us and then we'll talk afterward, and I'm really really looking forward to that, So stick around plenty more to come.

Welcome back everybody as we enter our number two numerow dose of Matt Connerton Unleashed, and we are live from the studios of wm n H ninety five point three FM in glorious downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, also on Comcast ninety seven if you're in Manchester, and hello to all of our online listeners across the nation and around the globe. You can go to my website Matt Connerton dot com for all your live streaming options, social media links, contact in folks, show archives, etc. Et cetera. It is Tuesday, m twenty third, twenty twenty three, and we have a couple of fine gentlemen here on the couch.

We have Cody Pope and Byron Gee. How are you guys? Hey doing great? Thanks so much for having us, absolutely absolutely so um and you guys are going to perform and this is very cool. Have you ever performed sitting on a couch before? Honestly? And I think this is the first. Definitely a different vibe, but first time here, first time performing on a couch. Yeah, yeah, very cool. All right, so we're gonna try to uh so we we had a little bit of a technical challenge to overcome. But I think now, let me see what happens when I click this, and let's see nothing happens when I click that?

Why is that? So? What we're gonna do is I'm gonna play the tracks and these guys are gonna perform here in studio. I'm just trying to see why. Now that's interesting? All right? Can I drag that over? I wonder? All right, let me do this, Sorry, everybody, we gotta do this on behalf of the segment. I want to apologize. I came ill prepared today. No, it's all good. I'm clean it up for the podcast. It's no big deal. Um. But oddly enough, did that really just disappear on me? Oh? Okay, would you believe it's magic?

I think something positive might have just happened here. Let's see, Oh I might have fixed the problem. This is like, oh, this is encouraging. This is very encouraging. This is and it don't feel bad guys, because you know sometimes like we'll have a full band come in and we have to sort of live sound check on the area. Yes. Now, strangely enough, so when I click master show Mixes, why do I only get one? That's weird? All right, Well, let's go ahead, and if you'd like, you could try just the show mix folder as well.

If there's oh, let's see here. Maybe I clicked the wrong Oh okay, So when I go into show mixes, then the only thing that comes up is master show Mixes. Am I in the right place? Uh? There should be some way files in there? Okay, So when I click master show Mixes, the only one that comes up is track one. That's when I'm puzzled by why it's only showing me track one. Huh. I don't know why that would be. Now let me see something here. Um what happens? Oh wait, what happens when I do that? No, it's weird.

It only shows me track one? Um? If if it's given you too much trouble, then if track one could we could do track one? Yeah, I just wonder why it would only show me that, and I have this thing like, oh wait a minute, now, now it's given me a zip file. Oh no, if master show mixes, that might be a good thing. Let's see if I can open the zip file maybe just maybe, No, it gives me track one. Why would that be? That is so strange technologies. Yeah, yeah, well you guys want to perform track one and then we'll we'll talk absolutely yeah, and then we'll uh well, we'll we'll take a break in a little bit and I'll see if I can if I can get more tracks to open.

But uh, all right, so I'm gonna go ahead, and let's make sure this place here there, it is there, it is okay? Should all are you guys ready? Yeah, we're ready? All right, here we go. The song title is called off of our debut album Together and Meet Me in Gate City. That is Cody Pope and I am Byron Gee. I turned thirty and felt I had a cracker. Two. People love to just sit back and laugh at you, miraculously think that life is just gonna turn around. Same people always telling you to turn your frown, turn it down, music loud, what neighbors?

I do this for real ones and no, my true players. Not no sense thinking you're flipping up quick or the clipping bricks or cooking it like this quick. I had needles in my arm money in the same felt the treason from my dogs looking funny in their face, almost sat down for a couple for defending the turf. This planet truly hates me. I'm no friend of the earth trailblazing. I don't need to ride a coattail. Things I've survived are the same things that most failed. Tried to ride the waves but couldn't fix a boat's sail.

Like all listen to Hope's fault, I was watching Hope fail. Broken pottery manned with the gold dust, never ashamed to make repairs to the y old us cracks in our armor only show we have history. If you don't get it, it don't mean it's it is to me, broken pottery man with the gold dust, never ashamed to make repairs to the old dust cracks and our armor only show we have history. If you don't get it, it don't mean it's it this to me. You might catch me proveling down Vine Street or at the crib holding that my dime piece.

Might see me at the record store chilling with my niece. Every song is a capital like it's my die Diagora of the mouth. Things I spent, specific thing no one gifted like I flow across the Pacific. You miss every shot that you don't take. Shoot so much. You might meet me at my own way. Wait wait, see began big like a soda in the three piece, like Jordan with the three peak CD stuck on repeat. We like the hot boys Turk Juvie and big Man. We freshest man he when he's making beats for Wheezy best believe me being greedy, get you left behind.

Everybody meet their maker friends with death in time. My breath is rhyme's mind, crime, body shrine, piss excellent with these might as well bottomed up the wine. Broken pottery mended with the gold dust, never Mashane to make repairs to the old dust cracks, and Alma only show we have history. If you don't get it, it don't mean it's a dis to me. Broken pottery mended with the gold dust, never Shane repairs to the old dust cracks, and Alma only show we have history. If you don't get it, it don't mean it's a dist to me.

Preach.

Oh you guys sound great? Hey, thank you man man. Absolutely uh. If you're just joining us, Cody Pope and Byron g are here with us live in studio. That was not a studio track. That is them performing live here. They're on the couch with us, and gentlemen, I have some good news if you want to keep going, well, if you're gonna twist my arm because I'd love to hear mark. Yeah, I finally I figured out how to get that folder open. Beautiful, So you want you want just the next track? Sure? So this track two is called Scary Stories.

We just had this going throught call radio in North America and it was really cool to see how far it went. So uh excellent. Is kind of like the first proper single from the album, if you will, so shout out to everybody that helped make this one count. It's a little more rapid he wrapped than the last one. Yeah, cool, cool, All right, are you ready? Yes sir? All right, here we go. Shout out to DJ Meth on the Scratches, Manchester's finest Yes, sir rap stand sign Yo, don't talk to me about a wrapper with note book of flames.

Don't look the way, I'll burn the bridge with one book of flames, shook with a Shane took a look and played a crooked game. Cooks the same. But the word you say don't mean a thing. You own your masters because nobody wants trash. Don't flunk. That means the label won't call back. Do something to magnitude before flexing attitude. Say you don't give it up until people lad at you only positive vibe. Okay, you opportunists, surround yourself with toxic people just to push your music integrity and sacrifice me tonna before success.

Can't be new to when people relying to the press here to remind minds that rappers are actors to what's this man's intention? With all the questions he asking you? So, I clearly want to run until they fall face first instead of go in the slow clumps at the pace first? What taste worse with a bit of frank friends becoming foes with someone who plans to use it against you? What they know all one and the same, all one in the equal. We both can't live. You gotta die before the sequel gave me life. Taking yours is not a problem.

Pot plunge with the knife before they say they got him this that I do take every penny in breath, So no what I have no fear. I'm already friends with death. Why so, safricus, because life's so hard somehow a lot of these frauds left me scar trusted in people who wouldn't give me a crumb to live, having to nap the gate humanity. It's dumb to live still swinging, still fighting, I show why trying. Y'all tough on song, Facebook, all crying bitch, probably sell your journals out reviews. I'm the world's night man.

Nobody's dreaming for you. Preach you guys will have to excuse me skipping out a couple of phrases here and there, trying to trying to keep it clean radio clean. So just you know, but I love doing this. This is really cool, man. It's all a great way for us to uh share the album with people. I love this. Oh, it's great here and you guys live in the in the studio like this. This is awesome. Thank you. Yeah, it's cool. It's been a while since we've got to perform or really rock these, you know, we've been so busy with it.

We both do like event planning and stuff like that, and we do a lot of booking of shows and we run a record label together. So it's like it's been probably months since we've played a show, so it's nice to just even be here, kind of like flexing the muscle again. Yeah. Yeah, Well let's talk about some of that stuff and then and then if you guys want to do another track, I'd love hear another track in a few minutes. But yeah, um yeah, tell me about now. So, Cody, I've interviewed you, I think once, maybe twice.

Yeah, I think it was once. It was like I want to say it was twenty fifteen when you were doing Local Outbreak in Laconia. Yeah, yeah, long time ago. Yeah. Now, how long have the two of you been working together, because it sounds like you do do a lot of stuff together, right yeah, just um, just over the last like two years now. Okay, we had met We're both from Nashua, New Hampshire, so we met through like the Gate City hip hop community there, and he had just sent me a couple of beats and what was going to be a couple of songs turned into an album.

Us doing the album turned into him coming on board to help me run the record label. And honestly, ever since we've like found this symbiosis in our partnership, things have just taken off tremendously for both of us. And yeah, I think we both attribute a lot of that to the partnership because we'd both been out We've been out here for over a decade on our own, making waves, but not anything sustainable. And you know, now ever since we've put this album out, things have really opened up for us fortunately.

Yeah. Now, do you guys always perform together at this point or do you ever still do solo shows or how does that work? So he does solo shows as a producer, so so Cody Pope and Byron Gee. He produces all the music for us and is like composing all of that, you know, working with any of the instrument players we work with, anything like that. And so he can go out and do like DJ shows and gigs like that where it's like, um, he'll go and play his beats and things of that nature. I don't I honestly could go out and do shows without him, but we have so much fun performing together that any opportunity I get to perform I try to get him involved.

Yeah, he's really good about supporting me live too, where you know, when we do certain you know, I'll get offers to open for certain artists where you know, for example, we just opened for Nonfiction a few weeks back, sold out at the Shaft Sky and it was great. But um, anybody that's familiar with nonfiction that's like a really heavy, like you know, hardcore hip hop, and so some of the songs from our album are a little more soulful. But you know, I have a really deep back catalog, so he'll learn songs from my back catalog and we'll go and play.

You know, we never play the same set twice basically. Yeah, he's really good about playing my old catalog songs in with the songs that we've made. Oh sorry made together now okay, okay, and Byron, did you like what what did you start doing first, producing or rapping or what? Like? What what game first for you? I started producing first to rap, so I was writing and stuff. This was you know, back early two thousands. Yeah, and uh, I I wasn't real you know on like the YouTube find beats and stuff.

So I really got fruity loops and learned how to produce beats basically for myself to rap over. Okay. Yeah, you know, over the years, I just liked producing more and uh, engineering, mixing, mastering that type of stuff. Yeah, and uh, I kind of just gave the didn't really write as much anymore. I kind of gave that the backseat and to focus on the other things where I was like, I really was needed because you know, a lot of people out in this area. Um, you know, it's easy to pick up a pen and a pad, you know, it doesn't cost a lot of money and just get your thoughts out, And a lot of people didn't really have the bed to you know, lay their lyrics down too.

So I kind of took that helm and and and started to progress in that producing and engineering rather than the writing and stuff. Okay, okay, um, but you still you still do some writing, not much. I'm getting back. I'm trying too. I tell them all the time. I go Byron, we got to put out a rap album for you on help. I'm working on this stuff. You know, not a lot of people now, but I'm slowly getting back into it, you know, bring something different to the table for the next projects we have coming up.

Yeah. Yeah, and you guys, tell me about the label. You started that together. So I started that back in twenty eighteen. Um I had. I had started a different record label back in ten, and I did that on my own for like eight years. Decided it was time, you know, it had run its course, closed the doors. I had also like taken some time off I you know, the this was a little before the pandemic, but the pandemic also kind of put that into motion too. I had like a three year hiatus and I started doing a lot of different writing.

I was writing poetry. I'd written a couple of screenplays for like radio screenplays. Yeah, I got I got really into like old radio dramas from like the forties and fifties and stuff like that. And so I kind of wrote this like detective sci fi story that takes place in Nashua in like the fifties and had a bunch of voice actors come and I put like two years into that and then I was right, you know, and that so that just kind of opened me up to I love hip hop. I love everything that I do, but I want to create a label or some sort of distribution house that I can put all of my art out through.

Yeah, and then so I'd spent a couple of years kind of just getting the branding right, figuring out what I was going to do next as an artist, and when he came along, it was just like the It was like, I can't explain how perfect the timing was, where both of us wanted the same thing, but both of us brought the thing that the other person didn't do, where it was like I always, you know, ever since I was a kid, pretty much, I wanted to like have a record label and be a musician and do all this stuff.

But I'm not an audio engineer. I don't know things about bit rates and file sizes, and you know, distributors will ask us questions and I'm like, oh, well, I'm gonna pass that off to my man over here. And you know, so even in my personal goals, him coming on board has allowed me to pursue my professional goals at a rate of speed that I wouldn't have been able to without having a partner like that that was like equitably invested emotionally everything else. Oh yeah, yeah, very cool. It's like fate really yeah, yeah, it was.

It was perfect time and for sure, because you had just released the howling Man, and I think you were just like like, what's next, and you're throwing shows and stuff, and I was just I had recently just really like released my first two instrumentals on like digital. Yeah. Other than that, it was just a hard drive full of stuff, you know what I mean. So joining up with him, I put out a whole basically beat tape last year, full album. We put it on physical and CD and sold it out, and and we've released uh like seven I think it's seven records on the label since he came on board.

Wow kidding. We did three. We did three instrumental albums so far. We did our Meet Me and Gate City album. We did another we did worked with a vocalist who's based out of Sale them Now who was like into a little more modern style of music, and we did a project for him that Byron had curated. We have like a sampler out as well. So we we got super busy right from the jump, and we had a whole roster of artists that really were just ready to work. And we got really fortunate too. Um, we're at record number ten in our catalog.

I had put out the first couple of Cody Pope records on my own. But so yeah, so as of as of right now, we're at we're going into record eleven this summer, and so just for for that like couple years of time, you know, some of the CDs have sold out and we're on second runs. Some of them were still kind of figuring out how to who the audience is and how we're going to market. But this experience has been like everything that I've wanted to do in life, and so I feel so fortunate to be kind of like fulfilling all of these ideas that I had for so many years.

That's awesome. Now, how does that work with CDs now? Because some people think that actually I don't know if this is true. I read somewhere that in twenty twenty two that it was the first year that Vinyl Byron you look like you already know, yeah, yeah, yeah, that supposedly the first year that Vinyl actually I outsold CDs. Yeah, I don't I don't know if that's true. No, I've I've definitely read that too. I don't know if it was twenty two or twenty three, but one of those years it definitely has happened, and it's not to my surprise at all, you know, like I love Vinyl too, don't you know?

That's people get it twisted because we put so much of our catalog on CD. Yeah, it's just like from from a consumer standpoint, a lot of that people don't understand that Vinyl has insane turnaround times, oh my gosh. And it's a huge labor of investment um. And so if we wanted to put ten records out on Vinyl, that would have never happened, you know that that would have cost us tens of thousands of dollars that we didn't have access to months and months and months lead time. Yeah, you know. Instead, we were able to using CDs allowed us to get artists off the ground really quickly who didn't have a platform but could utilize our you know, we had venues that we booked shows at in our own booking company.

We had the record label, which our office also doubles as the studio with the ISO booth and the control room in a podcast lounge and a photo area, and so artists that came to work with us had basically all of the resources at their disposal, and so it allowed us to kind of do the artist development that we grew up seeing happen, but that clearly doesn't happen anymore. So it was like the artists didn't have to compromise anything. All we needed them to do was show up and create the best art they could make, you know, not sacrifice their integrity.

We would be the ones to figure out how to package it, distribute it, sell it, the whole nine, and we got really lucky. A lot of these guys had never played a show before, and now they've played through all the beast, they have CDs distributed all over the country, like they're making really big headways, and it makes us really proud that we got to be involved in that and still keep sight of what we want to do as artists as well. Yeah that's fantastic. Yeah, I do want to talk to you more about that, but I also want to hear another song.

You guys want to do another another songs? Sure, so we go with the next. Yeah, we'll go with track three. So this one's called Superpowers. This one, this one's for all the artists tuning in. Whatever your medium is. You're a writer, a photographer, a painter, or a radio DJ, whatever your thing is, you know that your art is your superpower. And as soon as you put that down and you stop wielding that sword every day, you lose touch with what makes you you. And so this is all about using your superpowers.

Nice, nice, all right here, Cody Pope and Byron g Live in studio. Superpowers, Use your superpowers, use your superpowers. Otherwise you might wake up and find your lose your power. Use your superpowers. Use your superpowers. Otherwise you might wake up and find you lose your power. Use your superpowers. Use your superpowers. Otherwise you might wake up and find your loser power. Use your superpowers. Use your superpowers.

Yo, Nev Campbell scramble not no when I'm ghosts face never written. Example of Man show. When the Most Taste slam like Titanic in the midst of a boat race, jam just like a sandwich. I'm best with bread and most case flee. Marvin in me always starving from a feast, stomach grumbling. You'll have to pardon the beasts and then me scrumbling, stumbling on their speech. That's why I shopping my knives and land on my feet. Earth the kitch, shit flow like Catwoman's balance, Someday's stoic. Some days of magnum heart and malice, signals of misery, giving me bops like Travis crazy but not insane, constantly wreaking, halfing, Elliott Gould cool via the Long Goodbye.

They telling me that I'm fooled for having Knights on the prize cries from the audience, but critics viewing lies. It's life. I live cinematic by ticket you when n y'all. The movies understand me better than most of my friends. Songs I hear in my headphones he me from feeling dead. Books are my favorite authors. The sponsores I never had, and a superpower. The monsters are never bad. The movies understand me better than most of my friends. Songs I hear in my headphones keep me from feeling dead.

Books are my favorite authors. The sponsors I never had? When as your superpower, the monsters are never bad? Nick and Na watching Nick and Knight and maybe Breathless. I make off from the heart that some deemed reckless. In the morning, play your Love Supreme for breakfast. Before I hit the road, I leave a pearl necklace. Do I come here? Often? Hallucinations of grandeur travel far and wide, but always come back to New Hampshire Tropic of Virgo reading Tropica Cancer Suspiria to any student transfer dancer.

I'm letting it cut when blowing smoked with peer recites in Heaven a beautiful loser who music writes like Confessions Different. Now my rear window will real romanditary end. Now watch him die, you, watch him ride like a cherry. Yet I won't let you bevery get you will find the bodies autis given me your life. That won'te me time for hobbies. Days, keep moving faster to when laps like Ricky Bobby Y, I'm exhibited and gall LaBrie who locked out of the lobby. Oh, I love it, I love it, Cody Pope and Byron's here here with us in studio live on Matt Connerton Unleashed here from WMH ninety five point three FM, and uh I love the positivity.

Awesome, Thank you. You know that was that was really important for me. You know, people that know my back catalog um a lot of what got me. I you know, have a very like dark past, much like a lot of people, and so like my first few albums really dealt with me learning how to cope and recover and deal with some of the things that I had been through, and so it was incredibly cathartic music. But looking back on it, some of it is really hard to listen to, and I can understand why, not only for me. I mean, obviously I know why it's hard for me, but I can understand why for the average listener.

It's you know, if you're in a tough spot, listening to somebody that's trying to climb out of a tough spot, you're either going to see motivation or you're going to see struggle. And so when we got together to work on music, I had always told him I was like, one of the things that's really important for me going forward is I don't want to lose sight of how I write and how raw and vulnerable I try to keep my storytelling. But I just want to show that there's like a flip side to the coin and that I've been able to turn some of these things around.

And so meet me in Gate City. I really feel like it is like the first album where I've tried to exercise that mentality of like, look, I can address that things are horrible and everything is tough, but I need to show people that I have the strength to overcome adversity and that hopefully they will too, right right, Yeah, no, I like that absolutely. If you got any questions or anything at all for these guys, the studio line is open six zoo three two five six seven six three two five six zo seven Again, we have Cody Pope and Byron Gee here with us in studio.

Ronda in the chat room, our friend from California. She says, damn, y'all got folks driving looking at me. Funny because I'm popping and locking in the car. Let's go love these guys awesome much love. Yeah, Jenny is enjoying it very much. She says, they are awesome. I love this awesome, Thank you, thank you. Let's see. Chris from the band Edgewise is asking about the label if it's a genre specific No, because he says, asking for a friend, I don't know if you guys know Edgewise, Yeah, no, shout out to them.

They're you know, they're definitely notable around around the New England culture. Oh yeah, yeah, and I even wear their hat, right but no, so so me personally, Like I grew up in like the punk and hardcore realm. That was very much what got me into being in the music scene and caring and being as passionate about music because I am. When I was like twelve years old, my sister brought me to some of my first hardcore shows and some of my friends brought me to my first punk shows, and that just carried me through life.

And so I still carry a huge love and passion for all that. And my taste is eclectic anyway. So when you look at the roster, we have a lot of hip hop on our roster, but that's also because like we're hip hop artists and so we move in that circle and it's easy for us to move like that. But um, we actually just did a record label pop up shop at Bridge nine Records in Boston, which is like a more like hardcore like a kind of like a legendary hardcore label. Yeah, and we set up shop and we're just talking with a bunch of other record labels and sharing game and trading records and stuff, and uh, you know, it's really important for us to show people the parallels that hip hop, punk, rock, hardcore, metal, you know, even like gonzo journalism, all of these different things that we like, love, motorcycle culture, all these things parallel in so many different ways.

Yeah, and it's important for our music to kind of represent a lot of that, like working class ethic as opposed to just like what people expect from hip hop traditionally, right right. Yeah, absolutely very cool. Melanie Liberty from the great State of Vermont. Also really enjoying you guys. Yeah, much love show out to Vermont. Vermont. Vermont has always been good to the hell Hound crew. Our first show this year, actually we did, I want to say it was January something, I forget what the date was, but it was snow and it was in January.

We played up at Sugar Loaf Mountain. We played. They have like a little bar up there where they do some crazy hip hop shows, and so we brought everybody that was on the record label roster up there and played and it was like one of the funniest shows we've ever done. Um, so we we got a ton of love for Vermont. Shout out to mister Burns, shout out to all the Vermont crew up there. Very nice. Yeah, Chris from my edgewise, she says love cross promotion will connect awesome. Yeah, please please get in touch with us Hellham Publishing dot com at Hellhelm Publishing.

You can get a hold of us anywhere. Check out all our music we got. We got CD samplers that we try to put in the local record stores and stuff like that. So if you're connected to a record store and you care about physical music, get in touch with us and we'll give you some free stuff to give out. Yeah, yeah, excellent. Also a Board seven one of our friends from Greensboro, North Carolina checking in in the chat as well. Um. Yeah, so so it's funny. You know, I used to work for you guys. Remember Strawberries.

Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, I used I used to work there. I worked at a bunch of different locations, but I remember people, and you know, and then eventually it became fye. But I remember when I worked there, and I left that company in twenty thirteen, but even then, people were People would come in and they'd be like, wow, people still buy CDs, And I mean, what do you guys think it is that, you know, in this digital age, some people still want a CD. I assume it's because if you're really a fan of somebody, you want the artwork, you know, and yeah, you just want everything that goes with it.

I think there's just so much that goes into that listening experience where it's, like you said, having the artwork, being able to open the liner notes. You know. One thing we talk about all the time, especially me being like an old like punk and hardcore kid, is like I learned about music through liner notes. I would be finding out about bands and I would blind by CDs at Newberry Comics or at Strawberries off of what this band had in their liner notes. And so we try to carry that on as well and thank people from our community and artists and people that really matter to us.

You know. We try to tell the story of how the record was made. All the photography is usually done by like our team in house. Shout out to Nicolette Ryan, my girlfriend. She did the cover for Meet Me and Gate City as well as a lot of our other albums. And so there's like that part of it. There's like the listening part of it, which is like when you put a CD in, whether you're in the car or at home cleaning the house or whatever, you're gonna probably listen to it top to bottom. It's an easy play to just put on and let it skip, versus having it on a digital playlist or something.

We're not adverse to like the digital streaming world. You know, we jokingly we will say that we are from time to time. But CDs have just provided a great benefit to us. Obviously, they help us fund the label and fund you know people are people understand that they're investing in keeping our label going and helping us pay these artists, even if it's a couple hundred bucks here and there. We're investing in keeping them going and building upon their platform. So that part of it's really important.

And there's just like a collectibility to it too, where it's like, you know, having all of the different catalog numbers and having the CDs and which artwork are you going to display on your shelf you know, or which one are you going to listen to in the car? You know? It creates conversation. People have to come up and talk to us at the merch table. We know who our listeners are. We have so many of the names and addresses of the people that support us, and so we can contact them directly and keep that that line of communication open without getting lost in We're not that popular on Instagram.

We don't get that many likes on a post, so no one's going to see our next video. Those things are gonna We're always gonna have to overcome that adversity. But why not have this like handshake deal where it's like, you like our music, so you're going to be the first one to get it, and we're going to give it to you in the best format and the best quality that we can do. Yeah, and these people, you know, and the more these people buy the CDs, we're going to be able to do vinyl eventually well, and we'll keep expanding because we love physical media as a whole.

You'll notice in the gift pack that I gave you there's actually a book in there. We put out a book in twenty twenty one. I'm I'm gonna ahead and open this now. Yeah, go for it, talking about Yeah, definitely please do. Um. We we helped co publish a book with the Underground Writers Association and so it's a it's a volume of all poetry of people from like New Hampshire and South Africa. UM. So it's a really cool collaboration that the Underground Writers Association pulled together and we got really lucky to help co publish that.

But I've always wanted to put out books and so that was kind of like our first foray into getting the books printed and how to learn how to do all that. This is really well sealed. Yeah. By the by the way, Jenny, they brought one for you too, so I'll be bringing you home one of these. But um, I'm thinking, I'm do you guys want to do another song? I mean I won't say no, why don't, because I'm thinking, uh, if you want to do another song, And while you're doing that, I'll figure out how to open At least we know it's secure.

Shout out to everyone that orders through our web store, because now you know that our packaging is secure. When you get your packs in the mail, I can attest. No, that's a good thing. That's a good thing. But yeah, I'll find something sharp to open it with. But yeah, you guys want to do uh we go, let's jump to seven? I think seven? Yeah? No, sorry you thinking of six? Six is six is diminished? Seven is the business the realness? Yeah, I have it. I have it numbered wrong. We wrote down a different set.

That's another reason why we make CDs. Has a track listing on the back. Yeah, gotcha, gotcha? Yeah, this song, this, this, this song, this, little This little ditty right here is called the Realness. Oh, the Realness? Oh what did I said? The Business? Why did? That's a great title too, shout out to the business though. It's a great hardcore bion. Here you go. All right, yeah, boy, maybe I need to get my eyes checked. I'd lasic and everything. I'm starting to wonder. All right, So the realness that's the one you're doing?

All right? Cool? All right here, it is the realness. This is uh Cody Pope and Byron g with us live in studio. Laid dot yeah, laid dot laid dot la dot do yo. My life is bevern nesting, coldtrane mixed in a blend of Most days are complicated, beautiful if I remember. Lately, though, I hate me. I can't take no more. On Novembers, nah, my best days was a knighted too, had a bender. I thought I was moving on up like mister Jefferson. Yet I'm a loser, just waiting forward, check again, checking in, having hard times lately, texting friends, got money coming, but so broke.

I needed second hands. My family on sunny days and happy songs, I can't relate. Frankly, the reasons that I'm laughing wrong, No, I got skilled, though i'd be laughing. Y'all just need a path that I can successfully travel. Lawn babbit long, calling them maybe existing burning up. I feel bad more in my jams. Ain't got you turning up, whish when I had chose more of you was turning up. But life goes on and hopefully, But y'all just learning. Rarara the rab man yelle boom boom boom, the bap so fell.

The rawness should not deter you from the realness. That's why it's raw, because you gotta truly feel this. Ra ra ra the rab man yelle boom boom boom, the bap so fell. My brawns should not deter you from the realness. That's why it's raw, because you gotta truly feel there. To understand man is to crack the algorithm. Pieces I can formulate, but better give in rhythm, hard to give the ants, to start them off with the mission to answer. Life is like an endless acquisition. Life be dishing, meet things my stomach can't handle.

No money for no family, no pictures on no mantle. Matter of fact, my life feel pretty dismantled. I take the blame for some things. Money mishandled. A lot of this just feel a little circumstantial. Wonder writ how long I live with her financials? Ask for pepperoni, they just give you antchophies. Can't stand baloney from none of these damn homie fingers to my head in the shape of a gun. Enough vitamin D. I have to take the sun. Wanna be a good enough man to raise the sun. But I'm worried I'll be a failure if i can't raise the funds.

I'm done. Wow, I love those lyrics are fantastic. Thank you man. I appreciate that absolutely. If you're just joining us, we have Cody Pope and Byron g with us live in studio here on Matt Connerton Unleashed And for those of you watching online, I'm gonna put the camera back on me for a moment because I want to. So this is the I did get the package open, and so this is this is the book that you were the wonderful book that actually the camera's over here, the wonderful book that you were talking about, this poetry book.

Very cool. So you obviously, so you don't put out only CDs, No, no, no, we're trying to expand as much as possible. Most of our music catalog is on CD right now, but we try to do books. We have like podcasts on YouTube and stuff like that. Cool. It's really just about keeping the like giving artists of any artistic medium that fit that, like raw vulnerable storytelling. That's really I guess if you had to give us an aesthetic, it's about just being creatively free, but still you know, being able to execute professionally and get that across.

Very cool. And also a copy on CD of Meet Me and Gate City, Cody Pope and Byron g And there's there's the back of it there. And so you said your girlfriend did did the artwork for this? Yeah, yeah, she did the French. She did all the photography for that one, as well as a lot of our other records. Too cool cool, Yeah, I like it, very nice. And also as a sampler a crew called hell Hound. Now hell Hound is the name of the label, correct, yeah, hell Hound Publishing, hell Hound Publishing. Yeah, very cool.

Okay, so this has uh yeah, quite a few how many how many artists you have actively on the label right now? Um? So. So it's it's interesting because typically what we do is like one album at a time. So some of the artists that we've put out records for finished their album with us and are now moving on to other things. And then we have some people that are in the midst of an album cycle right now. So we probably have like five, five or six active artists, but then we have like seven or eight in total on the roster, some of who we just at this point distribute the record that they did with us.

Okay, okay, we have a call. I think somebody wants to talk to you. Guys. Hey, welcome to Matt Connerton. Unleash does this Hey, Matt, this is actually you calling in. Thanks for taking my call. Wow, this is wonderful. I always dreamt of the day where I'd get to talk to myself. I'm curious if you remembered to pick up toilet paper or if you plan to do it on the way home. We need it to wipe our little bottom. Oh my goodness. Wow, I did not know that we were out, but I'm really glad that you told or I'm really glad that I told me.

Our little bottom can get a bit messy. Sometimes it feels like we use too much of that dang stuff toilet paper, I mean right right toilet paper. I remember actually called Hopwood, Oh John. I've always thought of him as a father figure, mostly because he always tries to spank my little bottom. I never let him, but he keeps asking, this must be an AI thing. Yes he does, he does. How did I know that? I just mostly wanted to say that I am very nice and very much a sweet little boy, and even though my bottom gets a bit messy, I am a nice guy and someone that people love.

That's very nice. Thank you. Oh and one more thing. Hopwood looks like an eighty six year old toddler and he makes us mush up bananas for him for lunch. Well, yes, yes that is uh goodbye, Matt be at home in the mirror. Thank you? Yes, well, very such. I'll tell you what. That's a first for me. I've never gotten to speak to myself now. Is it possible that someone puts something into my energy drink? And I just hallucinated all of that? I mean, I don't know. Somebody must have put something in my something too?

There? Yeah, wow, that was that was crazy. I felt like I spoke a little bit faster just now than I usually do on the phone. Oh maybe not anyway. Wow, all right, well I'm glad you guys were here for that. Yeah, that was the first Yeah, that was that was never a dull moment up up in here. That was fun. That was fun. Oh also too, in the package just before we sew those uh some stickers here in a couple of cards. Thank you for your support. Absolutely, no, you guys. Um, Yeah, I'm really impressed with what you guys are doing.

By the way, how long is uh? I know you told me this already, I'm sure, but how long is the label? When did the label start? Twenty eighteen? Okay, yeah, like you guys, so that's what five years? So you got a math. But it seems like you guys have accomplished a lot in uh in five years. That's that's really impressive. Yeah, definitely. I feel really fortunate. It took us a couple of years to like get it off the ground, but these last two years have just been phenomenal for us. Learned a whole lot, a whole lot in these last two years.

Yeah for sure. Yeah. Bill Fee is in the chatwoman much love to Fee the evolutionist lyrical Yeah, he says Cody Pope and Byron Glenn are the bomb Let's go love the songs yep, and that's out to you. Bill Jenny says, oh I love stickers. Yes, she does us. Hit us up Hellhound Publishing dot Com. We'll hook you up with some stickers for sure. Ye, there you go, there you go. Um, did you guys want to do one more song before we run out of time? Or I mean I'm not not like opposed, Yeah, I mean yeah, I'm up for whatever one you think we should do.

Matt, you pick want he's a dealer's choice. Oh my goodness. Um, four and nine are skits? Oh okay? So, um, I know this is no. Nine's not a skit. I think eight is. Oh nine is called chopping stone. Oh yeah, so that's like an interlude? Oh oh okay uh? Or what about an anthemic? Yeah, I was either that I was in, say anthemic or PDSD. Yeah that could be kind of cool. So either what is that eleven or six? Yeah? Since six is diminished, it says yeah, yeah, oh yeah, is that that's the right one though? Or yeah?

Can we yeah? Can we do? So? We don't we don't play this song live. It shows this kind of goes back to, um, you know when you're when you're playing live, you got to keep a certain energy. Yeah. Um, but when I wrote this, we wrote this song for the album, and it's a little bit of a concept song. Um, I was really in there's like an old NAS song that he does from like the perspective of the gun. Yeah, and uh, you know I gave you power and so I kind of took uh, well you'll figure it out by the end of the song, but I took something that I was dealing with and tried to manifest it into its own person.

And so like throughout the song, you'll quickly pick up who PD is the songs called PTSD. Okay, this was track six. I just want to make sure I grabbed the r I one. Yes, that's all right, cool, all right here Here they are Cody Pope and Byron g live in studio. About a minute since we've done doesn't say, don't don't yell at me for having my cheat sheet out here. Don't worries, I just figure it. We never do this one. It's cool to do it here for a little rare radio performance. Shout out to everybody holding on.

I knew this cat PTSD. He was always testy, the type to have a few drinks sake, come and test me. Pete would never ever dare to be bested, even if it means his ass got arrested. Always stressing hard to understand why your man will leave it? Let the hands fly on a damn fly. One of the views whom y'all never seen the man cry. Whatever you plan to do, he's probably anti Send Nickel comedian at everyone's expense, funny till it's on you. You probably on the fence with Linda. Make tests a lot. They don't ment opinion so strong, my odd, they don't bend.

Nobody's asking, Nobody know how we're doing. Look like he's winning, but really inside he's losing. Maybe not the race, but the destiny that's looming, a type of hell. Most certain track you win. Man, I can't stand the man I see in the mirror. Man that the man's way morer and way clearer. They say, life is beauty, but some days I feel a less fever or death, even if she be nearer. Man, I can't stand the man I see in the mirror, A man that the man's way marving, way cleverer. They say, life is beauty.

Was some days I fear a less fear or death, even if she being nearer. It hurts him to hate and fail this hard. It's worth it to wait. They want him to stall. Don't feel like he's making it too next fall, I can't take it, can't fake it at all. That damnage American prosperity doesn't say that only to talk scarily. Life is not a dream merrily merrily these days, honest is something that summer's there to be. Trying to write to those who may relate. If you feel this feeling, and I hope you find real escape.

Not supposed to use eye as much as I do, But when I was stuck on age, didn't want to die, dude, Life will get better. Feels like another lie too. I don't want to live in the world where I get lied too. Don't want to misconstrue you as on my side, dude, Just to wait in the time to say goodbye to man. I can't stand the man. I see in the mirror of the man that the man's way morvering, way cleverer. They say life is beauty, but some days I feel a less feed ragette, even if she being nearer man. I can't stand the man I see in the mirror of the man that the man's way morrer and way cleverer.

They say life is beauty, but some days I fear a less fear Rogette, even if she's being nearer. Not too shabby. Yeah, well done, gentleman, Well done. I love it. I love it. Guys. We are just about out of time, so I want to make sure before we go. I want to make sure everybody knows where to find you online, where to keep up with what you're doing, your website, any social media, upcoming shows you want us to know about anything at all, Just to make sure our listeners know where to find you. Awesome, Thank you so much for having us.

It's been a blast honor to be here. Everybody that's been tuned in, Thank you guys for all to love once again. We're Cody Pope and Byron g On behalf of Hellhound Publishing. You can find us at www dot Hellhound Publishing dot com or at Hellhound Publishing. Across social media. You can find me personally at Cody Pope HC. That's Hellhound Crew cross platforms, and you can find Byron at BG six Zo three, excellent, excellent. Do you have any shows coming up in the area. Yeah, So next Sunday, we're going to be playing at the Nashua Farmers Market.

We're actually gonna be doing a two hour set that day, so we're gonna Yeah, so it's going to be in a rare set for us where we're pulling out a lot of deep cuts, a lot of unreleased songs, obviously songs from Meet Me and Gate City. But yeah, it's going to be a really special performance. We haven't performed in a while now, so this is going to be a really big way for us to kick in the door. It's the first farmers Market of the season for Nashua and be in some Gate City boys. We love anything. Yeah, you know, different audience than our usual crowd, so yeah, we really love trying to cater to those kind of events.

You know, we always appreciate a good challenge, and I say that in an endearing way, because you know, the non hip hop listener is different than the people that are going out of their way sure to take it in. So we always try to challenge ourselves to put on an extra special show that will welcome everybody graciously, hopefully and I think what you guys do is accessible in that way anyway. Thank you, that's really yeah, yeah, absolutely wonderful to have you guys on today. Cody Pope, Byron Gee, thank you guys so much.

Let's thank you. Let's do this again, and let's not let another six years or eight years or whatever. Absolutely, we're only twenty five minutes down the road. Yes you say when and we'll be here. Man, thank you so much for having us. Yeah, man, absolutely, thank you guys. And hey, if you miss any part of today's show it we'll be up in just a little bit at WMH radio dot org and at my website Matt Connerton dot com if you are listening live on Tuesday, right after this show is through the Stage Door with Rob Dye on and then coming up at seven pm as a replay of Retrospectrum Radio.

If you miss it, all right, Brooklyn Mike is on the line, and we always he always gets in right at the end, but we always have time for Brooklyn Mike. Brooklyn Mike, how are you hi? Good Matt real quick, I know you've got to close out the show. I just want to say, these guys are awesome, excellently are great positive message. Keep doing what you're doing. You know, I'm not generally a hip hop set fan, but you know, as a musician and singer and songwriter, good music is good music, and these guys are doing it right.

Man. That thank you so much. That means more homes we can say, thank you, Thank you, Brooklyn Mike, You're welcome pop the great work, guys, Matt, I love you. I'll talk to you later, all right, you two man, thank you, Bye bye, all right, the great Brooklyn Mike. All right, gentlemen, thank you again so much. And that's it for us for now. We'll talk to y'all a little bit later. Bye, everybody.

Matt Connarton Unleashed 5-23-23

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