Tasty Brew Music Podcast

Diana Linn

4.6 (7)
Music
Biweekly

Conversations and musical interludes with artists, industry professionals, and supporters of the Americana/Global Roots music scene. Tasty Brew Music is independently produced and funded by Diana Linn, featuring selected conversations and performances shared with the permission of the artist or interviewee, recorded on location or originally broadcast on KKFI 90.1 FM in Kansas City.

Oct 15

BJ Barham of American Aquarium - A Veritable "First Responder"

For more than twenty years, BJ Barham—Bradley Justin, as I finally got him to reveal—has been making a living doing what he jokingly calls “making a racket.” As the songwriter and driving force behind American Aquarium, he’s logged thousands of shows, built a fiercely loyal audience, and turned the miles, mistakes, memories and hard-earned lessons of a life on the road into songs. Their new album, New Ways to Lose, produced by Shooter Jennings, finds Barham looking both outward and inward—at disappearing small towns, ambition and perseverance, childhood memories, love, loss, family, and the strange business of getting older while still chasing the next song. I’ve long thought of great songwriters as emotional first responders—people who sometimes find the words for things the rest of us can feel but can’t quite articulate.BJ Barham is one of those storytellers. We had nearly half an hour to talk about the songs, the life behind them, and what keeps him making that racket. Here’s our conversation. #songwriters #songs #communityradio #rootsmusic#tastybrewmusic #americanamusic #localmusic #troubadours #heartlandsongs
Sep 30

Jeff Porter - A Heartland Rainmaker and Mooncrow

Sometimes the best conversations are worth waiting for — even if the wait happens to be over a decade. Kansas City songwriter and guitarist Jeff Porter has long been on my wish list for a live appearance on The Tasty Brew. I finally wore him down, and he joined me in the studio, guitar in hand, for music and conversation. Jeff is perhaps best known as a member of Kansas City's legendary The Rainmakers, but he's also an accomplished songwriter and a musician's musician — someone whoseplaying is as much about listening and knowing what not to play as it is about what he does. We talked about how his idea of a good song has changed over the years, what he hears and feels differently when it's just him and a guitar, the musical freedom he finds playing locally in Kansas City with the band Mooncrow — and after a lifetime spent making music, what can still surprise him. I loved hearing a tip of his hat to some of the best the Kansas City Music Scene has to offer… like The Nace Brothers, BobWalkenhorst, Enrique Chi, Duncan Burnett, Rod Fleeman and Sara Morgan. And yes, I asked the obvious question: after a decade of invitations, what finally wore him down? Here's Jeff Porter, live on The Tasty Brew.
Sep 28

Willi Carlisle - Spreading the Gospel of the Universal Bubba

Willi Carlisle calls himself a “big tent folk singer,” and spend a little time with his music and you begin to understand just how big that tent really is. He’s a songwriter, poet, folklorist, storyteller and road-worn troubadour whose songs make room for outsiders, working people, oddballs, heartbreak, humor—and the complicated business of being human. Willi joined me by phone ahead of his return to Kansas City and Knuckleheads, with a new record, The Universal Bubba, on the horizon. We talked about carrying stories from one community to another, keeping traditional music alive withoutputting it behind glass, the importance of humor when the truth gets heavy, and what happens when you invite Tyler Childers into your wonderfully unconventional musical universe. Add perk of this new tour - Kansas City's own multi-instrumentalist Fritz Hutchison is part of Willi's band for run! It’s a conversation about songs, certainly—but also about the life that creates them. I’m Diana Linn, and this is the Tasty Brew Music Podcast. Here’s my conversation with Willi Carlisle.
Sep 25

Cody Dunning - Songs Honoring Strong Women in His Life

Warsaw, Missouri songwriter Cody Dunning crafts lyrics and melodies that are honest and relatable. Cody reached out to me via email forwarding his latest work; upon a quick listen I knew it was a good fit for The Tasty Brew. The ability to support songwriting in the Heartland by having songwriters come in and play live on the radio is one of my favorite things about being a broadcaster. I especially appreciate Cody’s tunes honoring his mother and other strong women in his life …. Acknowledging their positivecontributions has been essential as he now leads primarily a lyrical life…foregoing… for now… other more traditional paths to employment. As is often the case during one of these introductory conversations, the diversity of an artist’s origin stories never ceases to amaze me. They hardly ever align with where the artist ends up or currently resides… in this case Cody’s first musical memories being as random as The Smiths and listening to emo music as a kid. I look forward to following Cody’s musical journey.
Sep 16

Jacob Joseph Berger - Lawyer Leading a Lyrical Life

Jacob Joseph Berger is a musician, songwriter, and attorney currently based in Grandview, Missouri. He came to my attention as the opener for my touring songwriting friend, Jeremy Facknitz, at a 2026 Waldo Folk Show. I remembered thinking during his first song where has this guy been and why have I never heard him before? The second thing I thought was I needed to get him on the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show as soon as possible… it took a couple of months to arrange a mutually agreeable date but what you hear next is Jacob’s radio debut. Jacob released his debut full length album, Ocean, in 2024. His self-recorded and released EP, Headed West, released in 2026 has become a personal favorite. His finger picking styleand way with words is top notch and faithfully honors multiple roots music traditions. His rendition here of Dolly’s “Jolene” performed just a few days after Parton’s death is stunning.I can only imagine the Herculean task of raising 4 young children in today’s environment. I personally wish Jacob and his family nothing but success in that and his musical endeavors. Enjoy this lovely musical conversation with Jacob Joseph Berger.
Sep 7

Kimmi Bitter - Keeping it Countrypolitan

Sometimes live radio requires a little improvisation—and this conversation with Kimmi Bitter certainly did. Just minutes before we went on the air at KKFI, the station internet went down. So, armed with a cell phone held up to the studiomicrophone and a little trial and error, we carried on. The audio is a bit rough at the beginning, but hang with us—it gets better quickly. Kimmi was in Kansas City in support of her new album, Bittersweet, a beautifully produced journey through classic country and Countrypolitan sounds. And our timing turned out to be pretty good—the very next week, Kimmi landed at number one on the Alt Country Radio Chart. The Patsy Cline comparisons come easily, but I wanted to dig deeper—into the influences beyond Patsy, the deliberate musical and visual world Kimmi has created, and how an artist can embrace the past while finding her own voice in the present. Here’s my conversation with Kimmi Bitter, on the Tasty Brew. #songwriters #songs #communityradio #rootsmusic#tastybrewmusic #americanamusic #localmusic #troubadours #heartlandsongs #countrymusic #countrypolitan #altcountryradiochart
Aug 31

Blaine Younger - Kansas is Where His Heart Lands

Welcome to another episode of the Tasty Brew MusicPodcast. This time around, we're featuring a very special returnvisit from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Blaine Younger. More than a decade ago, before taking the leap from his western Kansas roots to pursue music full-time in Nashville, Blaine stopped by the KKFI studios for an early morningvisit when The Tasty Brew aired from 6-8 am on Tuesdays. Fast forward to 2026, and he's built a career as a respected songwriter and performer while continuing to stay connected to the places and people that shaped him. During a recent tour through the Midwest, Blaine joinedme in the KKFI studios for a full hour of conversation and solo acoustic performances, sharing brand-new songs alongside stories from the road and reflections on the journey that's brought him full circle. So settle in and enjoy this intimate live session withBlaine Younger, right here on the Tasty Brew Music Podcast. #songwriters#songs #communityradio #rootsmusic #tastybrewmusic #americanamusic #localmusic#troubadours #heartlandsongs
Aug 27

River Shook - Disarmingly Authentic Storytelling Through Song

Sometimes the most courageous journey an artist can takeisn't to a new city—it's becoming more fully themselves. Today's guest, River Shook, is living that journey through both music and life. Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of the TastyBrew Music Podcast, where we share conversations with some of today's most compelling voices in Americana, folk, roots, and independent music. Today's guest is River Shook, an artist many listeners first came to know through Sarah Shook & The Disarmers. River isin the midst of an exciting new chapter—touring behind new music while embracing a name that more authentically reflects who they are as both a person and an artist. In our conversation, we talk about songwriting, creativegrowth, the courage it takes to begin again, and the realities of being an independent musician at a time when touring has become more challenging than ever. It's an honest discussion about authenticity, resilience, and following your own path, even when it isn't the easiest one. So settle in and enjoy my conversation with River Shook,originally recorded for broadcast on KKFI 90.1 FM, Kansas City Community Radio. Photo credit: Jillian Clark #songwriters #songs #communityradio #rootsmusic#tastybrewmusic #americanamusic #troubadours #heartlandsongs

4.6

out of 5

7 Ratings

Conversations and musical interludes with artists, industry professionals, and supporters of the Americana/Global Roots music scene. Tasty Brew Music is independently produced and funded by Diana Linn, featuring selected conversations and performances shared with the permission of the artist or interviewee, recorded on location or originally broadcast on KKFI 90.1 FM in Kansas City.

Creator

Diana Linn
Years Active

2019 - 2026
Episodes

139
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Diana Linn
Show Website

Tasty Brew Music Podcast