Veteran DJ and Sonic Coast founder Brian Maloney: ‘Albums That Changed My World’

For more than four decades, Brian Maloney has showcased music on the radio, with a deep love for Michigan. Today, he reveals the albums and artists that have inspired him.

 
EDITOR’S NOTE: All musicians, radio programmers and those involved with the music industry can trace their inspiration to a few key recordings that captivated them and helped shape their musical careers. Today, Local Spins writer Ross Boissoneau spotlights veteran radio announcer and Sonic Coast founder Brian Maloney’s inspirational favorites. Scroll down for a Spotify playlist.

Veteran DJ Brian Maloney had a dream.

He wanted to provide the public with music that he felt was underserved and underappreciated, and do it from his home state. So upon retiring from his four-plus decades in radio and television, he started – a radio station.

The online radio station Sonic Coast and its new sister station, Sonic Detroit, give him the opportunity to showcase the likes of The Accidentals, Patty PerShayla, The Gasoline Gypsies and more.

“I’d traveled across the country and all roads led back to Michigan. I felt Michigan was underserved and underappreciated. I wanted to give Michigan artists meaningful exposure,” Maloney says.

Thus was born the online radio station Sonic Coast, with a focus on acoustic and rootsy music.

“It’s centered on Americana and roots rock,” he says. The success led him to create Sonic Detroit, which focuses more specifically on the hard-rocking music from the Motor City area and beyond by the likes of Jack White, MC5, Mitch Ryder, and those influenced by and popular in the region, such as Deep Purple.

Maloney says he knew from an early age he wanted to be in radio. “I knew at 7 years old I was going to be a radio DJ. At 17, I got my first job, in Kalamazoo.” Since then he’s worked in radio and television across the country, and upon retiring returned to Michigan. “There was a hole for acoustic and roots rock that was not served. There was an opportunity there. A huge opportunity with the amount of talent in Michigan,” he says.

So while he doesn’t claim to be a musician himself (when asked if he plays, he replies, “Poorly, I can’t really play, I can mess around”), he is more than happy to spotlight those who can. It all goes back to when he first got turned on to music some 53 years ago.

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1. Jimi Hendrix, “Hendrix In The West” (1972) – It’s the first record I ever bought, when I was 10. I bought it because Jimi Hendrix says the F word before one of the songs. I thought that was cool. I didn’t want my parents to find it, so I hid it under my bed. It’s rock and roll, it’s edgy, raw, live. That was rock and roll. It opened it all up for me. Raw guitar, it just seemed dangerous.
Listen: “Little Wing”

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2. The Edgar Winter Group, “They Only Come Out At Night” (1972) – I’m a massive Edgar Winter fan. Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose. I’m staring right now at the last guitar Ronnie ever played. I bought it at an auction. It (the album) was a launch pad. It was a pivotal band … for what became some of my core artist (favorites). I loved the album, the sound, the guitar playing, the songwriting of Dan Hartman. The band was an all-star group – Dan Hartman, Rick was a Grammy winning producer. Johnny Bee (Badanjek) on drums from Detroit’s Rockets. I liked the Detroit connection. It (“Frankenstein”) was one of the few rock instrumentals to go to No. 1.
Listen: “Frankenstein”

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3. Boston, “Boston” (1976) – Number 3 is tough. Boston’s first LP introduced a new sound and era in rock and roll, for better or worse (laughs). I got to see the band early on at Masonic before they blew up. It sounded so different. It paved the way for the new sound – Foreigner, Styx, Journey. It’s a rock and roll masterpiece. The songs and sound had not been heard. Tom Scholz was truly special. It’s so overplayed it’s hard to listen to now, but every song was good.
Listen: “Foreplay/Long Time”

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Currently Loving: Buckingham Nicks, “Buckingham Nicks” (1972) – It came out in 1972, but I missed the boat. It was re-released last year. The sound of Stevie and Lindsey outside of Fleetwood Mac, you can tell what they brought to the band. The sound, the production they brought with them. Also, Tyler Childers I’m really enjoying. I listen to a lot of local bands: Gasoline Gypsies, I really like Rebeka Jon, The Bootstrap Boys.
Listen: “Frozen Love”

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ALBUMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: Brian Maloney’s Playlist on Spotify

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