The always-wonderful Michael Des Barres has a brand-new weekly radio show, and the first half-hour episode debuted tonight. It’s called Roots and Branches and it airs on Tuesdays and Fridays at 4:30 p.m. PST (7:30 p.m. EST) on the online radio station Transcend Radio. You can listen from your computer or smartphone on the Transcend Radio website or on Live365.

The goal of the aptly named Roots and Branches is “finding peace in a violent world through exploration of the lineage and history of rock and roll.” This rock and roll safari, lead by Michael, explores how musicians are connected to and influence one other. And each episode has its own theme.

The first show’s theme was “Peace in Action.” After a rousing acoustic rendition of “Hot ‘n Sticky,” Michael played songs by Bob Dylan and John Lennon and explained how they were connected and how their ultimate message was peace. “I believe in peace, but I don’t believe in peace on your couch, eating Cheetos. Peace is not a passive stance, it is action. It’s like a pebble in a lake, and the ripples will grow,” said Michael.

He went on to play songs by Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones and a live Patti Smith bootleg. In between songs, Michael provided interesting commentary and information about the songs and artists. And he closed out the show with his terrific new single, “Life Is Always Right.” This song is available on iTunes, and I highly recommend you buy it. I’ve been listening to it all day. It’s sounds gorgeous, the lyrics are beautiful and Michael’s vocal is mesmerizing.

I look forward to future episodes of Roots and Branches. It’s a terrific concept, carried out by one of the most captivating musical personalities on the planet. Make sure to tune in – you won’t be disappointed.

On a related note, I had the pleasure of recently interviewing Michael. It was an extensive discussion that resulted in a ton of great content. Keep an open eye out for part one of that interview next week.