> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bubandpop.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Episode 13: Ross Bellenoit! - URL: https://www.bubandpop.com/episode-13-ross-bellenoit-2/ - Published: 2026-07-28T17:21:52.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-28T17:21:52.000Z - Description: Muscle Tough guitarist Ross Bellenoit on the injury that took him off the road, the five-year record he finally put solos on, and why he won't give an inch on AI. - Author: Matt Hoffman - Tags: podcast, guitarist **Bub & Pop | Episode 13: Ross Bellenoit** (recorded March 3, 2026) Our guest this week is Ross Bellenoit — guitarist in Muscle Tough, and one of the most-called players in Philadelphia. [Episode 13: Ross BellenoitBub & Pop | Episode 13: Ross Bellenoit (recorded March 3, 2026) Ross Bellenoit plays guitar in Muscle Tough — though good luck telling who's playing what on their records, or with your eyes shut at the show. For twenty years he's also been one of Philadelphia's most-called guitarists, and a lot of the guitar tone and harmonic scaffolding under the Americana that came out of this city in the early aughts is his: Amos Lee, Birdie Busch, Chris Kasper, and the production chair at Turtle Studios.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/96/b9/96b93614-6cf3-4171-9c3d-fd372ff27e5a/content/images/icon/Bub-and-Pop-1-a4a9465e-fa0f-4649-847f-7f5600a5824f.jpg)Bub & PopMatt Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/96/b9/96b93614-6cf3-4171-9c3d-fd372ff27e5a/content/images/2026/07/ep13_thumb_youtube_1280.jpg)](https://www.bubandpop.com/episode-13-ross-bellenoit/) Ross has spent twenty years being the guy other people call: Amos Lee, Birdie Busch, Chris Kasper, and the production chair at Turtle Studios. A lot of what Philly Americana sounded like in the early aughts is him, and most people listening to those records have no idea. We open on the accident that knocked him off the road, and what a guitarist does with himself when he can’t play guitar. He’s healed now, thankfully. The part that stuck with me is what happened around it — the Philly music community ran a fundraiser and showed up for one of its own. That’s the side of this town people outside it never hear about. From there: the record he spent five years on and finally let himself put guitar solos on, why he left Spotify for Tidal and won’t give an inch on AI, Tanglewood and viola and wanting to be a conductor, a Gustav Mahler rabbit hole, a Zeppelin medley that started as a joke, and the fact that Muscle Tough only exists because the two guys he originally wanted for the gig both had weddings that night. New original music under his own name is coming sometime next year. And get ready to Get Tough with Ross and the boys later this year. --- I've seen some great shows over the last few weeks, including [Jonathan Colman](https://www.bubandpop.com/episode-1-jonathan-colman-march-4-2026/)'s latest [Dungeon Crawl](https://www.jonathancolmanmusic.com/dungeoncrawl?ref=bubandpop.com), [Kevin Rovner Band](https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/kevin-rovner-band-live-in-new-hope/?ref=bubandpop.com)/[Reality Check Experiment](https://therealitycheckexperiment.com/?ref=bubandpop.com) at John & Peter's, [Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs](https://www.thedirtyknobs.com/?ref=bubandpop.com) at the Keswick. I also just submitted my first piece to *CREEM* – this is the big one I've been hinting at! – and am working on my first piece for *Guitar World* – a MAJOR thrill for 14 year old me (and 46 year old me, for that matter). More cool stuff in the works – thanks for tuning in!