American recording engineer Martin Bisi started BC Studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn, New York City (originally as OAO Studio) with Bill Laswell and Brian Eno 45 years ago. Having worked with names like Afrika Bambaataa and Lydia Lunch, he was involved in the nascent days of both hip-hop and no wave. As an engineer and producer Martin is greatly respected and having worked extensively with underground legends like Swans and Sonic Youth continues to work with cutting edge artists at BC Studio. That’s just one part of the story though, because Martin also has a long and fascinating history as a musician in his own right. This Friday sees the release of the latest Martin Bisi album, Dancing On The Power Lines, an album as bursting with creativity, activist spirit and humour as you could hope for from someone so dedicated to the musical underground for so many years. We discuss the latest album, his own musical evolution, Gowanus, some fascinating family history, collaborations and communities. Back in 2014 a documentary marking the first 30 years of BC Studio was released, Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio. Stay tuned for an updated documentary short, marking 45 years of BC Studio, due later this year. Check out Dancing On The Power Lines and more Martin Bisi music, videos, links and other materials on his website here. Thanks to Dan at Discipline PR.Photo credit: Ego Sensation (thumbnail), BastiFor more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

The first time Tim Gotch joined me (alongside bandmate Charlie Hernandez on episode 51 of Whatever Comes Next) Sleepbomb were poised to release The Sleeping Dead—a musical companion to George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead.Eighteen months later, with the cinematic-doom band, having released their follow-up record, Songs in the Key of Conan (Koolarrow Records), an alternative score to the 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger fantasy movie Conan the Barbarian, what better time for a catchup? Tim and I discuss the record, the movie, live shows, the environmental aspect of touring and Roadburn Festival (and when I’m going to get my act together and attend!).Thanks to Zoheb at Qabar PR. Listen to and buy Songs in the Key of Conan here. All things Sleepbomb here. For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

The initial lifespan of New York City indie-rock group Hypnolovewheel lasted only from 1986 to 1993, but in that relatively short time the band released five albums—starting with 1988’s Turn! Turn! Turn! and culminating with Altered States in 1993.While the band’s fine body of work has been hard to get hold of in the digital age, the band recently got the rights back to their catalogue and now, happily, Parallel Universe a career-spanning retrospective gets a full release (having previously been available on a limited vinyl run). And that’s what guitarist Dave Ramirez and I are here to discuss. Which is to say we’re going through the story of Hypnolovewheel. The formation, the releases, the tours, Yo La Tengo, Steve Albini, Kramer, Jesus Lizard and other names that pop up along the way. Sadly, drummer Peter Walsh is not around the be able to celebrate the release of Parallel Universe (having passed away in 2021), but for the remaining members of the band Dan Cuddy, Dave Ramirez and Stephen Hunking, the possibility of a few shows this year seem to be crystallising—you can follow the band on Instagram for updates. In the meantime, check out Parallel Universe in all its glory on bandcamp right here.Thanks to Howard at Howlin’ Wuelf Media. Hypnolovewheel on Instagram. For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

West Berliner Alexander Hacke and American-born Danielle de Picciotto both have no shortage of their own artistic and musical credits stretching back to the 1980s. While their collaborative paths have intersected over several different projects over the years, hackedepicciotto is the most enduring—with the duo’s 10th album LICHTUNG to be released on the 10th of July via Mute. A beautiful, otherworldly record, layered with electronic and acoustic instrumentation (as well as the pair’s elegantly intertwining voices) there’s plenty about the duo’s latest release to dive into. There’s also time for us to touch on the pair’s experiences of Berlin before, during and after the fall of the wall, why they finally settled down after years of nomadic existence, how they take their music on the road and on stage, Danielle’s writing practice, and a few funny tales featuring Alexander’s time in Einstürzende Neubauten and former Bad Seed Mick Harvey—the three having all worked together in Crime & The City Solution. Photo by Mara von Kummer. Thank you to Howard at Howlin’ Wuelf Media.Order LICHTUNG and check out more from hackedepicciotto on bandcamp.hackedepicciotto website.See hackedepicciotto at silent green Kulturquartier, Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany on the 27th of June (info and tickets here) with more upcoming shows listed on the pair’s website. For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

Double EP (out this Friday on Seismic Wave Entertainment) brings together last year’s Anytime You Make A Place For Them and the previously-unreleased Ok, Let’s Play King (both on vinyl for the first time)—two EPs that showcase the distinctive charms of Milwaukee rock four-piece Resurrectionists. Joe Cannon has been leading the helm since the band’s formation in 2018 and we’re going to go through the history of the band and all its releases together. Well, we already have done, but you’re going to listen to it! I mean, you’ve come this far, so you might as well, eh. We’ll also discuss how Joe ended up heavily featuring in a documentary about the director of two of the band’s music videos, why the clock in Joe’s home never quite reaches midnight and take an unexpected diversion talking philosophy as we both attempt to dust off the mental cobwebs.What more could you possibly want? Answers on a postcard. Thank you to Conan (and Dan). Photo courtesy of Conan Neutron.Order Double EP and check out other Resurrectionists releases here. For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

The members of Limerick, Ireland’s sludge metal band TOOMS have been making music together since before TOOMS was even a thing. Having started out together first as Gaia, bassist Anto Donnellan, drummer Kieran Grace and guitarist/vocalist Alex Hölzinger decided in 2017 the time had come to take the music into a new dimension and so TOOMS was born. Following their debut full-length album The Orb Offers Massive Signals in 2020 the existential black hole that was the global Covid pandemic was not strong enough to completely derail the band—with the trio having now released their follow up KARST on Fiadh, Cursed Monk and Road to Masochist. Visit the TOOMS bandcamp page for KARST and all things TOOMS. Follow the band on Instagram.See TOOMS live in Galway and Cellar bar on the 26th of June, supporting Bad Aul Dose with Skellig and Partholón — tickets here. For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

Bob Bert has been involved in too many projects over the years to squeeze them all into a 40minute interview, but by golly I’ve done my best.We are first of all here to discuss Beach Bongo Bloodbath, his solo debut, out this Friday on Bar/None Records (in the year of the label’s 40th anniversary). On top of discussing this quirky delight of a record we find the time to talk about Lydia Lunch, John Spencer, Sonic Youth, Bewitched, Suicide (the band!!), Boredoms, playing CBGBs during the No Wave years, covering and interviewing Richard Hell, working with Steve Albini and Mark Kramer, interviewing Vincent Gallo for his 90s/early 2000s magazine BB Gun and, actually, even more. And if that doesn’t whet your appetite, then I guess you’re not a Bob Bert enthusiast. If you are, however, please do come this way. And by “this way” I mean watch/listen to this interview. Check out Beach Bongo Bloodbath on bandcamp. And if you’re in New York, you can get tickets for Bob Bert’s Album Release Bash at Bowery Palace on June 15th right here as if by magic. Thanks to Howard at Howlin’ Wuelf MediaFor more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

Chicago Illinois’ The Claudettes have been through various transformations since their instrumental, two-piece origins of 2013’s Infernal Piano Plot…HATCHED!The most recent evolution has been the introduction of powerhouse singer Rachel Williams, who came in after the band parted ways with previous lead singer Berit Ulseth.Throughout every permutation punk-raised pianist Johnny Iguana has been leading the charge, and with the band’s latest album Garage Glamour (Pravda Records) released tomorrow Johnny joins me as we run through the history of The Claudettes, from their earliest beginnings right the way up to now. Along the way there’s time for us to talk about many musical influences and inspirations, from Bob Mould to Raymond Scott. We talk punk, we talk blues, we talk rock n’ roll and more. It’s all for the love of the music and if ever I felt like my poor, neglected guitar needs to be given some attention, it’s certainly the case after this conversation. Visit The Claudettes for releases, videos, upcoming shows and more. The Claudettes on bandcamp. Thanks to Howard at Howlin’ Wuelf MediaCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Caterwaul celebrates its fifth year this coming weekend (the event being held from Friday 5th - Sunday 7th of June) and co-founder Conan Neutron is here to tell us all about it. What’s more, he’s brought a friend—Rye Coalition vocalist Ralph Cuseglio (whose band headline the Saturday. The event features no shortage of fan favourites from the alternative rock (aaaaagh I hate that term, but I’m using it again!) underground—like Dazzling Killmen, Stress Positions, Didjits and Season to Risk. Too many bands to mention in one intro, so why not just go to the event website HERE for the full lineup? And while you’re at it, you could pre-purchase a ticket. For sure, no one’s throwing about large sums of cash in the DIY underground and events like Caterwaul are a great opportunity to be among likeminded music nerds, watching great bands perform. But don’t just take my word for it. Get the lowdown from Conan and Ralph. There’s even time to talk with Ralph about their major-label trauma that derailed the release of their Curses album (which eventually saw the light of day in 2006). Finally, let’s all send positive energy to Caterwaul co-founder Rainer Fronz who just yesterday underwent a heart transplant. Wishing him a speedy and full recovery. All things Caterwaul.Conan Neutron’s Protonic Reversal interview show.Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends on bandcamp.Rye Coalition on bandcamp. For more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com

Twenty-plus years is a long break to have in almost any relationship. But while Nathan Carson and Joshua Blanchard (together known as Point Line Plane) originally called time on the musical project they formed together at the turn of the century back in 2005, the end of Point Line Plane did not mean the end of the friendship. Just as well, because when the stars aligned and SKiN GRAFT Records proposed a remastered reissue of the duo’s eponymous debut, Carson and Blanchard had already been discussing playing shows together again. Fast forward to now and Point Line Plane have played a number of shows in May (several with an also-reformed Dazzling Killmen), with three more dates to come in June (culminating with a performance at the final date of this year’s Caterwaul Fest in Minneapolis). Add to that, the remastered debut is out tomorrow (digitally and on vinyl for the first time). While Point Line Plane received no small amount of attention during their first run, this was at a time before the ubiquity of online representation. Put another way, the impact the band made isn’t reflected online. So let’s do our small bit to right that wrong as Nathan Carson joins me to discuss all things Point Line Plane past, present and future, other musical projects and his agency Nanotear Booking. Buy Point Line Plane from bancamp. Point Line Plane on Instagram.Thanks to Mark at SKiN GRAFT RecordsPhoto by Lucy FurFor more stories from the musical underground you can read my new column at New Noise Magazine: Mapping The UndergroundCheck out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My music on AmpwallPodcast artwork and logo: Get A Real Job KidIntro music: “Detachment” by Tom Osman This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tomosman.substack.com