C86 Show - Indie Pop

Frank Deserto - No Songs Tomorrow - Darkwave, Ethereal Rock And Coldwave

Frank Deserto in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/no-songs-tomorrow-darkwave-ethereal-rock-and-coldwave-1981-1990-4cd-box-set

•    FEATURING THE CURE, DEAD CAN DANCE, CLAN OF XYMOX, COCTEAU TWINS, SOFT CELL, TONES ON TAIL, IN THE NURSERY, ATTRITION, IRON CURTAIN, ALIEN SEX FIEND, CRANES, KIRLIAN CAMERA, NEON AND MANY MORE.

•    4CD SET EXPLORING THE 1980s’ DARKWAVE/COLDWAVE SCENE THROUGHOUT THE UK, EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES

•    A BROAD CHURCH TAKING IN ELECTRONICS, DARK AMBIENT, NEO-CLASSICAL NEW WAVE, GOTHIC SOUNDSCAPES AND COLD DREAM POP.

•    CURATED BY THE TEAM WHO BROUGHT YOU ‘CHERRY STARS COLLIDE’, ‘SILHOUETTES AND STATUES’ AND ‘STILL IN A DREAM’.

•    SLEEVENOTES COURTESY OF FRANK DESERTO.

Pat Thomas - Allen Ginsberg

Pat Thomas in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://allenginsberg.org/2023/11/w-n-29-2/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Material-Wealth-Personal-Archive-Ginsberg/dp/1648230369

There are hundreds of thousands of items carefully stored and archived at Stanford University's Allen Ginsberg collection. Counterculture historian Pat Thomas, with the full cooperation of the Allen Ginsberg Estate's Peter Hale, has compiled and annotated a remarkable volume of material, unearthing in the process one astounding find after another. The result is a tome of previously unpublished historical paperwork and vintage graphics and photographs and ephemera that promises an unprecedented look inside one of the most prolific poets and agitators of cultural mores of the 20th century.

A poster for Patti Smith's first-ever poetry reading. Correspondence from Allen's stint as literary agent for William S. Burroughs and Herbert Huncke. Yippie manifestos from Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, and John Sinclair of the MC5. A ticket for a 1974 concert by Bob Dylan & The Band (with Yoko Ono's phone number scribbled on the back). Posters documenting early Beat Generation readings in 1950s San Francisco as well as later ones capturing the 1960s Haight-Ashbury Hippie era. 

Hollywood Stars - Scott Phares

Scott Phares in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.hollywoodstarsband.com/

https://thehollywoodstars.bandcamp.com/track/cant-do-it-right

American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in late 1973 by manager/impresario Kim Fowley. The band was created as a West Coast answer to the New York Dolls during the height of the popularity of the glam rock genre. The band signed with Columbia Records in 1974 and with Arista Records in 1976, releasing one self-titled LP with the latter label in 1977 and opening for The Kinks on their Sleepwalker tour the same year. The band's song "Escape" was recorded by Alice Cooper and released on the album Welcome to my Nightmare (1975), while their song "King of the Night Time World" was recorded by Kiss and released on the album Destroyer (1976). Two archive albums recorded in 1974 and 1976 were released in 2013 and 2019 to critical acclaim, prompting the band to reform in 2018.

Carmen - Roberto Amaral & David Clark Allen

Roberto Amaral & David Clark Allen in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/carmen-the-albums-1973-1975-3cd-box-set

CARMEN initially came together in Los Angeles as seven-piece band formed by guitarist DAVID CLARK ALLEN and his sister ANGELA ALLEN in 1970. The band’s unique style blended both Progressive Rock and Flamenco styles, with Angela Allen also being an accomplished Flamenco dancer aside from being keyboard player.

Despite interest from music mogul Clive Davis, the band failed to make any headway in getting a record contract they relocated to London in 1973. The Allens soon assembled a new line-up of the band with Flamenco dancer and vocalist ROBERTO AMARAL and British musicians JOHN GLASCOCK (bass) and PAUL FENTON (drums).

Brainiac - John Schmersal

John Schmersal in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://3ra1n1ac.com/

Schmersal was originally in the band Brainiac and formed Enon (named after the village in Ohio, which is close to Schmersal's hometown of Dayton) with Lee and Calhoon following the death of Brainiac's singer Timmy Taylor and their subsequent disbandment.

After Brainiac, Schmersal made a solo album under the name John Stuart Mill. Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon were both previous members of the band Skeleton Key, a befriended band Brainiac had toured with. Together they formed Enon. Lee created a number of percussion sounds for the band playing a "junk kit" including a Radio Flyer wagon, propane tank, and old hubcaps.

Christian Death - Valor Kand

Valor Kand in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://officialchristiandeath.com/

American rock band formed  in 1979 by Rozz Williams. Williams was eventually joined by guitarist Rikk Agnew of the band Adolescents, James McGearty on bass guitar and George Belanger on drums. This line-up was responsible for producing the band's best known work, their 1982 debut studio album Only Theatre of Pain, which was highly influential in the development of the style of music known as death rock, as well as on the American gothic scene which also produced bands such as Kommunity FK and 45 Grave.

Following the release of Only Theatre of Pain, Christian Death's line-up fell apart, and by the time of the band's second studio album, Catastrophe Ballet (1984), Rozz had been joined by Valor Kand of tour mates Pompeii 99 on vocals and guitar. Following the release of the band's third studio album, Ashes, in 1985, Williams left the band and Kand became frontperson, with no original members of the band remaining. This resulted in a divide in the band's fanbase and created controversy that has continued to this day.

Man Parrish

Man Parrish in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.manparrish.com

Parrish's early live shows at Bronx hip-hop clubs were spectacles of lights, glitter, and pyrotechnics, which drew as much from the Warhol mystique as the Cold Crush Brothers.

His first release was "Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don't Stop)" issued in 1982, which Parrish said faced a racial backlash from the African-American hip hop community: "I was making the music that they played, and then they found out I was white and gay they pulled it. It didn't hurt sales but it was shocking." The song was featured in the film Shaun of the Dead, the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City which sold millions of copies. It was sampled in Sway & King Tech's 1991 song "Follow 4 Now", from their second album, Concrete Jungle. His biggest chart success in the UK was his recording of "Male Stripper" with Man 2 Man, which peaked at No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart

Christopher Merrick Hughes - Adam & The Ants, Tears for Fears, Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel etc

Christopher Merrick Hughes in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.chrismerrickhughes.com/

music producer, songwriter, and former drummer of Adam and the Ants. Best known as producer of Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair, and as the co-writer of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Hughes has a joint background as a musician, songwriter and producer. His career began with Adam and the Ants as drummer and producer of the "Cartrouble" and "Kings of the Wild Frontier" singles, then the Kings of the Wild Frontier album. Yielding three hit singles, the album earned Hughes Music Week's 'Producer of the Year Award'.

 

Simon Heavisides - Adrian Borland The Sound

Simon Heavisides  in conversation with David Eastaugh

You can pre-order the book from Stichting Opposite Direction, Jean-Paul van Mierlo: vanmierlojeanpaul00@gmail.com

https://louderthanwar.com/destiny-stopped-screaming-the-life-and-times-of-adrian-borland-book-review/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destiny-Stopped-Screaming-Adrian-Borland/

Adrian Borland, was singer/guitarist and main songwriter with The Sound, a band which between 1979 and 1987 released seven albums that never failed to be at the very least full of passion and raw emotion. They made their debut in 1979 with the "Physical World" e.p, but it wasn't until the release of the "Jeopardy" album in 1980 that it became clear how special the band was. Two more albums for WEA followed, "From The Lions Mouth" and "All Fall Down", which resulted in the band leaving the label. Indie label Statik signed the band and released "Shock Of Daylight" and "Heads & Hearts" along with the double live album "In The Hothouse". A move to the Belgium based Play It Again Sam brought with it
the band's final album "Thunder Up". They disintegrated at the end of 1987.

Lora Logic - Essential Logic - X-Ray Spex & Essential Logic

Lora Logic in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.essential-logic.co.uk/

https://essentiallogic.bandcamp.com/

fter co-founding X-Ray Spex, Lora Logic formed Essential Logic in 1978, shaping post-punk with unique sax, whimsical melodies. Their 1979 album, 'Beat Rhythm News,' stood out. After a long hiatus, Essential Logic returned in 2022 with 'Land of Kali.’

Essential Logic are an English post-punk band formed in 1978 by saxophonist Lora Logic after leaving X-Ray Spex. The band initially consisted of Lora on vocals, Phil Legg on guitar and vocals, William Bennett (later of Whitehouse) on guitar, Mark Turner on bass guitar, Rich Tea (Richard Thompson) on drums and Dave Wright on saxophone. Turner was later replaced by Sean Oliver (later of Rip, Rig & Panic) on bass. The band split in 1981 and reformed in 2001.

Monika Hempel - Klaus Nomi

Monika Hempel in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.verlag-reiffer.de/produkt/nomi/v

Singing space robot. Galactic Pierrot. The thing from the other planet. To put the phenomenon of Klaus Nomi into words, the media prefers to stylize him as an alien. In fact, the artist cannot be classified into gender or genre categories and appears to be a hybrid creature of human, machine and Martian. 

He effortlessly bridges the gap from baroque opera to 1960s pop to new wave, from the frosty “Cold Song” to the ironic, infernal “Total Eclipse”. Despite a narrow oeuvre of two albums released during his lifetime, Nomi's influence is present not only in the world of music, but in all areas of art, forty years after his untimely death from AIDS. How did this ongoing fascination come about? 

Monika Hempel went looking for clues, spoke to friends and companions, looked through archives and Nomi's personal legacy. It tells the extraordinary life story of the singer born Klaus Sperber and explains why his voice still speaks to us after countless revolutions in orbit

Simon "Ding" Archer - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Fall, PJ Harvey, The Pixies, AAAK, 1919,

Simon "Ding" Archer in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.6dbstudio.com/

Musician and producer from Manchester. He is a current member of the bands 1919 and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and a past member of The Fall and PJ Harvey. He is owner-operator of 6DB Studios in Salford, England.

Louise Rutkowski - This Mortel Coil, Rutkowski Sisters, Sunset Gun, The Florentines, The Kindness Of Strangers

Louise Rutkowski in conversation with David Eastuagh

https://louiserutkowski.com/

At 19, Louise was signed to CBS Records, recording three singles and an album with soul producer Pete Wingfield with the band Sunset Gun. Prior to forming this band with sister Dee and keyboard player Ross Campbell, Louise, along with sister Dee, performed as backing vocalists for Bourgie Bourgie; a band created by legendary Postcard Records' boss Alan Horne.

As part of the This Mortal Coil collective, Louise's distinctive voice can be heard on the Filigree & Shadow and Blood albums, and as lead vocalist on The Hope Blister's critically acclaimed 1998 Smile's OK album, all of which were released on the 4AD Records recording label.

Anita Gabrielle Tedder - Zenana

Anita Gabrielle Tedder in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://zenana1.bandcamp.com/album/witches-with-the-spell-of-love

Zenana are a forward thinking 80s female trio whose synthesiser-based musical output was shaped in the front room of a terraced house in Cornwall, UK.

In September 23 they released a five track digital album of remixed and remastered recordings from the 1980s and four songs on a 12" vinyl record.

Zenana means 'pertaining to women' in Persian.

This historic limited-edition 12” release features Zenana's 1986 much sought after 'Witches' in a newly-remastered edition plus 'The Final Winter,' 'The Touch of a Woman' and 'When the Comet Comes' remixed and mastered for the first time for vinyl. The lavishly-produced package comes bundled with an extensive booklet documenting the previously untold story of Zenana through recollections and never-seen-before photographs. 

Simon Reynold - Futuromania: Electronic Dreams, Desiring Machines and Tomorrow’s Music Today

Simon Reynolds in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://store.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/products/futuromania

Simon Reynolds's first book in eight years is a celebration of music that feels like a taste of tomorrow. Sounds that prefigure pop music's future - the vanguard genres and heroic innovators whose discoveries eventually get accepted by the wider mass audience.

Starting with an extraordinary chapter on Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer, taking in illuminating profiles of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Boards of Canada, Burial, and Daft Punk, and arguing for Auto-Tune as the defining sound of 21st century pop, Futuromania shapes over two-dozen essays and interviews into a chronological narrative of machine-music from the 1970s to now. Reynolds explores the interface between pop music and science fiction's utopian dreams and nightmare visions, always emphasising the quirky human individuals abusing the technology as much as the era-defining advances in electronic hardware and digital software.

David 'Taffy' Hughes - Hurrah! & The Girl with the Replaceable Head

Taffy Hughes in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://thegirlwiththereplaceablehead.bandcamp.com/album/sometimes-she-lives-in-the-dark-sometimes-she-lives-in-the-light

Formed in the early 1980s and originally known as the Green-Eyed Children, Hurrah! initially consisted of Paul Handyside guitar/vocals), David 'Taffy' Hughes, Southmoor guitar/vocals), David Porthouse ;(bass), and Mark Sim (drums). Sim was soon replaced by Damien Mahoney.

Hurrah! were one of the first acts signed to Kitchenware Records, who issued the band's debut single, "The Sun Shines Here", in 1982. Second single "Hip Hip" was released the following year, and gave the band an hit, reaching No. 21.

The third single, "Who'd Have Thought," was another indie hit in 1984, reaching No. 7 on the UK chart. After one more single, "Gloria" – produced by Jimmy Miller, the band's early recordings were compiled on the Boxed album in 1985.

David Wolfenden - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

David Wolfenden in conversation with David Eastaugh

n 1982, the Lorries' manager Dave Hall provided independent record label Red Rhino with a cassette of the group's demos. Impressed by the quality of the songs, Red Rhino label head "Tony K" (Tony Kostrzewa) signed the band and immediately released "Beating My Head" unchanged from the demo as the band's debut single. Fagan and Smith soon departed the band, to be replaced by Dave Wolfenden and Paul Southern respectively. Afterwards, bassist Southern was replaced by Leon Phillips. While numerous additional personnel changes would occur in the history of the band, Wolfenden became a mainstay and a frequent songwriting partner of Reed's during the band's most productive period. In 1983 and 1984, the band released several more singles (including "He's Read" and "Monkeys On Juice", which reached No. 9 on the NME indie chart). John Peel was an early supporter, and the band recorded two radio sessions for him in March and November 1983 (released on CD in 2014 as BBC Sessions 1983 - 1984, part of the band's 3-CD compilation See the Fire).

The Children - Michael Wiener & Jim Coleman

Michael Wiener & Jim Coleman in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://thechildrenband.bandcamp.com/album/a-sudden-craving

Principal songwriters for The Children... are Michael Wiener (vocals/lyrics), Jim Coleman (electronics & various instruments) and Phil Puleo (drums, acoustic guitar & various instruments). Other core members, both live and on this recording: John Nowlin (bass), Rock Savage (drums) and Kirsten McCord (cello). Shelley Hirsch has been a memorable collaborator on several live shows. John Andersen was a founding member and important early collaborator. Norman Westberg (guitar) and Johnny Gasper (clarinet) were key contributors to the sessions for ‘A Sudden Craving’, which took place over the course of two years in the mid-late 2010s.

Danny Kroha - The Gories, Demolition Doll Rods, Rocket 455, The Readies

Danny Kroha in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://dannykroha.bandcamp.com/album/detroit-blues

https://www.facebook.com/hotepnefti

Danny Kroha, founding member of minimal garage rock trio the Gories, has recently been spending time perfecting and recording more traditional folk, blues, and gospel tunes from the public domain. His upcoming Detroit Blues could be considered part two of his solo debut LP - Angels Watching Over Me.

Muz Murray

Muz Murray in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.muzmurray.com/

 

Muz Murray is a world-travelling mystic master with an international reputation, having given guidance for many years in his “SHARING THE QUEST” workshops—on Mantra Yoga, Mystical Awakening, Massage and Meditation—in the UK and Europe. He follows the way of the Universal Mystic—the Path of the Heart—embracing the essence of all traditions, but is attached to none.

In consequence, he became the Founder of a mystical community in London, known as “Gandalf’s Garden” which produced a world-distributed esoteric magazine of the same name. The magazine and work of this community became a spiritual inspiration to many thousands in Britain and on the Continent during the ‘Flower-Power’ Era of the late Sixties and early Seventies. The centre hosted Gurus and teachers of every tradition from all over the world and pioneered the spirit of ‘spiritual cross-fertilisation’ between isolated esoteric groups, which resulted in many more universally-minded centres blossoming in its wake in several countries.