C86 Show - Indie Pop

Jah Wobble special

Jah Wobble in conversation, talking about life in music.

Jah Wobble - English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums. Following his departure from PiL, he went on to a successful solo career, continuing to the present. In 2009, he published his autobiography, Memoirs of a Geezer. In 2012, he reunited with fellow PiL guitarist Keith Levene for Metal Box In Dub and the album Yin & Yang. 

Marine Girls Special with Gina Hartman

The Marine Girls special with Gina Hartman in conversation 

Marine Girls were a post-punk group from Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The group was formed in 1980, by two sixth form school friends: Tracey Thornand Gina Hartman. Originally, Thorn just played guitar and Hartman was the lead vocalist and percussionist. Thorn overcame her shyness and started singing too by the time they started making records. They were later joined by Jane Fox on bass and her younger sister, Alice, on joint vocals and percussion.

Motorhead special with Fast Eddie Clarke

Interview with Fast Eddie Clarke talking about life in Motorhead and much much more 

"Fast" Eddie Clarke, was a British guitarist who was a member of heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead. Of Motörhead's classic lineup, which consisted of Lemmy, himself and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, he was the last surviving member.

Clarke was working on re-fitting a houseboat, when he met drummer Phil Taylor, who had recently joined Motörhead and introduced Clarke to Lemmy. Not long after, he was playing with them. In the early days Eddie rehearsed with Motörhead, before going on the road, at Snobs Rehearsal Studios, part of a converted brewery on the corner of Kings Road and Lots Road, Chelsea, known as the "Furniture Cave". Motörhead's popularity increased along with their UK chart successes. The threesome (Lemmy, Clarke, Taylor) are considered the classic Motörhead line-up and have the Motörhead, Overkill, Ace of Spades, Bomber, No Sleep 'til Hammersmith and Iron Fist albums plus a string of hit singles to their credit.

He performed a lead vocal on five Motörhead songs: "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" (on which he traded vocals with Lemmy), "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (on which he duets vocals with Lemmy), "Step Down", and "Emergency", one of the B-side tracks on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP, upon which they performed "Please Don't Touch", with Girlschool, under the combined band names of Headgirl.

Kristin Hersh special

Kristin Hersh in conversation

Kristin Hersh is an American singer-songwriter, musician and author, known for her solo work and with her rock bands Throwing Muses and 50FootWave.

She has released eleven solo albums. Her guitar work and composition style ranges from jaggedly dissonant to traditional folk. Hersh's lyrics have a stream-of-consciousness style, reflecting her personal experiences.

Chumbawamba special with Danbert Nobacon

Chumbawamba special with Danbert Nobacon in conversation - talking music, politics and life.

Chumbawamba were a British alternative band that formed in 1982 and ended in 2012. The band constantly shifted in musical style, drawing on genres such as punk rock, pop, folk, and experimental. Their anarchist or libertarian socialistpolitical stance exhibited an irreverent attitude toward authority, and the band have been forthright in their stances on issues including animal rights and pacifism (early in their career) and later regarding class struggle, feminism, gay liberation, pop culture, and anti-fascism.

The band are best known for their song "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", "Enough Is Enough" (with MC Fusion), "Timebomb", "Top of the World (Olé, Olé, Olé)", and "Add Me".

In July 2012, Chumbawamba announced their decision to end the band. On its website the members stated "That’s it then, it’s the end. With neither a whimper, a bang, or a reunion."

The band reunited for three last shows between October 31st and November 3rd, 2012.

 

Napalm Death special with Barney Greenway

Napalm Death special with Barney Greenway

 

Napalm Death are a British extreme metal band formed in Meriden, West Midlands, England, in 1981.While none of its original members remain in the group since December 1986, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent of the band's career since 1992's Utopia Banished, although, from 1989 to 2004, Napalm Death were a five-piece band after they added Jesse Pintado as the replacement of one-time guitarist Bill Steer; following Pintado's departure, the band reverted to a four-piece rather than replace him.

The band is credited as pioneers of the grindcore genre by incorporating elements of crust punk and death metal, using a noise-filled sound that uses heavily distorted, down-tuned guitars, grinding overdrive bass, high speed tempo, blast beats, and vocals which consist of incomprehensible growls, or high-pitched shrieks, extremely short songs, fast tempos, and sociopolitical lyrics. The band's debut album Scum, released in 1987 by Earache Records, proved substantially influential throughout the global metal community. According to the Guinness World Records, their song "You Suffer" is the shortest song in the world, at only 1.316 seconds long.

Napalm Death have released sixteen studio albums, and are listed by Nielsen SoundScan as the seventh best-selling death metal band in the United States.

Calvin Johnson special

Calvin Johnson special - talking about life in music, K Records, radio & much much more.

Calvin Johnson is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, music producer, and disc jockey born in Olympia, Washington.

Known for his uniquely deep and droning singing voice, Johnson was a founding member of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team and The Halo Benders.

Calvin Johnson is also the founder and owner of the influential indie label K Records (now Dub Narcotics) and has been cited as a major player in the beginning of the modern independent music movement.

As a prominent figure in the Olympia music scene, he was one of the major organizers of the seminal International Pop Underground Convention.

Cocteau Twins special with Simon Raymonde

Cocteau Twins with Simon Raymonde in conversation.

Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Elizabeth Fraser (vocals), Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine), and Will Heggie (bass), with Heggie replaced by multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983.

The group has earned much critical praise for its distinctive ethereal sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, which often abandoned recognizable language altogether. They have been recognized as pioneering the 1980s subgenres of ethereal wave^[7] and dream pop, and were associated with the UK label 4AD for much of their career.

 

Robyn Hitchcock special

Robyn Hitchcock in conversation

English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar.

After reaching prominence in the late 1970s with The Soft Boys, Hitchcock launched a prolific solo career. His musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, Bryan Ferry and Roger McGuinn. Hitchcock's lyrics tend to include surrealism, comedic elements, characterisations of English eccentrics, and melancholy depictions of everyday life.

He has recorded for two major American labels (A&M Records, then Warner Bros.) over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, and was the subject of a live performance/documentary film (Storefront Hitchcock) by major motion picture director Jonathan Demme in 1998, but despite this, mainstream success has been limited. He has earned strong critical reviews over a steady stream of album releases and live performances, and a "cult following" for his songs.

The Chills with Martin Phillips in conversation

Martin Phillips from The Chills in conversation.

The Chills are a New Zealand rock band formed in Dunedin in 1980. The band is essentially the continuing project of singer/songwriter Martin Phillipps, who is the group's sole constant member. For a time in the 1990s, the act was billed as Martin Phillipps & The Chills. In the 1980s and 1990s, The Chills had some significant chart success in their homeland, and were a cult band in other parts of the world as one of the earliest proponents of the Dunedin sound.

The band released Snow Bound its seventh album, on September 14, 2018

Laibach special with Ivo Saliger

Laibach special with Ivo Saliger in conversation

The Raincoats special with Gina Birch

Gina Birth in conversation talking about The Raincoats, Kurt Cobain, life in a punk band and much much more.

The Raincoats are a British post-punk and experimental rock band. Ana da Silva (vocals, guitar) and Gina Birch (vocals, bass) formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art in London.

 

Juliana Hatfield special & in conversation

Juliana Hatfield in conversation, talking about her new album 'Weird', Olivia Newton-John, The Lemonheads, Blake Babies & much much more

 

 

Brix Smith special

Brix Smith in conversation, talking about the new band, album, life in music and much much more. 

American singer and guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist and a major songwriter for the English post-punk band the Fall.

She is currently the lead vocalist and guitarist with Brix & the Extricated, along with brothers Steve and Paul Hanley.

John Robb + The Membranes

John Robb in conversation talking about life in music, The Membranes, life and much much more.

John Robb writes for and runs the Louder Than War website and Louder Than Words monthly music magazine. He has written several books on music and occasionally makes media appearances as a music commentator.He is also the vocalist in the punk rock band Goldblade and bassist and vocalist in post punk band The Membranes.

The Young Marble Giants special featuring Stuart Moxham

Stuart Moxham in conversation with David Eastaugh - talking about life in the band and making music. 

Young Marble Giants were a post-punk band formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. Their music was based around the vocals of Alison Statton along with the minimalist instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham. Their early sound was a sharp contrast with the more aggressive punk rock that dominated the underground at the time. Young Marble Giants have only released one full-length studio album, Colossal Youth, in 1980.

Penetration special with Pauline Murray

Pauline Murray interviewed by David Eastaugh for the C86 Show - talking about life in music, Penetration, punk and much more. 

The band's lineup was lead singer Pauline Murray, Robert Blamire (bass), Gary Smallman (drums) and Gary Chaplin (guitar). Chaplin left in March 1978 being replaced with Neale Floyd, with second guitarist Fred Purser joining in July. The band dissolved in late 1979. They reformed in 2001 with original members Murray, Blamire and Smallman, and Steve Wallace and Paul Harvey drafted in as new guitarists.

The Wedding Present special with David Gedge

David Gedge in conversation talking about life in music, John Peel and much much more. 

The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms. Throughout their career, they have been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member.

The Skids special with Richard Jobson

Interview with Richard Jobson from The Skids.

Skids are a Scottish punk rock and new wave band, formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1977 by Stuart Adamson (guitar, keyboards, percussion and backing vocals), William Simpson (bass guitar and backing vocals), Thomas Kellichan (drums) and Richard Jobson (vocals, guitar and keyboards). Their biggest success was the 1979 single "Into the Valley" and the 1980 album The Absolute Game. In 2016 the band announced a 40th anniversary tour of the UK with their original singer Richard Jobson.

Age of Chance special with Geoff Taylor

Age of Chance were a British alternative rock-dance crossover band from Leeds, England active from 1983 to 1991. They were perhaps most known for their mutant metallic cover of Prince's "Kiss" which topped the UK Indie Chart in 1986, and peaked at No. 50 in the UK Singles Chartin January the following year.

Despite signing for major label Virgin, and being favourites with the UK music press, they never enjoyed a major hit in the UK, although "Don't Get Mad… Get Even" reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart.