Episodes
Wednesday Dec 19, 2018
Go Betweens special with Amanda Brown
Wednesday Dec 19, 2018
Wednesday Dec 19, 2018
The Go Betweens special with Amanda Brown in conversation
Monday Dec 17, 2018
The Monochrome special with Bid
Monday Dec 17, 2018
Monday Dec 17, 2018
Monochrome Set special with Bid in conversation
The Monochrome Set was formed in Hornsey, London in 1978 from the remnants of a college group called The B-Sides, whose members had included Stuart Goddard, later known as Adam Ant.
Their first live gig was on 15 Feb 1978, at Westfield College in London. The original line-up consisted of Indian-born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri), Canadian guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas W.B. Hardy), drummer John D. Haney and bass guitarist Charlie X. The band went through several bassists in the next few years, including Jeremy Harrington, Simon Croft and Andy Warren of the Ants, a childhood friend of Bid.
Sunday Dec 16, 2018
Easterhouse with Ivor Perry
Sunday Dec 16, 2018
Sunday Dec 16, 2018
Named after the Easterhouse area of Glasgow, the band was formed in Stretford, near Manchester by brothers Andy and Ivor Perry, Peter Vanden, Gary Rostock and Michael Murray in the early 1980s.[2] Andy Perry, intrigued by communism and inspired by Bob Marley's direct delivery of political content, was invited to join the band in order to improve its lyrical content. Perry's political stance reflected the perspectives of the then active Revolutionary Communist Party, with particular regard to Irish politics.
Easterhouse played their first gig on 30 August 1983 at Dingwalls in London as the support band for The Smiths after Ivor Perry convinced Morrissey to let them have the opening spot.
Their Rough Trade singles "Whistling In The Dark" and "Inspiration" were both Top 5 independent chart hits. Their energetic first album, Contenders, featuring their signature song, "1969", has been compared to The Chameleons, New Model Army, and The Smiths.
In July 1986, Easterhouse participated in the Festival of the Tenth Summer.
After Contenders, Ivor left the band; by the time second album Waiting for the Redbird was released in 1989, Andy Perry was the sole remaining member of the original line-up. It produced a minor hit, "Come Out Fighting", which had significant airplay in the US, and spawned a Justin Strauss remix version of the same song.
Sunday Dec 16, 2018
The Dentists special with Bob Collins
Sunday Dec 16, 2018
Sunday Dec 16, 2018
The Dentists were an indie/pop band from the Medway towns (as part of the Medway scene) in England who were active from 1984 to 1995.
The band's permanent members were Mick Murphy (lead vocals), Bob Collins (guitar) and Mark Matthews (bass).
The band also had three different drummers: Ian Smith (1984–1986), Alun Jones (1986–1991) and Rob Grigg (1991–1995). All members participated in writing songs. Mark ('Jock') Reid was Mick Murphy's predecessor as lead singer for the band in 1983 when they were known as The Ancient Gallery.
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
That Petrol Emotion with Steve Mack
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
That Petrol Emotion special with Steve Mack in conversation - Initially featuring two former members of celebrated Derry pop-punk band The Undertones (plus ex-members of fellow Derry bands Bam Bam and The Calling and Derry Hitmakers), they recorded five albums between 1986 and 1994, exploring an eclectic fusion of alternative rock, post-punk, garage rock and dance music (including sampling) which in part anticipated and overlapped with the dance-pop era of the 1990s.
Following a 14-year break, the band reunited in 2008 for various dates, tours and festival appearances before returning to hiatus in 2010. Four members of the band went on to form The Everlasting Yeah.
Thursday Dec 13, 2018
The Field Mice special with Anne Mari Davies Sarah Records
Thursday Dec 13, 2018
Thursday Dec 13, 2018
The Field Mice initially formed as a duo from South London suburb of Mitcham comprising Robert Wratten (for vocals and guitar) and Michael Hiscock (on bass guitar). The group's first EP, Emma's House, was released in November 1988, and reached number 20 in the UK Independent Chart.
But it was with their second single "Sensitive" that they first received significant critical attention, giving them a top-20 indie hit and with a subsequent placing in John Peel's 1989 Festive 50.
Debut mini-album Snowball reached number 3 on the indie albums chart. The original duo were joined by Harvey Williams (of Another Sunny Day) on guitar: the first fruits of this new line-up being the Skywriting mini-LP and in late 1990 the band expanded to include Annemari Davies on vocals, keyboards and guitar and Mark Dobson on drums. This five-piece line-up later recorded what was to be their final album (but their first full length for Sarah Records), For Keeps.
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Barry Adamson special featuring Magazine & Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Barry Adamson in conversation talking about his life in music as he releases a new compilation of his work titled, Memento More Anthology 1978-2018 - a Mercury-nominated English pop and rock musician, composer, writer, photographer and filmmaker. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as a member of the post-punk band Magazine and went on to work with Visage, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the electro musicians Pan Sonic. In addition to prolific solo work, Adamson has also remixed Grinderman, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Depeche Mode.
He created the seven-minute opus Useless (Escape From Wherever: Pts. 1 & 2) remixfor the latter band in 1997. He also worked on the soundtrack for David Lynch's surrealistic crime film Lost Highway.
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Goodbye Mr MacKenzie with Martin Metcalfe
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Goodbye Mr Mackenzie were a Scottish 1980s and 1990s rock group formed in Bathgate, near Edinburgh, Scotland. At the band's commercial peak, the line-up consisted of Martin Metcalfe on vocals, John Duncan on guitar, Fin Wilson on bass guitar, Shirley Manson and Rona Scobie on keyboards and backing vocals, and Derek Kelly on drums.
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Marine Girls special with Jane Fox
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Marine Girls were a post punk group from Hatfield. The group was formed in 1980, by two sixth form school friends: Tracey Thorn 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.
Saturday Dec 08, 2018
Dave Robinson co-founder of Stiff Records special
Saturday Dec 08, 2018
Saturday Dec 08, 2018
Stiff Records special with Dave Robinson in conversation talking about life in music -
Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera (real name Andrew Jakeman). Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007.
Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff signed various punk and new wave acts such as Nick Lowe, the Damned, Lene Lovich, Wreckless Eric, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and Devo. In the 1980s, with most of their early signings having moved on, the label found commercial success with Madness, The Pogues, Tracey Ullman, The Belle Stars, Kirsty MacColl and others.
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Candy Opera with Dave Wiggins
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Friday Dec 07, 2018
When Candy Opera release 45 Revolutions Per Minute on February 23rd 2018, it will be a belated introduction to a very special band sired during Liverpool's 1980s golden age which has taken almost thirty years to happen. Lovingly unearthed and compiled by Firestation Records of Berlin and available on limited edition CD and deluxe vinyl, the result is a lost gem that points to a million what-might-have-beens. When Candy Opera first appeared on the kaleidoscopic early 1980s Liverpool music scene, by rights they should have changed the world. Here was a classic four-piece, after all, steeped in the symphonic pop of Love's Forever Changes and the Beach Boys' Surf's Up. Taking such influences as a template, alongside contemporaries such as Aztec Camera, The Pale Fountains and Prefab Sprout, Candy Opera were in the throes of crafting a 1980s song-book in their own image, and the band's 1983 Honeysuckle Rose demo has become something of a holy grail. By 1985 the band had played alongside the likes of The Pogues, The Go-Betweens and The Redskins, as well as appearing on Granada TV. Reviews in NME, Sounds and Jamming magazine followed. Forming on the tough Phythian Estate in Liverpool's Kensington district in 1982 and based around the song-writing of Paul Malone, Candy Opera offered up a nouveau classicist sensibility which had seen the band listen without prejudice to The Monkees and Karen Carpenter. With assorted Candy Opera line-ups augmented at various points by baroque flourishes of clarinet, flute or violin, such a sophisticated musical palette went way beyond notions of indie-band purism to create something grander, none of which remotely fitted in with the voguish scene-setters behind shoe-gaze, baggy and brit-pop. After a decade ploughing their own stubborn furrow in various guises, despite interest from EMI and Go! Discs, Candy Opera called it a day in 1993 with only a fistful of demos to their name.
Thursday Dec 06, 2018
Lawrence from Felt, Denim & Go Kart Mozart
Thursday Dec 06, 2018
Thursday Dec 06, 2018
Felt were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1979 - In 1989 Lawrence declared it had been his intention all along to release ten singles and ten albums in ten years and, having done so, announced the end of Felt. After releasing their last album, Me and a Monkey on the Moon, and undertaking a short tour the band split up. Lawrence went on to form Denim and later, Go Kart Mozart.
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Bauhaus special with Kevin Haskins
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Bauhaus were an English post-punk band, formed in Northampton, England in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy (vocals, occasional instruments), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass). The band was originally named Bauhaus 1919 in reference to the first operating year of the German art school Bauhaus, although they shortened the name within a year of formation. One of the first gothic rock groups, Bauhaus were known for their dark image and gloomy sound, although they mixed many genres, including dub, glam rock, psychedelia and funk.
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
808 State with Graham Massey
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
808 State are an English electronic music group, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. They were formed by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson, and they released their debut album, Newbuild, in September 1988.
The band secured commercial success in 1989, when their song "Pacific State"
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Rachel Carns & Kicking Giant, The Need, The King Cobra
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Rachel Carns - musician, composer, artist and performer living in Olympia, Washington, U.S.. Raised in small-town Wisconsin, she went on to study painting and drawing at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, where she completed her B.F.A. in 1991. Carns is perhaps best known for her distinctive stand-up drumming style; she began as drummer for Kicking Giant, later collaborating with several influential bands, including The Need. She is a celebrated graphic designer, working under the name System Lux, and plays drums and percussion with experimental performance art group Cloud Eye Control.
Monday Dec 03, 2018
Fish in conversation talking Marillion, solo work & the creative process
Monday Dec 03, 2018
Monday Dec 03, 2018
Fish became widely known as the lead singer and lyricist of the neo-progressive rock band Marillion from 1981 until 1988. He released 11 UK Top 40 singles with the band, including the Top Ten singles "Kayleigh", "Lavender" and "Incommunicado", and five Top Ten albums, including a number-one with Misplaced Childhood. In his solo career, Fish has explored contemporary pop and traditional folk, and released a further five Top 40 singles and a Top Ten album.
Sunday Dec 02, 2018
Even As We Speak with Mary Wyer & Julian Knowles
Sunday Dec 02, 2018
Sunday Dec 02, 2018
Even As We Speak indie band from Sydney, Australia. Formed in the mid 1980s, founding members Matthew Love (guitar, banjo, vocals) and Mary Wyer (vocals, guitar) were later joined by Rob Irwin (bass) Anita Rayner (drums, banjo, mandolin), Paul Clarke (guitar, vocals) and Julian Knowles (keyboards, guitar, production). After a series of vinyl releases on Australian independent labels including Phantom Records, and success on the Australian indie scene, they came to the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel who started to play the band's Phantom Records single 'Goes So Slow' on his show. This brought them to the attention of UK audiences and began a relationship with UK indie label Sarah Records. The band released several singles and an album on Sarah Records, three of which reached the Top 5 of the Melody Maker and New Musical Express UK independent music charts in 1992 and 1993.
Saturday Dec 01, 2018
Luke Haines special The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder
Saturday Dec 01, 2018
Saturday Dec 01, 2018
Luke Haines in conversation - talking about life in music, being a songwriter and author, who has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder.
Friday Nov 30, 2018
Cathal Coughlan special talking about Microdisney & The Fatima Mansions
Friday Nov 30, 2018
Friday Nov 30, 2018
Cathal Coughlan formerly of Microdisney, and The Fatima Mansions. His work with both bands has received much critical acclaim, as has his solo material.
On 27 November 2017, it was announced that O'Hagan and Coughlan would reform Microdisney for a one-off concert in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on 2 June 2018. Coughlan subsequently stated on his website that due to the sellout of the Dublin show, they would be performing a one-off in London as well. They are scheduled to perform the album The Clock Comes Down The Stairsin full.
Thursday Nov 29, 2018
Bogshed with Mike Bryson
Thursday Nov 29, 2018
Thursday Nov 29, 2018
The band formed in early 1984 and comprised Phil Hartley (vocals), Mark McQuaid (guitar), Mike Bryson (bass guitar), and Tris King (drums). Bryson also produced the cover art for the band's releases. The name came from a misheard line in a song, with Hartley explaining "I like the way that the mouth moves when you say Bog Shed". They were helped initially by The Membranes, leading to several performances in London, and the band's first release was the Let Them Eat Bogshed EP on John Robb's Vinyl Drip label in 1985. By the time of this release, the band had already played around 35 concerts and, according to Hartley, written between 80 and 100 songs.