C86 Show - Indie Pop

Sid Griffin in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.sidgriffin.com/

https://www.thelongryders.com/

American singer, songwriter, guitarist-mandolinist, bandleader, and author. He led the Long Ryders band in the 1980s, founded the Coal Porters group in the 1990s, has recorded several solo albums and is the author of volumes on Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons and bluegrass music.

In 2022, Sid Griffin was on hand to accept the International Trailblazers Award on behalf of the Long Ryders from the Americana Music Association UK. Griffin and his band are also part of an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville entitled “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock.” His lyric sheets for the songs “Looking for Lewis and Clark” and “Gunslinger Man” are on display, as well as band photos, posters, album covers and an interactive listening station where visitors can hear Long Ryders recordings. The exhibition is scheduled to continue to May 2025.

Ivan Doroschuk in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.safetydance.com/

Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. They achieved their greatest popularity in the 1980s with "The Safety Dance", a worldwide top ten hit (No. 3 in the United States), and "Pop Goes the World". After a hiatus for most of the 1990s and 2000s, Doroschuk reformed the band in 2010, and released Love in the Age of War (2012). The group, based in Vancouver, has continued to perform, including tour dates announced in support of the release of two studio albums, Men Without Hats Again (Parts 1 & 2), in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Bob  Andrews in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://neworleanspiano.com/

http://neworleanspiano.com/minaandbob.html

Bob Andrews - I grew up in the thick of the 60's British music scene, beginning my musical career in 1966, and spent thirteen years on the road honing my Hammond organ and piano skills with cult bands BRINSLEY SCHWARZ and GRAHAM PARKER and THE RUMOUR. In the 80’s as a producer my credits included “THERE SHE GOES” by The La’s and UK top ten hits for THE BLUEBELLS and several STIFF RECORDS artists. At the turn of the 90's I moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, becoming in demand as a live performer. I currently live and work in Taos, New Mexico.

Roy in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7gDxQ0FudI

The Bambi Slam were a UK based Canadian-British quartet with an unusual instrumental lineup of guitar, cello, bass, drums, led by singer/guitarist Roy and featuring cellist Linda Miller and drummer Nick Maynard. By the time of the release of the first full-length album, The Bambi Slam, in 1988, the group had splintered, leaving the Bambi Slam as a Feldon solo project. (The album credit reads, "Written, produced, arranged and performed by Roy," though former group members also contributed.)

John Sparrow in conversation with David Eastaugh

Long-time drummer and percussionist of iconic folk punk band Violent Femmes, John Sparrow has spent his life steeped in a wild mélange of music.

John joined Violent Femmes in 2005 as a member of the Horns of Dilemma, playing cajon. In 2016 he made his drumming debut with the band, playing a Weber Grill as part of his drum kit on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Several other notable performances with Violent Femmes include headlining Coachella, as well as orchestral engagements with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, and Kansas City Symphony Orchestra.

From Innovative Percussion

Andy Shernoff in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.andyshernoff.com/

Founding member of The Dictators, one of the original New York punk bands, in which he wrote nearly all of the songs, played bass guitar and keyboards, and sang backing vocals and occasional leads. He has been involved with a variety of other musical projects, most notably the heavily Dictators-populated Manitoba's Wild Kingdom and Joey Ramone's first studio album, Don't Worry About Me.

Gemma Townley in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://blueboy.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063570168121

https://www.janeduffus.com/sarah-records

Originally a duo of Keith Girdler (vocals) and Paul Stewart (guitars), Blueboy rose from the ashes of Reading band Feverfew. Mark Cousens (bass), Gemma Townley (cello, vocals), Lloyd Haggar (drums) and ex-Field Mouse Harvey Williams (guitar) joined the line-up, with Martin Rose later taking over on drums. They released six 7"s and two LPs on Sarah Records, and two 7"s and an album on Shinkansen

Ali Smith in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://www.alismith.com/

https://www.blackstoneindie.com/the-ballad-of-speedball-baby-gkno.html#541=2790081

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/feb/05/ali-smiths-90s-new-york-punk-scene-in-pictures

The Ballad of Speedball Baby is the thrilling, extremely funny, and heart-wrenchingly vulnerable story of Ali Smith―coming of age in ’90s New York―who commits to the messy, exhilarating life of a musician and must survive the slings and arrows society reserves for women who refuse to comply.

As an only child reeling from the demolition of her parents’ toxic marriage, the New York City underground music scene offers a young Ali a different family of misfits and talented outsiders to belong to.

She becomes the bass player for edgy band Speedball Baby, a decision that will take her around the world―from onstage at the legendary CBGBs to the red-light district of Amsterdam. She’s often the only girl in a broken-down tour van, being strip-searched at the Croatian border, chased by lunatics, and navigating the seedy underbelly of a male-dominated music scene full of addiction, violence, and misogyny―all while keeping her sharp wit and dark humor intact.

Rimmed with heavy black eyeliner and smelling faintly of cheap booze, The Ballad of Speedball Baby is a pulse-quickening, unpredictable ride through the ’90s music scene―alternately terrifying, hilarious, and painfully evocative―as well as a love letter to the power of female solidarity.

Allan Crockford  in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://www.thegalileo7.co.uk/

The Prisoners - British 1960s garage/mod/R'n'B-inspired band formed in early 1980 in Chatham, Kent, England as a three-piece. James Taylor joined early 1982 after he saw The Prisoners for the first time around Christmas 1981. Signed to Countdown (an offshot / subsidiary of Stiff Records) in the second half of 1985, but later decided to disband in 1986 following the parent label's bankruptcy. Last gig before several re-unions in the 1990's was on 18th September 1986.

Larry Schemel  in conversation with David Eastaugh

One time member of the Death Valley Girls - American rock band formed in 2013 in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of vocalist and keyboardist Bonnie Bloomgarden, guitarist Larry Schemel, bassist Sammy Westervelt, and drummer Rikki Styxx. Now entering a new musical phase. 

Kill Sybil were a five piece from Seattle; three chicks and two dicks, as they liked to say. Girl-pop reverb hell on shitty equipment, powered by Schmidt beer. They started out as "Sybil", but had to change their name after their first single to avoid legal trouble from some soul singer with the same name

Iain Matthews in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://iainmatthews.nl/

Iain Matthews first gained attention as a founding member and vocalist for the innovative Fairport Convention’s first three albums, changing the voice of folk music in his country. He moved on to create Matthews’ Southern Comfort, exploring his interest in American music. They had a No 1 hit in the UK with Joni Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’. Never one to stand still for very long Iain moved on during the 1970’s with another group, Plainsong. 

Frank Secich in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.highvoltagepublishing.com/product/frank-secich-not-that-way-anymore

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-That-Anymore-Frank-Secich/dp/0994629060

Blue Ash is an American band, formed in Ohio in the summer of 1969 by bassist Frank Secich & vocalist Jim Kendzor. Guitarist Bill Yendrek and drummer David Evans were recruited later that summer.

The band debuted at "The Freak Out", a club in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 3, 1969. They gained a loyal following playing an endless stream of one-nighters over that year. In October 1970, Bill Yendrek, was replaced by guitarist/songwriter Bill "Cupid" Bartolin.

Blue Ash continued playing 250–300 dates a year throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia, while the songwriting team Frank Secich and Bill Bartolin accumulated an enormous amount of original material. In June 1972, Blue Ash signed a production contract with Peppermint Productions of Youngstown and started recording and sending out demos. In late 1972, they were signed to Mercury Records by A&R man Paul Nelson. Their first album No More, No Less was released in May 1973 and received rave reviews in the rock press. It is considered a power pop classic, and is regarded as highly collectible among fans of that genre

Greg Roberts in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.dreadzone.com/

He was a member of Big Audio Dynamite from 1984 to 1990, a band led by , former lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the Clash. He went on to form Screaming Target in 1991 with ex-Big Audio Dynamite members Don Letts and Leo "E-Zee Kill" Williams, then started Dreadzone with Tim Bran, Williams and Dan Donovan, another former Big Audio Dynamite member. Dreadzone had a No. 20 hit in the with "Little Britain" in 1996.

Dreadzone are an unstoppable force who have long been, and still are, one of the best live bands around with a loyal and ever growing fanbase due in part to their storming and energetic live shows. They have been releasing albums and progressively bettering, refining and perfecting their own unique and inimitable take on dub since their inception in 1993.

Robert Hecker in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://www.itsoktheband.com/

Played lead guitar and sang with Redd Kross from 1984 to 1991, and again from 2006 to the present, in addition to occasional on-stage reunions throughout the 1990s. He has also played guitar and sang with the band It's OK! since 1992. As of 2013, he no longer actively tours with Redd Kross, but continues to perform live with It's OK!

It’s OK! is/are: Robert Hecker (chameleon-voiced guitar guru, Redd Kross), Ellen Rooney (five-octave vocalist), Dennis McGarry (eight-string bass & three-piece suit), & Roy McDonald (drummer extraordinaire, The Muffs & Redd Kross). Individually, they can all stand as shred-lords, but collectively, they make a beautiful, hyper melodic (& harmonic) sound. 

It’s OK! have released four sixteen-song albums on Econoclast Recordings, each & every one of them a triumph of eclecticism. It’s OK! have been compared to Queen, Guided By Voices, Poi Dog Pondering, Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, the Ink Spots, the BellRays, & A Giant Dog, to mention just a few. “We like all different kinds & sorts of music, so we write all different kinds & sorts of songs.” The band are currently constructing their fifth album. 

Dave Hill in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.davehillslade.com/the-band

Without doubt one of the most exciting bands to come out of Great Britain in the past 50 years. With their unique blend of perfect pop-rock'n'roll, outrageous flamboyance and pure fun, and no less than 23 Top-20 singles of which 6 were No-1 smash hits...plus 6 smash albums, Slade have become a firm favourite in the hearts of pop fans all over the world.

SLADE'S chart career has spanned 6 decades and their enduring songs “Far Far Away”, "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Coz I Luv You" are still featured today in TV commercials for some of the Worlds biggest companies.

SLADE first hit the road in 1966, touring throughout Great Britain and Europe and becoming a regular concert attraction. Joining forces with the former Animals bass guitarist and Jimi Hendrix Experience manager, Chas Chandler, Slade achieved their first chart hit in May 1971 with the Bobby Marchan song "Get Down And Get With It" then, released in October of the same year "Coz I Luv You" was the bands first No-1 and a huge hit across Europe.

Throughout the seventies, Slade became one of Europe's biggest bands, touring and recording continually and making regular trips to America, Japan and other parts of the world. Slade's catalogue of hits are synonymous with the era:- "Take Me Bak 'Ome", "Mama We'er All Crazee Now", "Cum On Feel The Noize", "Gudbye T' Jane", along with the many others provided a soundtrack to the Glam Generation and are still today, heavily featured on any retrospective of the time.

Desmond Child in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://desmondchild.com/

Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated songwriter Desmond Child is one of music’s most prolific and accomplished hitmakers. He’s a film, television, theater and music producer, recording artist, performer, and author. His credits appear on more than eighty Billboard Top 40 singles spanning six decades, including “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” “Dude Looks Like A Lady,” “How Can We Be Lovers If We Can’t Be Friends,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” “The Cup Of Life,” “Waking Up In Vegas,” “Kings & Queens” and many more.

Elizabeth Bruce in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://www.evergreendazed.com/

https://evergreendazed.bandcamp.com/

Evergreen Dazed were formed in Leicester, England, in 1991, when Elizabeth Bruce, a US student on a year long exchange, answered a 'vocalist wanted' advert by Mark Turrell.
 
They found an instant chemistry between his dreamy pop tunes and her smoky, jazz-tinged vocals, which can be heard on their first album, 'Cloudbeams In Your Eye' (CBBMLP3).

This was recorded at home and released in Nov 1992. It features acoustic pop in the style of The Sundays or Mazzy Star, electronic ambient pieces, and echo-laden space rock.

They played a couple of gigs in San Francisco, supporting an embryonic Richard Buckner, and bay area folk rocker Sonya Hunter. They also secured a feature article in UK psych magazine Ptolemaic Terrascope, and an entry in Chris William's book of underground bands 'Adrift In The Ether'.

The book drew the attention of Spanish indie-pop label Elefant, who wanted to release some of their music. This resulted in a 7" 3 track EP 'Ocean Beach', released in 1994, and appearances on a couple of label compilations, as well as a Felt tribute CD.

Steve Almaas in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.discogs.com/artist/633930-Steve-Almaas

https://www.facebook.com/salmaas

The Suicide Commandos are an American punk rock trio from Minneapolis. They formed in 1975 and released two 7-inch EPs on an indie label in 1976 and 1977 before signing with Blank Records (a subsidiary label of Mercury Records) in 1977 and releasing one album, Make a Record. Despite their short original 4-year stint together, the Suicide Commandos are considered the pioneers for jump-starting a punk rock music scene in the Twin Cities, which eventually produced bands like The Suburbs, Hüsker Dü, The Replacements and Soul Asylum

Caroline Azar & G.B. Jones in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYSvRgOMKKIY6SktAeGdFgg

Their first vinyl release was the 7" Boy-Girl EP produced in 1983 by Voicepondence Records.

The name of their first full-length recording To Sir With Hate was a play on the theme song from the British school film Produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda, it is now considered a classic of Canadian music; at the 2016 Polaris Music Prize it was named a shortlisted nominee in the 1976-1985 category for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize, the 2017 Polaris Music Prize, and the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.

A song from this LP, "The Fairview Mall Story" was based on true events concerning media publication of the names of men arrested after being entrapped by police and was instrumental in paving the way for the emergence of the queercore scene. Their video for the song, directed by indie feature film director Steven Rumbelow, involved 50's images of men cruising in their new cars, shopping malls, and car crashes, was intercut with the band and go-go dancer Bruce La Bruce. A video for the song "Where Are they Now?" was also made, directed by Marc de Guerre.

Their live shows often included films played overtop of the band and a 'go-go' boy dancing. They were frequently accompanied by guest musicians who played instruments as varied as saxophone, trumpet, flute, or violin.

Robert Sellers and Nick Pendleton in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://www.paradiseroad.co.uk/marquee-the-story-of-the-worlds-greatest-music-venue

Marquee: The Story of the World’s Greatest Music Venue tells the story of both the music club and the festival, from the birth of the club in 1958 and festival in 1961, through to their sale by original owners Harold and Barbara Pendleton thirty years later.

Hardback, 320 pages, with 49 black & white illustrations

The Marquee is the most famous and iconic music club in the world. Melody Maker called it, ‛The most important venue in the history of pop music.’ 

The story of the Marquee is the story of popular music in Britain. This new book from Paradise Road evokes the hot, sweaty and sticky life and times of the club through the words of the musicians, management, staff and fans who were there to witness music history being made.