Anti-Heroes with Zach Blair

Conan Neutron is a singer, guitarist and founding member of Conan Neutron and The Secret Friends. He also hosts his long running podcast, Conan Neutron’s Protonic Reversal. Conan shares the motivation behind his podcast and why providing a platform for musicians to connect is so important to him. Zach and Conan discuss the concept behind Secret Friends, what it’s like to play with Dale Crover and the evolution of the lineup.  Conan also talks about his previous bands, Replicator and Victory and Associates.  The two discuss the Caterwaul Festival, Milwaukee’s Summer Fest, and the mid-west versus the California scene.  They talk gear, aluminum neck guitars, the significance of reliable equipment on the road and story behind the Conan’s love for Electric Guitar Company guitars.  The conversation concludes with a discussion on influences and their favorite riffs.

CONAN NEUTRON SECRET FRIENDS

PROTONIC REVERSAL

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Sam Coomes is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Portland based band Quasi. Since 1983, Sam has recorded, toured and performed with Heatmiser, Elliott Smith, The Donner Party, Jandek and fronts his solo project, Blues Goblins. Sam shares his musical journey, from playing trumpet in school band to becoming a guitarist and keyboardist in Quasi. He discusses his influences, from Robert Fripp to punk rock and how it opened him up to other styles of music. Zach and Sam discuss the importance of collaboration, the challenges of playing as a two piece and why Janet Weiss is instrumental in creating the Quasi sound. We learn why Sam prefers affordable guitars, how he went from playing guitar to keyboards and the two commiserate on being from the same tiny town in North Texas.

QUASI

SUB POP

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Jonathan Hischke is bass player with vast and eclectic experience’s touring, recording and as a session musician. He’s played with Hella, The Shins, Cigar, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Broken Bells and is a founding member of Dot Hacker and Anywhere. The two discuss Jonathan’s diverse career and the challenges of being a session musician. He shares how he got started in music, his decision to focus on bass, and the influence of his musical family. Jonathan talks about the importance of being versatile and adaptable as a musician and the satisfaction he finds in collaborating and creating his own music. Jonathan and Zach discuss the changing landscape of the music industry and the influence of experimental music and the role it plays in pushing the limits of their genres. Jonathan shares his excitement about his first solo record of improvised music, the two talk gear and the importance of finding instruments that inspire creativity.

Jonathan Hischke

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Zach sits down with Gwar’s newest axman, Tommy Meehan, aka Grodius Maximus. Tommy discusses his experience joining Gwar and the impact they had on him as a teenager. Tommy shares his journey as a musician, starting with his early influences and his love for unique and interesting guitars. Zach and Tommy talk about juggling multiple bands and the challenges and rewards that come with it. Tommy reflects on his time working at The Cartoon Network and his transition to focusing on his bands. Zach and Tommy discuss their gear choices and their experiences using Kemper and Quad Cortex for live performances. The two flirt with the idea of someday collaborating, discuss Tommy’s other bands Cancer Christ and Squid Pisser and they reminisce on their first meeting at a Gwar show.  

Gwar

Squid Pisser

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Duane Denison is a songwriter, guitarist and founding member of Tomahawk, The Denison/Kimball Trio and most notable, the widely influential, The Jesus Lizard. 

In this episode Zach and Duane discuss Duane’s unique style and the influences that shaped it. They talk about the music scene in Texas, the importance of playing new material, and the balance between playing old hits and new songs in live performances. They delve into Duane's gear choices and the sonic decisions he made to create his distinctive sound. The two discuss punk rock and the importance of defining one's own style within it. Duane shares his his musical journey, including his collaborations with Tomahawk, Mike Patton and John Stanier, and the creative process behind their albums. Denison also shares his love for rockabilly and Western swing music and the enjoyment he finds in exploring different musical styles.

The Jesus Lizard

Ipecac Recordings

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

The season opener of Anti-Heroes starts off with a bang with the great Walter Schreifels ! (Uncle Wally” if you’re nasty). Walter is a guitarist, songwriter, and producer.  He has played with seminal hardcore bands Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and is a founding member of Quicksand, Rival Schools, and Walking Concert. To say that Walter is a massive influence on Zach is an understatement. The two explore Walter's approach to songwriting and his desire to constantly innovate and surprise listeners. Walter shares his thoughts on live performances, the importance of not signaling mistakes on stage, and the challenges of being in a band. Zach and Walter discuss their past collaboration in the band The Vanishing Life, they touch on the evolution of Quicksand’s sound, and we get a current run down of Walters rig and pedals.  

Walter Schreifels

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

In this final episode of season 5 Zach gives thanks and recaps. Thank you to all the listeners and guests. We'll be back with season 6 before you can learn a Rise Against guitar solo! (Please share your solos in if you beat us!)

Thank you to all of our sponsors and listeners, please support them!

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with one of his all-time idols and inspirations, Andy Kerr from NoMeansNo!!! Throughout his career Andy has been very elusive, even going so far as to never crediting his real name on the records he’s played on. Pre-internet, this proved very tricky for a young Zach to find out who was playing his favorite riffs in one of his favorite bands, No Means No. Zach finally gets to meet the man behind this inspiring riffage and ask him "all the questions". The two discuss Andy's tenure in NoMeansNo, his preferred guitar throughout his career and his projects outside of NMN. Andy shares his journey in finding the right guitar sound and how he stumbled upon his signature distortion by accident. Andy tells us about his experience in the Canadian punk scene, hips us to the new biography NoMeansNO: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History and we get a surprise visit from the author, Jason Lamb!

Andy Kerr

No Means No

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with Ryan 'Fluff' Bruce, the creator of the popular YouTube channel Riffs, Beards & Gear. They discuss Ryan’s journey from working at Boeing to becoming one of the most successful guitar YouTubers. Fluff tells us how he started making videos as a hobby during his lunch breaks and eventually turned it into a full-time career. He also talks about the early days of YouTube guitar channels and the frustration he felt with the lack of transparency in the industry. Fluff shares his experiences working with companies, the changing landscape of the music industry and his experience of using YouTube to reach a wider audience. Fluff and Zach discuss the organic process of creating music and the joy of sharing it with others. Ryan shares his experiences touring and teching and reflects on losing and selling some of his favorite gear. The two express their love for Mesa Boogie Rectifiers and discuss the impact of James Hetfield on their musical journey.

Riffs, Beards and Gear

Fluffs signature Ernie Ball Music Man

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with touring comrade and friend Ryan Patterson. Ryan is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and founding member of Louisville based bands Coliseum and FOTOCRIME. Ryan and Zach discuss the inspiration behind FOTOCRIME and how the project has been an avenue to explore his post punk leanings. Ryan shares his penchant for hollow body guitars, they talk odd pedal choices of seminal hardcore bands and as usual, their conversation inevitably switches to Killing Joke and the brilliant guitarist Geordie Walker! Ryan talks about the future of Coliseum, and we hear a dreamy FOTOCRIME tune. FOTOCRIME

Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop

Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars