Conan Neutron’s Protonic Reversal

Devastated to hear the news of Mark Stewart of the Pop Group's untimely passing. He was a one of a kind guy and a serious force of creativity. Here's a repost of my episode with him from last year.

The new TSPSI record is called GALORE. It is a bit different then the raucous fury of the first two, but very interesting and worth your time. Damien joins Conan to discuss the many moods of writing this record and the themes within (including new fatherhood), SCRAPPING the original 3rd record entirely, and a detailed song by song run through of the whole bloody affair. There’s a surprising amount of Metallica talk, but the end also features a very good accounting of how Damien came to be in mclusky and some updates on that vital band. Very good! Very good indeed.

Cassette Prophet is Mike from SPBT's newest thing, a long percolating band and project based on an incredible mythos involving (*checks notes*) Radio Shack? In fact last time he was on it was called: "First Church of Radio Shack." We discuss that, as well as the many varieties of Milk Cult, the No Coast Records (not fest!) reissue of early Steel Pole Bath Tub with We Own Drrrills. The stories of the major label record Scars From Falling Down and UNLISTENABLE, the doomed "final" record.

It is the longest Part 2 after a Part 1 in the show's history! 2 years, 11 months, 11 days excluding the end date. No wonder it is an extra long episode. 'Let's go, we've got a date with the underground'.

Resurrectionists are an awesome new (er) band from Milwaukee and they have a record called Now That We Are All Ghosts that Conan is VERY familiar with! Chamber DOOM Folk Americana. Let's get into a song by song breakdown, find out if this band is truly clock rock or not and get into the details of what constitutes a (*checks notes*) First Annual Resurrectionists Film Festival ?

For the last 8 years, protonic reversal has been livestreamed on an internet radio station called Radio NOPE. A not for profit community channel founded in fairness. This episode is the last broadcast of that station, including a bit of history for the station's origins, identifying some key moments and general telling the story of radio nope. How we did it, why we did it. All that. Also included is an appearance by Live From the Barrage's John Houlihan which includes a long overdue post-mortem/explanation to the end of that long running show. All that, multiple "in memoriums" some tunes and talk.

No guest, just a bit of history of swimming upstream in an on-demand audio world.

Also, to be explicitly clear Protonic Reversal will continue streaming live on youtube and twitch and be podcast later.

John was good enough to talk to Conan before their next big tour. What about? Pokerface! Stylistic changeups,the evolution of Mountain Goats from one guy to a large band and what the various members bring. Setlists and when a song works live or doesn't. Songs that reveal themselves. Shania Twain? GOTHS, The Sunset Tree. Ego and sublimation of ego. The deep connection with THIS YEAR. Allegory, emotional resonance. Prairie Sun. Heretic Pride, Sequencing. D&D on film. The Getting into Knives cover. Bleed Out, Italian cop movies and uptempo songs.

It has been 184 episodes since Donna Diane has been on Protonic. A few things have happened since then. Including Djunah's new record Femina Furens. The absolutely nuts video for Seven Winds of Sekhmet. Legs for bassist, doing everything ones self (no, really!) complex post-traumatic stress disorder, poetry and deadbeat dad Gods. It is also a VERY detailed song by song breakdown of this incredible and dense record. Including multiple suggestive Santas. Furious woman! Let's go.

Beyond Vision! An all new Acid King record for 2023. This one is a bit more psychedelic then previous records but still has the essential monolithic AK riffs you would expect. Yet, there are keyboards too. (*gasp*). It is a winding, thundering song cycle of space exploration. There's a song by song of the new one. Also, let's take a walk back to the days of Man's Ruin and Sympathy for the Record Industry where Lori get her start with Acid King. Walkthroughs of the whole discography. Live at Roadburn, Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere, III, Free (and Clearlight), Busse Woods, Down With the Crown, Zoroaster.

DANG! it's the drum man for the BLUUUUUUES EXPLOOOOOSSSION. Who also happens to be half of the creative braintrust of the mighty SERVICE (Whose: DRAG ME was named best record of 2022 by this show!). A detailed history of JSBX, album by album... starting from the very beginning. R.L. Burnside! Playing with Tom Waits. Butter 08, production, JUST FRED, Pranking Weird Al with Yoko Ono. And of course the origin story of S-E-R-V-I-C-E one of the best rock bands on the planet. You want in-depth? You got it... punk!

The incredible Rose Marshack of Poster Children has written a book called: Play Like a Girl: My Life In Poster Children. Join us as we discuss music as community, the nuts, bolts and dollars and cents of making music. Surviving the 90s gold rush on a major label. Creative ventures. Origin stories, tour reports, computers, the indie code of ethics, the complicated expectations of rocking while a woman, teaching, zen, martial arts, Mercy Rule, Ian Mackaye and so much more. It is a great conversation and a great book.