
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


For most of his career, Bonner Kramer has been known in underground music circles by only his surname, as his imprint has been deep and wide enough that only that sobriquet has been necessary. Starting in New York City in the late 70’s and into the 80’s, he was a member of several seminal bands of the era including New York Gong and Bongwater, and played in the Butthole Surfers, Ween, Half Japanese, The Fugs, and with John Zorn. As a producer, he has worked with Galaxie 500 (whose entire catalog he produced), Low, Half Japanese, Gwar, Will Oldham, Daniel Johnston, and Urge Overkill, and founded the Shimmy Disc label. He’ll perform at this year’s Big Ears Festival both by himself, as well as with Thurston Moore and Mark Nelson of Pan-American, respectively, in March of 2026. On this episode, hear how songs sung by Billie Holliday, Gavin Bryars, and Robert Wyatt informed his work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
By WUOT-FM 91.9 Knoxville4.8
6060 ratings
For most of his career, Bonner Kramer has been known in underground music circles by only his surname, as his imprint has been deep and wide enough that only that sobriquet has been necessary. Starting in New York City in the late 70’s and into the 80’s, he was a member of several seminal bands of the era including New York Gong and Bongwater, and played in the Butthole Surfers, Ween, Half Japanese, The Fugs, and with John Zorn. As a producer, he has worked with Galaxie 500 (whose entire catalog he produced), Low, Half Japanese, Gwar, Will Oldham, Daniel Johnston, and Urge Overkill, and founded the Shimmy Disc label. He’ll perform at this year’s Big Ears Festival both by himself, as well as with Thurston Moore and Mark Nelson of Pan-American, respectively, in March of 2026. On this episode, hear how songs sung by Billie Holliday, Gavin Bryars, and Robert Wyatt informed his work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

91,297 Listeners

38,430 Listeners

6,881 Listeners

1,973 Listeners

10 Listeners

1,590 Listeners

13 Listeners

43 Listeners

30 Listeners

8,864 Listeners

1,469 Listeners

234 Listeners

7 Listeners

3 Listeners

7,244 Listeners

5,748 Listeners

16,512 Listeners

2,082 Listeners

12 Listeners

8,371 Listeners

373 Listeners

16,525 Listeners

749 Listeners