Today’s guests are RICK VALENTIN & ROSE MARSHACK from the Champaign, IL indie rock band POSTER CHILDREN. They co-founded the group in 1987 & have since released 12 LPs, along with various singles, EPs, compilations, & a feature film. 

They’ve been on indies, majors, & everything in between, & they took an avant-garde approach to music tech & media — doing enhanced CDs, early mp3 releases, DIY websites & design, & the proto-podcast podcast RADIO ZERO, which they’ve broadcast from 1998 to the present. 

Rick & Rose also run 12 INCH RECORDS, home to bands like HUM, Love Cup, Dis-, & their non-Poster Children projects Salaryman & Thoughts Detecting Machines. They also also teach in the School of Creative Technologies @ Illinois St. University.

In 2023, Rose published her first book, PLAY LIKE A MAN: MY LIFE IN POSTER CHILDREN, which is absolutely essential reading for anyone who cares about indie & alternative culture in the last 4 decades. It’s a cool mix of genres, moving from tour diary to music criticism to scene history & beyond.

They’ve been on my Mount Rushmore of possible guests for a long time, & it was super fun & revealing to get granular with them about all things rock, whether indie or major, from the late ‘80s to today.

In this episode, we talk about regional style, the Champaign-Urbana band member maze, the idea of rock music as both art & technology, & much much more.

If you’d like to back the podcast, click “support the show” at the bottom of the notes & then “see membership options.” Donations only, no paywalls.

Thanks for listening.

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https://posterchildren.com

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BOB MOULD (Letterman)

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STEVE ALBINI, "The Problem with Music"

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POSTER CHILDREN, R.T.F.M. Enhanced CD Tour

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TIMESTAMPS:

03:01 // “Eye” (Poster Children)

03:57 // Opening for Bob Mould

09:34 // R.T.F.M. LP

12:50 // “Dream Small” (Poster Children)

13:45 // Enhanced CDs

20:47 // Mark Rubel & Pogo Studio

29:01 // HUM Member Genealogy

34:44 // 12 Inch Records

40:38 // Fillet Show LP

50:44 // “Space Fuck”

59:02 // “Formaldehyde”

01:01:21 // “Hortense”

01:03:56 // “I Like It”

01:12:06 // YPAA Vinyl

01:15:01 // Play Like a Man Book

01:21:22 // Art & Science

01:28:26 // “Matter Crush” (Poster Children)

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Today’s guest is CARLOS RAMIREZ, co-founder & editor-in-chief of NO ECHO, a worldwide hardcore website that just celebrated its 10th anniversary. It’s a vast & respected resource for all things hardcore, metal, & punk, updated daily across the web & the usual social media platforms.

Carlos played bass in the mid-to-late '90s NYC powerviolence band BLACK ARMY JACKET, who released their discography compilation Open Casket in 2023 on Brainscan & State of Mind Recordings. He later played in LAKOTA, DENY THE CROSS, & HOPE COLLAPSE.

In this episode, we talk about the ‘90s revival in underground music, the ambivalent status of genre tags, & the way certain riffs can unify & transcend different styles of music.

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NO ECHO Playlists (Spotify)

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:16 // "Hope for the Haunted" (Lakota)

03:26 // Starting NoEcho.net

13:26 // '90s Revival & Genre Tags

21:43 // Hearing HUM

26:06 // HUM @ Irving Plaza

30:04 // Vibes vs. Songs

32:46 // "Dreamboat" Discussion

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Today’s guest is CHRIS ENRIQUEZ, music industry professional by day, drummer to many many bands by night. 

Chris has worked for a wide range of heavy music media, including Revolver, Guitar World, Loudwire, Brooklyn Vegan, The Hard Times, Alternative Press, & as of 2025, he left all brands to join NEW NOISE MAGAZINE.

In the late ‘90s & early 2000s, he played drums in the influential Long Island post-hardcore band ON THE MIGHT OF PRINCES, whose full story is told in the documentary film Hold on to a Time, which Chris produced & directed. Link below.

In the mid-2000s, he moved to New York City, where he drummed in Primitive Weapons, who toured with Quicksand, Glassjaw, Dillinger Escape Plan, Thursday, & others. 

He’s since joined SPOTLIGHTS, JULIE CHRISTMAS, & the reformed ORANGE 9MM, all of whom have upcoming shows you can check out on his Instagram, @chrisenriquezdrums. He also does remote drum sessions for musicians around the world.

In this episode, we talk about what makes certain ‘90s bands timeless, the aesthetics of texture & imperfection, & what it would be like to drown in sound.

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On the Might of Princes, Hold on to a Time (Documentary)

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Chino Moreno, Baker's Dozen (The Quietus)

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Radiohead, "No Surpises" (Grant Gee)

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:42 // "The Particle Noise" (Spotlights)

03:38 // Deftones @ MSG

06:05 // Post-90s Longevity & Punk Roots

17:19 // "Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons" (Primitive Weapons)

18:12 // Joining Orange 9mm

21:35 // "Suspect" (O9mm)

22:58 // '90s 2.0

25:21 // HUM on MTV

27:38 // Hearing Electra 2000

32:50 // "Double Dip" Discussion

01:04:15 // Upcoming Shows

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Today’s guest is BRAD WOOD, super-producer, mixer, engineer, & musician. 

Brad’s done hundreds of records, many of which are by some of my favorite bands — Tar, Sunny Day Real Estate, Codeine, Veruca Salt, Seam, Liz Phair, Triple Fast Action, Far, That Dog, & so on. 

Brad also worked on HUM's second album Electra 2000, a couple of their early singles on 12 Inch & Mud Records, & on “Diffuse,” which was originally a compilation track but later added to the reissues of E2K on Martians Go Home & Earth Analog Records.

In this episode, he looks back on recording some of those early albums, gives a verbal virtual tour of his former studio, Idful Music Corporation, which was a crucial nucleus of '90s indie & alternative culture, & talks about the ways in which classical music motifs emerge in heavy riffing.

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https://www.bradwoodmusic.com

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"Diffuse" Live // 1995

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:16 // 30th Anniversaries

05:50 // Atonal Hooks

06:31 // "Seether" (Veruca Salt)

09:02 // "25" (Veruca Salt)

11:13 // Idful Music Corporation

16:09 // Early-Mid '90s Chicago Scene

21:16 // "Dont Feed the Suits..."

24:26 // Studio Psychology & Perfectionism

32:23 // Recording HUM

40:09 // Electra 2000

45:46 // "Diffuse" Discussion

01:08:57 // "Cave-In" (Codeine)

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Today’s conversation is with KELLII SCOTT, the drummer of FAILURE. He’s also played in Liquid Jesus, Blinker the Star, Veruca Salt, Dumpster, Campfire Girls, & others.

Since the pandemic, Kellii's been doing remote drum sessions for any musician looking for percussion work on their recordings. Message him on Instagram @kelliiscott for details (link above).

In this episode, we talk about the post-Sunset Strip LA rock scene, the legacy of Failure's hit song “Stuck on You,” recording their landmark album Fantastic Planet, why drumming with restraint is so difficult, & the ways in which the touring life feels like a mission into deep space.

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FAILURE Music & Merch

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:11 // “Petting the Carpet” (Failure)

02:42 // Underheard L.A. Bands

04:37 // “Mindray” (Lusk)

05:51 // “Stuck on You” Video & Legacy

17:27 // Recording & Sequencing Fantastic Planet

27:28 // Fantastic Planet Closers

38:44 // Hearing HUM & Becoming Penpals

40:52 // Resisting the “90s Band” Tag

45:46 // 2015 Tour; Seeing HUM in the 90s; BSP note

49:42 // Inlet

57:57 // “Desert Rambler” Discussion

1:34:14 // Failure Documentary & Next LP

1:36:40 // Remote Drum Sessions

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Today I’m talking with PHIL HARDER, a filmmaker who’s directed music videos for HUM, Low, Failure, Babes in Toyland, Firehose, Local H, Bailter Space, Afghan Whigs, Seaweed, & many others. 

In 1985, he & producer RICK FULLER started HARDER/FULLER FILMS, a music video & commercial production house that generated a wide range of visual work across 4 decades.

In December of ’97, they shot the “Comin’ Home” video with HUM at the Icehouse in Minneapolis, using a mixture of DIY effects & big budget gloss, staging the band in a psychedelic dream of espionage, locusts, & trippy liquids.

In this episode, we talk about the material quirks of the film format, the rise & fall of MTV culture, & what it was like to be in the nerve center of the ‘90s visual world.

(Phil broadcasted from a boat in Amsterdam; excuse the cabin noises...)

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:24 // Firehose, "Walking the Cow" (Intro)

03:00 // Video to 8mm to 16mm & Beyond

08:57 // A Band Apart

09:46 // Foo Fighters, "Next Year"

13:33 // Bailter Space, "X"

18:33 // Treatments & Creative Control

23:12 // Incubus, "Drive"

26:22 // '90s Budgets / Failure, "Stuck On You"

31:19 // Visual Effects & Retro Digital

37:05 // Didjits / HUM, "Comin' Home"

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phil-harder.com

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Today’s guest is JASON GERKEN from SHINER. He’s one of your favorite drummers’ favorite drummers, & he's also played in HUM, Molly McGuire, Gunfighter, The Birth Defects, & a handful of others.

Shiner’s first record, Splay, was recently remixed & remastered via SPARTAN RECORDS, who also just reissued the band’s second, third, & fourth LPs — Lula Divinia, Starless, & The Egg.

Shiner are about to play some dates in the Midwest, including one at Matt Talbott’s bar Loose Cobra in Tolono.

Jason played & toured with HUM in 2015, on a run of shows all over the U.S. with Mineral & Failure, & he’s got lots of cool insights into the successes & challenges of those gigs. It’s telling that we both occasionally drift into the present tense when describing Bryan’s drumming because that stuff will obviously always feel contemporary.

In this episode, we talk about finding space to tour, getting that phone call to join HUM, the intricacies of practicing & playing with the band, & drowning in lots & lots of drum fills.

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SHINER Reissues // Spartan Records

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GERKEN Interview // Drummers on Drumming Podcast

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PAGE HAMILTON Interview // Chris Demakes a Podcast

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TALBOTT Intro // Pittsburgh '98

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:24 // "The Egg" (Shiner)

03:08 // Upcoming Gigs

06:05 // The Egg LP

11:12 // "Jaded Eyes" (Government Issue)

14:23 // "Pills" (Shiner)

17:22 // Drumming Influences

19:27 // HUM in KC

20:23 // The Phone Call, Practicing, & Playing

27:49 // "Comin' Home" Discussion

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Today I’m talking to COLEY DENNIS, guitarist & founding member of the Athens, GA rock band MASERATI. They’ve covered tons of sonic territory, from post-hardcore to electronic to psychedelia to heavy disco to space rock & beyond. He’s also got a new loud & dreamy rock project called RED DWARF STAR, beaming in from Lausanne, Switzerland where he now lives.

In this episode, we talk about the culture shock of the expatriate life, plugging into the early 2000s Athens music scene, & the striking harmony of the light & heavy.

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:05 // “This is a Sight We Had One Day from the Mountain” (Maserati)

03:09 // Switzerland

05:42 // Athens ‘00s

11:36 // Maserati Then & Now

15:23 // Red Dwarf Star

18:05 // “Lady Aurora Borealis” (R.D.S.)

22:27 // HUM on MTV

27:29 // Inlet & Enter the Mirror

30:31 // “Wallwalker” (Maserati)

32:03 // “Cloud City” Discussion

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“Cloud City” @ AV Fest // 2011

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Today I'm talking to TOM MULLEN from WASHED UP EMO.

Tom’s been in the music business for decades, doing digital marketing, executive work, & an array of creative projects at labels like Vagrant, TVT, Equal Vision, Sony, & others. 

He started the Washed Up Emo website in 2007, & has since expanded it into a podcast with over 250 episodes, a book series, & a DJ night.

In this episode, we talk about how the changing media landscape of the late 90s & early 2000s intersected with alternative music culture, the ambivalence around "Midwest emo" as sub-genre & brand, & where Hum might fit within that specific context. We also explore one of the band’s most beloved b-sides, looking at its strange place in their discography. Where does it truly belong?

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SMILE POLITELY Interview: Matt Talbott

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:16 // Booking Hopesfall & Saves the Day

05:00 // Early Podcasting Landscape

13:43 // Curiosity & Connection

17:35 // Washed Up Emo Podcast

20:15 // "Midwest Emo,” the Anachronism

24:19 // HUM re Emo

34:27 // WRUV, MTV, & the Cat's Cradle

36:37 // The Quiet-Loud

39:52 // Pre-YPAA Sessions

46:45 // DIH Reissue Playback @ Sony

51:45 // "Boy with Stick" Discussion

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Other songs: Deftones, "Minerva" // Title Fight: "Head in the Ceiling Fan"

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Today I’m talking to Sven, the host of CHAMPAIGN IS ALSO A BAND. His show takes a hyper-focused look at songwriters from the Champaign-Urbana music scene (past & present), & each episode tells the story of a song with the people who wrote it. 

HUM fans should definitely check out his interviews with RICK from POSTER CHILDREN & the guys from TERMINUS VICTOR, both linked below.

He also runs a tape label called FAILED POEM RECORDS, which features local C-U musicians & donates all proceeds to a charity of the band’s choosing.

In this episode, we talk about the sonic mystique of college towns, the raw materials of songwriting, & why neglected b-sides can be so important.

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:27 // CIAB Podcast & C-U Scene

08:09 // College Town Aura

12:39 // Poster Children & Terminus Victor

19:46 // Sunday Songwriter Snakepit & MT Live

24:16 // "Baby, Baby" Discussion

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CIAB Episodes:

https://champaignisalsoaband.podbean.com/e/episode-100-rick-valentin-of-poster-children-he-s-my-star

https://champaignisalsoaband.podbean.com/e/ep127-scott-kimble-don-king-of-terminus-victor-this-isnt-real

https://champaignisalsoaband.podbean.com/e/episode-8-isaac-arms-of-withershins-fire-flies

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Failed Poem Records

https://failedpoemrecords.bandcamp.com/album/infringement

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Other songs: Ween, "Sarah"

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