Lost Labels Podcast

An update on the status of the Lost Labels Podcast, with information about upcoming episodes!

Bush Tetras broke onto the scene in a big way with their 1980 debut single, "Too Many Creeps". Released on 99 Records, it is a seminal piece of early 1980s post-punk that ranks amongst the definitive songs of the era. After releasing a string of singles and a live cassette, Bush Tetras split with only a handful of recordings to their name.

Fortunately, Bush Tetras have reunited and continued to release music over the years, culminating in the release of a "best-of" box set by Wharf Cat Records in November of 2021. In this episode, singer Cynthia Sley discusses the early days of the band, opening for the Clash, and her lifelong friendship with guitarist Pat Place.

Bush Tetras/Wharf Cat Records:
https://bushtetras.wharfcatrecords.com/rhythm-and-paranoia

SVT rose from the ashes of Hot Tuna, comprised of ex-Airplane bassist Jack Casady and keyboardist Nick Buck. Eschewing the extended jams for tight power pop, they self-released their first single in 1979 before singing to 415 Records. There they released the brilliant "Heart of Stone" single and a seven-song EP before Buck left the band. 

In this episode of the Lost Labels Podcast, Nick Buck discusses his diverse musical influences and his time as part of San Francisco's burgeoning punk scene. Nick still releases music from his past as Nick Buck 9, which can be found on all major streaming services:

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nick-buck-9/1511551644

From playing alongside Glenn Branca in seminal band Theoretical Girls to producing the first Sonic Youth album, Wharton Tiers has his fingerprints all over the late-70s/early-80s New York scene. Add to that his work with A Band and Glorious Strangers, and Tiers' discography provides the perfect entry point to the visceral world that is no wave. 

Since then, Tiers has also gone on to produce such beloved and acclaimed albums as Dinosaur Jr.'s "You're Living All Over Me" and Helmet's "Strap It On." Today, Wharton Tiers remains active with the Wharton Tiers Ensemble, Superduperlooper, his solo piano work, and the brand new Wharton's Expanding Jazz band. 

For more information, visit:
http://www.whartontiers.com

From his college days booking artists like the Doors to his later career working with the Smiths and Pretenders at Sire Records, every chapter of Howie Klein's life is fascinating to the avid music fan. One of Howie's greatest legacies is the founding of 415 Records in 1978, one of San Francisco's seminal independent record labels. From beloved underground acts such as the Units and the Nuns to bands who would find mainstream success, such as Romeo Void, the roster of 415 artists is breathtaking in its diversity and talent.

Recently, Liberation Hall has begun re-releasing some of 415's catalogue, including the label-spanning Disturbing The Peace compilation in late 2020. For more information on Liberation Hall and the work that they're doing, visit them here:

https://www.liberationhall.com

Howie Klein runs the political blog DownWithTyranny!, which can be found here:

https://www.downwithtyranny.com

415 Records: Disturbing the Peace can be purchased here:

https://amzn.to/3rh8OCt

Although they only released three singles, US Ape seemed poised to become the next Talking Heads or Knack in the late 1970s. Fronted by Tom Goodkind, later of the Washington Squares, the band played a unique blend of danceable funk-new wave that didn't quite sound like any of their contemporaries.

In this episode, we talk to keyboardist (and sometimes vocalist) Shauna Laurie about her time in the band and what it was like to be a part of the late-1970s scene.

To see US Ape in action, watch their music video for 1979's "Ignorance Is Bliss":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yke96ZVxCkc

With seminal releases from Suicide, James Chance, Lydia Lunch, Was (Not Was), Kid Creole and the Coconuts, the Waitresses, and many others, ZE Records was described by John Peel as "the best independent record label in the world." UK-born Michael Zilkha founded the label alongside Michel Esteban in 1978, after running the short-lived Spy Records with John Cale. After the label closed in 1984, Zilkha left New York for Texas, where he now is in the renewable energy business.

In this interview, we talk to Michael Zilkha about his early musical influences, his coming to New York immediately after school, and the formation of what would become one of the most acclaimed record labels of the era. Recently, Zilkha revived the ZE brand to release "The Future Is Mine" featuring Bun B and Mr. Biggs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITdsUr4tDeo

Rudi were the first punk rock band to form in Northern Ireland, as well as being the first release on the seminal Good Vibrations record label. Guitarist Brian Young was influenced by the likes of Marc Bolan, the New York Dolls, and the Ramones--all of whom can be heard in Rudi's exceptional first single, "Big Time." Between their touring, television appearances, and follow-up singles, Rudi established themselves as an integral part of the Belfast punk scene. In this episode, we talk to Young about the music of his youth, his life-long passion for Johnny Thunders, and the rapid decline in the quality of punk music as the 1970s came to a close.

The Outcasts were one of the most popular bands to emerge from the punk rock scene in Belfast, Northern Ireland. After releasing a single on the short-lived IT Records, the Outcasts put out two seminal singles and a full length on Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations.

Originally consisting of the Cowan brothers Colin (drums), Martin (rhythm guitar and vocals), and Greg (lead vocals and bass), as well as lead guitarist Colin "Getty" Getgood, the Outcasts's two GV singles ("Justa Nother Teenage Rebel" and "Self Conscious Over You") are rightfully considered classics to this day. In this episode, we talk to Martin Cowan about the band's history, as well as what it was like to be a part of the larger Belfast music scene.

https://www.facebook.com/officialoutcasts/

Stiff Little Fingers' first single, "Suspect Device," was released on Rigid Digits Records, an independent record label founded by the band and managers Gordon Ogilvie and Colin McClelland.  McClelland, an established music journalist, had corresponded with Jake Burns prior to seeing them in concert and was hugely instrumental in getting the band into the studio for the first time.

In this interview, Colin McClelland discusses his early experiences with rock 'n' roll, his introduction to Stiff Little Fingers, and the many trials the band faced in getting a record pressed and distributed.