Public Record

In 1988, Dead C. member Bruce Russell started Xpressway Records, which quickly became a vital center for New Zealand experimental music. This week on The Spindle, John and Marc dip into the 1991 compilation that Xpressway put together for Chicago's Drag City Records, I Hear the Devil Calling Me—12 tracks in less than 12 minutes and all of them a joy to dig into! 

Songs featured in this episode: 

The Renderers - I Hear the Devil Calling Me
Gate - Never 
Dead C. - 5.12.90
Alastair Galbraith - Milky Milo
A Handful of Dust - The Lonesome Death of Albert Ayler
Dadaman - Replicant Emotions
David Mitchell - The Blind Fish

Fronted by bassist Ned Russin (Title Fight), Glitterer crafts strident and melodic songs with nods to classic D.C. punk like Fugazi and Nation of Ulysses. Initially a solo project, the band's latest album Rationale finds Russin joined by a cast of collaborators including keyboardist, guitarist Connor Morin, and keyboardist Nicole Dao. The record's 12 song indulge in catchy soft grunge textures and post-punk ambiance, with Russin's lyrical focus dedicated to sorting through the day-to-day struggles of a working musician.

Today on Hotline, he answers fan questions from the 1-877-WASTOIDS answering machine, pondering the best bookshelves he's encountered on tour, the importance of giving your art time, and expanding from his solo roots into a fully fledged band. 

Sam and Jason contend with audio demons and fictional bands. Thrill as they look at Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert's satirical 1970 romp Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Dirk Diggler's stunning tunes from Boogie Nights,  2001's hard rock daydream Rock Star, 2000's record store comedy High Fidelity, Hanna-Barbera and Syd & Marty Croft's late '60s children's show, The Banana Splits and ponder a strange question: what kind of music do they listen to in a galaxy far, far, away?

Plus: calm down on the gong with Derek and the Dominos, The Beatles Cinematic Universe, and a peer into the world of WEIRDOS.com. 

Marc and John are Nirvana agnostics—neither big fans nor big detractors of the Seattle trio. But they do really like the 1990 single "Sliver" b/w "Dive", so on this episode they delve into what makes both songs really good—and what it was like at that weird moment when Nirvana was getting bigger but hadn't yet gotten massively, world-wide huge. Tune in for some grunge explosion history, this time on the Spindle!

Sam and Jason are back, armed with two turntables and a microphone. Err, make that two SM7-Bs and an aux cord. The Click duo is looking at the world of samples, pressing play on tunes by Cornershop, Beck, Oasis, Insane Clown Posse, the Verve, Fatboy Slim, Doja Cat, Wu-Tang Clan, Gorillaz, Beastie Boys' sample-delic Paul's Boutique and even more.  And while the internet refused to cooperate, they soldiered on just for you, dear listener. 

While Marc and John are gathering new 7" singles to play for you, we've got a Spindle Rewind from the archives: here’s the guys on the 1978 single from Public Image LTD, ”Public Image” b/w “The Cowboy Song.” Dropping the needle on this strident and stark recording, John and Marc dig in on its attendant Beeheartisms and John Lydon's uncompromising art rock ethos.

Originally aired Nov 23, 2022. 

LA skate punks FIDLAR specialize in brash, direct tunes. Drawing on a legacy of hard rock and punk, they join us backstage to answer fan questions from the 1-877-WASTOIDS hotline. On this special episode, they share their favorite kind of pancakes, records that inspired them and outline the band's official cigarette replacement policy. 

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but if it's a record instead maybe that's OK? This week on Click Vortex, Sam and Jason are talking covers: good, bad, and ugly from artists like the Beatles, Big Bear, Megadeth, Molly Hatchet, Rolling Stones, and more.

Get hip to Hipgnosis, learn the secret history of Sgt. Pepper's iconic sleeve, and check out perhaps the best album cover ever created by Pen & Pixel (famous for their No Limit and Cash Money covers). 

Plus: Bo Diddley's rules for life, RIP Toby Keith, the Wayback Machine zine archive, and a plug for Paul Giamatti’s far out history and esoterica podcast Chinwag with Stephen Asma, and news about this weekend's free vinyl record showcase Cactus Music Market. 

This time around Marc and John delve into the origins of Royal Trux, via their first 7-inch and second release, "Hero Zero" b/w "Love Is..."—not coincidentally, the record that launched the now-legendary label Drag City. Find out how Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema got the magic working from the get-go on this episode of The Spindle. 

This week on Click Vortex, Sam and Jason discuss internet pioneers and music culture. With the online landscape morphing into something new, we look back on the ways artists like Radiohead, Prince, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, and Sam's band The Format, and services like the Internet Underground Music Archive and Napster connected fans directly to music they love.

Boot up and jack in, it's time for Click Vortex's look at Internet Pioneers. To watch while you listen visit WASTOIDS.com and subscribe on YouTube.