Hello everyone and welcome to Punk Rock Academic Episode 11!

For this episode we were fortunate enough to get to sit down with the incomparable Kate Reddy, MA. Kate is currently a PhD student in the Anthropology department at U Albany. Prior to that, she received her MA degree from U Albany and a Bachelor’s in Writing and Literature from the New School in New York City.

Kate08 is a mainstay in the punk and hardcore scene. She’s played with the legendary Krishna Conscious hardcore band 108 on and off since the early 90s. Kate08 is also co-owner of the celebrated independent label, Equal Vision Records. Equal Vision has put out album from an admirable roster of bands, including the likes of Saves The Day, Bane, Chiodos, Bear Vs. Shark, Hot Water Music, Yellowcard, and so many others.

It was a treat to get to chat with this pillar of the punk rock community. Let’s get into it.

Salutations! Punk Rock Academic Episode 10!

This time we are chatting with Jennie Cotterill, MFA. Jennie teaches several courses in the Illustration Department at Cal State Long Beach. In addition to her teaching duties, she also makes album cover art and even has her own custom cake service called Jennie Bakes.

Jennie’s been active in the punk scene for years, singing and playing guitar in the Fat Wreck Chords punk band Bad Cop/Bad Cop from 2011 to 2022. She recently started the band Reckoner with (Kyle O’Neil of Fireworks, Candace Hansen, and Sven Wallwork) who released their new track ‘She is the Knife’ just prior to this episode’s release.

So stoked that Jennie could fit us in between all her teaching, baking, and shredding.

Let’s get into it!

Photo by Leah Castile

Graphics by Dan Moilanen

Ahoy hoy! Punk Rock Academic Episode 9!

This episode features Sam Maynard, PhD. Sam is currently teaching history at a prestigious New Jersey private school. Prior to that he was adjunct faculty in the Political Science department at Monmouth University, teaching courses on International Relations and Latin American Policy, among others.

Prior to serving as faculty, Sam obtained his bachelor’s degree at Monmouth, followed by master’s from Georgetown and a PhD from Oxford, with his research focused on comparative politics and democratization in Latin America.

Dr. Maynard also happens to be the guitarist for the New Jersey-based hardcore band, School Drugs. They have developed a significant following among devotees of that 80s hardcore sound. School Drugs has toured extensively in the US, UK, and EU.

Sam is a truly punk rock academic. Let’s get into it!

Here we go! Punk Rock Academic Episode 8!

Today we’re chatting with John Peck, MA. John is a writer, editor, content manager, and co-owner of Volta Press, a letterpress print studio and underground publisher that he founded with his wife. He has published fiction, essays, and humor in a wide variety of journals and anthologies, and has even spent over a decade lending his talents to the video game industry.

A native of Berkeley, CA, John received his Bachelor’s and

You may have also heard John as the bassist for the band American Steel since the mid-90s. They released 2 albums with Lookout! Records, then went on hiatus in 2002. During that time, John formed the indie/post-punk band Communiqué, also on Lookout!

 American Steel reformed in 2007, putting out two more full-lengths on Fat Wreck Chords, and have recently begun performing again after another hiatus during the pandemic.

Without further ado…let’s get into it!

Graphics by Dan Moilanen

Photo by Todd Fixler

All right! Punk Rock Academic, Episode 7!

This time we’re talking with CJ Uy, PhD. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Religion at James Madison University in the Shenandoah Valley. His work focuses on medieval Sufism and Islamic philosophy, and explores some very deep topics like what it means to “know”.

He has an impressive CV, starting with a BA from Yale’s Department of Religious Studies, followed by an M.Phil from the University of Cambridge. He also holds an MA degree from Stanford and a PhD from Brown University’s Department of Religious studies.

Aside from his academic pursuits, CJ also plays bass in the DC-based Bad Time Records ska band, Kill Lincoln. They have developed a strong following through years of touring and recording and have played with the likes of Streetlight Manifesto, Suicide Machines, The Slackers, Less Than Jake, and Reel Big Fish. CJ first started with the band back in 2015 and became a full-fledged member in 2018.

I hope you’re all as stoked to hear from him as we are! Let’s get into it.

OK! Punk Rock Academic Episode 6!

Today we have Dr. Greg Chance Taylor, PsyD. He is a Dr. of clinical psychology, currently finishing up his residency in Portland, OR. He got a BA in psychology from the New School and his PsyD from Pacific University.

Like many drummers, Greg has played in a lot of bands. He toured and recorded an album with Mischief Brew on Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label. He also played in The Holy Mountain, a No Idea Records band from the early aughts. Most recently he’s played with MakeWar on the Fat Wreck Chords.

Quite the impressive resume, doctor. Let’s get into it!

Hello and welcome once again to Punk Rock Academic! We’ve had a little gap in programming, but here we are with Episode 5, and this one’s a real treat!

This time we’ll be chatting with Toni LaMantia, MA. Toni received her Bachelors in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia, followed by a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology and Quantitative Methods from University of Buffalo. She also holds an Advanced Certificate in Applied Statistical Methods, also from University of Buffalo.

She is currently employed by Tesla, using her background in educational and statistics to lead a team in their Vision AI program. You can also catch her singing and playing saxophone and keys with The Abruptors, a Buffalo, NY-based ska band. The Abruptors are signed to the renowned Asian Man Records and maintain an impressive tour schedule, playing with such legends as Mustard Plug and The Slackers.

As if that weren’t enough, Toni is also a mother, so we’re really grateful she could make time to talk with us and share her story. Let’s get into it!

All right! Punk Rock Academic Episode 4, coming at you.

I know I say this every time, but this is another great episode! We have with us today Mark Petz, MPNA. Mark is currently a teacher, grant writer, and non-profit strategist in the Southwest Michigan area. He has had a long and diverse career in the non-profit sector as a director, coordinator and fundraiser, raising millions of dollars.

Mark holds a BA in History from Alma College, a small liberal arts school in central Michigan. He earned his Masters of Public and Nonprofit Administration from Grand Valley State University, also in his home state of Michigan.

Perhaps you know of Mark from his exploits with the legendary ska-punk band, Mustard Plug. Mustard Plug have been staples of the ska scene since before the Clinton era, having played over 2000 shows in 19 countries on 5 continents. Mark played saxophone with the band in the early days 1992-1995 and then lent his talents to the ‘Evildoers Beware’ album after his departure.

After many years away from the band, he began playing with the band occasionally starting in the late aughts, accompanied them on their 2020 Australian tour, and has been back on the roster as a member ever since including their newest album, "Where Did All My Friends Go?"

Time for some laughs and Michigan accents. Let’s get into it.

Punk Rock Academic EPISODE 3 IS OUT NOW w/ Royce Nunley, JD (Ex-Suicide Machines)

Greetings! Salutations! And welcome to the third installment of Punk Rock Academic. We’ve got another great episode, if I do say so myself. We’re talking with fellow Michigander Royce Nunley, JD. He is the founder of The Nunley Law Group, a full-service legal practice in the greater Detroit area.

Royce obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and received his JD from Wayne State University, both while in his 30s. Prior to his education, he founded the band Blueprint 76, operated his own recording studio, and was tour manager for Reverend Horton Heat.

But he is perhaps even better known for his earlier work as the bass player for The Suicide Machines. The Suicide Machines are a hardcore ska band formed in Detroit in the early 90s. Royce joined the band just out of high school and was with the band for their first four albums, at which time the band was signed to Hollywood Records (yes, that Hollywood Records).

Royce left the band in 2002, before embarking on his quest through academia.

Always a pleasure to talk with another nice Midwestern fella. Let’s get into it!

https://www.nunleylawgroup.com

www.suicidemachinesdetroit.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31v7ijnAMVL9V7Uzr1sFcI?si=8v1_xvxxSi2yIlBPFbyX5Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qiRuOTqcj0

Punk Rock Academic EPISODE 2 IS OUR NOW w/ Dr. Michael Bishop PhD (Gwar)

Hello and welcome to the second episode of Punk Rock Academic! And we’re in for a real treat this time! We have with us Michael Bishop, PhD. Michael came up in the 1980s punk scene of the Richmond, VA area. In his 30s he enrolled in community college and worked his way all the way to a PhD in Critical & Comparative Studies from the Music Department at University of Virginia. His dissertation was entitled, “A Socioesthetics of Punk: Theorizing Personal Narrative, History, and Place. He currently works as a Content Specialist and UX Writer for Interfolio, which makes a variety of management software aimed at academic institutions.

He is, of course, best known for his roles as Blothar the Berserker and Beefcake the Mighty in the—shall we say—‘seminal’ punk band, GWAR. Hailing from the deepest reaches of outer space, GWAR are the epitome of shock-rock bands, blending elaborate costumes and props with a deep mythos and irreverent humor.

They have appeared in movies, talk shows, video games and have played more shows around the world than this puny human can even fathom. Michael, as Beefcake the Mighty, was the bass player and principal song writer for the band on their first 4 albums. He later rejoined the band in 2014 as the lead singer Blothar the Berserker, a position he still holds.

I hope you all are as pumped about this as I am. Let’s get into it!

Dr. Michael Bishop

Ph.D., University of Virginia 2012

https://linktr.ee/blothar

https://www.instagram.com/blothar.of.gwar

Gwar:

Website:⁠ www.gwar.net

Facebook:⁠ www.facebook.com/gwar⁠

Instagram:⁠ www.instagram.com/gwar

Twitter: www.⁠twitter.com/gwar

Spotify⁠: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3dnH7fdVm2X07MK6Fkbhbt?si=73Bc-nicRt2I4cRKxslpCg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gwar