Shawn “The Defenestrator” O’Connor is a founding member and drummer of the St. Louis band Yowie. Outside of music, he works as a clinical psychologist. Shawn is also something of a luddite, aiming to be the last adult in America without a cell phone.

Pamela Des Barres, born in California, emerged from the 1960s Los Angeles rock scene as both participant and witness. Introduced to Captain Beefheart in high school, she soon immersed herself in the vast Los Angeles demimonde, befriending and dating musicians from The Byrds to Led Zeppelin. With Frank Zappa’s guidance, she co-founded the performance collective the GTOs, documenting her experiences in diaries that became the foundation of her seminal memoir I’m With the Band. She later married rocker Michael Des Barres—also known to television audiences for his role as the assassin Murdoc on MacGyver. Pamela herself went on to publish multiple books and establish a career as an author, teacher, and chronicler of rock history, in her role as the definitive voice of the “groupie.”

Comedian Eddie Pepitone, dubbed “The Bitter Buddha,” blends caustic humor with existential musings, delivering performances that ricochet between volcanic rants and self-effacing confessionals. A veteran of New York’s improv scene and a familiar face on television—from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to Bob’s Burgers—Eddie’s work straddles the line between working-class outrage and oddly serene insight. Offstage, he channels his restless wit into podcasts, social media, and quirky web series, carving out a singular space in comedy that is equal parts fury and philosophy.

Shannon Sky is a poet, author, photographer, publisher, and activist born in Chicago. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. 

Shannon is an off the radar, gender queer, underground poet. She previously worked in electoral politics, successfully advocated for juvenile justice reform laws in Chicago, lobbied Congress to fund public health care, and currently consults on green environmental projects. 

She is the founder of Latter-day Beat Books. A world traveler, Shannon has explored all 50 states and 35 countries on four continents.

Tianna Kennedy is co-owner and operator of Star Route Farm. She has lived in Tucson, the Bay Area, Nottingham, and Brooklyn. For over a decade, she has been farming in the Catskills, which now serves as her home base. Tianna is also part of the crew of Apollonia, a 64-foot steel-hulled schooner retrofitted for sail freight on the Hudson River. She contributes to cargo operations and deck work as the vessel transports goods between upriver farms and downriver markets using wind and recycled vegetable oil.

Dougie Bowne is a producer, drummer, guitarist, and composer who entered New York’s avant-garde scene in his early twenties after a chance street encounter with a member of John Cale’s circle, who invited him to jam simply because he was carrying a bag of drum sticks and “looked cool”. Unfamiliar with Cale at the time, Dougie nonetheless accepted—and that serendipitous moment launched him into the heart of the Downtown scene. Since then, he has collaborated with an eclectic roster of artists, including John Cale, Iggy Pop, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, The Lounge Lizards, Marianne Faithfull, as well as filmmakers Edet Belzberg and Jim Jarmusch.

Dan Peck is a tuba player, improviser, and composer. He performs with ensembles such as ICE (not that ICE) Wet Ink, and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and NYC Ballet. He has toured internationally with his doom jazz trio The Gate and collaborated with artists such as Ingrid Laubrock and Anthony Braxton. Dan teaches at New Jersey City University and runs Tubapede Records, which focuses on experimental media from the NY area and beyond.

San Francisco-based artist Philip Zimmerman has exhibited in San Francisco, Portland, and New York City over the past thirty years. Known for his sculptural work, Philip's pieces explore themes of death, beauty, and symbolism through intricate assemblage. His craftsmanship has been compared to that of Renaissance painters, noted for its exceptional detail and technical skill. Philip also made a film about Kenneth Anger check it out!

Lydia and Tim are on tour, which means no intro this week. Here is a message from Lydia on the eve of Independence Day: 

"There has never been a better time for a People's Revolution than this July 4th, when the fireworks you'll be watching will mirror the explosion in our heads after Diaper Donnie and his band of criminal Republicunts have severed every safety net that has semi-protected veterans, children, women, working families, and nature herself. Total fuckery. Have a good weekend, and blow something up."

This week’s guest is Kilynn Lunsford. Her Promiscuous Genes, released in June, is a sharp, shape-shifting mix of post-punk, electro, and noise. Built from lo-fi textures, disembodied vocals, and jagged rhythms, it’s a raw, collage-like record that moves between pop impulse and experimental abrasion without settling into either.

David Gordon was born in New York City. He is the author of ten books.  His first novel, The Serialist, won the VCU/Cabell First Novel Award, was a finalist for an Edgar Award, and was made into a feature film - in Japan. He has also written five books in the on-going Joe the Bouncer series. His new novel, forthcoming from Mysterious Press in July 22, is a neo-noir called Behind Sunset, is set in LA in the 90s, and takes place in the last glory days of the print porn industry, the celebrity spirituality/wellness world, and the dark corners of Hollywood.