Thursday, April 24, 2025

A Chat with ALEC BYRN (Fmr. Label Manager, EG RECORDS)


Author/journalist Joel Gausten talks with former music industry executive Alec Byrn (EG Records/Phonogram/Polydor) about his experiences with Killing Joke, Roxy Music, The Ramones, The Boomtown Rats, The Orb, and other legendary acts.





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Words for David Thomas



How the hell did David Thomas, a.k.a. Crocus Behemoth, end up fronting two of the greatest bands in history?

He was a big guy, far from a pinup, and looked like a ’50s dad tired after a long day selling appliances. And he sang like Big Bird. Definitely not the coolest kid in class, but undoubtedly the smartest. Nothing about him even remotely screamed "star" — and I suspect he’d angrily shun such a notion anyway — but that’s precisely why he was one of the truest rock stars and artists you’d ever meet.
I’m glad I did.
Seeing Rocket from the Tombs in 2003 in Hollywood blew my mind. I bought Rocket Redux soon after and discovered, in the liner notes, that my co-worker John Thompson was THAT John Thompson.
John. Another beautiful oddball. He saw the oddball in me and promptly hooked me up with Pere Ubu paraphernalia that would give the typical record collector a stroke. He also put me in touch with David — his one-time roommate, which made all the sense in the world — when I mentioned I wanted to write about Rocket from the Tombs.
John cautioned me that David could be a tad tough. I figured as much.
He was lovely. Articulate and to the point. Someone who clearly didn’t suffer fools gladly. I just made sure not to be one on the phone. Emails were exchanged. I still have them. Exactly what you’d expect. They’re irreplaceable to me.
David and I met up after a Pale Boys gig at Spaceland a bit further down the calendar. He plopped himself at the edge of the stage after the show and sold merch out of a cardboard box. No glamour. No backstage pass. Just the real thing. A rock star. (Sorry, Crocus, but you were. Probably the last one we’ll ever see.)
I once asked him what kept him going. Here was his response:
"An overwhelming sense of failure and utter dread of public humiliation, basically. I don't think I've done anything right, so I don't want to quit until I get it right. I'm tired of the humiliation of not getting it right. That's what keeps me going. If I ever get it right, I'll quit that day."
I’ve never heard more beautiful words.
And I’ll never hear something like “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” again.
We all remember our first time with that single, don’t we?
Here’s the thing, David. You had it right from Day One; the rest of us are just struggling to catch up.
Goddamn, you were something else.
Tell John I miss him.


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EMAIL JOEL at gaustenbooks@gmail.com


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Sunday, April 20, 2025

A Chat with Legendary Songwriter RUSS BALLARD


Author/journalist Joel Gausten talks with legendary songwriter Russ Ballard (KISS/Argent/Rainbow/Ace Frehley/Peter Criss/America/Santana/Hot Chocolate/Frida/Roger Daltrey/The Shadows) about his forthcoming album, Songs from the Warehouse / The Hits Rewired, and highlights from his decades-long career.

Links in the Video Description





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A Chat with BAG PEOPLE


Author/journalist Joel Gausten talks with the reunited members of seminal early-'80s Chicago/NYC band Bag People – Algis Kizys (SWANS/Of Cabbages and Kings/Pigface/Foetus), Carolyn Master (Of Cabbages and Kings/Glenn Branca), Diane Wlezien (Of Cabbages and Kings), Gaylene Goudreau (DA!/Bloodsister/Revolt-Chix), and Pete Elwyn (Plebroom Theatre Group) – about their history and the recent vinyl release of archival recordings from 1983 on Drag City. Jordan Mamone (Alger Hiss), who played a major role in coordinating the Drag City LP, later joins them in the conversation.

Links in the Video Description






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A Chat with KNOX CHANDLER (PSYCHEDELIC FURS/SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES/SOLO)


Author/journalist Joel Gausten talks with veteran musician Knox Chandler (Psychedelic Furs/Siouxsie and the Banshees/Cyndi Lauper/The Golden Palominos/R.E.M.) about the creative process behind his forthcoming solo release, The Sound (out May 30 on the Blue Elastic label).

Links in the Video Description





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Thursday, April 10, 2025

A Chat with CHARMING DISASTER


Author/journalist Joel Gausten talks with Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris of Charming Disaster about their brilliant forthcoming album, The Double, and the esoteric influences behind their sound and aesthetics.

Links in the Video Description




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EMAIL JOEL at gaustenbooks@gmail.com


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Tuesday, April 8, 2025

ALBUM REVIEW - The Path of Increased Indifference: Night School Field Trip



Hands down, the best NYC Noise band in 2025 is… from fucking Tampa?

Florida has always been an unlikely source of dark and heavy shit. How can such a sunny part of the country, best known for families vacationing and old folks retiring, produce the likes of Nasty Ronnie and the Tardy Brothers? I mean, all you need to do is look at photos of Birmingham, England from the late '60s to know it would eventually spit out a Sabbath. But the Sunshine State? Damned if I know. Yet, the place has never ceased to unleash musical menace upon the world.

Mix that Southern spirit with a heavy dose of late '80s CBGB grime, and you get The Path of Increased Indifference. The group’s latest album, Night School Field Trip, blends Killing Joke-meets-Bad Brains precision with razor-gargling vocals that fall somewhere between early-period Rob Zombie and late-period GG Allin. This is music for people whose late '80s/early '90s collections included first-pressing Pussy Galore, Unsane, and Helmet albums alongside piles of Foetus and Swans live shows on VHS. This is the soundtrack you put on while a Lydia Lunch movie plays silently on the TV right beneath the framed nudie cover of the first Boss Hog record.

Get the picture?

Now, take all that and add a few scattered Hardcore breakdowns and Geordie-esque guitar arrangements, and you’ll get some idea of what this maelstrom is about — short of listening to the thing yourself, which, if any of the preceding 200 or so words have appealed to you, should happen as soon as possible.

Night School Field Trip is some of the heaviest and most immediately satisfying music I’ve heard in ages. It’s both an homage to the sonic savagery of a bygone era and a hint at Metal’s future possibilities. Get it.

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