The Lydian Spin

The cover photograph for the second and final Richard Hell and the Voidoids album, Destiny Street features a woman standing in the background. For years, this woman was unfairly credited as "unknown woman." However, the truth is that the woman is Anne Militello, who would go on to become an accomplished lighting designer and professor at CalArts. Anne's journey began while working for the now infamous rapist Harvey Weinstein back when Weinstein and his brother were concert promoters in metro Buffalo. Seeking to leave The Nickel City but not yet prepared for New York City, she embarked on a five-day bus trip to San Francisco, packing a tin of pot brownies, which were completely consumed along the way. Upon arriving on the west coast, Anne leveraged her experience working with lights in college to gain work at a music venue. The manager who hired her was Sylvester, who later became a disco legend. One night outside the Magic Theater, she encountered a man dressed like a trucker who seemed to be out of place and ignored by her cohort of punker rockers. Feeling sympathetic, she struck up a conversation with him. The man told her he was a playwright and wanted her to read his new play, which she did and really liked. The trucker turned out to be Pulitzer Prize winner Sam Shepard and they became great friends. With Shepard's encouragement, she relocated to New York City and immersed herself in the theater scene. Over time, Anne established herself as a world-renowned lighting designer, working with luminaries such as David Lynch, Tom Waits, The Wooster Group, and Lou Reed. Today, Anne resides in Los Angeles, where she operates Vortex Lighting.

Meredith Monk is truly an American treasure. She is a composer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist. Her unique contributions to music and experimental theater have spanned over six decades. Meredith's body of work combines elements of music, voice, movement, and visual art. Through these mediums, she explores the myriad ways one can freely as a human express themselves. Meredith's art has made her a visionary of the avant-garde. We are thrilled and lucky to have her on the Lydian Spin.

Jeffrey "Chairman" Couch fronts the Portland, Oregon band Nasalrod, known for their frenetic, genre-bending, manic art-punk style. Nasalrod's music attempts to look beyond punk's boundaries, all the while retaining the genre's adventurous spirit. Jeffrey and Lydia crossed paths at one of her last Portland shows, where he invited her to participate in Nasalrod's latest video. Although Lydia declined, she was impressed by the band's music and invited Jeffrey to appear on the Lydian Spin.

Dan Levenson is a visual artist based in Los Angeles who engages in installation, performance, video, painting, and sculpture. His artistic endeavors revolve around the concept of an imagined institution, the State Art Academy, Zürich (SKZ). Dan's paintings adhere to the formalist teachings of this fictitious academy, employing metrically sized canvases divided geometrically to produce rational and reproducible abstract compositions. Through performance, installation, and video, he further develops the narrative of this fictional institution. Each painting bears a unique title, symbolizing a student from the State Art Academy, Zürich, with no repetition of names. In 2004, Dan used a computer script to generate hundreds of millions of distinct names by combining surnames from the Zürich phone book with common Swiss first names. From this extensive list, 135,000 names were randomly selected and published in a book, with the titles of his paintings drawn from the same pool in random order.

Berlin based band Cuntroaches is composed of Claire Panthère(drums), David Hantelius(bass) and Martina Schöne-Radunski(guitar, vocals). Together they unleash a ferocious blend of hardcore-infused no wave. Their music is a cacophony of intoxicating chaos. They have a new album coming out on Skin Graft Records.

Trans woman Swedish-US American writer Alvina Chamberland, co-authored All that is mine: Rape, Stigmatization and Reparation, which was published in 2015. In 2018, she released Locked Out – A nostalgic account of growing up for freaks. Her works have appeared in journals and newspapers in Swedish and English. Her book Love the World or Get Killed Trying is out now.

Ben Greenberg has played in over 50 bands, including The Fugue, Archaeopteryx, Bloody Panda, The Men, Little Women, and his project Hubble. He attended the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, joining the avant-garde band Zs. Ben is also involved in recording music through his recording studio Circular Ruin, having recently recorded Couch Slut's latest album.

Sandy Ewen, is an experimental guitarist, artist, and architect based in Brooklyn, NY. She focuses on texture and timbre in her guitar playing, using various objects and extended techniques. Her recent recordings include collaborations with Jason Nazary, Maria Chavez, Lisa Cameron, Roscoe Mitchell, Damon Smith, Weasel Walter, and Keith Rowe. Sandy has played internationally at festivals such as the Moers festival, Wels festival, and Molten Plains festival. Sandy also creates video art, digital animations, slide projections, and microcollages to accompany her music.

At 14, budding draftsman and tattoo artist Eddy Deutsche left his birthplace, Detroit, for the west coast, immersing himself in the local punk rock scene. It was there that he honed his tattooing skills through trial and terror. Initially struggling to get a start as a professional due to his young age, Eddy eventually found a mentor who guided him into the industry. Now residing in Nashville with his children, he continues to pursue his passion for tattooing. In this episode, he reflects on his journey from a rebellious punk rock kid to a respected figure in the tattooing world. Check out more of Eddy's illustrations and books at Raking Light Projects.

Cynthia Ross co-founded the all-girl band the B-Girls in Toronto before relocating to New York City. The band quickly made a mark, touring with acts like the Clash and sharing stages with Iggy Pop, Blondie, and others. In this episode, she reminisces about her musical journey, her relationship with Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys, and shares some of her poetry and writing.

Wayne Kramer, the guitar force behind MC5, has passed at 75. His raw sound and defiant spirit set the stage for punk rock. From Detroit's streets to global stages, his music was a call to arms. Beyond the music, he championed change, founding Jail Guitar Doors U.S.A. His legacy as a rebel and visionary lives on. Rest in power, Wayne. As a tribute this week we are replaying Wayne's appearance on the podcast.

Musician and friend of the podcast Thurston Moore discusses his latest book, Sonic Life which has garnered widespread acclaim. The book is a meticulous work of research and a heartfelt homage to Thurston’s formative years. The memoir paints a vivid picture of the downtown Manhattan music scene of the late 1970s and ’80s. Sonic Life is an essential read for fans of music and cultural history alike.

M. Lamar is a composer whose work spans the genres of opera, metal, performance, and visual arts, crafts narratives of radical transformation. Holding a BFA from The San Francisco Art Institute and starting at Yale School of Art before dropping out and shifting to music, M's work has been presented globally, including The Rewire Festival in The Hague, Trauma Bar Berlin, and MoMa PS1’s Greater New York. M's diverse artistic expressions pushes the boundaries of convention and contribute to sparking conversations on identity and societal change.

Music Journalist Katherine Taylor, just published her new book She's a Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism, which was released on January 16th, through Backbeat Books. The book features the stories of twenty influential female rock musicians, spanning from the 1970s to the present. The introduction emphasizes the significant role each of these women has had in promoting feminism, either through activism or personal example. The book includes interviews with trailblazers like Suzi Quatro, Ann Wilson, Exene Cervenka, Lydia and others, exploring their journeys, challenges in the music industry, and how they paved the way for future female artists. She's a Badass offers a compelling documentation of the journey of women in rock over the past fifty years, which has helped to contribute to a more inclusive landscape for today's artists.

Born in Cucuta, Colombia, in 1977, Alex Brahim is an independent curator. At the helm of Fundación El Pilar, he spearheads the international initiative 'Juntos Aparte - Encuentro Internacional de Arte, Pensamiento y Fronteras,' unfolding in Cucuta since 2017. Alex's multifaceted approach extends across theory, production, programming, communication, and cultural activation. Alex is a dynamic force in the art world, curating impactful exhibitions like Critical Botox , and numerous other programs that reflect his interests and commitment to the intersection of art and diverse audiences.

Author and friend of the podcast Jack Sargeant returns. He is an author who focuses on underground film and culture. Notable works include Flesh And Excess: On Underground Film, Against Control, Naked Lens: Beat Cinema, and Deathtripping: The Cinema of Transgression, which was republished as Deathtripping: The Extreme Underground. Jack's writings cover underground film, outsider art, photography, and performance. In addition to his writing, he serves as a curator and programmer of film and art, occasionally engaging in visual artistry. Jack is also a co-founder of the Transgressive Cultures Conference in Paris. His books, including Against Control, are available through via bookshops and new technology called the internet super highway.

Gainesville, Florida's, Andrew Chadwick AKA Ironing, is an active figure within the Southern experimental music scene. He has an extensive catalog of 24 albums on his Bandcamp page. Andrew also engages in tours across the country, local performances, and curating over 233 Action Research events. Ironing's musical style encompasses a diverse range, including noise, bass drop EDM, pure pop, tape loops, and various other influences, all creatively amalgamated on his ironing board which is piled with tools in which he can use to manipulate his records and tapes. Andrew is currently on tour in the Northeast. Today(Friday 12/29/23) he played New York and should be in Richmond VA tomorrow.

Roddy Bottum, the seasoned Faith No More co-founder and keyboardist, made waves in the early '90s by publicly coming out, which at the time defied norms in the rock scene. In 2012, he shared his experience with Out Magazine, highlighting the excitement and danger of being openly gay at the time. Now, collaborating with boyfriend Joey Holman, Roddy launched MAN ON MAN during COVID isolation, with the aim of staying creatively active. Their debut song, Daddy, challenges gay stereotypes, celebrating love in isolation all the while presenting a raw and unpolished facet of queer community. This past summer they released a new album Provincetown and the duo also concluded a European tour in early December. Finally, wishing you all a holiday season filled with warmth and joy. Your support and enthusiasm is the heartbeat of Lydian Spin and has and continues to be a great gift!

JG Thirlwell, is an accomplished composer, producer, and performer, with a diverse and prolific career. Known by various pseudonyms such as Manorexia and Foetus, he has released over thirty albums, showcasing a dramatic intensity and cinematic quality across genres. His collaborative spirit extends to numerous artists, including Karen O, Nine Inch Nails, and Nick Cave. Beyond music, JG is an acclaimed graphic artist, recognized for solo sound installations exhibited globally. His versatility is evident in scoring for shows like Archer and The Venture Bros, as well as motion picture scores. In January 2024 in Orlando, Florida, the Alterity Chamber Orchestra will premiere a series of chamber works written by JG, featuring the new orchestral piece Magnus Morris and a woodwind quintet titled Hernea.

Colin Marston is a record producer and musician based in New York City. He is the owner of Menegroth The Thousand Caves Recording Studios in Woodhaven, Queens. Colin is recognized for his versatile contributions as a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in guitar, bass, and keyboards. When not on tour with bands like Behold... The Arctopus, Dysrhythmia, Krallice, and the reunion lineup of Gorguts, he is recording, producing, mastering, and mixing music. In this capacity, Colin has worked with a diverse array of artists, including Imperial Triumphant, Genghis Tron, Jarboe and Liturgy.