The Vinyl Detroit Podcast

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian continued his discussion with Jennifer Baron of The Garment District about their 2023 stellar release Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of the World of HHBTM. Jennifer was one of the founding members of The Ladybug Transistor among a number of other projects spanning music, art, photography and so much more. Jennifer’s interests are wide and far reaching. Jennifer carries much of the instrumentation load on the album along with a number of musicians including her cousin Lucy Blehar, Gary Olson of The Ladybug Transistor, Shivika Asthana of Papas Fritas and many others. Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of The World was one of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast’s favorite albums of 2023 with its layered sound featuring a number of vintage and rare instrumentation. Lucy’s vocals are pure magic reminiscent of 60s era rock. Episode 31 Part 2 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast featuring Jennifer Baron of The Garment District is now streaming on all major platforms. Links: https://linktr.ee/vinyl_detroit

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian spoke with Jennifer Baron of The Garment District about their 2023 stellar release Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of the World on HHBTM. Jennifer was one of the founding members of The Ladybug Transistor among a number of other projects spanning music, art, photography and so much more. Jennifer’s interests are wide and far reaching. Jennifer carries much of the instrumentation load on the album along with a number of supporting musicians including her cousin Lucy Blehar, Gary Olson of The Ladybug Transistor, Shivika Asthana of Papas Fritas and many others. Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of The World was one of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast’s favorite albums of 2023 with its layered sound featuring a number of vintage and rare instruments. Lucy’s vocals are pure magic reminiscent of 60s era rock and the recording is simply sublime. Episode 30 Part 1 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast featuring Jennifer Baron of The Garment District is now streaming on all major platforms. Links: https://linktr.ee/vinyl_detroit

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian spoke with Sarah, Brian and Kelly of Velocity Girl in one of the finest episodes of this podcast. Amid a flurry of activity by the band, Velocity Girl took time to speak about the band’s early years, writing and recording and the current resurgence of 90s independent music. Kelly, Brian and Sarah share their experiences going from the fledgeling early years on Slumberland Records to their very smart jump to the iconic Sub Pop. There was no indie band bigger and more important than Velocity Girl. Emerging from the late 80s DC scene, Velocity Girl achieved greatness which included a number of singles, 3 LPs and a track on the platinum Clueless soundtrack. Finding influences as diverse as shoegaze, Creation Records, Sarah Records and Flying Nun, the band was eventually signed to iconic Sub Pop at a time when grunge was at the forefront. Brian, Kelly and Sarah shared their recording and production experiences including their stay at Steve Albini’s house during the mixing of Copacetic! They even recalled a funny story about Fugazi’s carrots… The band shared some very exciting news of upcoming Velocity Girl releases and shows including a sold-out performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Episode 29 featuring Velocity Girl was a special conversation with the band discussing the career and recordings of one of the most important indie bands of the 90s.

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian spoke with Mel, one of the founding members and only lineup constant in the wonderful Hermit Crabs. With the recent vinyl reissue of their pop masterpiece, Saw You Dancing, Mel was gracious enough to sit down in December 2022 and speak extensively about the album. Saw You Dancing was originally released in 2007 on Matinée Recordings as a digital-only release. The fine folks at Daydream Records felt it needed a proper vinyl release, which dropped in August 2023. The Hermit Crabs were deeply rooted in the Scottish pop scene; joining the likes of fellow Scots Teenage Fanclub, Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian and others. Being from Scotland usually garners the usual comparisons to those that came before. The Hermit Crabs, however, forged their own sound by writing and recording timeless pop songs. Some of which so delicate and beautiful one would fear a stiff breeze cloud blow them away; destroying their beauty. During this discussion, Mel shared many fine details about the recording of Saw You Dancing, how she connected with the folks from Daydream Records to even quoting Neil Young! Fans of The Hermit Crabs as well as fine-crafted indie pop alike will find this episode wonderful. The Vinyl Detroit Podcast is proud to present Episode 28 featuring Brian’s conversation with Mel from The Hermit Crabs discussing the band’s excellent 2008 album, Saw You Dancing.

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian spoke with Craig Badynee of PAS/CAL about his band’s brilliant 2008 release “I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura” on Le Grand Magistery. Because of Craig’s vast musical contributions to, in his words, the American canon of music, and being mentioned many times on this podcast, it was important to speak to him. What started out as a plan to speak about Craig’s debut Pas/Cal album, much of this and Part 2 focus on Craig’s family, upbringing in a blue-collar area of Detroit and his vast early influences. His family did not have much growing up…besides each other. The youngest of 6 siblings, Craig found great inspiration from his older brother, Chris, who is 18 years older than he. Most importantly, his father, a fireman, placed his imprint on Craig at an early age through his love of big band music. At the same time, Craig attended Detroit Catholic Central with many of its attendees coming from well-to-do families, where he found intellectuals and “guys wearing tweed jackets” as an aspirational influence on his work. We get to hear Craig speak at length about other influences in his life including his time at Wayne State University where he took a class on romantic poetry to help him with his lyrics! Approaching everything with a sense of humor, Craig’s discussion with Brian is very conversational and relaxed. Craig shares his love and respect for Le Grand Magistery founder and dear friend Matthew Jacobson, who has been a fervent supporter of Craig and his music. Craig discusses Matthew’s iconic art direction for the album as well as the visuals for the earlier PAS/CAL releases. For those fans of Craig’s work in Saint-Januarius’ Blood, Ashia Vida, PAS/CAL or any other of Craig’s recording projects will find these episodes fascinating. At the same time, if you haven’t heard Craig’s music yet are a fan of the Detroit music scene, you’ll find this and Part 2 real treats.

In Part 2 of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast with Craig Badynee, Brian continues his deep discussion with Craig of PAS/CAL about his band’s brilliant 2008 release “I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura” on Le Grand Magistery. Part 2 of Brian’s conversation with Craig starts out talking about his dear friend Christopher "Chip" Porter or Veronica Lake, Audrey’s Diary and much more. In episode 12 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Chip referred to Craig as an “arranger” and for those familiar with his work with PAS/CAL, you’d agree. Craig’s notorious numerous melodic changes all within a single track is unlike anything anyone else has achieved. Craig opens up about his brother Chris’ musical education where he told Craig to “figure it out yourself”! Possibly the reason for Craig’s endless experimentation and quest to satisfy himself through his music and his ultimate satisfaction with its result. Craig credits his father with imparting on Craig that music should be a series of interesting ideas and should contain a beginning, middle and end. Craig also speaks about his contributions to the now-iconic Third Man Records series Southeast of Saturn where Craig’s work shows up on multiple tracks. Craig also lovingly recalls being an integral part of the burgeoning space-rock scene of the day with legendary Detroit indie scene mecca Zoot’s once again getting a mention. This was Detroit’s Summer of Love. Craig also shares a fascinating story of how he first met Dave Buick of Italy Records and Third Man Records fame as well as legendary Detroit musician Jack White of The White Stripes. Treasuring his work supporting his daughter’s musical journey represents a testament to a proud father who learned much from his own musical trip. This wonderful in-depth discussion with Craig Badynee was a real treat and important to the arch of this podcast.

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, I sat down with David Gedge, principle songwriter and one of the founding members of The Wedding Present.David and The Wedding Present have been writing and recording music for 5 decades contributing many albums, EPs and live recordings to their catalog. Having written and recorded over 300 songs, David’s immense output is nothing short of legendary. What’s more, the quality of The Weddoes, as their fans call them, is nothing short of excellent.During this extended conversation with David, we explore topics ranging from working with Steve Albini to the importance of the band’s inclusion on the C86 cassette. David also shared details about his adoration of DJ John Peel, his Cinerama project and it’s influence on the current Wedding Present sound. Becuase of the band’s longevity and epic output, I asked David what a good entry point would be for new listeners. His answer may surprise you.2023 sees the release of the band’s newest record “24 Songs” out now on Happy Happy Birthday to Me in the US and on Clue Records oversees. This compilation is the culmination of his 2022 project to release 12 singles containing double A-sides, similar to the band’s ambitious 1992 compilation The Hit Parade.Sit back, relax and listen to my in-depth conversation with David Gedge of The Wedding Present.

In this episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, I had the opportunity to speak to Cece of Cosial regarding her excellent debut EP, Sports.Cece was a wonderful guest. At the age of only 19, Cece crafts some of the most beautiful lyrics I’ve every heard as a way to express feelings of being second best. This theme is intricately woven through the contents of each track, all presented with vivid imagery. Surprisingly back by the equally talented trio Mt. Misery, Cosial is something of a supergroup; or at least I like to think so.Currently available only on streaming, Sports features 5 tracks of equally dazzling, yet different themes. Cece is far beyond her years in terms of song structure, composition and ultimately, performance. This raw talent is only starting to scratch the surface of her budding talents.I hope you enjoy episode 24 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast featuring my discussion with Cece of Cosial.

This episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast features Part 1 of my extensive 2-part conversation with Kerry Alexander, who along with her husband Chris Hoge make up the wonderful Bad Bad Hats. The bad’s debut EP, It Hurts, is celebrating 10 years since its release in 2013 with a newly remastered edition available for the first time on vinyl. It Hurts finds Kerry and the band in their earliest form and contains songs written during Kerry’s study abroad (with Chris, her husband writing separately). It Hurts was recorded in Kerry and Chris’ apartment bedroom literally at the end of a bed. Present are sparse yet powerful arrangements across the five tracks. For this special reissue, Kerry and Chris set out to celebrate the 10th anniversary of It Hurts with a full remaster of the EP, which is excellent. Also included on this expanded edition are fascinating demo sketches that are anything but “throw-in” tracks. Instead, they portray the band in their very raw, early days. Kerry’s background growing up includes moves from Minnesota to Alabama and finally Florida before returning to Minnesota to attend university. It is evident throughout my chat with Kerry that she possesses a keen intellect as evidenced by her representing her high school as valedictorian of her graduating class. Having seen Bad Bad Hat perform live on multiple occasions, Kerry’s banter with the audience between songs is legendary. You’ll see why in these episodes as she displays her whip-smart smart responses about the origins of the band, their current living room tour and the missing but then located master recordings of It Hurts. The conversation was so good that it is being presented in a special 2-part series. I hope you enjoy my 2-part conversation with Kerry of Bad Bad Hats where we talked at-length about their band’s 2013 debut EP It Hurts.

This episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast features Part 2 of my extensive 2-part conversation with Kerry Alexander, who along with her husband Chris Hoge make up the wonderful Bad Bad Hats. The bad’s debut EP, It Hurts, is celebrating 10 years since its release in 2013 with a newly remastered edition available for the first time on vinyl.It Hurts finds Kerry and the band in their earliest form and contains songs written during Kerry’s study abroad (with Chris, her husband writing separately). It Hurts was recorded in Kerry and Chris’ apartment bedroom literally at the end of a bed. Present are sparse yet powerful arrangements across the five tracks.For this special reissue, Kerry and Chris set out to celebrate the 10th anniversary of It Hurts with a full remaster of the EP, which is excellent. Also included on this expanded edition are fascinating demo sketches that are anything but “throw-in” tracks. Instead, they portray the band in their very raw, early days.Kerry’s background growing up includes moves from Minnesota to Alabama and finally Florida before returning to Minnesota to attend university. It is evident throughout my chat with Kerry that she possesses a keen intellect as evidenced by her representing her high school as valedictorian of her graduating class.Having seen Bad Bad Hat perform live on multiple occasions, Kerry’s banter with the audience between songs is legendary. You’ll see why in these episodes as she displays her whip-smart smart responses about the origins of the band, their current living room tour and the missing but then located master recordings of It Hurts. The conversation was so good that it is being presented in a special 2-part series.I hope you enjoy my 2-part conversation with Kerry of Bad Bad Hats where we talked at-length about their band’s 2013 debut EP It Hurts.

In this special episode of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, I had the privilege of speaking to Owen Williams of ex vöid regarding their absolutely stunning Bigger Than Before album on Prefect Records. Owen shared his experiences in recording the album, their mysterious online facts (or not) and how the band started-up after the dissolution of Joanna Gruesome. Owen is a prolific artist currently involved in a multitude of acts including The Tubs, Sniffany and the Nits as well as helping to co-found Prefect Records with ex-Field Mice drummer Mark Dobson. I found Owen to be a fascinating guest. Both articulate and warm, Owen was a pleasure to speak to regarding #2 of vinyl_detroit’s top albums of 2022. A true artist, Owen and the rest of ex vöid created a gem of a pop album that keeps me wanting more. Bigger than Before can be found on Prefect Records and Don Giovanni Records in the US…and if you listen closely, you can even find it at Target. I hope you enjoy episode 21 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast featuring my discussion with Owen Williams of ex vöid.

This episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast features Part 2 of my discussion with Mike Schulman of Slumberland Records. Slumberland started in 1989 in the DC area and was the brainchild of Mike as well as other folks from that scene including members of Velocity Girl, Big Jesus Trashcan, Black Tambourine and Powderburns. The label has been a stalwart of the independent music scene for over 34 years. Mike relocated, along with the label, to the Bay Area near San Francisco and continued to release important records from the likes of The Aislers Set, Stereolab, Frankie Rose, Go Sailor!, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and most recently The Umbrellas, Chime School and The Reds, Pinks & Purples. During these two episodes, Mike recalls many of the highlights of Slumberland, as well as sharing the challenges of running an independent music label. Mike was a fantastic guest who was open about Slumberland and its very diverse and broad releases. Joined by Slumberland artist Glenn Donaldson of The Reds, Pinks & Purples as co-host, Mike provided context to the broad tapestry that is Slumberland Records.

This episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast features Part 1 of my discussion with Mike Schulman of Slumberland Records. Slumberland started in 1989 in the DC area and was the brainchild of Mike as well as other folks from that scene including members of Velocity Girl, Big Jesus Trashcan, Black Tambourine and Powderburns. The label has been a stalwart of the independent music scene for over 34 years. Mike relocated, along with the label, to the Bay Area near San Francisco and continued to release important records from the likes of The Aislers Set, Stereolab, Frankie Rose, Go Sailor!, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and most recently The Umbrellas, Chime School and The Reds, Pinks & Purples. During these two episodes, Mike recalls many of the highlights of Slumberland, as well as sharing the challenges of running an independent music label. Mike was a fantastic guest who was open about Slumberland and its very diverse and broad releases. Joined by Slumberland artist Glenn Donaldson of The Reds, Pinks & Purples as co-host, Mike provided context to the broad tapestry that is Slumberland Records.

This episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast features the superbly-talented Paul Stewart of Blueboy where we discuss the band’s seminal 1994 masterpiece Unisex. Blueboy formed when Paul met the late Keith Girdler in church in 1983. It is in this church where Paul witnessed Keith famously carving the word “Dexy” in a pew while wearing an Orange Juice t-shirt! From this point forward, the two went on to write and record together through a number of projects including Blueboy, Arabesque and Beaumont. In 1994, Blueboy now being a proper band after adding the likes or Gemma Townley, Lloyd Haggar and others, went on to write and record the stunningly beautiful and expansive Unisex. Being influenced by acts like early Everything But The Girl, Power Fountains, Louis Philippe and labels such as 4AD, Creation and Factory, the band’s stellar song craft, production and art direction make Unisex a true classic album. In fact, many agree that Blueboy were so far ahead of their contemporaries in terms of writing and performance that their work has captured the love of fans across the globe. As a special exclusive to this episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Paul agreed to perform live excerpts of his choosing including Fleetway, So Catch Him, Marble Arch and others. This was an unbelievable treat that you will surely enjoy. Paul was funny, insightful and honest as we shared stories about the band and the making of the album. A real class-act and an unbelievably-talented songwriter. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Paul regarding 1994’s Unisex, released on legendary independent Bristol-based label, Sarah Records.

This episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast features up-and-coming Detroit-based band Clinic Stars. Clinic Stars is comprised of its main songwriters Christian Molik and Giovanna Lenski. Christian is a life-long Detroiter who has been influenced by a wide array of music, much of which includes seminal UK outfit 4AD as well as classic folk of the 1970s. He and Giovanna met after she wrote him to tell him how much she liked his music upon hearing it online. This connection resulted in her relocating to the Detroit area and Clinic Stars was born. Still unsigned to a label proper, Clinic Stars embraces the DIY spirit found in most all of the artists featured on this podcast as they write, record and put together the releases themselves. With help from their close group of collaborators, Clinic Stars creates lush, enveloping compositions reminiscent of Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine and even Pixies. Having recently played their first series of live shows in and around Detroit, I was fortunate to sit down with them before they ever set foot on the stage. Clinic Stars is beginning to generate significant buzz in and around the scene. Their live shows are an auditory assault as they expand to a five-piece for their performances. Having live performance skills far beyond their years, Clinic Stars show the dedication to their craft and their embrace of those that came before. Clinic Stars would have found themselves right at home on the superb Third Man Records 2020 Southeast of Saturn compilation, which chronicles the criminally under-exposed 90s Detroit shoegaze/dream pop/space rock scene had they been writing and recording in the early 90s.. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Christian and Giovanna as their chat with me was their first interview as Clinic Stars. Their thoughtfulness and conviction are on full display in this very special episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast.

What an absolute treat! When Amelia Fletcher (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, The Catenary Wires, Marine Research, Skep Wax Records) reached out and asked if would be interested in speaking to The Orchids about their new album, I responded with an emphatic “YES”! I have been a fan of The Orchids since the very early 90s when I was first discovering the world of Sarah Records. The Orchids are one of the few, possibly only, artist to be with the label from its inception to its epic conclusion. Their longevity is on full display with The Orchids having been making music for a whopping 4 decades! Still featuring essentially the same line-up since their early records, The Orchids embody a reoccurring theme on The Vinyl Detroit Podcast of “making music with your friends”. Music is, and has always been, the glue of their friendship. This episode was recorded about 4 months before the album was released and to ensure I didn’t leak any piece of the album, I included the single at the time, This Boy Is A Mess. And yes, I did mispronounce the song title in the beginning…Since the episode was void of much new material, I took the opportunity to feature some of my favorite Orchids tracks from their career. Once we got the technical issues sorted with drummer Chris Quinn’s connection, my discussion with the band real took off. They were warm and sharing in recalling their early days, the use of the term “sophisticated” to describe their sound and their evolution as a band. We also discussed the importance of Ian Carmichael in the creative and production process. I also learned the Glasgow pub that the boys like to frequent, sharing that they have always been attracted to “old man pubs”. If you are a fan of The Orchids, Sarah Records or just plain good ole’ pop songwriting and performing, you will surely enjoy this episode.

Season 2 of the The Vinyl Detroit Podcast kicks off with my very special discussion with San Francisco’s own The Umbrellas. I had the privilege of speaking to the entire band on the eve of the 2022 Oakland Weekender, where they rocked the show! Matt, Keith, Morgan and Nick share their experiences recording their absolutely wonderful debut LP, which I firmly stand behind my comment that it will be an “modern classic pop album”. The band also opened up about many different subjects including Sarah Records, the songs of Bobby Wratten and the effects of the pandemic on their work. They even expounded on their love Seinfeld, our shared support of Del Taco, their place in the San Francisco pop lineage as well as their support of up-and-coming British indie label, Prefect Records. I’m happy to kick off Season 2 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast with my discussion with The Umbrellas. All episodes of Season 2 will feature an all-new introduction track generously composed by season 1 guests Shoestrings! I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I loved putting it together. Find this and all previous episodes of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast here - https://linktr.ee/vinyl_detroit

For this episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian sat down for a fun discussion with Finn and Carrick Moore Garety of Push Kings. They discuss their fantastic self-titled debut released in 1997 on Sealed Fate. Drawing influences from The Beatles, Pavement, Bowie, T-Rex and funny enough Bjork, the brothers share their experiences during the recording of this iconic album. Finn also shares the intimate story behind the writing of one of their finest tracks, Mrs. McKean, a song about their great-grandmother and famous painter Margaret Sargent. They also go into great detail on their love/hate relationship with the sound of The Beatles and Lennon & McCartney. Finn and Carrick also share their secret of track sequencing that plays into their brotherly bond. Finn, now a professor at Brown University and Carrick an accomplish director, Push Kings’ late 90s debut could be described at the perfect pop album. Conceived during their time at Harvard University, Push Kings debut places itself as one of the important indie pop albums of the 90s. I urge fans of Push Kings and this album to seek out one of the very few videos of Push Kings live at Green Street Grill to best understand the energy of the band live. This interview features many of the tracks from the album including Nine Straight Lines, Pop Phenomenon, D.J. and others. For this very special episode 14 of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast, Brian is happy to present this special conversation with Finn and Carrick Moore Garety of Push Kings.

For this episode of The Vinyl Detroit Podcast Interview, Brian spoke to Josh Meadows of Australian-based band The Sugargliders. The Sugargliders were very active in the early 90s releasing singles on Summershine Records and later seminal indie label Sarah Records. We’re All Trying To Get There is a compilation of many of those Sarah singles. The Sugargliders were a different act for Sarah who’s artists drew their inspirations from 60s acts and artists with classic British and European sensibilities. The Sugargliders’ sound represented a unique divergence from their label mates writing and recording songs including references to nature and possessing a hopeful ethos. Josh was very complimentary of the impact of Captain Cocoa’s nurturing influence on the early interaction of the band. Thank you to Josh for speaking so candidly about the band, their influences and the influence of the natural world on their music.

For episode 12, Brian had the opportunity to speak to Christopher Porter, the primary creative force behind indie pop act Veronica Lake and co-founder of Audrey’s Diary. Founded in metro Detroit in the early 90s, Audrey’s Diary had a very brief run of 6 releases, each holding a place in the pantheon of American independent, space and dream pop. For those of you wondering about the importance of Audrey’s Diary on today’s music, 2 tracks released by the Audrey’s Diary were featured on the epic Southeast of Saturn compilation released on Third Man Records in 2020. As an art project, Audrey’s Diary has had an influence on independent music in a far more reaching way than Christopher is willing to admit. Featuring the likes Black Tambourine (Pam Berry, Archie Moore and Brian Nelson of Velocity Girl and Mike Schulman of Slumberland Records), this supergroup of sorts kicked off the label with the classic “Throw Aggi From The Bridge”. Brian and Christopher, now a journalist and writer, step through each of the Audrey’s Diary releases exploring them in great detail. The final release was a fanzine, Emily’s #777, an ode to the likes of Sarah Records featuring a 7” with music by Bark Psychosis, Jessamine and Buddah on the Moon. If you have never heard any of the Audrey’s Diary releases or are just curious about this important independent American indie label, this interview is a treat. For fans of the label, this episode is somewhat of a love letter to those who loved the work of Christopher and Audrey’s Diary. A key theme of this interview was best put by Christopher when he said “never stop making music with your friends”.