The original two members, Richard Fielding and and Andrew Wright, formed the band in the late 70’s as Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking Sign.  Tom Ellard joined in 1979 and soon after the band renamed themselves Severed Heads. By mid-1981, both founding members had departed leaving Ellard to continue the band.

As Severed Heads moved through the 80’s behind Ellard, their sound evolved from the early avant-garde to more accessible electronic body music (EBM) style with  synth hooks and pop structures taking on both an industrial and dance-oriented approach.

In 1983, the band released their fourth studio album, Since the Accident, followed with the single "Dead Eyes Opened ", a critically acclaimed song that would become a dance club classic.  

Beyond the music, Severed Heads were also early pioneers of incorporating video, computer graphics, and digital technology into their performances and releases. In all, the band has 23 studio albums as well a number other releases including a number of video albums over a very prolific career as one of the longest running Australian post-punk era bands.

Our podcast will tell the story of the pioneering Severed Heads, well beyond "Dead Eyes Opened"!

Formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1986, The Afghan Whigs were led by singer-songwriter Greg Dulli whose songs presented vivid stories of broken relationships, obsession, guilt and toxic masculinity.  

The music was full of emotional anguish and the lyrics were introspective, dark, and mature behind Dulli's intense and  gravelly vocals. The band's signature sound was a fusing of the passionate vocals with melodic guitars, gritty alternative rock of the grunge era, and soul and funk influences. 

It was all of this that separated the band from their peers in the early 90’s, and resulted in The Afghan Whigs as being one of the most critically acclaimed alternative bands of the 1990s.

Their work was best represented on 1992's album, Congregation, where the band found their signature sound, and the critically acclaimed cinematic masterpiece from 1993, Gentlemen, which is considered a landmark, unapologetic breakup album.

In this episode we will discuss the early years of the band with a focus on their two classic albums, Congregation and Gentlemen.

Magazine would debut with the song “Shot By Both Sides”, followed by their debut album, Real Life. This classic and critically acclaimed album is considered by many as the first post-punk album. 

As one of the first post-punk bands, Magazine built off the energy of punk while adding various complex musical elements along with darker lyrics. With McGeoch, who would become one of the greatest guitarists of the alternative music era, Magazine would release three albums before McGeoch's departure in 1980.

Magazine would release another studio album before breaking up in 1981. The band would reform under in 2009 and release their fifth and final studio album in October 2011, before the band ended.

This episode will tell the story of the band including the first three albums with the late John McGeoch, and beyond with the albums that followed. We will also discuss the impact John McGeoch had on music before his passing at the age of 48 in 2004.

That debut single was the cult hit “Rock Lobster”, which was followed by the classic self-titled debut album in 1979. Along with other early songs such as "Private Idaho," and "Legal Tender", The B-52's crossed over from the underground to the mainstream becoming one of the pioneers of new wave. 

Formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976 by Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, and Keith Strickland, the band developed trademark sounds including a call-and-response singing style along with harmonic vocals; angular guitar riffs and unusual guitar tunings; and keyboard driven instrumentation. 

The B-52's are considered one of the more influential early alternative bands having toured for decades, inspiring others with their unique music and style. 

This episode will tell the story and tales of the band from their formation through the early days and albums of through the early 1980’s.

After The Smiths formed in 1982, The Smiths would reject the synth-pop and new wave dominated UK music scene, focusing on guitar-based rock.  

The key to The Smiths was the songwriting collaboration between lead singer Morrissey, with his unique vocal and lyrical approach, and guitarist Johnny Marr, with his jangly guitar style, as they created a new direction of alternative music defined as jangle pop.

Over their short career of four studio albums, The Smiths achieved major commercial success while remaining on the independent record label, Rough Trade Records, before the team of Morrissey and Marr would break up in 1987.

This episode will tell the story of the early years and formation of The Smiths with a focus on their self-titled debut album of 1984 and the non-album singles from this same time period.

ABC formed in 1980, evolving from the Sheffield, England based band Vice Versa when lead vocalist Martin Fry was added to the group. With the addition of Fry, the band’s music became a new romantic synth-pop style with funk-inspired basslines and electronic textures. The Lexicon of Love well represented this as ABC became a key band to the "New Pop" and "Sophisti-Pop" movements of the early 80’s while the band created several catchy, synth-driven hits including "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love," both from The Lexicon of Love.

This episode will tell the story of ABC from their roots as Vice-Versa and the forming of ABC, along with the music of ABC focusing on the work with Trevor Horn and the debut album.

Following the addition of vocalist and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to slowly incorporate melody into the music moving beyond the brutal music of the early years to a more diverse sound. The band's music would venture through a variety of styles and explore many different genres over the years including industrial, post-rock, drone, and neo-folk, among many others. 

Throughout their career, Swans become known for creating intense and experimental music that has often led to the band being referred to as "Uncompromising." 

This episode will tell the story of Swans from their beginning through the end of their initial run as a band in 1997.

Many refer to the The Cure's three consecutive early-80's releases as The Gothic Trilogy. These melancholic albums represent the band's transition from their debut album into the bleak, atmospheric sound that helped define the gothic genre. These three albums are Seventeen Seconds from 1980, 1981’s Faith, and the conclusion to the trilogy, Pornography of 1982.

At that time, the albums were not intended to form a trilogy nor have the impact that they did, but the music did establish The Cure and lead singer Robert Smith as seminal figures in both the post-punk movement and the emerging gothic rock subculture.

This episode tells the story of The Cure from formation from the debut album, Three Imaginary Boys, through 1982 and the "original" gothic trilogy.

The Sundays were active from 1988 to 1997, but only released three albums over their career as the band never crossed over into the mainstream that they seemed destined for. Their music combined introspective lyrics with distinctive ethereal and melancholy vocals along with jangly, chiming guitars for their unique sound while building a cult base that still exists today.

Led by vocalist Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin, who met each other while at Bristol University, this band was very private and low profile right from the start. The band signed with indie label Rough Trade Records releasing their debut single, "Can't Be Sure", followed by the 1990 debut album. The Sundays exited the music world in 1997 after the third album so Wheeler and Gavurin, who had married each other a couple of years earlier, could focus on raising their family and enjoy their private life.

This episode tells the story of where The Sundays began, their career, the albums, and the music of these alternative favorites of the 90’s.

This massive double album of 19 songs contains socially charged lyrical themes include social displacement, racial conflict, unemployment, drug use, the cold war, and nuclear threats, all against the backdrop of a bleak time period in London. 

Behind the music and the themes, the album London Calling would influence countless bands and various genres as music moved into the 80’s, making it's release a definitive moment in music history, and solidifying The Clash as one of the most influential bands of the era. 

In this episode we will discuss the legendary album London Calling and it’s music, and the story behind it. We will also briefly discuss the early years of The Clash, a band that was right there are the beginning of punk.

The band formed in 1980 in Basildon, England originally consisting of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, and Vince Clarke. Primary songwriter Clarke departed after the debut album and Alan Wilder joined for the third album, 1983's Construction Time Again. This began the move of Depeche Mode toward darker territory which continued to build on their next album, 1984's Some Great Reward. 

This episode will tell the story of Depeche Mode through the early years and through the fourth album, Some Great Reward, that opened the band up to international success. 

The Stooges started in Michigan in 1967, and were known for their sound that was simple, primitive, and energetic with stripped-down aggression. Along with the music, their performances were chaotic and confrontational helping to lay the foundation for punk rock along with the darker, intense, and experimental direction of countless future bands. 

Iggy Pop, also referred to as the "Godfather of Punk", was the lead singer of the band with his unique voice, lyrics, and his unpredictable and unusual stage antics that would set the bar for the intense performances found in punk and post-punk music. 

This episode will discuss the influence of The Stooges and their music, tell the story of the band's beginning and what was behind this music, and discuss the music of their three influential albums from the years 1969 through 1973.

The band had formed in the early 70's in Swindon, England and was fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding. XTC's music featured distinctive angular guitars and witty lyrics as they were known for their energetic live performances and their non-conventional music.

Their 1979 single "Making Plans for Nigel" was a commercial breakthrough and began the popularization of the reverberating drum sound. This was well represented on XTC's third album, Drums and Wires, produced by legendary producer, Steve Lillywhite.

Our episode will tell the story of the band through their early years along with the development of XTC's music through the first three albums including the incredible third album, Drums and Wires.

The music of The Charlatans was a blend of indie rock, dance rhythms, and 60’s psychedelic influenced organ grooves. This was well represented on their 1990 debut studio album, Some Friendly, which debuted at number 1 on the UK albums chart. Their pre-album single release in early 1990, “The Only One I Know”, was a was a top 10 hit and one of the defining songs of the baggy movement.

The band formed in 1988 and added lead singer Tim Burgess in 1989 before The Charlatans debut studio album. By the band’s third album the Madchester sound was fading and the band evolved their sound over the next few albums. The Charlatans have been one of the most prominent and longest running indie bands from the UK. All of the band's fourteen studio albums, including their newest from October 2025, have charted in the top 40 of the UK albums chart

This episode will tell the story of the forming of the band through their debut number 1 album and music during the baggy years. 

Initiated by Andrew Eldritch and Gary Marx, The Sisters of Mercy have gone through many members over the years, but the constant force has always been lead vocalist Eldritch along with his drum machine known as "Doktor Avalanche". Eldritch's deep and melancholic singing voice, along with his appearance and style led the media to describe him as "The Godfather of Goth" for inspiring and defining the gothic scene. 

After releasing a number of singles in the early '80s to underground success, the group created their highly influential debut album, First and Last and Always, in 1985. This seminal gothic rock album with tracks like "Marian" and "Black Planet" would be the first of only three studio LP’s from The Sisters of Mercy ,even though the band continues today performing live and touring.

Our podcast episode will tell the story of the band's early years leading up to and through the incredible debut album of 1985, First and Last and Always. 

After being discovered during her teenage years with the help of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Kate Bush would soon follow the debut single with the release of her debut album in early 1978, The Kick Inside. 

After her second album, Kate Bush would perform her monumental Tour of Life, the first and only formal tour in her career.  

In 1980 her third album, Never for Ever, would reach number 1 in the UK. Bush co-produced this album that saw her sound become more experimental as she discovered new sonic territories, leading to visionary albums and international success.

This podcast episode will tell the story of the influential Kate Bush’s early years covering her debut single, the first two albums followed by the world tour of 1979, and through the third studio album, Never for Ever. 

Psychic TV would be a multimedia and experimental music and video art collective, while becoming one of the most unique bands of the era. Besides experimental music, the band's music explored psychedelic, acid house, industrial, electronic, punk, post-punk, and even melodic pop.

During the late 1980's, Psychic TV was one of the more influential artists for the genre of acid house music releasing several compilation albums of songs they recorded under various fake band names helping to popularize the sound.

When formed, Psychic TV was more than just a band as they also built a creative occultist organization known as Thee Temple Ov Psychic Youth or T.O.P.Y., which would be the magical order and philosophical portion of the venture.

As a music collective, Psychic TV involved a wide range of artists and collaborators while P-Orridge remained the primary songwriter throughout the band's history. Pyschic TV would release over 100 albums, which included the years 1981 through 1999, and again from 2003 until 2020, until the passing of Genesis P-Orridge. 

This podcast episode shall tell the story of the band and their music from formation through the early years and into the beginning of the 90's.

The Church released their debut album in 1981, Of Skins and Heart, followed by a number of excellent albums including The Blurred Crusade and Heyday. It would be with the fifth studio album, 1988's Starfish with the hit song "Under the Milky Way", that the band would experience their most success on their way to being one of the most accomplished Australian bands from the post-punk era.

Behind lead singer and bassist Steve Kilbey, The Church's  music over the years has ventured through various sounds and genre influences. During the 80’s, they were one of those bands that did not get the attention or notoriety they deserved for their music. Still recording and touring today, the band built a large international following while creating 27 studio albums over their career and has become one of the great alternative bands of the 80’s and beyond.

This episode will tell the story of The Church from their formation and early years, and through through the 80's and into the 90's beyond the song "Under the Milky Way", a song whose title was the idea behind my title of this podcast series.

The band was founded in 1985 in Los Angeles by lead vocalist Perry Farrell, often referred to as the Godfather of Alternative Rock, and bassist Eric Avery following the disintegration of Farrell's previous band, Psi Com. Jane's Addiction would add drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro to round out the band before their first release.

Jane's Addiction's debut was their self-titled live album in 1987 followed by the two studio albums, Nothing's Shocking of 1988 and Ritual de lo Habitual of 1990. Their fanbase grew with these releases that included iconic songs like "Jane Says", "Mountain Song" , and "Been Caught Stealing". 

The band's first farewell tour in 1991 launched the beginning of Lollapalooza. The event was co-founded by Farrell and included bringing together a large and diverse collection of bands forming what Farrell called, the "Alternative Nation".  

This episode will tell the story of the forming of and the early years for Jane’s Addiction,  the band from their live album through the turbulent times of their first two studio albums, all while leading the way to being one of the first commercially successful alternative rock bands and setting the stage for 90’s alternative rock.

Starting with their 1980 debut single "To Cut a Long Story Short", a song that would reach No. 5 in the UK, Spandau Ballet would became one of the most successful groups of the New Romantic era and part of the second British invasion. 

 In early 1981 the band issued their debut album, Journeys to Glory, with music centered on the underground scene and the New Romantic movement. As the Blitz Club scene had faded, Spandau Ballet recorded and released their second album Diamond in 1982 album.

The band chose to pursue a more pop-oriented sound leading to the 1983 International hit album, True, with the title track "True" and second single "Gold" becoming major hit singles.

This episode will tell the story of Spandau Ballet and their music from the early years including the first two albums, all before "True", "Gold", and international success. 

This Welsh band formed in Cardiff in 1978 and was based around the vocals of  Alison Statton along with the minimalist instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham. The trio created a sound from post-punk's experimental tendencies in a very minimal and unique form. There was nobody else like this band from this time.

Based on a couple of demo songs, Young Marble Giants was signed by Rough Trade Records and would create their debut Colossal Youth followed by two EP’s. After that, the members moved on to other projects. The band would reunite a few times over the years as new generations of indie artists would be influenced by the unique music of Young Marble Giants.

This episode will discuss the band and their music during the early years, the debut album Colossal Youth, and the years and projects after the original run.

Led by the Butler brothers of Richard, lead singer with his very distinctive vocal style, and bassist Tim, The Psychedelic Furs would start their career with a couple of excellent post-punk albums. 

Following their self-titled debut album in 1981 and the follow up album Talk Talk Talk a year later, the band would make a change in production and a slight change in sound. A string of hits in the 80's ensued beginning with the song "Love My Way" from their third album, Forever Now. 

The band would reach international recognition when in 1986, filmmaker John Hughes used their 1981 song for his film, Pretty in Pink.

This podcast episode will tell the story of The Psychedelic Furs from formation and the early years through all eight of their studio albums with focus on the first four albums, which helped define the Furs.

Catherine Wheel’s early attention and success started with the debut single , “Black Metallic” . They created another shoegaze anthem, "Crank", as the first single from the second album. It was during this early period over these two albums that Catherine Wheel incorporated shoegaze related elements of hazy and droning guitars, effects pedals, and somewhat buried vocals, along with some grunge and on the debut album, neo-psychedelia.

The band, fronted by lead singer and guitarist Rob Dickinson, would end their run in 2000 after five full length studio albums and years of US college radio success.

On this episode, we will explore the career of Catherine Wheel and their music with a little more focus on the first two albums.

During this short career, The Sugarcubes were a complex post-punk, dream pop, experimental, indie dance rock band. Their music was a upbeat blend of psychedelic sounds, punk energy, pop-driven melodies, angular guitar riffs, and tribal rhythms. They combined this with unique storytelling and quirky, surreal lyrics characterized by the distinctive and ethereal vocals of their lead singer, Björk. 

Björk had began her music career at the age of 11, but it would The Sugarcubes years where she gained world wide recognition. This would lead to her internationally successful solo career that followed as she became the bestselling Icelandic musician of all time, and an influential pioneer in electronic and experimental music.

The episode tells the story of Björk’s early years through the band Kukl, the forming of The Sugarcubes, their signature song “Birthday” and the 1988 international hit debut album, Life's Too Good, and the music over the next two albums before The Sugarcubes ended in 1992. 

Cabaret Voltaire took their name from the Zurich nightclub that was the center of the early Dada movement and began their career with Dada-influenced performance art where they challenged musical norms and experimented with sound creation and processing. 

This would lead to Cabaret Voltaire expanding their use and development of raw tape loops, avant-garde noise, sampling and other technology while mixing in danceable electronic sounds along with art, politics, and social issues. Their 70’s and into the early 80’s work would foreshadow industrial and electronic music genres that would follow, and inspire many artists as they became one of the most important bands not to just industrial music, but music in general. 

In this episode we tell the story of Cabaret Voltaire and their music starting from the early years including albums Voice of America and Red Mecca, through the music after Chris Watson departed in 1981 as the band continued through the 80's with albums such as The Crackdown and Micro-Phonies.

Although Primal Scream formed in 1982 in Glasgow, Scotland, it was not until lead singer Bobby Gillespie left his other band (The Jesus and Mary Chain) in 1986 that Primal Scream began to rise. Behind Gillespie, the band’s music went through periods of jangle pop and a harder garage rock sound in the 80's before a change of direction to the acid house scene. This occurred with a new dance music sound mixing indie pop, techno, dub, and psychedelia on the landmark third album, Screamadelica. 

This episode will discuss this band’s formation, the early years and music up through the highly regarding 1990 single mixed by DJ Andrew Weatherall, "Loaded", and the album that followed under Weatherall's production, the classic Screamadelica. 

The band's music contained experimentation with instrumentation and sounds while containing raw and provocative lyrics from lead singer and guitarist Lou Reed. These features, along with unconventional and minimalist arrangements, would lead to the development of punk rock, new wave, post-punk, indie rock and many other genres of the alternative music world. 

In 1966, the Velvet Underground became the house band at pop artist Andy Warhol's studio, The Factory. With Warhol as producer, the band released their debut album in 1967, The Velvet Underground & Nico,  featuring the German singer and model Nico. This album is considered as one of the greatest albums in music history due to it's influence on future artists and genres.

This episode will discuss the influence of this band and their music, tell the story of the band's beginning and what was behind this music, and discuss the music of the classic debut album. 

After the rise of the deathrock sound from the LA Punk scene, 45 Grave would release their critically acclaimed debut album in 1983, Sleep in Safety. The band’s most notable success came with version of a song from that album, "Partytime", that was featured in the 1985 movie and soundtrack of Return of the Living Dead.

45 Grave broke up in 1985, but founding member and lead vocalist Dinah Cancer would later reform the band. Cancer would be deemed "The Queen of Deathrock" from her commanding stage presence and theatrics, and distinct vocals.

This episode will discuss the origin of 45 Grave, the music from the band, and their dynamic lead singer, Dinah Cancer, as we welcome the band as our Halloween representative this week. Happy Halloween!

This highly original post-punk band, their image, and their early music would be a direct influence on contemporary goth culture.

In this episode, we tell the story of the creation of the single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead" from the band's legendary first recording session, how the members of Bauhaus formed just weeks prior to that session, and the debut album In the Flat Field after the band signed with 4AD Records. 

Chrome’s music would often take on sci-fi themes while employing tape loops, distortion and overloaded acid rock guitar, found sounds from television, and whatever noise they could create with electronics.  

These raw experimental and industrial sounds would be blended with elements from punk rock and psychedelia. The result of all of this would be a forerunner to industrial rock and noise rock of the 1980's.

The band was founded by vocalist, drummer and keyboardist Damon Edge. After a debut album in 1976, Chrome added guitarist Helios Creed in 1977. With the pairing of Edge and Creed, Chrome became a cult band favorite with their next two albums, Alien Soundtracks and Half Machine Lip Moves. 

Edge and Creed went separate directions in the mid-80's with Damon Edge continuing the band until he passed away in 1995. Helios Creed, who had been away from the group since the mid-80’s, revived Chrome and has continued the band with performances and release of new albums.

This episode will discuss this band’s early years, their music, and the work of Chrome especially during the influential Edge and Creed years.

The band would create three studio albums in the early to mid-80’s before breaking up in 1986. The band would return in the 2000’s with a fourth album in 2011. However, Stephen Luscombe had to step away soon after due to health issues leaving Arthur to continue under the Blancmange name.

Just last month, Stephen Luscombe passed away at the age of 70.

This episode tell the story of how Luscombe and Arthur created the band, their music of the 80's, and the years the followed.

The Raincoats would release their self-titled debut album in 1979 as an all-female band for this debut. The Raincoats would be one of the first bands to influence feminism and they would inspire generations of female fronted bands that came after.  

The band would break up in 1984 following their third album, but the band’s influence in the 90’s on artists including Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain would inspire a reissue of their catalog and a rekindling of the group in 1993.  

This episode will tell the story of the early years of the band, their impact on social issues, their music, and the chance meeting of Ana da Silva with Kurt Cobain that led to the reformation of The Raincoats.

Their second album, On Fire, was the most influential of their work toward slowcore. Besides impacting the development of this genre, the music from Galaxie 500 would also influence artists and other music styles.

Following the break-up of Galaxie 500 in 1991, lead singer and guitarist Dean Wareham would go on to form the band Luna. 

In this podcast episode we will tell the story of the early years of Galaxie 500, the music and impact of the band, and the spin-off project Luna.

This Manchester, England band that formed in 1981 and was known for their atmospheric, layered guitar-based, post-punk sound became one of the most underrated and underappreciated band of the 1980s. 

The Chameleons reformed a couple of times over the years, most recently in 2021. Following extensive touring, the band has just released a new studio album, Arctic Moon.

In this podcast, we will tell the story of the early years of the band and their first three albums, along with the years that followed up through the new release. 

Over the years, Coil's work was very diverse exploring various themes including the occult, sexuality, and alchemy while crossing through musical boundaries, styles, and genres such as experimental electronic, industrial, minimalist, dark ambient, noise, and drone among many others.  

After the release of their 1984 debut EP How to Destroy Angels, Coil's first album was Scatology in 1985 followed by Horse Rotorvator in 1986, an album considered as one of the most influential industrial records created.

In addition to Balance and Christopherson, who were the only two consistent members of Coil, many contributors would join them over the years. 

Following the accidental death of John Balance in 2004, Peter Christopherson would announce the end of the band. There would be one final album and the release of a number of older recordings and compilations. Peter Christopherson died in 2010.

This podcast will tell the story of the band and their experimental work over their career, with a focus on the first two classic albums.

All About Eve would create four studio albums beginning with the 1988 self-titled debut album that included the hit single "Martha's Harbour". Following the second studio album, guitarist Tim Bricheno left the band was was replaced by Marty Willson-Piper, long time member of The Church. After two albums with Willson-Piper, including one album with a guest appearance from David Gilmour, the band would end their initial run in 1993.  

This podcast will talk about the early years of the band, the music of their albums through the 1992 fourth and final studio LP, and their subsequent years.

A Flock of Seagulls' music and image, including the distinctive hair style along with innovative music videos, became synonymous with 1980s pop culture and the early years of MTV as the band helped to define and shape synth, dance and electronic music of the era. 

This podcast episode will tell the story of the early years of the band, the success of the debut self-titled album, and the music the band created over their next couple of albums.

Soon after the debut album, founding member Heggie would leave the band and be replaced by Simon Raymonde prior to the third album, the 1984 genre defining, Treasure.

From the early works of the band, Cocteau Twins earned critical praise for their sound as the band pioneered the music styles known as “dream pop” and “ethereal wave”. 

Not only did this group define new genres of music and also influence the music world and countless artists that followed, but they additionally created a singing style with lyrics of no known language where the voice was more like an instrument. 

This episode of our podcast tells the story of the formation of the band, their early years, and the music through the time of their third studio album, 1984's Treasure.

Formed in 1979, The Gun Club became a fixture of the Los Angeles underground scene and would create seven studio LP’s during their history, starting with the blues filled 1981 album, Fire of Love.

Started by Pierce along with guitarist Kid Congo Powers, the band would go though many members over the years contributing to the evolving music styles, but the band was always fronted by Pierce. The Gun Club continued until Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s death in March of 1996 at age 37. 

The pioneering Pierce’s legacy continues to inspire many artists today, and that has been well represented as part of The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project.

In this podcast episode, we tell the story of the early years of The Gun Club, their music, and the legacy of Jeffrey Lee Pierce.

Formed in London in 1976, the band's unique style and music was represented in their 1978 debut album, Cut, that has been called one of the defining releases of post-punk. The highly influential album included the songs that challenged societal norms, in particular the anthem song, “Typical Girls”, a song that questioned traditional ideas about femininity.

The Slits would end their original run in 1982. However, in this span The Slits made a lasting mark and influence on the future of many young female rockers, and an impact on several musical movements, most notably the Riot Grrrl movement of the early 1990’s.  

In this episode we will tell the story of how the band formed, their music of the early years, and the influence and impact on music. 

"Memorabilia", released just after Soft Cell signed with the independent label Some Bizarre Records, has been recognized as a pioneering song of the synth-oriented techno or acid house genre that would follow later in the decade. 

This podcast episode tells the story of the band’s early years with Some Bizarre Records, including the incredible debut album and the follow up albums from the band through 1984.

After forming in Leeds, The Wedding Present would be associated with C86, a compilation cassette released in 1986 by the British magazine NME, that featured new bands from Independent labels. The C86 scene is regarded as a key moment for the development of UK Indie rock.

Our podcast will tell the story of this band from their early singles through albums such as the debut album, George Best, and the classic 1991 album, Seamonsters, to the late 90’s when the band went on an extended hiatus.

Formed in London in 1976 by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin, the band used experimental rhythms and sonics to develop a new and original music on the way to becoming one of the pioneers of post-punk music. 

This episode will tell the story of how this band began through their first two albums, with a focus on the incredible debut album, The Scream.

The band, also known in North America as Yaz, was short-lived after forming in late 1981 and breaking up by mid-1983. However, this was long enough to release two albums, Upstairs at Eric's and You and Me Both, which helped to define the synth-pop genre, electronic dance music, and the early house music scene of the mid-80’s. 

Our podcast will talk about the brief history of Yazoo, the two albums, and the music.

This Television album sits near the top of many lists of best post-punk albums of all-time, and has influenced the music of many artists.

This episode tells the story of the band from their CBGB days in New York through the creation and music of Marquee Moon.

Tears for Fears followed with an album that would be even bigger as the band became an international success with Songs from the Big Chair in 1985, hitting number 1 on the US Billboard album chart along with two number 1 songs synonymous with classic 80’s pop culture.

This podcast will tell the story of the early years of the band, their first two albums, and the music that made this band one of the best from the era.

Lene Lovich created a sound that mixed post-punk and new wave styles with international music, along with a quirky style to influence many artists that followed.

This episode tells the story of the early years of Lene Lovich's career and the music of her three albums on the Stiff Records label, through 1982.

This episode tells the story of Ride, the music of the legendary debut album, the band moving into album number two, and the years that followed as the band's sound and direction shifted.

This episode discusses the development of the group, the creation of American gothic and death rock music, and the first four studio albums from Christian Death through 1986.

The band’s first single was “Teenage Kicks”, a song that legendary DJ John Peel would say was his all-time favorite after playing it on his radio show, helping boost The Undertones career.

This episode is the story of the band after forming in 1974, the 1978 song “Teenage Kicks” along with the tale of this song with John Peel, and the albums that followed into the early 80’s.

This episode discusses the band and their music during the incredible run from formation in 1979 until disbanding in 1983.

This episode will talk about the band's members getting back to record Speaking in Tongues after some side projects, the music of the album, and the documentary that followed taken from what would be the final Talking Heads tour.

An earlier Spotify only episode that covered the early years through 1980's Remain in Light, and that episode will be recreated and issued on Apple other platforms. 

Episode 3.29

This episode discusses the origins of the group, the creation of their music, and their three studio albums prior to their break-up of 1981.

Midge Ure, one of the founding members of Visage, would be part of the band's first two albums, both of which were commercially successful. During Ure's time with Visage, their music would be a key link between the electronic sounds of bands that came before them and the fashion-conscious bands who would grow with the early years of MTV.

This episode will talk about the various members that made up Visage, the band’s music, the impact from the Blitz club in London, and the New Romantic movement.

This episode discusses the music of Gene Loves Jezebel into the 90's and the situation that resulted in two versions of the band, each led by one of the twins. 

The music of Sonic Youth began evolving from these early years taking a more conventional approach as the band become a prominent member of American noise rock.

This episode tells the story of the band from their beginnings through the 1986 album, Evol, as the band was evolving from their no wave beginning.

This episode tells the story of the band and Nick Cave through their five albums of the 90's. 

The eighth studio album from the band includes classic singles like "Lovesong", "Pictures of You", and "Lullaby", but also other emotionally intense songs like "Prayers for Rain", "Plainsong", and the title track. All of this has led to Disintegration being considered an alternative music masterpiece.

This episode for The Cure tells the story behind the album as well as the story of Robert Smith's creation of the songs that make up this incredible work. 

Led by the husband and wife duo, Lux Interior and Poison Ivy Rorshach, this American group grew from the New York punk scene of the late 70's to become an iconic band, and the perfect party band for Halloween.

This episode (from Halloween 2024) tells the story of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy from their early years along with the albums and music through the 80's and into the 90’s. 

The band's second studio album, Bummed of 1988, and the follow-up, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches of 1990, were two signature albums of the Madchester era.

This episode tells the story of the early years of Happy Mondays from their formation through the music of the band's first three studio albums.

Following various other projects and a couple of brief returns of Flesh for Lulu, Nick Marsh would pass away from cancer in 2015. 

This episode discusses the legacy of Nick Marsh and the history of Flesh for Lulu through their albums of the 80's.

This episode tells the story of Buzzcocks beginning, their impact on music and beyond, their work through the break-up of 1981, and the beginning of Pete Shelley's solo career.

Episode 3.24

This episode discusses the work and albums of Shriekback through their albums of the 1980's.
(R.I.P Dave Allen. This episode was recorded a few weeks prior to the passing on April 5, 2025 of Dave Allen)

The precursor to Mazzy Starr was the band Opal, led by the guitar work and production of David Roback. Opal would add Hope Sandoval as a new lead singer in 1988 and rename themselves Mazzy Star. Behind the creative duo of Roback and Sandoval, this band would go on to record three studio albums in the 90's developing their dreamy, ethereal, folky, neo-psychedelia music.

Our episode discusses the band’s history back to David Roback’s early paisley underground years, the transition of the band from Opal to Mazzy Star, and their music of the 90's. 

This episode tells the story of the band from 1982 to 1985 which includes these three classic albums, the development of their sound from the early year more experimental post-punk, and the beginning of the chart success they would see throughout the 80's. 

An earlier Spotify only episode that covered the early years from formation through 1981 will be recreated and issued on Apple other platforms, along with a discussion episode we had with Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes.

The band's second single, "Incubus Succubus", became a goth classic and the band, with lead singer Anja Huwe, would sign with 4AD records for their first two albums. Starting with Fetisch in 1983, the band released four studio albums before breaking up in 1990.

This episode tells the story of Xmal Deutschland's early years through their music of the 1980's. 

The original line-up formed in 1980 and produced two albums along with some non-album releases before breaking up in 1983. Led by vocalist and songwriter, Garce Allard, the band has reformed several times over the years.

This episode tells the story of the band focusing on the early years and the classic debut album, Epic Garden Music.

This episode will discuss the band, the music, the members, the art, and their albums from the 80’s and through the 90’s that impacted the world of music. 

Their self-titled debut album of 1979 on their own label, 2 Tone Records, brought this music to the attention of the British music scene. Over a two year span, The Specials would create a number of hits, including the classic songs “A Message to You Rudy” and the recession themed number 1 hit, “Ghost Town”.

This podcast episode will discuss the early years of the band, their influential first two albums and music, the two-tone music genre, and the aftermath of some core members leaving the band in 1981.

After creating a short film and developing a number of songs, Devo would sign a record deal and release their debut studio album in 1978 with Brian Eno as producer. 

This episode will discuss the early years of the band through the third studio album, Freedom of Choice.

This episode is the story of a band that would rise to become one of the best-selling alternative acts of the 1990s with a lead singer who would be a voice of a nation.

The eccentric Cope would create multiple albums in the 80's as his music began to shift from the neo-psychedelia sound of his previous band to include a more pop and alternative rock influence. As Cope entered the 90's, music would edge toward folk, ambient, and krautrock while Cope would become an author, historian, musicologist, mystic, and head of his own multi-faceted production company.

This episodes discusses the post Teardrop Explodes years of Cope and his albums of the 80's.

This episode will discuss the early years of the band from the debut single, "Lee Remick", through 16 Lovers Lane of 1988. 

This episode discusses the early years of Trent Reznor, the beginning of Nine Inch Nails, and the revolutionary debut album, Pretty Hate Machine.

Their debut album from 1987, If Two World Kiss, is considered a dark wave classic. Pink Turns Blue built on this developing sound for their second album a year later, Meta.

This episode tells the story of the band including formation in the 1980's, the music of the band, and the genre influential two albums of 1987 and 1988.
(Episode was recorded prior to the new album, Black Swan)

Their music was known for an extreme contrasting volume dynamic of quiet verses and loud choruses, creating a "loud-quiet-loud" song structure. Many bands would follow and adopt this style, in particular those within the grunge movement. 

The unique sound of the Pixies blends various genres and styles, and is best represented on their first two classic and influential albums, Surfer Rosa (1988) and Doolittle (1989). 

This episode discusses the forming of the band in 1986, the music of their early mini-LP, and the music of the first two studio albums.

This episode discusses the early years of the group and their music prior to the departure of Rankine in 1982.

Joining us for this episode are Vanessa Briscoe Hay (lead singer of Pylon and PRS), Pylon’s bassist Michael Lachowski, and PRS guitarist Jason NeSmith.

This episode discusses the origins of the band along with their music through the 90's.

This episode discusses the early years of the group from formation through the album, Tin Drum, of 1981.

This episode tells the story of the early years of the band and Newton through the 80's, along with The Anti Group collective formed by Newton in the mid-80's where he would continue his experimental work outside of Clock DVA.

From being on the stage the night of the Sex Pistols influential debut performance, through losing all his band members to a new Malcolm Maclaren project, to reforming the band with a new image and a Burundi drum based sound, this is the story of how Adam Ant built his band leading to success.

They were one of the first bands on the Manchester Independent label, Factory Records, where they would release their first album in 1980 and remain on the label through 1986 when they would release their fifth album.

This episode discusses the origins of the group, the creation of their music, and their albums during the Factory Records years.

The result of these albums would be that this English band from Sheffield would be considered one of the most impactful bands of the post-punk era with their dark and moody music, but they would not receive the recognition they deserved.

This episode discusses the history of the group and music over their career with a focus on the time period of the first three albums through 1982, known as the Polydor years, before the band changed labels.

This episode tells the story of the band from their late 70's formation in Sheffield through the album, Dare, and discusses the music of the album.

This episode tells the story of the early years of the band, the music of the debut album, and the events that followed the release of that classic album.

Our name of our podcast is based on the alternative song from 1988 by The Church, "Under the Milky Way".
 

More episodes coming as we release at least one new episode each week plus some other recently recorded episodes.