This is it. The big one. Episode 161. A milestone nobody asked for and even fewer likely wanted. It's the "Ego-death indulgent Spectacular Special," which is basically a fancy way of saying Andrew and Dr. Sam have finally disappeared up their own backsides to look at the wreckage of the last 160 episodes.

Expect a lot of self-congratulatory stats, clips of the pair sounding like absolute melts, and the usual technical failures that have become the show's unintended trademark. We've got deep dives into why Queen is discussed more than played, the actual number of times we've mentioned bodily functions (spoiler: it's lower than you'd think, which is disappointing), and a look back at the time Mike Watt told us he hated Zoom. It's a retrospective of chaos, bad decisions, and the occasional riff.

• The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis – Deface The Currency

• LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER – Eins, Zwei, Drei

• Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Intro: We started with a lie. In Episode 1, Andrew promised a 20-minute show, but it ran to 55 minutes. Sam's original review: "Andrew, this was supposed to be 20 minutes".
• Cee Lo Green – FUCK YOU: Setting the tone early. Episode 1 ended with Andrew attempting professionalism while Sam signed off with a heartfelt "Fuck you all".
• Metallica – Fuel: It took us 63 episodes to finally deliver on the Metallica special we promised in week one.
• The Replacements – Here Comes a Regular: We predicted we'd be "irregular". We then accidentally published for 96 consecutive weeks without missing a single one.
• The Minutemen – Corona: Revisiting our favourite intro, the moment Mike Watt joined the Zoom call and immediately shouted, "Fuck those people".
• The Stone Roses – Tell Me: Statistically our most played artist with 14 appearances over the journey.
• Queen – Stone Cold Crazy: Our most discussed band (mentioned 26 times) that we almost never actually play.

• The Christian Vulvas: A band name suggestion that almost killed us with laughter.
• Thighs Wide Open: Walking into the technological dystopia with our "eyes fucking wide open," or something like that.
• 10 Pence Pieces: The failed monetization strategy involving skin insertion.
• Testicle Weather Vanes: A foolproof way to predict a tornado or an earthquake based on swinging.
• Ruddiger Broomhilder's Unripe Plums: The AI-assisted tale of a stomach-ache staging a revolution.

• PIL – This Is Not A Love Song: The stats are in. We prefer death (29 songs) over love (19 songs).
• Phil Collins 3 – Pooey Stick: Despite the scatological humor, "poo" has only appeared 11 times in the transcripts.

Watch more Beat Motel chaos here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWvEIcKhJxA&list=PLwnzX0gT6IrcZqrF2Xslb19NiBRgd9rj9

In this episode of Beat Motel, Andrew is joined by Tom Klute, a man who has spent 25 years running the Commercial Suicide label and presumably even longer trying to figure out how to stop CDRs from rotting into useless plastic coasters.

The pair embark on a quest to identify the 'Great Basslines of Our Time', a journey that takes them from the bowel-ripping valve amps of the 70s to the distorted sub-bass of 90s jungle. Along the way, they discuss why buying a headless bass is a cry for help, the terror of music trackers, and the peculiar joy of being a 'cool dad' who gives his son massive 70s speakers only to realise his lounge ceiling is now a vibrating drum skin.

Expect tangents on why the Smokey and the Bandit remake in Suffolk failed, the mystery of delaminating discs, and why the Sugarhill Gang might be absolute fibbers. It's an hour of gear talk, punk history, and bass-heavy nostalgia that'll make your trousers wobble.

• Kenny Loggins - Footloose

• Fucked Up - Crusades

1. Stranglers - Toiler On The Sea

2. Roni Size - Share the Fall (Grooverider's Jeep Mix)

3. Discharge - Ain't No Feeble Bastard

4. Chic - Good Times

5. LFO - LFO

1. Fu Manchu - Grendel Snowman

2. Blur - Popscene

3. Venetian Snares - Öngyilkos Vasárnap

4. Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep

5. NOFX - The Decline

Welcome to a truly unhinged episode, where Andrew's cold-ridden brain meets Sam's particular brand of chaos. This week, we're diving into Musicians in Odd Places—which, let's be honest, is mostly an excuse for us to get wildly off-topic and fact-check things on the fly (and usually get them wrong). Andrew even managed to misspell the theme title on his notes.

We kick off by debating the horrors of modern parenting and screen time, reminiscing about the simple joy of having the TV just... turn off. From there, it's a short, unsettling skip to a discussion about Conkers, which, inevitably, turns into a mention of "Bollock Conkers". You're welcome.

The main theme gets a slightly more musical start with Sam's Riff of the Week—a deep, pumping slice of dub that Andrew associates with summer. This somehow leads Andrew to mix up Jeff Lynne and Jeff Wayne (an ongoing national embarrassment).

### Riffs of the week

#### Dr Sam's Riff
- Jacob Miller - Keep on Knocking
#### Andrew's Riff
- Buggery Act - Rusted Pliers

### Dr Sam's track choices
1. Mike Patton - Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles Theme
2. Johnny Cash - Don't Take Your Ones to Town
3. D.O.A. - That's Why I Am An Atheist
4. Tiny Tim - Living in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight

### Andrew's track choices
1. The Wombles - Remember You're A Womble
2. War of the worlds - The Spirit of Man
3. Labi Siffre - I Got The...
4. Public Image Ltd - Rise

On the Menu of Oddness:

* Mike Patton's Paycheck: Faith No More's Mike Patton pops up where he has no business being: singing the theme for a video game version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He said he did it so his nieces could enjoy something he was involved in.
* Wombles Rock: Andrew's choice of session musicians in unusual places is Chris Spedding lending his guitar skills to The Wombles.
* Johnny Cash vs. His Ones: Sam digs up the horrifyingly earnest Sesame Street parody of "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," where Johnny Cash sings about the little cowboy Billy Joe trying to take his number ones (as in toys and cookies) to school instead of sharing.
* The Jeff Wayne Fiasco: Andrew confesses a lifelong belief that Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds was an ELO side project, before Sam sets the record straight that the producer/composer is actually a TV theme tune guy. Also, a surprisingly passionate and improvised vocal performance from Phil Lynott is on the album.
* Joey Shithead for Council: The legendary frontman of hardcore band DOA is now a local politician, serving as a city council councillor in Burnaby, British Columbia.
* Chas and Dave: Funk Brothers: The unlikely Cockney duo were session musicians (the 'fuckbrothers', apparently) for Labi Siffre's fantastic tune "I Got The...".
* The Tiny Tim / SpongeBob Connection: The ukulele-wielding oddball is apparently part of a kid's playlist because his song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" was on an early SpongeBob episode. This leads to the discovery of his truly offensive Christmas single, "Santa Claus Has Got The AIDS This Year".
* PIL's All-Star Band: A surprising lineup for Public Image Ltd's "Rise" featured Tony Williams (Miles Davis's drummer) and Steve Vai (guitar) on the album version.

A lot of questionable facts and even more questionable chat. Get stuck in, you awful people.

A few episodes ago we troubled your lugoles with some mildly profane chatter about which gigs we wish we could go back in time to attend for a second time. But what about legendary performances that you wish you could have been at regardless of decade, country, fiscal embarrassment or rank odour.

In this episode Andrew is joined by Jay Trenchart defy time, distance and some logic and reason as they delve through YouTube looking for the very bestest live clips in the world, ever.

### Riffs of the week

#### Jay's Riff

- Parquet Courts - Stoned And Starving (2:20)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Fat Dog - All The Same (1:25)

### Jay's track choices

1 - Koufar at Club Rectum (16:00)

https://youtu.be/T1_VkbeyDFE?si=3jHlf6b2hbLeovER&t=960

2 - Adam & The Ants - Physical (You're So) (Live in Manchester)

https://youtu.be/VusbSlufwmM?si=lKnvVredh1ZIH9r-&t=100

3 - Fucked Up Live on a Bridge at 2am (0:35)

https://youtu.be/TUVLm1V0pPs?si=Vi-yrjGF9m6ipBKz&t=35

4 - Bad Brains Live At CBGB's, New York City, NY 1982

https://youtu.be/WmfxWQkqLTg?si=ITLQjp__CXTmKXhg&t=1295

### Andrew's track choices

1 - Pentangle - Captured Live 1972 (9:39)

https://youtu.be/C3DFCXaqLrg?si=INKVGX-L-nAS5Z3V&t=579

2 - Rival Consoles Boiler Room x MUTEK MX Live Set (21:39)

https://youtu.be/v4gSk5GibB8?si=toWi8wQjC6JKUEeP&t=1299

3 - Crime In Stereo - Agent RR pt 1 (1:47)

https://youtu.be/RQoezd8xorI?si=85LkIeRq8Q8GClzX&t=107

4 - Coast Contra - Never Freesyle (3:05)

https://youtu.be/IdNxeepSpuk?si=rQsW51kO7UicIue5&t=185

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

Was 2023 a good year for pop'n'rock'n'hop? Was it a bad year? How do you quantify that sort of thing, anyway? It's all up to the ear of the beholder.

Andrew and Sam have probably been over exposed to harsh noises at this point, and can't understand what is conventional beauty in terms of music. Andrew wants to music out of angle grinders, and Sam talks about the nuances between punk-origin and metal-origin grindcore. Hence their choices of favourite music that came out of in 2023 is very person and not looking to impress. This, then, is a definitive list of music that we enjoyed and don't really care what others think or came top of other lists. We hope you're impressed.

### Riffs of the week

#### Dr Sam's Riff

- Seavus Finns - Aeons of Spiritual Starvation (opening)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Liam Gallagher & John Squire - Just Another Rainbow (1:15)

### Dr Sam's track choices

1. JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown "Garbage Pale Kids" (0.15)

2. Squid Pisser - Both (0.16)

3. Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra - The Space Dance Experiment (3.04)

4. Kruelty - Reincarnation (2.33)

### Andrew's track choices

1. Agriculture - Look Pt3 (4:25)

2. Yard Act - The Trenchcoat Museum (2:10)

3. WOLFHEART - Iku-Turso (1:55)

4. Daniel Avery - New Faith (1:50)

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

What's a drum fill? Well, it's that bit the gorilla plays in the chocolate advert, yeah? Which is something discussed in this episode of Beat Motel, which also heralding the return of co-host Dr Sam from his travels abroad and obligations of parenthood.

So, in other words: we fill up space by talking about fills while getting rid of the fill-ins. It has also made me realise what a good name Phil is for a drummer (looking at you Phil Random of the Random Heroes).

We run the gamut, as usual, from pop to psychedelic to punk rock and the heaviest of metal fills, discussing what roles and styles of fills mean for the context they find themselves in. Neglected are some of the genius' of the style – particularly, Dave Ghrol, but he's got enough on his plate.

So, to sum up: we're talking about drum fills, and Sam is back. It's nice to talk.

### Riffs of the week

#### Dr Sam's Riff

- Pharrell Williams, Trey Parker - Hug Me (0.13)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Chelsea Wolfe - Dusk (2:50)

### Dr Sam's track choices

1. Smashing Pumpkins - Jelly Belly (1.45)

2. Michael Jackson - Baby Be Mine (opening)

3. NoFX - Franco Un-American (1.20)

4. Darkest Hour - The Sadist Nation (3.00)

### Andrew's track choices

1. The Beatles - Mean Mr Mustard (start, sort of)

2. The Clash - Train in vain

3. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis bold as Love (2:46)

4. Phil Collins - In the air tonight

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

https://youtu.be/r1x1o9UZn8M?si=P6WJoeb_lEUcgLCL

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with? Have you ever fallen in love with someone you should have fallen in love with?

In this episode of The Beat Motel Music Podcast Andrew Culture is joined by Luke Littleboy of the 'One sensational shot' podcast. Luke was also the singer for The Waxing Captors.

This episode explores songs that talk about relationships in an honest way. Not sappy, sickly-sweet love songs. We're talking about the songs that dig up the dirt but also shine a light on the glory, and terror of love and relationships.

### Riffs of the week

#### Luke's Riff

- Violent Femmes - Add it Up (1:20)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Blue Lake - Bloom (opening)

### Luke's track choices

1. The Au Pairs - It's obvious (0:58)

2. Tom Waits - Christmas card from a hooker in Minneapolis (0:33)

3. Descendents - Marriage (0:36)

4. The Beautiful South - Let love speak up itself (0:58)

### Andrew's track choices

1. The Replacements - Answering Machine (2:00)

2. Buzzcocks - What Do I Get? (0:30)

3. John Grant - Vietnam (4:10)

4. The Dopamines - Ire (1:10)

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

Have you ever been to a gig that really made a massive impression on you? We know the answer is probably 'yes'. It's a dumb question, but what would you expect from us?

Have you ever been a gig that didn't make much of an impression on you at the time, but now that you 'get' the band in question do you wish you could travel back in time to that gig and experience it again? Now that's a far more interesting question.

Dr Sam is off on tour at the moment so for this Episode Andrew Culture is joined by special guest Martin Whiskin.

https://www.martinwhiskin.co.uk/

### Riffs of the week

#### Martin Whiskin's Riff

- The Imagined Village - Tam Lyn (Retold) (6:49)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Parannoul (파란노을) – Polaris (1:45)

### Martin Whiskin's track choices

1. Guns N Roses - It's so easy (0:29)

2. Guns N Roses - Estranged (0:10)

3. The Levellers - Riverflow (from start)

4. Godcone - Theme from Godcone (from start)

### Andrew's track choices

1. Pelican - March into the sea (6:10)

2. Fuck Buttons - Brainfreeze (0:25)

3. Queens of the stone age - Song for the dead (2:50)

4. Burst - (we watched the silver rain) (8:47)

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

This episode is named after the feeling of post-orgasm similar to death. The moment of bare consciousness finds you after your peak. The history of pop music is resplendent with musical-about faces.

From Kraftwork giving up fingering their flutes to Finnish death metal pioneers Xsyma turning into a (more popular) indie band, plenty have given up their initial tinkering to find a more mature (and sometimes popular) sound. Yet, few have done changed their _immediately after_ their creative peak or in the face of success. 

And this is exactly what Andrew and Sam explore this week. Or sort of. So, hold onto your umbrellas as they splash about in stylistic changes that upset the earbuds. Sometimes, this led to the end of their immediate career; at other times, it cemented them as genius.

### Riffs of the week

#### Dr Sam's Riff

- Danny Brown - Jenny's Terrific Vacation (0.10)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Ghost of a thousand - Left for dead (0:10)

### Dr Sam's track choices

1. Space - There's No You (0.45)

2. Smashing Pumpkins - Pug (opening)

3. Slipknot - People = Shit (opening)

4. Vic Goddard & the Subway Sect - Hey Now (I'm In Love) (opening)

### Andrew's track choices

1. Nirvana - Tourettes (0:50)

2. The Stone Roses - Begging you (2:30)

3. Suede - Asphalt world (6:20)

4. The Sex Pistols - Who Killed Bambi (1:55)

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

Roughly between 1967 and 2013 (these dates are arbitrary and unchecked, as is our diligence to fact-checking – Sam), the focus of many musicians (besides sex, drugs and rock'n'roll) was crafting the "perfect" album. This is something that should be endlessly playable, every track is a banger (fucking hell – Sam), but some bang (oh god – Sam) more than most. And, of course, there are some undeniable classics – Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run (you're not 'merican enough to like this, Sam – Sam), Limp Bizkit's Three Dollar Bills, Y'all (I like this album, actually - Sam), Cliff Richard's Kinda Latin (stop now, Sam – Sam), etc. – these choices are Bonafede classics. 

So, where will Sam and Andrew go with their choices? Will they provide easy listening surprises, or atonal noise assaults that means they probably need to stop and take a minute? What moral conundrums will they bring to bare in their exploration of the perfect album? Following Nitsche, if we are the creators of our own meaning, can any album be objectively perfect? 

Obviously, apart from Weezer's Pinkerton. No. 

### Riffs of the week

#### Dr Sam's Riff

- Git Some - The Test (1.55)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Caroline Polachek - Dang (from start)

### Dr Sam's track choices

1. The Clash - Something About England (0.45) from Sandanista

2. Daughters - The Hit (0.40) from Daughters

3. Newtown Grunts - Newtown Grunts vs. The Insidious Right Wing Conspiracy

4. White Suns - Clairvoyant (opening)

### Andrew's track choices

1. The Stone Roses - Don't Stop (1:40)

2. Torche - Trumph of Venus (from start)

3. Mansun - Wide Open Space (3:30)

4. The Velvet Underground - Jesus (0:44)

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

What does it mean to be consistent, as an artist? Careers in rock'n'pop now last decades – 2023, alone, has witnessed new albums by the Rolling Stones and a new single by the Beatles who began playing with themselves back in the '60s. Meanwhile, while rap-rock is so old that Rage Against the Machine's debut was 30 years old last year.  

So, this week, we discuss the issue of late blooming in the pop'n'rock world. Our biggest question is, in the face of commercial failure, how can musicians work for so long and still keep putting out bangers? Can anybody use the term "bangers" without looking like a dick?  

Thus, join us as we run the gamut from those who start out well, start to suck, and then get good again, and those who start by sucking and then reveal their genius by the fact they didn't give up. 

Remember, we're celebrating the white-middle-class-and-middle-aged-man-down-the-pub style of accuracy. The twist is, we're sober. 

Talking about late bloomers, Bertie Wooster makes a (probably copywrited infringement of an) appearance As AI in this weeks letters.

What maketh a cover? Is it the woman in his arms, just because she has big … No, that's an obscure South Park reference. Not for this day and age.

This time, the smirking infantile smurfing inflatable men-children Andrew and Sam are discussing the art of covering other people's music (by musicians post-1970s). Whereas once songwriting was the practice of the few and performance was of the many, we now expect our guitar-based musicians to sire their own stuff.

Yet, in other musical spaces – "Western Art Music" (ie. Classical music), jazz, etc. interpreting other people's music is what is expected.
Then, what is in a cover? What are these musicians striving for? Authentic replication of the song, their own twist on it? What does it take to make a song written by someone else feel like it belongs to someone else?

And to make this more fun, they focus only on stuff done beyond the 1970s. Mainly because many of those successful musicians of the 1960s and (early) 1970s were so well-versed in the art of playing other people's music.

So, slip on your adult nappy and join us for fake news and pseudo-academic critique as Andrew feels ill and Sam recovers from his child's bout of vomiting the day before.

Also, second-time contributor Al Nicholl (of Bamalama Sing Song) briefly shares his experience of the art and joy of covering music.

### Riffs of the week

#### Dr Sam's Riff

- Anthrax - Got the Time (opening)

#### Andrew's Riff

- Bloodywood - Gaddaar (3:30)

### Dr Sam's track choices

1. Robert Wyatt - At Last I Am Free (1.56)

2. fIREHOSE - Sophisticated Bitch (2.10)

3. Two Minutes to Late Night - "Never in my Life" (0.28)

4. Dolly Parton - The Great Pretender (0.13)

### Andrew's track choices

1. Kirsty MacColl - A New England (2:40)

2. Echo and the Bunnymen - People are strange (2.50)

3. Bananarama - Venus (1:00)

4. Nirvana - Lovebuzz (2:10)

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

#### A letter from Ruddiger Broomhilder

Subject: Love-Love, Game Over - Bidding Adieu to ATP

Dear Andrew Culture and Dr. Sam,

It's with a heavy heart and a twisted ankle that I, Ruddiger Broomhilder, serve this final ace to our peculiar little match. It seems my love for ATP (which I always thought stood for "Advanced Tennis Podcasts") has double-faulted into disdain.

Andrew, your last question about musicians and pizza chefs really tossed my dough into a burnout oven. I expected a slice of musical insight, but instead got a half-baked topping of irrelevance. And Dr. Sam, your melodic musings once strummed the strings of my heart, but now they sound more like a broken racket on a clay court.

I must confess, my understanding of a 'middle 8' was as confused as a linesman at a night match. And as for that drum solo query, it felt as out of place as a snowboard in Wimbledon. Your podcast, once a symphony of alternative beats, now echoes like the lonely claps of a one-man audience at a rain-delayed tennis match.

Regrettably, I'll be dropping my subscription faster than a player smashes a racket after a missed serve. It's time for me to explore other courts, where the music and tennis (or so I thought) resonate with my soul's strings.

In a twist of fate, as I pen this farewell, I fear I've trapped more than just my feelings; my foreskin seems to have found its way into the detergent tray of my mother's washing machine (again) – a fitting metaphor for our tangled relationship.

So, it's with a limp and a wince that I bid you adieu. May your podcast serve well in the future, but without me in the stands.

Sincerely flustered and forehandedly,

Ruddiger "Racket" Broomhilder

Congratulations, we've actually made it to episode 150—time to lower the bar even further.

Andrew and Dr Sam reluctantly delve into the world of sport, finding the few tracks they can tolerate that actually cover the theme. Before they get there, they waste a solid half hour arguing about:

* The proper spelling of Lemmy from Motorhead's surname.
* A bizarre 1994 scuffle involving Neil Diamond and Lemmy in a Billeriki Toys R Us.
* The viability of starting a new podcast called "Liberal Filth".
* A tangent on Viking history, property rights, and why Vikings had itchy bums.
* Defining "Aerosmith Money"—the huge financial windfall from unexpected licensing (like Guitar Hero), which is apparently a "well-known phrase".

The Music Choices (Finally):

Riffs of the week:
Dr Sam's Riff: Reagan Youth - Jesus Was a Communist
Andrew's Riff: Smote - The opinion of the lamb Pt.1

Dr Sam's Track Choices:
1. Richard Dawson - Jogging
2. Hanson Brothers - Stick Boy
3. Dead Kennedys - Jock-O-Rama (Invasion of the Beef Patrol)
4. Fleshies - Runner's Legs

Andrew's Track Choices:
1. Kraftwerk - Tour de France
2. Chemical Brothers - Theme for Velodrome
3. Fu Manchu - King of the road
4. Pansy Division - He Whipped My Ass In Tennis (Then I Fucked His Ass In Bed)

If you've made it this far, you deserve a chocolate bar. We're heading off to the loo. Enjoy the filth.

Email us with your hate mail, facts, or spelling corrections: beatmotel@lawsie.com

Gonzo review of BATUSHKA + Kanonenfieber live at The Dome in Tuffnell Park in London.

Cheers to Roki and Stuart Bowditch (and Stuart's mate talking about the moshpit) for getting involved in this episode.

Take it to the George Orwell bridge! Take it to the Friendship Bridge! This time 'round the musical merry-go-round, we discuss James Brown's favourite bit of any song: the Middle 8. This is a common part of many pop songs, which isn't either the verse or the chorus. So, join us and take it to the Eshima Ohashi bridge.

+ some REAL letters. As well as more AI ego trippin' for Andrew and Sam, including some really plumming stuff.

Email us - beatmotel@lawsie.com

Riff of the week:
SAM - Peter Brötzmann - Machine Gun
ANDREW - Kanonenfieber - Grabenkampf (00:30)
SAM'S CHOICES
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (1.54)
The Clash - Koka Kola (0.48)
Queen - Death on Two Legs (1.44)
Megadeth - Sweating Bullets (3.05)
ANDREW'S CHOICES
James Brown from https://youtu.be/zo80gXXIH_o?si=ZKsfswTaxX5SQZ8L
The Charlatans - The Only One I Know - (2:44)
The Kinks - Shangri-La (2:47)
The Refused - New Noise (3:35)
Led Zeppelin - The Crunge (3:17)

What's the point? Contract fillers that contribute little if anything to the repertoire of the band?

This week, Andrew and Sam explore the world and purpose of live albums, and finish the episode without conclusion (although their thoughts are pretty obvious) to go on and indulge their ego at having some real letters sent in (as well as more AI letters).

Email us at beatmotel@lawsie.com

• Sam – Casiopea – Time Limit (opening)
• Andrew – Gravediggaz – Deathtrap (opening)

• Jello Biafra and The New Orleans Raunch and Soul All-Stars – Don't Mess With My Toot Toot (opening)
• Otis Redding – I've Been Loving You Too Long (from Live at the Whisky – 2.40)
• Charles Mingus – Fables of Faubus (from The Great Concert of Charles Mingus – 19.10)
• Nirvana – Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam (0.50)

• No Use For A Name – Outside Live in a Dive (10:45 on youtube version)
• Against Me! – Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists (4:20)
• Sex Pistols Bodies "Buddies" Live 1996 (0:15)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers- Intro/Can't Stop – Live In Hyde Park (0:20)

Riffs of the week

Sam's choicesAndrew's choicesRuddiger Broomhilder's letter of the week:

Subject: Harmonic Misadventures and Wheat-Field Woes!

Dear Virtuosos of Vibration at the Beat Motel,

I've recently immersed myself in the symphonic journey of your "field recording" episode, and what an expedition it was! Though, I must confess, the absence of Dr. Sam's rhythmic repartee left a noticeable void, akin to a silent rest in a vivace movement. Andrew, while your solo performance was akin to a virtuoso's bravura, the symphony of your combined energies was sorely missed.

Now, onto the heart of the matter! Andrew, your quip about the bassist's existential crisis amidst detuned chaos was a true guffaw-inducer! It led me down a rabbit hole of pondering: If you orchestrated a symphony of musicians, each bewilderingly wielding instruments tuned to their own whims, what would this delightful dissonance be dubbed? I tender "The Harmonic Anomalies" as a suggestion, eagerly awaiting your creative decree!

And what fortune to have Stuart Bowditch in the mix, a maestro of the ambient and abstract! Stuart, your recounting of field recording escapades was a revelation. However, I must air my befuddlement. Upon your recommendation, I endeavored to set up my vintage recording ensemble amidst a local wheat field, envisaging the golden sheaves as nature's own sound baffles. Alas, the pastoral setting proved perilous, as my prized equipment suffered an onslaught by the local rodentia, clearly mistaking my gear for an avant-garde granary! Could you elucidate how you safeguard your own apparatus from such agricultural adversaries during these 'field recordings'?

And Dr. Sam, your drummer humor struck a chord, or perhaps a drumhead, with me. As a culinary and musical enthusiast, I've pondered over pizza and percussions: If a drummer were to set up a drum kit using only pizza boxes of various sizes and densities, what genre of music do you reckon would best be complemented by this saucy percussion setup? Could "Deep Dish Beats" be the next big thing, or is "Crust Punk" more apt?

I've championed your podcast as essential soul sustenance to every acquaintance within earshot, asserting its place as a staple in the diet of discerning audiophiles. Forge ahead on your melodious path, sirs, for you command the undivided attention of this enthusiastic, albeit recently rodent-thwarted, devotee.

In harmonious anticipation,
Ruddiger Broomhilder (Seeker of Sonic Sanctuaries and Defender of Vintage Gear)

P.S. Dr. Sam, your absence was akin to a missing downbeat in a baroque masterpiece. May your Italian sojourn be as enriching as your auditory embellishments are to our eager ears!

Considering the fact that Beat Motel is a zine podcast, we don't talk about zines enough. This episode fixes that with aplomb; not only do we spend most of the episode talking about zines, our guest publishes one of the finest zines to come out of a town that people think is in America, but that is actually in Lincolnshire.

Our guest for this episode is the marvellous Marv Gadgie, an ardent fan of thrash, weaver of magical tales and all-around good sort of cove. Dive into this episode if you have a love of zines, d-beat bands and if you were once a child. In fact, I can't think of any reason anyone with a pulse wouldn't enjoy this episode.

We've even used AI to adapt a well-known song to accompany this zine-related episode, but we can't afford the licencing and aren't musically talented enough to perform it for you. So you'll have to sing it yourself. Please send in recordings of yourself doing just that.

Email us at beatmotel@lawsie.com

Gadgie Zine on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Nowthengadgie

The punk rock ones, sung to the tune of 'The Young Ones' by Cliff Richard and The Shadows

The punk rock ones

Darling, we're the punk rock ones

And punk rockers

Shouldn't be afraid

To live, love

With zines in our hands

'Cause we may not be the punk rock ones

For a too-long

Why wait for another zine?

'Cause tomorrow

Marv Gadgie might share a scene

From Guisborough tales

Of his childhood so keen

With memories so sharp

And stories so clean

Once in every gig night

Comes a riff like this

Oh, I read you, and you read me

In Marv's zine, can't you see?

Punk dreams

Inked on zines together

And punk hearts

Shouldn't be afraid

And someday

When the gig is done

Darling, then we'll share with the new punks

Our favourite song

Once in every mosh pit

Comes a jump like this

Oh, I moshed with you and you with me

In Guisborough's memory, can't you see?

Punk dreams

Penned in hilarious tales

And punk hearts

With Marv Gadgie's details

And some day

While the stories have grown

Darling, we'll show the new punks

Marv's Guisborough zone

The punk rock ones

Darling, we're the punk rock ones

The punk rock ones

Darling, we're the punk rock ones

Gonzo-style review of space-travelling sonic wanderers Henge, live at St Stephens Church in Ipswich.

Support from Dogshow, who, once seen, are unlikely to be forgotten.

Hear the sounds of the gig, listen to people at the gig talking about the bands, get aural experience of the venue toilets and much more!

Two bassists get a bit naval gazing by being the only ones to celebrate bassists. The bass is the four stringed instrument what rarely gets much mention beyond Rush and Primus fans. Andrew and Sam turn it music on its head for the first Sam-produced episode and consider some of the things bass contributes to the music. This is probably the first of many focuses on the bass. Remember people, bass players need love, too. Even Les Claypool. Andrew Riff of the Week – Bert Jansch Bittern Sam Riff of the Week: Mary Halverson - Amaryllis Episode tracks: Cream – Crossroads Jackson 5 – I Want You Back Pentangle - Reflection Guns N'Roses – My Michelle Blur – Won't Do It Queen – Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy PiL - Poptones Primus – Jerry Was a Racecar Driver That Pentangle video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3DFCXaqLrg&t=0s Beat Motel Zine started as an award-winning print zine sometime around 2004, and this podcast continues that trajectory with attitude, enthusiasm and curiosity. Tune in, turn up & kick back! We dig into the alternative music we live for. Join us for deep dives, on-the-spot live reviews and laughs. This is not about the world of pop, this is an alt music podcast with a punk rock zine attitude. Beat Motel is about the fringes of the musical world, and we're going to pull at those threads until it unravels.

Can you read? Do you like music? Well, then, this episode is for you, as Andrew and Sam show off that their basic education still goes to good use in the form of showing off that they can read books. Looks like we've got some readers here, as Bill Hicks said. What do you want to read for?

This episode, we discuss our favourite music biography-orientated books. We talk about whether they've changed our relationship to the music, and some of what makes and breaks these books. Andrew also has a new introduction for the podcast, which in itself may need an introduction.

Email us, for the love of gravy, email us! beatmotel@lawsie.com

RIFFS OF THE WEEK

SAM - Tom Zé - Ave Dor Maria (opening)

ANDREW - Kanonenfieber - Dicke Bertha (0:55)

SAM'S PICKS

Little Richard - Spreadin' Natta What's the Matter (0.14)

Little Richard by Charles White

Jayne County - Max's Kansas City (0.20)

Man Enough to be a Woman by Jayne County

Minutemen - My Heart and the Real World (opening)

Double Nickels on the Dime by Michael T. Fournier

The Slits - Typical Girls (opening)

Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys by Viv Albertine

ANDREW'S PICKS

The Auteurs - Lenny Valentino (0:20

Bad Vibes by Luke Haines

The Charlatans - Up to our hips (0:20)

Telling Stories - Tim Burgess

Spaceman 3 - An evening of contemporary sitar music (live) (37:01)

Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands by Will Carruthers

Sleeper - Statuesque (from the start)

Just for one day - Louise Wener

The Rock Geeks Podcast - https://shows.acast.com/the-rock-geeks

Episode artwork generated by Dall-E with the prompt 'metal band made up of books who can play guitars and drums, all the books are on a stage made of a bouncy castle'

This is a gonzo-style immersive live review of a very special sold-out gig at St Stephens Church in Ipswich. Including conversations with 60% of Interesting Times Gang, 66% of Hot Tramp, 33% of JS & The Lockerbillies and 75% of Ecto Peach.

Show links:

Interesting Times Gang - https://www.instagram.com/interestingtimes.gang/

Hot Tramp - https://www.instagram.com/hottrampband/

Impilo - https://soundcloud.com/impilomusic

Ecto Peach - https://ectopeach.bandcamp.com/

J.S. & The Lockerbillies - https://www.lockerbillies.com/

Do you remember secret tracks on the CD versions of albums? If so, you might be as old as we are. Which means you're COOL!

In this episode of the Beat Motel podcast, Andrew and Dr Sam share their favourite and most interesting secret album tracks. Some are good, some are interesting, and one might make you feel physically unwell.

We have introduced a correspondence section at the end of each episode, so contact us by emailing beatmotel@lawsie.com

Riffs of the week

SAM - Eric Dolphy - Hat and Beard (opening)

ANDREW - Burst - Momentum (3.20)

Sam's Picks

• Primus - the Heckler (album version) - 2.40

• Green Day - All By Myself (0.18)

• Pitchshifter - Free Samples (0.15)

• Against Me! - Armageddon (1.45)

Andrew's Picks

• Stone Roses - Foz (4.00)

• Nirvana - Endless, Nameless (4:30)

• Ash - Sick Party (0:40)

• The Velvet Underground - After hours (from start)

Who says taste can't evolve? This week, Andrew and Dr Sam go on a full-blown U-turn, confessing their love for bands they once treated with the kind of disdain normally reserved for traffic wardens and warm lager.

Expect shocking revelations: Bonnie Tyler's absurdly overproduced 80s epic is now basically gospel. Cradle of Filth? Once unlistenable black metal, now "charmingly chaotic". The Beastie Boys go from party-clown pariahs to filth-toned bass gods. Deep Purple gets a love letter. And Split Enz? The band nobody asked for suddenly gets a sparkly redemption arc.

Also:

• Finnish shopping centre linguistics

• How a Mercedes almost caused an international incident

• Traffic wardens, German police, and the time an entire road of cars vanished

• Folk music's stealthy mission to win your heart through Pete Seeger-related Stockholm syndrome

Basically, it's the usual chaos with a theme loosely stuck on like a peeling gig poster on a damp venue wall. Stick around for ludicrous Hard-Ons album titles and an exploration of music that makes your genitals not catch fire (unlike Bonnie Tyler's).

Dr Sam's Riff:

• Gorilla Toss – Panglossian Mannequin

Andrew's Riff:

• The Stone Roses – One Love

1. Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero

2. Cradle of Filth – Desire in Violent Overture (Remixed)

3. Japan – The Art of Parties

4. Hamish Imlach – Johnny O'Breadislee

1. Split Enz – I See Red

2. Hard-Ons – Carrot Top

3. Deep Purple – Speed King

4. Beastie Boys – Gratitude

💌 Email us your confessions of musical flip-floppery:
beatmotel@lawsie.com

Live review of the Max Cooper 3D/AV gig at Norwich Arts Centre, supported by Alex Banks.
Review ably assisted by James Howard.
Find out more about James's music at https://talkingsleeve.bandcamp.com/
Max Cooper - https://maxcooper.net/
Alex Banks - https://www.alexbanksmusic.co.uk/
Norwich Arts Centre - https://norwichartscentre.co.uk/

What is your problem with Country Music? Seriously?

In this episode of the Beat Motel Zine Podcast we dig into why lovers of genres like punk, electronica and metal seem so prejudiced against Country Music. What is it about this genre that makes so many people dismiss it?

In each episode of the Beat Motel Zine Podcast Dr Sam and Andrew Culture pick four tracks each that are either important to them, or that emphasise a point being made about the subject being explored. This episode follows that format, but in a slightly different way. Listen to find out more!

We have introduced a correspondence section at the end of each episode, so contact us by emailing beatmotel@lawsie.com

Riffs of the week

SAM - Screaming Females - It All Means Nothing (opening)

ANDREW - ISIS - So did we (opening)

SAM'S PICKS

Southern Culture on the Skids - Put Your Teeth Up On the Window Sill (0.16)

Kitty Wells - It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (0.33)

Loretta Lynn - The Pill (0.17)

Webb Pierce - In the Jail House Now (opening)

ANDREW'S PICKS

Nothing at all!

Some songs appear only to exist to allow the band's guitarist to properly show off. But is this a good thing or a bad thing?
What happens when the bit of the song with singing and whatnot is pitifully short, but the solo is far too long? Join Dr Sam and Andrew as we dig into our favourite tracks that are 'more solo than song'.
For this episode, we are excluding Prog Rock from our choices, mainly because there are sub-genres of Prog full of bands who write tracks that are 99.9999992% guitar solo.
Have a listen and get in touch to let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices. Let us know if there are some amazing examples of songs that are 'more solo than song'.
Please email us at beatmotel@lawsie.com
SAM'S PICKS
Melvins - Skin Horse (0.47)
Minutemen - Cut (anywhere!)
Super Junky Monkey - Telepathy (opening)
Dinosaur Jr. - What Else Is New? (opening)
ANDREW'S PICKS
The Isley Brothers - Who's that lady (2.30)
Santana - Black magic woman (3.32)
Stone roses - I am the resurrection (3.35)
Dinosaur Jr - Start chopping
RIFFS OF THE WEEK
Sam - My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) (2.16)
Andrew - Fu Manchu - Grendle, Snowman
BANDS MENTIONED
Hurra Torpedo - https://youtu.be/ysUjYAi0WcQ?si=aihoP1oR5Zb6385P
Slayer
Queen
No Means No
Megadeth
Funkadelic
This episode image was created by Dall-E using the prompt 'never ending guitar solo laughing fish on a pie'

ExBuryMental is the name for a long-running series of gigs put on by Jay Volunteer in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk (UK). If these gigs had to be pigeonholed in some way, I would say they are probably noise gigs, but in reality, anybody who wants to make any kind of sound is more than welcome to get up and do their thing.

These gigs are also connected to the noise gigs in Ipswich that I (Andrew) put on. In some ways, the gigs in Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich are a little bit like different sides of the same coin.

This gig was a perfect example of how incredibly fun noise gigs can be. I need to thank so many people for getting involved in this episode, most notably Jay Volunteer, Matt Rectangles and Dan Callis. You'll hear their voices a lot in this episode. I love this episode, and any time I start to get worn down by the slog of being a musician I'll listen back to this episode for a reminder of why I put myself through this nonsense.

Oh, and I have no idea how I managed not to record any of the Italian Books set (sorry Jay).

Acts in this episode:

There are no birds here

https://therearenobirdshere.bandcamp.com/

Karma Please

https://karmaplease.bandcamp.com/

Italian Books

https://trenchartnoise.bandcamp.com/

Yggdrasil

https://yggdrasil9.bandcamp.com/

Ken First

For Nika

Barney Gumble

It's summer, so we're doing a Ska Punk episode! Join Dr Sam and Andrew Culture as we wander down a slightly off-beat memory lane of peppy music!
This episode has many brilliant anecdotes, especially around the punk scene of the late 90s and early 2000s, including our adventures in German squats and the generosity of touring bands. It's not nostalgia; it's a celebration!
SAM'S PICKS
Operation Ivy - Bad Town
The Gadjits - Traffic Tickets
CapDown - An A-Political Stand of Reasons
Streetlight Manifesto - Here's to Life
ANDREW'S PICKS
King Prawn - People taking over
The Big - Don't count me in
Citizen Fish - Back to square one
Inner Terrestrials - War
Riffs of the week
Sam: SLW cc Watt - Be the Bones
Andrew: Burst - Slave emotion
Bands mentioned in this episode
Asian Dub Foundation
Terrorvision
Baba Luck
Once Over
Sonderschule
Lightyear
Reel Big Fish
Leftover Crack
Show links -

The Big - Whatever makes you happy https://edrome.bandcamp.com/album/whatever-makes-you-happy

Ed Rome (The Big) Interview - https://lawsie.com/music-consumption/the-big-beat-motel-zine-interview-2005/

Capown Wikipedia entry - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capdown

Get the full show notes at beatmotel.co.uk

The Fall shouldn't really need an introduction. But are you sure they are the band you think they are? For this episode of The Beat Motel Podcast I'm joined by writer Mark Beaumont-Thomas and we discuss the story of Mark E Smith, The Fall and most importantly, the music.

The passing of Mark E Smith appears to have inspired many to take a fresh look at The Fall. Many are realising that the appeal of this band is broader than they thought. So this episode is a look at why The Fall aren't the scary band for elitists you might have thought they are.

There is a TON of extra info about The Fall on this page, so make sure you scroll down.

Show links

Mark's website

Oh Brother Podcast

Review of Swans playing live at Norwich Waterfront on Wednesday, 23rd August 2023.

Thanks to Jay, Boo and Roki for getting involved.

Join Dr Sam and Andrew as they visit the very first Hellskinki Metal Festival (yes, note the two insertions of the letter 'L'). Find out what an extreme metal festival in the heart of one of the most metal countries in the world is like, first hand.

Photos and more are available at https://lawsie.com/beat-motel-podcast/hellsinki-metal-festival-2023-a-gonzo-review/

As with all our live reviews, we make a real effort to make you feel as if you might actually be at the event. We cover the daft things that happen around travelling to a music festival in a gonzo-style. We record the crowds, the noise and report on the cool bits and bobs we see that make a good live music event excellent.

Festival website - https://www.hellsinkimetalfestival.fi/

Bands reviewed in this episode:

• Terveet Kadet
• Scar Symmertry
• Pentagram
• Vomitory
• Blood Red Hourglass
• Burst
• I am Morbid
• Priest
• Deluge
• Emperor

We also bumped into the creators of a new documentary about the more gruesome side of Black Metal called ''In the Shadow of the Horns' and had a chat about this 'reality movie'. You can find out more about that at https://www.zeezome.com/

Are parody bands a pointless waste of our ears, or are they an essential part of a vibrant musical tapestry? In this episode of the Beat Motel podcast Dr Sam and Andrew chose eight of their favourite parody bands and then argue about whether they are actually parodies or not.
This episode was a LOT of fun to make!
RIFFS OF THE WEEK
Chepang - GC (Sam)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme Pt III - Pursuance
SAM'S CHOICES
Good Clean Fun - Song for the Ladies
Beatallica - And Justice for All My Loving
Awkwafina - My Vag
Jud Jud - High Hat song
ANDREW'S CHOICES
Gentlemen's Pistols - I wouldn't let you
Frank Zappa - Louisiana Hooker with Herpes
Goldie Lookin Chain - Half Man Half Machine
The Shirehorses - You're a bastard
BAND'S MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The Big
Metallica
Pantera
Agriculture
Rush
No Means No
Sick of it all
Thin Lizzy
Hardskin
Wat Tyler
ZEEB?
The Beatles
Charles Mingus

Throughout history, venues have helped define and nurture scenes. Sometimes music venues become central to the scenes they support. For example, The Hacienda in Manchester become synonymous with the Madchester scene in the early 90s.
From the 1960s to the late 1990's, a tiny venue in Soho (London) became the heart of a music scene that spawned phenomenal stars. The venue was Bunjies. Although it wasn't a venue so much as it was a coffee shop with a tiny basement.
We could list the acts who performed at Bunjies, but we figured it would be far more interesting to speak to someone who was there. Nick Blatchley is that man! In this episode of the Beat Motel podcast, we are thrilled to be joined by poet, writer, historian and occasional rapper Mr Nick Blatchley.
Show links
Visit Nick's website at https://nickblatchleycopywriting.co.uk/
Bunjies on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunjies
Bands and acts mentioned in this episode:
Paul Simon
Bert Jansch
Ralph McTell
Rod Stewart
Adam Faith
David Bowie
Jeff Buckley
John Cooper Clark

In this week's episode of Beat Motel, Andrew and Dr Sam dig deep into the muddy puddle of nostalgia. We've got:

• Lycra-based band trauma

• John Barnes rapping about... something

• An important public health warning about Coco Pops

• Dead Kennedys covered in Parisian jazz cafés

• A little gig promotion wrapped in existential dread

• The legacy of punk, rewritten by whoever was shouting loudest in 1978

We also explore vital global topics like whether "buggery" is too rude for a poster in Costa, how to polish your ring the Rimmer way, and why listening to football songs from the 90s might be causing irreversible brain damage.

Oh, and there's music chat too. Sort of.

• The Black Dahlia Murder – A Shrine to Madness

• These Are End Times – The Pit

1. A Tribe Called Quest – Excursions

2. Cock Sparrer – Where Are They Now

3. Nouvelle Vague – Too Drunk to Fuck

4. Thee Sinseers – Can't Do That To Her

1. Adam and Joe – Football Song

2. New Order – World in Motion

3. Paul Simon – Duncan (Live 1973)

4. Los Lobos – La Bamba

Electronic adventures at the fantastic Smokehouse in Ipswich.

Friendship is a large part of the music experience. We meet friends at gigs, we're in bands with friends, and sometimes, when the stars align we get to put on gigs featuring friends. Then there are the magical occasions whereby we are able to promote a gig for a friend who has lived abroad for years and is back in the UK for just a short time. This episode is about one of those magical times.

Sure, the huge acts can afford impressive light shows and enough lasers to upset commercial air traffic, but what can artists who haven't already made millions do to make gigs more interesting?

This episode of the Beat Motel podcast is a review of a rare UK performance by Egypt-based Nujumi. Support from Jon Bowers, Strandings and Mawhrin Skel.

NUJUMI
Based in Eqypt, Nujumi describe themselves as 'green pastures and dark debris'. Orchestrated synth and strings emerging from the dusts of the Sahara.
Created by Daniel Merrill, one-third of the Dead Rat Orchestra.
https://nujumi.bandcamp.com/

JOHN BOWERS
In his first performance returning to Ipswich after 10 years in the Newcastle DIY scene, John Bowers will coax room feedback, chaotic noise, spectral ambience, and extreme dynamics from his modular synthesizer and Pure Data programs. John has a long history in rowdy improvised experimental electronics having performed at festivals including the Venice Biennale, Experimental Intermedia New York, Transmediale/CTM Vorspiel Berlin, Piksel Bergen, Electropixel Nantes, BEAM London, Faster Than Sound Aldeburgh, Yarmonics Great Yarmouth and Spill Ipswich, and toured with the Rambert Dance Company performing David Tudor's music to Merce Cunningham's Rainforest. He is one third of the noise rock trio Tonesucker. He has just launched a personal record label, https://unlanded.bandcamp.com/. Its first album, Unlanded Volume 1 is planned for release June 2023. https://www.instagram.com/johnthemodulator/

STRANDINGS
Strandings is the new project by Dead Rat Orchestra member Robin Alderton. A combination of electro-acoustic elements featuring the folk based influences of his soundtrack work with DRO and solo textural collage work utilising turntables, electronics and manipulated vinyl. For fans of Philip Jeck, William Basinski and CST Records.

MAHWRIN SKEL
Depending on whim, willingness and weather Mawhrin Skel makes music that is often described as noise, drone, techno-alt-orchestral and ambient. His music is characterised by its use of harsh, abrasive sounds, deep frequencies as well as long, slow, and meditative passages. Mawhrin Skel is the stage name of Andrew Culture, occasional novelist and bassist of These Are End Times.
https://mawhrinskel.bandcamp.com/

Do you know what the Amen break is? No? Then listen to this episode of the Beat Motel Zine Podcast. If you already know what the Amen break is then you should still listen to this episode of the podcast!

One of the greatest and bestest things about music is that you can always be amazed by learning something new. Once you have acquired new musical knowledge your life changes, you can't 'unknow' the Amen break once you've learned about it, and you'll start to hear it everywhere.

The Amen break is the greatest example of aural Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, so join us as we dig into the history of this short bit of drumming!

Bands and artists mentioned in this episode:

• Jackie Chan
• The Skatalites
• Stevie Wonder
• Kate Bush
• The Winstons
• Salt N Pepa
• N.W.A
• LTJ Bukem
• The Prodigy
• Venetian Snares

Download the presentation for this episode

Video mentioned by Andrew during the episode - https://youtu.be/2PBeKzVhWHY

Wu-Tang: An American Saga is a series shown on Disney+ (here in the UK) and is a dramatisation of the early days of the Wu-Tang clan. In this episode of the Beat Motel Podcast Andrew walks us through the first two seasons of this hip-hop historical dramatisation.

How close is Wu-Tang: An American Saga to the truth, and does that really matter at all? Would someone who isn't into hip-hop get anything from watching this series? Does this dramatisation glorify negative stereotypes? Find out by listening to this episode now.

Get the full show notes at http://beatmotel.co.uk

More details at https://lawsie.com/beat-motel-podcast/ipswich-music-day-2023/

Ipswich Music Day happens the same weekend ever year in, yup, you guessed it - Ipswich! This is the biggest free music festival in the UK. In this episode of the Beat Motel Podcast Andrew takes us on a journey through Ipswich Music Day (known locally as 'music in the park').

Bands mentioned in this episode:

• The Interesting Times Gang
• Myopia
• Planet Fatale
• Moon Street
• Polly Haynes
• Arms to Oblivion

Get more at https://lawsie.com/beat-motel-podcast/trv-kvlt-black-metal-lo-fi-isms-academic-notes/

This week, Sam is broadcasating from darkened cathedral. Join him as he bumbles through a lo-fi essay on thoughts and his research on trv, kvlt black metal lo-fi-isms.

Is the crapness of his recording and production due to budget and laziness, or is he being kvlt? Plus, a load of samples from the world of early 90s death and black metal. They say you ruin a joke by explaining a joke, so Sam tries to ruin kvlt by explaining kvlt.

Publications:

• Makkonen, M. and Strömsholm, K. 2020. Rotting Ways to Misery: The History of Finnish Death Metal. Cult Never Dies.
• Moynihan, M. and Soderlind, D. 1998. Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground. Feral House.
• Reyes, I. "Blacker than Death: Recollecting the 'Black Turn' in Metal Aesthetics.' In Journal of Popular Music Studies (25:2): pp. 240-25

Music (chronological playlist):

• Waitan – Legions of the Black Light
• Cradle of Filth – Her Ghost in the Fog
• Wolves in the Throne Room – Born from the Serpents Eye
• Darkthrone – Natassja in Eternal Sleep
• Venom – Black Metal
• Bathory – Necromansy
• Hellhammer – The Third of the Storm (Evoked Damnation)
• Cannibal Corpse – Devoured by Vermin
• Emperor – The Tongue of Fire
• Xysma – On the Hill of Desecration
• Bloodbath – Cancer of the Soul

Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii is a film that is packed with oddities, experiments, frustrations and a whole lot of sand. Live at Pompeii is required viewing for 'heads', but does this 52 year old film still have any relevance? How does it hold up against other legendary rock films?

In this episode of the Beat Motel Podcast Andrew is joined by his These Are End Times bandmate, and acknowledged expert on the topic of Pink Floyd, Simon Finbow. Join as we dig deep into the fascinating history and folklore of Live At Pompeii.

Our review of day two of the Brighten the Corners festival in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Get the day 1 review (and more) at https://lawsie.com/beat-motel-podcast/brighten-the-corners-festival-day-1-review/

Bands mentioned in this podcast episode

• Anthony Smerick
• Moorish Idols
• Deathcrash
• Triptides
• Kyoto Kyoto
• Fat Dog
• Karma Sheen

Brighten the Corners is a huge multi-venue festival in Ipswich, Suffolk, UK. Previously called 'Sound City Ipswich' the festival has a brilliant reputation for booking acts that almost immediately afterwards become huge. It's a bit like the East Anglian version of The Great Escape festival in Brighton.

Find out more about Beat Motel at https://beatmotel.co.uk/

Bands mentioned in this podcast episode

• Ditz
• Coops
• Pulled Apart by Horses
• O

The opportunities to witness Japanese black gaze bands playing live in the UK aren't frequent. So when Asunojokei announced they would be ending their first European tour just down the road from us at Colchester Arts Centre tickets were bought as fast as our meaty fingers could hammer in card details on the Arts Centre website. The fact our friends Lebrique were in support was an added bonus. This episode was recorded live on the night of the gig (05/06/23) with some help from James Howard and some other new friends we made at the gig.

Get the full show notes (and band links) at https://lawsie.com/beat-motel-podcast/asunojokei-lebrique-the-grey-colchester-arts-centre-review/

What makes a good live performance? Forget about the songs and musicianship and think about the other stuff.
For this episode of the Beat Motel podcast, we were going to talk about the best light shows we have ever seen, but we realised that a good gig is about more than how many lights are blinding the audience.
Join Dr Sam Page and Andrew Culture as we discuss eight of the best performances we have ever seen and explore the reasons why we loved them.
RIFF OF THE WEEK
Andrew: Queens of the Stone Age - Emotion Sickness
Sam: Private Function - Don't Want to go Out on the Weekend
SAM'S PICKS
Squarepusher - An Arched Pathway
Gwar - The Cutter
Mike Park - From Korea
Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Karin
ANDREW'S PICKS
Mogwai - Glasgow Mega-Snake
Fuck buttons - Brainfreeze
Rival Consoles - Howl
Ryan Jordan - Live at the Steamboat Tavern 27/01/18
OTHER MENTIONS
Adam Ant
Bauhaus
Stockhausen
The Slits
ATP Festivals
Metallica Piss Breaks
Sleaford Mods
John Lydon
Morrisey

Ever bought an album just because you should love it... only to file it under "respect, but no thanks"? This week, Andrew Culture and Dr. Sam go full chin-strokey and dive deep into the bands, albums, and entire genres that make them go, "I get it. I just don't want it."

We're talking Flux of Pink Indians' sonic assaults, John Zorn's sex-jazz chaos, Minutemen's minute-long jazz-punk spasms, and yes, that unholy racket from Merzbow. Along the way we also chat about Damon Albarn's trouser-based stage antics, Janis Joplin's wardrobe malfunctions, and what happens when Rick Wakeman tries to write a stadium-rock opera about Henry VIII's wives. Seriously.

It's an episode filled with love for the bold, the bizarre, and the borderline unlistenable. So grab your brandy, light your pipe, and stroke your chin in a disapproving-yet-respectful fashion.

• Why Andrew would rather chew tinfoil than listen to Merzbow again

• What makes Dr. Sam say "this is basically an angry Jackson Pollock painting"

• Who wins the battle of "I admire them, but no thanks" — Apex Twin or The Minutemen?

• Why Flux of Pink Indians were literally banned by the police (hint: it wasn't for being catchy)

• The sexy noises of John Zorn and why jazz speedrunning should be a sport

Plus! Music recommendations, tangents about driving in America, dodgy cod reggae, and why you should never trust someone who plays saxophone and wears a beret.

🎸 Riffs of the Week

👉 Dr. Sam's Riff:
Danny Brown – Copycat

👉 Andrew's Riff:
Die Spitz – Throw Yourself to the Sword

🎵 Dr. Sam's Track Choices:
1. Flux of Pink Indians – The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks
2. John Zorn – Erotico (The Burglars)
3. Taraf de Haidouks – The Return of The Magic Horses
4. Merzbow – Woodpecker No. 2

🎵 Andrew's Track Choices:
1. Aphex Twin – Windowlicker
2. Rush – Spirit of Radio
3. Minutemen – This Ain't No Picnic
4. Primus – Tommy the Cat

📧 Email us: beatmotel@lawsie.com

Get more at beatmotel.co.uk

Blur have announced that they will soon be releasing a new album, so this seemed like the perfect time to look back over their long career and pick out some songs that highly the weirdness and glory of Colchester's finest band with a four-letter name.

We encourage you to listen to this episode even if you aren't a blur fan. When publishing Bet Motel podcast episodes that focus on one particular band, we want to highlight what we think makes the band interesting. This is not a hagiography. Sometimes finding out what other people find exciting about a band can turn us onto something new, and that's what we're going for here.

In the studio with Graham Coxon https://youtu.be/E9EPzwGRxoo

RIFF OF THE WEEK

Tony Lavorgna & The St.Thomas Quartet - chameleon

SAM'S PICKS

Clover over Dover (from around 31)

Dan Abnormal

Death of a Party (from around 0.22)

Battle (from around 0.22)

The Narcissist

ANDREW'S PICKS

Slow down

Popscene

Coping

Beetlebum

Why do bands mess up excellent songs with the wrong production choices? Why would any band choose to make their recordings sound deliberately terrible? Dr Sam Page and Andrew Culture answer these questions and many more in this episode of the Beat Motel podcast.

Get more at https://beatmotel.co.uk/

If you expect objective facts and reasonable arguments, you should find a different music podcast; music is too important to be treated with vagueness.

RIFF OF THE WEEK

Squid Pisser - Liquified Remains

Decapitated - Just a cigarette

SAM'S PICKS

1. Rotten Sound - Green

2. Cradle of Filth - Desire in Violent Overture

3. Poison Ruin - Parade of Phantoms

4. Terveet Kädet - Vapaa Pohjola

5. Riff of the Week: Archspire - Drone Corpse Aviator

ANDREW'S PICKS

1. Charlatans - page 1

2. Stone roses - breaking into heaven

3. Replacements - Can't hardly wait

MENTIONS

The Locust

White Centepide podcast

Against Me!

Placebo

Fat Wreck Chords

Rancid

Citizen Fish

Leftover Crack

BYO Records

Meshugga

System of Down

Bullets of Broadway

Mike Patton

The Refused

Fucked Up

Sepultura

Professor Nicholas Cook