C86 Show - Indie Pop

Jason Collins/Umbrellabird in conversation with David Eastaugh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5uCjjeIi68 The Roots of the Seers lie in two places; Bristol (obviously) and Billericay (not so obviously). Leigh Wildman grew up in Billericay and it was there he met Jason Collins, a guitarist from nearby Brentwood. They had spent some time in bands around the Essex region and they, along with a few friends, had decided to up sticks and try somewhere else. At the suggestion of one of their number, Bristol was decided upon, and a mini Essex invasion took place in the summer of 1984. Adrian Blackmore, or Age, as he was known, had been in the second wave of Bristol’s punk scene, too young to be in bands like the Cortinas, but old enough to be won over by punk’s energy. He picked up the drums quickly and formed Lunatic Fringe with fellow Bristol Punk stalwarts Bear Hackenbush and John Finch. The Bristol punk scene in 1984 was a more cider fuelled version of what Crass was peddling, with a very much Do it yourself vibe. Bands squatted venues like the old Beetle Centre on Stokes Croft and encouraged the squatting of disused houses, which many lived in. It was in one of these squatted houses, Turdy Way, named for the amount of dog shit in the house when it was first squatted, that the Essex invasion landed. After a single and some tracks on a few compilation albums, Age had left Lunatic Fringe (very amicably) and started jamming with Leigh and another of the Essex invasion, Marc Hymas, in a loose knit band called Death Machine. Influenced by T-Rex and Hawkwind, they played a few gigs at the Demolition Ballroom (the name given to the squatted Beetle Centre). After a while, Marc decided he wanted to do something else and played Saxophone with Pigbag sound-a-likes Animal Magic. Leigh and Age decided they liked playing together and enlisted Jason on bass guitar and vocals. Getting more focused, and deciding to add some shared influences in the form of 60’s Garage bands they enrolled a singer, Dean Strange, with Jason providing backing vocals.  

Richard Barbieri in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://richardbarbieri.bandcamp.com/ ‘Hauntings’ is Richard Barbieri’s first studio album since 2021’s ‘Under A Spell’ and deepens the pensive, dark instrumental aesthetic of its predecessor. A diverse collection of immersive sound worlds, both dark and uplifting in equal measure, ‘Hauntings’ is influenced by a nostalgia for the past and future, and for things that didn’t happen yet still manage to haunt the mind and soul. What is real and what is simulation?   Richard Barbieri remains one of contemporary music’s most distinctive voices. Emerging as a key architect of the late ’70s/’80s synthesiser revolution with David Sylvian’s art-rock ensemble Japan, his visionary synthesiser programming expanded the horizons of electronic music and left a lasting mark on artists from The Human League and Duran Duran to Gary Numan and Talk Talk. His subsequent and ongoing tenure with Steven Wilson’s legendary progressive outfit Porcupine Tree across albums such as In Absentia (2002), Fear Of A Blank Planet (2007) and, most recently, Closure/Continuation (2022) further affirmed his status as one of the most intuitive and unique musicians of his generation.   The album finds Barbieri at the height of his powers, his deft keyboard and sonic architecture conjuring a shadowy, creeping Lovecraftian atmosphere. The music wanders through the streets of a gloomy lamp-lit Victorian London and drifts into grain-speckled snapshots of Belle Époque Paris. These journeys into the past are contrasted with nihilistic but euphoric forays into the future, “Traveler” and “A New Simulation” bristling with the itchy modern anxiety that often runs through his best work.   Contrasting the sound designs and electronics of Barbieri, the album features performances from renowned musicians Morgan Agren (drums and percussion), Percy Jones (bass guitar) and Luca Calabrese (trumpet).

Momus in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://imomus.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwH79Z9-WQe2jwaHCK_Cgpg https://momus3.bandcamp.com/ Nicholas John Currie more popularly known under the artist name Momus (after the Greek god of mockery), is a Scottish musician and writer. For over forty years he has been releasing albums on labels in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan. In his lyrics and his other writing he makes use of continental philosophy, and has built up a personal world he says is "dominated by values like diversity, orientalism, and a respect for otherness".[2]  

Roddy Bottum in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-We-Memoir-Roddy-Bottum/dp/1636142699 THE ROYAL WE is a poetic survey of a time set in a magical city that once was and is no more. It is a memoir written by Roddy Bottum, a musician and artist, that documents through prose his coming of age and out of the closet in 1980s San Francisco, a charged era of bicycle messengers, punk rock, street witches, wheatgrass, and rebellion. The book follows his travels from Los Angeles, growing up gay with no role models, to San Francisco, where he formed Faith No More and went on to tour the world relentlessly, surviving heroin addiction and the plight of AIDS, to become a queer icon. The book is an elevated wallop of tongue and insight, much more than a tell-all. There are personal tales of historical pinnacles like Kurt and Courtney, Guns N' Roses, and recaps of gold records and arena rock - but it's the testimonies of tragedy and addiction and preposterous life-spins that make this work so unique and intriguing. Bottum writes about his dark and harrowing past in a clear-eyed voice that is utterly devoid of self-pity, and his emboldened and confident pronouncements of achievement and unorthodox heroism flow in an unstoppable train that's both captivating and inspirational. A remarkable portrayal of a creative individual in emergence, a gay man figuring out how to be a gay man, and a detailed look at the nuance of 1980s pre-tech boom San Francisco, The Royal We will be greatly appreciated by people who loved Kathleen Hanna's Rebel Girl, Patti Smith's Just Kids, Hua Hsu's Stay True, and other memoirs about the artist's life.

Rob Tannenbaum in conversation with David Eastaugh https://www.cherryred.co.uk/various-artists-cbgb-a-new-york-city-soundtrack-1975-1986-4cd?srsltid=AfmBOoohm1glA9ey7r6K1osC9drIJOO4YZT5Q0P6y6vXPapBUTVMN2ig “CBGB was a place for the dirty people.” - Jimmy Destri of Blondie “Afterwards, I took off and went crosstown to CBGB’s, the stronghold of the unknown, to be with my own people.” - Patti Smith In December 1973 Hilly Kristal changed the name of his roots music bar from Hilly’s on the Bowery to CBGB and altered his musical policy to hire mostly rock bands. He was indifferent to many of them (“No one is going to like you guys, but I’ll have you back,” he told Joey Ramone), blissfully unaware of how important his scruffy little club would soon become. In the span of only 15 months, the five groups that comprise the CBGB’s pantheon all debuted: Television in March 1974, followed by Ramones in August and Blondie in October, then Patti Smith in February 1975 and Talking Heads four months later. Those five groups all quickly got record deals and became popular enough to outgrow CBGB’s. By the fall of 1977, Smith was the only one who was still playing there. What succeeded the Big Five was an array of new and retro styles, all of which feature here: No Wave (Sonic Youth, Mars, DNA, Bush Tetras), post-punk (Ritual Tension, Unknown Gender, Khmer Rouge), mutant funk and R&B (James Chance & The Contortions, Mink DeVille), art-rock bands (R.L. Crutchfield’s Dark Day, The Revelons, Erasers, Jeff and Jane Hudson) hardcore punk (Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Vatican Commandos, Beastie Boys), and lots of power pop (Sorrows, The dBs, The Rudies, The Miamis, The Paley Brothers) . The club’s best-known bands are present on this compilation but we’ve also revived interest in dozens of unfairly forgotten acts that, for a moment in time, made an album, EP, 45, or even a demo that crackled with innovation, wit, and joy. CBGB no longer exists, at least not in the physical plane, but what happened between those soot-filled, beer-stinking walls continues to reverberate around the world.

Dominic Blaazer in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXMB0fZMhxw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef0Cw6j70H4 https://dominicblaazer.bandcamp.com/

Adele Bertei in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.roughtrade.com/product/adele-bertei/no-new-york-a-memoir-of-no-wave-and-the-women-who-shaped-the-scene In 1975 a young queer singer from Cleveland meets photographer Nan Goldin - an encounter that will lead them to New York's bombed-out downtown, where something unprecedented is brewing. At Max's Kansas City and CBGBs, in derelict lofts and underground clubs, a generation of visionary women artists is rewriting the rules of creativity, sexuality, and power. Adele Bertei didn't just witness the No Wave explosion-she ignited it. As acetone organist for the Contortions and Brian Eno's assistant, she was at the epicenter when punk collided with post-punk, birthing a counterculture that fused music, art, cinema, fashion and outlaw literature into an uncompromising explosion of creativity. While mainstream culture wallowed in sexism and homophobia, these artists and more created something fluid, fierce, and transgressive. Raw, gripping, and illustrated with rare photographs from personal collections, No New York is the definitive insider's account of the women who obliterated every barrier in their path, taking you deep into the artistic and sexual experimentation of an era when true expression mattered more than money or fame.

Ben Vaughn in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://benvaughn.org/ https://www.straightfromthehat.com/ https://lnkfi.re/SFTH Ben Vaughn grew up in the Philadelphia area on the New Jersey side of the river.  At age 6, his uncle gave him a Duane Eddy record and forever changed his life. In 1983, he formed the Ben Vaughn Combo.  The band was together five years, releasing two albums and touring the U.S. several times.  They received rave reviews in Rolling Stone and People magazine and video airplay on MTV.  The attention inspired Marshall Crenshaw to record Ben's "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" for his "Downtown" album. Ben embarked on a solo career in 1988, recording several critically acclaimed albums, touring extensively in Europe and the U.S. and receiving more MTV exposure.  During that period he produced three records for the Elektra Records American Explorer series (Memphis rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers, Muscle Shoals country soul singer Arthur Alexander) and recorded "Cubist Blues," a collaboration with Alan Vega and Alex Chilton.  He also scored two films ("Favorite Mopar" and "Wild Girl's Go-Go Rama"), as well as appearing as a frequent guest commentator on nationally syndicated radio shows “Fresh Air” and "World Cafe."   

Chris Anderson in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://crayolalectern.com/n-e-w-s https://crayolalectern.bandcamp.com/ Departure Lounge was initially known as Tim Keegan & Departure Lounge, reflecting the fact that the band evolved from a solo project and Tim Keegan was the singer and main lyricist. They released an album under this name in 1999 (the US version with different tracklisting as Departure Lounge in 2000), Out of Here, which received warm reviews in both the general and music press (subsequent re-releases of the CD have changed the name to simply Departure Lounge). 

Kevin Cann in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.kevincann.com/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2011/mar/09/david-bowie-in-pictures https://www.amazon.co.uk/Any-Day-Now-London-1947-1974/dp/0955201780  

Peter Yarmouth in conversation with David Eastaugh https://blackandbluerecords.com/hom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pik16Mpn6Lw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-izEjeVZCX4    

Michael Hampton in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://michaelhampton.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-public-domain-2 https://www.youtube.com/@MaWaHa Among Hampton’s Funkadelic writing credits are group staples like “Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?!” and “Funk Gets Stronger”, both released during the group’s late-’70s/early-’80s hit run.  Into the Public Domain, an EP produced by 9-time Grammy Award winner and Ruffhouse Records co-founder Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo. A founding father of power-funk electric guitar, Hampton edges into new territory on Into the Public Domain, a meld of rock and world music with jazz and western overtones, hallmarked by Michael’s trademark sizzling leads.

Ben Cardew in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Age-Batchelor-Pad-Music/dp/1916829325 http://jawbonepress.com/space-age-batchelor-pad-music/ Stereolab are one of the most fascinating guitar groups of the past fifty years, a source of constant reinvention and illuminating contrasts, where political ideology meets the sweetest pop melodies and driving guitars rub along with space-age jazz. They are perhaps the greatest Anglo-French collaboration since Concorde—a hugely respected, highly influential group whose fan base grows larger by the year, stretching from chart-topping hip hop artists to underground indie stars. And yet their appeal remains elusive. What kind of music do Stereolab make? What’s their best album? Their greatest song? There are no easy answers. In writing this book, Ben Cardew spoke to more than fifty people from the Stereolab universe to trace the history of the band from the depths of 90s indie London to their all-conquering reunion tour of 2025. Using twenty of their songs as jumping-off points, he examines in loving detail what makes this most fascinating band work, unpicking the cultural references, stylistic contradictions, and brilliant ideas at the heart of the group.

Martin Dupont in conversation with David Eastaugh https://martindupont.bandcamp.com/music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5nAMbEQwu8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i9pxew6-Xg A French group from Marseille formed in 1980, consisting of Alain Séghir, Beverley Jane Crew, Brigitte Balian, and Catherine Loy. The music they made was colorful, enthusiastic and delicate, but also melancholy and mysterious. A mixture of hot and cold, light and dark. They made electronic music that incorporated guitars and clarinets, though described as New Wave they truly transcended genres.   less

Ramona Carlier in conversation with David Eastaugh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JCoMYpiA0 Mo-dettes were a multinational all-female post-punk band, formed in 1979 by guitarist Kate Korris, an original member of the Slits and brief member of the Raincoats, and bassist Jane Crockford, a former member of Bank of Dresden. Ramona Carlier (vocals) and June Miles-Kingston (drums) completed the line-up.

Jeff Bright in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.jeffreyalanbright.com/ https://thepleasurespale.bandcamp.com/ https://jeffbrightthesunshineboys.bandcamp.com/ The Pleasures Pale was an influential indie quartet+ based in Dayton, Ohio, active from 1985 to 1987. Often compared to UK groups of the era, TPP's influences can now be read as more diverse — taking cues from post-punk, rockabilly, swing, Motown and Dayton funk. A band for misfits, their extensive, lyric-driven output sought to light a way through the rust belt's post-industrial bleakness.

David Bash in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://internationalpopoverthrow.com/ The International Pop Overthrow Music Festival was created in December 1997. The name was chosen to pay tribute to Jim Ellison, singer songwriter of Material Issue, a power pop band from Chicago, whose 1991 debut album was entitled International Pop Overthrow. In August 1998, the first International Pop Overthrow festival was held in Los Angeles, featuring 120 pop and rock bands from Los Angeles, several other US cities, and 10 bands from five countries: Canada, Australia, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands. Over the next three years, its roster grew to include bands from countries such as Japan, Norway, Austria, Israel, and the United Kingdom. At the 2001 festival, during a panel discussion, it was suggested by several bands that Bash take International Pop Overthrow on the road

Shayne Carter in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://shaynepcarter.bandcamp.com/ https://www.lifeinonechordfilm.com/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/03/shayne-carter-documentary-life-in-one-chord-film-review New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012). Carter is a member of the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, and has been awarded the New Zealand Herald Legacy Award (with Straitjacket Fits at the 2008 New Zealand Music Awards), and the recipient of several Aotearoa Music Awards including best band, album and top male vocalist with Straitjacket Fits and Dimmer.    

Harold Bronson in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://mogandavidandhiswinos.bandcamp.com/album/savage-young-winos Out of circulation since 1976, the recordings of the Los Angeles rock band Mogan David and His Winos is finally be available again. The group's lineup featured a 'who's who' of heavyweights in the American music industry, including Harold Bronson and Richard Foos (co-founders of Rhino Records), Paul Rappaport (Columbia Records), and Mark Leviton (Rhino/Warner Music Group). Additionally, the band included Jonathan Kellerman, a New York Times bestselling author known for his series of novels starring the fictional child psychologist Alex Delaware. Started in high school by Bronson, a music-obsessed Los Angeles native, the Winos' band name was derived from Westfield, New York's Mogen David Wine Company, inspired by those crazy band names from the psychedelic era, such as Jefferson Airplane and Strawberry Alarm Clock.  

John Andrew Fredrick in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://theblackwatch.bandcamp.com/ https://www.bluematterrecords.com/copy-of-debbie-the-millbanks https://www.facebook.com/theblackwatchmusic/?locale=en_GB The Black Watch was formed in 1987 by John Andrew Fredrick in Santa Barbara, California, and he has been (and still is) it’s guiding light. They have released 25 albums over the last 38 years and show no sign of ageing. With a fantastic band behind him, John has presented us with a wonderful batch of songs ranging from mesmeric psych to indie/punk. In late 2025 John paid a brief visit to the UK to see friends and also to do a couple of live acoustic performances.  The Bevis Frond was lucky enough to share the bill with John at London’s Betsey Trotwood for a wonderful evening of acoustic revelry. Not only is he a hugely talented musician/songsmith, but a thoroughly decent fellow. It’s a true privilege to be able to put out ‘Varied Superstitions’ on our label. The LP will come out on purple vinyl with a lyric insert, and there will also be a CD version.