LONELIER THAN GOD

Today’s guest is ANDY MUELLER — designer, photographer, art director, filmmaker, business owner, record label founder, & longtime visual wizard of HUM-world.As with Love Cup last time around, Andy’s been mentioned in almost every episode, & for good reason. In 1993, he founded OHIO GIRL DESIGN CO., a Chicago-based art studio with an amazing portfolio that looks more & more influential with every passing year. He’s done image & packaging work for artists ranging from HUM & Shiner, to Castor, Braid, Menthol, Jimmy Eat World, Molly McGuire, Trans Am, & many others.Across the late ‘90s & early 2000s, his Ohio Girl offshoot label Ohio Gold Records released albums by Dianogah, C-Clamp, the Zincs, & Pinebender, for all of whom he also did design & photography.He started THE QUIET LIFE clothing company in 1997 & has run it full-time ever since. They have an always-updating online store, as well as a flagship location in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.In this episode, we discuss the spooky alchemy of photography, dissect the design of HUM’s 3 most recent records, & explore the surprising monumentality of a less-is-more approach.****VERY IMPORTANT: We talk about lots & lots of images in detail during this conversation, & a 50-page PDF of those is linked below.[Some quick factual corrections: the R.E.M. album with Starn Twins photography is actually Out of Time from 1991, & the photographer behind the “Green to Me” single cover is ALISON DYER.]****IMAGES WE DISCUSS****THE QUIET LIFE****TIMESTAMPS:03:12 // Pinebender, "California" (Ohio Gold Records)04:42 // Ohio Girl Origins & Early Influences13:27 // Steakdaddy Six, the U. of I., & Honcho Overload27:40 // Y.P.A.A. Design45:46 // Ohio Girl Credits50:38 // Y.P.A.A. Design, Part 201:07:54 // "The Pod" & "Stars" Videos01:16:51 // D.I.H. Design01:30:14 // "Puppets" & "Comin' Home" EP Designs01:34:25 // Inlet Design01:41:37 // '90s Album Art Peers01:45:31 // C-Clamp, "Morning" (Ohio Gold Records)****Support the show!**** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m speaking with 2 fixtures of the Champaign-Urbana music scene, MARK BALDWIN & KENT WHITESELL.In the ‘90s, Mark sang & played guitar in the highly influential Love Cup, a band name you’ve heard in almost every episode of this show. Their discography was small but their impact was huge, gradually perfecting what Mark has called the “heavy but pretty” sound at ear-splitting volumes.Since then, he’s played in Absconder, California Mummy (with Matt Talbott), The Shit People, & The Mezzanines, who just released a new record called Sugarpants this year. There’s lots to explore in his ever-expanding discography on Bandcamp, links below.Kent started playing in & recording with power-pop bands in high school, including The Martyrs, Schoolyard Truce, The Outnumbered, & Three Hour Tour, with whom he’s working on new material this year. In 2010, The Martyrs released a CD reissue of their discography, including their first & only record, plus compilation tracks & other extras.He’s also produced dozens of Champaign bands at his local studio, Clubhouse, from the ‘80s & ‘90s through today, including HUM’s first record, Hot Glue Gun, Mother, 16 Tons, Corndolly, Hardvark, & many others.In this episode, we talk about Champaign’s early indie & alternative scene, the importance of Jane's Addiction, & the telepathic thrill of improvising songs in public.There were some technical difficulties toward the end of the interview, so the song conversation is a little abbreviated.****LOVE CUP BANDCAMP****MEZZANINES BANDCAMP****LOVE CUP INTERVIEW****THE MARTYRS BANDCAMP****TIMESTAMPS:03:04 // "Billfershort" (Love Cup)04:52 // Mark & Kent's Early History06:06 // Kent's '80s Bands06:55 // "Trends of the Turmoil" (The Martyrs)08:19 // "Boy on a Roof" (The Outnumbered)12:06 // Mark's First Bands15:34 // Clubhouse Studio18:03 // "Strangled with Flowers" (The Flat Earth Society)20:55 // Love Cup Demos & Tearing Water EP25:35 // "Tearing Water" (Love Cup)27:30 // Jane's Addiction, the "Heavy But Pretty," & Local Touring38:06 // ...Grefus Gronks & Sheet LP46:47 // "Nothing in Particular" (Love Cup)49:00 // Meeting HUM Members53:50 // "Roar, I'm a Tiger" Discussion01:07:00 // "Scientifically Yours" (Love Cup)****Support the show!**** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I’m talking with MATT MCGUYER & ALEX WALLWORK of the Evansville, Indiana bands FAERIE RING & AMBLARE.On August 21, Faerie Ring will release their self-titled third album on KING VOLUME RECORDS. It was produced, engineered, & mixed by Tyler Watkins, Alex Kercheval, & Morgan Satterfield @ Postal Recording in Indianapolis & mastered @ Sound Artillery in Miami by Jonathan Nuñez of Torche. Two singles are out already, & -- in my opinion -- this record is the band’s best work yet. Pre-order links below.Across the month of July, they’re passing through Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, & Indiana, with hopefully some more dates in more cities later this year. Not to be missed.In 2024, Amblare released their self-titled debut on Melodic Virtue, & if you haven’t heard it, pause this & play that. (Link below.) The album features the late Bryan St. Pere’s final recorded drum work, & it’s a beautiful testament to his craft & personality behind the kit. His playing is the first thing you hear on the record, as it should be.In this episode, we discuss amplifier worship, crawling deeper into love, & vibrational empathy at the micro-scale.****FAERIE RING****"NEW GODS" VIDEO****"FATTEST WITCH" VIDEO****AMBLARE****EPISODE 001: AFTERNOON WITH THE AXOLOTLS****TIMESTAMPS:02:37 // "New Gods" (Faerie Ring)03:56 // Faerie Ring News11:15 // Live Show Ethos15:50 // New Singles & Videos24:07 // "Fattest Witch" (F.R.)25:32 // Amblare to Faerie Ring Chemistry32:45 // Hearing HUM, Meeting Bryan36:25 // BSP's Drum Approach42:38 // "Puppets" Discussion01:15:49 // What's Next01:20:27 // "Mine'd" (Amblare)****Support the show!**** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is BOB NANNA of the bands BRAID & HEY MERCEDES. Earlier this year, POLYVINYL RECORDS reissued the entire Hey Mercedes discography on vinyl, & in 2023 they released a 25th anniversary remixed & remastered edition of Braid’s Frame & Canvas. Obviously, those are highly recommended. Links below.His other projects include Lifted Bells, The City on Film, Friction, & -- as we’ll discuss in a few minutes -- the explosive but under-heard ORWELL, who released a compilation LP called 1995 on EXPERT WORK RECORDS.He has an extensive archive of both original solo work & cover songs on his Bandcamp, also linked below.In this episode, we discuss genre-fluid shows, the Champaign-Urbana/Chicago nexus, the joys of alliteration, & the sonics of the psychonautic state.[Editor's note: the Castor song title we couldn't remember is "Stay Lo"]****BRAID @ CBGBs '97****BOB NANNA BANDCAMP****HEY MERCEDES REISSUES****BRAID, FRAME & CANVAS 25TH ANNIVERSARY ED.****ORWELL, 1995 LP****TIMESTAMPS:02:20 // “A-List Actress” (Hey Mercedes)03:35 // CBGBs Flyer & Fireside Lineups09:00 // Champaign/Urbana/Chicago Scenes & Venues15:41 // Touring with (& Covering) Castor20:53 // “Moving Backgrounds” (Bob Nanna/Castor)21:49 // Orwell, 1995 LP23:12 // “Ph9 Green” (Orwell)25:25 // “4242” (Orwell)29:06 // “9.30” (Orwell)30:40 // HUM & Braid Shows32:27 // “The Pod” Video & DIH Fandom35:42 // “The Pod” Discussion01:02:22 // Upcoming Shows01:04:16 // “A Dozen Roses” (Braid)****Support the show!**** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode features a couple of LTG alumni, LYLE HODGES & KEITH M., & they’re back to discuss the first 2 Slide Away shows. We talk about the '90s rock scene’s newest youth infusion, bask in the hypnotic audiovisual spectacle, give thanks to everyone who made it happen, & pick some standout moments from an unforgettable weekend.Links to these guys’ previous episodes & various musical projects in the notes below.****LYLE:ELECTRIC STALLION // CHROME CHRISTEPISODE 024: CENTAUR'S IN STREAMS****KEITH:MEMORY ENTRY // THE NEW SCENE PODCASTEPISODE 025: THE INUIT PROMISE****Support the show!**** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.