Four Strings and the Truth

Normally this show features a famous (at least, famous in our world) bassist we've been listening to for decades. But for today's episode, I went in a different direction.  Back in June of this year, I took my second pilgrimage to the Caterwaul Music Gathering, an underground-noise-punk-whatever weekend-long fest that's taken place in Minneapolis, MN for the last five years. In addition to capturing this episode's snazzy cover photo, I came away extremely amped about a slew of new-to-me bands who were putting the bass front and center and squeezing new sounds out of it.  So in true "FSATT" fashion, I bit off more than I can chew and conducted four interviews…starting with one of the festival's co-founders and curators, musician/podcaster/style maven Conan Neutron.  So here goes a longer-than-usual episode which provides the added benefit of hipping you to some new(ish) bass-forward bands that deserve your attention. Just be glad I didn't try to feature all of them, huh. Caterwaul on Instagram "Loud Bands Playing Terrible Music" Stickers and Other Caterwaul Merch  Conan Neutron on Instagram Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends on Bandcamp Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal Podcast BirdHands on Instagram BirdHands on Bandcamp BirdHands "Jungle Boogie" / "The Glow Up" Split Single with Violenteer BirdHands live at Chicago Music Exchange Video Burned or Buried on Instagram Burned of Buried on Bandcamp Burned or Buried live at Reggie's Video Baby Gurl on Instagram Baby Gurl on Bandcamp Baby Gurl "Smack My Bishop" Video

Coming to you live and direct from the posh green room of Brooklyn club Warsaw, we sit down with gentle giant/Mclusky bassist and singer Damien Sayell, who's been in the band more than a decade now and is finally feeling like a full-fledged member. Find out how hearing the band's 2002 classic, "Mclusky Do Dallas," changed his life at the tender age of 18; what it's been like participating in the glow up of one of noise/punk's most essential power trios; and how one of the band's best new songs was composed by his three-year-old son, Magnus.  Mclusky on Bandcamp (https://mcluskymclusky.bandcamp.com/) The St. Pierre Snake Invasion on Bandcamp (https://tspsi.bandcamp.com/) Damien's photo-rich Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/damiencsayell/) Magnus's moment of genius (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVx2zasNnTj/) An explosive live-in-the-studio set from FRET12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNf3ls53rM0) Upcoming tour dates around the world (https://ipecac.com/tours/) - scroll to "Mclusky"

We continue to tick off the bucket list, player by player. In the wake of a trip to Minneapolis for the Caterwaul Festival, we chat with Minnesota's favorite son, Greg Norton - who filled his time in-between Hüskers tours as a chef, eventually opening an eponymous restaurant. After going 14 years without touching a bass, and surviving a health scare, Greg is back in the driver's seat: he's got his rejiggered super-trio UltraBomb; a Greg Norton + Buddies tour in which fellow travelers can jump on stage and sing the Hüskers song of their choice; and the debut of his very own signature bass!   We also announce the winner of our IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal - tune in to find out if you're gonna be bathing your tone in distortion.   Hüsker Dü on Bandcamp (https://huskerdu.bandcamp.com/music) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/16bN8mhtDFdegWbg0z3s10?si=4Aycdgk-QamjQk43e_fdxg)    UltraBomb on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ultrabombmusic/), Bandcamp (https://ultrabomb.bandcamp.com/) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4u2NU0NKwALURZY2qvtYQb?si=_JkfJPB2RAKRD1yT7DmauA)   Greg Norton Tour info (https://www.songkick.com/artists/2924031-greg-norton/calendar)   Hüsker Dü Live in London 1985 (includes a great version of "Diane") (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphIHzsxduY)   UltraBomb's YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXttjijPvr-QXDwevC5Iqdg)   Caterwaul Festival in Minneapolis (go next year!) (https://www.caterwaul.org/)

Not exactly nine lives, but the quintessentially Boston band Mission of Burma has had at least two: their initial 1979-1983 foray, which yielded such classics as "That's When I Reach For My Revolver," "Academy Fight Song" and "That's When I Escaped My Certain Fate"; and an unlikely reunion in the early 2000s, yielding some equally influential albums as well as as a definitive bio-pic, "Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story" in 2006. Through it all, bassist, vocalist and songwriter Clint Conley has persisted, holding the same media gig for over 35 years (!) and raising a family in the wooded environs outside of Boston. Tune in to hear how this sage bassist and song architect found his sound, and continues to hew to the minimalist stylings of spindly bass lines in outings with the Chris Brokaw Rock Band, among others. ALSO! You have until 7/31/25 to enter to win a "like new" (seriously, I played it once) IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal (video review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt6URsuLhD4). This is an amazing, bass-specific distortion pedal, with clean signal blend and a low-pass filter - so it will stick out nicely in live settings. It will arrive in its original box with 3M Dual Lock strips on the back, so it's ready for your pedal board.  To enter the contest, please send a screenshot of you recommending one episode of this podcast - your favorite interview - in a publicly viewable place - it can be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or any social media outlet. Send the screenshot to: [email protected], and we'll pick one winner at random on 7/31/25. Please note that previous winners of one of our contests are not eligible for this one. We thank the entrants so far - who hail from around the globe - and encourage you to shoot your shot as well. Mission of Burma on Bandcamp (https://missionofburmamusic.bandcamp.com/music) Mission of Burma on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5UMQV83wwZCCvRSQCVjZw6?si=1eSFR-5UQRqhuLz14sDIsQ) consonant on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/07xPqvLLSdQTw0Go6sJdk8?si=Su_5kyY0Q0-uRy-cKUqp6Q) "Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14bGcdg2eQo) "Chronicle" on WCVB-TV in Boston (https://www.wcvb.com/chronicle) "Academy Fight Song" by 'Mission of Brokaw' (featuring Peter Prescott and Chris Brokaw) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHko_-sGj-Y) Mission of Burma live at the Williamsburg Waterfront in 2009 with Clint, Peter and Roger all wearing sunglasses at some point (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiMc7RftWa0)

We've launched a contest to win a "like new" (seriously, I played it once) IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal. This is an amazing, bass-specific distortion pedal, with clean signal blend and a low-pass filter - it sticks out nicely in live settings. It will arrive in its original box with 3M Dual Lock strips on the back, so it's ready for your pedal board. To enter the contest, please send a screenshot of you recommending one episode of this podcast - your favorite interview - in a publicly viewable place - it can be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or any social media outlet. Send screenshots to: [email protected] and we'll pick one winner at random on 7/31/25. Please note that previous winners of one of our contests are not eligible for this one.