The Lydian Spin

Gregg Foreman is an American musician, producer, and DJ. He is best known for his work as the keyboardist for the indie rock band Cat Power. In addition to his work with Cat Power, he has played with several other prominent acts such as The Black Ryder, Delta 72, and Pink Mountaintops. Foreman has also produced and engineered albums for various artists. Recently Gregg has been working on an album with Kat Von D. He has been involved in a number of musical projects throughout his career, and his versatility and proficiency in a broad range of musical styles have earned him critical acclaim.

Josie Wreck is a musician and artist who identifies as a transgender Xicanx. She has made significant contributions to the music industry as a vocalist, guitarist, DJ, and host of the podcast Aural Displeasure. Josie gained recognition in the mid-2000s in the Orange County punk, goth, and art scenes, where she performed with the 3-piece band HEIDI WU and as a solo acoustic artist. She has been involved in several bands, including Popsical, QTPi Xpress, and Moonlight Squalor. Additionally, Josie manages and releases music under her own Bandcamp.

John Tottenham, the happiest man in the poetry business, joins Lydia and Tim for a second time. To recap, John is the author of The Inertia Variations, an epic cycle on the subject of work avoidance, indolence, and failure. Antiepithalamia & Other Poems of Regret and Resentment, a sequence of mean-spirited love poems, was published by Penny-Ante Press. A sonic and cinematic interpretation of The Inertia Variations by The (Matt Johnson) was released in late 2017. While he would never call himself an artist, his paintings and drawings have been exhibited at galleries in Los Angeles and New York. John's final collection of poetry, The Hate Poems, representing the dregs of his output between the years 2012 and 2015, was published by Amok Press in late 2018. John has also written a novel.

Mark Morgan was the guitarist for the legendary noise/avant-rock outfit Sightings, a band that got its start in 1997 when Mark put up flyers looking for musicians in New York record shops. He also did a stint in one of the lineups of To Live and Shave in LA with Rat Bastard and Tom Smith. Currently, Mark's band Rump State is going on tour in Europe later this month.

This week, Tommy Grenas, also known as Tommy L. Cyborg, joins the Lydian Spin. Tommy is a singer, songwriter, synthesist, and electronic musician who began his career in 1982 with the Belfast garage band The Swamp Rats. His career continued in 1987 with the Los Angeles-based Pressurehed. In 1992, Tommy founded Farflung, and then in 1995, he co-founded the Anubian Lights with Len Del Rio. Tommy played guitar in Nik Turner's Space Ritual and the legendary band Hawkwind. He also performed with Helios and Chrome. Additionally, Tommy has played and collaborated with Lydia, The Brain, Cluster, and many others.

Photo by Nedda Asfari Rita D'Albert is a multi-talented producer and creative force behind the wildly popular Lucha VaVOOM - a Mexican wrestling, burlesque, and comedy extravaganza that has captivated audiences around the world. Her innovative approach to blending the worlds of wrestling, burlesque and rock and roll has earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base. Rita is also an accomplished musician, having played with a number of bands over the years, including the legendary all-female garage rock group The Pandoras. With her love of music and her passion for spectacle, Rita brings a unique and high energy perspective to all of her creative endeavors.

This week's episode is the Valentine's Day Cleanser Special. Valentine's Day can be overwhelming, whether you're single or in a relationship. So, to help you take a breather and clear your head we put together a special mix of Lydia's songs and spoken word.  Whether you're feeling the post-Valentine's Day blues or not, sit back, relax and enjoy. Pieces Include: Smoke in the Shadows(0:00 - 4:45) Wretched Possibility(4:50 - 9:45) The Summer of My Discontent(9:48 - 14:21) End of My Rope(14:23 - 17:42) Another Man Comin'(While the Bed is Still Warm)(17:43 - 22:22) Tiny's Tight Spot(22:22 - 33:54) Your Love Don't Pay My Rent(33:54 - 37:31) Bad For Bobby(37:31 - 40:47) Mahakali Calling(40:47 - 45:12) Cursed Folly 3(45:12 - 48:20) Where You Gonna Run(48:20 - 52:35) Still Burning(52:35 - 59:57)    

Since 1999, Eastern European punk band Gogol Bordello, led by Ukrainian frontman Eugene Hütz, has been filling up rooms with an energy that could run a whole city - latest album Solidaritine is no exception, going back to their hardcore roots. The band has lit up stages around the world alongside System of a Down, Primus, Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, dueted with Regina Spektor, appeared in films like Liev Schreiber’s Everything Is Illuminated with Elijah Wood and Filth and Wisdom helmed by Madonna, cutting albums with legends Rick Rubin and Steve Albini. Russia's war in Ukraine is personal for Eugene & the band, who have been tirelessly advocating for Ukrainian solidarity, partnering with Nova Ukraine, ArtDopomoga and beyond.

Masha Alyokhina is a member of Pussy Riot — a feminist collective of artists and activists that came to prominence in 2012 when five members, including Masha staged a performance of the group’s anti-Putin song Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Pussy Riot members were arrested and convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and the three were sentenced to two years in prison for the offense. Masha has been recognized as a political prisoner by the Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners. Amnesty International named her a prisoner of conscience due to the severity of the response of the Russian authorities. After multiple arrests and periods of imprisonment, Masha left Russia and has openly criticized the war in Ukraine. She continues her work as an activist, artist and musician.  

  Since the early Eighties Martin Bisi has run Brooklyn's legendary BC Studio  where he has worked on albums with the likes of Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop, Swans, William Burroughs, Helmet, Jim Thirlwell (Foetus) and even Afrika Bambaata.  BC Studio was originally founded in 1979 under the name OAO Studio. Initially Martin was working alongside Bill Laswell and Brian Eno, but by 1983 they had left the partnership and the studio was renamed. Since then, Martin has continued to work with a wide array of artists and styles, from No Wave through to Hip Hop.

Jim Sclavunos is a Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. Jim has been a member of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds since 1994 and is a co-founding member of Grinderman. Alongside Lydia, he was an integral part of the New York No Wave scene in bands Teenage Jesus & The Jerks and 8 Eyed Spy. Jim was co-editor of No Magazine, before joining Sonic Youth to record their first album Confusion Is Sex. Jim has been writing and recording new material and producing various projects, as well as continuing his regularly featured DJ slot on Soho Radio. The first release from his lockdown collaboration with singer Polly Scattergood In the Absence of Light came out in 2021. Jim also made his acting debut in director Mars Roberge’s feature film Mister Sister playing the role of Sonny. He has also appeared in the BBC period drama The Pursuit of Love. Jim continues to tour and record with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

This week Lydia and Tim sit down with Kelley Deal and Josephine Wiggs. Dayton, Ohio native Kelley is a musician who has been a member of many bands including, Protomartyr, The Amps, The Kelley Deal 6000, and The Last Hard Men. English Bassist Josephine has been in her share of bands as well, including The Perfect Disaster, Honey Tongue & Ladies Who Lunch.  Kelley and Josephine are also bandmates in the much-beloved band The Breeders. August 2023 will mark the 30th anniversary of band's smash hit Last Splash. To celebrate, their record label 4AD will rerelease the album with new material. In the fall, The Breeders will be touring to support the album.

Howard Paar is an award winning music supervisor who is originally from London who continued his career in Los Angeles thanks Sir Freddie Laker's legendary Laker Airways. He has won The Guild Of Music Supervisors Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2020 respectively for Diary Of A Teenage Girl, 20th Century Women, Before I Fall and Native Son. Howard first worked in LA as a club creator/DJ/promoter. His work back then was known for developing emergent new music scenes particularly ska, mod  and the paisley underground. His club, The O.N .Klub in collaboration with Sugarhill Records, was also the first locale to play a rap show in Los Angeles. Howard subsequently became an independent publicist representing clients including MTV, Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson, N.W.A., Jimmy Cliff, Eric Burdon, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bunny Wailer and Michelle Shocked. Howard then went on to become Vice President, Media & Artist Relations at Polygram Records before transitioning to the role of Vice President, Soundtracks. In this role, he worked on many soundtracks including The Big Lebowski and Gregg Araki’s Nowhere as well as creating opportunities for Polygram artists to write themes for TV shows including King Of The Hill and Ellen. In 2001, Howard was nominated for a Grammy for the soundtrack for the award-winning documentary Dogtown & Z Boys.   Along with being a music supervisor, Howard is also a novelist. Top Rankin', his punk/ska noir novel, was released in May of 2021, which follows his first novel Once Upon a Time In LA, published in 2015.

Drummer Derrick Bostrom is a founding member of the seminal band Meat Puppets, which are hard to accurately pin down to any specific genre. Derrick co-penned several songs, including the majority of their self-titled debut. He remained a member of the band until 1996 when the band went on hiatus and then rejoined the Meat Puppets in 2018.

Happy holidays! Here is another Christmas special to get you through all the travel and familial tribulations. 

Photo by Jasmine Hirst Artist, musician, composer, boxer and trained attorney Liz Lamere joins Tim and Lydia, to talk boxing, music, and her late husband Alan Vega.

Victoria Shen is a sound artist, experimental music performer, and instrument-maker based in San Francisco. Victoria is concerned with the spatiality/physicality of sound and its relationship to the human body. Her music features analog modular synthesizers, vinyl/resin records, and self-built electronics. Victoria uses what she calls "chaotic sound" to oppose signal and information, eluding traditionally embedded meaning. Her DIY approach to deconstructing the concepts of “materiality, value and mass production” both integrate and re-contextualize the formats of the readymade and assemblage techniques. The album art for her debut LP, Hair Birth, utilizes copper to transform the cover into a loudspeaker through which the record can be played. In 2021, Victoria produced a series of cut-up records in cast resin embedded with found materials. In other performances, she pioneered the use of Needle Nails, which are acrylic nails with embedded turntable styluses, that allow her to play up to 5 record tracks at once.  Victoria has performed solo across North America, Japan, Mexico, and Europe as Evicshen and as half of the duo TRIM in North America and the UK. She currently teaches at Stanford University and the School of Visual Arts NY.

Bassist Steven McDonald along with his brother Jeff, then only teenagers founded the band Redd Kross in 1978 in Los Angeles. Since 2015 Steven has been the bassist of the Melvins.

Dave Buddin is a serial composer you should know. To quote Brad Cohan, "David Earl Buddin is a beer-swillin' chain-smoking', gloriously prolific pioneer of electronic music". He spent close to 15 years as roommates with Tim, Simon and Dominika Michalowska in Brooklyn. Dave was much more than a pal who helped pay the rent. He was the thought leader of the house who was always suggesting books, artists and projects that broadened horizons, and more importantly, made every day a huge amount of fun. He named the house(s) The Center of Advanced Research which still lives on as a wifi hotspot. In 2012, The Village Voice named Dave New York's best composer. His other musical pursuits include being the ringleader of (quoting Cohan again) "the honky tonkin' trio of high rolling drunkards, American Liberty League". He along with Dominika and Kevin Shea founded the noise trio Nebadon. He also worked a day job as the musical director for Park Slope's Grace United Methodist Church.  Dave founded and was the real editor in chief of the Modern Man Manual. Currently Dave resides in Hilton Head South Carolina where he his working on his extremely entertaining memoirs and writing music. Happy Thanksgiving!

In the early 80s Stuart Swezey began his creative career organizing the Desolation Center events in the desert and at sea that featured music groups such as the Minutemen, Einstürzende Neubauten, Sonic Youth, and Meat Puppets among others. He directed a documentary by the same name about the events. Stuart is a founder of Amok Books—the influential extreme information, cult L.A. bookstore, and publishing house. His book Amok Fifth Dispatch: Sourcebook of Extremes of Information in Print was nominated for the Best Nonfiction Book Title in the FIrecracker Alternative Book awards. Stuart also produced the acclaimed feature documentary Better Living Through Circuitry about rave and DJ culture. Stuart also has worked in television. He has been a VP, Development for Original Productions (Ice Road Truckers, Black Gold), Alternative Programming exec for Syfy Channel, documentary film producer, and reality television producer and show runner.

Drag terrorist Christeene describes herself as a “switchblade” who is a raw spirit of ferocious music, unabashed sexuality and fiery intimate stank. She is a twisted southern gothic vision whose live shows involve raunchy dance routines, on-stage peeing and butt plugs sent over the crowd on balloons. Yet she’s also vulnerable, kind and warm, and this the balancing act that allows her to expose hypocrisy wherever she goes.

Ox. Bow front man, writer and friend of the Lydian Spin Eugene Robinson is the guest this week. The last time he was on, it was pre-lock down and Eugene was editor at large for what was at the time the high flying OZY Media. Several variants later OZY crumbled due to financial chicanery and Eugene moved on to working on his memoir and being a vice president at the taste making ad firm Wong Doody. If you can't wait for Eugene's memoir, subscribe to his Substack.

This week, drummer Kevin Shea drops by for a chat.  He has been filling in for Bob Bert in Retrovirus as Bob is on hiatus drumming for Jon Spencer. Kevin is a great drummer who has played with Talibam!, Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Bar Shea Dahl, Storm and Stress, Rhys Chatham, Sexy Thoughts, American Liberty League and many many other bands.  

Lydia's friend and L.A. native Lawrence Lewis is a self professed production nerd. He has produced films, commercials, as well as immersive live events. One of Lawrence's first jobs was driving Warwick Davis around while filming Leprechaun 2! Lawrence also hosts the podcast Producer's Happy Hour where he and co-host Christian Kendrick have an honest discussion over drinks, about what it means to be a good producer. Each episode features an  interview with a film industry professional from various departments in order to better understand what kind of production support the guest needs in order for them to perform their job at the highest level.

Bass player David J was a founding member of the influential  post-punk band Bauhaus in 1978. He wrote the lyrics for many Bauhaus songs, including the single, Bela Lugosi’s Dead. He sang  lead on Who Killed Mr. Moonlight?. In 1985, David, his brother Kevin, and Daniel Ash, all former members of Bauhaus, formed Love and Rockets, which had a hit single with the song So alive.  In 2014 David wrote an autobiography, Who Killed Mister Moonlight. In the book he explores his work in bands as well as a solo performer. He also delves deep into his exploration of the occult, drawing together a diverse cast of supporting characters, including William S. Burroughs, Alan Moore, Genesis P. Orridge, and Rick Rubin. **Technical Note*** As many of you know the  Lydian Spin gang has been away from home. As a result, recording has been happening on unreliable setups. Unfortunately the audio for the intro this week was corrupted and not useable. Intros will continue as expected next week. 

Jozef van Wissem is an avant-garde composer and lutenist. He  plays an all black, one-of-a-kind custom-made baroque lute. His works often have a Christian-mystical appeal. In 2013, Jozef won the Cannes Film Festival Soundtrack Award for Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. Over the years, Jozef has collaborated with Zola Jesus, Tilda Swinton, as well as with his long-time collaborative partner and friend, Jim Jarmusch, with whom Jozef has recorded four albums with. In February 2021 Jozef  premiered a new black Baroque lute on Dutch National TV. The instrument had the Latin words “Ex Mortis” inscribed in the neck.

Brontez Purnell is a writer, musician, dancer, filmmaker, and performance artist. He is the author of a graphic novel, a novella, a children's book, the novel Since I Laid My Burden Down, and 100 Boyfriends, a collection of stories. Brontez is the recipient of a 2018 Whiting Award in Fiction, he was named one of the thirty-two Black Male Writers of Our Time by T: The New York Times Style Magazine in 2018. Purnell is also the frontman for the band The Younger Lovers, a cofounder of the experimental dance group the Brontez Purnell Dance Company, the creator of the renowned cult zine Fag School, and the director of several short films, music videos, and the documentary Unstoppable Feat: The Dances of Ed Mock.

Eric Paul has been in many seminal Providence bands including Arab On Radar, Chinese Stars and Doomsday Student.  He is also a writer who has published several books, the most recent is  A Suitcase Full of Dirt. Eric lives with his wife and child in Providence where he teaches writing.

Leila Bordreuil is a Brooklyn-based cellist, composer and sound-artist from France. She accesses concepts as diverse as noise, contemporary classical, free jazz, and experimental traditions, but adheres to none of them. Her music mixes deep melancholia with harsh noise-walls at ear-bleeding levels, and was described by the New York Times as “steadily scathing music, favoring long and corrosive atonalities”. 

Photo By Roe Ethridge Stephanie LaCava is a New York writer. She began her career at American Vogue and her work has since appeared in The Believer, The New York Review of Books, Harper's Magazine, Texte zur Kunst, and The New Inquiry. Stephanie's first book, An Extraordinary Theory of Objects, is a memoir which combines narrative nonfiction and illustration. Her 2020 novel, The Superrationals, is about female friendship, set at the intersection between counterculture and the art industry. Stephanie's second novel, I Fear My Pain Interests You was just published by Verso Books  this month. The novel centers on a protagonist named Margot, the daughter of two famous musicians, who cannot feel physical pain.