S01 E01
Hey hey! It’s the first episode of the Beat Motel podcast. It’s your chance to meet your hosts Sam Page and Andrew Culture. We talk about our backgrounds in music journalism and our lives as musicians.
Also covered in this episode:
- A love letter to Against Me
- Getting into bands after interviewing them
- The joy of being offended by music
- The detribalisation of music and the musical identity of music genres
- Defining aesthetics when forming a new band
- Eras of Metallica being defined by their bassists
We also both picked three songs to give a feel for the music we’re listening to right now. Here are the three tracks:
SAM
- Kruelty – Maze of Suffering
- Eddy Arnold – What’s He Doing In My World
- The Roches – Mr Sellack
ANDREW
- Rival Consoles (live clip)
- Garea – Memoir
- Clipping – Nothing is safe
Richard Dawson on the Adam Buxton podcast
Sketchy automatically generated transcript
00:00.00
Andrew Culture
Hey, this is the first episode of the beat motel podcast. So what the fuck is this about well for one thing there might be some swearing beat motel was a zine or was a zine is a zine in my own head. My name’s Andrew culture and this this is. Not going anywhere but I don’t care that is what it is trying to be all professional about it and there’s not going to be that kind of podcast. So what this podcast is about it is a zine. It’s about music and surrounding things and I’m one of the hosts I say my name’s Andrew culture my fellow host I would like. Him to introduce himself now come on fellow host introduce yourself.
00:40.78
Sam
Hello my name is Sam I’ve never done this sort of thing before ah I am a music geek I have previously written for beat motel itself. Um. And I tried to be a music journalist but I was never very good at liking music other people liked so I never made money.
01:00.81
Andrew Culture
That’s ah, that’s a really good description of so who who did you write? Well we’re gonna There’s go to be some name dropping in this podcast. So what? what titles other than beat motel. Did you write for.
01:11.61
Sam
I wrote for um I was just before the 2008 financial crash I wrote for terrorizer and um I did a few interviews for them with ah. Particularly the last one I do I did I remember was called ah rota massey who are still going and have put out really interesting albums in the last few years and um and but mostly it was reviews because ah I mean I’m not very good at understanding scenes.
01:29.53
Andrew Culture
Um, oh.
01:42.86
Sam
And therefore my interests sort of go quite erratic. Um, as you probably hear in a bit. Um, they sort of jump between at the moment death metal and folk music like 19 ah yeah american folk music. Um, so I was never very good at sort of following scenes. So when they sort of said who wants to interview these people I didn’t know the fuck they were.
02:09.70
Andrew Culture
I didn’t that all the years that I ran a bit motel must have run from 2004 to 2008 a guess which was ten ten episodes and ten ten editions and the amount of times a Pr agent would contact me hey you want to speak to this band or lot I’ve never heard them.
02:25.31
Sam
Yeah.
02:27.16
Andrew Culture
And then like six months later I’d hear them on hear them on the radio or see them on tv and go oh I remember speaking to those guys they probably thought I was right to have.
02:32.93
Sam
Yeah, um I mean I um, ah I managed to talk to a few bands that I I sort of admire quite a lot death by stereo who I sort of have ah they put out some amazing albums called a few years ago but I don’t know they just sort of don’t seem to have much.
02:40.76
Andrew Culture
O.
02:54.61
Sam
Self-awareness I think which is I think plagues a lot of American bands as they get older ah particularly like scene bands. Um, they sort of don’t seem to have much self-awareness and just sort of ride down the cliches raned and um.
03:11.65
Sam
Then I also interviewed lynville golden for the specials who was the nicest guy ever who was um I did that for ah I was trying to I was trying to become a qualified journalist I failed at that front because I couldn’t get shorthand um, but I did it for sort of student project and it was published. On a R old zine site punk news dot or Uk if I remember correctly eventually. Yeah yeah.
03:33.68
Andrew Culture
I can’t remember it no was punk news stock code at Uk because I checked I eventually oh no, you’re right? It did start off as org.uk I checked I checked the domain a few days ago because I’ve been going through a process of of taking down load to my websites and put them in 1 place which is a. Lasie.com Las you with an s I s ie and it was partly through finding old interviews with it that I’d done them really light bands like interterrestrials crime and stereo red sparrows which I still can’t believe they actually spoke to me against me all these mans I just thought shit we we ought to.
04:06.77
Sam
This is.
04:11.75
Andrew Culture
We ought to do something from this and and I’ve kind of derailed you a little bit there Sam sorry about that. But.
04:14.53
Sam
No, there’s some stuff of that I put up there I mean I did a really nice interview the lawrence arms. The guy was in that mode of can’t remember his name but the guy he was really friendly was the main guy basis of Lawrence arms and he was in that point of drunkness where he was still.
04:31.70
Andrew Culture
Are.
04:34.53
Sam
He still had good diction but he could not stop himself talking. Oh yeah I Love that stuff. You don’t have to work at all, you just sort of sit there I mean most of this stuff I I interviewed Delintra Escape plan as well.
04:40.19
Andrew Culture
It’s kind of I quite liked it to be used like that when but I didn’t know you’d interviewed Lawrence I um the chat from lawrence arms.
04:51.94
Andrew Culture
Oh bloody air. Really we brave.
04:54.27
Sam
So I didn’t really my problem. Well no, the guy is really nice I walked in there with a john cold train t-shirt my mum had actually given me um my mom went to a jazz vessel in Spain and there was a jo call train t-shirt. Um and she gave it to me. She said I thought you like this and she was right and. Probably the only time she’s bought me clothing that I thought was nice and um and I just sort of walked in there and the bassist who’s a nice guy as well. I mean they’re always nice people just sort of went. Oh. That’s that’s cool and yeah, that was a nice sort of moment for me. But. Ah I can’t remember I was going with that. But um, Lauras yeah I I never interviewed people because I was that interested in them I never interviewed people I was musically that ah my favorite bands.
05:49.27
Andrew Culture
Um, did anyone you interview become your favorite band afterwards are.
05:49.28
Sam
Ah, never interviewed interviewed them I never got to interview them. But.
05:58.60
Sam
No I mean I think Deingra escape plan or the band that sort of stayed up there and the specials of specials I thought the second I thought you know the specials. The first album’s genius and the second album has um.
06:13.40
Sam
Ah, better songs than the first album but the first album’s just sort of perfect as an album and so into being limple golding who again, he’s just he was so nice but he also shut up that was really you know.
06:18.95
Andrew Culture
Um.
06:25.85
Andrew Culture
I think if people in bands have had ah you know years of being asked questions and people attentively listening to them I dread to think what some of them are like an efficient chip shop. Yeah, what can I get you well and they’re still talking 5 minutes later but
06:37.67
Sam
Yeah I just just there’s 2 things on the battered sausage kind of bassard sausage. Um, but yeah, are those interviews where they just sort of um you know wouldn’t shut up with the. Nicest ones because it just it just take it took a lot of pressure off me in a situation I didn’t know where I was I mean they yeah um, did you interview anybody who became your favorite I guess against me must have been a gate different 1.
07:06.94
Andrew Culture
Yeah Laura Jane grace absolutely I mean against me were one of those bands that part of the problem with with doing a zine, especially if it’s a punk warate zine which I think most always were is that you become exposed to so much hype. And the reason that’s a problem if you’re into that kind of punk music is you are de 2 messed by hype you kind of put off music by hype. So if everyone was going against me. It was their second album on Fa and just I I just went. Just because everyone else was going you you and a whole load of friends in Brighton were going and I drove down from Ipswich and I they said do you want to interview the singing and I was like yes sure and then I found out the singer doesn’t really like being interviewed. Well well she didn’t back then but but she was also really really hungover.
07:58.00
Sam
Um, the sentences.
08:03.94
Andrew Culture
And but was so charming and so nice and so so patient with me because up until that point I’d only really interviewed bands who I was friends with or I like knew from down the pub or or Ipswich had an amazing scene. Sorry I should just say I’m based in Ipswich.
08:05.70
Sam
Um, yeah.
08:20.90
Andrew Culture
Sam is currently living in Helsinki but is from all over the place.
08:25.50
Sam
I was from Brighton all over the place but musically Brighton um, and then London and Brighton is a lot more fun.
08:34.84
Andrew Culture
So I I met up with ah another zine writing fellow called maro on the way to the gig and he he gave me a tape or possibly a cd up against me so I would put it in the car and car stereos back then was shy I mean this was but to know 2000 before two thousand I honestly can’t remember when it was. And I put it on it just I suggest someone yelling because I just couldn’t make it out in interviewed interviewed ah Laura Jane who would say was just lovely and then saw the band and just got it. Yeah, sometimes it takes seeing a band live and I think against me is one of those bands I just got it.
09:10.65
Sam
I think I mean I remember taking my friend I don’t know if you came to that gig but I dragged my friend al ah to see them I think last time I played London because I knew he wouldn’t really get doesn’t like that sort of music. But I think they’re such a um thing to behold. In person. There’s just no, one’s ever I’ve never been to any other concert where you can get how many ever many people are in that venue and the whole crowd are singing it. You get mosh pits localized but you have this whole sort of several hundred up to a thousand so people.
09:40.80
Andrew Culture
Um, and.
09:46.25
Sam
Singing almost every single line particularly of the early records. Um I I understand why people don’t get that first record it sounds like shit. It’s this. Oh yeah, it’s it’s worse than CCent anchor man
09:55.80
Andrew Culture
Oh that but they they’ve they’ve said it sounds like shit that there’s ah is it James Bowman the guitarist. Yeah yeah, he he said he said what the fuck were we thinking with that snare noise. So the first against me album reinventing axl rose.
10:03.51
Sam
Yeah I think so oh I.
10:13.54
Andrew Culture
It has a snare noise that it tell you what it cuts through me like the sound of I should just say I’m a parent before the next sentence it cuts through me like the sound of boys under 10 when they scream it just slices straight and that snare has that effect. But yeah, they agree. They also say it’s light. So.
10:25.93
Sam
Um, yeah, but there was something about the energy of that band. they they I think they were aiming for ah how they felt live and they. Got something of that so I listened to that album and I just did not understand the sound of it but there was something in the performance particularly of Laura Jane Grac’s performance and James Bowman um his his sort of backing vocals and their compliment and I love that sound together.
10:58.29
Andrew Culture
I Love it.
11:00.20
Sam
There’s something about the way they’re vocals sort of marry order in the music is just sort of it just sends sort of shivers up your spine.
11:09.10
Andrew Culture
I so I still love James I think it’s amazing that James Bowman I say I don’t think he’s been in any other bands or or I certainly haven’t heard him playing out in the other bands I’d love to be disproved I heard a brilliant podcast episode with him a while ago. It was mostly about baseball. So I sort of.
11:24.86
Sam
The citizen.
11:27.56
Andrew Culture
Ah, didn’t follow it that well but he was sort of explaining some of the early days of against me and how he came to be in the band and he was basically a hired hand I think you might send me the link to this podcast actually.
11:35.61
Sam
Now I remember I remember him saying that he was he basically he is basically blagged his way in he was good friends with Lord Jane Grace and just so and I want to do this and he doesn’t seem to be someone who.
11:42.60
Andrew Culture
3
11:51.70
Sam
Ah, it was always interesting sort of what watching against me from afar because they always he was always so sort of like he was like the mysterious one because he he seemed to be so key to things but also so quiet. Once they were offstage he seemed to sort of avoid any. Interviews or anything like that and now he’s got this pedal business so he’s I think he’s trying to push himself a bit more but I think ah Bowman Bowman Roman things
12:18.23
Andrew Culture
What’s it called is it westrew was it West Probe appliance company or something like that I’m going to look it up. You can um, talk and I’m going to search it.
12:27.39
Sam
No I was going to do that. You’re the host I’m the co-host I get to look things up.
12:33.30
Andrew Culture
Ah, yeah, so on on that podcast I was kind of quite surprised in a way to find out how sort of lovely and charming and and and personable I didn’t think he wouldn’t be personable I Just think some people are just quite happy to to watch a room. And don’t feel the need to impose themselves on it in any way and I think he’s probably like that.
12:50.32
Sam
Yes I think so and therefore you sort of I think he’s the sort of person you have to go to rather than he comes to you? Ah, ah yeah, also if he’s listening to this please come and say hello. Ah, we’d love to talk to you.
12:55.85
Andrew Culture
Um, if so weird if if he’s listening to this. It would just be how out.
13:08.50
Sam
I think ah it’s fair to say also about Bowman Audio endeavors that’s his company.
13:13.62
Andrew Culture
That’s the one I knew is I knew it is I knew it had a word like ah endeavors or appliance or something in it. Yeah, so we ought to talk a little bit about about what the beat motel podcast is going to be about um well. We’re going to explore it as it goes along but Sam just ah, made an invite to James James Bowman yeah we’d absolutely love to speak to people Sam and I have a lot of common ground with our music interests but also quite a lot of separate interests. So we are both the host. Most episodes will probably have both of us on some episodes will just have Sam Sam with guests. Some episodes will just be me me with guests. It’s going to be a fairly fluid thing but we do want collaborators. We do want people to. To get involved with this. Not just people in bands but just people with strong opinions and ah music is something that it’s okay to get offended about I think I can’t think or anything worse and not being offended by music.
14:06.12
Sam
Um, yeah I mean I remember the last review I wrote for a online that is the last sort of struggle at being a. Music journalist and I just sent that sent the seeie back to the editor saying it doesn’t make me feel anything him just bored I can’t I said I can’t I can’t she asked for 300 words minimum.
14:28.66
Andrew Culture
Or that’s that’s that’s amazing. That’s quite scathing.
14:39.30
Sam
Said I cannot think of 300 words to write about this. It was so boring.
14:42.20
Andrew Culture
This this is by like that like if you’re writing for a natural magazine then and obviously you you have to follow editorial guidelines but 1 of the things that I first really loved about zines was just how honest some of the reviews were there was a brilliant one in A. Ah zine called real overdose which is really the it was the gateway drug that got me into zines I’d known about zines for a long time but the guy who who wrote it was a guy called wolfy and he was in a band called the stupids who are kind of like Uk I never think there was Uk hardcore they’re like skate hardcore or something. And he wrote a review about he got sent I think a maroon 5 album something if you do a zine used to get Cds just pour through your letterbox most of which had nothing to do with anything you’d like and he wrote a review and I’m going to paraphrase it because I can remember most of it and the review went.
15:24.84
Sam
Um, speak.
15:37.53
Andrew Culture
You know recently I’ve been seeing a bit more of my family and I think that’s really nice but you know some was coming and I’ve also got some things to think about in the garden. There’s been a shed at the bottom of the garden for a while that I haven’t been into. In fact, I’m not sure if the door still opens but you know ah there’s There’s probably some I think I’ve got a bike in there or something. But.
15:50.54
Sam
Are.
15:56.34
Andrew Culture
Anyway, next Saturday switch town are playing playing Manchester City and I might go to that might not anyway maroon five shit I blew the last line but that the whole point was that it was this whole rambling thing that just had nothing to do with it. It just said maroon five of fucking shit at the end.
16:06.21
Sam
Um.
16:12.24
Sam
I there was someone who did that I can’t remember who did there was some I I love it was metal hammer when I was a teenager metal hammer at some point employed a singles reviewer I don’t know who for the life of me it was but. They just wrote the most irrelevant shit and it was the best part of a magazine by you know, a country mile. It was just it. But yeah, but you know I don’t I mean you might follow them on Instagram but who I don’t know i.
16:41.74
Andrew Culture
Um, a metal hammer still going.
16:47.82
Andrew Culture
Um.
16:50.84
Sam
I struggle to buy I think I struggle to buy music magazines because all the old rock ones go through the same 6 artists again and again and again and all the modern ones I just don’t feel any connection with I think this goes back to the beginning of.
17:00.34
Andrew Culture
Um, in the yeah.
17:09.24
Sam
We’re both very sort of close to emotionally the punk and I think sort of some parts of the metal world. But I don’t think either of us feel part of those scenes in a way. Um, because it’s you get sort of this impression that that’s all people do.
17:35.25
Andrew Culture
It certainly felt that way with with so some of the anaro bands and band in a terrestrials. Absolutely bloody love that band. But I I I spoke to Jay the singer I interviewed him and I said about him he talks a lot about the traveler community.
17:38.69
Sam
Yeah.
17:53.21
Andrew Culture
And I said it’s not something I really know a lot about and because that’s such a big part of what they do. It does make me feel a bit excluded I mean it’s not his responsibility to include me in fucking anything he ever does. But it was the same round squat scene like going to gigs in squats was always cool but I kind of thought.
18:03.23
Sam
Um.
18:12.40
Andrew Culture
I’m not I’m not I don’t look I probably look like someone’s dad’s wandered in waiting to pick up their kids and um, that was even when I was in my 20 s.
18:18.97
Sam
But I guess that’s the thing is I don’t know it’s like I remember um I this american death metal band the black Dalia Murder who lost their singer I think last year but he was. You know one of the best ah metal frontmen I ever saw and he tried to sort of cultivate a much more sort of punk thing of like scene scene them in he seemed to try to do that. But and like there was there’s like a nice interview with him in ah at his home and um. And is flat and he’s got all these like just wall upon wall upon wall of just death metal stuff and it’s all I just thought don’t you just want to listen to some fucking notice reading sometimes. Ah.
19:05.78
Andrew Culture
I get I get really compressed by music so where where we are. We’re I’m actually in my work office I work for myself and I’ve got massive speakers here an old early eighty s separate system and I can listen to music very very loud if there’s no one else in in the other rooms around me I mean like shockingly loud. And I can’t listen to black metal or death metal or anything that intense for more than about fifteen twenty minutes I just have to stop I have to just it’s too it’s too compressing it’s too intense but to your to your point I don’t think either of us have ever been particularly tribal around music I mean the punk.
19:40.67
Sam
No I That’s the word I was looking for. That’s a good word.
19:43.69
Andrew Culture
Punk the the punk thing for both of us I mean that’s how we met many many god knows how many years ago and but that was more the social side of things than anything else I don’t think it was particularly us all getting together and poring over subhumans lyrics or well escape pun or love subhumans. Or whatever it. It would have been but I think now kids kids aren’t as tribal about music and I don’t think anyone is and I think that apart from possibly metalheads. Ah some metal heads. But I think it’s kind of a good thing because I remember I grew up as an indie kid which it was the worst.
20:12.58
Sam
Are you.
20:21.39
Andrew Culture
Form of elitism because basically if we if so if it didn’t come out of Manchester in 89 or 9090 we didn’t like it and I come the first time I heard the small faces and just kind. This is so much better else I’ve ever heard. It took me a lot longer to kind of come around to metal. But.
20:34.96
Sam
Um, is.
20:39.69
Andrew Culture
You know I’m I’m a parent and and my daughter music’s music. There is no tribe at all.
20:46.64
Sam
Well I mean yes I agree but it’s also like when you’re for me moving around I moved around. Ah my dad was a foreign correspondent and author and I moved around a bit growing up and music became this identity to cling on to when I moved to somewhere. And the same time. Um, whilst it gave me and it gives me you know, having moved to Helsinki three and a half years ago ah and it um, moving to London moving to Brighton. It gives me something it gave me something to. Hang my coat on in a way but most of my friends closest friends don’t necessarily see eye to eye with me about music I might ah I mean.
21:37.42
Sam
Actually that’s a lie. So my my 3 my 3 closest friends spread out but my brighton friends of the majority. None of them came to a gig with me the entire time I was lived there for well I’ve known them which is 23 years now apart from maybe blur. Um. When they had lost Graham Coxton and that was shit um and then you know I don’t know the the friends who are into the same music which is you and my friends Alan Lawrence it feels like um. There is a lot of crossover but also that there’s like ah there is this sort of like yeah me, it’s all it’s about the music. It’s not your it’s not about this scene thing. But those scenes when you’re a teenager when you’re in your twenty s. Ah, particularly if you’re active within those music scenes it gives you something to click on to it gives you something to hang your coat on and it’s so important to have those things but it’s also I don’t know I was I always sort of think I’m always much more into sort of the artistry of music making than I am into sort of the reproduction of sounds I don’t.
22:36.36
Andrew Culture
Um.
22:48.58
Sam
Understand the idea of I’ve been looking at band adverts today I don’t understand the idea of these people going. Oh we want to? we want to sound exactly like this you know a over sound like Metallica or children bottom or any of these things I just that just don’t. Really get that mental that that that sort of mindset. Um I get the idea of we want to make a noise light or this is a starting point. But I don’t understand we want to make technical death metal. All that like.
23:21.34
Andrew Culture
Um, it’s a challenging thing of should should also say to listeners that Sam and I both both musicians would are both unlocked recording and and playing live and I think I’ve had 2 approaches to being in a band. On the whole in my life when I was much much younger I wanted to make music that wasn’t like anything they’d ever come before it which meant that we had a band called junk culture that no one liked ah including the people in the band I think but then every band after that has had an aesthetic.
23:41.80
Sam
See.
23:51.38
Andrew Culture
To start with um that that we have used as a kicking off point but we haven’t necessarily stuck with so somebody’s in the office forgot to put my ah my on air thing. Hello I’m just gonna say later to some hello Richard. So we’re doing um ah doing ah, we’re converting a. Beat motel into a zine podcast. Yeah, but look out did yeah he just said he loved be motel so that’s a good star looking out this podcast ches Richard um.
24:15.96
Sam
Well let’s ruin that. Love.
24:25.20
Andrew Culture
Sorry I decided not not to kind of cut anything out. But yeah I’ve got a little sign that I’m supposed to switch on behind my head that says on-a so that if somebody walks in they know I’m recording. Um, ah, completely lost it. Yeah so using an aesthetic as a kicking off point. But yeah, no, the idea of saying we want to be exactly like this thing. I think why not just listen to the thing if you want to sound exactly like I don’t know emperor for 1 thing. You’re probably not going to be able to do that. But it’s another thing. Well why not just listen to emperor and make something new.
24:45.46
Sam
Um, yeah.
24:57.62
Sam
Yeah I mean it’s it’s this of there is an interesting sort of you know, have you seen those videos everywhere on Youtube you know 1 band in the style of another which is basically it’s that’s that’s fucking.
25:12.11
Andrew Culture
Are.
25:14.17
Sam
That’s a game by you know, that’s a that’s a game on that radio four program. What’s it called? Yeah, but they I didn’t realize people have started to make this into a career so you have this person who does like a queen song in 24 styles of.
25:18.60
Andrew Culture
Well sorry I haven’t got a clue yes completely right? Yeah oh like.
25:33.88
Sam
Anything other than Queen and you think 1 you think you know if like I don’t know when you get someone you get a band that is got a genuine the unique style I don’t think.
25:53.38
Sam
Like it must be limiting limiting but at the same time you know this is sort of the the I don’t know ah trying to think this out clearly. Basically you had Queen who could do anything they wanted. Ah. When they wanted really and that was both good and bad. Um, but they were amazing musicians and amazing songwriters and then you have something like mahugar which is just incredible sort of intense experience. But frankly and i’m. Dying to I mean I’m really looking forward to seeing them but fuck me I couldn’t tell you for the most part one album from another.
26:33.76
Andrew Culture
No, no, not at all. Um, um, um with you there I think my favorite bands are probably like long-term bands are probably bands that don’t stick to an aesthetic so against me we mentioned earlier first album to any. But.
26:47.62
Sam
Um, every album is different. Yeah yeah, yeah, I’m nice.
26:49.32
Andrew Culture
Every album is different. It’s is’s part the same thing. The replacements is another a really good example of that. The replacements. Go go from ratty black black flag type punk and end up sounded like Bon Jovi which um. Yeah, thanks to Simon Finmbo from ah is the singer of my band these are end times for pointing out the later era replacements sound like Bon Jo but I can’t unhear it fuck you simon.
27:12.97
Sam
Yeah, and yeah I mean it’s the same like um like I can’t as a musician I can’t get over Queen because of the I you know I regard them it more as sort of I guess composers rather than songwriters.
27:18.28
Andrew Culture
Um, love you So and.
27:30.50
Sam
Because there’s so much depth in the music they have this completely over the top sort of fun side that you can get into or they have this really sort of clever musical side that you can really sort of geek out on and it’s very easy to do both of them and you know every album. Ah, particularly after the first 4 is like a completely different identity and it’s hit and miss. But they have bravery and then you have yeah I’m trying to think I’m trying to think but then you have bands like I don’t know. Some of these bands are you and I and here know some of these bands like Metallica biggest probably biggest band on the planet who just sort of stand aside apart from everything they and I was I’m um, I’m fine with load and reloaded because I was a teenager when they came out and I didn’t know. Anything else for shit and so they so those songs re stand out is really well put together songs. But there’s also a desperation in their last 3 4 albums to 1 try and get back to a teenage then and also like I don’t know it’s just.
28:33.52
Andrew Culture
Me.
28:42.71
Sam
Someone said to me, it’s all about the basis then what the basis brings and um, yeah, yeah, so it’s really it was a really smart. It was some it was some Youtube thing but it’s a really smart analysis that if you listen to.
28:48.29
Andrew Culture
Um, where metallica.
28:59.49
Sam
I watch too much music shows in Youtube um, if you if you listen to who the basis is they sort of the composition follows that so you have the first basis to add apparently a bit of classical training Cliff Burton and the music has an ah orchestral sort of flow through a lot of the composition and a lot of the arrangement to it and it goes up and down and loud and quiet and then you got Jason Youstead who was a great bass player but didn’t have that sort of eye for dynamic and they became meaty. And they had this meteor rock and then the least less said about syntang in my opinion. The the the better but at the same time. It’s it shapes the modern era where they lose a sense of dynamic and then.
29:48.43
Andrew Culture
The the basis for some anger was I’m I’m not a Metallica fan just just to say I don’t get it I wouldn’t say I’m not a fan I wish them? no ill but it doesn’t it doesn’t tickle me me cobblers. Um Bob and anger but I watched I survived the documentary.
29:54.67
Sam
The ship.
30:05.70
Andrew Culture
And they didn’t have a basis really that it was Bob Rock well I did like that Scott reader from kaius popped up as a potential new basis that would have been weird.
30:07.44
Sam
Um, yeah, ah.
30:11.40
Sam
Yeah I mean that’s the thing is that they do like the their ninety stuff does have like a stonerish element to the sort of the the black sabbathy element to sort of the groove of it and then they got Robert. I can’t pronounce his names I apologize Robert Degelo ah who is in the suicide of tendencies who as a bass player. We’re both bass players. Ah we’re supposed to think is amazing and I have no doubt that he’s an excellent musician but I’ve just never clicked with his playing. And I’ve never thought it was that level of like clever if you will um like ah yeah, um, and so. The music’s got a lot better but there’s still sort of something lacking in it and um I I really could not tell you what it’s about.
31:17.34
Andrew Culture
So what should we do come can we do I’m just making a few notes as we go along here about things that might like to do a specific episode on and I think I think Metallica would be ah, a really interesting one to do mainly because it’s not. They’re not a band that I’m into.
31:23.19
Sam
Show.
31:33.61
Andrew Culture
And I quite like the idea of not necessarily you trying to convince me. But for me, you still you were talking about how you’re not necessarily interested in the mechanics of how a recording is made you know, but right you were saying earlier that that. How you feel about a band isn’t necessarily fueled by the same things that other people might like about a band and one of the things I’ve identified with the music I like is quite often if a friend talks to me at length about and I’ll end up loving the band. You know there’s there’s got to be an initial kind of like.
32:06.20
Sam
The Smith.
32:10.75
Andrew Culture
Twang or the initial kind of interest. But yeah, if you anyone could sit me down and talk to me ah about a musician or a type of music and I’d probably end up loving it because for me, kind of music although not tribal is is a social thing is a part of the experience.
32:23.89
Sam
Yeah, certainly you know you I certainly find myself you know when I’m hanging out with certain people. There’s things that I go naturally towards which you know and and part of it is trying to sort of find a click with. My friends who are into those things. So um I don’t know it’s something. It’s certainly something to talk about you know with friends and um, having said that you know the the tracks that you’ve ah. But you asked for earlier I like I haven’t really talked about those things because I’m feeling a bit isolated out here in Finland um, which is an easy thing to do in the winter believe it or not and ah oh that looks safe. Um, sorry and next doors.
33:14.82
Andrew Culture
You look in the other window.
33:18.12
Sam
Yeah, next doors ah Baker um have just introduced a trampoline with no sidings to it these I know it’s all foring out. It’s sort of it’s very. It’s very moist outside.
33:26.75
Andrew Culture
Um, isn’t it. You not like Elk Neck deep in snow at the moment.
33:33.28
Andrew Culture
Um, like take care I tell you what we do because we we’ve talked. Um, we talked for a while now and that this is only our sort of intro our intro episode. What I think would be quite a nice thing to do um as Sam just alludder to I asked him to choose some tracks.
33:42.82
Sam
Yep.
33:49.18
Andrew Culture
We want to give you a sample of the sort of music we’re into which is impossible with 3 tracks but set. Yeah now I think I think that is probably a better way of doing it because there’s always an album I haven’t listened to for many years that that doesn’t mean I don’t love it. So what I’m gonna do.
33:52.82
Sam
Now current music music. We’re into at the moment today.
34:08.27
Andrew Culture
I’m going to play the first of Sam’s tracks I’ve got them lined up here like a proper podcast host and the first one is by cruelty and it’s called maze of suffering now we can only should say actually for licensing reasons we can’t play more than 30 seconds of any music. So I’ve picked 30 seconds more or less at random from all these tracks. So I apologize in advance if it’s just a slow bit or an outro or I’ve tried not to do that anyway. So first up we have cruelty maze or suffering I’m going to play it and then Sam I’m going to ask you to very briefly. Tell us a little bit about it and way like it here. We go.
35:15.99
Andrew Culture
Oh that hits it a bit abruptly didn’t it that must have been 30 second markup. So god tell us a bit about cruelty.
35:23.98
Sam
So therere a Japanese band. Ah they have a curious thing on a lot of the merchants is Jp hardcore and I would say you could hear like the beat down hardcore side of it. But it’s much more death metal.
35:31.96
Andrew Culture
Um.
35:37.60
Sam
Sonically the vocal. It’s yeah, it’s just I haven’t heard a death metal album in I like death metal I haven’t heard a death metal album that like dirty it reminds me of cannibal Corpse. You know, early cannibal corpse. Um. There’s a groove to it but it’s not groove Metal. It’s and it’s like pre Panterra Groove metal and there’s a hard corere sort of beat down aspect to it and it’s just butap I can’t’s just fucking Rip So can’t write about this stuff. Yeah.
36:08.90
Andrew Culture
I like it. It’s it’s just heavy as fuck. It’s it’s demolishing and and I love that I think I didn’t get a lot of music like this ah near of the time you know so late eighty s I was too young but early 90 s because.
36:14.27
Sam
Yeah.
36:26.51
Andrew Culture
I Don’t think the production was there and I think that kind of thing is’s why I don’t get the true Ca Vault of the true cult kind of metal because it just sounds caxy.
36:26.84
Sam
Yeah I I.
36:35.79
Sam
Well, yeah I mean that’s the that’s the thing I go back to a lot of like um yeah, I’ve gone back to a few of those sort of early sort of classic things like frankly napalm death sounded shit until some point of the mid 90 s and. That first album of napalm death I don’t care who you are the fucking drummer is the only person who can play on that album and um, he was the only surviving member who went on to record the next album I think um, yeah, yeah, they yeah and.
37:03.85
Andrew Culture
He really why he he wasn’t It was the the meat of the band. Really.
37:10.54
Sam
And I’m sorry like that album shit frankly scum you know is ah um, you suffer ah is is a hilarious track but that’s about the level. The band could get and if you listen to the last few nave on out like napon death albums. They’ve hit. Ah, sound. Yeah, but it’s incredible sound as well. Um, and yeah and they they yeah and they they also continue to experiment and so on those more experimental non growling tracks are some of the best tracks they’ve done ah the last few years
37:34.61
Andrew Culture
Um, we need to do a grind core episode of just thought.
37:49.00
Sam
Ah, but no this this this Um, you’re right, the production. Ah the production brings it up and they do this sort of nice. That’s not you know it’s not too Clever. It’s not too sort of technically sort of. Ah, it Alienated. It is just meat and potatoes bulls to the wall. Um ovaries to the wall. Whatever you want to say um bits to the wool bits to the wool What set promise.
38:19.28
Andrew Culture
Ah, secondary of my primary sexual features to the wos. Um, okay, let let’s let’s move on to um, see an next track. This is what’s he doing in my world by Eddie Arnold Play your bugger gone.
38:28.92
Sam
Oh.
38:37.48
Andrew Culture
Ah, here. Okay.
39:07.63
Andrew Culture
I Really can’t figure out what that that’s that song’s about I listen to the whole thing but to to clip that bit and out of bit and oh right I just thought because how old is it I mean it. It doesn’t sound new.
39:15.41
Sam
I think is about being a cock-olded man.
39:23.55
Sam
No, it’s I think it’s it’s like 1950 s maybe it’s it’s one of the things that apparently produced what’s called and i’ got this from Wikipedia so it’s not special knowledge. It’s one of the things that produced the Tennessee sound was called in country music. The Tennessee sound.
39:40.11
Andrew Culture
Oh so the Tennessee sound I can sort of hear not quite a slide guitar but there is as in the instrument slide guitar but there is sliding notes being played on a guitar.
39:48.47
Sam
Yeah, and I think it’s the orchestration of it as well. Like there’s a big sound to it. It’s quite smooth. So it’s very much more produced than a lot of a lot. You know it’s a much more studio sound than um, a lot of say country music might have had back then say compared to. Willie Guffrie or ah, rockabilly all that stuff which sounds quite live.
40:10.86
Andrew Culture
Yeah I wouldn’t have placed it as that old actually I would have said just on production. Certainly no newer the mid 60 s I didn’t realize it was that old that that’s that’s quite amazing production for something at that age right? Let’s move on to Mr. Sellac ah which is a song about was it really co you do you know what? how spot on was I there? Um, so the next one is ah ah a song about magnum pi and it’s called BtaSellac it’s not all.
40:30.49
Sam
Um, 1965 yeah
40:44.50
Andrew Culture
It’s called Mr Sellach and it’s by the is it brooes or Ros is r o c h yes, but yeah was saying I’m I’m in Suffolk and how we write things down and how we say in bears no resemblent resemblance to each and there you go.
40:46.60
Sam
I talk american I will I would say so Ru’s is their surname. Apparently. This our whole english language that might.
41:01.63
Andrew Culture
Ah, yeah, we’ve managed to down the whole English language. Let’s listen to this band here. We go.
41:17.86
Sam
Are.
41:37.16
Sam
But.
41:37.65
Andrew Culture
Do you know? I’m going to say first of all that reminds me of the staves which the band band I like which is 3 women but also that style of singing I’ve only just recently got into Richard Dawkins it’s dawkings or dawson that that not not not the um.
41:50.95
Sam
Ah, Dawkins Dawson dawson Richard Dawson I yeah
41:55.60
Andrew Culture
Not the guy who’s who’s anti-god um, the the other guy the singer from from Newcastle but the the way that he sings that’s it but he sings in this brilliant way where the lyrics don’t rhyme.
42:03.98
Sam
Um, Dawson stawson. Yeah.
42:09.79
Andrew Culture
And he gives precedence to story being told incidentally I’ll put link in the show notes but the episode of Adam Buxton’s podcast where he speaks to Richard is just wonderful. It’s just a really wonderful thing.
42:19.84
Sam
Um, his his his his ah his solo What it called ah acapella track on that podcast is breathtaking. Um.
42:32.30
Andrew Culture
It’s amazing. It was just the the guts did perform that way. It’s and it so cool.
42:35.10
Sam
Yeah, but so the rogers were sisters that all 3 sisters that album is their first album under that name and it was produced by Robert Fripp of King Crimson no less yeah at.
42:48.51
Andrew Culture
Um, what you’re kidding me I’ve seen the clip and it looked to me like it was I thought that genuinely was 1950 s bloody how really that’s such a shock.
42:54.39
Sam
And know that was that is late 70 s and it’s a magnificent album. You’re right? It has something about that you know Richard Dawson has something about that sort of. Strange. There’s such a strange aspect for the lyrics. It’s about a song about a woman trying to get her summer job back I think and it’s and also the yeah I don’t know the the vocal harmonies are incredible on that album and.
43:14.91
Andrew Culture
Um, and.
43:28.58
Sam
There’s sort of a sense of humour running throughout it and they I don’t know the the vocal harmonies just take me and then Robert Fripp’s production like particularly the music behind it is just spot on including the ah There’s a moment where he references I he’s playing with guitar and I’m not sure, but there’s of a moment on that album where it sounds almost exactly like a Brian made guitar solo. Um, no, but it’s is it’s a beautiful album and it’s a wonderful album and it’s a discovery.
43:52.96
Andrew Culture
I wouldn’t expect that from just having heard that clip.
44:02.64
Sam
Um I made a few months ago and I just can’t stop listening to it. Um, it’s it.
44:07.33
Andrew Culture
I’m going to list the soul choices in the ah in the show notes so that you guys can look out look up.
44:11.84
Sam
But I think this is it about I gets to.. It’s like song choices. But actually I’ve all of these I’ve consumed like his quiet that one was easy to pick the lyric of I mean the last 2 songs easy to pick the songs of in a weird Bay but with cruelty. I mean I listen to albums still I can’t get into this single song I like single apart from early country music which seems to go by singles not albums what’s your choice.
44:38.74
Andrew Culture
There there weren’t any albums really were there. Okay, cool. So there’s your 3 so. It’s a bit of a snapshot. Well for my first one this is it’s actually taken from a live set. It’s a guy who goes by the name rival consoles and I think it’s safe to say I’m probably a bit more into. Some electric music electric electronic music then than Sam. But this is just ah, ah just a cool bit I think um I’ll tell you a bit more afterwards here we go.
45:36.22
Andrew Culture
So rig does slam the door when it gets to 30 seconds doesn’t it and the reason I chose that I do I love electronic music but I it comes very much from a love of of bands and it probably comes from a love of of some sort of progtype music. You know that sort of music that that.
45:40.11
Sam
This is.
45:55.46
Andrew Culture
Builds to a release which is why I chose I managed to choose that that specific bit there and that affection actually came from some indie bands in the 90 s like ver who seemed to be just doing this really odd type of progue and it took me years to realize it actually was kind of proggy. So and I just I just chose that one at random you got anything to say about that.
46:18.54
Sam
Ah, yeah, you made me feel really like so accessible with my music choice. Oh I mean like yeah I got that was um.
46:27.25
Andrew Culture
But what she made.
46:36.61
Sam
Ah, or I mean oh it just like to me. It’s very accessible listening to sort of vocals and guitars and you know regular rhythm whereas that was quite.. There was quite a lot of the non-regular. Is in in so in instrumentation going on there.
46:59.90
Andrew Culture
Ah, you certainly see that for the instrumentation but you’re right the timing I’d never really considered that before. But anyway if that what wasn’t accessible the next one. It’s the bad called Gayrea and a bit of a song called Memoir which is the first track of their their new album. And this type of metal I didn’t really get until I saw it live and I saw this band go rear quite a big band now. But I saw them in a very small venue in Ipswich and and this podcast is going to be rife with both Sam Andai talking about bands that we saw in really small venues because that’s part of our elitism and.
47:31.33
Sam
I thought let’s do a whole 3 hours in that that’d be great.
47:32.11
Andrew Culture
That’s just the way it is okay, here’s a bit of okay here’s a bit of Memoir by garia.
48:10.60
Andrew Culture
Well it me even two years ago would have listened to that and gone what the fuck is that but holy shit that that actually gives me and areadline spike when I hear that.
48:20.76
Sam
Um, I mean the the 80 s drum sound of the toms come on.
48:25.21
Andrew Culture
Again, this is but such the joy of of sharing music I did we we can see each other on video and journalist time sam was do the whole eighty s ah Phil Collinsville do dooooooo that’s like ya’s right isn’t he.
48:32.60
Sam
Are.
48:39.83
Andrew Culture
I put that song on in this room when I was here by myself really loud and I had to switch it off because it it genuinely scared me and it kicked in for that bill actually Yelped. So yeah there, there’s um, we yeah so we’ve had like country but like old country I suppose we’ve had some.
48:55.40
Sam
Now it was it was mainstream that was a big country song now I I went to Tennessee years ago with some friends and I wasn’t I didn’t really care about country music at the time and now i’m.
48:59.11
Andrew Culture
I Know nothing about country at or genuinely.
49:14.46
Sam
Into like Hank Williams and all this sort of early country music stuff and now I’m probably never going to go back to Tennessee so going around going around the music hall of fame country music hall of fame completely wasteed and I enjoyed myself a lot but I didn’t know who the fuck these people were.
49:15.80
Andrew Culture
Um I will.
49:20.90
Andrew Culture
Um I think.
49:29.45
Andrew Culture
I Genuinely think country music for me is like rush at some point I’m probably going to get it and then I’ll probably never shut up about it.
49:40.61
Sam
Ah I just I can’t try to listen to rush I love hearing them that documentary on Netflix is great. Ah, but and I love hearing snippets whole things of theirs I don fuck it’s too I don’t like frog. It’s not it’s it’s I just can’t get into it past the first King Crimson album but
49:59.66
Andrew Culture
I I really run hot and cold with it. Some progue I cannot abide if it’s got if it’s got pan flutes in it. It can fuck off generally bad. Yeah, okay, let’s let’s move on to the next one now
50:12.77
Sam
Um, is this is.
50:15.98
Andrew Culture
I’m like I’m just going to play it without without comment I’ll call I’ll talk about it afterwards.
50:31.73
Andrew Culture
Oh.
50:48.12
Andrew Culture
Again, very brutal exit there I absolutely adore hip hop I think it was the first type of music that that I really got excited about as a very small child first album my bought was raising hell by runamc stamping round me.
50:53.21
Sam
Um.
51:05.14
Andrew Culture
Rural Suffolk bedroom shang about how I was proud to be something I hope I wasn’t that but that that’s a track called nothing is safe by a band called clipping here on sub pop and out of all the hip hop. The reason I chose that Clip is the.
51:11.42
Sam
Um.
51:17.88
Sam
Um e.
51:24.40
Andrew Culture
Clipping have their roots in noise music and like electronic noise and some of the stuff they do is very very challenging but that guy’s voice I can’t remember his name his flow and and his dexterity lyrical dexterity and delivery is just unbelievably good.
51:38.13
Sam
E.
51:43.47
Andrew Culture
And it’s not just that it’s fast because I think speed in any musical delivery isn’t ah something to be celebrated just because of its speed you like Jimmy Page’s fast solos I couldn’t give a shit some of the slower ones can be quite good but I just love that I’ve mean not. Not really got much else to say about it. Really I think you probably put me onto clipping.
52:01.21
Sam
Yeah I there was a moment for me I have a love hate relationship because with it because I didn’t understand there was a hip hop underground in the in the late 90 s when I was getting into punk rock and so I got into the Punk Rock values and all the mainstream hip hop was misogynistic bullshit and so it put me off hip hop for years until my brother put me onto blacklicious and so I’ve sort of had a smashing of interest in a lot of it and then there was this point.
52:22.77
Andrew Culture
I Really was yeah.
52:39.64
Sam
With some experimental hip hop getting over some you know, getting out of I guess sort of the circles into whatever places I saw them and it was clipping particularly and um, Danny Brown’s ah. Album. What’s it called I need to look because that album is monumental. Ah, his second album is um, the problem of my favorite helpful atrocity exhibition. Um.
52:57.70
Andrew Culture
I Don’t know no I want to hear it is if it’s.
53:12.93
Andrew Culture
A trustee.
53:16.61
Sam
It is it is just and it’s not It’s his fourth album. Ah, and my favorite album from last year which was all the favorite album I discovered last year which I can’t remember the name of either. So forgive me I’m gonna have to find it. Um. Was by a brazilian musician and um, it was ah by it was called by Euraar Massal um her album is called ah delta isachio blues.
53:36.89
Andrew Culture
Are.
53:47.85
Andrew Culture
Of the.
53:55.90
Sam
And ah it used the same they they took inspiration from it and basically it is I think they they have the complete songs before they put down any vocals to it or even thought about vocals and so you have this really well put together pieces of music that are.
54:00.92
Andrew Culture
Are.
54:14.94
Sam
Just pieces of music with these vocals over the top that try to produce a song out of them and it’s a really interesting piece. They’re both really interesting albums.
54:22.43
Andrew Culture
I I really want to dig into that that that sounds entirely like like something. Um there you go I told you earlier that if a friend talks with enthusiasm about music I you usually end up loving it. We’re kind of out of time here Sam and ah.
54:35.85
Sam
Well this is supposed to be 20 minutes
54:40.30
Andrew Culture
Gonna say our 20 minute inaugal episodes are a mere 55 minutes long so far. So um, I’m gonna wrap it up I’m just goingnna say that that we we we’re gonna do this in very much a zine kind of way we’re gonna be as regular as we can but that probably means that we won’t be terribly regular I do want to hear.
54:46.21
Sam
Um.
54:55.21
Sam
I Can’t be here.
54:59.63
Andrew Culture
I don’t think either of us can be regular because we’ve got other stuff to do and I’m going to I’d love to hear from you I’ve set up an email address which is bemotel@lausie.com so Beatmotel is b e a t motel at lausy l a wsiedotcom just contact us, um, it’ll help us come up content ideas you got anything, you’d like to say to sign off nicely done.
55:23.92
Sam
Fuck You will.
Last Updated on May 29, 2023
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