The High Llamas
Sean O’Hagan returns to Low Profile to discuss the new High Llamas album “Hey Panda.”
Friend of the show Sean O’Hagan returns to the Low Profile to discuss “Hey Panda,” the first release from The High Llamas in eight years. When we last spoke in 2021, he had dropped the High Llamas moniker and forged a new path under his given name, embracing more contemporary influences. In the years since, he’s recruited Llamas new and old to reroute the course of the band he’s led since the early ‘90s, and invited exciting guest performers to come along for the ride. “Hey Panda” is out on March 29th from Drag City Records. Today Sean explains the process that led to this album, collaborating with Bonnie Prince Billy and Fryars, recent production and arrangement work with other artists, and a bit of the contemporary music he’s been getting into lately.
James Spooner on the Black Punk Experience
The creator of Afro-Punk discusses his work around the black punk experience, his graphic novel “The High Desert,” and more, recorded live at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, WA.
Photo courtesy of James Spooner
James Spooner is a writer, filmmaker and visual artist from Southern California. He grew up as one of two black punk rockers in the small town of Apple Valley, and he wrote a critically acclaimed graphic novel about his experience called “The High Desert,” released in 2022, twenty years after the release of his groundbreaking documentary “Afro Punk.” When I read the book, I found it so moving that I immediately reached out to him and invited him to be a guest on this program. James joined me for a live interview in Olympia at the Capitol Theater after a screening of his film, and we discussed his experience growing up as a black punk in the desert, the avenues that led him to direct his first film, being the father of a Gen-Z black punk, his career as a tattoo artist, and his new anthology book “Black Punk Now,” which was edited by Spooner and Chris L. Terry and came out last October.
Brooke Wentz on “Transfigured New York”
Illustration by Camille Morrison
Who smoked more: academics like John Cage, La Monte Young and Vladamir Ussachevsky- or the underground scenesters, like Glenn Branca, Arthur Russel and Laurie Anderson?
Why is turntablist Christian Marclay on the cover of "Transfigured New York," but not in the book, even though she interviewed him multiple times? Could AI design be to blame?
How did the old guard of "New Music" feel about the sudden rise of consumer-friendly music production four decades ago?
In the 1980s, Brooke Wentz hosted a radio show in the middle of the night that focused on experimental music, which was developing all around her in New York City. Over the course of a decade, many of the artists Brooke played on that show would join her in the studio. Her journalism days are through, (now she works on the business side of the industry) but she has just released a book with selected interviews back in the day called “Transfigured New York: Interviews with Experimental Artists and Musicians," available now from Columbia University Press. This may be a bit of a shock to you, but I’ll say it- I’m a big fan of oral history interviews, and I’m a big fan of experimental music. I’m pleased to feature Brooke and her work here today, which includes a couple of clips from her interviews (with Morton Subotnik and John Lurie, respectively). She joins me today from a working holiday somewhere in Mexico.
Blind Boys of Alabama
Ricky McKinnie discusses his years as a member of the iconic gospel vocal group Blind Boys of Alabama.
It's a bonus episode! Here's a little radio piece I made back in January to promote a Blind Boys of Alabama concert here in Olympia. The gospel singing group has been in existence since 1939 or so, with its members changing over time... you know, like Menudo, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band or the London Philharmonic. I spoke with Ricky McKinnie, who's been in the group since 1989. He tells me about his background in gospel music, his own experience of blindness, the group's latest Grammy nomination, and the ins and outs of a group that has been evolving for over three quarters of a century. Short and sweet, hope you like it!
Dick Heaven
Self-Portrait by Dick Heaven
On this very special bonus episode, I amazingly landed an interview with the famously reclusive home recording artist Dick Heaven. How I was able to pull this off is beyond me… he apparently hadn’t conversed with anyone, on or off the record, in a decade and a half. You can imagine my utter dismay when I realized the only time he was available to talk was during my previously scheduled bubble bath! Thankfully, the Los Angeles comedian Aviva Siegel was able to answer the call on my behalf. I knew she was up to the task as I’m a big fan of her Ad Wizards podcast ( @adwizardspod ), and her live comedy show Talkies (you can also follow her on twitter @livinlavivaloca ). While I washed myself clean, Aviva got into the dirt on Dick’s history, personal life and the creative process that gave us classic songs like “Nightmare Brigade” and “If I Wrote the Book.” Dick Heaven spoke to Aviva from his home in rural Western Massachusets.
Low Profile Presents DARKNET DIARIES: NERDCORE
Jack Rhysider drops in to share a music-rich episode of his podcast Darknet Diaries.
Low Profile presents a collection of music and stories from Darknet Diaries, a strikingly original podcast about cybercrime. After a brief conversation between Markly Morrison and Jack Rhysider, Jack takes the reins and shares his interviews with three purveyors of nerdcore, a sub-genre of hip hop: YTCracker, OHM-I, and Dual Core. All three are skilled at hacking into the mainframe AND spitting legit rhymes about their exploits. (This episode contains some explicit content.)
Links to all of the music featured on this episode can be found on the episode’s original website.
Find more from Darknet Diaries wherever you get podcasts or at darknetdiaries.com
Support Low Profile at patreon.com/lowprofile or venmo @lowpropodcast
Thanks for your time, ears and support!
Dollar Country (bonus episode)
Who is Frank the Drifter?
What is Dollar Country?
Collage/Photo by Michael Sean Coleman
On this bonus episode we have yet another clash of the podcasts. I had the pleasure of a zoom call and DJ roulette session with the host of Dollar Country, Franklin Fantini, or as his listeners know him, Frank the Drifter. It’s one of my favorite shows, and shares a common mission to this program: that’s to preserve overlooked music history and share it with a wider audience. For Low Profile, that means researching the artists and mining them for their oral history. For Dollar Country, it means sifting through thousands of overlooked country 45’s from the 20th century and sharing the treasure with the listener. Franklin moved to Cleveland, Ohio from his hometown of Lawrence, KS. For the last five years or so, he has been regularly releasing sets of irregular songs, many of which even the most devoted fans of country music have never heard of.
So, you might be wondering, who is Frank The Drifter, and where does he find these nuggets? Can I hear some of them? Why does he do it? Is there no stopping him? Feel free to eavesdrop as a couple of record nerds go head to head. Here goes.
(For an unedited, feature-length video recording of this episode, visit patreon.com/lowprofile)
Dollar Country can be found on apple podcasts, at dollarcountry.org, and on instagram at Dollarcountry. You can support them at patreon.com/dollarcountry
Low Profile receives financial support from listeners like you at patreon.com/lowprofile, where I occasionally share tasty bonus content, like the feature-length video of this interview.
Low Profile also receives in-kind support from the following independent businesses here in Olympia:
San Francisco Street Bakery,
Schwartz’s Deli,
Rainy Day Records,
Old School Pizzeria,
And Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Company.
Looking Back:
A Low Profile Mixtape
Instead of a new episode this time around, here’s some music representing the artists who have been featured on the program so far, from the most recent back to the first episode. Hang out for a couple hours, enjoy the jams, and if you like a song or artist, dig it: There’s a Low Profile episode about them for you to devour. Track listing below.
Low Profile with Markly Morrison
Looking Back Mixtape 4-22-2021
Negativland “Drink It Up”
Alice Stuart “Freedom’s The Sound”
Jeffrey Lewis and the Voltage “Except For The Fact That It Isn’t”
Briana Marela “Give Me Your Love”
Lavender Country “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You”
Oval “Ah!”
The Music Tapes “Please Hear Mr. Flight Control”
Swamp Dogg “Kiss Me Hit Me Touch Me”
The Julies “Boy Wonder”
Karl Blau “Mockingbird Diet”
The Microphones “Between Your Ear and The Other Ear”
Jib Kidder “New Crimes”
David Grubbs “Gloriette”
Donnie and Joe Emerson “Thoughts In My Mind”
Holy Modal Rounders “Random Canyon”
Ashley Eriksson “When The Earth Was Flat”
Eugene Chadbourne “Honey Don’t”
CW Stoneking “On a Desert Isle”
Washington Phillips “Mother’s Last Word to Her Son”
Cornershop “United Provinces of India”
Heatwarmer “American Dog”
Chumbawamba “This Girl”
Nick Krgovich “Country Boy”
Amps For Christ “Sweet William”
Terry Cashman “Cooperstown”
Scott Dunbar “Forty-Four Blues”
Bobby Frank Brown “My Dog Is Every Bit as Good as Me”
Soul-Junk “Soft Adult Contempt”
Susan Cadogan “Love My Life”
Cleaners from Venus “A Girl With Cars In Her Eyes”
Bob Dorough (on a Miles Davis album) “Nothing Like You”
The Gift Machine “Telemetric Mayhem”
Old Time Relijun “Dark of the Male, Light of the Female”
Gary Wilson “Gary’s in the Park”
Margo Guryan “Someone I Know”
Larry Norman “Sweet Song of Salvation”
Klaus Nomi “Just One Look”
Pete Drake “I’m Blue”
The Wurst Nightmare
(BONUS EPISODE)
This episode's featured guests are influenced by people like Jesus, Gandhi, God and Buddha.
About a year ago, I got to have a conversation with two living members of one of the most influential bands of all time. Then my computer completely died, and I lost the entire interview! I was crushed. But to my amazement, earlier this week, I received a package from Ulan Bator, Mongolia containing a cassette tape of our conversation! My voice is coming out of their speakerphone, so sorry in advance about the quality of my voice, but I didn’t talk too much because I wanted to hear the stories about how acts like Metallica, Queen, LAKE, Weezer, Guns N’ Roses, Coldplay, Lemmy Chavitz, and even Bob Marley and the Wailers all became household names thanks to the musical ques they took from a band that needs no introduction:
The Wurst Nightmare.
***This episode contains some strong material and expletives, be advised***
If you like Low Profile, please subscribe, rate and review, tell a friend, blah blah blah.
If you LOVE Low Profile, throw us a bone at patreon.com/lowprofile
Low Profile receives in-kind support from San Francisco Street Bakery in Olympia, WA.
The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of Low Profile or its affiliates.
This podcast will self-destruct.
rage against the marine rare ulan bator footage
Yurup
mr dig
Katja Bilaaf
Dicks 4 Free
BONUS: CapCity Presents (crossover)
On this week's episode, we team up with Andy "Remex" Moreno of The CapCity Presents Podcast for our first ever cross-over episode, where we interview each other! CapCity Presents Podcast is a show that digs into the world of Puget Sound region musicians and beyond, from the lens of Andy's background as a promoter of live entertainment. We discuss life in Olympia, hip-hop, live shows, obsure music and what pickled dishes we'll be trying on our next episode.
CapCity Presents Podcast on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1ALd4Mc4SS7lo4ss4q0nLY
CapCity Presents Podcast on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/capcitypresents/
CapCity Presents Podcast on Anchor:
https://anchor.fm/capcitypresents
Low Profile with Markly Morrison official website: http://www.lowprofilepodcast.com
Low Profile on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CzVOYeCKjORh81x5vbtpI
Low Profile on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowpropodcast/?hl=en
Low Profile on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LowProfilePodcast/
Low Profile on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lowprofile
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If you're still reading this... Yo! Season 4 is going to be LIT. And I mean, literature. I have a bunch of musicians I highly respect helping out with the hosting duties, interviewing our mutual heroes of underground music. Coming your way on February 6th! Look out!
Bonus Holiday Episode (w/Gretchen Christopher)
The founder of 50’s pop vocal sensations The Fleetwoods shares a new holiday song.
The Fleetwoods founder presents a new song
For this second holiday 2020 bonus episode, Low Profile brings you a high-profile artist. She has won multiple gold records and is in the Vocal Group Hall of fame. Her name is Gretchen Christopher, and she is one of the founders of 1950s-1960s pop sensations the Fleetwoods, who began their career here in Olympia, Washington. She will be featured in an upcoming episode about the Fleetwoods next season, but today I’m presenting our conversation about her newest single, “Christmas Is You,” which she is sharing here after nearly 40 years in the making. Gretchen tells the story behind the song, along with the story of how we met, just in time for the holiday season.
Recommendations:
To order Gretchen Christopher's most recent album, “Gretchen’s Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16),” which includes a free download of “Christmas is You,” for $16 including shipping and handling, visit GoldCupMusic.com today to hear clips and get your signed copy of the CD.
The Fleetwoods' song that got the world’s attention, “Come Softly To Me.”
Bonus 2020 Holiday Episode (with Steve Hindalong)
The award-winning producer and songwriter Steve Hindalong on his long-forgotten “sardonic Christmas carol.”
Happy holidays everybody! It’s Markly, and I’m happy to bring you this little bonus piece in between seasons. Here’s what’s up: I had the idea to make a special mixtape of non-traditional Christmas music to share with the show’s Patreon supporters, with songs performed by artists who’ve been featured on Low Profile over the past few years. I figured out that almost half of the people who’ve been on this show had something I could include, like Amps For Christ, Nick Krgovich, Klaus Nomi, Bob Dorough, and Ashley Eriksson. Gary Wilson, Swamp Dogg and Heatwarmer all have entire albums of Christmas music recorded, too. Sut there was still one song in particular that I really wanted to put on this mix, called “Tis The Season of Excess,” a song that is nowhere to be found on the internet but I happen to own a copy of. The only problem with doing that, was that this artist was an outlier- the only one who had never been on the show before. So I reached out to Steve Hindalong, who along with Chris Colbert, recorded this song I’m talking about. I’d never talked to Steve before, and he hadn’t really even thought about this song in the past 25 years, so I sent him the track and then gave him a call so I could find out the story behind it. Here’s my short interview with the award-winning producer and songwriter Steve Hindalong. Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed doing it.
Recommendations:
Steve has been the drummer, songwriter and producer in alternative rock band The Choir since the mid-1980s.
Below is the cover of the album that originally featured the song we talk about. As of the release of this episode, it is not available online, so keep an eye out for it at the thrift store:
