Low Profile with Markly Morrison: Recent Episodes
Markly Morrison
A lovingly produced podcast rich in music and storytelling, Low Profile features long-form interviews with would-be legends of recorded music’ history. Markly Morrison is an audio journalist and independent musician in the exotic city of Olympia, Washington.
On July 23rd, 2023 a meeting of the minds occurred behind the Carnegie Library in downtown Olympia, WA. Pat Maley and Mary Sharp (formerly of Oly rock duo Little Red Car Wreck) arrived with their new band Guidon Bear to warm up the grassy knoll for Anna Oxygen, who has lived in New York for almost twenty years, and Tae Won Yu + Rachel Carns, better known as Kicking Giant. In between all the music, I spoke to the five of them about their glory days in the 90s Olympia punk scene, and got caught up on what’s been going on since. Spoiler, a lot’s been happening!
This episode was engineered, mixed and edited by Rose Nielsen, and documented by Andrew Ebright.
Low Profile is supported by you on Patreon.com/lowprofile, plus in-kind support from Olympia’s Old School Pizzeria, Rainy Day Records, San Francisco Street Bakery and Three Magnets Brewing Company.
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!
This is the fifth installment of highlights from this year’s Scherler Sundays concert and interview series. Today’s show was recorded on July 16th behind the Carnegie Library in Olympia, WA and features performances from San Diego band The Gift Machine and Hot Rush, plus Joshua James Amberson reads from his latest book “Staring Contest.” The Gift Machine is returning to Low Profile, after being featured way back on episode 7. Their latest album is called “Consolation Prize.” This episode was engineered by Kefa Crow, documented by Andrew Ebright, mixed and edited by Rose Nielsen.
Low Profile is supported by you on Patreon.com/lowprofile, plus in-kind support from Olympia’s Old School Pizzeria, Rainy Day Records, San Francisco Street Bakery and Three Magnets Brewing Company.
Karl Blau makes his fourth appearance on Low Profile- first as featured guest back on episode 29, and then taking over the show producing interviews with Temple of Bon Matin and Hermit Thrushes. Now episode marks his first appearance on the program as a live performer, with a smoking hot quartet behind him. After the performance, we discuss his goings on in Philadelphia and back here in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Good thing this was an early show, he had to head to a gig down in Portland right after. Enter Olympia’s own Tim McBride and the Divide, a band that started just in time for the global pandemic and re-emerged about a year ago, uncaging a skillfully crafted world of punk rock storytelling. Tim and co. stick around for a disarming round of “gotcha journalism.”
This episode was recorded live on July 9th, 2023 at the Scherler Sundays with Markly Morrison concert series in downtown Olympia, in the parking lot of Three Magnets Brewing Company.
Low Profile is supported by you on Patreon and also receives in-kind support from these independent Olympia businesses: Schwart’z Deli, San Francisco Street Bakery, Old School Pizzeria, Rainy Day Records and Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Company.
Instagram: @lowpropodcast
Facebook Community: Low Profile Listener Hub
Patreon (donation-based bonus content+goods): patreon.com/lowprofile
The movie "Dreamin' Wild," about the unlikely and belated fame of Donnie and Joe Emerson, is released in theaters today. It stars Casey Affleck, Beau Bridges, Walton Gogging and Zooey Deschanel. Today I'm sharing my interview with the real Donnie and Joe, along with their parents Don Sr. and Salina Emerson. They spoke to me from their parents' farm in Fruitland, WA. Enjoy!
Alice Stuart was a singer-songwriter from Washington Sate. She passed away yesterday. In celebration of her life, here is Rob Smith's interview with Alice from 2021. This episode is a cross-release between Low Profile and Rob's podcast, Welcome to Olympia. Rob also produced this one, be sure and check out his show if you like what you're hearing. Love eternal to Alice and those close to her. I'll be cooking dinner tonight in the crock pot we got from her yard sale a couple of years ago. Check out her discography after you hear pieces of it on this episode.
Recorded live on 07/02/2023 from this year's Scherler Sundays concert series, prog-pop trio Heatwarmer returns to Low Profile in person performing a handful of songs from their latest album "It's A Nightmare" and catches up on what's been going on since the geographically dispersed group's previous appearance on this show. Olympia honky-tonk mainstays The Purple Shadows kick this event off with a hearty helping of original cosmic American music.
On today’s show, Jason Traeger of the Traegermethod podcast is filling in for me as host, presenting performances and conversations with Olympia synth rock artist Doctor Sleep and Tacoma rapper Ralph Reign. Interestingly enough, both of these guys incorporate a Nintendo Game Boy into their distinctly different sounds. This episode is being cross-released on both Low Profile and Traegermethod via the podcast universe. If you like one show, you’ll probably like the other, and there’s a lot of episodes to dig into. This is the second installment of Scherler Sundays 2023, recorded by Andrew Ebright and Kefa Crow, in front of a live audience behind the Carnegie Library in Olympia, Washington.
This is the season eight premiere of Low Profile! This season is gonna be coming at you every Friday for the next couple of months, and it’s all pretty fresh stuff. Right now we are in the middle of Scherler Sundays, a weekly concert and interview series hosted by 3 Magnets Brewing in downtown Olympia. If you’re in the area, it’d be great to see you there, every Sunday at 3pm through August 13th. This is the first one, recorded on June 18th 2023. First up is a puppet theater troupe from Arcata, CA called the Kinetic Paranormal Society. Unfortunately, there were some technical difficulties with the recording of their performance and it just didn’t turn out, but we did manage to get a good recording of my interview with Bartleby, one of the puppets. You can hear their scripted podcast wherever you’re hearing this, just look for the Kinetic Paranormal Society podcast. After that, it’s a performance from Your Heart Breaks, the long term project of musician, filmmaker and visual artist Clyde Peterson. We’ll be talking about his new documentary about the band Earth, and his new Your Heart Breaks album “The Wrack Line” out now on Kill Rock Stars records. Finally, a set from our friends Elf Power, who drove out west from Athens, GA to play a show in the rain. Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Rieger catches up with Markly at the end of it all.
The band Generifus from Olympia is kind of a big deal- the group’s unassuming founder, Spencer Sult, is gifted with a poignant, understated sense of delivery. Active sincew the mid-aughties, he continues his long-term project writing songs that reflect his personal take on every day Monday in interactions with nature, society, music, and probably business. Generifus has a new album out called Rearrangel- it came out a week ago as of the release of this episode. Spencer joins me today along with band mates Andrew and Wilson in the live studio at KAOS in Olympia. They’re performing a handful of new songs, and we also had a surprise visitor who brought some pizza. It’s gonna be a good time.
Thanks to Isaac and Ian for documenting this episode, I couldn’t have done it without you.
This is the season seven finale. Thanks to band members Spencer, Wilson and Andrew, to Adam at KAOS for the studio time, to Isaac and Ian for documenting the program, and to Spencer’s dad Bruce for explaining what the hell a Generifus is.
If you'd like to hear more of this show, visit Lowprofilepodcast.com, where you’ll find a complete archive of previous episodes. This is the end of season Seven, and you’re invited to come be a part of Season Eight at Scherler Sundays this summer- ten outdoor concerts and episode tapings on the lawn behind the old Carnegie library in downtown Olympia, every Sunday from June 18-Aug 13 at 3PM
We’ll have beer from 3 Magnets Brewing Company, Bombay street food from Akashic Food Truck, and unique merch table goodies every week.
Thanks to San Francisco Street Bakery, Rainy Day Records and Old School Pizzeria and Three Magnets for sponsoring the bands at this event.
You can find all the particulars at scherlerbeer.com
If you love this show and want to be partially responsible for its creation, please consider supporting with a flexible monthly donation at Patreon.com/LowProfile. There you’ll find things like unedited interviews, video clips, behind the scenes updates and whenever possible, early release episodes. Thanks a lot for your help there! I love making this thing but it’s a lot of work and every little bit helps.
Thanks for listening today, and hopefully I’ll see you for the next taping at Scherler Sundays on June 18th with Elf Power, Your Heart Breaks and the Kinetic Paranormal Society. Hope you have a good summer.
Hey, Markly here, this is the sixty-third episode of Low Profile. A couple years ago, my friend and former bandmate Nehemiah St-Danger told me about this band he started playing bass for, and thought would be a good match for this show. I loved what I heard- in fact, I started listening to it all the time, but I was hesitant because A: there were only two albums out, and I usually like to do a lot of research in a deep discography before having them on as a guest,
and B: I already had a years-old, over-ambitious list of dream guests who, to my pleasant surprise kept accepting my invitations. But here’s the thing: the more I listened to those two albums,
Jonny Kosmo (2019) and Pastry (2021), the deeper the discography felt. I got in touch with Jonny and Nehemiah, and then later in June of 2022, we managed to get together while my family was visiting Los Angeles. Turns out the three of us have a bizarree experience in common almost 20 years ago. We also discuss Jonny’s earlier days on the East Coast (when he went by “Jonny Tea”), putting a little sunshine in your ears, sonic fondue, how Nehemiah got involved on bass, how much fun it is to play bass (spoiler: it’s more fun than you think), the intersection of therapy and song crafting, and of course, the ideal burger. As of November 2022, Jonny Kosmo now has a third album out, called “Light Speaks the Quilt.
This episode's website:
https://www.lowprofilepodcast.com/season-7/63-jonny-kosmo
Jonny Kosmo on IG: @jonnykosmo
Jonny Kosmo on bandcamp:
https://jonnykosmo.bandcamp.com/
Nehemiah St-Danger on bandcamp:
https://saint-danger.bandcamp.com/
This episode was produced by yours truly, Markly Morrison. If you like this show, please, tell your fellow music history nerds about it.
Leave a review, smash the subscribe button, follow us on social media @lowpropodcast,
and find more content related to this and all previous episodes at lowprofilepodcast.com.
If you want to help pay the bills, and a big thank you to those that do,
you can join other financial backers at patreon.com/lowprofile.
Low Profile receives in-kind support from these Olympia, Washington independent businesses:
San Francisco Street Bakery,
Schwartz’s Deli,
Old School Pizzeria,
Rainy Day Records,
and Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager from 3 Magnets Brewing.
Oakland-based singer-songwriter Stephen Steinbrink, one of my favorite artists and a friend to boot, is my guest today. Multi-instrumentalist and frequent co-host Andrew Dorsett is also in on the conversation, accompanying Stephen on piano and steel guitar in the Lounge of the ABC House. He has released 14 albums and EPs under his own name and his earlier moniker French Quarter on the labels Holy Page, Western Vinyl, No More Second Chances, Lost Sound Tapes, and Melodic Records. Steinbrink has also recently assumed a producer role for the Bay Area band Boy Scouts. In this interview, we discuss songwriting, collaborations, fun gags on tour, uncomfortable fashion, astrology, plus a special lightning round. This episode was filmed for television and includes live performances and music videos, you can fix yourself some popcorn and watch it at lowprofilepodcast.com
Artwork for this episode by Lani Morrison
Directed and engineered by Andrew Ebright
Edited by Markly Morrison
Cameras by Andrew Ebright, Miles Rozatti and Madison Nadine.
This podcast is supported by listeners like you at patreon.com/lowprofile
Low Profile recieves in-kind support from these independent Olympia businesses:
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.
Come for a ride down Interstate 5 with Suzzy Roche and Lucy-Wainwright Roche as I talk to them on their way to the next gig on their west coast tour. Suzzy is one-third of The Roches, a group of sisters whose records since the 1970s have been creating fanatic enthusiasts around the world, myself included. Her daughter Lucy has released several killer solo records in the last couple of decades, and the new album “I Can Still Hear You” is the third that the two of them made together. This one’s an especially big deal for me, because I’m a huge fan on the Roches and their extended universe, including Lucy and her siblings Rufus and Martha Wainwright, not to mention their father Loudon Wainwright III. Earlier this year, I took my family to see Suzzy and Lucy perform in Seattle a few days before recording this interview while they were on the road (and I joined by speakerphone technology). Today we’re talking about the Roches legacy, including being among the first artists to earn the classification “folk punk,” Suzzy and Lucy’s experience collaborating remotely on an album that was meant to happen in a Nashville studio, balancing humor and sincerity in their music, the adjustments necessary to incorporate Roches songs into their set, and Suzzy’s most recent novel “The Town Crazy.”
Links related to this story can be found on this episode's page at https://www.lowprofilepodcast.com
Episode Artwork by Lani Morrison
Produced by Markly Morrison
This show is supported by you at patreon.com/LowProfile and in-kind supporters Old School Pizzeria, Rainy Day Records, Schwartz's Deli, San Francisco Street Bakery and Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager. Bonus track "Love To See You (Roches)" by Stephen Steinbrink.
I'm very excited to kick things off today, I’ve been working on this season for a little over a year and as usual, I’ll be presenting a ton of terrific musical guests. Also, my wife Lani Is supplying hand drawn portraits of all the artists for each episode, starting with today’s guest, Peter David Connelly of the Mona Reels, whose latest self-released album “Without Love” is available on bandcamp. In addition to the band’s output over the past twenty years or so, Peter and I talk about how to hack the algorithms that police low-res photos, worshiping The Beach Boys, the role of piano in contemporary rock music, his old band called Weezer, and Peter gives a few piano and vocal performances we taped in his home here in Olympia. This episode is also available on video, filmed and directed by Andrew ebright at TCTV Studio A. You can find a link to watch this on this episode’s website at lowprofilepodcast.com or cat hit late at night on Channel 22 in Thurston County. Some, but not all of the visual references have been edited out for this audio-only version.
You can find links to their music on this episode’s website at lowprofilepodcast.com where you can also watch the broadcast television version of this episode. If that’s not enough Mona Reels for you, they gave another performance and interview during the Scherler Sundays live series, two episodes back in time. Today’s show was recorded for Thurston Community Media by Andrew Ebright. If you’d like to support Low Profile and get early access to future episodes and occasional exclusive bonus content, head over to Patreon.com/lowprofile and sign up for flexible monthly donations and join the crew of executive producers.
Next time on Low Profile I’ll be speaking with Suzzy Roche of the Roches, and her daughter, singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche. You can subscribe to this show wherever you get podcasts to make sure you hear new episodes as soon as they are released, and catch up on previous shows you may have missed. Thanks for listening!
The Mona Reels on IG: @themonareels
The Mona Reels on Bandcamp: themonareels.bandcamp.com
Dev Ray, Dylan Shearer and Ali Baker (with Summer Schief) make an appearance at the final Sherler Sundays concert of 2022. Ali and Summer reveal their new band name, discuss singing harmony with the Mona Reels, and share about their recent opportunity to share the stage with hip-hop royalty. Dylan performs in Olympia for the first time in 20 years and talks about his formative years in the Mojave desert, and the chapter of his life in the Bay Area leading to working with members of the Osees and Comets on Fire. Dev visits Olympia for the first time ever, sharing songs from his upcoming record and talking about previous projects. I’ve also collaborated musically with each of these friends of mine, so we’re talking about those experiences as well.
This concludes the series of live highlights from Scherler Sundays, and Low Profile will be back soon with a brand new season that’s over a year in the making, starting with The Mona Reels.
You can find all of today’s featured artists on Bandcamp:
Dev Ray
https://devraymusic.bandcamp.com
Dylan Shearer
https://dylanshearer.bandcamp.com/
Ali Baker
https://alibakermusic.bandcamp.com/
Scherler Sundays is a collaboration of Low Profile and Three Magnets Brewing Company.
https://www.3magbrewing.com
And of course, this show is supported by you at https://patreon.com/LowProfile !
You can find all previous episodes of Low Profile with Markly Morrison at https://www.lowprofilepodcast.com
The penultimate live episode for this series of highlights from the Scherler Sundays concert series features three Olympia acts and one out-of-towner, Austin Leonard Jones. The Mona Reels has been the ongoing project of singer-songwriter Peter David Connelly for over 20 years, today we hear his current and self-proclaimed favorite line-up of the band, a six-piece ensemble. Included is a suite of songs from their latest record, "Without Love." The Mona Reels will also be kicking off the seventh season of Low Profile later this month.
Olivia Rose is the namesake of the red-hot Pacific Northwest band Oh, Rose. In this performance, however, she is joined by a cellist and several backup singers, delivering a performance unlike anything else out there, including a debut performance of a brand-new song.
Lee Baggett is best known for his work with Kyle Field in the band Little Wings, and is a terriffic songwriter himself. Originally from San Luis Obispo, CA, he moved to Olympia and started a family some years ago. His latest album, "Anyway," is out now on Perpetual Doom Records and features a brand new set of sunshine-laden road songs.
Austin Leonard Jones is one of the best kept secrets in modern country music. Originally from Texas and currently based in Ojai, CA, his latest album is called "Dead Calm." Like Lee Baggett, his new album is available on Perpetual Doom Records. Coincidentally, Lee and Austin perform with the same rhythm section for this performance: Spencer and Henry of the band Generifus, who were featured a few weeks ago in this series.
Find links to all of these artists and their music at lowprofilepodcast.com and get into it!
The performances and interviews on this episode were recorded live in front of an audience in Olympia, WA behind the historic Carnegie Library on July 31 and August 7th, 2022 by Miles Rozatti.
Scherler Sundays is a collaboration between Low Profile and the Three Magnets Brewing Company.
This is the sixth installment of highlights from the Scherler Sunday’s concert series earlier this summer. We’ll be hearing interviews and three songs each from Hot Pursuit of Happiness, my old friends LAKE, and Kelsey Magnuson. The first two sets were recorded on July 24th, and Kelsey’s set is from July 31st of this year, all recorded in front of an audience behind the Historic Carnegie Library in Olympia. If you want to hear the complete sets and unedited versions of the interviews, it will be available via Patreon.com/lowprofile
Hot Pursuit of Happiness is the current songwriting project from improvising keyboardist Thollem McDonas. We talk about his expansive practice in improvised and composed music, his activist anti-war stance, and share some laughs.
LAKE is no stranger to Low Profile, but this is the first time everyone has been on the show together. It also marks my first performance with them since the group’s ten year anniversary, such a fun time!
Kelsey Magnuson is an Olympia transplant from Nebraska whose new band has been making a big impression in the local scene with solid, thoughtful rock and roll music.
Find music from Thollem and Hot Pursuit of Happiness at www.Thollem.com
Find LAKE’s music at www.laketheband.com
Find Kelsey Magnuson’s music at kelseymagnuson.bandcamp.com
Patrick Haggerty brings his six-piece Lavender Country band to the grassy knoll. After a candid interview in front of the Scherler Sundays audience, the band's lively honky-tonk set serves as a framework for Haggerty to tell his life story using his songs as the soundtrack, making for a very special show celebrating almost 50 years since their release of the first openly queer-themed country album.
Engineered by Robin Carmosino, behind the historic Carnegie Library in Olympia, WA.
Scherler Sundays is a collaborative effort from Low Profile and Three Magnets Brewing Company.
This edit of the show includes less than half of the complete performance, which you can find at patreon.com/lowprofile when you become a supporter of Low Profile.
Today’s live highlights reel features interviews and performances from July 10th and 17th, 2022. First up it's NYC-based Zachary Cale, who shares about his musical journey and finding his rock chops in Olympia at the turn of the century. Next, Portland’s Jack Habegger returns after guest-hosting last week for his first time as the interviewee before performing with his band Celebrity Telethon. Then, we jump ahead a week to meet Olympia neo-bluegrass artists the Pine Hearts, and Oly’s indie rock favorites Generifus. All of this was recorded in front of an audience behind the historic Carnegie Library in Olympia WA as part of the Scherler Sundays concert series. The first half was engineered by Robin Carmosino, and the latter half by Miles Rozatti. Scherler Sundays is a collaborative effort by Low Profile and Three Magnets Brewing Company.
The entire performances and unedited interviews will be made available for supporters of this show at
http://Patreon.com/LowProfile
Join today and help keep the cogs cranking, and scope out the bonus content you get access to as a supporter!
More from the featured artists:
Zachary Cale
Jack Habegger's Celebrity Telethon
The Pine Hearts
Generifus
Find all previous episodes of Low Profile at lowprofilepodcast.com
Musical storyteller Michael Hurley made his debut on Folkways records way back in 1964 and shows no signs of slowing down because there’s always another story to tell. His songs have been covered by The Violent Femmes, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo and previous Low Profile guests Eugene Chadbourne and the Holy Modal Rounders. Michael’s performances are few and far between these days, and interviews with him are even more rare. Without him American music would not be the same, and it was an honor to welcome this living legend to the stage.
James Madea is a mutual friend of mine and Michael’s, and the two of them are planning to start a new band and make a new record any day now. Madea’s songwriting is spot-on: feels like you know it by the time it’s done, and it really sticks. According to James, none of these songs have ever been recorded or released before this episode, so that’s an exclusive to the max. Most music fans in Olympia probably know James Madea from our vinyl mecca Rainy Day Records where he obsessively curates a treasure trove of 45RPM singles, or his occasional DJ sets as Wildman James, spinning underground garage rock gems most people have never heard. He’s also a founding member of the group Spider and the Webs, along with his wife Sara Pete and Bikini Kill’s Tobi Vail. But Wildman James is also a gifted songwriter, with leanings toward early rock and country music, echoing the lonesome twang of artists like Townes Van Zandt, Billie Joe Shaver and Hasil Atkins.
Regrettably, though somewhat predictably, I found myself with my first positive test for COVID-19 a few days before this eagerly anticipated show and could not attend. I hadn’t heard these remarkable performances until the weekend of this episode’s release, and I can say you’re in for a real treat. The noble Jack Habegger returns as guest host on my behalf, thankfully, and makes it all work.
This episode was engineered by Miles Rozatti in front of a live audience behind the historic Carnegie Library in downtown Olympia, WA on July 3, 2022.
Note: this episode is edited for time, but if you become a supporter on patreon.com/lowprofile you can hear the entire show.
lowprofilepodcast.com
Scherler Sundays is a collaborative effert by Low Profile and Three Magnets Brewing Company.
For the second collection of highlights from the Scherler Sundays 2022 concert and interview series, we have a document from an indie rock lover’s dream: Doug Martsch of Built to Spill and John Atkins of 764-HERO, and more recently, his new band Sun Breaks. Doug and John each play intimate acoustic sets behind the old Carnegie Library in Olympia. For this show, I interviewed the two of them together since they have a bit of mutual history in their formative years in their respective music careers- you’ll hear about that in a bit. I’m including about 20 minutes from each performance on today’s show, and it was really difficult to choose which songs. Doug had a terrific selection of familiar cover tunes, including songs by Cat Stevens and Mazzy Star that aren’t included here. If you want to hear the complete, unedited show you can find a link to that at patreon.com/lowprofile.
Doug Martsch is best known as the man behind Built To Spill, Boise’s undisputed kings of indie rock since the early 1990s, Treepeople before that, and a solo album called “Now You Know” released 20 years ago. Built to Spill also toured as the late Daniel Johnson's backup band, and shortly thereafter released the album "Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnson" in 2020. But my first exposure to his music was through his band with Olympia’s Calvin Johnson on K Records, The Halo Benders. His wry lyrics and virtuosity on the guitar have made a life-long fan out of me from day one.
Three Magnets Brewing Company, this season’s collaborator, has also released several beers inspired by Built to Spill albums/songs, and were absolutely thrilled when Doug agreed to perform at Scherler Sundays!
Built To Spill has a new album, When the Wind Forgets Your Name, out this Fall. He plays a tune from it here, along with some other BTS favorites and a few surprising cover tunes.
John Atkins’ band 764-HERO toured with Built to Spill in the early 1990s when they were label mates on Up! Records, and this commonality inspired the idea to interview Doug and John together for this show. John’s music is cemented in the minds of indie fans in the Northwest and beyond. Following 764-HERO, the ever-evolving Atkins’ other projects Hush Harbor, and currently, Sun Breaks, have continued to create emotionally charged, contemplative records. Today, you’ll hear some favorite tunes from across the past few decades in John’s catalog.
This episode was recorded and engineered by Robin Carmosino behind the historic Carnegie Library in Olympia, WA on June 26th, 2022.
Live performances and interviews from Olympia artists Null State, Waves Crashing, Annie Schultz, The Cold Sweats and Fastener. Recorded July 12 and July 19 2022 at Scherler Sundays in Olympia, WA presented by Three Magnets Brewing Company. These are highlights from those days; if you would like to hear the unedited recordings they are being made available via patreon.com/LowProfile at any support level. These are my first interviews in front of an audience, and all of the guests are up-and-coming musicians in the Olympia scene.
Artist links:
Null State
https://nullstate.bandcamp.com/
Null State’s sonic adventure fascinates me. I know little to nothing about the artist behind this beautiful music, other than I can really chill out to it and it’s been happening right under my nose for years. It’s sultry bedroom pop in its rawest form. Postmodern folk ballads played over earnest guitar and synth arrangements, recorded on equipment that sounds just shitty enough to hit that sweet spot. I feel almost voyeuristic when I hit play on their latest record, 2019’s Misguided Ventures, and I can’t wait to see them perform.
Waves Crashing
https://wavescrashing.bandcamp.com/
“Anyone who’s been paying attention to the re-emergence of the local music scene knows that Waves Crashing is one of the hardest-working bands in the game these days. Their on-the-nose band name lands the oceanic quality of their music, re-imagining the blurry shoegaze sound of the early 1990s into a contemporary context. With an array of self-produced singles over the past two years and headlining LoveOly Music Fest this past summer, the band premiered their debut EP 'Sea of Wires' last November on DKFM Shoegaze Radio. The band's newest material, a 3-track maxi single titled "high/low" released on April 15th and features the mixing of engineers James Aparacio (London) and Kurt Roy (Seattle).”
Annie Schultz
https://annieschultz.bandcamp.com/
Annie Schultz is a talented new singer-songwriter on the scene to watch out for since her first live performance last summer. She commands with a blend of rawness and delicacy, thought-provoking lyrics, and a keen ear for melody, with a sound rooted in the Pacific Northwest. I’m excited to see where she goes from here, and thrilled to have her on board for this concert series.
The Cold Sweats
https://coldsweatsband.bandcamp.com/
The Cold Sweats might have been the first local rock outfit to reintroduce Olympia to live music when they played on the Cryptatropa rooftop last summer (now that’s what I call social distancing!). This power pop trio is LOUD, their songs are super catchy, and their tapes are great, too. Kudos to the Cold Sweats for this very last-minute appearance filling in for the Mona Reels!
Fastener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkAKyEbNKA
I had the privilege to witness Fastener’s first public performance, when they volunteered to be the “Guinea pigs” for our Scherler Sundays equipment test run. This brand-new Olympia quartet features group vocals and face-melting guitar solos, delivering a nostalgic indie/pop punk vibe. Be the first kid on your block to get into it! They haven’t made any recordings as of yet, but check out this live video to see what’s up with Fastener.
All recordings on this episode were engineered, mixed and mastered by Robin Carmosino. Check out his musical world on IG @robincarmosino
Support Low Profile on Patreon where you can find exclusive content:
http://patreon.com/lowprofile
Find all previous episodes of Low Profile at http://lowprofilepodcast.com
Follow this show on IG @lowpropodcast
We went on location to Anacortes, Washington to meet up with the local historian and musician Bret Lunsford in a cavernous repurposed train depot. Calvin Johnson interjects during the intro to say a few words about his pal and former Beat Happening band mate Bret, who recently wrote a book called sounding for Harry Smith: Early Pacific Northwest Influences. To give a little background on who Harry Smith was, The Holy Modal Rounders’ co-founder, living legend and returning Low Profile guest, Peter Stampfel weighs in on Harry Smith and his Anthology of American Folk Music.
In our conversation we’ll talk about Bret’s years with Beat Happening and D+, his record label/publishing company Knw-Yr-Own, and his recent book.
This episode was co-hosted by Madison Nadine. Andrew Ebright from Thurston Community Media engineered and film this episode- if you’d like to watch the video version of today show, you can follow Low Profile on social media @lowpropodcast or check out this program’s website, that’s lowprofilepodcast.com .
You can find out more about Bret’s book at soundingforharrysmith.com .
Much gratitude to Nathan Berko-Gibson @portabledisko for painting portraits for ALL FIFTEEN of this season’s episodes! If you want more Low Profile in the meantime, I’m still hosting live episodes and concerts at Scherler Sundays for the next five weeks , more info about that is at Scherlerbeer.com . For those who can’t make it, a lot of that will be released via this show on KAOS Community Radio, TCMedia on TV, and online starting in August.
Season 6 of Low Profile is already wrapping up recording, and the first episode is tentatively scheduled to drop on September 30th, 2022. If you enjoy this show please tell a friend. word-of-mouth is the most effective means of growth for this type of thing. I’d love to hear from you too, drop me an email anytime, I’m at Low Profile markly@gmail.com.
Loren Connors is a guitarist, poet and painter who grew up in Connecticut but has called New York his home since early adulthood. Since the late 1970s he was released over 50 albums of primarily improvised material, developing his unique avant-garde playing style in formed by early blues and 20th century composers. He has collaborated with a diverse array of likewise important musicians such as John Fahey, Sonic Youth, Jim O’Rourke, Kath bloom, and Alan Licht. His most frequent cohort is also his partner, Suzanne Langille. She and Loren join me from Brooklyn at their friend Bob Bellarue’s home studio. We talk about Loren‘s family doorway into music and the lessons learned along the way, his body of work, Suzanne and Loren‘s aesthetic partnership, and we'll also hear Loren‘s guitar improvisations in real time throughout the interview. Suzanne and Loren also improvise a piece together just for today’s show, and David Grubbs gives a warm introduction.
Special thanks to Bob Bellarue for engineering this episode.
Links to the music from today’s show, related videos and more can be found on this episode’s page at lowprofilepodcast.com – all previous episodes are there as well.
More about Loren at http://www.lorenconnors.net/
More from Suzanne at https://suzannelangillenyc.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: @lowpropodcast
Episode art by Nathan Berko Gibson @portabledisko
This show is supported by you on patreon.com/lowprofile and receives in-kind support from:
San Francisco Street Bakery
sfsbakery.com
Rainy Day Records and Tapes
@rainydayolympia
Schwartz’s Deli
@schwartzsolympia
Old School Pizzeria
@old_schoolpizzeria
and Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager. Visit scherlerbeer.com for info about the free Scherler Sundays with Markly Morrison happening weekly through August 19th, come say hi and hang out for the taping!
Athens, Georgia band Elf Power has been cranking out homespun psychedelic rock for nearly three decades, with their 14th album “Artificial Countrysides” coming out this July on Yep Roc records. I spoke to the band’s founder, Andrew Rieger about Elf Power’s beginnings, working with legendary producer Dave Fridman, collaborating with artists like Vic Chesnutt and Robyn Hitchcock, his roots in the hardcore punk scene, being involved with the Elephant 6 Collective, the farm and record label Orange Twin, and his crew of indie rock musicians teaching at the University of Georgia.
Links to the music from today’s show, related videos and more can be found on this episode’s page at lowprofilepodcast.com – all previous episodes are there as well.
Instagram:
@elfpowerband
@lowpropodcast
Episode art by Nathan Berko Gibson @portabledisko
This show is supported by you on patreon.com/lowprofile and recieves in-kind support from:
San Francisco Street Bakery
sfsbakery.com
Rainy Day Records and Tapes
@rainydayolympia
Schwartz’s Deli
@schwartzsolympia
Old School Pizzeria
@old_schoolpizzeria
Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager
scherlerbeer.com
Visit scherlerbeer.com for info about the free Scherler Sundays with Markly Morrison happening weekly through August 19th, come say hi and hang out for the taping!
My guest on today’s show is Martin Selasco, the man behind Terror/Cactus, an electro-cumbia fusion project based in Cashmere, WA. Martin tells me about his early exposure to south american music, giving credit to his father who was in the music business when he was a child living in Miami, where he taught himself to make multitrack recordings as a preteen. We also discuss his move to Seattle and the challenges of bringing his music rooted in tradition to a predominantly white indie rock audience, the responsibility to preserve and evolve Columbian culture, why he doesn’t sing, and his new collaborations with folks who do. I spoke on the phone with Martin Selasco from his farm in Cashmere.
follow Martin @terrorcactus
Low Profile receives support from you on patreon.com/lowprofile as well as in-kind support from
San Francisco Street Bakery
sfsbakery.com
Rainy Day Records and Tapes
@rainydayolympia
Schwartz’s Deli
@schwartzsolympia
Old School Pizzeria
@old_schoolpizzeria
Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager
scherlerbeer.com
Check out the link above to find out more about our free summer live event series, Scherler Sundays.
All previous episodes and bonus content are available at lowprofilepodcast.com
Since the start of the millennium, John Ringhofer has been making hundreds of bite-sized kaleidoscopic story songs under the name Half-Handed Cloud. I became a fan of his work when I first heard his bedroom-production sunshine pop (with an avant-garde leaning). Years later, I found myself playing a pile of instruments for his touring band in Europe. In today’s interview John visits the studio via Zoom from his home in Finland. He discusses his tape recorder’s role as a band member, raising an artistic family, writing songs about some of the more unpleasant subjects in the Bible, and his new album “Flutterama” out this June on Asthmatic Kitty Records. He also gives an exclusive performance: 11 Half-Handed Cloud songs in 2 sets. You’ve gotta see it, and thanks to TCTV Studio, you can see this whole episode on video on lowprofilepodcast.com at your leisure! The video version is a bit longer as there are parts of the show that don’t work without a visual element.
My guest co-host today is KAOS DJ Scott Eaton who has been hosting the show “God’s Misfits” since 2000.
Live Setlist A
- We Don't Know How It Grows [2002]
- Handles [2022]
- Titus Three [2014]
- Tongues That Possess The Earth Instead [2006] (briefly)
- Out On The Ice, We Face Our Hearts [2010]
Live Setlist B
1. Buffet... [2006]
2. Thumb/Toe Collection [2005]
3. In You Now But Still Below [2006]
4. Baldy Knees [2002]
5. The Netherworld Squints At The Sight Of You [2022]
6. You Came To Disappear [2016]
Find Half-Handed Cloud music and Merchandise at
https://half-handedcloud.bandcamp.com/
Low Profile receives support from you on patreon.com/lowprofile as well as in-kind support from
San Francisco Street Bakery
sfsbakery.com
Rainy Day Records and Tapes
@rainydayolympia
Schwartz’s Deli
@schwartzsolympia
Old School Pizzeria
@old_schoolpizzeria
Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager
scherlerbeer.com
This episode was recorded at Thurston Community Media in Olympia WA by Andrew Ebright.
Tcmedia.org
The portrait artwork for all season five episodes including this one is painted by Nathan Berko-Gibson.
Today’s featured guest is none other than actor, comedian, puppeteer, singer/songwriter, alien expert and all-around entertainer DAVID LIEBE HART. David is probably best known for his work on the TV show “Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job,” where he contributed original songs, puppetry and character acting. But he has been in show business for most of his life, with roles on the Golden Girls, Wings, his own show “The Junior Christian Science Bible Lesson Program,” and more recently, “I Love David” on Adult Swim. He’s also a prolific recording artist, with dozens of albums to his credit including collaborations with outsider legends like Jad Fair and Kool Keith. I spoke with David from his home in Los Angeles about his new album “The Wonderful World About Pigs, Horses, Clowns and Especially Dolly Parton,” his true Hollywood stories, grievances, and right off the bat, extra terrestrials.
The portrait for this episode was painted by Nathan Berko-Gibson @portabledisko
The cookies for this episode were provided by @alfajoresolympia
Low Profile is supported by you at patreon.com/lowprofile as well as in-kind support from @3magbrewing @old_schoolpizzeria @schwartzsolympia @rainydayolympia and San Francisco Street Bakery.
The unedited tape for this episode will be available through patreon.com/lowprofile
Find all things DLH at artbyliebehart.com
Thanks to director Nic Collins for the live clip at the beginning of this show!
www.lowprofilepodcast.com
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.
A short-form radio doc about my quest to find more about the obscure Mississippi blues musician Scott Dunbar. This story appeared in a different format way back on episode 13.
Wes Buckley is a contemporary musician and songwriter from western Massachusetts. We talk about his solo records, homemade instruments, improvising in music, and more. We’ll also hear some stuff from his recent LP on Half A Million Records entitled “The Towering Ground,” and discuss his alter ego, concerns about the opoid crisis, and his stint as a funk saxophonist.
Wes Buckley on Bandcamp:
https://wesbuckley.bandcamp.com/
IG @wesbuckleymusic
Low Profile is listener-supported, which means that your donations keep these engines cranking out new episodes. If you’d like to contribute, the best way to do that is by signing up for flexible monthly donations at http://www.patreon.com/LowProfile at whatever rate is in your budget.
Venmo@lowpropodcast
This show also receives in-kind (non-monetary) from these independent Olympia, WA businesses:
San Francisco Street Bakery
Schwartz’s Deli
Rainy Day Records
Old School Pizzeria
and Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Co.
Thanks to Nathan Berko-Gibson who has donated the artwork for all the Season Five Episodes.
Visit www.lowprofilepodcast.com to catch up on the back catalog!
Episode 52:
This program's featured artist is Seattle's The Black Tones. Founded about a decade ago, The Black Tones members Eva Walker (guitar and vocals), Cedric Walker (Drums), and Jake Iuti (bass) talk about their formative years as musical twins leading up to the realization of the band, the inspirations behind their 8-bit video game, sharing the stage with Mavis Staples, performing for a packed crowd at a Seattle Sounders game, and their new 45rpm single "The End of Everything," out now on Sub Pop records. They also perform the b-side from that single and a few other songs in an exclusive live-in-studio session. This episode is also watchable, the second installment of the new Low Profile TV series on Thurston Community Media (channel 22), which you can also find at lowprofilepodcast.com. There, you can view the interview and performance complete with multiple camera angles and dogs in diapers. It's a feast for the eyes, and this is a feast for the ears. This episode was filmed by Bryce Aguirre, Hannah Byrd and Kefa Crow. Audio Engineering by Robin Carmosino and Finn Foley. Video Editing by Andrew Ebright. Produced and Edited by Markly Morrison.
I've known who Steve Arrington is for a little over a decade, and he became one of my favorite musicians. But up to that point I didn't know that I already knew him... as in, he's one of the most sampled artists since sampling became a thing, so when Steve hit the snooze button on his music career in the late 1980s, his back catalog took on a life of its own. This link (https://www.whosampled.com/Steve-Arrington/) lists Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Public Enemy and too many more to mention. We talk about his early days in the band Slave and the blossoming funk scene in 1970s Dayton, Ohio, his following days as a pastor, and his monumental return to music, including 2020's "Down To The Lowest Terms" LP, and collaborations with Dam-Funk, Snoop, and even George Clinton and Parliament. He also has one of the most unique voices in the zeitgeist of soul music, and as a bonus, we really hit it off. It was one of the most fun interviews I've ever done, and I defy you to make it through listening without smiling or bobbing your head.
Steve Arrington's website: https://stevearringtonmusic.tumblr.com/
IG: @steve_arrington
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveArringtonMusic
Low Profile is listener-supported, which means that your donations keep these engines cranking out new episodes. If you’d like to contribute, the best way to do that is by signing up for flexible monthly donations at http://www.patreon.com/LowProfile at whatever rate is in your budget.
Venmo@lowpropodcast
This show also receives in-kind (non-monetary) from these independent Olympia, WA businesses:
San Francisco Street Bakery
Schwartz’s Deli
Rainy Day Records
Old School Pizzeria
and Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Co.
Thanks to Nathan Berko-Gibson who has donated the artwork for all the Season Five Episodes.
Urge Overkill began in 1980s Chicago and carved their own path over the past several decades. In the ‘90s, they toured with bands who are household names, and reached that status on their own with their cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” on the groundbreaking soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. On this episode, Urge Overkill founders Eddie “King” Roeser and Nash Kato join guest co-host Casey Bruce and me to talk about their new album “Oui,” loaning their suits to their tourmates Nirvana, the band’s long hiatus following their two albums on Geffen Records, Nash’s brief run as a solo artist, Jack Black’s hand in resurrecting the group, and their admiration for other artists like Cheap Trick, Selena, and Wham! Recorded at TCTV Studios in Olympia, this episode is also available in a video format, which you can find on lowprofilepodcast.com .
For more on UO, visit UrgeOverkill.com
Low Profile is listener-supported, which means that your donations keep these engines cranking out new episodes. If you’d like to contribute, the best way to do that is by signing up for flexible monthly donations at http://www.patreon.com/LowProfile at whatever rate is in your budget.
Venmo@lowpropodcast
This show also receives in-kind (non-monetary) from these independent Olympia, WA businesses:
San Francisco Street Bakery
Schwartz’s Deli
Rainy Day Records
Old School Pizzeria
and Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Co.
Thanks to Nathan Berko-Gibson who has donated the artwork for all the Season Five Episodes.
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
Your support of Low Profile via patreon.com/lowprofile or venmo @lowpropodcast makes a huge difference, please consider chipping in to help out.
Thanks for your time, ears and support!
John Dwyer, best known for his work in the band Osees, fka Thee Oh Sees, fka O.C.S., speaks at length with guest host Matt Murillo (drops 12/8/2021) about his extended musical universe, including projects Krang, Pink and Brown, Coachwhips, Damaged Bug, the Trawggs, and Yikes. Dwyer also talks about his record label Castle Face, aging out of rock and roll lifestyle tropes, and his admiration of artists like Bob Log III and The Mummies. The Osees (sp?) are certainly one of my favorite current rock and roll bands. I love this band, I love these stories, and so will you. Miles Rozatti edited this one, thanks homie.
Low profile is listener supported programming. If you like this show and want to hear more, please see how you can help sustain the project at Patreon.com/lowprofile
Or Venmo @lowpropodcast
The portrait for this episode was painted by Nathan Berko-Gibson @portabledisko
Miles Rozatti edited this one, I mostly bleeped it for the FCC.
Low Profile receives in-kind support from
these Olympia, WA independent businesses: San Francisco St Bakery, @schwartzsolympia, @3magbrewing, @rainydayolympia, and @old_schoolpizzeria
Low Profile airs every Friday at 4pm PST ON @kaosolympia 89.3 FM
This episode begins with a sound work entitled “Murk” by the duo Alejandra Salinas and Aeron Bergman.
Taken from a collection of re-edited works called “Ficcion,” it’s a slice of a chapter in this couple’s life together as globetrotting sound artists, which lasted for about a decade starting in 1996. Back then, they were simply known as Alejandra and Aeron. They also ran a record label called Lucky Kitchen, which released albums by dozens of international sound artists like Asuna, Johsua Abrams, Toshiyuki Kobayashi, Pauline Oliveros, and too many more to mention here, but I absolutely love all of the duo’s recordings. Thankfully, most of these rare and obscure records have been recently become available again through bandcamp. Today, they are teaching art in Portland, Oregon, developing a new species of genetically enhanced attack bees, and producing multimedia works under the name Bergman and Salinas.
Come with me now to Alejandra and Aeron’s backyard garden, where we will meet them and their daughter Agnes for the first time over coffee.
Low Profile is listener-supported, so please share it with a friend who might enjoy it. If you would like to help keep this show running with a flexible monthly donation, please visit patreon.com/lowprofile.
There's a venmo now too, that’s @lowpropodcast.
Low Profile receives in-kind support thanks to these Olympia, WA independent business:
Schwartz’s Deli
Rainy Day Records
San Francisco Street Bakery
Old School Pizzeria
and Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager from 3 Magnets Brewing.
You can find links to Alejandra and Aeron’s work, past and present, and most of the recordings that you heard on this episode’s website at lowprofilepodcast.com
Special thanks to Nathan Berko-Gibson, who painted the portrait for this episode. You can follow or subscribe to this show wherever you get podcasts, and if you wanna keep up with future developments, there’s a Facebook group called Low Profile Listener Hub.
This is, as you will discover, a very special episode. The first thing you'll hear on this episode is the sound of the English-born, Scottish-dewlling musician Richard Youngs playing guitar with his feet. Entitled “Foot Guitar XXXV,” it’s one example of the many forms that Youngs’ music can take. On the other 99 and a half percent of his recorded output, you can hear him singing and playing nearly every instrument you can think of, and many you have probably never heard of. A handful of American fans have discovered his music due to his somewhat shoegaze-sounding record Sapphie, released in the USA on Jagjaguar records, Richard Youngs has recorded over 140 albums since his 1990 solo debut “Advent.” Many of these albums were released on his own label, No Fans Records. Usually involving an element of improvisation, one could use the blanket term “experimental” to describe his sound. Really, you could call it a lot of things…
Just don’t call it folk music. "That term doesn't mean anything," Youngs said.
Friend of the show Andrew Dorsett joined me in speaking with Mr. Youngs earlier this year to get inside his head, and find out about the stories behind his work. Youngs speaks on the influence his son brings to the table, his long-term artistic relationship with Simon Wickham-Smith, and the ways he continues to challenge himself as a musicisan. He also shares a bit of his expertise on the subject of vegan cooking.
Low Profile is a listener-supported program. If you would like to help support this show financially, go to patreon.com/lowprofile where you can get bonus material, first dibs on new merch, and help cover the costs of producing this programming.
Low Profile receives in-kind support from these independently owned Olympia, WA businesses:
Old School Pizzeria,
San Francisco Street Bakery,
Schwartz's Deli,
Rainy Day Records,
and Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager from 3 Magnets Brewing.
The portrait of Richard Youngs for this episode was painted by Nathan Berko-Gibson.
Richard Youngs' recent works can be found at nofansrecords.com/
Find more episodes and links at lowprofilepodcast.com
Keyboard wizard and punk pioneer Martin Rev, (born Martin Reverby) grew up in New York where he still lives today. In his youth, he was a fan of doo wop music, and then became engrossed in the emerging jazz world that was happening around him, brushing shoulders with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Archie Shepp and Eric Dolphy, and playing in a combo called Reverend B in the late 1960s. It was in those days that he befriended a visual artist called Alan Vega, with whom he would soon form a band named Suicide. They were likely the first group to advertise their performance as “Punk Music,” back in 1971, and their influence is far-reaching. Artists who have reworked their songs include Henry Rollins, Bruce Springsteen, Neneh Cherry, M.I.A and R.E.M., among countless others. Martin Rev has also been a solo artist in his own right since, well, forever really. He joins this program to speak with Markly Morrison and Madison Nadine to talk about his formative years, expound on his creative process, wax philosophical on art in general, and set the record straight on a handful things that the well-meaning citizens of the internet got twisted.
Portrait of Martin Rev painted by Nathan Berko-Gibson
Help make Low Profile better by donating at http://www.patreon.com/lowprofile
(Yes, there's bonus stuff there)
Find more about this and previous episodes at http://www.lowprofilepodcast.com
Follow on IG @lowpropodcast
Low Profile recieves in-kind support from the following Olympia, WA independent businesses:
Old School Pizzeria, San Francisco Street Bakery, Schwart'z Deli, Rainy Day Records, and Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing.
Thanks for listening!
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. Whether you're a fan of country music or not, after listening to his show you'll never think about it the same.
(For an unedited, feature-length video recording of this episode, visit patreon.com/lowprofile)
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.
The artwork for this episode was donated by Michael Sean Coleman.
Low Profile receives financial support from listeners like you through Patreon, where I occasionally share tasty bonus content, like the feature-length video of this interview. Visit visit patreon.com/lowprofile to find out how you can help support the show.
All previous episodes and additional information can be found at www.lowprofilepodcast.com
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.
Dollar Country can be found on apple podcasts, at dollarcountry.org, and on instagram at Dollarcountry. You can support them at patreon.com/dollarcountry
Corey Ledet is a 2012 Grammy-nominated Zydeco musician unlike any other. He was born in Houston, and started playing this traditional Creole music professionally when he was a kid, performing with Wildbert Thibadeuax’s Zydeco Rascals and others before moving to the small town of Parks, Lousianna, where he spent his summers immersed in his extended family’s Creole traditions… especially Zydeco music, which has been in his blood for generations, all the way back to its conception in the beginning of the twentieth century. Corey blends Zydeco traditions with the other music forms that have surrounded his life…jazz, funk, rock, r&b, country – anything his ears could get a hold of, it’s in there, but still his deep Zydeco roots are always present. As of this episode’s release, his latest album is simply called “Corey Ledet Zydeco,” his 14th to date, which was released CD and Cassette tape in 2021 on Nouveau Electric Records.
If you like this show, please, tell your fellow music history nerds about it.
Leave a review, smash the subscribe button, follow us on social media @lowpropodcast,
and find more content related to this and all previous episodes at lowprofilepodcast.com.
If you want to help pay the bills, and a big thank you to those that do,
you can join other financial backers at patreon.com/lowprofile.
The portrait for this episode was painted by Nathan Gibson @portabledisko
Low Profile receives in-kind support from these Olympia, Washington independent businesses:
San Francisco Street Bakery,
Schwartz’s Deli,
Old School Pizzeria,
Rainy Day Records,
and Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager, from 3 Magnets Brewing.
Thanks to all of you for keeping this show growing.
On September 29th, 1937, the world received a gift: Margo Guryan. In this episode, originally aired in early 2019, my good friends Mike Coleman and Andrew Dorsett join us in Studio B to celebrate the life and music of a living legend. We explore Margo’s small catalog of recordings, as well as the songs she wrote for other artists in the late 60s and early 70s. Finally, we speak with her publisher and step son Jon Rosner, who sheds some light on all the mystery around the woman who helped raise him.
Season 4 Finale: The incomparable Sean O’Hagan’s first major band was the Irish 1980s pop group Microdisney. After that group disbanded, he started recording with his next project, the High Llamas, who released some of the most beautiful pop music of the last 30 years. This is a song “The Hot Revivalist” from their 1996 album Hawaii. Recently, he has dropped the High Llamas moniker in favor of his own name. The latest Sean O’Hagan album is “Radum Calls, Radum Calls.” No, there’s not an echo in here. Sean and I speak about the stylistic transitions between his projects, joining the band Stereolab, working with Bonnie Prince Billy, how he came to be one of the today’s most in-demand musical arrangers, his recent bout with cancer, and his love of soul music. After the interview, he shares an exclusive recording he and his daughter Livvy made specifically for this episode, and I share my gratitude for all the terrific people who contributed to this amazing season. Sean spoke to me from his home in England earlier this year.
Thanks to Taylor W. Rushing for this episode's illustration, along with the rest of the fourth season!
Find his work at taylorwrushing.com or on IG @twrushing
Find all previous episodes of Low Profile and expanded content at lowprofilepodcast.com
On this episode, guest host Eli Moore returns to speak with Jeff Johnson of the Canadian indie band OK Vancouver OK. The project has been consistently cranking out a stream of primarily self-released albums since 2005, and their efforts are hard to classify in terms of genre, but they are clearly experimental, socially conscious, and family-friendly.
Their latest record as the time of this episode’s release is entitled “Never Perfect,”
which youcan find on their website, okvancouverok.ca
Jeff discusses his band’s origins as a solo project in Vancouver, BC, the situations that inform his songwriting and recording process, and bringing his children on tour. Their drummer, Laura House, who is Jeff’s wife, also joins in the conversation to talk about the present danger of food deserts.
If you like the show and want to hear more, you can find all previous episodes at lowprofilepodcast.com
Low Profile recieves in-kind support from San Francisco Street Bakery in Olympia, Washington, and generous financial support from listeners like you,
giving flexible monthly donations at patreon.com/lowprofile.
Before I play you the interview, here’s a song from OK Vancouver OK called “Collection of Changes,” from their 2014 album “Influences,” produced by the homie Eli Moore.
This has been Low Profile With Markly Morrison, featuring returning guest host Eli Moore in an interview with the Canadian band Ok Vancouver Ok, their website, okvancouverok.ca
Eli has been working on a new album with LAKE, if you want to stay updated check out laketheband.com
You can find all previous episodes of this program at LowProfilepodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram @lowpropodcast
Jonny Fritz is a man of many talents. In addition to being one of my personal favorite artists at the forefront of 21st century country music, he is a father, leatherworker, and according to his business card, “LA’s Premiere Used House Salesman.” He grew up in Virginia, lived in Philly later in life, and then moved to Nashville where he get his country music career going releasing a pair of albums under the moniker Jonny Corndawg. He has since moved to Los Angeles, where he works in real estate, and has reverted to his given name to release the albums “Dad Country” and “Sweet Creep.” Our correspondent and friend of the show Henry Barnes (Amps For Christ) recorded this interview with Jonny earlier this year. They are discussing their respective experiences in craftsmanship, songwriting, southern California geography, Huell Howser, Jonny’s cuisine-centric expeditions to India, and much more on this installment.
Jonny Fritz is a marketplace at www.jonnyfritz.com, go buy some music, merch or a used house!
Illustration for this episode by Taylor W Rushing. @taylorwrushing taylorwrushing.com
Low Profile receives in-kind support from San Francisco St Bakery in Olympia Wa.
Support this show by visiting patreon.com/lowprofile
Keep up with the show on social media @lowpropodast
The website is lowprofilepodcast.com
End Transmission
Related links:
You can find music and merchandise from Jonny Fritz at jonnyfritz.com.
Anybody wanna buy a house?
Gretchen Christopher of the iconic 1950s and 60s pop vocal group the Fleetwoods returns to the show.
Gretchen talks about that band’s formation, and rise straight to the top of the Billboard charts, and her solo career that followed.
The Fleetwoods were comprised of Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, and Gary Troxel and were the first group to hit number one TWICE on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in a single year.
They were an international success thanks to their tight harmonies, rich sound and classic songs like “Come Softly To Me” and “Mr. Blue.” Gretchen has lived all over the country, but has settled back in here in Olympia, Washington where we produce this program. We first met about a year ago when she came to my all vinyl yard sale looking for fleetwoods abums, and I think the fact that I told her I did but they were not for sale might have helped me score enough points to land an interview with a living legend such as herself.
Back In January of 2021 she invited my BFF-slash-guest engineer Andrew Ebright and I to the deck of her home to record this interview on location. She sings a song she wrote for the group acapella, gave us a tour of her place, and showed us some cool memorabilia.
Andrew came back a few days after that and recorded her doing a new song on the piano, which you’ll hear later.
He also got that on video, it’s available on this episode’s website, at lowprofilepodcast.com.
If you’re a regular listener, you’ll notice the format has changed a little bit on this installment.
You won’t be hearing music clips throughout the show, instead you’ll hear entire songs.
But not the big hits like “Come Softly” or “Mr. Blue,”
which are fantastic and belong in every record collection.
Instead I’m going to share a couple deep cuts from the Fleetwoods:
Their version of the classic doo-wop song “We Belong Together” from the Mr. Blue album,
and a demo version of “Happy Happy Birthday.”
We’ll also hear the title track from her “Gretchen’s Sweet 16” album,
which you can find at goldcupmusic.com
The second part of Michael Sean Coleman's interview with Dublin-based psych-folk legend Alison O'Donnell. This conversation covers her time in the band Flibbertigibbet while living in South Africa during apartheid in the late 70s and early 1980s, more about her work with Mellow Candle and the process that went into their classic album "Swaddling Songs," and her upcoming solo record. This episode marks a season break for Low Profile, we will return with more new episodes in July of 2021. Thanks for listening!
Michael Sean Coleman will be your guest host for this two-part episode as we take a closer look and a bit of a listen to the amazing life and incredible music of Alison O’ Donnell. You may know that Alison, along with Clodagh Simmonds, were the vocal powerhouse that drove the Irish prog/psych/folk rock band Mellow Candle - the two teenage girls lending their soaring harmonies and timeless songwriting to the group’s 1972 masterpiece, Swaddling Songs.
Alison’s nearly fifty years of songwriting and singing have, and continue to be deeply rooted in Celtic tradition - yet her creative Spirit and work ethic have driven her toward more experimental projects in recent years. Her career has taken her around the world, and she is now based in Dublin.
Though Mellow Candle’s legacy looms large, one look at her discography clearly indicates she continues to have a rich artistic life. Numerous solo recordings, contributions to such disparate collectives as The Owl Service, Head South by Weaving, United Bible Studies, Firefay and Eistlinn, and posting nearly one singing zoom a day since the pandemic restrictions began in March of last year - have kept her at the center of collaboration and in fine singing form.
This year finds her working with arranger Anthony Bools (who happens to be her cousin) on an album of her own compositions set to ancient and traditional motifs.
Michael and Alison discuss all this and more on Low Profile’s first two-part episode.
This episode was engineered by Wes Harbison, produced and edited by Markly Morrison.
-
More info and links about this and other episodes at lowprofilepodcast.com
-
Follow @lowpropodcsast
-
Illustrations for season 4 by Taylor W. Rushing, learn more by following @taylorwrushing or visit taylowwrushing.com
-
Support the show at patreon.com/lowprofile
Temple of Bon Matin founded in Philadelphia in 1990 and would continue through the two thousand teens with a rotating cast with the only constant being Ed Wilcox at the center and helm. Ed was the singer, drummer and band leader of Temple of Bon Matin which was an extremely loud band with electric guitars and smashing drums. A band of blue collar workers (Ed Wilcox is a truck driver currently), the band toured on the weekends and were back in the wee hours Monday morning to clock into their jobs. Ed is a wonderful story teller, he was gracious to grant Low Profile an interview with Philadelphia based correspondent Karl Blau this past Winter from Ed's West Philly abode.
Please share this episode if you enjoy it!
support Low Profile at patreon.com/lowprofile.
Follow us on IG @lowpropodcast
The illustration for this episode was drawn by Taylor W. Rushing.
http://www.taylorwrushing.com and on IG @twrushing
Find out more about this and all other episodes at http://www.lowprofilepodcast.com
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. See y’all in a couple weeks with more new shows as season 4 continues to blow minds across the galaxy.
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”
Pete Drake “I’m Blue”
This episode, guest hosted and produced by Eli Moore, is an interview with Negativland co-founder Mark Hosler. Since the late 1970s, the art collective known as Negativland has been sticking it to the status quo through their albums, radio program, live performances and visual art for over 40 years. Hosler tells Eli of the group’s beginnings in the San Francisco suburbs, their inevitable involvement with the punk scene there, the lawsuits they have had thrown at them, the evolution of their creative process over the years, and collaborating on new material with bandmates who have passed away for their latest albums True False and The World Will Decide.
An extended, unedited version of this interview is available for Patreon supporters, at patreon.com/lowprofile.
Follow us on IG @lowpropodcast
The illustration for this episode was drawn by Taylor W. Rushing.
http://www.lowprofilepodcast.com and on IG @twrushing
Hey Low Profile listeners, this is Markly with a surprise 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 and 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.
This episode is a crossover with the oral history podcast Welcome To Olympia, hosted and produced by Rob Smith. I first met Rob when we were both beginning work on our respective shows, and he asked me if he could use my band Skrill Meadow’s song “Going for Broke” for his show’s end theme music. (I obliged.) Since then we’ve been bouncing back and forth the idea of a further collaboration, and I stumbled upon an accomplished folk rock artist by the name of Alice Stuart, who happens to live here in Olympia these days. Alice spoke with Rob about growing up in rural Chelan, WA, getting signed to Arhoolie Records, touring the folk festival circuit in the 1960s, her stint accompanying blues legend Mississippi John Hurt, her brief working and romantic relationship with Frank Zappa, facing backlash after “going electric” in the ‘70s, and relocating to the Pacific Northwest after spending time in New York and California.
Illustration by Taylor W. Rushing
http://www.taylorwrushing.com
Alice Stuart's official facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AliceStuartOfficial/
Welcome To Olympia:
http://www.welcometoolympia.com
Low Profile with Markly Morrison
http://www.lowprofilepodcast.com
@lowpropodcast
Jeffrey Lewis is a musician from the Lower East Side of Manhattan who followed in the tradition of NYC’s “anti-folk” movement. He writes songs that come from his observations of the changing world around him. In the last 25 years he has released over 35 albums’ worth of material- including collaborations with the likes of Kimya Dawson, Diane Cluck, and Peter Stampfel. Here, Jeffrey speaks with guest host Jack Habegger about his musical beginings, writing comics, family, collaborating with the History Channel, and his unlikely friendship with the late indie rock hero David Berman.
Artist portrait by Taylor W. Rushing
taylorwrushing.com
Produced and hosted by Jack Habbeger
Jack Habbeger on Instagram: @jackhabbeger
Post-production by Markly Morrison
Jeffrey Lewis online: thejeffreylewissite.com Jeffrey Lewis on Instagram:
@jeffreylewisband
Low Profile on Instagram
@lowpropodcast
Support the program:
patreon.com/lowprofile
SEASON 4 PREMIERE
Singer, composer and multimedia artist Briana Marela’s transcendent music emphasizes love, thick and swirling, like frozen yogurt you can listen to. Briana grew up in Seattle and found herself immersed in its vibrant independent music community when she was still in high school. We spoke about how she came to record her first album with a cast of established music royalty (including friend of the show Karl Blau), toeing the line between pop and experimental music, her affinity for Mister Rogers, keeping her family’s heritage alive, her feelings about the 4th Amendment and working with Radiolab, recording with Sigur Ros producer Alex Somers in Iceland, creating sonic conceptual art, and her recent move to Brooklyn.
Artist portrait by Taylor W. Rushing
taylorwrushing.com
Edited by Miles Rozatti
Briana Marela's music on Bandcamp
http://brianamarela.bandcamp.com
Low Profile on Instagram
@lowpropodcast
Support the program:
patreon.com/lowprofile
On this week's episode, we team up with Andy "Remex" Moreno of The CapCity Presents Podcast for our first ever cross-over episode! 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
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!
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,” 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.
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. Before we hear the interview, I just thought I’d let you know that if you’re interested in hearing this mixtape, I’m giving it to every single one of my Patreon supporters this month. If you’d like to join them and be a part of the receiving end, visit patreon.com/lowprofile and sign up for a flexible monthly donation. Most folks give $2 a month, which helps with the cost of hosting lowprofilepodcast.com and the fees I pay to my podcast server. Now that you’ve got a little context, 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.
SEASON THREE FINALE!
This episode is a feature on the band Lavender Country, whose eponymous 1973 album was the world’s first gay-themed country record. Back then, if you weren’t part of the gay community, it was highly unlikely you would be hip to this record, but it was a game-changer for the initiated, and has since been archived in the Country Music Hall of Fame. The songs were culled from suggestions of members of the Stonewall movement, petitioning the band to sing about the issues that mattered most to them, as their band leader Patrick Haggerty told me:
“Write a song about being in the closet.” (Georgie Pie)
“Write a song about institutionalized oppression of homosexuals.” (Waltzing Will Trilogy)
“Write a song about sexual alienation.” (Stranger)
The group then disbanded in 1976, and Patrick devoted himself to raising his two children, all the while being a prominent voice in the gay rights movement. It was in this field of activism where he met his husband, J.B., who never even knew about his significant other’s music career until they had been together for three years! After being nothing more than an obscure memory for four decades, an interest arose after their music surfaced on YouTube. Times have changed, but the music hasn’t. Today, Lavender Country has re-formed, and has a new album called “Blackberry Rose.” They are finding a wider audience in both the LGBTQ community and its allies. This episode was recorded on location at Patrick and J.B.’s home in Bremerton, Washington. Engineer Miles and I drove up there from Olympia, as well as Jack Habbeger, who helped co-host this episode. And Patrick invited his band mate Jack Moriarty, who plays multiple instruments in the current version of the band. They even played some songs live in the living room!
The interview in this episode has been edited, but there’s a lot more great stories than we could fit into an episode, including more life-saving experiences from fans, tour tales, how Patrick and J.B. met and their work with the Act Up organization. If you’re interested in hearing the unedited two and a half hour interview, which includes these and other stories plus another song, you can visit lowprofilepodcast.com to download it. This bonus content will be available here through the end of 2020. After that, it will be only accessible via patreon.com/lowprofile for those of you who make flexible donations to this endeavor.
Berlin denizen Markus Popp has been creating music under the name Oval since the early 1990s. His earlier albums brought a new sound to the world of electronic music that would come to be known as "glitch." On first listen, one might think they had a damaged copy of the album before eventually falling under its lilting trance. He designed his own audio software called "ovalprocess" that was accessible only at installations at a few galleries in the early aughties. Popp never made pop music, but his style became a part of that landscape around the turn of the century. Markus recalls a certain Icelandic siren asking for permission to sample one of his songs: "When Björk called me, my first reaction was who gave you this number??"
After exhausting his equipment, software, and sound library, he took a long hiatus, returning a decade later with a new frenzied, post-rock, drum-laden soundscape that built a new structure on his initial foundation. In the years since, he hasn't slowed down. His latest release on Thrill Jockey, "Scis," finds Markus putting progressive electronic beats to work in tandem with new explorations in synthesizer music. He has recently scored a German radio drama, the source material of which is the foundation for a work in progress (sneak preview included in this episode). He likes his burgers vegetarian, but isn't too picky about the fixings. And for the last couple of years, he's been offering his expertise by way of coaching sessions to creative types of all sorts, myself included. Markus joined me via telephone on this episode from his home studio in Berlin to discuss all of this and much more.
Learn more about this episode as well as previous ones at http://www.lowprofilepodcast.com, follow us on instagram @lowpropodcast, support the show at http://www.patreon.com/lowprofile and rate+review+subscribe wherever you get podcasts.
Welcome to the 32nd episode of Low Profile with Markly Morrison, the show that stands at least six feet away from popular music. My guest today, Julian Koster, is a master of the singing saw, a prominent member of cult heroes Neutral Milk Hotel, and the founder of his own group The Music Tapes, both part of the storied Elephant Six Collective in Athens Georgia. He is also the creator of a lavish scripted podcast from WNYC called “The Orbiting Human Circus,” which is in production on its third season. His music is created using an eclectic variety of antiquated recording equipment and unconventional instruments. Julian spoke with me earlier in the fall of 2020 about his involvement in experimental pop, his homespun approach to production, and the perks of having a global audience for the Music Tapes as the backbone of The Orbiting Human Circus. If you want to learn more about The Music Tapes you can find some links on the episode’s website at lowprofilepodcast.com. Thanks to Julian for doing the interview, thanks to Christy Gressman at WNYC for helping me with some background, and thanks so much to you for listening, subscribing and recommending Low Profile to your friends. This is Markly Morrison, wishing you well. Catch you again in a couple of weeks!
This episode’s featured guest is Jerry Williams Jr., better known as Swamp Dogg, who has been a force in the music world since 1954. His many credits include the song “She’s All I’ve Got” made popular by Freddie North and Johnny Paycheck, and the honor of having the second-worst album cover of all time with “Rat On!” He speaks to me from his home studio in L.A. about his early days as a child prodigy R&B entertainer, his career as a songwriter, recording artist and producer in multiple genres, and his recent resurgence – not a comeback – working with Joyful Noise Recordings. His latest album “Sorry You Couldn’t Make It” was recorded in Nashville and features brand new country-soul versions of songs that span his massive career. In his words, “I got a lot done, and I ain’t anywhere near finished.”
The Julies were a band formed in the early 90s in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The band had already broken up by the time their EP “Lovelife” was released on the indie Christian label Flying Tart, but the small amount of music they created made an impact on me, a guy I recently met named Jason, and countless dozens on top of that. “Lovelife” has recently been reissued on vinyl by Lost in Ohio, among with a digital and limited cassette release of the band’s demo “January.” I spoke with the band’s lead singer and song writer, Chris Newkirk, about his time in this project, “Christian pick-up-lines,” a whole other sort of “music charts,” and pointers on how (not) to appeal to a shoegaze label. If you’ve never heard the Julies, you’re in for a real treat. If you’re already a fan, what’s up fam, this one’s for us!
A lot of time goes into this, and it’s nice to know folks appreciate it!
I challenge you to share this episode with somebody who you think will enjoy it.
Also, if you have time, please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts.
If you LOVE this show, please consider making flexible monthly donations at patreon.com/lowprofile to help me and my family out. Also, my patreon supporters are entered into drawings once in a while to win great prizes, like LPs, CDs and tapes of featured artists, mixtapes by yours truly, t-shirts and more. The odds are pretty good you’ll get something in the mail before long!
And finally, if you’d like a sticker and pin-on button, I’d be happy to send them to you... just ask: lowprofilemarkly@gmail.com
Markly Morrison
Sent telepathically
lowprofilepodcast.com
This episode picks up where the last one left off, with another singular auteur of Anacortes, WA music: my good friend Karl Blau. We talk 4-tracking vs computer, indie labels vs self-releasing albums, our times together in the studio and on tour, his relocation to Germantown, PA and his latest album "Children of All Ages."
My guest today is Phil Elverum. Phil has been making music under the moniker Mount Eerie, named for a mountain in Washington, since 2003. Prior to that, he made music as The Microphones. We’ll get to the origin of that band name later.
I first met Phil in the mid-2000s in his hometown of Anacortes, WA, a small town where for years he helped organize What The Heck Fest, a music festival that drew acts and audience members from the world over. In the last 25 years he has been taking his music all over this earth and has released and produced a ton of music and visual art.
On his latest album, he goes back to being the Microphones again. Simply titled Microphones in 2020, he delivers a sung memoir on his music career so far, over the course of a single 45 minute song. There’s a really beautiful video of it that you can find online, too.
I called my friend Phil to chat about the new record, his winter isolated in a rural cabin in norway, photography, his hilarious cartoons, writing about life, and death, and his artistic development while living in Olympia.
If you like this show and want to help it keep growing, you can subscribe to the show wherever you get podcasts. Patreon.com/lowprofile is a place you can throw a few bucks this way. I’ve also been putting more stuff on instagram @lowpropodcast for people who like to look at things. If you want a sticker or a button, just ask. Life hack: the buttons work really well to connect a face mask behind a kid’s head! And the stickers fit right over your eyes if it’s ever all too much for you. And it lets people know you love Low Profile.
Here’s my conversation with the original line-up of the Microphones.
This week’s guest is Sean Schuster-Craig who performs under the moniker Jib Kidder. Sean describes his music as “ADHD Psychedelia.” He grew up in the south and is currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jib Kidder first made a splash when his song “Windowdipper” was featured on the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Since then, he’s primarily made sample-based music and incorporated that into his singer-songwriter collage style. We spoke on his process and influences, fruit flies, comic books, poetry, burgers, and his forthcoming album called “Jump The Gun,” which you can hear a sneak preview of on today’s show!
Support the program by subscribing, leaving a positive review and rating, or by donating at patreon.com/lowprofile today.
Over the course of the last four decades, Kentucky-born David Grubbs’ musical activity has ranged from hardcore punk to the fine arts.
In addition to his work as a solo artist, David is noted for his groundbreaking avant-pop group Gastr Del Sol and his collaborative efforts with a diverse group of influential musicians including The Red Krayola, Pauline Oliveros, Will Oldham, Tony Conrad, Royal Trux and John Fahey. In the 1980s Lousville KY punk scene he was a founding member of the band Squirrel Bait (look for their new jeans). David has also published three books in the past decade: “Records Ruin the Landscape,” about John Cage and early experimental music, and two book-length poems, “Now That The Audience Is Assembled” and “The Voice in the Headphones,” all available from Duke University Press. He’s a Professor of Music at the City University of New York, and his latest album is an improvised collaboration with the Tokyo based Taku Unami.
I spoke with David about all of this and more in late July.
If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to this show wherever you get podcasts. If you have any friends who might enjoy this show, please let them know! You can also support the show by making flexible contributions at patreon.com/lowprofile, where you can also find giveaways and bonus content. And it never hurts to leave a rating or review on iTunes.
Today on the twenty-fifth episode, I’m bringing you the goods: the definitive article on the sleeper underground pop duo Donnie and Joe Emerson. The two oldest siblings of their family, Donnie and Joe made the leap from agriculture to popular culture with their 1979 album “Dreamin’ Wild.” The strange thing is that it took over three decades for their music to catch on. Talk about being ahead of their time! And now there’s even a major feature film in the works about their story, which you’ll hear more about later.
The song that put them on the map is called “Baby.” In recent years it’s been featured in several movies and HBO’s Big Little Lies, not to mention several cover versions by new artists. I had the privilege of speaking with not only Donnie and Joe, but also their parents who risked everything to help their kids live their dream, from custom jump suits to building a studio and producing a record on their farm in Fruitland, Washington.
Also, this episode includes the premiere of a previously unreleased Donnie and Joe instrumental song from 1983 called "Auzie Theme."
If you enjoy this program, you can follow it on instagram @lowpropodcast, and if you’d like to help support the show you can visit patreon.com/lowprofile.
(Patreon supporters will also be entered in a drawing to win a SUPER RARE Don Emerson solo LP called "Can I See You" from 1983)
Also telling your friends and giving the show positive ratings and reviews on iTunes couldn’t possibly hurt.
Season 2 finale. Band members Peter Stampfel and Robin Remailly recall the ups and downs of the Holy Modal Rounders, and remember their recently deceased band mate Steve Weber. Special guest introduction by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis! Season three coming sooner than you think...
Rewinding to a little over a year ago we present the interview with Arrington of the trance-punk band Old Time Relijun from summer of 2019, with a fresh catching-up chat. This was recorded at TCTV's studio in Olympia, WA with guest panelist Jeremy Schwartz and guest engineer Andrew Ebright.
This is a new edit of last year's interview with Gary Wilson, in tandem with his new LP "Tormented." Gary is one of the wildest songwriters this earth has known, and has been making sleek, sexy jazz-tinged pop music since the 1960s. He talks to our panel (Tim, Susan, Andrew, Miles and Markly) about his youth in Endicott, NY and his "resurrection" in the 21st century.
Low Profile is going on hiatus for the rest of the month and replaying some old favorites. Today I’m sharing my interview with Glen Galaxy recorded in San Diego last summer. Glen is the creative force behind an experimental gospel group called Soul-Junk. He got his start in the seminal noise rock band Trumans Water, and in the years since has fronted bands such as Methuselah, OctaGrape, and Summatraban. His latest project is called Parallel Stereo. In this episode Glen and I discuss all things Soul-Junk.
Low Profile appreciates your support. Tell people online and offline, rate and review the show on apple podcasts, follow us on instagram @lowpropodcast, and if you can afford to, visit patreon.com/lowprofile and sign up to make flexible monthly donations of any amount. If you do that, you’ll get access to bonus content as well as a monthly drawing for prizes mailed to your door. If you can’t, don’t worry, we appreciate having you as a listener. Enjoy last year’s interview with Soul-Junk’s Glen Galaxy!
An interview with friend of the show Ashley Eriksson of the band LAKE (who has a new album called "Roundelay"). We discuss her early musical output, her new disco project, animation and much more!
If you want to know what Thelonious Monk, George Jones and the electric rake have in common, you need not look further than Eugene Chadbourne. He has been surprising audiences for over four decades with his alarming hybrid of free jazz and country music. He has an unfathomable catalog of collaborative and solo efforts. Musician and co-host Arrington de Dionyso joined me at the local Quality Inn to spend some quality time with the good doctor. Co-produced by Miles Rozatti, featuring bumper music by Warren Lee. Support the Low Income Housing Institute at lihi.org, and support this podcast by sharing, subscribing, rating and reviewing. Be a patron by donating at patreon.com/lowprofile
Here is a musical storyteller from Australia whose music is a vibrant collage of country, blues, hokum, calypso, rock and jazz that hearkens back to the early 20th century. His singing evokes imagery of carnival barkers and medicine men, singing tunes full of adventurous whimsy. I went with Miles Rozatti (who also produced this episode) to catch him on tour in Tacoma back in February 2020 and got to have a lovely chat together.
If you'd like to support Low Profile, you can do so by doing any of the following:
Subscribing,
Sharing with friends online and IRL,
Five Star Reviews,
Giving donations at patreon.com/lowprofile
Hear more episodes at www.lowprofilepodcast.com
or wherever you catch your pods!
This episode is also supported by in-kind support from San Francisco Street Bakery in Olympia, Washington.
Washington Phillips was a jackleg preacher and a gospel singer in the early 20th century. He invented a one-of-a-kind instrument he called the Manzarene which sounded as celestial as the heavens. Little was known about him until music writer Michael Corcoran started knocking on doors and looking for clues, striking gold again and again. He compiled his findings into a book that is included with a CD called "Washington Phillips and his Manzerene Dreams." Markly and Miles spoke with Michael about his research on Phillips and other early gospel blues greats for this insightful feature-length interview.
If you enjoy this podcast, please give us your support by subscribing, telling friends, posting on social media, rating and reviewing on Apple podcasts, or by making flexible monthly donations at patreon.com/lowprofile today.
Cornershop have been making catchy and original music since 1993. Their sound includes elements of punk, disco, Bollywood, glam rock, and funk, always upbeat, no black keys used on the piano. Their lyrics often address issues of ethics, racism and politics. I spoke with Tjinder Singh in London about the group's evolution and their new LP on Ample Play, "England Is A Garden." Please support this show by rating and reviewing it on Apple Podcasts, subscribing, and making a recurring donation of any ammount by visiting patreon.com/lowprofile.
This episode was mastered by Miles Rozatti, as usual!
Heatwarmer is a jazz-laden pop trio that originated in Seattle. They say their biggest influence is Star Wars, and they have a new EP called "Electric City." Markly chats over face time with Luke Bergman, Aaron Ottheim and Evan Woodle about all things Heatwarmer and how they are riding out the Covid-19 fiasco.
Danbert Nobacon spent 28 as a founding member of the anarchist pop group Chumbawamba before the band called it quits in 2010. He shares stories about the group's origins and antics, from his first group Chimp Eats Banana to dousing the Deputy Prime Minister with a bucket of ice water at the Brit Awards. If you thought you knew Chumbawamba based off of "that one song," you'll be surprised. This episode is supported by... you! Please rate and review the podcast, subscribe, and make a small donation at patreon.com/lowprofile to help keep this show afloat.
Nick Krgovich of Vancouver, BC has been writing and recording music since his early teens. His previous bands include Gigi, p:ano, and No Kids. He's been a member of Mount Eerie and Dear Nora. His latest solo release is a concept album about his first experience with heartbreak, entitled "Ouch." Nick and Markly got together at 9am over coffee some 200 miles apart and had this conversation, along with plenty of music clips and some exclusive previews of his upcoming projects. Please subscribe, rate and review this show. You can also support the program financially by visiting patreon.com/lowprofile
For the first episode of season two, we travel to Claremont, CA to get to know Henry Barnes, better known as Amps for Christ. Topics include the connotations of having such a band name, homemade instruments and oscillators, and the songs and sounds that shaped him. Recorded on location at the Folk Music Center.
Listen in on a mixtape with our panel as we discuss a few of the prospects for the artists we plan to feature this season. We hear from a guru, an inventor, people with superpowers and forgotten garage bands. New episode coming soon!
For our season finale, just in time for the end of the world series, we focus on a smattering of songs written for the love of America's pastime and talk to legendary singer/songwriter Terry Cashman.
Born in 1904, this expert fisherman from Mississippi made his first guitar out of a cigar box and went on the become the most beloved entertainer in his hometown of Lake Mary. He only released one album in his lifetime, but as we found out, there is much more to the story. If you like real home-grown blues, look no further as we go searching through time for Scott Dunbar.
This one-man-band released some of the most otherworldly albums around. We tracked him down, nearly 40 years later, to find out his story. Here's what happened instead.
Meet your new favorite band, Soul-Junk. Founded in 1993, with albums dating back as far as 1950 (we'll explain later), singer/songwriter/producer Glen Galaxy has eluded all preconceptions of gospel music by remaining true to his artistic vision. I met with him at his San Diedo studio, Singing Serpent, and dropped a bunch of songs into the mix. If you've never listened to this band, sit down. You're in for a lot of surprises.
She first hit the airwaves in the early 70s and never stopped making music. Her voice is like cotton candy or a glass of brandy, singing soulful reggae music perfect for summertime. We chatted her up about her beginnings, family, and the road to her newest album, "The Girl Who Cried."
Martin Newell played in various glam rock bands in the 1970s. Then, in the 1980s, dismayed with record companies wanting him to play by their rules, he started his group The Cleaners From Venus and released their albums on cassette. They've released dozens of albums since the beginning when they were "liberating" blank cassettes from shops in England so they could give them away for free. My panel discusses their music, and then we have a long-form, very entertaining conversation with Mr. Newell, and we premier a couple new tracks from a future album. This is our first international guest on the program and it was a real blast!
You may not know his name, but you've heard him sing. As guest host Mike puts it: "He's the hipster saint. He's the bop legend. He's the grandfather of the love of the son of the hip magic that sprinkles all over the earth that keeps us all livin' and growin'. He's BOB DOROUGH."
The Gift Machine are a rock and roll band based in San Diego, and while on their west coast tour they stopped by studio B to play some new songs and chat for a while.
on this BONUS EPISODE:
Jeremy and I sit down with OLD TIME RELIJUN frontman Arrington DiDionyso, who are have recently returned from a ten-year hiatus with a new album "See Now and Know" and a new tour that started the night before this episode's release. We discuss the origins of the group, influences, lyrical themes and sonic aesthetics. This is a band on a mission to make you dance. Their formula is equal parts joy and terror.
Gary Wilson has been making music since the 1960s and is more active than ever now. His music rides the fence that lies between lounge act and the avant-garde; fun to listen to and difficult to describe. Speaking with Gary, we pull back the curtain and dive into his mind, a place from which one can never return.
She was a jazz pianist in the 1960s, uninterested in the spotlight. A friend played "Pet Sounds" for her and she became a pop fan, and recorded one of the finest pop records of all time in 1969, "Take a Picture." Radio silence followed, until her music had developed a cult following some 30 years later. Today we focus in on Margo Guryan. Special guest John Rosner gives us the inside scoop. Also, patreon.com/lowfprofile is now active (Hey Nick!)
This episode features some outtakes from episode 4 and episode 5, and a little status update. Episode 5 will be coming out on 4/18/2019.
Christian rock wasn’t always a thing, until the controversial singer-songwriter Larry Norman came around. In an era when the church deemed rock and roll evil, Larry wrote a song called “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music.”
He threw a wrench in the gears of rock and roll history as we know it. My friends and I discuss this game-changing artist’s career (and his influence) at length.
The late operatic new-wave pop phenomenon Klaus Nomi is discussed on today's round-table show, with my friend Vince Ynzunza (who is a big fan) and my friend Vicki Atkins (who has never heard of him). Jump in and get your ears wet. This episode was engineered by Miles Rozatti.
For this first episode, we are exploring the bizarre moment in country music when "talking steel guitar" was all the rage, thanks to a man named Pete Drake. I spoke with several people who were close to him, curated a bunch of his music, and learned things I couldn't find out on the internet.