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Crusty Jugglers and Flaming Skulls: A Guide to Iconic Album Covers

Beat Motel Zine

Release Date: 07/28/2025

Bands we respect but don't get show art Bands we respect but don't get

Beat Motel Zine

Ever bought an album just because you should love it... only to file it under “respect, but no thanks”? This week, Andrew Culture and Dr. Sam go full chin-strokey and dive deep into the bands, albums, and entire genres that make them go, “I get it. I just don’t want it.” We’re talking Flux of Pink Indians’ sonic assaults, John Zorn's sex-jazz chaos, Minutemen’s minute-long jazz-punk spasms, and yes, that unholy racket from Merzbow. Along the way we also chat about Damon Albarn’s trouser-based stage antics, Janis Joplin’s wardrobe malfunctions, and what happens when Rick...

info_outline Musicians in films that weren't about them show art Musicians in films that weren't about them

Beat Motel Zine

In this episode, we dive into the slightly baffling and often hilarious world of musicians turning up in films that have absolutely nothing to do with their own music. Some do it well. Some… should’ve just stayed on stage. From Joe Strummer’s pigeon-themed songwriting to Damon Albarn’s dodgy gangster role, we shine a flashlight on cinema’s most unexpected rock star cameos. Expect righteous rambling, questionable facts, and a whole lot of chaos as Andrew and Dr. Sam chew over: Flea appearing in Back to the Future II as a race-happy chancer Joe Strummer pretending a traffic cone is...

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Beat Motel Zine

info_outline Odd concept albums show art Odd concept albums

Beat Motel Zine

What do stoner-era ZZ Top, a mountain named Billy with a tree girlfriend, and a kid who astral projects into Rasputin’s beard all have in common? Concept albums, mate. And not just any old proggy b*llocks – this week we’re diving into the oddest concept albums we could find (and a few we just wanted to waffle on about anyway). Andrew is joined by first-time Beat Motel guest host James Kindred – a fellow Ipswich musician, longtime mate, and possibly the only person who can explain a Mastodon plotline without crying blood. Together, they take you on a journey through the weird, the...

info_outline How to end side A show art How to end side A

Beat Motel Zine

If you’ve ever flipped a vinyl and thought, “well that was a limp finish,” then this episode is your new religion. Andrew and Dr. Sam dive into the fine art of ending Side A—the lost craft of crafting a sonic cliffhanger that makes you want to flip that record like your nan flips a Digestive into her cuppa. We’ve got: The Clash’s perfectly measured chaos An R.E.M. song even the R.E.M. boys can’t remember Richard Dawson punching you in the feelings A mystery smackhead guitar hero who wandered into a Funkadelic session and laid down one of the greatest solos of all time ...

info_outline Bands That Are Better as a Documentary Than to Listen To show art Bands That Are Better as a Documentary Than to Listen To

Beat Motel Zine

Ever watched a music doc and thought, “Cor, this band’s story is brilliant!” only to press play on their actual music and feel your soul quietly retreat into your ankles? This week, Andrew and co-host Dr. Sam put the needle on the record and realise some bands should’ve stayed in the cutting room. We take a scenic drive through the trainwreck glory of Milli Vanilli, the baffling existential crisis that is Metallica’s St. Anger, and the CIA’s alleged soft-rock psy-op via The Scorpions. Plus, there's a detour through the fever-dream nonsense of Brian Pern, Joan Jett’s bad...

info_outline Cats show art Cats

Beat Motel Zine

This week on Beat Motel, Andrew relives his childhood by rolling down Ed Sheeran’s hill into a pile of dog muck, and Dr. Sam reveals he’s spent more time chasing cheese than dignity. Somewhere along the way, they accidentally remember this is supposed to be a music podcast.

The theme? Cats. That’s it. Not subtle. Not deep. Just cats. From SpongeBob’s snail-pet Gary to the purring sleaze of Queen’s “Cool Cat,” we dig into feline-inspired tunes like they’re buried in a litter tray. info_outline Obscure Genres show art Obscure Genres

Beat Motel Zine

If you’ve ever wondered what a Finnish man in a bedroom with a broken keyboard sounds like, then you’re weird. But also in the right place. This week, Dr. Sam joins Andrew for a dive headfirst into the murky swamp of obscure music genres, where rules don’t matter and the cats are in charge.

Expect tangents galore: from liturgical black metal to folk electronica via squee (yes, it’s a thing), this episode is a chaotic tour of sounds you probably never asked for. Th

info_outline Back to School show art Back to School

Beat Motel Zine

In this nostalgia-drenched episode of Beat Motel, Andrew Culture and voiceover man extraordinaire Martin Whiskin hurl themselves headfirst into the deep, murky swimming pool of school memories—and promptly slip on a Verucca sock.

Expect less of a structured discussion and more of a chaotic ramble through:

More Episodes

Is it possible to judge an album by its cover? Absolutely. Especially when it's got skeleton hands, raging suns, or Geiger’s flesh nightmares on it.

In this episode of the Beat Motel podcast, Andrew and recurring co-host Martin Whiskin dive deep into the album art that shaped our musical tastes, plastered our pencil cases, and possibly got Dead Kennedys sued. From the raw power of Monster Magnet and Kyuss, to the delicate doodles of The Levellers, to Pink Floyd being accused of ripping off Blur 20 years early (or was it the other way round?), it’s a deep, noisy, nostalgic ride.

▶ Featuring tales of crusty gigs, folk festivals, DIY patches, and massive, illegal sound systems.
▶ Not featuring: tasteful restraint, coherent structure, or Richard Ashcroft’s blessing.



### Riffs of the week


#### Martin Whiskin's Riff

- Bellowhead - Rigs of The Time

#### Andrew's Riff

- Smote - Drommon Pt1


### Martin Whiskin's track choices

1. Monster Magnet - Power Trip

2. Levellers - Levelling the Land

3. Ye Wiles - Soothing Away The Horrors of Indigestion

4. Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley


### Andrew's track choices

1. Pink Floyd - See Emily Play

2. Verve - She's a superstar

3. Led Zepplin - Gallows Pole

4. Dead Kennedys - MTV - Get Off the Air


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