Ep548: After the Astronaut - Butthole Surfers' Lost Album w Paul Leary & King Coffey
Release Date: 05/11/2026
Ep556: Shapel Lacey - Punk, Comedy & Rising Above
The Vinyl Guide
Comedian discusses the power of music, inspiration and how a 1981 Black Flag video sparked a lifelong punk obsession that shaped his identity, art, and resilience. Shapel Lacey | | Topics Include: Talks local record stores, Amoeba, old Sunset location Discovers deep-cut Swedish hardcore at Eastside Records, Arizona Reflects on pre-streaming era, hunting records in person Notices rosary on Crash's grave, debates his beliefs Traces punk discovery to junior high guitar class Friend introduces him to ska punk, then Black Flag Watches 1981 Target video of Rollins-era Black...
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Ep555: The Taj Mahal Interview
The Vinyl Guide
Blues legend shares rare stories about Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and the that shaped his stunning new record. Topics Include: discusses his new album, Time, and its origins Reveals his decades-long friendship and mutual respect with Bill Withers Explains how Bill Withers heard and loved this unreleased demo Bill Withers' wife gave final approval before the song's release Withers walked away from music rather than change his sound Why the industry pushed Withers to sound more commercial Taj shares why vinyl beats digital for capturing real sound Breaks down the "bell curve" problem...
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Ep554: Everlast - From Rhyme Syndicate to Embers to Ashes
The Vinyl Guide
traces his journey from Rhyme Syndicate graffiti kid to House of Pain to solo artist, revealing how Jump Around's success gave him the freedom to never chase a hit again. Topics Include: Everlast's new album Embers to Ashes drops August 28th with vinyl available He collects art and guitars, not records — leaves vinyl to the DJs His guitar collection spans vintage Fender Strats, Gretsch Falcons, and Martin acoustics Grew up immersed in graffiti culture, his kids are graffiti artists too His house is essentially a private gallery of graffiti and street art Music was always on — mom...
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Ep553: The Ghosts That Haunt Peter Hook
The Vinyl Guide
reflects on 50 years of music, the emotional weight of performing Joy Division and New Order live, and the many memories and ghosts of his past. Topics Include: New Order toured Australia as early as 1982, helped by Factory Australasia's local support. Hooky calls Australia the only place he never wants to leave — he still suffers leaving every time. Peter Hook and the Light played their seventh-ever gig in Melbourne on their first Australian tour. He is now working through every New Order and Joy Division album ever recorded live. Get Ready features songs never played live as New...
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Ep552: The Gospel According to Swamp Dogg
The Vinyl Guide
opens up about his new album "," reflecting on death, faith, and a 70-year career that's produced over 2,000 songs. Extended and high resolution podcast at: Topics Include: New album, , drops on S-Curve Swamp Dogg shares wild theories on what happens after death He opens up about faith, doubt, and fear of dying Reveals he's written over 2,000 songs across 31 albums His very first record came out way back in 1954 Stories of opening for Sam Cooke and Larry Williams Names the R&B legends who shaped his sound early on Louis Jordan's band once crashed at his childhood home Tells...
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Ep551: Lydia Lunch - Confrontationalist, Poet, No Wave Pioneer
The Vinyl Guide
unpacks the raw origins of No Wave, her squatting-and-surviving New York story, and why after five decades of confrontational art, pleasure remains the ultimate rebellion. Topics Include: Lydia Lunch is touring Australia and New Zealand in June She's performing Suicide and Alan Vega covers across multiple cities Australia holds deep personal meaning — Roland S. Howard, Tex Perkins, lifelong friends Lydia considers herself a comedian; most people are just too afraid to laugh Words are her primary art — music is just the machine gun She sleeps in two-hour shifts and wakes famished at...
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Ep550: Black Flag Vocalist Max Zanelly
The Vinyl Guide
vocalist Max Zanelly shares how she went from waitressing to fronting one of punk's most legendary bands and how the new lineup is carving their own space in legacy of the band. Topics Include: Max Zanelly checks in from Toronto, post-Canada tour Black Flag heading to Australia: four cities in late May One year ago, Max had just started rehearsing with Black Flag Only prior music experience: saxophone in middle school band A longtime fan, Max attended a Black Flag show in Vancouver Greg Ginn noticed Max singing every word from the front row Numbers exchanged; Greg said he wanted to make...
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Ep549: Dave Markey & The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell
The Vinyl Guide
Filmmaker discusses his documentary "", the punk scene's most fascinating, mysterious, and surprisingly influential behind-the-scenes figure. | Topics Include: Dave Markey has a large record collection but stopped buying recently. Vinyl prices have skyrocketed — once cheap records now cost thousands. Dave bought records directly from band members at punk shows. Ian MacKaye sold Dave a first press Minor Threat 7". Dave bought Minutemen and Descendents EPs from D-Boon for a dollar. Dave made the Bill Bartell documentary for people who don't know him. Bill Bartell was unknowable...
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Jack Douglas (1945-2026) - The Vinyl Guide interview
The Vinyl Guide
The legend himself Jack Douglas (1945-2026) shares stories from five decades of rock history — from producing John Lennon's final album to the memories Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, The Who, and his recent production of Silverplanes. Topics Include: Jack Douglas joins Nate from a snowy driveway, cigar in hand. Silverplanes' debut album Airbus is finally releasing after years of delays. Jack met Silverplanes' Aaron Smart through his college-age son. Aaron turned out to own the Sunset Boulevard studio Jack had worked in. Jeff Emerick mixed the album shortly before his sudden death in 2018. The...
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Ep548: After the Astronaut - Butthole Surfers' Lost Album w Paul Leary & King Coffey
The Vinyl Guide
and trace the band's unlikely major label journey — from America's top-grossing indie act to MTV hitmakers to a lost album finally resurrected after nearly three decades. Topics Include: After the Astronaut releases June 26 after sitting unreleased for 28 years. Capitol signed Butthole Surfers when they were America's top-grossing indie band. Label president Hale Milgram believed in them; his firing changed everything. Pepper was written on the spot after a producer demanded one more song. Pepper won radio call-in polls for a month and played MTV hourly. The hit turned them into a...
info_outlineButthole Surfers' Paul Leary and King Coffey trace the band's unlikely major label journey — from America's top-grossing indie act to MTV hitmakers to a lost album finally resurrected after nearly three decades.
Preorder "After the Astronaut" LP here
Topics Include:
- After the Astronaut releases June 26 after sitting unreleased for 28 years.
- Capitol signed Butthole Surfers when they were America's top-grossing indie band.
- Label president Hale Milgram believed in them; his firing changed everything.
- Pepper was written on the spot after a producer demanded one more song.
- Pepper won radio call-in polls for a month and played MTV hourly.
- The hit turned them into a "follow-up band," which was never their thing.
- John Paul Jones produced Worm Saloon and taught Paul Leary how to produce.
- Jones and the band shared a Lagavulin obsession, running up a $20,000 scotch bill.
- Capitol's big budgets contrasted sharply with Touch and Go's approach.
- After the Astronaut was a deliberate return to experimental, art-school Butthole Surfers DNA.
- Mark Ryden painted the original cover; getting dropped handed it to Marcy Playground.
- Declining a Hellraiser soundtrack placement created the first real rift with Capitol.
- Their manager's heroin relapse coincided with the band getting dropped mid-promo cycle.
- Promo cassettes already pressed now sell for $800–$1,000 on the secondary market.
- Hollywood Records funded Weird Revolution; Rob Cavallo showed up once a week for ten minutes.
- Finding two-inch master tapes in a storage locker triggered the After the Astronaut remix.
- Documentary The Whole Truth and Nothing But took director Tom Stern five years to make.
- Rob Reiner called it one of the best music docs ever — hours before his murder.
- A potential box set looms, but Paul prefers naps, his cat, and his bicycle.
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