Lost Labels Podcast

Bush Tetras broke onto the scene in a big way with their 1980 debut single, "Too Many Creeps". Released on 99 Records, it is a seminal piece of early 1980s post-punk that ranks amongst the definitive songs of the era. After releasing a string of singles and a live cassette, Bush Tetras split with only a handful of recordings to their name.

Fortunately, Bush Tetras have reunited and continued to release music over...

SVT rose from the ashes of Hot Tuna, comprised of ex-Airplane bassist Jack Casady and keyboardist Nick Buck. Eschewing the extended jams for tight power pop, they self-released their first single in 1979 before singing to 415 Records. There they released the brilliant "Heart of Stone" single and a seven-song EP before Buck left the band. 

In this episode of the Lost Labels Podcast, Nick Buck discusses his diverse...

From playing alongside Glenn Branca in seminal band Theoretical Girls to producing the first Sonic Youth album, Wharton Tiers has his fingerprints all over the late-70s/early-80s New York scene. Add to that his work with A Band and Glorious Strangers, and Tiers' discography provides the perfect entry point to the visceral world that is no wave. 

Since then, Tiers has also gone on to produce such beloved and acclaimed ...

From his college days booking artists like the Doors to his later career working with the Smiths and Pretenders at Sire Records, every chapter of Howie Klein's life is fascinating to the avid music fan. One of Howie's greatest legacies is the founding of 415 Records in 1978, one of San Francisco's seminal independent record labels. From beloved underground acts such as the Units and the Nuns to bands who would find m...

Although they only released three singles, US Ape seemed poised to become the next Talking Heads or Knack in the late 1970s. Fronted by Tom Goodkind, later of the Washington Squares, the band played a unique blend of danceable funk-new wave that didn't quite sound like any of their contemporaries.

In this episode, we talk to keyboardist (and sometimes vocalist) Shauna Laurie about her time in the band and what it was ...

With seminal releases from Suicide, James Chance, Lydia Lunch, Was (Not Was), Kid Creole and the Coconuts, the Waitresses, and many others, ZE Records was described by John Peel as "the best independent record label in the world." UK-born Michael Zilkha founded the label alongside Michel Esteban in 1978, after running the short-lived Spy Records with John Cale. After the label closed in 1984, Zilkha left New York for Texa...

Rudi were the first punk rock band to form in Northern Ireland, as well as being the first release on the seminal Good Vibrations record label. Guitarist Brian Young was influenced by the likes of Marc Bolan, the New York Dolls, and the Ramones--all of whom can be heard in Rudi's exceptional first single, "Big Time." Between their touring, television appearances, and follow-up singles, Rudi established themselves as ...

The Outcasts were one of the most popular bands to emerge from the punk rock scene in Belfast, Northern Ireland. After releasing a single on the short-lived IT Records, the Outcasts put out two seminal singles and a full length on Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations.

Originally consisting of the Cowan brothers Colin (drums), Martin (rhythm guitar and vocals), and Greg (lead vocals and bass), as well as lead guitarist Colin...

Stiff Little Fingers' first single, "Suspect Device," was released on Rigid Digits Records, an independent record label founded by the band and managers Gordon Ogilvie and Colin McClelland.  McClelland, an established music journalist, had corresponded with Jake Burns prior to seeing them in concert and was hugely instrumental in getting the band into the studio for the first time.

In this interview, Colin M...

Any Trouble's debut album on Stiff Records is as catchy and well-constructed as anything released by Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello. Led by Clive Gregson, the band would join the 1980 "Son of Stiff Tour" alongside labelmates Joe "King" Carrasco And The Crowns, the Equators, Dirty Looks, and Tenpole Tudor. Any Trouble's second album, Wheels in Motion, followed in 1981. In this episode, Clive Gregson dis...

Andy Murray joined the Stiff Records team in 1978 in order to oversee the "Be Stiff Tour" with Rachel Sweet, Mickey Jupp, Wreckless Eric, Lene Lovich, and Jona Lewie. Following the tour, Murray remained Stiff Records' press officer for 1979, earning accolades for his work with the label. Today Andy Murray runs 4 Tunes, a music business marketing consultancy and management company. Andy Murray was also a member of the...

In 1978, then-16-year-old Akron native Rachel Sweet embarked on a tour of England alongside Wreckless Eric, Lene Lovich, and others. As she was merely a solo artist, a newly-formed group called the Records served as her de facto backing band.  After supporting Sweet, the Records (including guitarist Huw Gower) went on to release their debut album for Virgin Records in 1979.

On this episode of the Lost Labels Podcast, we sp...

Although the Adverts only issued one single on Stiff Records, that release ("One Chord Wonders"/"Quick Step") is now considered to be a seminal moment in punk history. Produced by Larry Wallis and following in the footsteps of their tourmates the Damned, "One Chord Wonders" was the first of a series of singles released by the Adverts leading up to their first full length, "Crossing the Red Sea wit...

Hailing from Liverpool, Yachts released their first single on Stiff Records in 1977. From there, they went on to release two full-lengths and a number of singles on Radar Records before splitting up in 1981. Known for their catchy melodies and wry lyricism, Yachts toured with everyone from Joe Jackson to the Who.

This episode is the first part of our look at Stiff Records, the infamously subversive and anarchic record labe...

Although the Waitresses are best known for their 1982 single "I Know What Boys Like," the history of the band can be traced back to the late-1970s Akron musical scene. Chris Butler cut his teeth in bands such as the Numbers Band (15-60-75) and Tin Huey before transforming the Waitresses from a side-project into a fully-fledged band. The Waitresses released their debut full-length, "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?,&qu...

Although the Waitresses are best known for their 1982 single "I Know What Boys Like," the history of the band can be traced back to the late-1970s Akron musical scene. Chris Butler cut his teeth in bands such as the Numbers Band (15-60-75) and Tin Huey before transforming the Waitresses from a side-project into a fully-fledged band. The Waitresses released their debut full-length, "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?,&qu...

The New York City quartet Marbles are perhaps best remembered for having released the third single on the seminal Ork Records (following Television and Richard Hell). Although their recorded output was limited to two singles, Marbles were regular headliners at CBGBs alongside the Ramones, Blondie, and the Talking Heads. 

In this interview, guitarist and vocalist Howard Bowler not only discusses the band's history but ...