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Normally this show features a famous (at least, famous in our world) bassist we've been listening to for decades. But for today's episode, I went in a different direction.  Back in June of this year, I took my second pilgrimage to the Caterwaul Music Gathering, an underground-noise-punk-whatever weekend-long fest that's taken place in Minneapolis, MN for the last five years. In addition to capturing this episode's snazzy cover photo, I came away extremely amped about a slew of new-to-me bands who were putting the bass front and center and squeezing new sounds out of it.  So in true "FSATT" fashion, I bit off more than I can chew and conducted four interviews…starting with one of the festival's co-founders and curators, musician/podcaster/style maven Conan Neutron.  So here goes a longer-than-usual episode which provides the added benefit of hipping you to some new(ish) bass-forward bands that deserve your attention. Just be glad I didn't try to feature all of them, huh. Caterwaul on Instagram "Loud Bands Playing Terrible Music" Stickers and Other Caterwaul Merch  Conan Neutron on Instagram Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends on Bandcamp Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal Podcast BirdHands on Instagram BirdHands on Bandcamp BirdHands "Jungle Boogie" / "The Glow Up" Split Single with Violenteer BirdHands live at Chicago Music Exchange Video Burned or Buried on Instagram Burned of Buried on Bandcamp Burned or Buried live at Reggie's Video Baby Gurl on Instagram Baby Gurl on Bandcamp Baby Gurl "Smack My Bishop" Video

Coming to you live and direct from the posh green room of Brooklyn club Warsaw, we sit down with gentle giant/Mclusky bassist and singer Damien Sayell, who's been in the band more than a decade now and is finally feeling like a full-fledged member. Find out how hearing the band's 2002 classic, "Mclusky Do Dallas," changed his life at the tender age of 18; what it's been like participating in the glow up of one of noise/punk's most essential power trios; and how one of the band's best new songs was composed by his three-year-old son, Magnus.  Mclusky on Bandcamp (https://mcluskymclusky.bandcamp.com/) The St. Pierre Snake Invasion on Bandcamp (https://tspsi.bandcamp.com/) Damien's photo-rich Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/damiencsayell/) Magnus's moment of genius (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVx2zasNnTj/) An explosive live-in-the-studio set from FRET12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNf3ls53rM0) Upcoming tour dates around the world (https://ipecac.com/tours/) - scroll to "Mclusky"

We continue to tick off the bucket list, player by player. In the wake of a trip to Minneapolis for the Caterwaul Festival, we chat with Minnesota's favorite son, Greg Norton - who filled his time in-between Hüskers tours as a chef, eventually opening an eponymous restaurant. After going 14 years without touching a bass, and surviving a health scare, Greg is back in the driver's seat: he's got his rejiggered super-trio UltraBomb; a Greg Norton + Buddies tour in which fellow travelers can jump on stage and sing the Hüskers song of their choice; and the debut of his very own signature bass!   We also announce the winner of our IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal - tune in to find out if you're gonna be bathing your tone in distortion.   Hüsker Dü on Bandcamp (https://huskerdu.bandcamp.com/music) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/16bN8mhtDFdegWbg0z3s10?si=4Aycdgk-QamjQk43e_fdxg)    UltraBomb on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ultrabombmusic/), Bandcamp (https://ultrabomb.bandcamp.com/) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4u2NU0NKwALURZY2qvtYQb?si=_JkfJPB2RAKRD1yT7DmauA)   Greg Norton Tour info (https://www.songkick.com/artists/2924031-greg-norton/calendar)   Hüsker Dü Live in London 1985 (includes a great version of "Diane") (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphIHzsxduY)   UltraBomb's YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXttjijPvr-QXDwevC5Iqdg)   Caterwaul Festival in Minneapolis (go next year!) (https://www.caterwaul.org/)

Not exactly nine lives, but the quintessentially Boston band Mission of Burma has had at least two: their initial 1979-1983 foray, which yielded such classics as "That's When I Reach For My Revolver," "Academy Fight Song" and "That's When I Escaped My Certain Fate"; and an unlikely reunion in the early 2000s, yielding some equally influential albums as well as as a definitive bio-pic, "Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story" in 2006. Through it all, bassist, vocalist and songwriter Clint Conley has persisted, holding the same media gig for over 35 years (!) and raising a family in the wooded environs outside of Boston. Tune in to hear how this sage bassist and song architect found his sound, and continues to hew to the minimalist stylings of spindly bass lines in outings with the Chris Brokaw Rock Band, among others. ALSO! You have until 7/31/25 to enter to win a "like new" (seriously, I played it once) IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal (video review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt6URsuLhD4). This is an amazing, bass-specific distortion pedal, with clean signal blend and a low-pass filter - so it will stick out nicely in live settings. It will arrive in its original box with 3M Dual Lock strips on the back, so it's ready for your pedal board.  To enter the contest, please send a screenshot of you recommending one episode of this podcast - your favorite interview - in a publicly viewable place - it can be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or any social media outlet. Send the screenshot to: [email protected], and we'll pick one winner at random on 7/31/25. Please note that previous winners of one of our contests are not eligible for this one. We thank the entrants so far - who hail from around the globe - and encourage you to shoot your shot as well. Mission of Burma on Bandcamp (https://missionofburmamusic.bandcamp.com/music) Mission of Burma on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5UMQV83wwZCCvRSQCVjZw6?si=1eSFR-5UQRqhuLz14sDIsQ) consonant on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/07xPqvLLSdQTw0Go6sJdk8?si=Su_5kyY0Q0-uRy-cKUqp6Q) "Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14bGcdg2eQo) "Chronicle" on WCVB-TV in Boston (https://www.wcvb.com/chronicle) "Academy Fight Song" by 'Mission of Brokaw' (featuring Peter Prescott and Chris Brokaw) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHko_-sGj-Y) Mission of Burma live at the Williamsburg Waterfront in 2009 with Clint, Peter and Roger all wearing sunglasses at some point (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiMc7RftWa0)

We've launched a contest to win a "like new" (seriously, I played it once) IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal. This is an amazing, bass-specific distortion pedal, with clean signal blend and a low-pass filter - it sticks out nicely in live settings. It will arrive in its original box with 3M Dual Lock strips on the back, so it's ready for your pedal board. To enter the contest, please send a screenshot of you recommending one episode of this podcast - your favorite interview - in a publicly viewable place - it can be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or any social media outlet. Send screenshots to: [email protected] and we'll pick one winner at random on 7/31/25. Please note that previous winners of one of our contests are not eligible for this one.

Nate Brenner has been playing music in front of people since he was four, and it shows. He and his musical/life partner Merrill Garbus have carved out a unique place in the indie-pop cosmos: funky, joyful, noisy and heartfelt. Between tours supporting Tune-Yards' just-released sixth album, "Better Dreaming," Nate spends some time with us to unspool his unique approach to the instrument, touching on his musical upbringing, the group's warts-and-all aesthetic, and their compelling ability to carry out live performances of their complex songs as a duo. This is a portrait of artists figuring things out in real time, whether live on stage or in the copious scores they've composed for Boots Riley's various projects.  Tune-Yards on Bandcamp (https://tune-yards.bandcamp.com) Tune-Yards live dates (https://tune-yards.com/tour/) Naytronix on Bandcamp (https://naytronix.bandcamp.com/) Nate's Dad Craig Brenner's latest album "Passages," (featuring Merrill Garbus) (https://www.craigbrenner.com/music) A partial list of cool musicians who went to Oberlin (https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2017/10/bands_and_musicians_you_didnt.html) An Archive of Merrill Garbus's songwriting workshop at School of Song (https://schoolofsong.org/products/songwriting-workshop-with-merrill-garbus-of-tune-yards-copy) Today, we're launching a month-long contest to win a "like new" (seriously, I played it once) IdiotBox Effects Blower Box Deluxe pedal (video review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt6URsuLhD4). This is an amazing, bass-specific distortion pedal, with clean signal blend and a low-pass filter - so it will stick out nicely in live settings. It will arrive in its original box with 3M Dual Lock strips on the back, so it's ready for your pedal board.  To enter the contest, please send a screenshot of you recommending one episode of this podcast - your favorite interview - in a publicly viewable place - it can be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or any social media outlet. Send screenshots to: [email protected], and we'll pick one winner at random on 7/31/25. Please note that previous winners of one of our contests are not eligible for this one.

We're kicking (Mini-)Season 2 off with one of our most-requested guests, Lou Barlow - a four string lifer (on bass, ukelele, guitar, etc.) and amiable fellow who's not afraid to lay bare his thoughts on all things Dinosaur Jr, his unique approach to making music, and his various creative endeavors, from childhood cassette experimentation to becoming a successful podcaster alongside his wife, Adelle.  Lou Barlow on Bandcamp (https://loubarlow.bandcamp.com/) Dinosaur Jr on Bandcamp (https://dinosaurjr.bandcamp.com/) Sebadoh on Bandcamp (https://sebadoh.bandcamp.com/) Folk Implosion on Bandcamp (https://thefolkimplosion.bandcamp.com/) Barlow Family General Store (https://barlowfamilygeneralstore.com/) RAW Impressions with Lou Barlow and Adelle Barlow on Spotify (podcast) (https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0j91I0qabIiBqv9nX0yy?si=87bb8b29b2404638) Bob Mould and Dinosaur Jr "In a Free Land (Live)" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLRhqfDbl2U&t=2s) Henry Rollins and Dinosaur Jr "Don't (Live)" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RPh7dpN4Do) Kevin Shields and Dinosaur Jr "Thorn (Live)" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYPudLhOn7Y) The Music Machine "Wrong" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IAlVz07TpM)

We have a clutch of new shows coming very soon with names you might expect...or not.

Brian Ritchie is our first guest whose primary instrument - the one that helped make his band Violent Femmes a household name - is an acoustic bass. Today we hear how all that came to be, the band's path from busking on the streets of Milwaukee to rocking stadiums, and why their approach really hasn't changed all that much. Along the way he tells some funny stories about early gigs, opens up about a new acoustic bass he's gotten his hands on and even shares what Flea told him about working with producer Michael Beinhorn. Also - and this will make sense after you listen - here are two updates to things I say in this episode: My amazing engineer/mixer Matt Noble pointed me to lutefish.com, a hardware-software set-up that does enable near real-time jamming over distances less than 500 miles. I haven't tried it out, because it requires being hardwired to my modem and that's too far away from my basses. Parquet Courts' (fantastic) bassist Sean Yeaton doesn't play a stock short scale bass - it's a frankenbass made up of the body and pickups of an '84 Fender Bullet bass (short scale) and the neck of a '50s P-Bass reissue (standard scale). It also has a weird hole in it. Violent Femmes (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0rpMdBzQXf7aYRnu5fDBJy?si=XfFHPeSkTUyqNHhdWKdAgQ) Brian Ritchie's solo stuff (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5VlujeJlkf1SEspNUbdhq8?si=pREJiCIQQJKztGtRFon1Og) Big Johnson Basses (https://bigjohnsonbass.com/) - Brian Ritchie's next new favorite bass? And here's a video demo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KeWe0KUznk) by its creator. Guitars For Vets (https://guitars4vets.org) - a very cool charity, check it out

As we gear up for our next season of Four Strings and the Truth interviews, we're introducing a new, more bite-sized feature: the Bass-ic Review. This is an analysis of new and recently released albums from the bottom up - i.e., from the point of view of the bass: the playing AND the player. And to kick things off, we're focusing on the much-anticipated new album from Oklahoma City noise mavens Chat Pile, "Cool World." Bassist Stin, who co-writes the tunes and has served as de facto producer, puts in the work on the new collection, which is earning huzzahs from fans of loud music across the punk-metal-alt-noise spectrum. Let's find out how he makes Chat Pile tick. Chat Pile (https://chatpile.bandcamp.com/) Chat Pile Tour Dates (https://chatpile.net/shows) Chat Pile AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/1g5abvq/we_are_okc_noise_rockers_chat_pile_ama/) Korn "Prayer To God" by Shellac (https://shellac.bandcamp.com/track/prayer-to-god) The Tronographic Rusty Box (https://www.tronographic.com/store/p/rusty-box) Chat Pile Covers Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice" (https://youtu.be/N2_K13LlROQ?si=JETn-VfUO6vDTbf-)

Dead Kennedys - the scabrous, Northern Cali-based band that taught the world how to stage dive - created some of the most indelible anthems in hardcore, naming and shaming those in charge and challenging its audience to face hard truths. The band's gone through a few line-up changes in its 40+ years, but one constant has been the instrumental interplay of bassist Klaus Flouride with guitarist and co-founding member East Bay Ray, along with the hyperspeed precision of drummer D.H. Peligro (who passed in 2022). Live, they've worked with vocalist Skip (the Wynona Riders) for longer than original singer Jello Biafra was in the band, and they're gearing up for more shows. Klaus joins the pod to talk about the band's history and musical gestalt, his own idiosyncratic solo output (coming soon to a digital music service near you!), and how they may have to update some of their classics for our present day insanity. Dead Kennedys (http://deadkennedys.com/) Recording "Nazi Punks F**k Off" in the studio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzHLPnGuVSQ) Klaus Flouride's solo material on discogs (https://www.discogs.com/artist/259342-Klaus-Flouride) Carrion Kids (https://carrionkids.bandcamp.com/) Oranger with Matt Harris (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3euxXTX6KdKGg5ljc592yw?si=HDwUCOSOQ4KFXPWHLBxXAw)

He first caught our ears with the propulsive lines that drove Austin weirdos Scratch Acid; and then David Wm. Sims - and SA vocalist David Yow - decided to set it all on fire, joining forces with guitarist Duane Denison and drummer Mac McNeilly to form noise rock progenitors Jesus Lizard. Now, 26 years after their last studio album, the quartet has returned with a barn burner of a new album, "Rack" (Ipecac), coming out September 13th, and a slew of tour dates. Tune in to find out what makes David, and the band, click, what made them return, and, perhaps, the secret to his much-coveted bass sound and style. Jesus Lizard (https://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/) Scratch Acid (https://scratchacid.bandcamp.com/) unFact (https://unfact.bandcamp.com/album/bleached-valentine) Jesus Lizard Tour Dates (https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-jesus-lizard-tickets/artist/1131990) Jesus Lizard Book (https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Lizard-Book/dp/1617750808)

You didn't think we were gonna get through this season without a dispatch from the man in the van with a bass in his hand, did you? Coming to us live and shirtless from his home base of San Pedro, CA, Mike opines on the 40th anniversary of post-punk magna carta "Double Nickels on the Dime," how he learned new ways to collaborate in the wake of bandmate D. Boon's untimely death, the ins and outs of his gear (including his signature Reverend bass) and who and what continue to inspire him today. Minutemen (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0z6zRFzl5njXWLVAisXQBz?si=tZiLxjmWTByyEnhgEpureQ) fIREHOSE (https://open.spotify.com/artist/6MIbrfpc9aH6gsEl2yep68?si=oNFImAltS_qfBOTWMB-S5Q) dos (https://dossanpedro.bandcamp.com/album/justamente-tres) Il Sogno Del Marinaio (https://www.facebook.com/IlSognoDelMarinaio/) mssv (https://mainsteamstopvalve.com/) Mike Bagetta / Jim Keltner / Mike Watt (https://mikebaggetta.bandcamp.com/album/everywhen-we-go) - my go-to dinner party music Mike Watt's hoot page (http://hootpage.com/) - everything he's doing at any given moment Reverend Guitars Mike Watt Wattplower Mark II Bass (https://reverendguitars.com/basses/mike-watt-wattplower-mark-ii/) - Reverend's best-selling bass!

When a planned interview with Bruce Thomas fell through for…reasons, we dusted ourselves off and decided to consult with bassist/songwriter/singer Dave Derby (Gramercy Arms, The Dambuilders), no slouch on the four string himself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFcGRQROIt0). Dave and I volley our favorite BT performances - too many to name! - and reflect on Elvis Costello's genius/occasionally wonky pitch, Bruce's musical auto-bio "Rough Notes" and the importance and difficulty of shaping your own legacy. Gramercy Arms' amazing new album "The Making of The Making Of" (https://gramercyarms1.bandcamp.com/album/the-making-of-the-making-of) The Dambuilders (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3b5zJp91jHNhz6AByOoURk?si=JwEgkbsvRheB22WCAFnaHA) Elvis Costello and the Attractions (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qmHkMxr6pTWh5Zo74odpH?si=IVDwwVhCS5ecS_Pew0fIEg) Bruce's book "Rough Notes" (https://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?page_id=84) The (very reasonably priced) Bruce Thomas Profile bass (https://www.basscentre.com/left-handed/bruce-thomas-profile.html)

In South West England, in a town called Swindon, a group of disaffected youth would come together in the early 70s and create a body of songs over the next few decades whose indelible melodies and incisive lyrics would root themselves in your brain and never leave. Today's guest, Colin Moulding, shook off XTC's early affection for dissonance and composed their first breakthrough hit, "Making Plans for Nigel" - instantly becoming a worthy creative foil for the band's primary singer and songwriter, Andy Partridge. Colin's bass lines alone - serpentine, song-friendly but always memorable - would qualify him for the four string pantheon, but the fact that he has also crafted and sang some of the band's best-loved tunes makes him a unique triple threat.  Speaking with us from his garden shed studio, Colin opines on everything from the band's circuitous route from touring act to studio wizards, their adventures with some of rock's best-known knob twiddlers, and his process for letting good musical ideas wash over him vs. forcing them out. XTC (https://open.spotify.com/artist/2qT62DYO8Ajb276vUJmvhz?si=2i_RljmPT7GW7PNw-9Yb8w) The Dukes of Stratosphear (https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ilhXoWIlGxz3fM4B24mNo?si=cujLrBZhQzmOeTy97OBJmw) TC&I (https://burningshed.com/artists/tcandi) Colin's recent solo release "The Hardest Battle" (https://burningshed.com/colin-moulding_the-hardest-battle_cd) XTC: This is Pop (2018) - Documentary trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjPenjuPZhM)