When Monster Magnet frontman/songwriter Dave Wyndorf was stuck in pandemic lockdown, he decided the best thing to do was keep busy, and he and his bandmates holed up in the studio and got to work on a new album.

Monster Magnet have always stuck out like a sore thumb in the musical landscape in the most beautiful way, from their 1991 debut ‘Spine of God’, to seismic releases like 1995’s ‘Dopes to Infinity’ and 1998’s ‘Powertrip,’ which contained their hit single ‘Spacelord.’

For their latest, the group decided to revisit their psychedelic and proto-metal roots, by crafting their first full length album of covers. The resulting album, ‘A Better Dystopia,’ (click here for my review) eschews well-known anthems in exchange for underrated, forgotten tracks from the late 60’s and early 70’s, including covers of tunes by bands including Dust, Hawkwind, Poo-bah, The Pretty Things, Pentagram and more.

In today’s podcast episode, Dave Wyndorf discusses the inspirations behind the new album, how he was able to tie it thematically to the COVID-19 pandemic, how the group embrace their outsider status, the state of the music industry and our current political landscape, what the band has in store as society slowly creeps back to some sense of normalcy, and much more.

This is the 3rd interview I’ve done with Wyndorf (you can click here to read my first one, and click here to listen tp my 2018 podcast interview with him), and he continues to be one of the sharpest and shrewdest minds in the business, and it’s always fascinating to hear his take on things.

Click here to listen to the interview via Apple Podcasts and click here to listen via Spotify, or listen via the Anchor embed or other podcast platforms at the bottom of this post. You can also purchase ‘A Better Dystopia’ via the Amazon link below.

In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Leary, guitarist, producer, and founding member of legendary Texas alt-rockers the Butthole Surfers, to discuss the long-awaited release of the band’s “lost” album, After the Astronaut.

Originally recorded in the late ’90s as the follow-up to Electric Larryland and the hit single “Pepper,” the album was shelved by Capitol Records after the label pushed for something more commercial amidst other internal issues. Nearly three decades later, the original version is finally being released as intended through Sunset Blvd Records.

Paul talks about the chaotic history behind the record, the band’s embrace of electronics, industrial textures, sampling, and experimental songwriting, and why the album represented a return to the Surfers’ weirder roots rather than an attempt to repeat mainstream success.

We also discuss the unlikely rise of “Pepper,” the brief era when experimental music broke into the mainstream, recording techniques, political themes in the band’s music, possible future plans, and the status of the band’s documentary The Butthole Sufers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt.

Legendary guitarist and vocalist Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) talks about his new band Ashes and Diamonds and their debut album Ashes and Diamonds Are Forever. Hear about the making of their first single “On A Rocka”, the band’s unique chemistry, his signature guitar sounds, and a peek behind the scenes of creating music during lockdown. And stick around after the interview to hear their explosive track “On A Rocka.”