Today’s guests are RICK VALENTIN & ROSE MARSHACK from the Champaign, IL indie rock band POSTER CHILDREN. They co-founded the group in 1987 & have since released 12 LPs, along with various singles, EPs, compilations, & a feature film.

They’ve been on indies, majors, & everything in between, & they took an avant-garde approach to music tech & media — doing enhanced CDs, early mp3 releases, DIY websites & design, & the proto-podcast podcast RADIO ZERO, which they’ve broadcast from 1998 to the present.

Rick & Rose also run 12 INCH RECORDS, home to bands like HUM, Love Cup, Dis-, & their non-Poster Children projects Salaryman & Thoughts Detecting Machines. They also also teach in the School of Creative Technologies @ Illinois St. University.

In 2023, Rose published her first book, PLAY LIKE A MAN: MY LIFE IN POSTER CHILDREN, which is absolutely essential reading for anyone who cares about indie & alternative culture in the last 4 decades. Its a cool mix of genres, moving from tour diary to music criticism to scene history & beyond.

They’ve been on my Mount Rushmore of possible guests for a long time, & it was super fun & revealing to get granular with them about all things rock, whether indie or major, from the late ‘80s to today. In this episode, we talk about regional style, the Champaign-Urbana band member maze, the idea of rock music as both art & technology, & much much more.

If you’d like to back the podcast, click “support the show” at the bottom of the notes & then “see membership options.” Donations only, no paywalls.

Thanks for listening.

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https://posterchildren.com

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BOB MOULD (Letterman)

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STEVE ALBINI, "The Problem with Music"

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POSTER CHILDREN, R.T.F.M. Enhanced CD Tour

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TIMESTAMPS:

03:01 // “Eye” (Poster Children)

03:57 // Opening for Bob Mould

09:34 // RTFM LP

12:50 // “Dream Small” (Poster Children)

13:45 // Enhanced CDs

20:47 // Mark Rubel & Pogo Studio

29:01 // HUM Member Genealogy

34:44 // 12 Inch Records

40:38 // Fillet Show LP

50:44 // “Space Fuck”

59:02 // “Formaldehyde”

01:01:21 // “Hortense”

01:03:56 // “I Like It”

01:12:06 // YPAA Vinyl

01:15:01 // Play Like a Man Book

01:21:22 // Art & Science

01:28:26 // “Matter Crush” (Poster Children)

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Today’s guest is CARLOS RAMIREZ, co-founder & editor-in-chief of NO ECHO, a worldwide hardcore website that just celebrated its 10th anniversary. It’s a vast & respected resource for all things hardcore, metal, & punk, updated daily across the web & the usual social media platforms.

Carlos played bass in the mid-to-late '90s NYC powerviolence band BLACK ARMY JACKET, who released their discography compilation Open Casket in 2023 on Brainscan & State of Mind Recordings. He later played in LAKOTA, DENY THE CROSS, & HOPE COLLAPSE.

In this episode, we talk about the ‘90s revival in underground music, the ambivalent status of genre tags, & the way certain riffs can unify & transcend different styles of music.

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NO ECHO Playlists (Spotify)

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:16 // "Hope for the Haunted" (Lakota)

03:26 // Starting NoEcho.net

13:26 // '90s Revival & Genre Tags

21:43 // Hearing HUM

26:06 // HUM @ Irving Plaza

30:04 // Vibes vs. Songs

32:46 // "Dreamboat" Discussion

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Today’s guest is CHRIS ENRIQUEZ, music industry professional by day, drummer to many many bands by night.

Chris has worked for a wide range of heavy music media, including Revolver, Guitar World, Loudwire, Brooklyn Vegan, The Hard Times, Alternative Press, & as of 2025, he left all brands to join NEW NOISE MAGAZINE.

In the late ‘90s & early 2000s, he played drums in the influential Long Island post-hardcore band ON THE MIGHT OF PRINCES, whose full story is told in the documentary film Hold on to a Time, which Chris produced & directed. Link below.

In the mid-2000s, he moved to New York City, where he drummed in Primitive Weapons, who toured with Quicksand, Glassjaw, Dillinger Escape Plan, Thursday, & others.

He’s since joined SPOTLIGHTS, JULIE CHRISTMAS, & the reformed ORANGE 9MM, all of whom have upcoming shows you can check out on his Instagram, @chrisenriquezdrums. He also does remote drum sessions for musicians around the world.

In this episode, we talk about what makes certain ‘90s bands timeless, the aesthetics of texture & imperfection, & what it would be like to drown in sound.

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On the Might of Princes, Hold on to a Time (Documentary)

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Chino Moreno, Baker's Dozen (The Quietus)

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Radiohead, "No Surpises" (Grant Gee)

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TIMESTAMPS:

02:42 // "The Particle Noise" (Spotlights)

03:38 // Deftones @ MSG

06:05 // Post-90s Longevity & Punk Roots

17:19 // "Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons" (Primitive Weapons)

18:12 // Joining Orange 9mm

21:35 // "Suspect" (O9mm)

22:58 // '90s 2.0

25:21 // HUM on MTV

27:38 // Hearing Electra 2000

32:50 // "Double Dip" Discussion

01:04:15 // Upcoming Shows

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