I remember back in the mid 90s when I first got into Elliott Smith’s music and discovered that he also had a band. That band was called Heatmiser, and they were putting out amazing music, as well. A particular favorite for me was their 1996 album Mic City Sons, an album I’ve listened to hundreds of times over the years. And they’ve just released out an expanded 30th anniversary edition via Jack White’s Third Man records that includes demos of tunes from the album, previously unreleased recordings from the sessions, and even a full band version of Elliott’s solo tune “Christian Brothers.” It was awesome getting to talk with Heatmiser singer and guitarist and co-songwriter Neil Gust about the making of Mic City Sons — what went right and what went wrong; by the time it came out they had all but broken up — and also about the making of Heatmiser which was Neil and Elliott and bassist Sam Coomes (also of Quasi), and drummer Tony Lash. We delve into how Neil and Elliott first met as college classmates, initially playing in a band together called Swimming Jesus before as graduation approached they came up with the idea for Heatmiser, and of course we also talk about Neil’s own personal history as a guitarist and songwriter. Over the years, he has recorded under the moniker No. 2. You can get a vinyl copy of the Mic City Sons 30th anniversary edition here.

I can still remember being in high school in the early 90s and having my mind blown by seeing the video for Fishbone’s "Sunless Saturday" on MTV’s 120 Minutes and going to my local record store (R.I.P., Twisted Disque on Jamaica Ave) to get their album The Reality of My Surroundings, and then walking around Queens with it blasting in my headphones, mesmerized by the way they melded genres like ska, funk, punk, metal and more. Fishbone is one of the bands that showed me what was possible, as far as breaking down both genre and racial barriers in music. SO! When I learned that Fishbone were getting ready to release their first full-length album in almost 20 years, their awesome new LP Stockholm Syndrome and that they would be doing interviews, I knew I had to make it happen.

It was a blast connecting with Angelo Moore, who is the only permanent member of Fishbone — the only one who has been in the band for its entire 40 year history, while others have left or joined or left and re-joined — for the conversation in episode 125. We talked about his earliest experiences with creativity — he started out pop-locking and street dancing in Hollywood before he started playing music. He wanted to get a keyboard but his dad insisted on saxophone, and thus the seeds for Fishbone were planted. Angelo talks about meeting his bandmates in eighth grade and schlepping on the bus more than two hours each way from where he lived in the Valley to band practice in South Central LA, working up to their first show at Madame Wong’s and eventually scoring a major label deal that turned out to be a mixed blessing. We also delve into the ups and downs of their career, what he remembers about early encounters with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beastie Boys, and what inspired Fishbone’s new album, which is a true return to form — the sound of a band that has never been afraid to be completely themselves, in all of their bright, brash, political, genre-melding glory. (You might start by listening to the Stockholm Syndrome single "Racist Piece of Shit" to get a sense of the album as a whole.)

One caveat: You’ll notice that the audio sounds a little rough. The band had just begun a run of dates on Less Than Jake’s Summer Circus tour, and when Angelo joined our Zoom, he was on the road. Literally. He called while driving himself to soundcheck for a show in Florida. So it was a little more chaotic than the usual interview, with him attempting to navigate while answering my questions. You’ll also hear him stop for a pee break, mid-interview, which was hilarious.

Fishbone are on the road through late August and you can get tickets here.

Following the recent release of her excellent sophomore album, If You Asked For A Picture, Blondshell’s Sabrina Teitelbaum joins the LSQ podcast to talk about important musical discoveries along her creative path: Falling in love with the Rolling Stones after her parents took her to see them in concert at Madison Square Garden when she was only seven years old, delving into songwriting a few years later, as a way of coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, going to as many concerts as she could in NYC as a teenager and seeing bands like the Black Keys, Haim and The Kooks, finding inspiration in the lyrical prowess of Fiona Apple and Frank Ocean, and more. Blondshell is on tour now, and through most of the rest of this year. Get tickets here.