Trusty Chords

It's almost impossible to imagine the world of alternative rock without the influence of Dinosaur Jr.

Forming in Amherst, Massachusetts back in 1984, the core trio of guitarist and vocalist J Masics, drummer Murph, and bassist Lou Barlow first came together under the name Dinosaur, but added their diminutive title after the release of their second album.

Fuzzy, immersive, and highly distinctive, Dinosaur Jr. have long been considered one of the most influential groups in the genre, with the likes of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain labelling them one of his favourites, while friends of this show – including Evan Dando of The Lemonheads and Mac McCaughan of Superchunk – also took strong inspiration from them.

Truly, find yourself a fan of indie and alternative rock and start grilling them on their favourite records. If they don't mention albums like 'You're Living All Over Me' and 'Green Mind', well, I don't want to say you can disregard what they say next, but that's what I'm strongly implying.

Having initially existed for 13 years, the band had a bumpy existence, and would split in 1997, but reform in 2005. Since then, they've remained a prolific entity, getting close to matching their pre-split output. 

In late August, the group ended a five-year gap between records and unleashed their 13th album, 'There Near'. If you're a fan of the band, you're in for a good time, with their classic sound on full display as guitar players around the world look at J Mascis' work and wonder how the hell he does it.

Just after its arrival, I was lucky enough to catch up with J Mascis once more for a brief chat about his history of music and the new record. 

I will say, however, J is not exactly the most talkative person out there, so I do apologise that a lot of this podcast is actually me taking control. However, given that this podcast came together accidentally, I hadn't originally planned for us to be airing our chat together. So, regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

Anyway, have a listen to Dinosaur Jr.'s 'There Near', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

It's a little difficult to think about the Australian music scene of the past 15 years without thinking of The Rubens.

Hailing from Menangle in New South Wales, the largely familial band (three of its five members are brothers, you see), first came to prominence in 2011 when they found themselves scoring quite a bit of airplay over on triple j. 

Barely a year old, they'd made it into the station's Hottest 100 countdown, been nominated for an ARIA Award, and even released a debut album. Not too shabby.

2015's 'Hoops' changed it all for the group, with the title track taking out that year's countdown, and propelling The Rubens to further stardom. 

Consistently good singles, strong records (all of which have peaked within the Australian top 4, with 2021's '0202' even hitting the top spot), and a constant presence on the live scene have turned The Rubens into one of those bands you can always rely on. (A 'trusty' band, as it were…)

This month, The Rubens are back at it again with their latest effort, 'Group Therapy'. Their sixth album, it's a solid piece of work which – at times – feels like a return to their earliest years. To celebrate, they'll be heading out on the road once more, taking their impressive new LP to the masses.

I had a chance to chat to Sam and Elliott Margin from The Rubens a few years back, but I didn't have a podcast at the time. Now I do, so I figured it was high time we reconnected for a chat about the new record, their enduring success, and how it all came to be.

Anyway, have a listen to The Rubens' 'Group Therapy' when it arrives next week, buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

If you're someone who likes their indie rock and alternative music with a healthy dose of shoegaze, well I reckon you'd do pretty well to check out Wishy.

Why's that, you ask? Well, it's probably because that's exactly what the Indiana outfit have been dishing up for the past five years.

Coming together thanks to high school friends Kevin and Nina (the former of which used to be in the now-defunct Hoops, and the latter used to record under the name push pop), Wishy wasted no time in making themselves heard. 

A pair of EPs in 2023 gave way to their 2024 debut album 'Triple Seven', and after another EP last year, they're now back with their second album, 'Nature's Pill'. 

If you've not yet heard that record (or the first one, for that matter), I implore you to give it a try. It's a wonderful piece of work with sensational songwriting, amazing performances, and a truly stellar ability to craft some immersive compositions.

This week (well, we actually recorded this back in late July), I was lucky enough to have a chat with Kevin and Nina about the formation of Wishy, how their second album came to be, and whether we'll be welcoming them to Australian shores soon, or whether that's just… Wishyful thinking.

Anyway, once you forgive me for that terrible pun, have a listen to Wishy's 'Nature's Pill', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

When it comes to folks who ensure their life is surrounded by art, it's hard to look past iOTA.

Having launched into the world of music and drama as a teenager, both of these disciplines have been vital parts of his life since. A batch of bands would give way to the launch of a solo career at the end of the '90s, and a string of impeccable albums would arrive along the way.

On the dramatic side, you might have seen iOTA winning awards for roles in 'Hedwig And The Angry Inch' and 'Smoke & Mirrors', or you might have witnessed him in roles such as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 'The Rocky Horror Show'.

Or, if you keep your peppers pointed towards Hollywood, you might have seen him in Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby', or George Miller's 'Mad Max' film series, where he plays the Doof Warrior.

But for the last decade, you wouldn't have seen a new album from iOTA. That is, until last month, when he released the stellar 'Hours Disappear'. 

A tender, stripped-back collection of old favourites and fresh creations (including a rendition of one of my all-time favourite songs, 'Come Back For Me'), it's a wonderful piece of work, and one for which the wait was certainly worth it.

As you might have guessed, this week's guest is indeed iOTA, and we took the time to look back on his stellar career, and whether it'll be another decade before we receive a new album.

Anyway, have a listen to iOTA's 'Hours Disappear', buy a ticket to his upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

I'm going to preface things this week by saying this is going to be far from anything close to a normal podcast.

Why? Well, it's because this week's guests are TISM co-founders Ron Hitler-Barassi and Humphrey B. Flaubert.

Formed in Melbourne back in 1982, TISM have had a long and storied career. Known for hiding their identities behind masks and pseudonyms, high-energy live performances gave way to music which is as sharp, literate, and satirical as it is catchy and driven by a keen sense of melody.

TISM would quietly split in 2004 but after 18 years, they reformed in 2022 and have been playing shows with relative consistency ever since.

Now, they're getting ready to launch their No Mistakes Tour, their first national trek in 30 years, though they're aptly labelling themselves TSIM for the run and making it hard for editors all across the country.

Ever since they reformed, I've jumped at the chance to interview TISM every time the opportunity has come my way, and every time has been something of a shambolic mess. That's nothing against my skills as an interviewer, rather, it's a testament to how anyone attempting to have a chat with TISM might as well be bringing a knife to a proverbial gunfight.

This time around, I was brave enough (maybe foolish is a more accurate term) to say yes to having them on the Trusty Chords podcast.

However, remember when I said this episode is far from normal? Well, that's because trying to get TISM to do anything is like herding cats – masked cats who know their Jean-Paul Sartre from their John Paul Jones. 

As such, I knew that from the get go to the let go, I was going to have no luck asking any of my normal questions, and woe betide me if I was to try and run through the standard Trusty Chords segment near the end.

I will say, however, I did speak to someone once before on this podcast who knows a lot about TISM. I don't recall his name, but that's available way back in episode 47 if you find yourself eager to go further.

Anyway this is where I'll say, buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping and… I don't know… penance.