spilla da balia

39 years ago today

X at the Moore Theatre, Washington, June 27, 1987

This zine was published by Tim Adams, later of Ajax Records (which was a label, mail order, and then a record store in Chicago fo a few years). Prior to this Tim did a zine called My Summer Vacation, which I think only lasted one issue (with a Naked Raygun interview) when he was at Notre Dame.

I believe he did 4 issues of The Pope, the first three were digest-sized and then the final issue was a fullsize on newsprint before he called it a day.

The Pope was definitely an influence on Dagger as Tim had a good, smart-assed attitude, which I tried to copy (I copied it from other zines as well, though at the time I didn't have the perspective or wit to pull it off ha ha). 

In addition, Tim and I have very similar music taste too so that always helped. As you can see on the cover, there are four heavies inside: Squirrel Bait, Killdozer, Didjits and Happy Flowers plus who can resist a pin up of GG Allin?

In addition to all of that, there's plenty of record, zine and live reviews all crammed in (he gives Dagger #1 a pretty good review). 

I love and miss the old music zine culture of the 80's, and The Pope was another favorite. 

Dusted and Social, Episode #02, East Village Radio, 6/26/2026

Pictured: Ted Milton/Blurt

*Blurt - Puppeteer [VA – A Factory Quartet 2xLP — 1980 — Factory Records] *Oblique Shit - effleurement d'estragon [Oblique Shit CS — 2026 — Maison De Retraite] *Alpha Maid feat. Leo Hermitt - 2 Numbers [ Is this a queue LP — 2025 — AD 93] *Észlelés - Anyám Helyett… [Dzsandzsibandzsi 12" — 2026 — Szégyen Kazetták] *Mille - Les forces de la nature [Je suis un être humain CS — 2024 — Random Seat] *Lard Free - Acide Framboise [VA - Synths, Sax & Situationists [Gilbert Artman's Lard Free LP / VA - Music From The French Underground 1973-78) — 1973/2026 - The Roundtable] *DAR - Bags on the floor [BREAKING FAST CS — 2024 — Breton Cassette] *Brannten Schnüre - Pfeffermühle [Landschaft Aus Tränen LP — 2025 — Quirlschlängle] *Le Contrôleur des Flux Sortants - Kiki [Neuf LP — 2026 — Ediciones Villasonora]

*Cashjunko - Bangman Coming To Get You !?! [Single — 2024 — Self-Released] *Terra Soror - Troglodyte [Revenge CS — 2019 — Self-Released] *Clara! - S'aimer pendant la fin du monde [Single — 2026 — Self-Released] *Diego Mabrulé - Baby Ride Easy [Single — 2026 — Paravision] *Ferries - Numan's New Year [Eye Flutter LP — 2025 — Bergpolder] *Eiliyas - Tithes Bleach Alterative ((Afrikan Sciences Reprisal) Reprise) [Tithes EP — 2025 — The Student Body Presents] *Lili Putana - You are asked to feel at ease in a place where you will never belong [VA - Mansplained! — 2021 — Commando Vanessa]

*Antoine Chessex - London 2015 [Subjectivation LP — 2018 — Fragment Factory/Rekem Records] *Gal Go - 230720 220, the last day [Vacío 220 7" — 2026 — Lost Wisdom] *Dollar Brand / Abdullah Ibrahim - Gwidza (In Memory Of Campbel Gwidza) [Underground In Africa LP — 1974 — MANDLA/Soultown] *James Blood Ulmer - Arena [Tales Of Captain Black LP — 1979 — Artists House] *The Suicide Commandos - Call Of The Wild [Make A Record LP — 1978 — Blank Records]

*Burn Into Sleep - Side A ['There's Two Sides to Grace' EP — 2025 — Fr33zehead] *Hirjjo - FEELINGS WHY [Blunder CS — 2025 — SYF Records/Laåude] *Zonbi - Mr Milbrun [Zonbi 12" — 2025 — Swish Swash] *Tymek Papior - Mass [Wspólna Sprawa LP — 2026 — BZR Records] *Nagrobki - Rabacja [Portret Trumienny LP — 2018 — T.A.P]

*Fleetwood Mac - Jewel Eyed Judy [Kiln House LP — 1970 — Reprise Records]

I was going to tell a story at the end of the episode about why I was playing Fleetwood Mac, but I ran short on time. Tom Scharpling played that on the Best Show many, many years ago. I had always hated Fleetwood Mac, but mostly because of my sister playing Rumors growing up. Which meant I wasn't even really judging their music, but judging them through this filter of sibling rivalry that totally distorted how I experienced their music. Of course, I was totally sure that I hated them for objective, totally critically sound reasons. And when Scharpling played that song, he didn't announce who it was. He just went straight into the song, leaving me defenseless against it. I couldn't prepare myself to hate it. And I most certainly *immediately* liked it. I had to google the lyrics to find out that it was Fleetwood Mac, and it was a weird moment where I got to see this entire story I had fabricated for why I hatred something crumble apart in a flash. Sometimes it's a blessing to get an escape form your own bullshit!

So, I was playing Fleetwood Mac to honor both that moment c/o of The Best Show, but was also going to explain that I like that effect of hearing a deep cut or an out-of character song from an artist, because it can help shift around all these attachments you have to the world. Each episode I will close my show off with something like that.

East Village Radio

Lyrics to Zonbi's "Mr Milbrun" auto-translated

Clara! - "S'aimer pendant la fin du monde"

This review probably won't do this record justice, except to say that it's fantastic and needs to be heard. 

This UK band (later relocated to Australia) was led by Birthday Party/Crime and the City Solution guitarist Rowland S. Howard on TIS, he's joined by his brother Harry on bass, drummer Epic Soundtracks (yup THEE Epic Soundtracks from Swell Maps), and Genevieve McGuckin on keyboards. 

In their 10-year-long existence, the band only released 2 LPs and a few eps (and just now I'm seeing Mute did an odds and sods collection entitled Extra in 2024). 

If you've heard the Birthday Party, then you might have an idea of this band's sound. The songs aren't that heavy, but more atmospheric and a mix of suffocating and blown out, with some real twisted beauty in each song. 

Opening cut, "Marry Me (lie lie!)" is the band's classic while "Hide" is like Cabaret on acid.  The garagey, grinding "Hey! Little Child" is another favorite, as is the murkier "I Ate The Knife." 

I still find it hard to believe that this record came out on SST over here. 

Rowland S. Howard was a brilliant, unique talent who is still sorely missed. Rowland released some brilliant solo records, but do not miss Get Lost, either. 

www.theseimmortalsouls.bandcamp.com