Tag Archives: Music

Music, What I've Been Listening To

What I’ve Been Listening To (September 2025)

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September:

  1. Pufffer – Street Hassle (2025)
  2. Radical Riot – Anorexia demo (1986)
  3. Bloodstains Across California 02: The Manson & Tates State (1993 – songs from 1977-1982)
  4. Bloodstains Across the Midwest: The Kent State Region (1994 – songs from 1977-1982)
  5. Supercharger – The Singles Party (1992/1993)
  6. See/Saw Best Punk August 2025
  7. The Christmas Bride – The River Teen EP (2012)
  8. The Spaceshits – Full Fisted Action! EP (1996)
  9. Ideal Victim – Rage Letters EP (2025)
  10. Tee Vee Repairman – Patterns EP (2021)
  11. Tee Vee Repairman – Big 4 Mah Boots EP (2023)
  12.  Moron – Live in Captivity tape (2015)
  13.  Maripili – Maripil 7” (2025)
  14.  Magazino – Volume 1 (2025)
  15.  The Flesh Eaters – A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die (1981)
  16.  Borbetomagus – Borbetomagus (1982)
  17.  Minutemen – Paranoid Time 7” (1980)
  18.  GG Allin and The Jabbers – Always Was, Is, and Always Shall Be (1980)
  19.  Black Abba – BL’Abba (2015)
  20.  Pylon Reenactment Society – Part Time Punks Session EP (2016)
  21.  The Darts – I Like You, But Not Like That (2019)
  22.  Silkworm – In the West (1994)
  23.  Cast of Thousands – Useful People EP (2025)
  24.  W.I.T.C.H. – Introduction (1972)
  25.  FAKE! – Four Tunes (2025)
  26.  The Heartattacks – Here Comes The Heartattacks (2005)
  27.  Dona Casque – S/T (2025)
  28.  NASTYFACTS – Drive My Car (Full 12-inch, originally released as a 7-inch in 1981 / Reissued 2022)
  29.  Joy Division – An Ideal for Living EP (1978)
  30.  Liquids – Earthlings Make Piss in the Rock Garden of Despair (2025)
  31.  Dollhouse – Demo (2019)
  32.  Rattle Sharp Candy – Sticky Sam (2025)
  33.  Theeee Retail Simps – Theeee Retail Simps are Sophisticated Doods LIVE! Bootleg tape! (2025)
  34.  V/A – Snap! Crackle! Pop! Where The Action Is, Vol. 1 (2025)
  35.  Dollbait – a revolting simulacrum of femininity (2025)
  36.  The Prize – In the Red (2025)

I keep saying each month I’ll listen to more new (both actual new and older music I have never heard before) shit and I never meet my intentions! Ohh well! This was my best effort. Several of these bands I’ve listened to many times, but I either don’t recall listening to the recordings here or I never heard them before! Lot of good shit, but I can’t pinpoint a favorite. Frankly much of it I have a hard time remembering, because it’s so much. Anyway, cheers to October… – Chris

Local Music, Music

An Oral History with KLYAM Chris (2014)

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The following is an oral history – me (G. Gordon Gritty) guiding a discussion with Chris from KLYAM. The year is 2014. KLYAM was thriving on all cylinders – we released some fine record and tapes, and were posting quite a bit of content (including show reviews) right on this very website. Facebook events still ruled the world. I’m sure we intended to revisit this discussion.

So you’ve been to 174 shows in the past three years.
You could go back to June 2009. The first show I ever attended as KLYAM (though at the time KLYAM was music, entertainment, television, current events, cultural events, daily happenings, impressions of life, funny things happening. It was really weird. KLYAM went beyond the Wakefield Etudiant. We started focusing more on music in February 2012 – this is when we started seeing more local music and going to those shows. KLYAM snowballed into what it is.) was the Jay Reatard, TV
Smith, and Pretty and Nice. Harpers Ferry. July 3, 2009. With that show, we weren’t there as KLYAM. I didn’t know Jay or any of the bands at the time. You just told me about it. He was wearing red gym shorts and a red shirt. I thought it was cool AND total bullshit that it was only 30 minutes, including the encore with TV Smith. He was pissed off because it was lackluster and nobody was dancing. I thought it was cool, but I wasn’t super into it. I only recognized “See Saw.” I just heard of him that day. I thought he was kind of an asshole, but I could see why he would be pissed. It was a Friday night, the day before the Fourth of July. I
remember he spit out beer and said “you guys are boring motherfuckers” and then went into one of his songs. I remember Stephen Pope spitting everywhere. It was really odd. All I was thinking of was business class. It was weird.

At that show, you bought Matador Singles ’08 from Stephen
Pope.
I remember that day listening to it for five or six hours. We had relatives over. I kept listening to the album and then going back outside to hang out with company. Then I would go back and play the album. My dad was pissed. He was wondering where I kept going. I was hooked into it. Besides you telling me about Jay, I saw a Black Lips interview where Jared said his crew was Deerhunter, King Khan and BBQ, and Jay Reatard. I didn’t know Jay or Deerhunter. That got me to check them out as I was a huge Black Lips fan. It was kind of all coming together. I
knew what garage rock was in the ‘60s – not a lot – I knew about the Nuggets compilation. When I heard these bands, I knew what they were referencing, but I thought this kind of rock ‘n roll was over. It was an awakening. It took me a few years to appreciate it.

What were some pivotal moments in your discovery of this kind of rock ‘n roll?
When I started listening to more of it. It made me reject more of the stuff I used to like. I thought this was a totally different kind of sound. Good art, by existing, criticizes other pieces of art or entertainment. No other bands were as fun as the Black Lips. For the first time, I finally ‘got it’. In a personal way, it made sense. In the past, I enjoyed stuff, but I couldn’t picture myself being a part of it. I loved how Black Lips could shotgun beers, make jokes, laugh around. And still be intelligent. In We Never Learn, the guy from Dwarves would critique more of the
serious, political themed bands. You do a job then you rock ‘n roll and have fun. A lot of the political bands were half-baked. I’m gonna sing songs about fucking and being fucked up. Songs about the back seat of the car, fucking in the back seat of the car, is all I can do. That’s where I live.

Let’s talk about The Migs.
It was 4/20 when I saw them. It was the first Wilder Zangcraft basement show. I never heard of them before. New Highway Hymnal, Empty Phrases, and Friendship were on the bill as well. I don’t know how many people knew who they were, but they totally had the ‘60s thing down. It was crazy. Everyone was really drunk and high. People were dancing around. No one went into the crowd quite like Keven. He was playing to each person. Doing his little thing. It was a lot of fun. I thought they were gonna hurl their semen into my eyes. It was a plus that they didn’t do that. I saw them again at the Wilder Zangcraft with the Fat Creeps. That was more of a chill show. We saw them at Radio Down for Fat Creeps EP release. They did theirMigs thing. ‘We’re the Migs’. I could tell you thought they were amazing.

The Migs, the Atlantic Thrills, those shows were something else.
The music speaks for itself. You start to hear the songs. It is music for going wild. Either way, it’s going to be fun.

Reflection on Black Lips
I don’t get the same feeling as I used to at the first few shows. I like intimacy and community. At a basement or a small venue. Above all, I probably changed.

Is that from you going to more smaller shows?
I had more fun at Thrills at the Zangcraft than Sinclair. I had more fun seeing Thrills at Dusk or all the bands at BUFU Fest than seeing the Lips at Paradise this year. The first time seeing King Khan and the Shrines at the Paradise was crazy. They seemed larger than life. Over time, you realize these bands are on tour. The crowd plays a huge role, too.

Was No Age the first live band you saw that started things?
Before that (July 2008 at Middle East Downstairs), we had seen bigger bands at bigger venues. That show was an introduction to a smaller club. It opened a door to that. After that, we kept going to smaller stuff. Slowly. 2009 had some of the best shows I had ever seen.

Local Music, Music

Conference of Musicians – A RECAP!

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Flyer by Simon Simard

Our Conference of Musicians held at the Lilypad on Saturday, February 1st was a great success! We heard a plethora of opinions from a wide variety of the music community. It was truly humbling! We all acknowledged how scary it is out there, but that there is still hope. Some of that hope begins at places like these. We don’t have a one size fits all answer, but some ideas to start. KLYAM intends on hosting another conference in the future and we encourage this ongoing conversation. Below are some thoughts based on the discussion we had that night.

Takeaways:

  • There are people in this city (Boston, MA) and surrounding areas (even states, with some folks from CT speaking) who care about the local music scene and vocalize how much of an impact it has had on their lives – musically, spiritually, socially, ethically, and politically. It is a place for those who feel ostracized from society and a space to find like minded individuals. Also, to share their love of music and their own music/art, but also to be exposed to new music/art.
  • In spite of a mountain of obstacles and issues, we have a great scene here in Boston and the wider New England region; however, it could be MUCH, MUCH greater. It has also been on a decline and we are losing many of our venues/spaces over the past few decades.
  • The scene is fragmented and needs to be more unified through diverse bills, people attending more shows, going to shows in other parts of New England such as Worcester, Lowell, Providence, RI to name a few, and exposing music/fringe genres/shows themselves to friends, co-workers, neighbors anyone – online, but importantly in person.
  • Additionally, make people feel welcomed, included, and make resources such as show calendars and other curated media more widely available to the public. In particular, create a more diverse, equitable environment for marginalized groups. Accessibility – figuratively and literally (emphasis on creating spaces that allow disabled folks to still be able to enjoy the show i.e. chairs for them, ramps, ability to still see the “stage” outside of the pit area).
  • Conversely, while we want to embrace more outsiders, we still want to keep the underground protected with DIY spaces under the radar of the authorities. We still want the scene to maintain it’s alternative character. Constructive criticism and dissent within the scene are valuable and necessary.
  • We need to continue to have more grounded, organized forums for such discussions as these.
  • It’s tough out there financially (and every other way), but spending money to support local artists and the venues and whatever products they have for sale at the venues such as drinks is paramount to keep these places open and thriving.
  • While many of us want a new Great Scott, folks are leery about the presentation of the venue looking like a luxury apartment building. Will the venue continue to serve the community or simply outside corporate interests? We hope this doesn’t change O’Brien’s Pub (will be located next door) as that has been a major hub for both seasoned underground performers as well as new comers. We need both.

Nevaeh Berenato also covered the conference for Cambridge Day! https://www.cambridgeday.com/2025/02/18/bands-make-some-noise-about-diy-quandary-getting-audiences-but-not-too-much-attention/

4752 Fest, Music, New Bedford

4752 Fest Coming Back To New Bedford on October 23

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4752 Fest, New Bedford’s all-day music spectacular, returns this year! The first edition in 2019 was nothing short of inspiring – drawing in local music fans and bands from all over New England. The 2021 version of the festival will take place on Saturday October 23rd starting at 2:30 PM at the Fiber Optic Center loading dock. I caught up with organizer Devin Byrnes, proprietor of Destination Soups (one of the venues), and member of New Bedford dance-noise trio Picniclunch:

G: Hey Devin! Describe the magic of New Bedford’s 4752 Fest to somebody not from there but who is curious about what differentiates 4752 from the average music fest?

D: 1. The 4752 festival is a completely walkable, roaming music festival. It is set up in different venues scattered around downtown New Bedford. It is completely free and is all ages except for one venue. No two bands play at the same time, the set times are staggered, so as one band is ending, another act who might be a block or two away is set up to start their set. I wanted it to be a free flowing experience allowing the listeners to take in as much or little music as they would like.

G: There are 6 venues, including some that don’t regularly host live music – tell us a little more about each spot if you can!

D: Yes, absolutely… I would be remiss if I didn’t give a heartfelt thank you to each venue for agreeing to be a part of this, especially during these times. The venues are: the loading dock (only outside venue) at the Fiber Optic Center. They provide fiber optic technology for all sorts of businesses and the president, Ethan, not only is allowing us to kick off the event there, but he has been very generous in being a sponsor of the event, enabling us to pay the artists. Then we move to The Communal Space which is is a Bipoc led, arts cultivator space with an emphasis on community engagement and equity for all. Then we go to The Madlila, which is a store focusing on eclectic, newer and vintage clothing and accessories. Then to Destination Soups, which is my fast, casual, lunch restaurant. We move on to Paradise McFee Gallery, a really funky, vibrant working art gallery. Followed by last, but not least, No Problemo, which is one of the OG spots in the New Bedford, downtown scene. It’s a hip, delicious, Cali-Mexican place. Craig (who runs it) has been an ubermensch for years, by being one of the only spots to host original music Downtown. In my mind, these businesses highlight the eclectic make up of our Downtown.

G: The line up is a combo of homegrown NB talent and others from around the region – without giving too much away, what sort of sounds might we expect? It certainly seems like it could get loud & weird at times!

D: Yeah, I am really excited for this year’s line up. When I started booking it in July, it came together really quick and almost everyone I reached out to was on board. I think that was a reflection of how much people were really jonesing to play again. My formula for curating it is about a 50/50 split between New Bedford area based artists and artists around New England. Also, I am looking at different styles. I have some dreamy acoustic acts and some abrasive noise rock, a bit of everything. I try to focus on more underground artists that in my eye, bring something original and interesting to the table. If you come and walk around the festival, I think you will be entertained. I think to make something like this successful, you need a good amount of variety. If you really like a certain kind of music, great, but you probably don’t want to watch 13 acts playing that kind of music.

G: Your band Picniclunch just headlined our SUPAPS festival and that was a blast. You’ve done some Covid-era gigs in Providence, too. Will this be a homecoming gig for y’all? Anything else you want to plug or share related to the Fest or Picniclunch?

D: Yeah, thanks for having us up to Somerville.. that was a great day. I loved how on a really nice day, all these people were using the public park space, punk bands, people shooting hoops, kids birthdays, etc. . yeah, this will be our first show back in New Bedford in probably a few years. Like you said, Providence is pretty close and we have played 3 fairly recent shows there. When Covid hit we started recording and we hope to get back at that soon. We have almost a full album worth of new material and are really excited by the newer material.

In closing, I just want encourage everyone to come check out the festival. I don’t really know many events like it – the bill is stacked and I think our home town is pretty great.



KLYAM Presents, Local Music, Music, Uncategorized

NOV. 16 – KLYAM Presents MOTO, Sticker Shock, Electric Street Queens, Johnnie & The Foodmasters @ Club Bohemia

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It is high noon for the second to last KLYAM show of the year. First, the details. Saturday November 16 at Club Bohemia in Cambridge’s Central Square (very accessible by public transport, bike, car, whatever). Plan on arriving at 8:30 or 8:45 PM. Hand over $8 in cash and make your way down the steps to Mickey Bliss’ dank dungeon. Electric Street Queens – KLYAM alum from way back (2014’s Live From Your Dreams tape) – will start things off. They released Thank You Good Night this past summer. Their line-up has changed a bit over time, but their infectious and explosive live performance has not. Perfect way to start this wild night. Next up is Sticker Shock. They are a local KLYAM favorite for sure – a band that would fit in perfectly on a Gonerfest bill wedged between Trampoline Team and Sick Thoughts with that high gear, high speed attack. Speaking of Gonerfest. Less than two months ago, M.O.T.O joined the Memphis fest’s prolific progeny of relatively obscure, but ultra beloved performers. And we got to see them in action. Since then we’ve been dying to get Paul Caporino and crew on one of our shows and sure enough here they are headlining this one! I think I read somewhere that everyone has a favorite M.O.T.O song, but the back catalog is so damn extensive it might be near impossible for them to play all the favorites.  What a great problem to have! After M.O.T.O will be Johnnie and the Foodmasters. M.O.T.O is a tough act to follow, so the Foodmasters will have to ride off the high of that set and hopefully not clear the room. The oldies noise-mongering sextet are hoping the Boomer who called them the worst band Cambridge has seen in 40 years comes out to the gig. 

Black Lips, Uncategorized

BLACK LIPS – Still The Greatest Band

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Black Lips – the mere mention of those two words has gotten KIDS LIKE YOU AND ME excited, stoked, etc. Whatever you wanna call it – our fandom has been anything but passive. We created this very website dedicated to passionate rock ‘n roll music because of BLACK LIPS. We are the dudes that have Google’d and YouTube’d the shit out of the band over the past 9 years (which is really only about half of their existence [formed in 1999]), traveled a handful of times to New York to catch them, and played Mr. Driver on the jukebox at an Irish dive downtown.

Now we can go on and on about why Ain’t Comin’ Back should be as regular a staple in the set as O Katrina, why we obsess about the Gaye Blades and why no one is going to touch the Old King Cole Younger solo album with a ten foot pole.

Plain and simple we are the Black Lips ultimate fans. Now, that’s not to say we take everything they have ever done and just gush and bow down to it. Underneath the Rainbow is pretty much just an average album and hey, I heard they’ve got a new one out. Their discography from the very first cuts through Arabia Mountain stands on its own for pushing ‘garage’ into noisier and more experimental directions. Where other bands play it safe or just plain fuzzy, the Lips always seem to have a genuine sense of humor and an amateur vibe of not caring. This is the kind of stuff that got me to pick up the guitar, drums, and sing, and not worry about doing it ‘right’.

My 13th time seeing the Lips last night at Brighton Music Hall reminded just how giddy I am thinking about and living the experience. This is just FUN. For most bands a short set is decent, but with the Lips I just want it to never end. And life goes on, too. The members have changed so probably certain songs will never be played again and what not. But at the heart of it is a band that still has heart and puts on the best time for those that care.

G. Gordon Gritty, KLYAM Presents, KLYAM Recommended Shows, Local Music, Music, Peach Ring, Uncategorized

NEXT KLYAM SHOW: Proud Parents – MAY 22nd @ ZUZU (W/ Peach Ring, G. Gordon Gritty)

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We are very excited to announce our next show! It is May 22nd (10 PM), another fantastic Rad Castle Monday night event at ZuZu in Central Square, Cambridge. Proud Parents from Madison, Wisconsin, and on tour!, are making a stop here and we are lucky to hear them perform! I am sure many of you remember a couple of years ago, The Hussy (also from Madison) played an unforgettable set at ZuZu. Our pals Heather from The Hussy plays drums/sings in Proud Parents and Tyler from Fire Heads – who were all set to play ZuZu until a bad snow storm hit – plays guitar/sings in the band. Please head over to their bandcamp and enjoy their infectious pop rock ‘n roll. I insist!

Also playing are firebrands and frankly one of the most exciting groups to emerge out of Boston in the past six months or so — PEACH RING. I would head on over to YouTube where the micro-legend Front Row Person has filmed them on a few occasions, including our Feb 4th gig at Club Bohemia.

Lastly – G. Gordon Gritty – hasn’t shown its (my?) sloppy head(s) in these parts since September. Grab your musical handbook, a pair of scissors, and a lighter.

Band of the Week, Band Recommendation, The Submissives, Uncategorized

Band of the Week: The Submissives

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This recommendation of Montreal’s The Submissives comes through via our pal Hugo of Time Warp Week Ends. Hugo’s taste in music is top notch (after all, we met at Gonerfest while waiting for Nots to kick off opening ceremonies). I asked him what’s the good stuff up in Montreal? He pointed us in the direction of The Submissives. And what a recommendation. Hugo used my initial reaction – dying guitars and stoned vocals – in his year ender, and I like what he had to say in one of his write-ups so here:

“Dolly Parton on sizzurp, the Shangri-La’s on methadone. This is drug-related, in a cool creative way. And the disheveled retro visual aesthetic is effortless and strong.”

Much has been written about The Submissives, which started as a solo recording project and has blossomed into a live band consisting of some seasoned and some amateur musicians. Amazing.

AFI, An Inside Joke I Don't Get, Art, Beatles, humor, Hunter Burgan, interviews, Music, Pearl Jam, Ted Veralrud

A KLYAM Cyber Monday Special: Post War Science

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“Every Monday should have a nickname. Sure, there’s Cyber Monday, but what about the Monday after that?”

Hunter Burgan innocuously pondered this question aloud after I referenced the Cyber Monday launch-day of Post War Science, a screen printing company run by Burgan and Ted Veralrud. The term “company” is, however, an oversimplification. Indeed, Post War Science is more like a glimpse into the world of two best friends. Friends who, relevantly, share a passion for art and other fine things that life has to offer (like coffee and donuts, for starters).

After spending nearly two decades manufacturing various two-of-a-kind screen printed shirts, Burgan and Veralrud have officially unveiled some of their original designs to the public. Additionally, they’ve made said designs available for purchase. But there’s a catch. Each unique design will have a limited quantity available for purchase, and once they are sold, they will never be sold again. The exclusivity, while strict, invites individuals who appreciate similar qualities in apparel design to dive into the PWS world of purely applicative self-expression.

Once “Oatmeal Monday” had been declared a potential nickname for the Monday after Cyber Monday, Burgan and Veralrud spent some time with Kids Like You And Me to discuss their humble beginnings, company goals, and the fact that they’d eventually like to screen print on anything, even Jerry Garcia ties.

Kids Like You and Me: From the moment Post War Science thinks of a design, to the actual manufacturing of shirts, what are the basic steps that go into the process of obtaining a PWS shirt?

Ted Veralrud: First, we come up with a design for a shirt that we would want to wear. The design will then be available (in limited quantities) to the public. If someone wants a shirt with the design, they can go to our site, purchase one, and Hunter and I will get together and print the image onto the shirt.

So, we’ll be doing things the way we’ve always done them, but now, other people can wear our designs as well.

Hunter Burgan: The manufacturing duties are split. The whole company is based on our friendship, and is an extension of our friendship. We work together behind every step of the process.

KLYAM: What made you guys decide to share your personal designs with the public now?

TV: I think we decided to share them with the public 13 years ago…

In the past, we didn’t really have an outlet for it. We’ve worked with the idea and have taken it pretty far, but things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to. Now, anyone can put up a web page and sell anything they want. So we can do that too. Now is the time.

HB: Yeah, the Internet finally came around to us.

TV: Right. I’m sure we could have done it this way quite a few years ago…

KLYAM: Do you guys have any background knowledge in visual design other than Ivan’s class in high school?

HB: We took another screen printing class together in college, but we dropped out of it.

TV: Did we drop out? I think we accrued a whole year of credit. We just never went.

HB: Yeah, I think we got a passing grade just by registering for the class.

TV:  We were in the cafeteria a lot. They had burritos… and pinball, I think.

That class was a step backwards from what we had already learned in Ivan’s class. After learning the basics, we eventually bought screens and got started in somebody’s garage.

HB: We made shirts for all of the bands we were in, plus patches and t-shirts for friends. As far as designs go, we also made zines in high school that had our own designs. I went on to design shirts for AFI and other bands I’ve been in.

We’ve had a lot of experience with these types of things, even if we didn’t learn it all in school.

KLYAM: How would you describe PWS designs from a stylistic point of view?

TV: When you think of a design, there are few popular topics you’ll want to cover, like coffee, burritos, donuts…Then we’ll approach the design, but not with a specific style in mind. We just do whatever we want.

HB: The only true requirement we have is that our designs are something that we would want to wear. Something we would like to look at. We’re doing something we think is cool, designs that we know each other would appreciate.

TV: We’ve made shirts before that were basically inside jokes. I don’t know if we’ll ever put those up, because then we’d have to explain what they meant. So we’re doing whatever we want, but, if a shirt doesn’t make sense we can’t put it on our site.

HB: Well, we’ll just do two of those. Or three.

TV: Okay, because there are a few that I want to do. Hunter would appreciate them, but nobody else would! They’ll probably show up though. We’ll narrow it down to three.

KLYAM: Why is the PWS policy, which basically states “Once sold out, the design is never coming back, EVER AGAIN,” so strict?

TV: That’s just the way it has always been. Once we print the shirts, that’s it! Well…one shirt came back.

HB: One shirt did come back, but it was a little bit different. But that’s the deal. That specific design, in the specific way that you see it, will never be done again.

Maybe, maybe years from now, something about the design will be changed. The colors may be different, the head may be cut off, you know.

KLYAM: So even if your Grandma came up to you and really wanted a duplicate of an old design, you would say no?

HB: If my Grandma came back from the dead and asked for a shirt, I might dig into my own personal collection and just give her one of mine.

KLYAM: So you’re saying there ARE exceptions to this strict rule, but only for dead Grandma?

HB: Yes. Well, zombie. Zombie Grandma.

KLYAM: Are designs that were created in the past still accessible? Will customers ever see variations of those designs?

HB: We’re gonna leave some of those designs in the past. Some of them would probably land us with a lawsuit if we attempted to sell them. But a lot of the designs that we plan on using have some sort of inspiration from past designs.

TV: There are some older ones that we were originally going to use, but never printed. Those might show up.

Before you screen print, you have to get a transparency of your image to expose the screen with. I think I have every single one we’ve ever used. So if we did want to go back to an older shirt, I have everything. I’ve never thrown a transparency away.

HB: That’s pretty good!

TV: They’re all stored together in a massive rat’s nest…

KLYAM: That still counts!

TV: Definitely.

KLYAM: Will Post War Science ever take requests for designs, or are the designs completely at your own uninfluenced discretion? For example, if I asked you to design an octopus shirt, would Ted then put his own flair to it, draw the octopus eating a donut, and sell it to the public?

TV: If I’m going to design an octopus eating donuts, he’s going to be eating 8 donuts.

HB: And drinking a cup of coffee.

TV: Oh yeah, right.

HB: You know, that’s a great question because in asking the question, you just answered the question. I don’t think we would consider just any old suggestion. But certainly, somebody could say something that would inspire us. Legally, we can’t consider people’s suggestions.

TV: Yeah, if we start doing that, people will start saying “You stole my idea!” Not unlike the octopus eating 7 donuts and drinking a cup of coffee. That was all our idea.

KLYAM: No you’re right. That octopus idea was all you guys.

TV: Oh yeah, totally.

HB: Exactly. If people want to make suggestions to help remind us of ideas that we’ve already thought of years before, that’s fine. But legally speaking we can’t take suggestions.

KLYAM: Will you ever create designs for bands other than your own band(s)?

HB: I don’t think that’s legal either…

TV: We might come up with some cool fake band names and make those. Which is something I totally thought about doing yesterday, but I didn’t have time.

KLYAM: So that’s legally prohibited even if an artist or musician approaches you to design for them?

HB: You mean like if the Beatles approached us to make a design for their band?

KLYAM: Exactly.

HB: Then we would consider it, maybe. But we’d have to work out a deal. A profits sharing deal.

But really, we’re not mass producing anything. It wouldn’t benefit any band if we made shirts for them. A band’s goal is to sell as many shirts as they can, and that’s not our goal.

TV: But if Pearl Jam wanted 20 shirts, we’d probably do it.

KLYAM: Will you guys ever expand the product line to things like hoodies, or…things like Jerry Garcia ties?

TV: We’re gonna start with t-shirts and small posters for now. We have a lot of ideas for future products that we want to introduce. As far as hoodies, I’d say definitely, but we’ll probably refer to them as hooded sweatshirts.

HB: Yeah, definitely hooded sweatshirts. I don’t know about Jerry Garcia ties. I don’t think we’ll ever do those, but we might just do a different TYPE of tie.

KLYAM: You know what Hunter? I specifically said like Jerry Garcia ties…

TV: If I found a Jerry Garcia tie, I’d probably print on it. And a Rush Limbaugh tie, I’d print on one of those too.

KLYAM: Will PWS be selling designs in-store, or just online?

HB: Right now we’re mostly focused on online sales. We’d have to work it out with a given retailer to do in-store sales. Having said that, if any retailers are reading this and want to approach us with a plan, right on.

TV: In-store sales might be kind of tricky, because we would have to manufacture those shirts in various random sizes. Unless of course someone comes up with an all-sizes-fits-all shirt. That said, if there is anyone reading this who is working on such a shirt, let us know.

KLYAM: Will any other designers/artists contribute to PWS products?

TV: It’s pretty much going to be just us, but we have had contributions from other people before. It just depends. I mean, if we run into Dave Hillis…

He was a dude in Ivan’s class. He was not the greatest artist, but we loved his drawings.

HB: It’s going to be us no matter what, but we might make a special exception. It would have to be a very special exception.

KLYAM: What avenues has PWS considered to spread the word about the company? 

HB: Text to…keyboard? What’s the online version of “word of mouth”?

TV: Um… key to screen?

HB: Right, key to screen. For now we’re using digital means. I mean, we’re using word of mouth too. I’m going to go hit the streets later today and start whispering in people’s ears…but most of the promotion will be online.

TV: We’re not necessarily going to run advertisement. We’re starting small. Still, we take the whole process seriously.

HB: Starting small is important. Everything successful that I’ve done in my life has started off small, and as a labor of love. It grew over time and built up to be something that was better and better every year. PWS is no exception to that. We’re starting at this exact point for now. Hopefully, we will build a catalogue of good designs, and a loyal customer base of people who are on the same wavelength as Ted and I. We’ll continue to grow, and take it from there.