Episodes
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Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
Experimental composer, improviser, and educator Si Paton joins Jessica Schwartz for a live conversation with UCLA students exploring listening, neurodivergence, improvisation, and the creative intersections of punk, noise, jazz, and DIY music cultures. Together, they discuss how musical communities emerge through collaboration, experimentation, and shared practices of listening, while reflecting on improvisation as both a creative process and a way of navigating the world.
The conversation also explores graphic notation, theatrical performance, ensemble composition, and Paton's research on developing shared musical languages across diverse musical traditions. Throughout, Paton reflects on the value of embracing uncertainty, making mistakes, and creating spaces where experimentation can thrive.
Si Paton is a composer, bassist, academic, and promoter. He completed his PhD at Birmingham Conservatoire under the supervision of Ed Bennett and Seán Clancy, researching composition for improvising large ensembles and the development of shared musical languages across different stylistic traditions. He previously studied electric bass and jazz composition at the University of West London with Paul Westwood and Eddie Harvey. Past projects include the prog-jazz group Selectric, punk-funk big band Pack of Wolves Arkestra, and the acoustic-grindcore suite Gillberg Variations. As an improviser, he has performed with Nils Økland, Steve Tromans, Chris Sharkey, Maria Chiara Argirò, Cath Roberts, and Apocalypse Jazz Unit. He is also the curator of Thinking/Not Thinking Fest, a three-day festival celebrating musical juxtapositions.
This conversation includes questions and contributions from students in a UCLA musicology course facilitated by Jessica Schwartz and was recorded in January 2024.
Links + References:
Si Paton - Instagram
Si Paton Bandcamp
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (Bandcamp)
Sound and Music (composer profile)
Apocalypse Jazz Unit (Bandcamp)
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Editorial support: Arrow Avalon.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
ICE OUT OF LOS ANGELES
'Fear literally controls people. It ruins ...it runs people's lives...the stuff of nightmares.'
'We can't really make progress without solidarity from men, from people of all ages, and from people all across the spectrum...
we just need solidarity across struggles and oppressions.'
'...it's just really exciting to see what comes out of Los Angeles, like communities, you know.'
Punkast correspondent Arrow Avalon is joined by Los Angeles photographer, organizer, and community builder Serafina Maxima in a conversation exploring photography, punk, community, and the ongoing impacts of immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
Known for her community-centered Photobook Meetups, Serafina reflects on photography as art, documentation, and activism while discussing the responsibilities that come with representing communities through images. Together, Arrow and Serafina explore local organizing, creative spaces, women in photography, and the role of cultural workers in preserving community histories.
The conversation also addresses ICE-related violence, protest, policing, and the ways fear, documentation, and collective memory shape everyday life in Los Angeles. As part of an ongoing Punkast project examining punk, community, and responses to immigration enforcement, this episode highlights lived experiences, grassroots organizing, and the importance of creating spaces for connection and solidarity.
Arrow Avalon is a Punkast correspondent + guest producer as well as a photographer, musician, promoter, and UCLA undergraduate whose work explores punk, photography, community, and social justice in Los Angeles.
Recorded May 2026
Links + References:
Serafina Maxima: IG @f1lmfomo
Arrow Avalon: IG @arrow.avalon
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Correspondent: Arrow Avalon
Editorial support: Arrow Avalon– audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Cover Photo:
Gregory Bojourquez
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Missing episodes?
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Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
‘There's no future unless you try and change it.’
Jessica Schwartz is joined by Sex Pistols bassist and songwriter Glen Matlock in a conversation recorded in London at Oxford Circus. Together, they reflect on the political and cultural conditions that shaped the emergence of punk in 1970s Britain—from economic decline and social unrest to questions of identity, community, and change.
Matlock discusses the early days of the Sex Pistols, London's music and style cultures, the role of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's shop, and the relationships between punk, politics, and everyday life. In addition, he reflects on Brexit, nationalism, cultural memory, and the ways people continue to search for belonging and possibility through music and collective action.
Glen Matlock is a musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Sex Pistols. He co-wrote many of the band's best-known songs, including “Pretty Vacant,” and contributed to the music of “Anarchy in the U.K.” Beyond the Sex Pistols, he has performed with Rich Kids, The Faces, and numerous solo projects. A lifelong songwriter and performer, his work continues to draw on influences ranging from early rock and roll and British mod culture to soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz.
Recorded at Oxford Circus, London, United Kingdom, in December 2019.
One of the earliest interviews recorded for Punkast, this conversation captures a moment when debates around Brexit, nationalism, and cultural identity were reshaping public life in Britain, while reflecting on the histories and conditions that helped give rise to punk decades earlier.
Links + References:
Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock - YouTube
Glen Matlock - Sex Pistols | The Official Website
I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol (Paperback)
I Was A Teenage Sex Pistols (Trailer)
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.
Editorial support: Arrow Avalon– audio editing.
Cover Photo:
Danny Clifford
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“I didn’t feel judgment. I felt more acceptance that I could be my strange self.”
Jessica Schwartz is joined by filmmaker Corbett Redford and professor John Goshert to reflect on the East Bay punk community and the DIY practices that have shaped generations of musicians, artists, and organizers. In this episode, we discuss the infrastructures, cultural formations, and communities that emerged through Gilman Street and the broader East Bay punk scene. Through Corbett Redford’s film Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk and John Goshert’s punk scholarship, their work has helped document and circulate the story of Gilman Street far beyond the East Bay.
Corbett Redford is a filmmaker, musician, actor, writer, and voice-over artist from the California Bay Area. An East Bay native, he recently moved with his family and their gaggle of pets to the Russian River Valley in Northern California. He is currently working with his band, Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits, on Solar Cantata, a 20-song concept album and the band's first release in twelve years.
John (Chuck) Goshert started going to punk shows in 1984, becoming involved in the Bay Area scene through legendary venues such as Ruthie’s Inn, the Farm, and Gilman Street. After playing in a number of bands from 1986–1996, he moved to Indiana to pursue a PhD in philosophy and literature. Since 2001, he has taught English at Utah Valley University, where his work focuses on critical theory, cultural studies, and American literature, with particular emphasis on multiethnic and LGBTQ literature and culture.
More than a venue, Gilman Street became a space where people learned to create, organize, and participate in building their own culture.
Recorded March 2024.
Links + References:
instagram.com/corbettredford
eastbaypunk.com
bobbyjoeebola.com
Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children Macnuggits - Spotify
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johngoshert.com
instagram.com/jcgoshert
instagram.com/marymotherofbear
instagram.com/oddequals
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More info on Turn it Around: The Story of East Bay Punks
Watch Turn it Around: The Story of East Bay Punks on Tubi
Watch urn it Around: The Story of East Bay Punks on Plex
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript link
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“Distinguish themselves within Japanese society as being not part of the kind of mainstream.”
Jessica Schwartz is joined by historians Ran Zwigenberg and Mahon Murphy in a conversation exploring how punk, hardcore, and underground culture took shape across Kyoto and Osaka through student movements, DIY venues, and the global circulation of Japanese punk. Together, they discuss the social geography of Japan in the 1980s, the evolution of local punk scenes, and the infrastructures that enabled Japanese punk to travel beyond Japan and connect with audiences worldwide.
Ran Zwigenberg is an Associate Professor at Pennsylvania State University whose research focuses on modern Japanese and European history, memory, and cultural history. Mahon Murphy is an Associate Professor at Kyoto University whose work examines the global dimensions of the First World War. Together, they are the authors of S.O.B.’s Don’t Be Swindle (Bloomsbury, 2024), which chronicles the 1980s Kyoto/Kansai hardcore punk scene through the influential band S.O.B.
This conversation includes questions and contributions from UCLA students in a course facilitated by Jessica Schwartz and was recorded in February 2024.
Links + References:
Seibu Kōdō and Punk in Kyoto
Mahon Murphy (Faculty Profile)
Ran Zwigenberg (Faculty Profile)
S.O.B.’s Don’t Be Swindle (Bloomsbury 2024).
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“Like making something permanent, from impermanent to permanent. We managed to do that.”
Jessica Schwartz is joined by musician, scholar, and educator Pavla Jonssonová in a conversation tracing punk, feminism, censorship, and subcultural survival across the former Soviet Bloc and beyond. Jonssonová reflects on performing in an all-female band while navigating state censorship, underground music networks, and the shifting political climate of late socialist Czechoslovakia.
Together, they explore women in punk, the afterlives of Riot Grrrl, DIY creativity, and the circulation of subcultural ideas, music, and resistance across borders and generations. In addition, Jonssonová discusses her ongoing work in scholarship, music, and community-based performance projects.
Pavla Jonssonová, PhD. has taught courses at Charles University in Prague, Anglo-American University in Prague, and CIEE Prague. Since her 1998 Fulbright scholarship at UC Santa Cruz, she has specialized in teaching about subcultures. Since 1980, she has performed original music as a founding member of the women’s rock band Zuby nehty, who have produced multiple albums, poetry books, and a film for Czech television.
From Los Angeles and Prague, punk moves across time, borders, and political worlds.
Recorded November 2020.
Links + References:
Pavla Jonsssonová (faculty profile)
Zuby nehty - Website
Zuby nehty (Wikipedia)
Růžové vrány. Muzikantky 21. století (Interviews with twenty Czech women musicians) Volvox Globátor: Praha 2020
Devět z české hudební alternativy osmdesátých let (Czech Music Alternative of the 1980s) Karolinum: Praha 2019
Women, Music, Creativity: from Hildegard to Cosey Fanni Tutti. Lambert Academic Publishing: Berlin 2017
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“... Show the kind of global nature of punk… retranslated or rearticulated.”
Jessica Schwartz is joined by historian Jeff Hayton in a conversation exploring punk in East and West Germany across the Cold War divide. Together, they examine how punk circulated through underground networks, crossed political and cultural borders, and took shape differently on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Hayton reflects on the geopolitical and social conditions that shaped German punk, the infrastructures through which music and ideas moved, and the ways punk became a means of reimagining everyday life, identity, and possibility within divided Germany.
Jeff Hayton is an Associate Professor of Modern European History at Wichita State University whose work explores punk, popular culture, and modern German history. His book, Culture from the Slums: Punk Rock in East and West Germany (Oxford University Press, 2022), examines punk scenes across the Cold War divide and the ways punk circulated, transformed, and challenged political and cultural systems. He is currently writing new books on mountaineering and modern Germany.
This conversation includes questions and contributions from students in a UCLA musicology course facilitated by Jessica Schwartz and was recorded in March 2024.
Links + References:
Dr. Jeff Hayton (faculty profile)
Email: [email protected]
Culture from the Slums: Punk Rock in East and West Germany | email Jeff Hayton for copy!
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“You’re like a horror movie on stage… Said “Oh yeah? Look at us!”... The media delegitimizes subcultures.”
Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird are joined by Lesli Spivey from the early Los Angeles deathrock scene, a genre shaped through punk, horror, and B-movie magic.
Lesli reflects on how deathrock emerged beneath Hollywood’s bright lights and redefined Tineltown’s glitzy spectacle into gothic punk performances, offering insight into subversion and shaping her sound into something heavier, more grounded as rhythm, community, and subcultural survival. Her Indigenous heritage has influenced her views on anarchy, her critics of systems, and how the media delegitimizes subcultures. Spivey, both as part of the Cherokee Nation and the punk scene, has contributed to amplifying the voices often erased throughout history.
Lesli Spivey is also known as Elvorian Von Spivey from the band “Penis Flytrap”. Penis Flytrap is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles. Known for “shock rock” sounds and intense, chaotic live performances, the group also includes Dinah Cancer (45 Grave), Lucifer Fulci, and Hal Satan. She was also in the band “Anima Mundi”, an anarcho-punk collective that toured the U.S West Coast with British punk band “Conflict”. Outside of music, she also contributed to starting the satellite version of the Cherokee nation out in Los Angeles, where she served on the council for several years.
Since she started playing guitar in the Los Angeles punk/death rock scene in 1977, Spivey continues to be foundational in supporting and creating spaces for subcultural survival.
Recorded May 2026.
Links + References:
Lesli Spivey Facebook
Anima Mundi - Discography
Penis Flytrap Discography
William Faith - Faith and the Muse
Tsa-La-Gi LA: Cherokee Los Angeles
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Co-hosted by Tequila Mockingbird.
Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“Anything goes kind of club… We had all kinds of different kinds of music… In order to promote shows, you had to go to shows.”
Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird are joined by Reine River, who ran the Anti-Club alongside her mother, Helen, at the center of the early LA punk scene. Together, they trace the energy of the Anti-Club, the broader landscape of the scene, and what it meant to book, promote, and sustain shows in a rapidly forming musical community.
Reine reflects on her work as a booking agent, the material culture and memorabilia of the venue, and the infrastructures that supported live music at the time—while also highlighting the role of women in shaping punk’s spaces and networks.
Reine River co-ran the Anti-Club with her mother, Helen—Helen managing the bar and Reine booking shows. With a background in fine arts and an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design, Reine continues to work across performance, visual art, music, and poetry.
Recorded August 2024.
Links + References:
IG: @reine.river
Read & Share Stories on The Anti Club Los Angeles Facebook Group!
Music mentioned: Dwight Yoakam, Greg Davis Blood on the Saddle, Madonna, Sonic Youth, The Fall, Circle Jerks, The Skeletones, Big Drill Car, Jughead’s Revenge, Resistant Militia, N.W.A, Milo Aukerman, the Descendants, Henry Rollins, The Fibonaccis, Overman, The Skatalites, Green Day, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Pennywise, The Hangmen, The Blue Shadows, X, The Blasters, Javier Matos
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Co-hosted by Tequila Mockingbird.
Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
“This record that just was so amazing that it's stood the test of time… and, and it's influenced so many people in so many bands… You know, bookshelf full of music history books that all mentioned Flipper.”
Join Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird in a discussion with Steven DePace, drummer of San Francisco punk pioneer band, Flipper. The sound of Flipper has countless artists, from San Francisco’s early punk scene to the present.
This episode covers how the San Francisco scene felt as Flipper took shape, the recording process, how Flipper received the nickname “Grateful Dead of the 80s,” and how they ultimately solidified their legacy within music history.
In addition, Steven DePace dives deeper into his own journey within the entertainment industry, from music business to the world of animation. Steven began his professional rock career in 1978 when he joined his first punk bank in San Francisco, Negative Trend. It was after the dissolution of Negative Trend that Flipper was first formed in 1979. Flipper has a long storied career and an amazing cast of players who have come and gone over the decades, including Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) and David Yow (The Jesus Lizard).
Flipper carries on to this day with Steven DePace on drums, Kelli Mayo (bass), and Jon Kelly (guitar) for touring in support of the reissue of Flipper’s entire back catalog, beginning April 17th with their first album, Generic Flipper.
Learn what’s on the horizon for Steven DePace and Flipper as they continue to set the pace for the industry and give us a lifetime of contribution to the punk scene.
Recorded April 2026.
Links + References:
SEE FLIPPER IN CONCERT! Thu, May 7 - West Hollywood CA @ The Roxy
Flipper - Generic Flipper (Color Vinyl) LP - Limited Edition
IG: @_flipperofficial_
IG: @skatingpolly
IG: @shimmer_bed
Sean Shimmer Punkast episode
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Co-hosted by Tequila Mockingbird.
Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.
In this episode:
“Everything was just really based on music... Punk, ska, goth, New Wave... being powered by the music.”
Retail Slut wasn’t just a store; it was a site where punk, fashion, and commerce collided, shaping a scene that still resonates in the present.
Join Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird in a discussion with Helen O’Neill, the original force behind the influential boutique. This episode covers a wide range of topics, including what Melrose meant for the punk scene, what inspired Helen to create her own clothing line, and how punk individuals were and continue to be policed in Los Angeles. Helen O’Neill is the founder of Retail Slut. Under Helen’s fearless direction, Retail Slut broke every rule - serving as a sanctuary for those who embraced counterculture. Since closing its doors in 2005, Helen’s vision continues to evolve–proving that punk isn’t just a style, it’s a way of life. For 40+ years, Helen O’Neill has supported LA local punk and expanded punk infrastructure, leaving an impact that will last a lifetime.
Recorded February 2025.
Links + References:
Retail Slut
Resident at Nude Healing Center-Harbin Hot Springs.
Bike Ventura - local bike advocacy.
Friends of Bates Beach - Coastal Clean-up.
Artwalk Ventura
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Co-hosted by Tequila Mockingbird.
Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
Instagram: punkastucla
Stay tapped in.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Punkast is back—weekly.
After years of building, recording, and collaborating, Punkast returns with a growing archive of conversations and a new rhythm: weekly episodes exploring punk in the historical present through critical inquiry, dialogue, and experimentation.
We’re kicking things off this Friday with our first new episode, and new episodes will drop every Friday.
>>> Subscribe and follow to stay tapped in.
In this trailer:
A quick update on what we’ve been building, where we’ve been, and what’s ahead for Punkast.
Related Projects + Collaborations:
Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network
MEI, the Podcast (Marshallese Educational Initiative): Spotify
Jahmi Roc’s Jottings – S3E4 “Frequencies of Relief"
Transcript:
Audio-synced transcript
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.
Connect with Punkast:
Spotify
IG: punkastucla
New episodes every Friday.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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PUNKAST BACK TO SCHOOL MINISERIES SPECIAL!
“SoCal music spaces: Scene, Emo, and EDM” (part 3 of 3).
“There’s more to us.. We all want to be seen, heard, and exist… The art you are creating is part of your soul.”
Returning from spring break, we are back with the third and final part of our Back to School mini-series with guest host Kristy Martinez, a PHD Candidate in Musicology at UCLA. In these episodes, we meet some of the early-2000s scene and emo kids in SoCal. This episode features the second part of Martinez’s conversation with the musician Xtine Reckless (listen to the first part here), and fitness and health instructor Tiffany Young. Tiffany Young has introduced alternative music and other genres into her spin classes. Her cycle rides have included emo, pop-punk, Central American music, and rock. This episode discusses representation in the SoCal music scenes, how music is an extension of an artist’s identity, incorporating alternative music into untraditional spaces, addressing the erasure of POC contributions, the intersection between race and participation in music scenes, and SO MUCH MORE!
Guest Bios.
Xtine is a vocalist, guitarist, and essential figure in the OC and LA rock scenes with her previous band, Pretty in Stereo, and is currently in the band Xtine and the Reckless Hearts. Xtine has played Vans Warped Tour and various iconic venues and spaces in SoCal.// Tiffany Young is an Afro-Latina fitness and health instructor from Alhambra, the San Gabriel Valley, and now West Covina. She grew up listening to a wide variety of music, such as emo, pop-punk, neo soul, pop, and R&B. Young now incorporates the sounds she grew up with in SoCal into spin classes and heavily nostalgic-themed rides.
Links
𝚇𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚎 & 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝙲𝚔𝙻𝚎𝚂𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝙰𝚛𝚃𝚜 | Linktree
Pretty In Stereo | Spotify
IG: @pwrcyclewtiff
PWR HQ Strength and Training | Try a Class!
Music mentioned: Taking Back Sunday, Senses Fail, Offspring, System of A Down, Metallica, Aaliyah, Ashanti, Mariah Carey, Thursday, Eminem, Neo Soul, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, The Paradox, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, Dance Gavin Dance, Norma Jean, Isadora Crane, Hot Water Music
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We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests.
Instagram: punkastucla
Email: [email protected]
The Punkast theme music is excerpted from “Bitchathon” by Lady Bits. All rights reserved.
This episode was recorded on Oct 27, 2025 on Zoom. Kristy Martinez hosted and co-produced this episode with Jessica Schwartz. Melissa Hernandez edited the audio and audio-synced transcript, available here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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PUNKAST BACK TO SCHOOL MINISERIES SPECIAL!
“SoCal music spaces: Scene, Emo, and EDM ” (part 2 of 3)
Here at the Punkast, we're continuing our special summer-to-fall mini-series with guest host Kristy Martinez, a PhD Candidate in Musicology at UCLA , bringing special guests - per Kristy's introduction: 'In these interviews, we meet with some of the early 2000s scene and emo kids in SoCal. This episode is made to highlight the contributions of women creatives and music promoters. First, part one of our interview is with Xtine Reckless of Xtine and the Reckless Hearts, a musician of the band Pretty in Stereo, who were part of a very viral Fox 11 news clip on television about the sensationalism of emo and scene kids in California. Xtine is influential to the LA rock scene with her previous band and current band, Xtine and the Reckless Hearts. Celeste, a friend from high school in El Monte, was early on with a unique scene-raver look and frequented many of the Myspace-famous nightclubs. Celeste is a promoter and has experience in music. In the early 2000s, Celeste appeared in various photobooth night club photos like DANCE and was an important promoter for events such as Nocturnal.'
Bands/Artists mentioned: Pretty in Stereo, Xtine and the Reckless Hearts, Silverstein, Showbread, Garbage, Chiodos, Lunachicks, Thursday, Fear Before the March of Flames, Saosin, Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, Hot Water Music, My Chemical Romance, Saves the Day, Oh Sleeper, A Skylit Drive, Dance Gavin Dance (Kurt Travis), Jem and the Holograms
Guest Bios.
Xtine is a vocalist, guitarist and essential figure in the OC and LA rock scenes with her previous band Pretty in Stereo, and currently is in the band Xtine and the Reckless Hearts. Xtine has played Vans Warped Tour, and various iconic venues and spaces in SoCal. // Celeste is a psychology major and lifelong music lover, who grew up in the golden era of emo, hardcore, and screamo, living the scene lifestyle, and later explored early 2000s electro and house, leading into the rise of EDM.
Links
IG: Indigenouspunxarchive
𝚇𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚎 & 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝙲𝚔𝙻𝚎𝚂𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝙰𝚛𝚃𝚜® IG
Pretty In Stereo | Spotify
Pretty In Stereo IG
Pretty in Stereo Last FM
Nocturnal Wonderland
Polite in Public
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We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests.
IG: punkastucla
Email: [email protected]
The Punkast theme music is excerpted from “Bitchathon” by Lady Bits. All rights reserved.
This episode was recorded on August 6, 11, and 12, 2025, on Zoom. Kristy Martinez hosted and co-produced this episode with Jessica Schwartz. Bella Gerard provided editorial assistance. Martinez edited the audio-synced transcript, available here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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PUNKAST BACK TO SCHOOL MINISERIES SPECIAL!
“Alternative in the I.E. 2000s and more in the Inland Empire” (part 1 of 3)
If you couldn't already tell by the title for Part 1, we, here at the Punkast, have a REALLY special summer mini-series for you! Your regular host, Jessica Schwartz, is handing the mic over to Kristy Martinez, a PhD Candidate in Musicology at UCLA and the OG TA for UCLA's "Punk" online course, who does amazing, compelling work (see 'host bio' below), and is bringing exciting guests into the Punkast mix for your 'back to school' listening and learning. Anyways...Here's Kristy's introduction to this episode: Jase Felder grew up in Moreno Valley and Riverside. As a BIPOC and gay man, Jase was heavily involved in the punk, indie, and dancey electro scenes in the Inland Empire. We discuss living in the I.E., punk at the Showcase theater, 2000s dance “scene” clubs, the rise of social media, as well as influential artists and soundtracks.
And, amidst all that, Kristy and Jase provide the punk+ talk & tunes to supercharge your 'back to school' punk podcast playlist.
Bands/Artists mentioned: The Bravery, AFI, Lady Gaga, Interpol, The Bled, Taking Back Sunday, Shiny Toy Guns, Dashboard Confessional, The Voids, Bloc Party, Rihanna
Guest Bio.
Jase Felder was born an Inland Empire It Girl turned regular New Yorker. I look back on growing up in San Bernardino/Moreno Valley and think, it was pretty badass. However, you kind of have to leave it to really love it. The food, the music, the house parties, the mixed-culture, …Bakers—it all hits. I graduated in ’05 from Canyon Springs High School, did some time at RCC, which, by the way, is still one of the most beautiful college campuses I’ve seen (at least during my stint), and did what most of us from the area eventually do and moved. My choice: New York City. Since 2011, I’ve been in Brooklyn, living with my super chill Bull Terrier. I earned my Master’s in Public Health Policy and now work as an Infectious Disease Researcher at NYU’s Bellevue Hospital. It’s a long way from being carried out of Club VIP for doing the absolute most.
Host Bio.
Kristen Martinez (she/her/they) is a UCLA PhD Candidate in Musicology as well as a vocalist, mother, and archivist. Growing up in El Monte, her
work examines subcultural movements in the San Gabriel Valley as well as ephemera, nostalgia, placemaking, musical analysis, and identity with a focus on punk, post-punk, and emo. She has created a D.I.Y. digital punk archive to document the various global Indigenous music movements called the "Indigenous Punx Archive" on Instagram. IG: Indigenouspunxarchive
Links
IG: Indigenouspunxarchive
remembering ezzat soliman | Jerk of All Trades
VIP-Nightclub.com
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We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests.
IG: punkastucla
Email: [email protected]
The Punkast theme music is excerpted from “Bitchathon” by Lady Bits. All rights reserved.
This episode was recorded on July 2, 2025 on Zoom. Kristy Martinez hosted and co-produced this episode with Jessica Schwartz. Martinez and Schwartz edited the audio-synced transcript, available here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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'[Punk] is a music genre and a subculture and a whole way of living that is full of contradictions, hypocrisy…’
Does punk promote inclusion or exclusion? Violence or protection? And what about health, accessibility, self- and communal care? Join Jessica Schwartz and PAUL FIELDS for this special interview in three parts as they discuss his research on punk and the sometimes contradictory ideals in the scene and academia.
Guest Bio.
Paul Fields is an associate professor at Buckinghamshire New University where he teaches various music-related courses such as Songwriting and Music Production and Events Management. His research is largely focused on punk, drawing from his own experience in the scene during the 1990s and 2000s.
Links
Paul Fields’ research repository
Paul Fields’ university email: [email protected].uk
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As mentioned in the introduction, click links to find more about the Punk Scholars Podcast, on which Francis Stewart's episode and many others are featured!
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We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests.
Instagram: punkastucla
Email: [email protected]
The Punkast theme music is excerpted from “Bitchathon” by Lady Bits. All rights reserved.
Season 2, Episode 21 was recorded in person on December 20, 2023, December 12, 2024, and August 6, 2024 in the UK and US, respectively. Jessica Schwartz hosted and produced this episode. Bella Gerard edited the audio and transcript, which is available here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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“For me punk rock is really the song.” For some, punk means destruction and revolt; for others, it means DIY and community. In this episode, Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird are joined by HUDLEY FLIPSIDE to explore her perspective on punk garnered from her formative Flipside zine-and-scene building experiences in the early LA scene.
Guest Bio.
Hudley Flipside 'HUD' is a versatile artist, filmmaker, writer, and publisher with a diverse background in punk culture and journalism. She is known for her involvement in various creative endeavors, including blogging, documentary filmmaking, and co-owning the punk rock fanzine Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine.
Links
Hudley Flipside: books, biography, latest update
The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing (Hudley Flipside’s Portfolio)
Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine Narrative Documentary Film. “Epeisodion One, Two and Three
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We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests.
Instagram: punkastucla
Email: [email protected]
The Punkast theme music is excerpted from “Bitchathon” by Lady Bits. All rights reserved.
Season 2, Episode 20 was recorded on August 1, 2024, on Zoom with participants in the US. Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird co-hosted and co-produced this episode. Bella Gerard edited the audio and transcript, which is available here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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“Make festival, not war. Soul Beat Asia. In which what doesn't exist, we recreate together.”
Join Jessica Schwartz in conversation with guest Dr. Kounosuke (Ko) Kawakami from Kurashiki University (Japan) that began as a talk, “The Punk Scene in Japan Today: Soul Beat Asia (World Music Festival Under the Bridge)” and wove its way into an inspired contemplation on belonging and misfitting, DIY punk as intergenerational practice, politics, infrastructure and importance of DIY festivals, and a host of other punk philosophical considerations vital to our local and transnational punk (and punk scholarly) communities.
Bio:
Dr. Kounosuke (Ko) Kawakami is a researcher, curator, and currently Associate Professor at the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts in Japan. My specialty is contemporary art, curation and popular music. My publications include 'Genealogy of Punk' , "The Idea of Anarchism" and "Culture of Expression Research Lectures" 2024.
Punk Playlist, courtesy of Dr. Kawakami:
1. Isidore Isou Venom and Eternity (1951)
Guest Note: “This is a film, but the song playing in the background is a poem by Lettrism”
2. "Take the gun" by Zuno Keisatsu(Brain Police）
Guest Note: Zuno Keisatsu made their record debut in 1972, at the end of the period of intensified political movements by the New Left, Zenkyoto, and Zengakuren. Their politically radical lyrics, which challenged taboos, and radical live performances led to episodes of broadcast censorship and exclusions from concert venues. The name was taken from the title of the song "Who Are The Brain Police?" by Frank Zappa's
3. Turtle Island (2016)
Songs Used
(0:00-0:55) Order. “Neo Humanity.” Punk Navigation, Overthrow Records, 1996.
(0:00-0:44) Hi-Standard. “The Sound of Secret Minds.” Angry Fist, Fat Wreck Chords, 1997.
(0:00-0:44) Zunou Keisatsu. “銃を取れ.” 頭脳警察1, Be-Witch Record, 1975.
Recorded on February 15, 2024, this episode was part of the UCLA online course “Punk: Music, History, (Sub)culture,” open to a live student audience. It was hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz. Bella Gerard edited the audio and the transcript.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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"In 1967, Robby Krieger, the guitarist for L.A. band the Doors, wrote the hit single “Light My Fire” in the living room of his parents’ Pacific Palisades home. This week, nearly six decades later, the lyrics took on a disturbing resonance as the structure where the music originated burned to the ground." (Amy Kaufman, LA Times, 1/11/2025)
Recent LA Times headlines:
"The Doors’ hit ‘Light My Fire’ was written in Pacific Palisades home that burned"1/11/2025
"Former Morrison Hotel, made famous by a Doors album, destroyed by fire in downtown L.A." 12/27/2024
Devastating fires have destroyed lives, communities, and historical sites of memory in Los Angeles. I decided to hold off on posting the first release of the year to share this episode of my conversation with Robby Krieger and Tequila Mockingbird, given two fires - the massive Palisades fire and one that began in downtown LA a couple of weeks prior -greatly impacted two of these sites of memory of one of LA's most influential rock bands, the Doors, now considered a proto-punk band to many. I repost this episode from a few years back as an homage to these places, now destroyed, and the memories--and many others--that will carry on with the people, the music, and the communities that hold them dear and will help them persevere. With love (to/from) LA - the Punkast Team.
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Original description: Increasingly, people recognize the LA band, the Doors, for their wide-ranging influence on punk, notably inspiring Iggy Pop, Patty Smith, X, Joy Division, Siouxsie, and the Banshees. In this episode, we speak with the Doors’ venerable guitarist and song-writer, Robby Krieger, to learn about his musical journey, contemplate how the Doors shaped punk, and share some of his more recent work, including collaborations with the seminal LA punk bands X and the Mau Mau’s. Inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and named one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone, Krieger wrote or co-wrote some of the Doors’ most famous songs, including “Light My Fire” and “Love Me Two Times.”
Guest commentator David Schwartz offers personal reflections and political context to situate the intergenerational impact of the band.
Songs Excerpted:
(0:51-1:16) The Doors. “The End.” The Doors, Elektra Records, 1967.
(0:04-0:26) Chuck Berry. “Johnny B. Goode.” Johnny B. Goode, Chess, 1958.
(0:26-0:58) The Doors. “Break On Through (To the Other Side).” The Doors, Elektra Records, 1967.
(0:02-0:35) The Doors. “Seminary School.” The Soft Parade, Elektra Records, 1969.
(0:24-0:43) The Doors. “Light My Fire.” The Doors, Elektra Records, 1967.
(0:00-0:18) The Doors. “People Are Strange.” Strange Days, Elektra Records, 1967.
(0:19-1:23) The Doors. “Horse Latitudes.” Strange Days, Elektra Records, 1967.
This episode was co-produced and co-hosted by Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird, with audio editing and cover art by Cheska Zaide. Bella Gerard edited the audio-synced transcript, which is available HERE.
AUDIO REPOSTED from OCT. 2021.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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“The music of which there was supposed to be no rule book, suddenly had a rule book…” So, what are these rules, how do they impact creativity, and how do musicians, producers, and artists, more broadly, continue to push the limits in Los Angeles’ dynamic DIY musical subculture? Join Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird as they speak with BRUCE DUFF about his experiences as he addresses students’ questions about this complicated terrain.
Bio:
A musician, producer, journalist, artist manager and author, Bruce Duff is a native of Southern California. As player and producer, he’s worked with Jesters of Destiny, Cheetah Chrome, Adz, Circle, Glitter Wizard, Jeff Dahl, Prima Donna, 45 Grave, the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, the Magnificent, Thor and Simon Stokes, among many others. As a journalist, he wrote for L.A Weekly, Billboard, Bass Player, Psychotronic, Rip, Creem, and dozens of other out-of-print magazines. He retired from journalism in 1995. His first and last book The Smell of Death was published in 2014. In addition to artist management, he runs the day-to-day operations of Josie Cotton’s Kitten Robot Records label. Duff lives in the Hollywood Hills with his wife Else aka Evil E, (the official announcer of the L.A. Derby Dolls), and their two cats Lemmy and Lux.
Links:
http://bruceduffmusic.com/
Audio Samples:
Mother Superior. “Deep.” Deep, Top Beat Records, 1998.
45 Grave. “Sleep in Safety.” Phantoms E.P., Enigma, 1983.
Various Artists. “Flatten the Curve.” FugThaCorona, 2020.
CrowJane. “The Pharmacy.” Mater Dolorosa. 2022.
Recorded on November 30, 2023, this episode was part of the UCLA course “DIY: Punk Organizing as Social Justice,” open to a live student audience. It was hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz and features co-host and guest producer Tequila Mockingbird. Bella Gerard edited the audio and transcript.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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