Beat Motel Zine

Do you like metal? Do you like death? Probably not, and that's quite understandable. But do you like live music that is more metallic than Iron Man's codpiece? Or would you rather a nice sit down? For this episode, we're in the Finland, soaking up punishing music that's brutal in timbre and attack. Andrew Culture and Dr Sam went to Finland to attend the most punk rock Death Metal festival in Chris...

Since the dawn of civilisation, rock'n'roll has been featured in films. Many talking heads, in documentaries featured once upon-a-time on the BBC, have spoken about the groin-and-brain-fireworks set off by seeing Willy Hailey and his Comets on the silver screen. Elsewhere, Elvis flooded cinemas with his cinematic gyros. Even Little Richard stood on a piano in one, and in doing so, stood above ever...

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall when a fly on the wall documentary is made? Do music documentaries only tell a sanitised version of the truth? We have no idea, which will become apparent when you listen to this week's episode. With special guest David Jago. ### Riffs of the week #### Jago's Riff - The Trio - Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly) (3:53) #### Andrew's Riff -...

Join Andrew Culture and Dave Jago on this electrifying episode of Beat Motel as they delve into the cinematic world of music biopics. From the masterpieces to the absolute trainwrecks, the duo dissects what makes a biopic great and what makes it a total flop. Get ready for some unfiltered opinions, hilarious commentary, and unexpected picks. Introduction to Biopics: Definition and significance of...

Can you separate the art from the artists? Which songs do you really love, despite the writer's abhorrent views? Are there any artists you really respect, but absolutely can't tolerate the terrible music they churn out? If so then you're normal. In the new episode of Beat Motel host Andrew Culture and co-host David Jago dig into the complex, and often very funny twisted logic behind the link betwe...

What gigs do you wish you had gone to? It might be gig that you could have gone to, but couldn't be arsed, or it could be a gig that requires a time machine. In this episode, Andrew is joined once again by David Jago as they discuss the raw brutality of Metallica, the weirdness of Mr Bungle and the groove of the Newport Jazz Festival. Buckle in; things are gonna get weird. In a good way. Or Not. W...

You know how it goes, you start your musical career as a screamo band and a few albums into your lifespan you realise you're not longer screamo. You're now a country power ballads bands. Sound familiar? No? Listen to this episode anyway. What else have you got going on in your life, really? Follow David Jago on Instagram (that's an order) - https://www.instagram.com/david_jago_/ ### Riffs of the w...

We like to be unpredictable, so here's an episode with the brilliant Stuart Bowditch that focuses on the role of the mighty Church Organ in contemporary music, Courier Sound https://couriersound.bandcamp.com/ Stuart Bowditch on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bowditchstuart/ ### Riffs of the week #### Stuart's Riff - Sibelius - Finlandia (4:20) #### Andrew's Riff - Man/Woman/Chainsaw - What Lu...

Summer lovin': happened so fast. It was a bit disappointing that it took longer to clean up the mess. In the last podcast to feature Sam until August (unless something strange happens), SAmdrew talk about the hot music of the summer: that's right, shit that went down years ago, but they missed out. Because they were ignorant, entitled, cis-gendered white men, too busy concentrating on being cis-ge...

Sam will write show notes ### Riffs of the week #### Dr Sam's Riff - The Faint - Agenda Suicide (opening) #### Andrew's Riff - The Bluetones - If (opening) ### Dr Sam's track choices 1. Coal Chamber - Big Truck (opening) 2. Newtown Grunts - Out of the Crowd (0.51) 3. Ruins Alone - Stonehenge (0.26) 4. Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz (8.40) ### Andrew's track choices 1. The Charlatans - Then (2:50) 2....

100 volunteers, 40 production crew, one town. A ton of fun!

Gonzo review of day one of Brighten the Corners in Ipswich

They say write what you know, and many, many, many musicians have just done that. Obscure lyrics about mainlining Anusol, and tell-it-like-it-is ones about that weird smell at the back of the tour bus that was there before you bought it. It's all there, and it's all wonderful.  Sam is back, so join him as he joins Andrew as they fail to check anything they say and barely talk about the music they'...

Duuuuuuude, did you hear that? Do ya know what that means? This changes EVERYTHING! Have you had your brain wiring fuddled about with by a song, a band or genre? Have you emerged from a monocultural wasteland and found yourself bathed in the wonder of a brave new aural world? Nah, us neither, here's two people talking spaff about some tunes they like. Dr Sam's seat is vacant this week, so his sock...

### Riffs of the week #### Dr Sam's Riff - The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers (1.30) #### Andrew's Riff - Mother Mother - All the dying (1.14) ### Dr Sam's track choices 1. The Offspring - We Never Have Sex Anymore (0.50) 2. System of a Down - Protect the Land (opening) 3. Rage Against the Machine - How I Could Just Kill a Man (0.20) 4. PJ Harvey - Prayer at the Gate (opening) ### Andrew's trac...

Progressive music is a terrible name for a genre, isn't it? If we take the dictionary definition ("happening or developing gradually or in stages"), prog doesn't really live up to that. Instead, it's a series of long winded nerdy time signatures and modes: ideas repeated since the late 1960s. No, you stop being so petty minded. This week, we tackle the prickly subject of only needing one album fro...

What makes a great compilation album? Can they define a genre, or even a generation? How many of your favourite bands did you discover through compilation albums? Do you have a compilation album in your list of your most favourite albums? Do some of your fingernails grow much faster than others? If you answer no (or yes) to any of these questions then you need to listen to the new episode of Beat...

Anybody can put out a classic album, yeah? Anybody. Like me. I've done it. Suck it. Anybody can put out two classic albums, yeah? Anybody. Like you. Or three. It's EASY. I'll tell you how. You can even ask ChatGBT to do it (but there'll be something inauthentic about it, so maybe not). But, what does it take to make a career in it? To transcend the scene one emerges from, to continuously make good...

Gonzo review of Green Lung and Lowen at Colchester Arts centre. Thanks to Roki End Times, Joe and Paul for getting involved.

Sounds bad, feels so good. There's an abundance of tracks that sound jolly but have underlyingly bad lyrics. That's what we covered last week. WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER WAY AROUND, though? Why does angry stuff HAVE to be angry, and can it be something other than just dumb/wacky comedy if its not? Neither of us went down the comic root, and both of us struggled. Along the way, we explore the deeper mean...

"Watcha talkin' 'bout, Willis?" (Spelling as stylised by Google) Said Gary Coleman as his character Arnold Jackson in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. Far be it from us to analyse the racial and other identity-based issues bought up by the existence and popularity of that catchphrase and the related sitcom, rather it is a point of departure. It's about capturing attention, jarring you out of your com...

Ever fallen in love with a band you shouldn't have fallen in love with? What bands do you really love, despite the fact that you know you should hate them. The reason you should hate the band could be ethics, aesthetics or gross incompetence. But when that band comes onto the radio, you fist pump the air and singalong like a wrongun. For this episode Andrew is joined by special Guest Dan Callis, A...

ANARCHO SQUAT SAUNA! What was that? Was that real? Is that just in my head? Where do you start with introductions to songs? Are they a part of the song, do they set the rest of it up, or are they just a side show, a distraction? Sure, there are many great introductions to songs, even if the rest of the song goes haywire, but what about those intros that stick out as a WTF? In this episode, Andrew...

What makes an band a band? Is it the songwriter? The singer? The relationship between the band members? This time, we go a bit close to home. The Replacement's are, arguably, one of the greatest acts of the 1980s, one of the greatest to emerge from the US punk scene that would eventually birth the Pixies, REM, and Nirvana. But, it all came crashing down with their last album, fuelled by profession...

They said what? About who? Was that intentional? Why would they even allow to that to be released? All these questions, and more, arise when one actually starts to listen to lyrics. And, what do singers/vocalists/MCs know, hey? Do they actually think about what they say, or just whether it fits the music they're putting their noises to? Some lyricists have been lauded as poets operating in another...