We’ve also got a Q&A with Carla J. Easton about her music-listening habits ahead of her May 8 album release.

Plus, an update on my C-Note speaker construction (soldering is tough!) and what I’m listening to currently. All in this week’s edition of Punk Rock Bach!

Onward!

Ekko Astral’s latest album aims to raise money for trans support groups

A former reality TV personality may sit in the Oval Office currently, but one Washington D.C.-based punk band is thinking about another celebrity for president: Adam Sandler.

“It started out being inspired by, actually, a YouTube review of an Adam Sandler film called ‘Jack and Jill,’” said Jael Holzman, the lead singer for Ekko Astral. “Came out long time ago, but the film itself is terrible.”

Holzman said that YouTube review was from Red Letter Media—which is a Wisconsin-based team of filmmakers who often mock the current state of Hollywood and celebrate poorly made films.

“Over the years, the song has just evolved and developed, where this like tune that began pre-Trump entirely over the years became a perfect receptacle for both [bandmate] Liam [Hughes] and I’s cynical and, you know, surrealist sense of humor,” she said.

“Sandler ‘36” is the first track on Ekko Astral’s new album “fuck this band: live at the chapel.” It was released exclusively to Bandcamp on April 22. The album was recorded during a San Francisco concert at, Holzman said, a former mortuary-turned-music venue.

The album’s release comes after Topshelf Records said in February that it could “no longer support” Ekko Astral. The label said on Instagram that it would also not release the band’s album “the beltway is burning” and would issue refunds for pre-orders. Pitchfork’s Nina Corcoran reported further on the label’s announcement, and circumstances that happened before hand, here.

When asked about the label’s decision, Holzman pointed Punk Rock Bach to public statements the band has made previously—including the description of “fuck this band” on the Bandcamp page. She declined to comment further.

Donating proceeds

The album’s Bandcamp page indicates proceeds from “fuck this band” will go to two groups: Gender Liberation Movement and No More Dysphoria.

Gender Liberation Movement is a group that is “fighting to free all people from harmful and limiting gendered expectations,” according to its website.

No More Dysphoria, according to its website, is a non-profit that has “the goal of helping transgender individuals pay for major aspects of their transition.”

“These organizations do really vital work, so we’re happy to raise money for them,” Holzman, who is trans, said.

Nicolle Maroulis, founder of No More Dysphoria, said in an emailed statement that, “In today’s economic age, it is damn near impossible to be a musician (or any kind of artist), and do it sustainably. The costs of recording music alone are not cheap, and then add the cost of DIY touring on top of that.”

“The fact that Ekko Astral chose to donate proceeds from their latest album is great, and we really appreciate it,” Maroulis said.

Gender Liberation Movement did not respond to a request for comment.

For now, no streaming

While Ekko Astral hasn’t ruled out releasing “fuck this band” to streaming in the future, they’re not discussing it currently. Holzman said part of the appeal of Bandcamp is that fans are buying the music files.

“For various reasons, you know, we wanted this to be a benefit record,” Holzman said. “And we wanted it to be something that people kind of held close to their chest as fans.”

She said in the past the band has released music in tandem with streaming.

“We’ve never had, like, a buy it, and then that’s the only way you can get it, and it’s only available as a file,” she said. “And, like, I personally really like that idea that even though it’s not a physical media, this music is worth something […] you’re buying it. There’s also, I mean, the fact that it’s a benefit record. I wanted people to actually give, like, I wanted people to actually donate, to raise money.”

Holzman performed bass on the album, while Liam Hughes was on guitar and Jeremy Snyder played drums. All three provided vocals. Other tracks include “head empty blues,” “uwu type beat” and “horseglue/beltway”—a favorite of Holzman’s.

“Beltway is this column of fire that I still am perplexed by, rhythmically,” she said. “And the way that we end it too, there’s like this kind of falling of ash feeling that live is very cathartic for me.”

When asked what’s next for the band, Holzman was reticent, and offered a simple “stay tuned.”

Ekko Astral’s album “fuck this band: live at the chapel” was released exclusively to Bandcamp on April 22.

Records from Flaming Lips to Kirsty MacColl — Carla J. Easton shares what she spins ahead of her album release

A week from tomorrow, musician Carla J. Easton is set to release her new album, “I Think That I Might Love You.”

Indie music fans don’t have to wait to check out one of the tracks on that album. Easton released the single “Let’s Make Plans for the Weekend” and its music video earlier this month.

And when it comes to listening to music, Easton is a vinyl fan—and will sometimes listen with family.

“My mum has macular degeneration (loss of sight) and is recovering from her third stroke,” Easton said. “We were listening to 'Sugartown' by the Maguire Sisters as we used to sing it together when I was a little girl. Supporting my mum in her recovery has made me realise how music can be a great way to hang out together and trigger memories.”

Easton shares with Punk Rock Bach this week how she appreciates the records from a sonic standpoint and an aesthetic one.

Editor’s note: Q&A has been lightly edited for style, syntax and typos.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

Carla J. Easton: I love listening to records. I like the physical aspect of it as well as the sound. You have to engage with it more and I think that promotes better listening and appreciation for music.

I really love listening to music in the car, too! I always listen back to my own mixes in the car before signing off on them. And I just think songs sound great when you listen to them on the radio in the car.

PRB: What are you listening to now?

Easton: On my record player, I’ve been listening to Wendy Carlos’ ‘Switched-On Bach II,” CLAIR’s ‘Earth Mother,’ Flaming Lips ‘Oczy Mlody,’ Dory Previn’s ‘We’re Children of Coincidence and Harpo Marx,’ and Kirsty MacColl’s ‘Desperate Character.’

PRB: What do you listen on?

Easton: I’ve got a turntable and some monitor speakers. The turntable is basically a Rega 1 but branded as VinylPlay (same parts, same factory).

Next week: Dylan Mandel from The Lives of Famous Men shares his appreciation for Philadelphia radio. Be sure to subscribe to get next week’s issue in your inbox!

Carla J. Easton’s new record “I Think That I Might Love You” is set to release on May 8 via Ernest Jenning Record Co. It is available for pre-order on Bandcamp.

Woodworking, soldering and listening, Oh My! Building the C-Note speakers, Part 2

As I explained last week, I’ve hit the pause button on my offline music server build so that I can focus on building “C-Note” speakers from Parts Express. And this new project is coming along…though in fits and starts.

On Sunday, I applied the second coat of shellac primer to the constructed speaker cabinet.

After curing (letting the shellac primer dry and harden) for 48 hours, I’m going to give two coats to the underside of the cabinet to protect the bottom from moisture. Once that’s completed, I’ll apply two thin coats of oil-based polyurethane to the cabinet. But more on that next week.

The curve ball I faced this weekend? Soldering.

I’ve never soldered before. I’ve watched YouTube videos on how to do it, but I guess those lessons didn’t stick—because, according to the DIY Audio reddit community, my iron was not nearly hot enough and this soldering job simply won’t do. Here’s a photo of my initial solder work:

Please note: I needed to cut the excess ledes from the components, as well as heat the joint and feed the solder into it so that both front and back are connected.

But it’s not a lost cause! On Wednesday, after earlier conferring with my uncle—who is an engineer—I finally got a joint hot enough for the solder to flow into it, making a strong connection. I trimmed the excess and now look forward to making the rest of the joints look this clean.

I’m going back into the circuit board this week to try to fix what I fouled up. With any luck, next week I’ll have a properly soldered crossover and a near finished speaker cabinet.

Be sure to check back next week for an update on the C-Notes!

What I’m listening to…

Have you ever had an album that puts you to sleep in the best way possible? A modern lullaby that will sway a dude in his 40s to a nap?

Kimbra’s 2023 album “A Reckoning” has that effect on me. The album is solid; it’s not a boring record by any means! But I think I’ve only heard it a few times in its entirety without falling asleep.

Maybe it’s the time of day I’m playing it—right as I head to bed. I find the music oddly comforting.

But be assured—the album is good stuff!

Thanks for reading Punk Rock Bach! Until next Thursday!

Rob McLean is the founding editor and writer of Punk Rock Bach. If you have a story idea, have a musician in mind you’d like to see featured in PRB or just want to say hi, email him at punkrockbach@gmail.com.

Artificial intelligence use statement (Last updated on April 30, 2026): No editorial content on Punk Rock Bach — written or visual — is created by AI. However, PRB does use Otter.AI, an AI transcription service, for interviews. Quotes are reviewed by a human for accuracy and context before being incorporated into coverage.

Additionally, the Punk Rock Bach avatar was generated by ChatGPT with prompts from PRB editor Rob McLean.

Punk Rock Bach will use artificial intelligence to audit previously published newsletters in an effort to improve quality of future issues. It will also use AI to craft “call to action” language to bolster engagement, as well as use it as a sounding board to draft the site’s “About” section.

This week, we sit down with Sean Solomon, whose new album “The World is Not Good Enough” just dropped. He’s a musician with a fun background: he animates cartoons!

We’ve also got a Q&A with an opera singer from Germany who keeps her phone handy to keep the music playing.

Onward!

Animator Sean Solomon’s new album blends his music with his artwork

Any similarity between the title of Sean Solomon’s new album “The World is Not Good Enough” and the James Bond movie “The World is Not Enough” is purely coincidental.

“I made movie posters for my release show, because we did a release at Brain Dead, the movie theater. So, I made these, like, parody movie posters. And while I was, like, trying to figure out what parody posters to make, I realized that there was a James Bond movie that had a similar title,” Solomon told Punk Rock Bach. “But I think it’s different enough, you know?”

Solomon’s album released last week via Anti- Records. Not only did he record the music, but he also drew the album cover and self-directed/self-animated the music video for the track “Car Crash.” That music video came out last year, according to a news release.

“Car Crash” is one of three songs from the album that Solomon said he especially enjoys playing live. The other two are “Finish Line” (“I think it has the most dynamics for me,” he said.) and “Remember.”

Solomon’s background is in animation. He initially went to Cal Arts for its experimental animation program, but he said he dropped out after two years to work for a company that Fox had hired to build its own version of Cartoon Network’s mature programming block, Adult Swim.

“It was called ‘ADHD,’ ‘Animation Domination High-Def,’” Solomon said. “And I got that job when I was 20, and I ended up, like, designing the logo and making a bunch of GIFs and shorts and kind of learning really quickly there.”

He would go on to be art director for the show “The Lucas Bros. Moving Co.,” before ADHD ended.

By then, he said, he was freelancing — making music videos for bands. One video he created was “Necessary Evil” for Unknown Mortal Orchestra, a group with which Solomon is set to tour beginning this spring.

“So, it like, kind of came full circle recently,” he said.

Solomon said he thinks about the way he creates visual art and music “like changing the channel on a TV.”

“Sometimes I’m in the headspace of making the animations, and sometimes I’m in the headspace of writing songs,” he said. “And I think if I didn’t have both that, I would get kind of bored and antsy. And, so, when I start to feel like my songwriting is getting stale or boring, I switch to animation, and they’re kind of like different parts of my brain.”

However, he said music is the most immediate of the two.

“Because you can sit down, pick up a guitar and write a song in one session, whereas with animation, it’s a little bit more…there’s a little bit more pre -planning involved,” he said.

Sean Solomon’s new album “The World is Not Good Enough” was released on April 17 via Anti-Records. It is available to order on his website and digitally on Bandcamp, Apple Music and other services. His first tour date is April 30 in Portland, Oregon, according to his website.

Soprano Katharina Konradi keeps her phone tuned in on Birdy’s ‘Fire Within’

German opera singer Katharina Konradi’s year seems to have started with a bang and is continuing on that trajectory. CAvi-music released her album “Un Cycle Imaginaire,” in which she sings with Daniel Heide accompanying her on the piano.

Last week, she was set to perform an evening of songs in German, Russian and French in West Yorkshire, U.K. And on Sunday, April 26, Konradi is set to sing at the Sala Principal in Valencia, Spain, with Julius Drake accompanying her on piano.

As always, Punk Rock Bach is curious how Konradi listens to music. And with such a mobile career, it may come as no surprise that she streams her tracks…

Editor’s note: Q&A has been lightly edited for style, syntax and typos.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

Katharina Konradi: I stream the music. I have a lot of CDs at home and I record CDs myself but I don’t have any CD player at home.

PRB: What are you listening to now?

Konradi: I feel a bit nostalgic so I listen to my old preferred albums: Patricia Kaas, Birdy and her album “Fire within” from 2011 and DOTA — the German song singer and writer Dota Kehrer.

PRB: What do you listen on?

Konradi: As I’m always on the road, a mobile phone is the most practical option to listen to the music for me. And for sure, I listen to the music live from orchestra and my colleagues while singing on the stage.

Katharina Konradi’s latest album “Un Cycle Imaginaire,” via the CAvi-music label, is available to order via various classical music shops — including PrestoMusic and Arkiv Music. Tickets for Konradi’s April 26 performance in Valencia, Spain, are available online.

Hitting pause on a music server and green-lighting DIY speakers

A few weeks ago, when I chatted with Bottlehead Co. Partner Jameson O’Guinn, he mentioned during our conversation he started down the DIY audio road with a speaker kit from Parts Express. For whatever reason, that part of his story really got my attention.

So much so, that I went ahead and purchased a pair of C-Note DIY speakers from Parts Express. I’ve hit the pause button on my “Lois X-1000” music server I started earlier, and focusing my attention on the C-Notes.

And I have a reason for taking a break from the Lois: soldering. The way I’m starting to envision the music server’s final construction, I’m fairly sure I’ll need to do some sort of soldering before it’s finished. Just one problem: I don’t have any soldering experience under my belt!

But the C-Notes can change that. Each of the two speakers has a cross over component — the electrical build that powers the tweeter and woofer drivers. From what I can tell, the soldering for each board is fairly straight forward and will serve as great practice for the Lois.

But before I begin with the electrical, I need to construct the cabinets. Fortunately, the C-Notes come with pre-cut medium-density fiber (MDF) boards that you glue together. Once constructed, the builder can finish the cabinets in a way that’s prettier than raw MDF board.

I’m going with two coats of shellac primer and then two light coats of wipe-on polyurethane. So far, I’ve applied the first coat of primer and have let that cured. I’ll apply the second coat this weekend, and coat the underside after the rest of the cabinet is complete.

Be sure to check back next week to see how the speaker project is going.

What I’m listening to

Katharina Konradi’s Q&A made me curious about her performances and what her voice sounds like — so I decided to hunt down her recent recordings: “Un Cycle Imaginaire” and a recording of some Mozart masses.

My first stop was the Metropolitan Opera gift shop at Lincoln Center — which has a wall of opera recordings and albums. But unfortunately, they did not have either Konradi albums for which I was looking.

So I just bought them online — NOT from Amazon, but rather one of the classical music stores. I’ve been listening to the albums since they arrived and they’re wonderful.

Konradi’s voice is resonate with beauty and grace. Pairing her voice with Daniel Heidi’s piano work really highlights her abilities. Meanwhile, on the Mozart masses, Konradi sings with a group on several of the piece.

Strongly recommend both albums, especially if you need a break from modern pop music.

Thank you for reading Punk Rock Bach! We’ll be back next week with more interviews, features and our brand of DIY attitude!

Rob McLean is the founding editor and writer of Punk Rock Bach. If you have a story idea, have a musician in mind you’d like to see featured in PRB or just want to say hi, email him at punkrockbach@gmail.com.

Artificial intelligence use statement (Last updated on April 22, 2026): No editorial content on Punk Rock Bach — written or visual — is created by AI. However, PRB does use Otter.AI, an AI transcription service, for interviews. Quotes are reviewed by a human for accuracy and context before being incorporated into coverage.

Additionally, the Punk Rock Bach avatar was generated by ChatGPT with prompts from PRB editor Rob McLean.

Punk Rock Bach will use artificial intelligence to audit previously published newsletters in an effort to improve quality of future issues. It will also use AI to craft “call to action” language to bolster engagement.

I’m doing something a little different with this week’s newsletter. Not only did I speak with RSD coordinator Rick Johnson about the day’s history and long-time Homer’s Records and Gifts manager MarQ Manner about what he’s seen in the RSD trenches, but I’m also giving a look at what Record Store Day releases I think are worth waking up for at the crack of dawn.

Onward!

From Taylor Swift to David Bowie: Vinyl lovers have a ton of limited edition and exclusive records coming on Record Store Day 2026

Expect plenty of Swifties to rush to Homer’s Music and Gifts shop in Omaha, Nebraska, as soon as the record store, which is credited by Visit Nebraska as having one of the best collections of vinyls in the state, opens its doors on Saturday.

Store manager and fellow Substacker MarQ Manner anticipates Taylor Swift fans coming out in droves on April 18 for “Record Store Day,” a bi-annual celebration of all things vinyl (there’s also an RSD event on Black Friday). It’s a day when major labels and musicians release exclusive record pressings of albums, new recordings and other related accoutrements that music lovers can only find that day in brick-and-mortar, independent record stores and not in chain stores such as Target and Walmart.

Among participating musicians is Swift, who is releasing her single “Elizabeth Taylor” on 7” vinyl on Saturday. Homer’s, located in Omaha’s historic Old Market District downtown area, has ordered more copies of the “Elizabeth Taylor” recording than any other exclusive record release slated for RSD, Manner told Punk Rock Bach.

Universal Music Group, which owns Republic Records — Swift’s U.S. label partner — did not respond to requests for comment about how many copies would be available of the single or the level of demand it expects to see for the RSD exclusive.

Other musicians and bands with records available Saturday include David Bowie, Wire, Ethel Cain and many others.

Manner said Homer’s has long been involved in Record Store Day, and was one of the first 300 stores nationwide to participate in the event.

“It is extremely successful for us,” he said.

Amoeba Records in Hollywood, California, said on Instagram that it will also have exclusive releases, limited edition t-shirts and goodie bags to mark RSD. Brooklyn-based For the Record, meanwhile, will start selling records at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Elsewhere in New York, Rough Trade Below at Rockefeller Center plans to have live acts during the day, including Superchunk, Incendiary and Friko, as part of iNDIEPLAZA 2026 — a performance on Rockefeller Center’s plaza.

Vinyl makes a comeback

Rick Johnson, Record Store Day’s coordinator, said the event dates back to around 2007 or 2008, and was started as a way to support independent record stores by incentivizing more people to visit them amid the dominance of digital music.

The founders, Michael Kurtz and Carrie Colliton, along with a few other record store owners, approached music labels and artists to ask if they would release a special pressing or recording on the third Saturday in April, according to Johnson, and make it available exclusively for sale in physical shops.

Fast-forward nearly 20 years and the third Saturday in April has become a regular celebration for music lovers around the world. Johnson said the event takes place in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, France, among other countries.

Top bands and musicians also show up to support the day. For instance, Lenny Kaye of The Patti Smith Group made an appearance at the RSD 2024 event at Schoolkids Records in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Despite streaming services like Spotify and Tidal making music available at any time, vinyl records are still widely popular. The Hollywood Reporter reported that vinyl revenue exceeded $1 billion in 2025 and sales grew more than 9% year over year.

“The vinyl boom started in the late 2000s as a more niche trend among audiofiles and indieheads, with alt-rock figures like Jack White serving as early trailblazers evangelizing the format,” the entertainment news publication reported.

While record lovers this Saturday will have a big list of albums and other exclusives to choose from, Manner said he has his eye on something with which many people may not be familiar.

“So there’s an artist named ‘MC 900 Ft. Jesus,’ a kind of obscure Hip Hop Jazz artist from the 90s,” he said. “I never thought I’d see this reissued on vinyl. I’m very excited for that.”

This article is also published on Bagable.com, which covers the latest news in retailing , consumer behavior and product innovation. It’s helmed by journalist and chief storyteller Parija Kavilanz. You can follow and subscribe to her newsletter here.

Lust over these 10 ear-worthy Record Store Day 2026 releases

Typically I’d be bellyaching about waking up early on a Saturday, but if it means adding an exclusive Pavement record or a Peaches picture disk to my collection — that’s 1,000% worth the effort!

I’ve curated a list of some choice albums available on Record Store Day. The full list is here, but here are 10 highlights I’m keeping an eye out for…

• Alice Cooper has a picture disk edition of his 2025 album “The Revenge of Alice Cooper,” via earMUSIC.

• Tony Bennett’s “MTV Unplugged” album will be released on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day, via Legacy Recordings.

• Bad Brains’ “Live” album is getting a release via Org Music.

  

• The legendary David Bowie is getting not one but TWO releases from Rhino: “Hallo Spaceboy,” which is a Pet Shop Boys remix of Bowie’s single and will be on neon pink vinyl, and “Excerpts from Outside,” which will come in clear vinyl.

• Dr. Demento will release a “Get Demented!” single via Demented Punk.

• Elemental Music Records is releasing Bill Evans’ “At the BBC: The Complete 1965 London Sets” as an RSD exclusive.

• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are releasing their album “Live At The Ritz NYC 1981” first on Record Store Day via Blackheart Records. Not an RSD exclusive, but available for the first time on that day.

• Pavement’s 1991 album “Perfect Sound Forever” will receive a repress for Record Store Day this year on white 10” vinyl, via the Matador label.

• Peaches’ latest album “No Lube So Rude” will be released on picture disk via the Kill Rock Stars label. This release is an RSD Limited Run/Regional Focus.

• Sonic Youth will see its record “Diamond Seas” — which includes live performances from 1995 and 1996, according to the RSD site — released first on Record Store Day, via Geffen.

Record Store Day 2026 is set for April 18, 2026. You can see the entire list of releases, as well as additional information, on the event’s website.

Like what you see and want more? Subscribe for free to Punk Rock Bach today!

Devlin and the Harm’s D. McCluskey puts his phone in a musical mode while listening on the go

In the run-up to Devlin and the Harm’s May 22 debut album, on Wednesday the band released its single “Kingdom Comes,” along with the song’s music video. Devlin McCluskey, who formed the band with Michael Nussbaum, according to a press release, called the song a “turning point.”

“My last band faded away, I'd lost touch with my friends, we were in this new dark era of American Society, and I just felt like if I didn't squeeze with all my might I'd float off into the abyss,” McCluskey said in the release. “I'd tried to write songs in the past that explore themes of sobriety, white knuckling, shame, failed relationships, and sort of battling personal demons while society crumbles in the background, but I never quite found the sound that makes me feel the depth of all those things. I wasn't looking to start a band, but 'Kingdom Comes' became a guiding light for the kind of music I wanted to make.”

This week, we take a look at what McCluskey listens to when he’s not making music of his own.

Editor’s note: Q&A has been lightly edited for style, syntax and typos.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

Devlin McCluskey: I’m embarrassed to say that I’m almost exclusively listening to streaming. I carve out my mornings for listening to music and try to go for a walk every day. And it’s insane and sometimes daunting to realize that the vast majority of recorded music is accessible one way or another through the phone.

PRB: What are you listening to now?

McCluskey: For the last year or so I’ve been listening to a ton of zamrock, Amanaz absolutely blows me away, and so does the Nigerian band Ofege. I don’t know if there’s something in the water, but my producer Alex Newport was independently getting into zamrock at the same time and we both sent each other playlists with a lot of the same artists, and it’s just got everything you want from 60s/70s psych or garage rock without the familiarity or cliche. In the last few years I came across Karen Dalton and was knocked out by “Something On Your Mind,” that whole album is such a great way to start out the day. Ted Lucas is another one that’s amazing.

One of the advantages of streaming (apart from getting discoveries like those) is you can deep dive into artists’ catalogues without too much thought or investment. I moved out to the desert last winter, and realized apart from my old drummer playing some songs, I’d never listened to much Nick Cave. So I spent a couple weeks listening to the entire Bad Seeds catalogue. Next up is Van Morrison’s catalogue.

As for newer artists, I love this band Kit that my friend Claire McKeown worked with who just released an amazing classic country track - the whole album that preceded it was great. And I’ve been listening to some Cotton Jones and the Mellows. Also a friend’s band Dmytryk released a cool EP.

PRB: What do you listen on?

McCluskey: Mainly the phone, it’s all about accessibility and mobility from the bedroom to the kitchen, to the garden, to the walk, and entering another world for a while.

When my dad was diagnosed with kidney failure he was put on dialysis and had to go for three hours, 3X a week. And when he started he absolutely hated it because he’d just sit there raw dogging the entire time. I asked if he wanted headphones to listen to music, but he kept refusing because he’d only worn airplane headphones. So we got a pair of over-ear Airpod Max for him, and he absolutely loved them and got to listen to classical music on his Chicago station WFMT every day for three hours. He still hated dialysis, but the headphones and the music made it slightly more tolerable. He passed away last year, and I’ve been using those headphones everyday. I love them.

Devlin and the Harms’ self-titled album is set to debut on May 22. It is available digitally for pre-order on Bandcamp. You can watch the “Kingdom Comes” music video on YouTube.

What I’m listening to…

With Saturday being Record Store Day, I’d be remiss if I didn’t listen to an actual vinyl record this week. It’s a short, but thrilling, pressing I only recently added to my collection — though a classic in long-time punk libraries: the Circle Jerks’ 1980 album “Group Sex.”

This is the 40th anniversary edition of the classic album and has some rehearsal tracks. The record brings more energy than eight cups of coffee! Great way to keep the afternoon lively.

Thanks for reading Punk Rock Bach! Want to read more? Be sure to subscribe for future issues, published every Thursday. You can read previously published issues here.

Until next time!

Artificial intelligence use statement (Last updated on April 2, 2026): No editorial content on Punk Rock Bach — written or visual — is created by AI. However, PRB does use Otter.AI, an AI transcription service, for interviews. Quotes are reviewed by a human for accuracy and context before being incorporated into coverage.

Additionally, the Punk Rock Bach avatar was generated by ChatGPT with prompts from PRB editor Rob McLean.

Finally, Punk Rock Bach will use artificial intelligence to audit previously published newsletters in an effort to improve quality of future issues.

Plus — Bottlehead Co., the company behind popular audio amplifier DIY kits like the Crack headphone amp and the Kaiju 300B, just announced a brand-new addition to its lineup. The company is also coming up on one year of new ownership. This week, I chatted with Jameson O’Guinn — one of the company’s partners — about what’s changed at Bottlehead since the purchase.

Onward!

Bratmobile’s Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman spin vinyl, stream and keep the radio star kicking

Bratmobile is on the loose! The punk band, a major player in the 90s Riot Grrrl scene, is having a renaissance — having just re-released its album “The Real Janelle + The Peel Session” via the Kill Rock Stars label and prepping to tour the West Coast.

At Punk Rock Bach, we’re curious what they’re listening to during their down time and commute time. This week, band members Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman share how they’re listening…

Editor’s note: Q&A has been lightly edited for style, syntax and typos.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

Allison Wolfe: These days, I usually listen to playlists I’ve meticulously made on Tidal/streaming. I also listen to music shows on terrestrial radio—mostly KXLU, and KCRW (especially the Henry Rollins show).

Molly Neuman: While I prefer to listen on the turntable, my reality is that I mostly listen to the radio. I live in LA and have a tween and am driving a lot between school drop off, going to work, dance class and home. We listen to two main stations on SiriusXM: Hits 1 for her and 1st Wave for me.

PRB: What are you listening to now?

Wolfe: I’ve been making politicized playlists to channel collective rage, so lots of The Coup, Downtown Boys, Public Enemy, Amyl & the Sniffers, Sistah Souljah, Babes in Toyland, Rebel Diaz, DAM. Some current bands I love are Death Valley Girls, Amyl & the Sniffers, Trap Girl, Snooper, Linda Lindas, Roselit Bone, The Okmoniks, Downtown Boys, Morgan & the Organ Donors.

Neuman: My favorite new album is Morgan Nagler’s “I’ve Got Nothing to Lose, and I’m Losing It.” It came out last week and it’s gorgeous and sincere and fun and captivating.

I can always listen to The Pretenders, Oasis, Pet Shop Boys, Raincoats, Prince and Rites of Spring.

PRB: What do you listen on?

Wolfe: At home, I usually listen to music streaming on a cheap disco-lit Bluetooth speaker. I also listen to music on the radio and vinyl on my Technics turntable. In the car, I usually listen to CDs ‘cause that’s all my old car does, which, I guess, is more than my old, old car did that only played 8-tracks.

Neuman: If I'm not listening to the car radio, realistically, it's going to be on Spotify or Apple Music.

Bratmobile re-released its album “The Real Janelle + The Peel Session” on March 20 via the Kill Rock Stars label. The album is available on vinyl and CD on the Kill Rock Stars website. Tickets for Bratmobile’s West Coast tour are on sale now. You can hear the band’s song “Brat Girl” here.

Music news from around the Internet…

• Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize’s Alexander Ridha are set to release a collaborative album, Pitchfork’s Walden Green reports. (Pitchfork)

• CNN’s Jack Guy and Amarachi Orie reported that London’s Wireless Festival was canceled after its headliner, Kanye “Ye” West, was prevented from coming to the United Kingdom. (CNN)

• Sabrina Carpenter has released a new music video, according to Pitchfork’s Alex Suskind and Walden Green. (Pitchfork)

• Rolling Stone’s Kory Grow says Jack White will perform at Coachella. (Rolling Stone)

• Billboard’s Lars Brandle reports that Russia has indicted Nadya Tolokonnikova, a co-founder of Pussy Riot, and added her to its federal wanted list. (Billboard)

Bottlehead Co. nears one year of new ownership as it launches ‘Paradyne’ amp

DIY audiophiles can dust off their soldering irons and tool belts. Bottlehead Co. is bringing a new DIY stereo amp kit to the community.

On Tuesday, the popular do-it-yourself stereo-kit maker announced the Paradyne 805A Monoblock Amplifier Kit, a 35-watts-per-channel amplifier that the company says, “delivers headroom, control, and scale that redefine what a single-ended amplifier can do with a wide range of loudspeakers.”

“This is a big step forward for our kits,” Bottlehead said in its product listing.

Jameson O’Guinn, a partner with Bottlehead, teased a new amp was in the works when I chatted with him last Saturday, before the Paradyne announcement.

O’Guinn is part of Middle-Age Kids Engineering, which bought the company almost a year ago. He said the company was formed for the purpose of buying Bottlehead.

“I had been a Bottlehead customer for years and years,” O’Guinn said, having earlier started his DIY audio journey with a speaker kit from Parts Express.

He said his first Bottlehead amp was a SEX 3 — that’s “Single Ended eXperimentation,” to be clear. The company currently sells the updated SEX 4 on its website.

“Essentially, I made just about everything in the lineup,” he said. “And then, I guess kind of June… or September of 2024 I reached out to [Bottlehead founders] Dan and Eileen [Schmalle] and asked whether a kit that I had found on eBay still was viable, and if it was, you know, good to build, and whether there were any things I needed to be concerned about.”

When Dan Schmalle replied, O’Guinn said, he told him that the kit was fine, but they were getting ready to sell the company and retire, and asked if O’Guinn would be interested in purchasing.

O’Guinn said he spoke with his family, conducted due-diligence and conferred with advisors. But he said it was after his mother took a listen via a Bottlehead amp that everything came together.

“She had heard music before through speakers, but she never heard anything quite like that. So from that moment, it was pretty much a done deal,” he said.

Since MAKE bought the company, O’Guinn said one of the biggest changes is something the customer might not immediately recognize: updating Bottlehead’s supply chain. He said the company previously ordered what it needed as purchases came in. O’Guinn said the company is now working to ensure a well-stocked inventory.

“And so a lot of the legacy Bottlehead website, information and newsletters and stuff all kind of pointed to the fact that when you ordered a kit from Bottlehead, it would take anywhere between two to eight weeks or more to ship,” he said.

The company’s turn-around is a lot shorter these days.

“Our approach has really been trying to get order fulfillment down from kind of six weeks to two days,” he said. “And we’ve done that for the most part.”

While the new owners have made some tweaks to Bottlehead’s website and forum infrastructure, O’Guinn said the company isn’t changing much at the core level.

“We’re really trying to kind of keep the recipe for what made Bottlehead successful in the first place, which was, you know, bringing really high quality audio equipment to the DIY builder so they can make their own sounds,” he said. “We’re trying to keep that in place as much as possible, and every decision we’re making is largely around, ‘how can we put out the best possible product at an approachable price that somebody can reasonably put together on their own?’”

For those audiophiles out there who love the idea of building your own Bottlehead — whether a new “Paradyne” or a “Crack” headphone amplifier — O’Guinn said he understands first-time builders might be nervous. With that in mind, the company is considering releasing a practice kit.

“We know that people are intimidated by this, and I think it’s always good to kind of cut your teeth on something a little basic, just to kind of understand what you’re getting yourself into before you blow 375 bucks and feel regret,” he said.

That being said, O’Guinn highlighted the detailed Bottlehead construction manuals and resources available online, such as the company’s forums and a list of tools a builder will need.

“You need patience more than anything, and then good lighting, and really beyond that, I think anybody can put these together,” he said.

Bottlehead’s new Paradyne 805A Monoblock Amplifier Kit and its other amp kits are available for purchase on the company’s website.

LAPÊCHE’s latest album shares an upbeat song that stems from a private struggle

A deeply personal song about fertility difficulties on LAPÊCHE’s recent album, “Autotelic,” is also one that’s fun to perform, Krista Holly Diem told me.

Diem is the frontwoman of LAPÊCHE, and the song is “Happy 4U.” Recently, we had a conversation about the band’s new album, “Autotelic,” which debuted on February 6.

“Happy 4U” is a song written during “years-long fertility struggles,” according to a summary from the band’s press reps.

Diem said she wasn’t nervous about putting her experience in the song, saying she always writes music from a personal place.

She said while writing it was cathartic, she also had in mind, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if I had heard a song about fertility issues and miscarriages while I was going through it?”

“That would have been really incredible to experience,” Diem said.

While the subject matter comes from a place of disappointment, Diem describes the song’s rhythm as “dancey.”

“I almost kind of have to put myself in another headspace to do it,” Diem said, explaining that while playing it she doesn’t let herself “think about or feel what I’m thinking.”

The album came together when the band members — who include Diem’s husband David Diem, as well as Drew DeMaio and Colin Brooks — started writing songs remotely.

“It just seemed like we were writing so much more and faster than we had before because we were all writing at the same time, basically, on different things” Diem said.

Diem said LAPÊCHE had “a handful of songs quickly” and would eventually narrow the play list to 10 songs, with the help of the musicians’ producer, Alex Newport.

Other tracks on the album include “Parallel Park” (which Diem notes is also fun to perform), “First Time Caller” and “When R U From.”

LAPÊCHE’s album “Autotelic” is available for order on both vinyl and digital via Bandcamp and other stores and is also streaming. It’s published via the Tiny Engines label. You can hear LAPÊCHE’s song “Happy 4U” on YouTube.

What I’m listening to…

Flea’s new album “Honora” is incredible — full stop. And that’s exactly what I’m listening to this week.

Admittedly, I may be biased. I think Red Hot Chili Peppers is among the greatest bands of the 20th century and I’ve recognized Flea since his modest-but-memorable part in the “Back to the Future” trilogy. His latest work — his first solo album — is solid!

My favorite track on the album is “Wichita Lineman,” with vocals performed by Nick Cave. Flea plays the flumpet on that one, and it’s a great version of the classic Jimmy Webb song.

Best pre-order I’ve made in a long time. Highly recommend.

Hope you enjoyed this issue of Punk Rock Bach. Missed a past issue? Check out our archive here. Be sure to subscribe to get next week’s edition sent straight to your inbox. See you next Thursday!

Artificial intelligence use statement (Last updated on April 2, 2026): No editorial content on Punk Rock Bach — written or visual — is created by AI. However, PRB does use Otter.AI, an AI transcription service, for interviews. Quotes are reviewed by a human for accuracy and context before being incorporated into coverage.

Additionally, the Punk Rock Bach avatar was generated by ChatGPT with prompts from PRB editor Rob McLean.

Finally, Punk Rock Bach will use artificial intelligence to audit previously published newsletters in an effort to improve quality of future issues.

Luckily, I still managed to make it to a record store to fill some holes in my music library — and one of my pick-ups is especially timely for NEXT week’s issue!

More on that toward the end of today’s newsletter. In the meantime, onward to this week’s Punk Rock Bach!

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Bach Disruption: A new album aims to shakeup classical music sensibilities

Curt Sydnor and Greg Saunier are re-thinking one of classical music’s celebrated composers.

Sydnor and Saunier — the later of whom is also a member of the band Deerhoof — are releasing a new album based on the work of Johan Sebastian Bach called “Bach Artillerie.” The album, which is set debut later this month, takes Bach’s work and infuses it with something more modern.

I sat down with Sydnor to discuss the album. He said the album’s concept started coming together after he and Saunier performed in a band playing music from another classical composer, Antonin Dvořák.

“Greg and I were part of a band eight or nine years ago that recorded a Dvořák string quartet for guitar, bass, drum and compact organ,” Sydnor said. “And ever since that experience, I’ve been interested in a way of approaching classical music with rock instruments, but not in a way that is reminiscent of earlier attempts to bring, like, a progressive rock approach to classical masterpieces.”

Sydnor, who studied music at schools such as Vanderbilt University and the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, said he has always been interested in Bach’s Goldberg Variations and set out to learn that “foundational, monumental work of keyboard literature.”

“And I felt that the baselines were so hip and the approach so ingenious that, you know, Bach’s approach to layering the lines of the cannons and propelling them with these very catchy bass lines. I thought, ‘Oh, this would be great,’” he said.

That line of thinking, however, could irk some traditional classical musicians.

“[The music is] kneecapped when you take it as a text that must be recited in a certain way,” Sydnor said. “So with this project, we were essentially in rebellion…traditional notions of how the music should be played, while feeling very strongly about Bach’s ideas towards it or what is actually on the page, knowing that Bach himself was constantly re-orchestrating his music, constantly repurposing it for different instruments.”

Bach Artillerie is set to debut on April 24 via Ernest Jenning Record Co. You can hear the single “Canon à la neuvième des Variations Goldberg” here.

Music News from Around the Internet

• The Los Angeles Times’ Vanessa Franko has a preview of music festival Coachella 2026. Quick heads-up: the article is paywalled. (The Los Angeles Times)

• Taylor Swift released a new “Elizabeth Taylor” music video, according to Variety’s Chris Willman. (Variety)

• NBC News’ Andrew Jones reports the Eurovision Song Contest will have an Asia version in November. (NBC News)

• In “what the heck?” news, Pitchfork’s Nina Cocoran reports that Bob Dylan — who, you’ll remember, is a Nobel laureate — has launched a Patreon. (Pitchfork)

The Weekly Stereo…

About two decades have past since the band White Denim first started serenading audiences — and the members aren’t done yet. They’ve got a new album coming out later this month titled simply “13” and prepping a tour to begin this May.

But when they’re not jamming, at least one member is enjoying songs with the rest of us music fans.

This week, Punk Rock Bach asks the band’s leader, James Petralli, about his listening habits.

Editor’s note: Q&A has been edited for style, syntax and typos.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

James Petralli: I listen to records at home with my family and mostly to public radio when I’m on the road. I stream as well but that is sort of a necessary evil for me. There isn’t much romance in that space — I prefer to own physical recordings and enjoy the process of discovery that the radio provides.

PRB: What are you listening to now?

Petralli: I bought Hungry Animal by Luke Temple and the cascading moms at a gig the other day and have been enjoying that very much. I like everything Luke does and this band is stellar. I like the most recent Dijon record. I feel like he and that crew are doing something very cool with the music. Speaking of that crew, the guitarist Ryan Richter has a great new album out. The concept and the playing are super sound. He kinda beat me to market with part of what he’s done conceptually. It’s a continuous long composition — fully out of step with modern media consumption. Truly brilliant music and tasteful tones and playing.

PRB: What do you listen on?

Petralli: I listen on a solid turntable connected to 70’s pioneer kit that is still in fairly good shape. I listen to the radio in a Toyota Tacoma. I am accustomed to beyer headphones in studio.

White Denim’s album “13” is set to release on April 24 via the Bella Union label. It is available for preorder on the band’s website. You can hear the band’s single “(God Created) Lock and Key” here. The band is set to begin touring in May.

The DIY Workbench…

USB input management is much more complicated than I expected in 2026.

As you’ll recall, I’m working to construct a no-internet digital music server for my digital albums and CD rips. Last week, I landed on where those music files will live: a Samsung 870 EVO Internal Solid State Drive, with 1 terabyte’s worth of space.

This week, the ripping begins! I have an LG Ultra Slim Portable DVD Writer hooked up to my MacBook Air and started ripping CDs with Apple Music to MPEG-4 files.

I had planned to rip to the higher-quality FLAC files, but I had some software issues with the freeware available. The way I figure, MPEG-4 is fine for now since I can upgrade the files later. Plus, it gives me reason to listen to the physical CD — which should sound better than the MPEG-4s.

You would think a DVD writer would be an easy plug-and-rip device. And it is…once you get past the USB chord! It comes with a Micro-B USB connector — a Micro-B plugs into the DVD writer and on the other end is a regular USB connector.

Of course, my MacBook Air only has USB-C inputs.

It took me two failed attempts at buying the correct adaptor, but I finally ordered the correct USB-to-USB-C plug-in.

Frustrating as hell, but I’ve finally started ripping my CD collection — starting with Flea’s new album, “Honora.”

An album, by the way, that is fantastic!

Hoping to have the device’s brain totally put together in the next week or two. Fingers crossed!

What I’m listening to…

Remember in the intro when I said one of my record store pick-ups was especially timely for NEXT week’s issue?

Well, this week’s “What I’m listening to…” gives a preview for next issue. Last Friday, I picked up Bratmobile’s “The Real Janelle b/w The Peel Session,” which has this incredible 90s verve that makes me forget I’m in my 40s.

My copy is a Record Store Day release in a purplish, deep magenta wax from last year, but the band just re-released the record on black vinyl on March 20 — through the Kill Rock Stars label.

Next week, Bratmobile’s Molly Neuman and Allison Wolfe are sharing with Punk Rock Bach what they’re using to listen to music these days.

Stay tuned…

That’s all for this week, but we’ll be back next Thursday!

Artificial intelligence use statement (Last updated on April 2, 2026): No editorial content on Punk Rock Bach — written or visual — is created by AI. However, PRB does use Otter.AI, an AI transcription service, for interviews. Quotes are reviewed by a human for accuracy and context before being incorporated into coverage.

Additionally, the Punk Rock Bach avatar was generated by ChatGPT with prompts from PRB editor Rob McLean.

Finally, Punk Rock Bach will use artificial intelligence to audit previously published newsletters in an effort to improve quality of future issues.

In this week’s Punk Rock Bach, we’re talking with Kris Kukul, music supervisor for Broadway’s new “Rocky Horror Show” production and opera singer Alasdair Kent about his headphones of choice. We’ve also landed on a Solid State Drive for the DIY music server I’m building and digesting music news from around the internet.

Onward!

‘Rocky Horror’ music supervisor calls Studio 54 venue ‘like kismet beyond’

The Studio 54 theater has something of a time warp on its hands.

The theater, once a space known for 1970s disco, celebrity sightings and night-time dancing, will be the home for Broadway’s production of the 1970s classic “The Rocky Horror Show.” The new show — which features Juliette Lewis, Rachel Dratch and Harvey Guillén, among others, and is directed by Sam Pinkleton — begins previews on March 26.

Kris Kukul, music supervisor for the production, said the Studio 54 venue was “like kismet beyond.”

“It’s like special sauce to it,” Kukul said. “I don’t think it made us go […] in any direction while we were making the show that we wouldn’t have gone in, but it’s like a little…it’s a really special thing that happened.”

Kukul is a New York theater veteran and previously served as music supervisor on the recent Beetlejuice musical and conductor for “Gutenberg! The Musical.”

Now, I know what you’re asking — “what the heck is a music supervisor?”

That’s the person who, behind the scenes, oversees every musical aspect of the production. And in the case of “Rocky Horror,” Kukul said that means making sure the songs fit the singers, molding the score for this particular production and even putting the band together.

“And this is a small band, you know, just a rock band, a rock band with a saxophone,” he said. “So, we had to find people who really are amazing rock players.”

The name “Rocky Horror” conjures images of midnight movie showings with the “Time Warp” song blasting and lots of baked-in audience participation. According to Playbill’s Kieron Cindric, who has a run-down of the film audience interactions here, viewers will shout phrases like “How’s your sex life, Brad?” and “Not the night, but the day…” at the screen as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” film plays.

Kukul said the minds behind this Broadway production both expect those call-outs will happen, but also that audiences might be a bit more reserved.

“You know, they’re like the traditional things that people call out. I’m sure it’s gonna happen,” Kukul said. “We don’t really know what to expect, which is kind of exciting.”

As for the musical numbers in the latest production, Kukul said he has a few favorites.

“There’s a song called ‘Over at the Frankenstein Place,’ which is the third song in,” he said. “Which is not one of the more-known songs, but it is just one of those songs that, every time it starts, I just absolutely love it.”

He also highlighted an eight-minute sequence toward the end of Act Two that shifts around in styles.

“It’s a thrilling piece of music,” Kukul said.

“The Rocky Horror Show” starts on March 26 and is set to run until June 21 at the Studio 54 Theater (254 West 54th Street) in Manhattan.

Music News from Around the Internet

• Rolling Stone’s Nathan Brackett takes a look at the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Era of AI in Music.” (Rolling Stone)

• The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” album is getting an “audiophile pressings” for its 60th anniversary, NME’s Liberty Dunworth reports. (NME)

• FKA twigs has sued 90s band the Twigs, Pitchfork’s Nina Corcoran reports. At issue, Corcoran says, is a trademark. (Pitchfork)

• ICYMI: Flea, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’s base player, spoke with The New York Times about his first solo album, “Honora.” The album is set to release March 27. (The New York Times)

The Weekly Stereo…

This week, opera singer Alasdair Kent — who performs on Aparté Music’s new recording “Traetta: Ifigenia in Tauride” — shares how he fills his listening time with song both at home in Switzerland and on the road.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and precision. It was conducted with the assistance of Otter.AI transcription, an artificial intelligence service, but reviewed by Punk Rock Bach for accuracy before publication.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

Alasdair Kent: So a lot of this comes down to my style of living. So I'm on the road for 10,11, or something, 12 months of the year, so it's impractical for me to carry around CDs or vinyls or these kind of things, unfortunately. So any of the music I listen to is used digital in some way. And usually I would be listening to things… I have a kind of, sort of a database of CDs of operas and recital discs in some cases, you know, I think I have 25 or 30 different recordings of, say, for instance, some really popular operas like “Lucia di Lammermoor.”

PRB: What are you listening to now?

Kent: It's pretty common that I will be listening to if I'm learning a new role, I might listen to that. So at the moment, I'm in the middle of some concert performances and also a recording of a Mozart opera called “Ascanio in Alba” and so I listened to a couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a few different the recordings that already existed [of] this opera, just to get an idea of what people kind of expect from this opera and how that happens. At the same time, I've also been listening to some Tchaikovsky orchestral music.

PRB: What do you listen on?

Kent: Well, usually I use my phone, I would have to say. I have an iPhone, and I listen to that. If I'm at my computer, then I will listen with Media Monkey, and then my beautiful Bose. What are they? Quiet Comfort. I want to say 45, QC 45’s, I think they are.

Aparté Music released “Traetta: Ifigenia in Tauride,” directed by Christophe Rousset, on March 20. Kent’s performance includes an aria on track 47 of the album, which is available on Bandcamp.

The DIY corner…

As you’ll recall, this is the part of the newsletter in which Punk Rock Bach logs the construction of the Lois X-1000: a no-internet music server I’m planning to connect straight into my hi-fi stereo system.

I explained the basic brain of the device last week. This week, construction has stalled for a few reasons — but I have made some progress on selecting an internal Solid State Drive, the server component on which my music files will live.

I’m going with a Samsung 870 EVO Internal SSD, with 1 terabyte’s worth of space — which will connect to the Raspberry Pi via a SATA-to-USB 3.0 chord. It’s enough space to hold many (!!!) digital albums, whether they’re saved as FLAC files, MP3s or other formats.

Once I purchase the SSD, I’ll start loading my CDs — mostly collected during the 1990s, but I have a few more recent recordings also that I’ll be adding to the archive.

More on that front next week.

Punk Rock Bach joins Instagram

Social media is unavoidable. And while I’m still trying to stay away from TikTok, Instagram feels like a natural fit for Punk Rock Bach.

And so I’m pleased to present Punk Rock Bach on Instagram. I’ll be posting short previews of the Thursday newsletter there, along with re-posts from other music news sites and musicians.

Follow PRB at instagram.com/punkrockbach.

Here’s what I’m listening to…

Covering “The Rocky Horror Show” got me into a 1970s kind of mood this week. And no group shouts out loud “1970s rock” more than KISS.

I’ve been listening to my re-issue copy of the 1975 “KISS Alive!” album on vinyl. It’s a favorite I enjoy coming back to periodically, and this week seemed like an appropriate time.

For the record: No — per Snopes, the band’s name does NOT stand for “Knights in Satan’s Service.”

That’s all for this week. Until next Thursday!

Have a suggestion on music news to cover or album releases to note? Email me at punkrockbach@gmail.com!

The Weekly Stereo…

In every issue of Punk Rock Bach, we’re aiming to bring you musician listening habits and the tech they use to play a tune.

This week, Ben Easton of the band deary shares with Punk Rock Bach his recent exploration into film soundtracks and kitchen habits.

Punk Rock Bach: How do you prefer to listen to music?

Ben Easton: Vinyl is the ultimate listening experience, it’s magical, so I’m a firm advocate for that. However, for my sins, I mostly stream music.

PRB: What are you listening to now?

Easton: It’s always a bunch of different things. Right now, I’m trying to listen to more film soundtracks. There’s a beautiful track called ‘Personal Contact’ by Michel Colobier from a 1970 film called “Colossus: The Forbin Project”. The strings are just gorgeous. I’ve also been listening to ‘Slint - Spiderland’ a lot lately. It’s such a pure record.

PRB: What do you listen on?

Easton: I’ve got a Pioneer PLX 500 in my kitchen, so end up sticking records on when I’m making dinner etc. Otherwise, it’s a phone!

deary’s debut full-length album, Birding, is set to release on April 3 from Bella Union. You can listen to their single “Seabird” here.

Music News from Around the Internet…

• Spice Girls singer Mel C told an Australian radio program that there will be no 30th anniversary reunion tour for the group, but said the members “want to do something,” NME’s Alex Rigotti reports. (NME)

• The Hollywood Reporter’s Ethan Millman reports singer Lorde has confirmed she is now an independent artist. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Rainelle Krause, who recently performed as Queen of the Night in the Metropolitan Opera’s “The Magic Flute,” has died at age 37, according to The Los Angeles Times’ Christie D’Zurilla. (The Los Angeles Times)

• Peter Frampton is set to release his first album in 16 years this May, according to Pitchfork’s Jazz Monroe. Frampton, Monroe reports, had previously been diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease. (Pitchfork)

• Rolling Stone’s Daniel Kreps reports that guitarist Phil Campbell of Motorhead has died. He was 64. (Rolling Stone)

The DIY corner…

As I continue to fine-tune this newsletter, I’ll be adding sections periodically. This week, I’m adding “The DIY corner,” where I’ll be discussing do-it-yourself hi-fi stereo builds I’m planning and constructing.

Streaming music…

I don’t know about you, but I get that giggling-in-church sense of guilt when I access songs from the cloud rather than listen with intention to an album I purchased.

Digital music has become so communal that we’ve lost that special connection with our favorite albums. Or at least it did for me.

And that’s why I’m ditching streaming music altogether. I long ago abandoned Spotify for data collection reasons, but I kept Amazon Music around. Now I’ve ended my use of that streamer, too, and sticking with the music I’ve collected over the years — including all the digital albums I’ve purchased.

No offense to the world’s music streaming audience, it’s just not for me.

But how does one keep those digital albums purchased in rotation in a world where digital hi-fi stereo components are almost exclusively streamers?

Behold! The Lois X-1000 local music server!

First, some basics. A music server is a computer that sits in your stereo system with saved digital music files. It is your digital music library saved locally — no need for the device to be internet-connected.

Dedicated music servers are obsolete by about a decade. Sony made some — such as the HAP-S1 and its more impressive sibling, the HAP-Z1ES. But in 2026, internet-connected devices that play music from the cloud are all the rage. Search audio stores like Crutchfield and you’ll find lots of ways to stream, but very little in the way of a dedicated music server.

Very few items are available commercially that meet my need, so I’m going to build one.

It may sound daunting, but I suspect it will be an easier lift than expected — especially since I’ll be using a Raspberry Pi running the Volumio operating system.

The Raspberry Pi is a small computer, about the size of a credit card. Tech enthusiasts use it for all sorts of engineering projects. Volumio — an open-source, music-focused operating system — is saved or “flashed” to a micro SD card, which inserts into the Pi.

That’s about where I stand with the server’s construction at the moment. In the next few weeks, I’ll show my progress on the server’s construction — from connecting a solid-state drive that has my music files saved to adding a digital-analog converter so I can actually hear those files.

Stay tuned…

Here’s what I’m listening to…

Going forward, I’ll end each newsletter with a quick note of what I’m listening to this week. Think of it as a weekly suggestion of an album to check out, past and present.

This week, I’m listening to former Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon’s new album “Play Me” (Matador Records). It has a 90s grunge vibe that I really quite like.

That’s all for this week. Until next Thursday!

Join me — journalist Rob McLean — as I explore all things modern music with an eye for the analog. In this weekly newsletter, we’ll be exploring everything from live performances to instrument craftsmanship, from album sales to opera singers, and with a “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll” attitude.

Granted, the drugs are lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide, but no matter!

The failed high school trombonist…

I’m Rob McLean, your tour guide on this sound adventure. I’ve worked for some of the best journalism organizations over the years — including CNN and most recently NBC News.

While I’ve covered Washington political developments, tech news out of Silicon Valley and the roller coaster of stock market movements in New York City, music has always been my favorite reporting subject.

In the past, I’ve covered London Goth metal, “Hardcore” showcases, local St. Louis rock bands and developments in the opera world. And while other music news outlets are doing amazing work, I want to do my part to contribute to this moment of music journalism.

Maybe it’s teenage regrets that attract me to music.

I was never in a cool punk band or rocked out on a guitar back in high school. I was a BAD high school trombonist — playing in marching band, orchestra and jazz band. I was usually last chair, and could never learn to read music — I just can’t hear it in my head when I look at the page!

But I’ve always enjoyed listening to songs and symphonies. I’ve had season tickets to The Metropolitan Opera in New York. I remember the first punk band concert I went to as an Omaha teen — seeing “The Fonzies” (or something like that).

So, while I can’t play anything well, this is a way I can celebrate music — and I hope you’ll join me.

The Weekly…

Each week, I’ll bring you coverage on all things music. We’ll dive into the world of rock, classical, punk, opera, choral, R&B, jazz and every other genre under the sun. Yes, even country.

Have something in mind you’d like me to cover? Send me a note at punkrockbach@gmail.com.

I’ll be honest: You probably won’t see a lot of marching band coverage, but you never know!

Music News from Around the Internet

This is our weekly curated list of music news. I’ll be combing the likes of Pitchfork, Spin, Rolling Stone and other legacy music news sources (RIP Mtv News), and share links to their coverage.

This week…

• Pitchfork’s Kiana Mickles reports singer Dionne Warwick filed a countersuit against Artist Rights Enforcement Corp. — which sued Warwick in December. (Pitchfork)

• Rolling Stone’s Daniel Kreps reports Country Joe McDonald has died at age 84. (Rolling Stone)

• Modest Mouse has its first new song out after a five-year stretch, per Pitchfork’s Walden Green. (Pitchfork)

• The New York Times’ Joshua Barone reports the Washington National Opera — which exited the Kennedy Center earlier this year — has restarted performances. (The New York Times)

• The Hollywood Reporter’s Ryan Gajewski has a story on comedian Patton Oswald cracking on Timothée Chalamet’s comments about opera and ballet. ICYMI, NBC News has a write-up of what Chalamet said. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Show me yours, I’ll show you mine…

The days of every household having hi-fi stereo equipment may have come and gone, but if you’re anything like me you still want an amazing way to listen to your music. Today’s musicians and industry professionals do, too!

Every week, we’re aiming to show off the listening space of music professionals who are releasing albums, on tour, have an upcoming show, etc. Maybe the musician is streaming Spotify on her phone or is pulling out a CD for his home system — however they listen to music, we want to see it!

For this inaugural issue, I’m showing off my modest (and frankly in need of an upgrade) listening station.

Behold! My Jensen 3-speed stereo turntable. The front control panel has become unglued, but it still spins a record.

I’m eager to upgrade — and I have a project in mind on that front. More on that later…

Transparency

As a journalist, transparency is wildly important to me. I want to be honest in my coverage and sincere in everything I publish on this platform.

I will make mistakes in my coverage, whether that’s a name typo or describing poorly an upcoming performance or album.

What I can promise, though, is that if I make a mistake, I will be honest about that error and work to fix it.

Use of A.I.

No editorial copy or photographs published on Punk Rock Bach will be created by artificial intelligence. Period.

I have a difficult relationship with the idea of artificial intelligence. On the one hand, it’s the technology that will change the world (for better or worse). On the other hand, it torpedoes critical thinking, human ingenuity and creativity.

But what about Punk Rock Bach’s avatar? Yes – that was created with A.I., and ChatGPT specifically.

I used ChatGPT to create an image I think is eye-catching and gets across what I’m trying to do editorially with this publication. I may replace it down the road. But for now, it’s the one A.I. exception that proves the rule.

I’m admittedly hypocritical.

Happy Trails

I hope you’ll join me on this sonic expedition. Until next Thursday!