Sci-Fi, Horror, Paranormal, Punk, DIY, Music, Art, Travel
Night Dangers. Ever since I heard this band a couple years ago, I've been hooked. Then Andrew Philp, the main Night Danger-er, sent me a copy of their soon-to-be-released full length record and whooooooo yeah, it was time for an interview. This Bobcast feautures an interview with Andrew about all kinds of stuff - music, mental health, the Midwest “sound”, who would win in a fight - Prince or Bob Stinson (that's totally not in this episode besides they're both dead how fucked do you think I am???) and more! Oh yeah, there are TWO ghost stories in this one as well, one by Andrew, one is a VERY SPECIAL GUEST (Hi Mono!). Music-wise, there's a brand new Bobcast theme song by What Me Worry? and three Night Dangers songs - “All I Need”, “This Time” and “Let Myself Down Tonight”.
Canada is well known for hokey, poutine and cold weather. Eh? Yes, I also know Canada for Corner Gas and some of the best punk rock in the world (Anti-Queens, duh!). What about the ghosts and cryptids of our friendly neighbors to the north? Not content with another episode about Waverly or Whaley House, in this one, I turn to Gina and Victoria of Haunted History BC, those Canadian Mavens of Morbid Mayhem, for answers. We'll talk about the sisters' history in the paranormal, how they conduct investigations, their mascot, Onyx The Crow and more. The “more” being several stories of Canadian haunted places and cryptids!!! Good stuff, eh? Last “eh?” joke, I promise. Those Pennsylvanian Purveyors of PUNK, Advocaat, generously grace us with the song “Ghost” in this one, too. BOOOO, eh!!! Sorrrry about that.
Robyn Johnson has a very special family. Three generations of women that have experienced high strangeness in a multitude of ways. In this episode of the Bobcast, we'll hear a little of Robyn's strange and lovely family history and one particular paranormal event. A ghost story. Robyn's ghost story.
Dude Vs. Food! Josh of Rad Girlfriend Records and The Raging Nathans isn't one to back down from a challenge. In this case, Josh took on “The Big Texan” steak eating thing in Amarillo, Texas. Raging Nathans were on tour at the time this episode was released, kept seeing the billboards for The Big Texan on the I-40 and answered thr call. Here's Josh's story in all of it's gory glory.
2021 is dead. Long live 2021? No. Long live the MUSIC of 2021, though. Especially the incredible selection of songs I played on The Bobcast in 2021. So here we go, let's put the final stake in the heart of the worst year of recent memory - for so many of us, by listening to some RAD songs! We're gonna count ‘em down, my favorite songs that were played on The Bobcast in 2021 from 10 to 1. Spolier Alert! Here's the list of songs:10 - Ship Thieves “Hercules Stomp”9 - Ricky “Spare Me”8 - Get Married “Astrozombies”7 - Night Dangers “Another Nightmare”6 - Airstream Futures “Cemetery Sparrow”5 - Parker “Ruin My Life”4 - The Lungs “Vizitant”3 - No Small Children “Radio”2 - Vudu Sister “The Girl Who Stood On A Grave”1 - Houseghost “Yellow Wallpaper”The best of the best, the cream of the crop. Happy New Year and here's to a much better 2022. Cheers, loves!
Welcome to the final episode in the “Ghost Stories” series! This one carries on the tradition of telling ghost stories during the Yuletide season with three tales of haunting encounters with the unknown. Grace and Vivi of The Ghosty Girlz, Pretty Fn Spooky Amanda Paulson and Craig Owens of Bizarre Los Angeles are your storytellers in this episode, plus, Ivy and Hannah of The Ghoulstrip Podcast will regale you with some ghost stories from Alcatraz. Music of the episode by Angry Snowmans with a very fitting little number, “Ebeneezer Uber Alles”. Collide provides their hauntingly lovely verison of “Haunted (When The Minutes Drag)”.
Chicago! Upside down pizza! Hotdogs served with a baseball bat sized pickle! Kayne West? Sears Tower? What else? I say, who gives a rat's ass about all that other stuff, the best thing outta Chicago since ever is Airstream Futures! This episode is an interview with the band plus two songs - “Brighter Blue” and “Faster Than You Know”. Once you listen to this band's music, you'll be hooked, just like me. Plus they're super fun to drink with and sit around with on a Saturday in the park. I think it was the 4th of July? Ooops. Wrong CHICAGO band.
What would possibly make Halloween of 2021 more GRIM than a special episode all about the Brothers Grimm? Nothing! That's why I did it! This is what you'll get in this episode: A brand new Celluloid Catacombs with Carolyn Mauricette, this time she's talking all about the 2005 confusion fest of a film starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. This edition of The Celluloid Catacombs is brought to you by Wicked Cat Clothing, the world's finest horror, halloween and paranoral themed clothiers. Next, we'll take a brief look at the history of the Brothers Grimm, then the stories. Oh, the stories. We're going to talk about a few of the Grimm stories, with commentary by the author of the Webworld Trilogy and San Diego-based filmmaker, Ben Johnson. Ben's going to tell the basic stories, as he remembers them and I'll come in and fill in the GORY details. Finally, I'll read the full gloriously ghoulish tale “The Robber Bridegroom”. Body parts, wicked murderers and talking birds. Perfect for Halloween! Music of the episode by Murder By Death with their rendition of the Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs classic “Little Red Riding Hood”, plus Austrailian punk rockers Bodyjar with the song “Fairytales”. Brought to you by Wicked Cat Clothing, Sticker Junkie and Midwife Made Naturals.
Pleasant Gehman makes a triumphant return to the Bobcast in this, the final installment of a three part interview series. This time, we're talking paranormal - ghosts, witchcraft, psychic abilities, UFOs and more! Pleasant has the best stories and as you'll find out, also the spookiest and most-appropriate-for-Halloween stories! You'll also hear all about the Ramones Ducks in this one. A group of critters that live at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and heed the quacking call of “Blitzkreig Bop” at mealtime every day. No kidding. This episode must be heard to be believed! Music of the episode by Sceamin Sirens with the song “Rare And Daring”. Brought to you by Wicked Cat Clothing and Good Life Digestive Health.
Here it is, the long-awaited series finale of the Paranormal Ponderings episodes! We've covered paranormal investigating and ghosts, haunted places and haunted history, witchcraft, magic and tarot, cryptids, UFOs and now, we're going to tie ALL of them together. As much as that's possible? Here's a hint - maybe Bigfoot was the inspiration for Chewbacca? Maybe Bigfoot IS Chewbacca? That would be something, wouldn't it? Well, we'll dive into the ties that bind the paranormal together, plus religion, super heroes, myths, conciousness and the ever-elusive third eye we all might have. All subjects covered in Mike's latest paranormal phenomenon of a book, “Stranger Than Fiction”. Which you should read. Music of the episode courtesy of the band Light Years with the spooky love song “I Met You On Halloween” (I don't know if it's a spooky song or not, but it sounds like it). Brought to you by Midwife Made Naturals.
Ghost Stories return to the Bobcast just in time for BOBTOBER! That's right, Bobtober. It's like October, only better. This is just the beginning of the spooky content all month long on the Bobcast, so hop on that broom and prepare to live deliciously. Four tales of the strange, the paranormal and weird encounters with the unknown are told in this episode by four of today's paragons of the paranormal. Katie Burr has a tale from 2010 and some high strangeness in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Alex Matsuo tells the story of a jealous spirit that followed her home from an extended stay in the hospital. Troy Taylor talks of the Mineral Springs Hotel in Alton, Illinois and the guests that might not have ever checked out. And the FINAL DESTINATION of the episode is a VERY scary tale told by Cherise Williams of a recent paranormal investigation of the Indiana State Sanitorium. These stories will definately get you in the mood for Spooky Season(tm). Music of the episode by Vudu Sister, with the very haunting “Credite Mihi”. Brought to you by Good Life Digestive Health and Sticker Junkie.
Michael Crusty of Crusty Media and The Miserable Failure Podcast comes aboard the Bad Ship Bobcast to play some songs and talk about the Halloween movies! And other stuff, we do talk about the bands and the music. That is our job as music journalists of the highest caliber. You'll get 10 songs in this episode - 5 picked by me, 5 picked by Mr. Crusty. Here's a track listing, in the order in which they're played in the episode:1. Doghouse Rose “Last Time”2. The Bollweevils “Liniment & Tonic”3. Hangtime “Too Many Days”4. Night Dangers “Another Nightmare”5. Lawless Sons “Mufasa”6. Sad Girlz Club “I Think I'm Ready”7. No Big Deal “A Million Things”8. Parker “Ruin My Life (Live)”9. Nothing Serious “Blabbermouth”10. Riverboat Gamblers “Bonzo Goes To Bitburg”Also, Carolyn Mauricette makes her triumphant return to The Bobcast with another installment of The Celluloid Catacombs! This time around, Carolyn is discussing the “Insidious” franchise of movies. Super-duper-spooky stuff! Brought to you by Midwife Made Naturals and Pomps Not Dead Pomade.
Mike Wiebe of The Riverboat Gamblers and Drakulas. He's the tall, good looking one that jumps around and sings in both bands, by the way. Mike sets sail on the WeirdBoat, the Bobcast, to talk about paranormal stuff, his bands and more in this episode. Strange car rides on Santa Fe Baldy in New Mexico, strange lights in the sky in Denton, Texas and a Goatman. And the Goatman's Bridge. Creepy, spooky and awesomely atrotious stories, in other words. Plus, a retelling by yours truly of one of the many legends that surround Goatman's Bridge in Denton, Texas. I personally would not visit Goatman's Bridge. Too scary, especially after I read all about it. Yikes. Music of the episode provided by Drakulas and the Riverboat Gamblers with the songs “Dark Black” and “Don't Bury Me (I'm Still Not Dead)” respectively.
UFOs fall under the (very large) umbrella that is “The Paranormal”. There, I said it. I guess it's not really a controversial opinion, it's just that many people don't think of UFOs from a “paranormal” point of view. Why not? Paranormal is simply defined as “something science can't explain” and if that ain't THE definition of UFO, I don't know what is. Regardless, this Bobcast episode is another dive into the realm of the paranormal, this time all about UFOs. Aaron Gulyas, author, educator, historian and host of The Saucer Life podcast joins us to talk a little about conspiricies, UFO lore and history and creepy black Cadillacs. Music of the episode is provided by those Canadian Creeps, The Band From Planet X. Brought to you by Good Life Digestive Health.
Mike Damante won me over a while ago with his “Punk Rock and UFOs” series of books, a mind-blowing series on paranormal weirdness and UFO related wildness. Mike's latest book, “Hey Suburbia” also won me over - but in a different way. “Hey Suburbia” talks about punk rock, pop-punk and emo of the 1990's and early 2000's, mostly. There's nostalgia, to be sure. But there's also quite a bit about the course and trajectory of punk rock from those golden days up to the present day. Let me tell you, I listened to a bunch of Jimmy Eat World after I read the book, I cannot tell a lie. But I also looked at the future of punk rock in a different light after reading the book. With more hope, I should say. Well! Mike joins the Bobcast to talk all things PUNK in this episode, from how it all started for him, to answering that age old question - were big punk bands of the 90's (that were successful) sell-out's? Listen and find out! Also, Michael Crusty stops by with a brand new edition of Crusty's Corner to talk with Nick from Canadian Rock Wrestling and play a PUNK song by Debt Cemetery. Lastly, War On Women appear in the episode with the song “White Lies”, which was hand picked by Mr. Damante just for this episode! Let's get PUNK with Mike Damante and freinds!
Welcome to the first edition of a new series of Bobcast episodes, simply titled “Haunted Harmonies”. With these episodes, you'll hear a little bit about the history and haunts of a particular paranormally active location, which is located somewhere in this great big haunted world of ours. Along with the history and haunts, let's throw a band interview - a short one - into these episodes, because the Bobcast is PUNK. The rule is, the band has to be from the same town or area as the featured haunted location. In this case, we're talking about San Diego, California's Villa Montezuma, with the band of the episode being Come Closer. San Diego has a TON of haunted places, but I'm telling you, Villa Montezuma is the King/Queen of the Haunt Heap. Come Closer is likewise the cream of the crop in a sea of amazing bands from San Diego. The tales of strangeness from Villa Montezuma, the interview with J from Come Closer, a song titled “Get It Wrong” by Come Closer, this episode has it ALL. Brought to you by Good Life Digestive Health.
The band Spider, from the Los Angeles area, has pulled something off that not many bands have truly been able to do. They've taken the sound and the fury of 1980's LA punk and hardcore and turned it into their own thing. A magical and perfectly punk thing, at that. Don't think I'm saying the band lives in the past! No, Spider does their own thing, while hearkening back to the glory days of LA punk and hardcore. Hector Martinez, the singer/vocalist of Spider stops by The Bobcast to talk about the band, punk rock stuff, ghosts, UFOs and more! Two songs by Spider are in this episode, “Energy Gone Wrong” and “The Reeperbahn”. Presented by Good Life Digestive Health.
The Two Minutes Of Terror podcast is a subsidiary podcast under the I Wanna Party With Bob Ltd. Inc. corperate umbrella of fine audio products. They're short - two to four minutes in length, perfect for today's short and spooky attention spans. You'll hear TWO of these terrifying episodes in this installment of The Bobcast, both “ghost stories” which were pulled from the atrotious archives of amazing paranormal material here at The Bobcast. The first tale is of Fernando and his encounter with a “Hat Man”, the second tale is by Gared and features a figure that had been HANGING AROUND his house after he first moved in. The stories are retold (by yours truly) and augmented with sound fx and otherworldly orchestrations. The song of the episode provided by the band Batsh@t Crazy. Tune in and prepare to be terrorized!
The long-awaited return of the “Ghost Stories” series. Yes, 8 months, to be exact. Well! Are you in for some chilling tales in this episode? You are, so please join me on this journey into the boundless realm of the supernatural. Ghost Stories Volume IV is the name, scaring the pants off of you is the game. There are stories by paranormal investigators Kinedy of The Haunted Times, Amanda of Spook-Eats, Courtney of The Ghoul Guide and Amanda Paulson of Pretty Fn Spooky. And Gregory, we mustn't forget Gregory. All of the stories are amazing, each one has something very spooky and special to offer. The locations in which the stories take place, you ask? The Thomas House in Tennessee, Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky, the Ghost Light Theatre in New York and the grand finale, the Lizzie Borden House in Massachusetts. I hope I spelled “Massachusetts” correctly. BOOOO me. if I did not. The Celluloid Catacombs also returns in this episode, this time, Carolyn Mauricette is discussing the film “In Fabric”, a tale of a haunted red dress. The fittingly fearsome music of the episode provided by Airstream Futures and The Lungs.
Pleasant Gehman returns to The Bobcast with a brand new episode and more stories, more magical mayhem that is the life of the incredible person, the Princess Of Hollywood, Pleasant Gehman! This time around we're talking about Pleasant's writing and dancing careers. Pleasant's been doing both most of her whole life, to great effect. Though she has written mostly non-fiction stories of her life through the years, she's the first person I've heard of that a publisher told “we can't run this as fiction, it's too crazy!!!”. That's the life of Pleasant Gehman in a nutshell. Music of the episode by Screamin' Sirens and those songs are “I Heard About You” and “Nine Times To Live” off of 1987's “Voodoo”. Oh! The song “Voodoo” is also soothingly serenading you in the intro and outro background of the episode.
What is a cryptid? The easy answer is - some type of creature/being/entity that is said to exist, but has never been proven to exist. Bigfoot, Nessie, Normie, Thunderbirds, you get the idea. Cryptids do fall under the catagory of paranormal phenomena in the sense that we just don't know WHAT they are, so here we are talking about cryptids in a Paranormal Ponderings episode. Josh and Tamara of The Hex-Files Podcast join me in this episode to talk about a Bigfoot investigation they went on fairly recently, we'll discuss the cryptids of their home state of North Carolina and also do a rhetorical “Battle Royale” type of thing with Bigfoot Vs. Mothman, that kind of thing. Who would win? Listen and find out! Music of the episode provided by The Weakerthans with the song “Bigfoot” and The Marred with the song “A Hidden Presence”. So, press play and let's go look for Bigfoot! The Weakerthans appear courtesy of Epitaph Records
Welcome to the third and final (for now?) episode in the UFO Stories series! This one has five stories of UFO sightings, told by the witnesses themselves. Sarah Snallygaster, Miski Dee Rodriguez, Jessica Komassa, Davey Tilt and Mike Damante have popped in from the Ultraverse to tell their tales of strange lights and objects in the sky. Mike Damante is the author of the “Punk Rock and UFOs” series of books, so we'll spend a little more time with him to talk more indepth all about UFOs, the recent Pentagon UAP report, Mike's history with the paranormal and more! Carolyn Mauricette will fly by with another installment of The Celluloid Catacombs, this time talking about the parasitic alien thriller “The Puppet Masters”. The “Out Of This World” melodies in this episode are provided by The Ejected, Striker and Get Married and guess what? ALL THE SONGS ARE ABOUT ALIENS OR UFOS. Well, the Get Married song is a cover of The Misfits song “Astrozombies, so that counts, right? This whole Interstellar Episode is brought to you by Ethletic Shoes, the finest vegan, fair trade and sustainably sourced shoes in the land. Pop on that tin foil helmet and give this one a listen!
Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to the Miserable Failure / Bobcast music episode! Michael X. Crusty Esq. the Third joins me in this episode to play some songs and talk about them. Here's a track listing, hosers - 1. The Fullblast - All I Need Is A Jetpack And Rollerskates2. Raging Nathans - Wide Awake3. Lutharo - Blood Lightning4. Demons - Play Acting Virtue5. GLTY - It Must Be Nice6. Ship Thieves - Hercules Stomp7. Ghoulunatics - Alone With The Seasons8. Iron Chic - Catgut9. Organ Thieves - Workers10. Hidden Spots - ZeroPretty sweet, eh? Brought to you by Thirty One Ten Printing.
Pleasant Gehman has quite the history of magical mayhem. From her days growing up on the East Coast, to her shennangans as a founder of the Los Angeles punk rock scene, Pleasant has some stories to tell. We'll also hear from Pleasant about her (continuing!!) days of making music, notably in this interview her time in Screamin' Sirens - the most fun band rock n roll and the earth has ever seen or heard. Two Screamin' Sirens songs are in this one - “Love Slave” and “Maniac”. Brought to you by Plan 9 Alehouse and Good Life Digestive Health.
Welcome, foolish mortals, to Episode 109 of The Bobcast! Chef Mayhem, er, Jeff Baham is THE source for all things Disney's Haunted Mansion. Jeff is the force behind the greatest Haunted Mansion website ever created, Doombuggies.com. Jeff wrote a book all about Disney's Haunted Mansion. Jeff hosts three podcasts that deal with Disney and the Haunted Mansion. You might think the guy is a little obsessed with the Haunted Mansion at this point? Yes, I think so, but what a lovely obsession it is! Jeff and I talk all about his life, his work and of course, the Haunted Mansion. How would Jeff change the Mansion if he could go back in time? Are there REAL ghosts roaming the hallowed halls of the Mansion? Did a REAL haunted mansion inspire Walt Disney in his desire to see a haunted house attraction in his perfect theme park? Listen to this episode and there's no need for any “messages from beyond” to answer those questions! Brought to you by Sticker Junkie. Cover version of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” performed by Pulley.
Welcome back to the Paranormal Ponderings series of episodes, this time it's Part III and all about Witchcraft. Witch, tarot card reader, paranormal investigator and all around awesome person Cherise Williams stopped by The Bobcast to talk about the ancient art of witchery. We discuss spellwork, religion, tarot, paranormal investigating and how witchcraft is tied to all of those things. Music of the episode is fittingly provided by Mother Witch & Dead Water Ghost from Odessa, Ukraine. Cherise and Mother Witch will leave you spellbound in this episode, if you dare listen!
Have you read any of the “Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark” series of books? As a kid? As an adult? Both? . These books, the Scary Stories series, made a HUGE impression on me when I read them a couple of years ago, as an adult. The artwork is terrifying and amazing. The stories are timeless and creepy, sometimes funny, sometimes disgusting. Always entertaining and fun, that's the trick of these stories. They grab you and won't let go. Just like some of the baddies in the stories? Oh, but the art, that's the REAL kicker, isn't it? The art in the Scary Stories books worms it's way into your brain and takes up permanent residence. The original art by Stephen Gammell, that is. Sinister and creepy to the point you feel the art could jump out of the pages and say “YOU HAVE IT!!!”. Here's what you'll get in this episode - An in-depth look at Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell. Three stories, one from each book, are dissected and analized. There's a dramatic retelling of “The Hook”, as it was told to me, when I was a kid in the 1980's. Then, in the final chapter of the episode, a brief look at the controversy that has plagued this book series for years and years. The Celluloid Catacombs with Carolyn Mauricette pops in to talk about the “Scary Stories…” movie adaption and some fiends of The Bobcast stop by to tell us how the Scary Stories have affected them over the years. Music of the episode by Vudu Sister, who are amazing and will delight you with their spooky sounds.
When it comes to East Bay punk stuff, Alex Botkin knows his stuff. As the person behind Lavasocks Records, Alex does his part to keep the history and radness of the East Bay sound alive with releases such as “The Thing That Ate Floyd” comp. “Floyd” originally came out on Lookout! Records back in the stone ages of 1988 and has pretty much every band from the Bay Area of the time on it. An incredible record that Alex felt needed a new lease on life. Coming soon from Lavasocks is a partnership with Sell The Heart Records and a rethinking of Rancid's classic record, “And Out Come The Wolves”. This version has a much better title, “And Out Come The Lawsuits”. Track by track, “…Lawsuits” features 19 bands covering ALL 19 songs on the original record and WOW. It's an amazing record! So, Alex and I talk about the records, a little music history of the Bay Area, Gilman Street, Lookout Records, Rancid and more! Music of the episode is two songs of of “Floyd” and “…Lawsuits” - Sweet Baby and Cringer off of Floyd, Danger Inc. and Sarchasm off of Lawsuits. This episode is brought to you by Thirty One Ten Printing and Hodad's.
Tetrarch is a band that is getting quite a bit of attention lately, and rightly so. They have worked incredibly hard to get to where they are today. Touring, putting out music, sleeping in Walmart parking lots. Whatever it takes to get their amazing music out there, this band has done it. This episode of The Bobcast features an interview with Josh Fore, the singer and guitarist of Tetrarch and we talked about some rad stuff. SPOILERS AHEAD! How Josh and Diamond Rowe met - hint - she almost killed him. Which Green Day record is best to listen to all the way through - it's American Idiot. How the band got it's name and more! You also get to hear one of the songs off of Tetrarch's brand new record, “Unstable” and that song is “Negative Noise”. A thrash-terpiece of amazing metal mayhem. Included with the price of admission is a brand new Crusty's Corner, where our pal Michael Crusty spends some time talking to Daniel Dekay about their favorite Judas Priest record. Brought to you by Sticker Junkie. Josh was SUPER rad to talk to, Tetracrh is a SUPER rad band, get RAD and listen to this one ASAP.
Back due to popular demand, the “UFO Stories” series of episodes continues with Part Two in the series. This one has five stories about strange activity in the sky - from fireballs to stargates to flying pyramids. This episode has it all is what I'm trying to say. Well, not abductions or “Men In Black”, but UFOs abound. Jen of the “Later, Dicks!” sticker empire, Pleasant Gehman of literally everything cool ever, Jonny Cuz of Se Vende, Travis Latrine of Sad Girlz Club and lastly, Josh Goldman of The Raging Nathans and Rad Girlfriend Records all hyperspaced in for this episode with their respective tales of mysterious objects in the sky. Spencer from Discount Cemetery even stops by to talk about a little UFO history and lore! Music by Teenage Bottlerocket and Creepozoid. Presented by our fiendish friends at Discount Cemetery.
The Paranormal Ponderings series continues with Part II, this time it's all about haunted places and horrifying history! More creepy history than horrifying, I suppose? As with all of the “Paranormal Ponderings” episodes, I brought in an expert to discuss the subject of the episode. Haunted Places? Creepy History? Maria Wessenauer of Hollywood Exhumed has the facts, the details and the experiences that fill in all the blanks with this one! Maria has such a wealth of knowledge about the morbid history of the Los Angeles area, I believe her knowledge could fill an encyclopedia - a creepy compendium, if you will. Plus she's had several experiences of strange and possibly paranormal phenomena herself! Music of the episode provided by Liverpool, England's finest fiends, Zombina And The Skeletones. Plus! Ivy Boyd drops by with another edition of her “Mysterious Musings” series for the Bobcast, with some tales of terror from the Rosenheim Mansion in Los Angeles. Turn on the lights and turn up the volume, it's time to get paranormal.
Ricky Schmidt is in two very awesome and incredible bands - Western Settings and Hey, Chels. Did you know Ricky has a bunch of solo songs, too? Well! This episode of The Bobcast has the scoop on the awesome radness of Ricky's solo stuff. Two songs by Ricky are featured in this episode - “Spare Me” off of 2020's full length Ricky record “Palm Trees”. plus the brand new song “Miss You” off of the forthcoming “Miss You” EP. There's also an interview with Ricky in this episode and yes, we will talk about “Pet Sounds”.
No Small Children, the band, the myth, the legend. I first heard No Small Children while looking for a cover of the “Ghostbusters” theme song for a recent episode. The NSC version of the song hit me like a crossed beam hit the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man. I mean WOW. This band, No Small Children, they are amazing. Three teachers, two of them sisters, a blistering combo of women who simply define the words Rock And Roll. This episode is an interview with No Small Children, plus four of their incredible songs. One of the songs in the episode was writtien for the kids! I think gold stars are in order for the teachers, in this case. Also featured in this episode is a review of the horror film “The Tattooist” by Carolyn Mauricette. Carolyn is the co-host of the Reely Melanted podcast, one of the main foces behind the “Blood In The Snow” film festival, a Rotten Tomatoes apporved film critic, the creator of the “View From The Dark” blog and website and more! Don't be tardy for this episode, I wouldn't want you to get detention!
100 episodes of The Bobcast! Can you believe it? I decided to party with Bob myself for this episode, which is weird because I AM Bob?? What you'll get in this fun-filled episode is 10 Tiltwheel songs, which we recorded recently just for this episode. A bunch of Fiends Of The Bobcast stop by to say hello and congrats. You'll hear some stories I've never told before, such as the origin story of The Bobcast and more! Closing things out is Leatherface with their version of “You Are My Sunshine”, which is my dedication to YOU, The Bobcast listener. Let's PARTY WITH BOB!!!
UFO’s!!! What are they? Where are they from? WHO or WHAT is Indrid Cold??? This episode doesn’t answer any of those questions, not really. What you will hear in this one are a series of six stories as told by the people that experienced the weird, the unusual, the strange phenomenon known as Unidentified Flying Objects. Lights in the sky, shadow people, a UFO landing in the backyard, losing hours of time with no rational explanation and more! Storytellers include James from the Canadian powerhouse Bison, Chuck from Ska-masters Mad Caddies and Ivy Boyd of the Ghoulstrip Blog and more. Out of this world music by Creepozoid, Bison and Mad Caddies. This episode is presented by the Earthly entities known as Discount Cemetery, where you can clothe yourself for any interstellar journey in style. Now! It’s time to launch into the unknown with The Bobcast! Remulac or Bust!!
Welcome to a brand new series of episodes on the Bobcast, this time around we’re talking about all things paranormal and the occult in the “Paranormal Ponderings” series! Now, rather than talking all about the subjects at hand myself, I’ve gathered some of the finest people involved in the paranormal and occult world today to discuss these otherworldly matters. This first episode is all about paranormal investigating and features an interview with the force behind “Pretty F’n Spooky”, Amanda Paulson. Amanda is a paranormal investigator with no equal in my mind. Join us as we talk about her favorite equipment to take on an investigation, what criteria she uses to choose a location to investigate and she’ll even tell you about one of her first paranormal encounters! Good stuff. Also featured in this one is another installment of “Mysterious Musings With Ivy Boyd”, where Ivy tells of a couple of recent investigations she was a part of. Music! A cover of the “Ghostbusters” theme song by No Small Children and a brand new song by metal’s finest minstrels, Tetrarch.
What would you say if I told you there has been a fifth member of The Misfits out there, hiding under our very noses for the last 40 years - unknown, unloved, unwanted? You might say I’m crazy, but here it is - proof. This episode is part mystery, part detective story and finally, once the mystery is solved, an interview with Dan Ziegler (or Sam Haines), the “lost” Misfit. Dan (Sam) has been quiet these last 40 years and for good reason. The always looming threat of retributuion from Danzing and Jerry Only if they go public? Maybe. Demonic forces and the terror they bring if they came clean? Also a maybe. What I can tell you is this - if you listen, you’ll hear the story of this unfortunate 5th Misfit, but you’ll leave with a little hope. You see, this person turned it around after being removed from the band and has started their own empire of food and drinks. You’ll have to listen to the episode for more details, I don’t want to have “All Hell Break Loose” by giving you all the details here and now! You’ll also hear parts of three tracks that the lost Misfit blared and blazed some saxaphone on, that missed the final cut of “Walk Among Us”, which are “20 Eyes”, “Skulls” and “I Turned Into A Martian”. Unreleased! Unheard in 40 years! RARE RARE RARE!!! You heard it here on the Bobcast first, folks! I even threw in four Misfits covers for good measure by Shades Apart, Rebecca Lorna, Mikey & His Uke and Entombed! Good lord, this one is amazing. Aaaand, there is a brand new Crusty’s Corner featuring Val Knox of The Anti-Queens and Black Cat Attack, talking music, Misfits and More!
Grant Lawrence is a venn diagram gone horribly, horribly wrong. Where do you start with this guy? Grant is the singer of Canadian Crazies The Smugglers. He’s a radio and podcast personality for the Canadian Broadcast Corp. Books? Grant has written them and even has a children’s book on the way in late 2021. What else? Oh yeah! Grant and The Smugglers were on the Lookout! Records roster during the “Golden Years” of both Lookout! and pop-punk in general. So, Grant decided to reunite some of his labelmates for a series of Lookout! Records based livestreams that feature music, conversation and fun! What a great thing, these Lookout! Zoomout! streams are for a covid weary world. Interested in hearing more? Good, because this episode is a conversation with Grant where we talk about all of this and more! Three songs by The Smugglers are also featured in this episode - “Death At Disneyland”, “Rosie” and “Buddy Holly Convention”. Tune in and get awesome with Grant Lawrence!
Houseghost is the name, hauntingly powerful pop-punk is the game. This episode features Dayton, Ohio’s finest minstrels of mayhem, Houseghost. An interview with Nick, Kayla and Tyler! Three songs by Houseghost! The WORLD PREMIER of the Bobcast theme song!! Ohio facts and trivia, ghosts, Bigfoot and The Misfits vs. The Ramones are topics you can expect hear on your spirt-box in this episode.
Skoops is a very interesting person. He is an avid skateboarder, surfer and musician. Skoops is my friend. Skoops is also a black man. I feel like it is so very important to get the perspective of people outside of our own perspectives, in order to grow, learn and be a better person. So let’s talk to Skoops! We talk about growing up skating, surfing and playing music, plus much more. The songs of the episode are by bands that Skoops has been involved in through the years, the bands Bertos and Floor Notes.
Tim Powers is my favorite author. There, I said it. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, let’s talk about this episode. Tim is the author of many incredible novels, such as - On Stranger Tides, The Anubis Gates, The Stress Of Her Regard, Expiration Date and Alternate Routes. Twisted histories? Sort of. More like a fictional unveiling of the secrets behind historical figures and events. Why did Blackbeard drink burning rum mixed with gunpowder? Why did Thomas Edison throw firecrackers at his terrified children? Who wad Spring-Heeled Jack, really? Read Tim’s books and you’ll find out the answers to these questions and many, many more. I might add, you’ll be VERY entertained and enthralled, too, when reading the words of Tim Powers. We talk about UFO’s, Tim’s writing process (which is sometimes a little rough), freeways in Los Angeles and why most of the main characters, or, heroes, in Tim’s books get run so ragged. Hint - I’m calling it the “Diehard Effect” from now on.
Welcome to the very first I Wanna Party With Bob Trivia Challenge of 2021! The subject of this terrifying trivia is the paranormal, haunted places and haunted/cursed objects, to be specific. Here’s a couple of examples - Where did the Dead Milkmen film part of the music video for “Punk Rock Girl”, that is also a very haunted former prison? What does the name of the popular slumber party distraction, Ouija, mean? There’s even a question about a fictional cursed or haunted doll from the OG Twilight Zone series! This one is not to be missed, mostly because of the cast of ghoulishly great paranormal professionals that have assembled to answer the questions. Let me introduce them! Amanda Paulson of the Pretty F’n Spooky Blog & YouTube Channel, Cherise Williams, the terrific tarot reading investigator and YouTube Channel host, Ivy and Hannah of The Ghoul’s Trip Blog and finally, Josh and Tamara of The Hexfiles Podcast. These good people are all amazing investigators, practitioners of witchcraft, crazy about cryptids and the finest folks you’ll find in a haunted house, or anywhere, really. The musical selections of the episode are “Haunted Town” by Nightbirds and a cover of best Misfits song written about me, “Attitude”.
What is it about haunted and possibly paranormal dolls that is just so damn terrifying? The thought that an inanimate and cuddly object could be the source of your demise? Is it that dolls are a trusted and comforting presence from our childhood, so when they get weird, it’s like a personal betrayal? Or is it just that dolls in general are creepy because of the “Uncanny Valley” and they all might as well be haunted, they’re so damn creepy anyway? Maybe you won’t find the answers to those questions in this episode. But what you WILL find are the stories of two very famous haunted dolls, Annabelle and Robert. Plus, the newest addition to this trio of terrible toys, Betty the doll. Betty has some history on the Bobcast (Check out the “Ghost Stories Part 3 episode), so this is a sort of follow-up episode on the Betty front. Amanda Paulson and Cherise Williams first investigated Betty, now she’s in the hands of the good folks at The Hexfiles Podcast. Josh and Tamara of Hexfiles join me to talk about their experiences with Betty in this episode and they have some surprising and spooky tales to tell. Also in this episode is a new feature, a segment of the Bobcast titled “Mysterious Musings With Ivy Boyd”. Ivy starts the episode out in style with some information and theories relating to haunted dolls. The music of the episode is fittingly and fearfuly perfect, with Deadbolt, Houseghost and Devil Doll forming the soundtrack for these stories of sometimes deadly, sometimes dreadful dolls.
While I was searching for ghosts in the wilds of the American South recently, Michael Crusty of Crusty Media and the Bobcast’s own Crusty’s Corner stepped in, filled in and saved the day with his very own episode! My favorite Canadian came to the rescue with this episode, an interview with Scott of the band Cancer Bats, plus some songs by Cancer Bats, Napoleon and No Big Deal. Here’s a track listing of the songs - Intro song - “Miserable Failure” by Iron Reagan1. “Deathsmarch To A New Acoustic Beat” by Cancer Bats2. “Left To Die” by Napoleoon3. “A Million Things” by No Big Deal4. “Bricks And Mortar” and 5. “Sabotage” by Cancer Bats.PS - “Sabotage” is a Beastie Boys cover and it is DAMN good! So grab a twelver of Molson Canadian, pick up some poutine and celebrate all things Canadian with the Crusty Takeover!!
2020 was a year seemingly concieved in a Stephen King novel. Fascist leadership in the USA, a worldwide pandemic, economic disaster after disaster, did I miss anything? Well, at least the music of the Bobcast was great? Here is my ode to the songs that made 2020 a little more bearable for me and hopefully, you. This is what you’re getting, in order of appearance - The Anti-Queens, Ash Williams, The BellRays, Billy Liar, Black Breath, Danger Inc, Dear Boy, Future Of The Left, Houseghost, Iron Chic, Murder By Death, Nervosa, Parasites, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Sad GirlzClub, Sarchasm, TSOL, Turncoat, War On Women and Wolf-Face!
A “Year In Review” for a year like 2020 was a rough thing to sort out. 2020 sucked. No denying that, right? Well, at least on the Bobcast, 2020 was a great year. Starting out with the conclusion of the Danzig Trilogy and ending with the Paul Tremblay interview, mix in a ton of incredible songs by incredible bands, I can’t complain about 2020 from the podcast point of view. Here’s what you’re getting in this fun-filled episode - Excerpts from the Danzig Series conclusion, the Joe Wood interview, the James Baldwin episode, the Katie Burr interview and the Paul Tremblay interview. A ghost story by Gared O’Donnell of Planes Mistaken For Stars from the very first Bobcast “Ghost Stories” episode. Songs by Lost Avenue, Sarchasm, Le Saboteur, The Bollweevils, Dillinger Four, Get Married and The Hybrids. Sense Field closes this “Best Of…” episode out with a cover of the song “Happy Christmas (War Is Over”. Happy New Year and here’s to a MUCH better year in 2021.
Christmas 2020 has arrived on the Bobcast! The Airing Of Grievances! Krampus! Music by Lousy Advice, Carnage InC., Wat Tyler, The Spook School, Peter And The Test Tube Babies and The Humpers! There's also an all-new Crusty's Corner, just in time for Boxing Day! Merry Merry!!
Gather ‘round the Yule Log, it’s time for some chilling tales of haunted horrors! Ghost Stories Volume III has arrived under the Bobcast tree, just in time for Xmas. Ivy Boyd of the Creepin’ It Real podcast and Ghoul’s Trip blog starts things off with some creepy Christmas ghost stories. Maria of Hollywood Exhumed tells a tale of a departed Uncle who likes to stop by unannounced, even after his passing. Darrin Pfieffer (formerly) of Goldfinger and (currently of) The Dangerous Darrin Show describes what a former girlfriend experienced at a haunted music venue in Buffalo, NY - which was also one of Al Capone’s former “haunts”. Ceasar stays one unforgettable night in the famously phantasmal Jerome Grand Hotel. CJ Frederick of Dead Bars fame tells a chillingly familiar story from the wilds of Jeresey City. And maybe CJ needs a visit from the Ghost Of Xmas Future, ya know, to straighten him out a little. Finally, Amanda of the Pretty F’n Spooky blog and YouTube channel, along with Cherise Williams, talk about their experiences with a VERY haunted doll named Betty. Yikes. The songs of the episode tie everything together, very fitting and very awesome - Parasites, Tsunami Bomb, Night Birds and Pulley help summon the spirits for this one, wherever they’re at. Brought to you by the fine folks of Discount Cemetery. Turn up the Christmas lights for this one, festive frights await!
Paul Tremblay is the author of several novels, such as “A Head Full Of Ghosts”, “Disappearance At Devil’s Rock”, “The Cabin At The End Of The World” and “Survivor Song”. One short story collection, “Growing Things” belongs on this list, as well. All thought provoking, some ambiguous, all lovely (and sometimes heartbreaking), some straight forward and tidily resolved. No mater what, I always walk away from a novel or story written by Paul Tremblay satisfied and yearning for more. Questions, though. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any questions after reading the stories of Paul Tremblay. So, here we are! This episode features an interview with Paul Tremblay, plus three songs by some of the bands that he loves. A Husker Du cover performed by Big Drill Car, plus two songs by those Welsh masters of melodic mayhem, Future Of The Left. Samples of the questions I asked one of my favorite authors of recent years? Where do you find the best fried clams in the Boston area? (Hint, they’re not IN Boston proper, trick question.) Who would you choose, from a roster of Boston bands? The Pixies or The Cars? Last one, last sample question - do you, Mr. Tremblay, believe in ghosts? Listen for the answers to those questions, plus the sounds of some of Paul Tremblay’s favorite bands.
HP Lovecraft was undoubtedly one of 20th century fiction’s greatest writers. He invented horror fiction as we know it today, I believe. Cosmic, undulating, gasping for breath tales of terror that will keep the bravest soul awake at night. Lovecraft was also an unabashed racist, xenophobe and weird nationalist. This episode covers the history of HP Lovecraft, from birth to death, plus the incredibly lousy views he held on race, immigrants and white power/nationalist nonsense. HP Lovecraft was the early 20th century version of a “proud boy”. Timely, I know. Music of the episode by The Darkest Of The Hillside Thickets, the world’s greatest Lovecraft-inspired band.
2020 has been garbage. Poop. Awful and filled with daily horrors. As we near the end of 2020, things are starting to look up a little bit, right? Biden won the US Presidency, a vaccine is coming for covid 19 and it is finally, finally the holidays. We made it. Thanksgiving is traditionally the start of the “holiday season”, though Halloween starts the festivities as far as I’m concerned. Can we just have Halloween once a month? I digress. This episode is a recipe for what makes up a typical Bobcast. An amazing ghost/paranormal encounter-type story from Ivy of the Ghoul’s Trip Blog and Creepin’ It Real podcast, a round of San Diego music trivia with the fine fellows of the Palapalooza podcast and lastly, a tale of revenge against the person that might be the worst person in music today - Morrissey. Worst person, best songs? Such a love/hate thing with me and Morrissey. A new feature to the Bobcast is in this one, Crusty’s Corner, a sort of Canadian connection that is so, so rad. Music of the episode provided by Houseghost, Hiding From Humans and Fun People. Grab a chair at the kid’s table with me, scoop up some stuffing and mashed potatoes and prepare for a FOOD FIGHT THANKSGIVING STYLE, via your favorite Bobcast. Support small business this holiday season and always, I’d like to add that.