The Vinyl District: Radar - The Podcast with Dylan Hundley

Radar: Jeff Bridges

Slow Magic, 1977-1978, is a collection of never-before-heard songs that Jeff Bridges wrote and recorded with a band of his oldest and closest friends. Culled from a single decaying cassette tape labeled “July 1978,” these recordings are a window into the musical life of one of our greatest living actors who holds music as dear as all the art forms he participates in. The raw & organic tone of these recordings evokes the breeze and spirit of 1970’s Venice & Malibu beach where they were recorded.
I talked with Jeff about these sessions, his process as an artist and how the multitude of mediums he participates in all blend together.
Slow Magic is out on Record Store day on April 12th. You can go to jeffbridges.com to check out all of Jeff’s work including his amazing photography, drawings and the fascinating Life is but a Dream series. 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
 
 

Radar: Vox (fka Mark Burgess) of The Chameleons

Post-punk legends THE CHAMELEONS are gearing up for a brand new full-length album due later this year (their first full-length in over 20 years!), they've released two new EPs Where Are You? and Tomorrow Remember Yesterday - the former consisting of new material and the latter of archival material recorded with the current lineup.
 
Their latest five song EP Tomorrow Remember Yesterday is a collection of newly recorded songs whose origins harken back decades. Says Vox: "These songs were amongst the very earliest songs we got together pre-Peel session in 1981, but were discarded at the time due to them feeling unfinished.”
I sat down with Vocalist/bassist Vox (fka Mark Burgess) for this episode and it was quite a ride! We talked about Peel Sessions, Spotting his favorite Dr. Who on the stairs at the BBC, Steve Lillywhite, Linn Drums, Ayahuasca, Therapy, Love & The Psychedelic Furs. 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
 

Radar: Studio Electrophonique

I spoke with author & filmmaker Jamie Taylor about his new book Studio Electrophonique, which  is the amazing story of the home studio in Sheffield that helped launch some of Britain's most beloved bands.
 
Sheffield mechanic Ken Patten’s makeshift home studio became the launch pad for a group of young musicians who would shape the futuristic sound of 1980s pop. The Human League, Heaven 17, Pulp, ABC and others made their early recordings with Ken, whose DIY ethic was the perfect fit for a city facing industrial decline but teeming with ideas. Jamie tells his story vividly & beautifully. It’s a real love letter to Sheffield and the era.
 
Studio Electrophonique arrives in April via the Manchester University Press. I encourage you to visit their site. If you are US based you’ll have to visit an online retailer to find it. 
 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
 
 

Radar: Hellbender Vinyl

When two artists, a label manager and a PhD in chemical engineering (who is also one of the artists) start a vinyl pressing plant in Pittsburg and call it Hellbender, it’s pretty cool.
 
On this episode of Radar I sat down with Pittsburgh native Jeff Betten (Misra Records) and musician/entrepreneur Matt Dowling (SWOLL, bassist of Burial Waves) who recently opened up a new vinyl plant in Pittsburgh, PA. They both have interesting backgrounds in music, business and science which are uncommon combinations.
 
They are keeping things artist friendly at Hellbender by pressing smaller quantities of records and engaging the community by hosting events such as live shows, listening parties, film screenings and more at the plant. 
 
For more information go to hellbendervinyl.com where you find out more about pressing with them and upcoming events.
 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
 

Radar: Cynthia Sley / Bush Tetras

I recently spoke with Cynthia Sley, the iconic frontwoman of Bush Tetras, the legendary NYC art-punk band that helped define the downtown underground scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Cynthia’s distinct image and half-spoken, sharp delivery have undeniably influenced current artists like Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning. The band’s overall sound—blending funk, punk, and No Wave with elements of dub and groove—has echoed through every era of post & art-punk revival. Bush Tetras blazed the trail with this sound that can still be heard today.
Cynthia and I discussed her journey from Ohio to New York, the electric energy of the late-’70s East Village, where art thrived with no limits, and the evolution of Bush Tetras up to today. 
For more information, upcoming show dates (when announced), and vinyl, visit Wharf Cat Records. 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
 

Radar: Marshall Allen / The Sun Ra Arkestra

On this episode of Radar I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arakestra.
Marshall was born on May 25th 1924 and is coming up on his 101st birthday. He is a multi-instrumentalist and the most revered & distinctive free jazz,  avant-garde alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and the EVI.
Marshall is best known for his work with Sun Ra, having recorded and performed mostly in this context since the late 1950s, and having led The Sun Ra Arkestra since 1995.
He talked about performing for Eisenhower in World War II, his meeting with Sun Ra that resulted in him devoting his life to this work with Sun Ra’s music plus his philosophies and what Marshall attributes his longevity to.
You can find the Arkestras most recent release, Lights on a Satellite. wherever and however you find your music. You can find Marshall’s new release, New Dawn, in all the same places. Please visit sunraarkestra.com to find tour dates plus much more.
Long live the Sun Ra Arkestra. Space is definitely the place.
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

Radar: Ryan Lee Crosby

I sat down recently my friend Ryan Lee Crosby who is a Rhode Island based musician, songwriter, producer and teacher most known for his uncanny ability to channel 1930's Mississippi blues as if he arrived to us through a portal.
He combines Hill Country and Bentonia style blues with sounds from India and Africa and as such, is expanding the tradition. He is an incredible musician, deeply spiritual human and a good friend.
Ryan and I first met in 2024 while participating together in preview shows for the Meadlowlark Festival including a deeply memorable evening at the hallowed ground of the Levon Helm Studios. We have been friends since meeting and have performed together a few times.
“Of all the world’s musical traditions, the one that speaks to me most directly is the Bentonia style of Delta blues. Something I love about the blues is its timeless ability to express the entire range of the human experience: its brightest joys, deepest sorrows and everything in between. By listening to the blues, we can learn how to have compassion for ourselves and others. Its lessons are endless.” 
Our discussion managed to encapsulate a wide range of the human experience. This is what time with Ryan will produce for anyone who sits to talk with him, spend time with albums or attend a show. 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

Radar: Parthenon Huxley - Electric Light Odyssey

Parthenon Huxley is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer largely known for his work with the band ELO Part II (later The Orchestra). 
He spent time in the 1970's as a staff writer for MCA in New York, released his first solo album on Columbia, spent many years in LA working with a wide range of artists as a producer & guitarists, including extensive work with Mark Oliver Everett of The Eels. He has released over ten studio albums and has recently released his memoir entitled Electric Light Odyssey.
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
 
 
 

Radar: Oliver Ackermann - A Place to Bury Strangers

On this episode of Radar I spoke with Oliver Ackermann who is the founder & creator of the Brooklyn-based effects pedal company Death By Audio and is guitarist and lead singer of New York based punk, noise, shoe-gaze band A Place to Bury Strangers.  
They have released seven LP’s, fourteen EP's, a live album and more singles than I can count. They are prolific and committed to the cause. Their most recent is called Synthesizer (Ded Strange). It is a wonderful record that also comes in a limited edition series of LPs where the album cover itself doubles as a circuit board and functional synth for curious and enterprising fans. “It’s pretty messed up & chaotic. But it feels really human,” says Oliver. "In an era of making music where so little is DIY and so much is left up to AI, never setting foot in a practice room or a home studio, making something that feels deliberately chaotic, messy, and human, is entirely the point."
I had a wonderful time talking about the record with Oliver along with his approach to live shows, his love of art, community and mixtapes.
Radar features discussions with artists & industry leaders who are creators and devotees to music. The show is produced by Dylan Hundley & The Vinyl District. 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

Radar: The Vapors - Dave Fenton

Best known for their 1980  hit “Turning Japanese” The Vapors are a band that formed in 1979, Guildford UK, which is also home to The Stranglers. They were brought to a larger UK audience with a support slot on The Jam’s iconic 1979 “Setting Sons”tour, and were by then managed by The Jam’s Bruce Foxton and Paul Weller’s father John.
Their debut album spawned several hits including “News At Ten” and” Waiting for the Weekend” .They put out a 2nd album in 1981 toured extensively and then broke up. 
In 2016, they played their first gig in 35 years and have been making records and playing again extensively ever since. I spoke with  lead singer & songwriter Dave Fenton about all these things.
The Vapors are releasing their fourth album Wasp in a Jar on February 28, 2025 and have an extensive tour planned. If you go to https://www.thevapors.co.uk/ you’ll be able to view the calendar and all other Vapors happenings.
Radar features discussions with artists & industry leaders who are creators and devotees to music. The show is produced by Dylan Hundley & The Vinyl District. 
Dylan Hundley is an artist & performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis & creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates & hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.