09. Cleaners From Venus

Martin Newell played in various glam rock bands in the 1970s. Then, in the 1980s, dismayed with record companies wanting him to play by their rules, he started his group The Cleaners From Venus and released their albums on cassette. They've released dozens of albums since the beginning when they were "liberating" blank cassettes from shops in England so they could give them away for free. My panel (LAKE bandmates Eli Moore and Andrew Dorsett) discusses their music, and then we have a long-form, very entertaining conversation with Mr. Newell. Also, we premier a couple new tracks from a future album. This was our first international guest on the program and it was a real blast!

Recommendations:

Get a glimpse into the music that Martin has been digging, he has over a hundred mixtapes posted on Martin Newell’s Oddcaste.

Their 1982 classic album "Midnight Cleaners" can be streamed or purchased below:

Another great album from the eighties, "Living With Victoria Grey," is a terrific introduction to the Cleaners.

Here's an old film for a song called "Johnny The Moondog Is Dead:"

And this is a trailer for a new documentary about the band, "The Jangling Man."