Multi-faceted Ashley M. Ryan, known on social media as Pythian Priestess, is an award-winning screenwriter, a tarot reader and a practicing witch. She’s the founder of the Pythian Mystery School as well as creator of the popular podcast “The Occult Unveiled”. In this episode, Ashley and hostess Pleasant Gehman talk about their similar esoteric interests, spiritual practices and dark pop culture. They discuss how discovering Edgar Allan Poe at a young age changed their lives and compare notes on a shared obsession: the unlikely relationship between 1950’s sex symbol Jayne Mansfield and Church Of Satan founder Anton La Vey, chilling paranormal experiences and much more.

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Joseph Brooks was instrumental in shaping the entire Los Angeles music and club scene for decades. His impeccable musical taste became his job and nowadays, he’d be called an influencer. In 1981, with partner Henry Peck, he opened the groundbreaking alternative record store Vinyl Fetish, known as much for their sarcastic clerks as for the import records they stocked. In store appearances by artists befriended in the UK before they became famous, like Siouxsie And The Banshees, Duran Duran and Depeche Mode put the store on the map. Soon, Joseph and Henry started their first club The Veil, devoted to death rock, which later became known as goth. From there, Joseph either conceived of and/or spun discs at the hottest clubs in town: Fetish, Glam Slam, Sin-A-Matic, English Acid, Cherry and more. In this episode, Joseph and hostess Pleasant Gehman compare notes from the Hollywood underground during the 80’s and 90’s and into the early two thousands. They reminisce about Dee Dee Ramone’s last performance ever at Club Makeup, talk about Hollywood’s early 80’s punk and goth scenes and much more. 

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Jeff Smith is the founder and singer of the legendary Texas cow punk band The Hickoids. Beloved cult favorites with a rabid following, The Hickoids have been around for almost four decades, playing their singular blend of hallucinogenic-soaked western style insanity and releasing countless records on various labels. Now that things have opened up, The Hickoids are touring again. In this episode hostess Pleasant Gehman and Jeff talk about wild shenanigans in the 1980’s Texas punk scene; rowdy Everclear soaked parties, and drag racing-which is not what the listener might think. Jeff also tells anecdotes about opening for The Butthole Surfers, a police raid at Tex And The Horseheads’ Hollywood band house, and  that time the band thoroughly embarrassed Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth...not to mention the trend of men faking orgasms.

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 Author Chuck Hawley is known the world over for advocating kindness, compassion, hope and love.

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El Vez, known for decades as “The Mexican Elvis” is a rockstar, cultural phenomenon and the alter ego of early West Coast punk rock icon Robert Lopez of The Zeros and later, Catholic Discipline. But that’s not even close where it stops. He’s not just a singer and songwriter, he wrote his own chapter in John Doe and Tom Desavia’s “Under The Big Black Sun”. He’s also an artistc workaholic with multiple projects going at once. He fronts The Little Richards, recently did a tribute show covering the songs of LA punk icons The Screamers, and is touring Spain with Los Straightjackets. In this episode, Robert and lifelong pal hostess Pleasant Gehman chat about the gloomy storytelling show he created, “The Unhappy Hour” featuring his dark humor and dirge-like renditions of 70’s pop hits. They get into their shared experiences during Elvis Week the early 1990s as well as in the 70’s LA punk scene, specifically the infamous night at The Orpheum Theater, where The Germs made their first appearance ever and the Zeros made their first Los Angeles appearance and wound up getting signed on the spot by Bomp! Records...plus much more.

Website: www.elvez.net

Instagram: @elvezofficial , @mr.rpbertlopez

El Vez, known for decades as “The Mexican Elvis” is a rockstar, cultural phenomenon and the alter ego of early West Coast punk rock icon Robert Lopez of The Zeros and later, Catholic Discipline. But that’s not even close where it stops. He’s not just a singer and songwriter, he wrote his own chapter in John Doe and Tom Desavia’s “Under The Big Black Sun”. He’s also an artistc workaholic with multiple projects going at once. He fronts The Little Richards, recently did a tribute show covering the songs of LA punk icons The Screamers, and is touring Spain with Los Straightjackets. In this episode, Robert and lifelong pal hostess Pleasant Gehman chat about the gloomy storytelling show he created, “The Unhappy Hour” featuring his dark humor and dirge-like renditions of 70’s pop hits. They get into their shared experiences during Elvis Week the early 1990s as well as in the 70’s LA punk scene, specifically the infamous night at The Orpheum Theater, where The Germs made their first appearance ever and the Zeros made their first Los Angeles appearance and wound up getting signed on the spot by Bomp! Records...plus much more.

Website: www.elvez.net

Instagram: @elvezofficial , @mr.rpbertlopez

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Penelope Houston is an iconic punk rock queen. As the fierce singer and songwriter for San Francisco’s legendary band The Avengers, she was among the first  boundary-pushing wave of American women fronting punk bands. A year after forming, The Avengers  made a splash opening for The Sex Pistols’ last show at Winterland  Ballroom.  Over the years, Penelope’s music took a softer turn as she helped originate the West Coast neo-folk movement, touring incessantly through Europe and winning several awards in the 1990’s. Forty five years after forming, The Avengers are back and still going strong. In this episode, Penelope and hostess Pleasant Gehman chat about the band’s recent European tour, the band’s early years, and the late 70’s California punk scene in both San Francisco and LA. Penelope also talks about her close connection with The Screamers; working with director Renee Daalder, what that infamous Sex Pistols show was really like, and much more.

Penelope Houston is an iconic punk rock queen. As the fierce singer and songwriter for San Francisco’s legendary band The Avengers, she was among the first boundary-pushing wave of American women fronting punk bands. A year after forming, The Avengers made a splash opening for The Sex Pistols’ last show at Winterland Ballroom. Over the years, Penelope’s music took a softer turn as she helped originate the West Coast neo-folk movement, touring incessantly through Europe and winning several awards in the 1990’s. Forty five years after forming, The Avengers are back and still going strong. In this episode, Penelope and hostess Pleasant Gehman chat about the band’s recent European tour, the band’s early years, and the late 70’s California punk scene in both San Francisco and LA. Penelope also talks about her close connection with The Screamers; working with director Renee Daalder, what that infamous Sex Pistols show was really like, and much more.

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Staci Layne Wilson is a bestselling author, award winning filmmaker and the hostess of the popular “Rock’n’Roll Nightmares” podcast. One of her books, “So LA: A Hollywood Memoir” features wild anecdotes about Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and several others. The ultimate California girl, she’s the daughter of a pinup model and Don Wilson, legendary guitarist and founding member of The Ventures. Staci wrote and directed the acclaimed documentary “The Ventures: Stars On Guitars” The film chronicles the group’s incredible history. In this episode, Staci and hostess Pleasant Gehman chat about everything from the horror films Staci’s  directed, an odd Manson Family connection, the 1980’s Sunset Strip hair metal scene and much more.

Staci Layne Wilson is a bestselling author, award winning filmmaker and the hostess of the popular “Rock’n’Roll Nightmares” podcast. One of her books, “So LA: A Hollywood Memoir” features wild anecdotes about Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and several others. The ultimate California girl, she’s the daughter of a pinup model and Don Wilson, legendary guitarist and founding member of The Ventures. Staci wrote and directed the acclaimed documentary “The Ventures: Stars On Guitars” The film chronicles the group’s incredible history. In this episode, Staci and hostess Pleasant Gehman chat about everything from the horror films Staci’s directed, an odd Manson Family connection, the 1980’s Sunset Strip hair metal scene and much more.

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