Nakedly Examined Music Podcast

Guitarist Kavus began in dual-guitar bands in the ’90s with his buddy Dan Chudley, most notably Monsoon Bassoon. He joined the Cardiacs for their final lineup in the late ’00s, recorded an unreleased album with The Pogues’ Spider Stacey, and was a guitarist in several other bands. His project Knifeworld released the first of its four albums in 2009, he released solo albums in 2020 and 2024, and since 2014 he has released six albums with legendary prog-rock band Gong, serving as their lead singer since the death of Gong’s founder Daevid Allen in 2015. His other major ongoing project is The Utopia Strong, an electronica collaboration with Steve Davis that has released four studio albums since 2019.

We discuss “Stars in Heaven” by Gong (co-written by the whole band) from Bright Spirit Haulix (2026), “Send Him Seaworthy” by Knifeworld from The Unraveling (2014), “You Broke My Fall” by Kavus Torabi from Hip to the Jag (2020), and “Wise Guy” by The Monsoon Bassoon, a 1998 single released on the album I Dig Your Voodoo (1999). Intro: “Ditzy Scene” by The Cardiacs, a 2007 single co-written with Tim Smith, eventually released on the album LSD (2025).

Watch a Gong video and see them live in 2017 and last year. Watch a Knifeworld video, and see them live in 2016. Watch Kavus play solo live in 2021. Watch Monsoon Bassoon live in 1998. Watch a Utopia Strong video. Hear The Utopia Strong’s tune “Doperider” that was originally going to be featured at the end of this podcast. Hear all of “Ditzy Scene.” Here’s the same song live recently (with Mike Vinnart covering lead vocals in Tim’s absence).

A one-off project Kavus did was Admirals Hard, playing sea chanties. A later project he did with Dan Chudley was Hatchjaw and Bassett. Hear lots of Kavus/Dan songs (including Monsoon Bassoon and Die Laughing) on Dan’s SoundCloud page. Watch a live DJ set with Steve Davis. The two of them also wrote a musical memoir together, Medical Grade Music.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Lande started in the 2010’s in the British punk-pop group Muncie Girls, with six releases (mostly EPs), and began her solo career in 2019. We discuss “Coming Home” (and listen at the end to the title track) from her fourth solo album Lucky Now (2026), “80 Days of Rain” from Going to Hell (2011), and “Learn In School” by Muncie Girls from From Caplan to Belsize (2016). Intro: “Gay Space Cadets” from House Without a View (2022).

Watch videos to “Gay Space Cadets” and “Lucky Now.” Another single from the new album with a video now is “Favourite Pair of Shoes.”

Watch Lande play “80 Days of Rain” live. Watch a full, recent live set with Watch Muncie Girls play “Learn in School” live. Hear their take on the Ramones’ “Pet Sematary.” Watch a Muncie-era solo acoustic performance.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Sponsors: Get three months free of online payroll and benefits software for small businesses at gusto.com/nem. Download the Gametime app and use code NEM for $20 off your first purchase of concert tickets.

John has released at least fifteen albums, more than half of these under the name King Missile, but even this name covers three different bands, since John until recently didn’t play any instruments, so his music is always collaborative with one or more music writers. Apart from his various musical projects, he’s published around 50 books of poetry and publishes poems every day on his Facebook page.

We discuss “Her Cock is True” from the yet-to-be-released King Missile album Quest for Fire (with music by Stephen Tunney, aka Dogbowl), “Eating People” by King Missile III from The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (2003, music by Bradford Reed), and “Sensitive Artist” by King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) from Fluting on the Hump (1987). End song: “Garden” by You, Me and This Fuckin’ Guy from Garden Variety Fuckers (2020, music by Azalia Snail and Dan West). Intro: “Detachable Penis” from Happy Hour (1992). We also get to hear how he writes his daily poems; the poems from the day we recorded that John brings up are here.

Watch the big-time video For “Detachable Penis.” Other notable classic KM songs include “Jesus Was Way Cool,” “Wuss,” and the poem (which you can watch him recite) “Rock ‘n’ Roll Will Never Die.” Here’s the re-make by King Missile III, “Jesus Was Way Cool (Millennium Edition).“

Some of John’s other recent musical projects include Silk Cut (with King Missile’s Rebecca Korbet), Unusual Squirrel. His “solo” album Real Men (1991) was a collaboration with Kramer.

Watch John do a full poetry show. Watch him performing in 1995 with Kramer and just a bit from 2016 with Dogbowl and even more recently with Dogbown and Rebecca Korbet. Watch him live with Unusual Squirrel. Watch a King Missile gig from 1994.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

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Folky singer/songwriter and psychotherapist Robert started in the ’80s but considers 1994 his professional debut and has now released his seventh album since then, The Space Between Us.

We discuss “Attic of Desire” (and the intro is “The Forest From the Tree”) from that album, plus “Uncertain” from Beloved (2017), the title track from Earthside Down (1998), and we conclude by listening to “Rock A Bye” feat. Victoria Williams from Days Like These (1994). More at robertdeeble.com.

Watch Robert’s video for “The Forest From the Tree.” The previous version of “Attic of Desire” was called “A Formal Apology” from Thirteen Stories (2003). Watch Robert and his band play “Earthside Down” live in 2002.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Sponsor: Download the Gametime app and use code NEM for $20 off your first purchase of concert tickets.

Ontario guitarist Darren has released six albums of concise instrumentals since 2019, often using metal guitar tones and tropes, but with a great range of tones and often catchy melodies.

We discuss “The Day Beneath Yesterday” (and listen at the end to “Dangerous Curves”) from Perpetual Night (2025), “Broken Glass and Disappointment” from Thoughts and Scares (2022), and “The Earth is B Flat” from Lifting the Curse (2019). Intro: The title track from Wonders of the Invisible World (2020). More at darrenboyd.com.

Watch the video for the title track for the new album, showing his full band. Experience all of the song “Wonders of the Invisible World” with this video. He’s made videos for many of his songs; here’s the channel.

Watch Darren talk about guitar shredding. Hear that 2018 “horror band” EP with a singer and lyrics that Darren wrote about murder and suicide. Also, The G-String Murders EP.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.