Tony Coulter Presents Tape Hiss: Hair of the Whale: Tony Coulter's show
Tony Coulter·2026-05-27·via WFMU's recent playlists
Listener comments!
♥
5/24 6:30pm
:
Hello, all! Today's playlist pic is the cover of one of the cassettes we'll be hearing: "Cairo's Ride," by the Chains of Hell Orchestra.
10:48am
Andrew in Toronto:
Hi there, Tony, and all others!
🥁♥
12:40pm
egould:
Good morning, Tony! Hi Andrew! David both in London and Splatter. Hi Kat and Yvang, james, newton, sma, and any one else getting their ears twisted this morning.
I think I saw this cassette and the other Chains of Hell in OP. The glory of Olympia. In a fave used record story about 10 years ago I found PS O’ Neil’s solo record still on shrink wrap.
Still in the shrink and waiting to be played 😄 I bought it when I had a bad needle and crummy cartridge. Forgot about it. I have few finds still in shrink. Now with a dedicated turntable for my
show I will finally play it and something for my upcoming
show. I’m putting together my playlist.
I'd love to find Neef's cassette, but given this description, I'm not likely to: "Limited run cassette tape created for sale in artist Glen Rubsamen's "Modern Art Vending Machine," at various locations on the UCLA campus and during an installation at the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA) during 1979-1980. Approximately 20 copies were made and sold from the machine."
Kind of like wearing sunglasses in the dark, I guess.
1:42pm
Andrew in Toronto:
↳
Tony Coulter @1:41
Yes.
🥁♥
1:44pm
Olleh:
Tony are you familiar with Randy Fairbanks. He had a hand in Greasy Kid Stuff on the mother ship. Like with Wilcox I love the goofy humor. Randy had an ongoing series of crazy ventriloquism tales.
♥
1:45pm
Tony Coulter:
Actually, no, don't think I do know Randy Fairbanks ... although I know Hova and Belinda, of course. They actually live very near me out here in Portland.
And OPtion which felt it inherited the OP mantle( it got permission from John Foster, as I remember), but really didn’t fulfill the title spiritually. You can’t mess with something unique
🥁♥
2:20pm
Rev. Turnip Druid:
After several moves back & forth across the country, the underground music magazine collection has withered but Sound Choice is definitely still here. And a bunch of Signal to Noise, which I haven't thought about in ages..
12:48pm
Elthra:
I heard Sonny Rollins as a child taken to yet another seminal jazz gig. Like sound collage i started making them at 3 years old when my Uncle Peter ,who worked for Phillips brought round prototype indestructible tape cassette recorder for me to have as a present. It was 1972. I was still using it in 1986 , it had a brilliant mic.
12:53pm
Elthra:
@Tony Coulter do you know who I am? I want to be anonymous. Happy Gay Pride Day 🏳️🌈 to me!
Listener comments!
: Hello, all! Today's playlist pic is the cover of one of the cassettes we'll be hearing: "Cairo's Ride," by the Chains of Hell Orchestra.
Andrew in Toronto: Hi there, Tony, and all others!
Andrew in Toronto: Sonny Rollins RIP:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/26/sonny-rollins-jazz-saxophone-dies-aged-95
Tony Coulter: Hey there, Andrew!
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @11:51
Greetings!Olleh: Hi Tony and Andrew and all waiting in Cairo for a ride
Andrew in Toronto: Hi, Olleh!
You get around.
Tony Coulter:
↳ Olleh @11:54
Hiya, Olleh! The train to Cairo will be the second one out of here, leaving around 12:30 or so.David (in London): Afternoon Tony and assembled Cooltards: Andrea, Olleh.
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @11:57
You know things.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ David (in London) @12:00
Hi there, David!Tony Coulter:
↳ David (in London) @12:00
Hey, hey, hey, David!Yvang: Hello Tony and tonyculthissts!
listener james from westwood: Good Tuesday, Tony and all!
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:01
It`s Yvang!Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @12:01
Greetings, Yvang!Tony Coulter:
↳ listener james from westwood @12:02
James! Hiya!Yvang: It's Andrew, isn't it!
Summer and Michael and Sylvia: Good morning, Tony (from back in NYC)!!
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:01
Mai oui!Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:02
I heard Thierry Henry has your phone number.Tony Coulter:
↳ Summer and Michael and Sylvia @12:03
Mornin', S&M&S!listener james from westwood: Wayne Butane! Nice!
listener james from westwood: Red from the Tube Bar heard!
Yvang:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @12:04
Yes, he begged me to give it to him.newton: hi Tony, Coultergeists!
Tony Coulter:
↳ newton @12:05
Hola hey hello, newton!Yvang: Heatwave in my area, 1000% unusual at this time of the year (31°C/87,8°F).
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:05
Wow!David (in London): Yvang, newton, S&M&S, james - hellos to all.
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:08
Are you feeling emotional?Andrew in Toronto: Hi, newton!
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:05
Are you feeling emotional?Yvang:
↳ David (in London) @12:08
Hi David! High temperatures in London as well, I guess?Tony Coulter:
↳ Song: "Side B (Untitled)" by "Wayne Butane"
Here's the cassette on now: www.discogs.com...newton: hello David (iL), AiT, et al
listener james from westwood: Mister Rogers saying "No"—LOL!
David (in London):
↳ Yvang @12:10
Scorchio! And to be honest, I'm loving it.Yvang:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:10
Also the full cassette is on Youtoob www.youtube.com...Yvang:
↳ David (in London) @12:11
I can understand that!Tony Coulter:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @12:09
My emotions dried up long ago. Now I'm just apathetic.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:12
Oh dear.Yvang:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @12:09
Dead inside. But fully functionnal in the society.Kat in the chat: Wayne Butane actually gets a good deal of airplay on the Sheena's stream.
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:13
Wonderful.Do you have beach plans this weekend?
Tony Coulter:
↳ Kat in the chat @12:13
Hiya, Kat!Yvang:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @12:13
No. Do you?David (in London):
↳ Kat in the chat @12:13
Hey Kat.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Yvang @12:14
The beach is way too far.We have a pool at the condo.
It might open by the end of the week.
David (in London): 'Purloined Chimp Hair' is an outstanding title for an album.
David The Splatter:
↳ Song: "Side B (Untitled)" by "Wayne Butane"
Wayne Butane on the Drummer Stream? Amazing.Tony Coulter: Hey there, David!
listener james from westwood: The Tube Bar snippet for the president :D
listener james from westwood:
↳ David The Splatter @12:16
Right?! Ordinarily it's just the (necessarily) snipped Christmas track on Ken's show once a year!David The Splatter:
↳ listener james from westwood @12:17
As somebody pointed out earlier, you usually hear this on the Sheena stream.Kat in the chat: Breakin' the rules!
Tony Coulter:
↳ Kat in the chat @12:30
Yep -- I'm a rebel against my own rules.Yvang:
↳ Song: "Cairo's Ride" by "The Chains of Hell Orchestra"
This is it : www.discogs.com...Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @12:34
Thanks, Yvang!egould:
↳ Yvang @12:34
Steve Fisk involved with this production. Seattle/PNW music royalty.Tony Coulter:
↳ egould @12:38
Hiya, egould!egould: Good morning, Tony! Hi Andrew! David both in London and Splatter. Hi Kat and Yvang, james, newton, sma, and any one else getting their ears twisted this morning.
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ egould @12:40
Hi there, egould!Tony Coulter:
↳ egould @12:38
The music and arrangements for this tape are by P.S. O'Neill (who was also in Westside Lockers, among other outfits).Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:38
Everyone is very emotional on Michele with 1 L`s message baord.doctorjazz: Hi Tony and all!
Yvang:
↳ egould @12:40
Hello Egould!egould:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:41
Yeah. Very Olympia/Evergreen State College-y. I'm sure Calvin Johnson was lurking around the studio somewhere. :-)Andrew in Toronto:
↳ doctorjazz @12:43
Hey, doc!Tony Coulter:
↳ egould @12:43
Olympia: home of K Records and OP Magazine, among many other things. For a small city, Olympia has been the source of a lot of goodness.Tony Coulter: en.wikipedia.org...
newton: 1979-1984, such good years, though so awful too
egould:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:50
Gracias por el link-o.egould:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:48
OP magazine, not to be confused with Tape Op magazine; another fine publication based out of Eugene, OR.newton: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times
doctorjazz:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @12:44
Hi Andrew!Olleh:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:41
I think I saw this cassette and the other Chains of Hell in OP. The glory of Olympia. In a fave used record story about 10 years ago I found PS O’ Neil’s solo record still on shrink wrap.Yvang:
↳ Song: "Cairo's Reprise" by "The Chains of Hell Orchestra"
Beatles's bit spotted.Tony Coulter:
↳ Olleh @12:56
How is that solo P.S. O'Neill record? Haven't heard it.Rev. Turnip Druid: holy motorcycle hiss, i am LATE.
Tony Coulter:
↳ Rev. Turnip Druid @12:58
Turnip! Turnip! Hiya!David (in London): egould, Reverend - greetings both.
David The Splatter:
↳ egould @12:40
Greetings, egould. (Sorry, I just got back from my lunch break.)egould:
↳ David The Splatter @1:01
What was for lunch?Olleh:
↳ Tony Coulter @12:57
Still in the shrink and waiting to be played 😄 I bought it when I had a bad needle and crummy cartridge. Forgot about it. I have few finds still in shrink. Now with a dedicated turntable for myshow I will finally play it and something for my upcoming
show. I’m putting together my playlist.
David The Splatter:
↳ egould @1:02
Canned tuna and 2 hard-boiled eggs.newton:
↳ egould @1:02
chicken mushrooms shallots brocolli sauteed tossed in fusilli with pestoYvang:
↳ Song: "The "Pops" Science Story (Part 1)" by "Brent Wilcox"
www.discogs.com...Tony Coulter:
↳ Olleh @1:05
I'll look forward to that!egould:
↳ David The Splatter @1:06
Very keto.egould:
↳ newton @1:06
Sounds good. I'm getting hungry.Yvang:
↳ Song: "The "Pops" Science Story (Part 1)" by "Brent Wilcox"
The sleeve can be seen on this ebay page www.ebay.com...David The Splatter:
↳ egould @1:07
Just trying to get rid of some leftovers before they go bad.Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @1:07
And here (it's listed twice on discogs): www.discogs.com...Tony Coulter:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:09
My copy has the plainer cover seen on Discogs.newton: $127.49!
egould:
↳ Yvang @1:08
That "face on Mars" image is pretty creepy.Tony Coulter: FYI: Brent Wilcox was in the band Neef: www.discogs.com...
Yvang:
↳ egould @1:20
Now you mention it: Yes! It looks like it comes out from the static on an old TV screen.Tony Coulter:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:25
Bruce Licher of Savage Republic was also in Neef with Wilcox.egould:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:26
I have to explore Neef. Lots of intersecting sounds of bands/musicians I like.Tony Coulter:
↳ egould @1:28
I'd love to find Neef's cassette, but given this description, I'm not likely to: "Limited run cassette tape created for sale in artist Glen Rubsamen's "Modern Art Vending Machine," at various locations on the UCLA campus and during an installation at the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA) during 1979-1980. Approximately 20 copies were made and sold from the machine."egould:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:29
You'll find it an old shoe box filled with cassettes at a garage sale. Don't stop believing.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ egould @1:32
Are you still travelling?Tony Coulter:
↳ egould @1:32
Ha! Keep hope alive.egould:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @1:32
Nope. I am settled in at my dining room table in Seattle. Working.Well actually, I'm sipping a beer and leaving silly comments on the chat board.
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ egould @1:34
Good.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ egould @1:34
I haven`t heard from you in a while.egould:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @1:35
I'll email you this afternoon.JimmyTallow: Loving this show!
Tony Coulter:
↳ JimmyTallow @1:37
Glad to hear it! And ... hello there!Andrew in Toronto:
↳ egould @1:37
Sure thing.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:38
It`s 80 degrees out and I just saw a lady wearing a leather jacket.Tony Coulter:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @1:41
Kind of like wearing sunglasses in the dark, I guess.Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:41
Yes.Olleh: Tony are you familiar with Randy Fairbanks. He had a hand in Greasy Kid Stuff on the mother ship. Like with Wilcox I love the goofy humor. Randy had an ongoing series of crazy ventriloquism tales.
Tony Coulter: Actually, no, don't think I do know Randy Fairbanks ... although I know Hova and Belinda, of course. They actually live very near me out here in Portland.
Tony Coulter:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:45
I will attempt to investigate Mr. Fairbanks.Yvang:
↳ Song: "Dignity" by "Volkswhale"
So the two sides version is listed here www.discogs.com...Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @1:46
Thanks! My single-sided copy has the same cover art.Yvang:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:47
Apparently a photography of a (to say the least) painful aborigen initiation ritual.coelacanth∅))): Greetings Tony , hisssstorians
Andrew in Toronto: Mahalo, coel!
Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @1:51
I guess the cassette itself is sort of like a painful initiation ritual. Painful, but also funny. Tickle me, Marquis d'Elmo.Tony Coulter: Hiya, coel-io!
coelacanth∅))):
↳ Andrew in Toronto @1:54
Aloha Andrew!egould: Hi coela!
Yvang:
↳ Tony Coulter @1:55
The sleeve has to be removed without anesthesia.egould: OK I have to stop fucking around and do some work. Everyone stop posting cool links.
Tony Coulter:
↳ egould @2:00
Work it, egould. Work it.Kat in the chat: "Marquis d'Elmo" got an out-loud chuckle from me
Olleh:
↳ egould @12:55
And OPtion which felt it inherited the OP mantle( it got permission from John Foster, as I remember), but really didn’t fulfill the title spiritually. You can’t mess with something uniqueTony Coulter:
↳ Olleh @2:12
Yep: OP gave birth to two mags: Option and Sound Choice.Olleh:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:13
I reviewed for both, but primarily Sound Choice because it seemed more cassette friendly.egould:
↳ Olleh @2:15
Cool!Tony Coulter:
↳ Olleh @2:15
Ha! I'll have to look for your reviews. I still have most issues of Sound Choice.Olleh:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:16
Me too, dammitRev. Turnip Druid: After several moves back & forth across the country, the underground music magazine collection has withered but Sound Choice is definitely still here. And a bunch of Signal to Noise, which I haven't thought about in ages..
Yvang:
↳ Song: "Ecocological" by "Taro"
www.discogs.com...Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @2:20
Thanks, Yvang!Tony Coulter: Here's Taro, ready to hit the clubs: www.discogs.com...
coelacanth∅))):
↳ egould @1:59
olá egould!egould:
↳ Rev. Turnip Druid @2:20
I am starting to build up my underground/punk music zine library. This whole discussion is making me happy.egould:
↳ egould @2:27
A zine collection that was vanquished by a cross-country move as well as a "fuck it; who cares?" attitude.30 years later, I guess I care again.
Yvang:
↳ Song: "Pluto" by "Frank Dommert & Marcus Schmickler"
www.discogs.com...Tony Coulter:
↳ Yvang @2:34
Thanks yet again, Sir Yvang, Knight of the Cassette Realm!Yvang:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:35
You're welcome, Signor Tony, King of the Hiss.Yvang:
↳ Yvang @2:36
King of Hissland, I should say!egould:
↳ Yvang @2:37
Hiss Royal HighnessTony Coulter: Hiss Christ (an '80s art world joke)
Yvang:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:39
Holy sh!egould:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:39
Senator Alfonse D’Amato is not amused.Yvang:
↳ Song: "Fenster 3" by "Frank Dommert & Marcus Schmickler"
This album was recorded at the Kaspar Hauser Studio in Cologne which have its own page on Discogs www.discogs.com...Yvang:
↳ Yvang @2:45
album, I mean cassette. It's a shame it wasn't reissued.egould:
↳ Yvang @2:45
Thanks for the links Yvang.newton: ugh, lost 45 minutes to a work call.
Hiss Christ !
Thanks Tony!
Andrew in Toronto:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:39
Great show!Tony, thanks!
Tony Coulter:
↳ newton @2:48
You're welcome! Don't forget: this show will be preserved in a vial of piss.Tony Coulter:
↳ Andrew in Toronto @2:49
Thanks, Andrew!egould: Thanks, TC. Pretty damn good job today.
Jesse Helms:
↳ Tony Coulter @2:39
I don’t get it.egould:
↳ Jesse Helms @2:51
Ha!Tony Coulter:
↳ Jesse Helms @2:51
Ha!Olleh: Thank yoo Hisster Tony C! Always a superb show!
David The Splatter: Thanks, Tony. Been at work, haven't had a chance to comment.
David (in London): Thanks Tonio, great set today.
Tony Coulter: Thanks, everybody! Julie will be here: wfmu.org...
Yvang in woofmoo app: Thanks Tony! Top hiss today!
doctorjazz: Thanks Tony! Also busy at work but listening.
coelacanth∅))): Thanks Tony!
Tony Coulter: Cheers!
coelacanth∅))): airborne, Freeform forever!
Webhamster Henry: I'm going to have to catch this archive!
Elthra: I heard Sonny Rollins as a child taken to yet another seminal jazz gig. Like sound collage i started making them at 3 years old when my Uncle Peter ,who worked for Phillips brought round prototype indestructible tape cassette recorder for me to have as a present. It was 1972. I was still using it in 1986 , it had a brilliant mic.
Elthra: @Tony Coulter do you know who I am? I want to be anonymous. Happy Gay Pride Day 🏳️🌈 to me!