Virtual Unreality

We have an interview with Perth-based singer and songwriter Catherine Traicos about her new album – In the Heart of the Night – which is largely improvised. She has a Sydney gig at Church Street Studios on 26 June.

Plus we have a bunch of new music, including Lenny Kaye, Jack White, Datura4 and more.

And we play some New Christs because they have a gig at the Marrickville Bowlo on Friday.

Links!

• Catherine Traicos Bandcamp page
• Church Street Studios
• New Christs at the Marrickville Bowlo

Listen!

Playlist!

• The B52’s – Planet Clare
• The Huston Creepers – My cherie amour
• The New Christs – The burning of Rome
• Catherine Traicos – Beauty Of The Moon (Radio Edit from Scene 1)
• The VU interview – Catherine Traicos (part 1)
• Catherine Traicos – Don’t Tell Anyone (Radio Edit from Scene 2
• The VU interview – Catherine Traicos (part 2)
• Catherine Traicos – Anyone’s Girl
• The Afghan Whigs – Jungle Roux
• Billy Peril – My Kind of Madness
• Stella Dunai – I Love You Too Eagerly
• Jen Mize & The Rough N’ Tumble – North Carolina
• Jack White – Derecho Demonico
• Keb’ Mo’ – Fussing And Fighting
• The Pretty Littles – Terracotta
• The New Pornographers – Spooky Action
• Sylvan Esso – Hot Slob
• Datura4 – Under A Rock
• Butthole Surfers – Intelligent Guy (Astronaut Version)
• Lenny Kaye – Solstice

We conclude our chat with Johnny Casino and have some new stuff.

You can grab a copy of the album – Une nuit á Rennes – here.

Listen!

Playlist!

• Otis Redding – Respect (live)
• BB King – Introductions / Every Day I Have the Blues (live)
• The Johnnys – Injun Joe (live)
• Thee Johnny Casino Syndicate – Cowboys and Indians (live)
• The VU interview – Johnny Casino part 3
• Thee Johnny Casino Syndicate – Trick my boat wrong (live)
• The VU interview – Johnny Casino part 4
• Thee Johnny Casino Syndicate – Ghosts in your mind (live)
• Theradiomusicola – Coz We’re Girls
• Tom Woodward – Sitting On A Railing
• Turnover – I’m Up, I’m Up
• Trauma Party – Speak To Me
• Black Cab – Combat Boots (live in Sydney)

We start off with a little birthday tribute to His Bobness.

Our feature interview is the first of a two-parter with Johnny Casino about the new Johnny Casino Syndicat live album – Une nuit á Rennes. Hint: it rocks! You can grab a copy from his Bandcamp page.

Then we finish of the show with a bunch of new releases, including Jon Spencer, Jeannie Lewis, Modest Mouse, Tanita Tikaram and heaps more.

Listen!

Playlist!

• Leslie West – This Wheel’s On Fire
• Johnny Winter – Highway 61 Revisted
• Bob Dylan – Song to Woody
• Bob Dylan – Melancholy Mood
• Bob Dylan – Love Minus Zero-No Limit
• Thee JOHNNY CASINO Syndicat – You still got nothing to say
• The VU interview – Johnny Casino (part 1)
• Thee JOHNNY CASINO Syndicat – Ghosts in your mind
• The VU interview – Johnny Casino (part 2)
• Thee JOHNNY CASINO Syndicat – Twenty Twenty
• Amber Farnan – When I Get Better
• Gina Malcolm – Traps
• Lala Vale – Obvious
• Modest Mouse – Third Side of the Moon
• LAGUNA – Myrtle
• Jeremy Beggs – Mess I’m In
• Rodney Crowell – If I Could Speak To Leonard
• Caroline Rose – Yip Yip Yow
• Broham – Wheel of Fortune
• Jeannie Lewis – Live In The Light
• Tanita Tikaram – Sweet Feather The Storm
• Jon Spencer – Orange Slice Blues
• The Dresden Dolls – Backstabber
• The Persuasions – The Man in Me

Episode three of the Virtual Unreality podcast features a feature interview with Peter “Blackie” Black of the Hard Ons, Nunchukka Superfly and solo stuff.

We also have new releases from Datura4, Bagful of Beez, Emma Donovan, and heaps more. True!

Listen!

Playlist

• The Who – Young man blues
• Datura4 – Dirty Laundry
• Bagful of Beez – FeverDream
• Emma Donovan – Wash My Soul In The River’s Flow
• The Womack Sisters – Chauffeur
• Piper Butcher – Better
• Peter Black – PestoPizza
• The VU interview part 1 – Peter Black
• Redd Kross – Stay Away From Downtown
• The VU interview part 2 – Peter Black
• Poison Idea – Alan’s on Fire
• Nunchukka Superfly – Bleary Eyed
• The VU interview part 3 – Peter Black
• Hard Ons – Old and Whys
• Lambchop – Weakened
• Hop Along – Laments
• Salonistas – Take Me Home
• Eleni Mandell – Hard To Be Lonely
• Thalia Zedek – You’re A Big Girl Now

No studio guest this week, but some really cool new releases. Some are really, really cool. True!

We DO have a studio guest next week – Peter Black! Also true!

Listen!

Playlist

• Hole – Violet
• The On and Ons – Leave Me Out
• Shane Flew & Matt Ross – How Long Blues
• LAHGO – Puppet
• The Vors – You Treat Me Like An Asshole
• The Vors – Pretty Normal
• Girl Monstar – HateTrain
• Bleak Squad – World Go To Hell
• Fancy Weapon – Squid
• Manorism – Something I Can’t See
• Gia Margaret – Good Friend
• David Safran – Muttering Continues
• Linda Perry – Albatross
• Steve Poltz – Folksinger
• Radio Birdman – We’ve Come So Far (To Be Here Today)
• Cola – Hedgesitting
• Ally Row – Tail Lights
• Alan Fletcher – Under The Stairs
• The Pleasures – This Might Hurt A Little Bit
• Taj Mahal – Time
• Hannah Aldridge – Psycho Killer

In our first show back as a podcast, we have two guests.

First up is Clyde Bramley of the On and Ons talking about there new album “Luminary”.

Then in the second hour, we flip the dial to blues and talk to Shane Flew about the new album he and Matt Ross have just released “Once Upon a Long Time Ago”.

Plus we check out some newish releases.

Listen!

Playlist!

• The Stooges – 1969
• Iggy Pop – Frenzy
• The On and Ons – White Ships
• VU interview number one – Clyde Bramley part 1
• The On and Ons – Don’t Miss Your Misery
• VU interview number one – Clyde Bramley part 2
• The On and Ons – Coming On Strong
• VU interview number one – Clyde Bramley part 3
• The On and Ons – Mr. Wonderful
• Selwyn Birchwood – All Hail The Algorithm
• The Bo-Keys – Wasted Days And Wasted Nights
• Young Fresh Fellows with Neko Case – Destination
• Shane Flew and Matt Ross – That Old Sun
• VU interview number two – Shane Flew part 1
• Shane Flew and Matt Ross – How Long Blues
• VU interview number two – Shane Flew part 2
• Shane Flew and Matt Ross – Sister Music
• VU interview number two – Shane Flew part 3
• Shane Flew and Matt Ross – Once Upon a Long Time Ago
• Uni Boys – I Dont Wanna Dream Anymore
• Leadbelly – (Goodnight) Irene

We talk to Peter Black who has simultaneously released two solo albums. One acoustic and the other electric.

Plus we have the usual array of new and old shit.

Listen!

https://www.mixcloud.com/2rrr885fm/virtual-unreality-january-6-2026-peter-black-on-the-blower/

Playlist

• Three Dog Night – Joy to the world
• Peter Black – Everlasting arms
• The VU interview – Peter Black part 1
• Peter Black – Push push push
• The VU interview – Peter Black part 2
• Peter Black – Morning has come
• Peter Black – Dressing gown blues
• Guitar Wolf – 9 PM pornomag planet
• Guitar Wolf – Jet Satisfaction
• Girl Monstar – Blue cats with green eyes
• Steve Poltz – Joyride
• Sally Seltmann – Do I want fame?
• Big Richard – Alaska
• Steep Canyon Rangers – Heart’s the only compass
• Lucie Tiger – Cowboy love me
• Paula Standing – Here All Night, an Ode To Procrastination
• The Jackets – Dreamer
• Bleak Squad – Strange Love
• Shocking Blue – Venus
• Shonen Knife – Jet
• Lucinda Williams – We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around (feat. Norah Jones)

We had Dave Favours of Dave Favours and the Roadside Ashes in the hot seat, talking about the new album “Service Station Chicken” and other shit.

Listen!

https://www.mixcloud.com/2rrr885fm/virtual-unreality-12-december-2025-dave-favours-in-the-studio/

Playlist!

• Roy Buchanan and Steve Cropper – Green Onions
• Dave Favours and the roadside Ashes – Service Station Chicken
• The Hard Ons – Apartment for two
• Sam Shinazzi – Christmas time
• Laid Back Country Picker – 8-Track Weekend
• Brea Burns & The Boleros – It ain’t drunk driving when Jesus has the wheel
• The Avett Brothers with Mike Patton – Eternal Love
• Dave Favours and the roadside Ashes – Rosalie
• Tim Easton – Jacqueline
• Handsome Young Strangers – Marona Drover
• Fahm – Demented Soul Blues
• Nick Barker and the Reptiles – Blood Nose
• The Saints – Will you be there
• Huckle Berry and Devil’s Dandruff – You’re only foolin’
• Dave Favours and the roadside Ashes – Already done
• Foghat – I just want to make love to you

We have interviews with two amazing ladies.

First up, we talk to Hannah Acfield about her new album Golden Light.

Then later in the show, we talk to Helen Ryder about her new album Love Over Hate.

Plus we keep the female thing happening by just playing women’s voices!

Listen!

https://www.mixcloud.com/2rrr885fm/virtual-unreality-november-21-2025-hannah-acfield-helen-ryder/

Playlist!

• Girl Monstar – Hate train
• Bleak Squad – Blue Signs
• Catrherine Britt – A divorce, two kids & a few whiskies ago
• Hannah Acfield – Golden Light
• The VU interview – Hannah Acfield part 1
• Hannah Acfield – Dreamer
• The VU interview – Hannah Acfield part 2
• Hannah Acfield – Dark before dawn
• The VU interview – Hannah Acfield part 3
• Hanah Acfield – I’ll always be there
• Hannah Stow – I like me
• Chloe Styler – Placeholder
• Amyl and the Sniffers – Doing in me head
• Nina Hagen – Future is now
• Nena – 99 Luftballoons
• Helen Ryder – Love over hate
• Another VU interview – Helen Ryder part 1
• Helen Ryder – In the slow lane
• Another VU interview – Helen Ryder part 2
• Another VU interview – Helen Ryder part 3
• Helen Ryder – Josephine (love is everything)

We had Chris Masuak on the blower from Spain talking about his new Dog Soldier album and why he had to cancel his Australian tour.

Valerie Vande Panne gave us the rundown on Zohran Mamdani‘s victory in the recent New York mayoral elections

Listen!

Playlist!

• Old Boy – Shot caller
• Frank Sinatra – New York New York
• The VU interview – Valerie Vande Panne
• Garland Jeffries – New York Skyline
• Cordovas – Step outside
• Dom Mariani – World on its head
• Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier – Swimming naked
• The VU interview – Chris Masuak part 1
• Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier – Gun Shy
• The Hitmen – I don’t mind
• The VU interview – Chris Masuak part 2
• Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier – Tract Home Chippy
• Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier – Beautiful boys
• Geraint Watkins – Turn that chicken down
• The White Stripes – Conquest