Barely Human

About Barely Human

Barely Human is a podcast about forgotten and footnoted musicians of underground music history. It follows a thread from sixties counter-culture to contemporary sub-culture, from hippies and punks to the age of obscurity. Covering a whole range of antagonistic, misunderstood and questionable musicianship, it asks how we got here, what any of it meant, and how it might inform the underground music to come. Written and hosted by Max Easton and produced by Jason L'Ecuyer and Output Media.

Publisher

Max Easton

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

13 Jan 2020

Latest episode

31 May 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 May 2025

   UPDATE: Barely Human, the book; plus how to stay in touch...

   Host Max provides an update on the Barely Human project, including the book and ways to stay connected with the community.

2. 

   2 Feb 2022

   BHIV01: "I've Never Not Been Asked to Turn Down..." (An Interview with Clarke Blacker of Stick Men With Ray Guns)

   Clarke Blacker of Stick Men With Ray Guns discusses the band's formation, controversies, philosophy, and legacy with hosts Jason L'Ecuyer and Max Easton in this interview episode, correcting errors from a previous episode.

3. 

   11 Apr 2020

   BH012: I'm in Strife; I Like Low Life (...and Haram)

   Max Easton explores how Australian punk band Low Life and New York hardcore band Haram gained notoriety, examining their brushes with scandal and law enforcement.

4. 

   24 Mar 2020

   BH011: Lend Me a Fiver; I Like Dick Diver (...and Total Control)

   Max Easton explores Melbourne's subcultural music scene, highlighting Dick Diver's relatable lyrics and Total Control's influential post-punk sound, revealing their impact on contemporary music.

5. 

   19 Mar 2020

   BH010: Nothing Pleases; I Like Country Teasers (...and Lucille Bogan)

   Max Easton explores boundary-pushing obscenity in music, contrasting the satirical garage rock of Country Teasers with the explicit blues of Lucille Bogan, revealing free speech arguments.

6. 

   11 Mar 2020

   BH009: Dead Inside; I Like R.L. Burnside (...and Cheater Slicks)

   Max Easton explores the 1990s garage punk revival through the lens of R.L. Burnside's blues and Cheater Slicks's obscurity, revealing the decade's backward-looking glance.

7. 

   5 Mar 2020

   BH008: Life Makes Me Nervous; I Like Butthole Surfers (...and Stick Men With Ray Guns)

   Max Easton explores the contrasting trajectories of Texas anti-punk bands Butthole Surfers and Stick Men With Ray Guns, examining their impact and legacies in the music scene.

8. 

   24 Feb 2020

   BH007: Lost in Trivialities; I Like Television Personalities (...and The Raincoats)

   Max Easton explores the emergence of London post-punk in 1978, highlighting Television Personalities' satirical response to punk and The Raincoats' embodiment of the DIY ethos.

9. 

   18 Feb 2020

   BH006: Life's Complex; I Like X-Ray Spex (...y Los Crudos)

   Max Easton explores the punk and hardcore music of X-Ray Spex and Los Crudos, highlighting their cultural impact and unique perspectives within their respective scenes.

10. 

    10 Feb 2020

    BH005: Everything's Dandy; I Like Black Randy (...and GG Allin)

    Max Easton explores the lives and boundary-pushing antics of Black Randy and GG Allin, two figures known for their antagonistic behavior within the punk music scene.

11. 

    3 Feb 2020

    BH004: Dunno How This Feels; I Like electric eels (...and Death)

    Max Easton explores the proto-punk sounds of Cleveland's electric eels and Detroit's band Death, highlighting bands that defied categorization before punk's rise.

12. 

    27 Jan 2020

    BH003: Running Out of Gags; I Like The Shaggs (...and Roky Erickson)

    Max Easton explores the unconventional sounds and isolated backgrounds of outsider musicians The Shaggs and Roky Erickson, who defied musical norms.

13. 

    20 Jan 2020

    BH002: Barely Human; I Like Randy Newman (...and Frank Sidebottom)

    Max Easton explores the misunderstood careers of cult musicians Randy Newman and Frank Sidebottom, who used cynicism and irony, ultimately leading to their misremembered legacies.

14. 

    13 Jan 2020

    BH001: The FBI Are Mugs; I Like the Fugs (...and Crass)

    Host Max Easton explores how counter-cultural bands The Fugs and Crass attracted attention from the FBI, CIA, and MI6 due to their subversive activities and anti-establishment messages in this episode.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

15

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Barely Human

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.