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“Weird music by weirdos, for weirdos” – Feature Interview w/Conan Neutron – Milwaukee Record

March 15, 2018

Weird music by weirdos, for weirdos: Chatting with Milwaukee-via-Oakland musician Conan Neutron

Despite the decentralizing power of technology, there still exists the un-killable notion of musicians leaving whatever flyover states they grew up in and “making it” on one of the coasts. Conan Neutron has it all wrong: Last June, the Oakland, California punk musician packed up after 22 years in the Bay Area and moved to the Midwestern climes of Milwaukee, taking the spirit of his band (if not all the members), Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends, with him. A revolving super group of sorts (the current recording lineup features Melvins’ drummer Dale Crover, and former Coliseum and Trophy Wives member Tony Ash), Neutron and company are no strangers to Milwaukee, with the singer-songwriter’s former band, Victory And Associates, once a part of Milwaukee’s Latest Flame Records. But now, as much as any group with members spread throughout the country can be (other Secret Friends call Athens and San Francisco home), Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends are officially a Milwaukee band.

This Friday at Club Garibaldi, the group will celebrate the release of their first “Protons and Electrons” split seven-inch, backed with a track from Trophy Wives. Eleven more seven-inches will be released over as many months, eventually adding up to a full album. Before the tour-kickoff show (which will also feature sets from Body Futures and Guerilla Ghost), Milwaukee Record spoke to Neutron about his music (“Weird music by weirdos, for weirdos,” he says), moving to the middle of the country, and doing other “stupid” stuff.

Milwaukee Record: So let’s get the big question out of the way: Why move from California to Wisconsin? What are your ties to Milwaukee?

Conan Neutron: Basically, they’re all from touring. My old band, whenever we’d come through town, we would always play Milwaukee and have a great time. Some of my closest friends are from touring, a large portion of which live in Milwaukee. The IfIHadAHiFi guys being some of them.

We didn’t leave the Bay Area because we disliked it, it was pretty much a matter of being priced out. It was a choice between having a life where you can really lay into the things you really want to do, or fight as hard as you can just to stay above water. Moving to a place with a lower cost of living makes it easier to do that kind of thing. Especially for me, with my main creative pursuit being Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends, we’re all spread out anyway, so it didn’t make a lot of sense to stay in Oakland, especially with everything skyrocketing. So we narrowed it down to a bunch of different cities, and Milwaukee was definitely attractive because we had an existing base of friends. There’s a lot in common between Oakland and Milwaukee—there are a lot of differences as well—but that’s how we ended up heading east from the Wild West. [laughs]

MR: What are some of those differences and …

Fall 2016 – Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends Tour

September 20, 2016

Poster by Plastic Flame Press

October Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends ART OF MURDER tour:

Thursday Oct. 13 San Francisco, CA: Bottom of the Hill w/ Poster Children, Taxes
Friday Oct. 14 Oakland, CA: Golden Bull w/ PORCH, Dark Beach
Saturday Oct. 15 Portland, OR: Turn Turn Turn w/ The Cut 45
Sunday Oct. 16 Seattle, WA: Highline w/ The Devil Bores Me, The Bismarck
Monday Oct. 17 Missoula, MT: Stage112 w/ Magpies
Tuesday Oct. 18 Deadwood, SD: (no show, just chilling at Wild Bill’s grave)
Wednesday Oct. 19 Minneapolis, MN: Hexagon Bar w/ Buildings
Thursday Oct. 20 Milwaukee, WI: Frank’s Power Plant W/ IfIHadAHiFi, Fox Face
Friday Oct. 21 Pretty Lake, MI: – PRF Camp-Out 2016
Saturday Oct. 22 Pretty Lake, MI: – PRF Camp-Out 2016
Sunday Oct. 23 Chicago, IL: Township w/ Burned or Buried, Beat Drun Juel…

Shiny Grey Monotone Interview with Conan Neutron

September 10, 2016

Flagship SW artist Conan Neutron answered some questions for one of our favorite music blogs Shiny Grey Monotone.

Here it is: Secret Friends are discussed, as well as Replicator, Mount Vicious, Victory and Associates all with candor and honesty.
Dale Crover, David Yow, Industrial guest appearances Radio NOPE and damn near everything else.

Also includes a weighty “awesome band” list is that would be a worthy homework assignment for any discerning rocker. I can already think of at least a half dozen bands I forgot to include. Damn!

Here it is.

conan neutron.
you may recognize the name.
and even if you don’t you’ll still find yourself saying “that’s a pretty kick-ass name. why couldn’t my parents name me conan neutron. i hate my parents!” and then running into your room and slamming the door behind you and then cranking up the stereo. and this is the point where’d you’d forgotten that you hadn’t taken out that BEST OF ABBA cd and now everyone knows your dirty little secret.

moving on.

and before all of this begins i need to clear something up: conan is in no way shape or form related to jimmy. don’t bring it up.  the last time that happened it wasn’t so nice. you may have heard about it on the news.

also: never mention that pointer sisters song either. just don’t.

moving on.

some of you may have heard of some bands with names like:
replicator
mount vicious
victory and associates

you may have even seen them around here on SGM island.
and if you haven’t you’ve just been voted off.

nowadays he’s fronting/playing guitar in a band with some of his secret friends.
and no i’m not going to tell you who they are.
that’s his job.

Q: seeing as how you and your secret friends league have just been brought up…tell us all about that.

A: Sure, this is like my weirdo rock version of the Avengers, or something. Every player is a superstar totally capable of badass acts of heroism and power on their own, but coming together for a greater purpose. I suppose that would make me Captain America. I guess Tony Ash is Iron Man and Dale Crover is the Hulk? Wait, no Thor. Toshi Kasai is… uh… Nick Fury?
Wait… this is dumb.
Another way to look at it, is this is my version of the the Bad Seeds or something. The players sometimes change and cycle in, but the basic core remains the same and the songs come from me originally before being twisted, contorted and shaped into whatever dark forces come together at the end. It’s my version of rock ‘n roll. And that includes a world where Melvins, Bon Scott era AC/DC, DEVO, Unwound, The Jesus Lizard and Thin Lizzy all should be lauded equally. You get me? It’s rock, but with the no bullshit or excuses attitude that can only come from people that live and breathe punk rock/noise rock or whatever the hell

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Some praise for “the Art of Murder”

June 5, 2016

”Great Stuff! expect lots of sludgy and meaty grooves and a lot of references to Hannibal Lecter!.” –I Heart Noise

“Veteran Oakland, CA singer/guitarist Conan Neutron has hit pay dirt with The Secret Friends. This follow up to 2015s debut The Enemy of Everyone bellows forth with, chianti-swilling swagger. Tunes such as ‘Eat The Rude’ ‘The Census Taker’ and the closing ‘Chair of Antlers’ with its Wings ‘Jet’ like shout-along chorus give a Thunderous thrill! The Art is a Blast!.” – The Big Takeover

” …Rare is the band that attempts to pull off this sort of thing, rarer still is the band that succeeds. The best part about Neutron and his pals, is there’s no tongue in cheek, hipster, nudge-and-wink, ironic retro-rocking going on, this is just some seriously solid, goddamn rock and roll, that we find ourselves listening to like crazy” –Aquarius Records

“Here’s what’s more crucial: this thing is tight, with a seamless collection of the most tasty hooks, and the best delivery possible. The best in rock, and I mean that. Think about it- from Alice Cooper, to UFO, to KISS, to the Misfits, to The Melvins, to Tilts- there is a type of rock music where everything just fits, perfectly- where the production, the songwriting, the performance, heck even the tuning all just come together perfectly- that sense that everything is exactly what it’s supposed to be- this record has it. There’s nothing extraneous – no 3 bar solos that have to be in another key, because they won’t fit, otherwise, nor jazz fake out drum bits, nor yodeling, nor throat singing, nor funk odyssey- it’s all mighty, mighty solid rock. It’s beyond genre- again, like the sadly departed Tilts, this isn’t cheap nostalgia for the dearly departed music from when I was 15- instead, it’s trying to take the materials at hand, now- indie rock, stoner rock, sludge, noise, punk- and infusing it with a healthy dose of what made that “classic” rock classic to us, when we were 15. Heroic harmonies on the chorus, heart-stopping riffs, and the tightest fills that can be mustered. I have listened to it about 10 times in a row, now, and I don’t skip a track, and I don’t wanna miss a second of it. I have been late getting back from lunch because I don’t want to stop listening mid-song to anything, here. Just mind-blowingly solid- and top notch throughout. Sincerely- if you like big, loud, tight rock music- not pop rock- not metal, not punk, not alternative- hard rock music- with melody, and balls aplenty- I cannot suggest anything else- get this, now! I mean, sure, I dig all kinds of music, so, if you’d rather catch up on Merle Haggard’s music, by all means- that’s a good endeavor- but when you want rock music, you really must start here. I realize that the worm that destroys you is the temptation to agree with your critics, to get their approval, but you cannot …

SW014 – Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends “The Art of Murder”

May 1, 2016

SEISMIC WAVE WORLD HQ is proud to present the second record by Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends – “The Art of Murder”

Conan Neutron is a guy; Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends is a band. It is a band featuring Dale Crover of the mighty Melvins on drums, Tony Ash of Trophy Wives and Coliseum on bass and the production skills of the iconoclastic and enigmatic Toshi Kasai. The Secret Friends bring forth a wiry and adventurous rock ‘n roll that is equal parts Kyuss, Cheap Trick, fugazi, Black Sabbath, Queens of the Stone Age and DEVO with perhaps Mean Streets era Van Halen mixed in.

Neutron, a rock ‘n roll lifer has spent the last 16 years making records and touring in such bands as Replicator, Victory and Associates and Mount Vicious, making uncompromising, sometimes challenging and daring rock music to anybody that is interested. This record The Art of Murder is the second that he wrote and arranged himself, and the second recorded by the band now known as “The Secret Friends”

The Art of Murder, was fully fleshed out and recorded at the secret Melvins HQ – Sound of Sirens. Tracked, mixed and produced by Toshi Kasai (Helmet, Melvins, Foo Fighters), Mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac, and with Artwork by Rick Froberg of Hot Snakes/Drive Like Jehu fame. Buzz Osborne of the Melvins shows up to lend his distinctive and authoritative vocals to Avid Fan and Chair of Antlers.

Following up the well-received Enemy of Everyone, this Art of Murder is directly inspired by the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris. Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal and the fascinating interpersonal dynamics between the characters within. As well as some of the other associated material around the characters of said stories.

For those familiar with Conan Neutron’s oeuvre it has the Replicator muscle, the Mount Vicious weirdness and the V and A pop sensibility. For those that don’t, this is a record made by some smartass with sideburns that features one of the greatest living drummers. No big deal.

Live performances continue to be a like a comet sighting. Infrequent and rare, but there will be some shows, and more recordings to come. However, we urge you to give this record your FULL ATTENTION and to TURN IT UP.


This record was written and mostly arranged leisurely between November 7th, 2014 and March 7th 2015 by Conan Neutron. Tracks were given final arrangements and recorded at Sound of Sirens studio in Sun Valley, CA between May14th-18th, 2015 by Toshi Kasai. Mixing was done at Sound of Sirens between June 12th- July 28th. 2015 by Toshi Kasai.
Mastering was done at Chicago Mastering Company by Bob Weston: September 2015
Art and layout by Rick Froberg
This record was directly inspired by the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris. Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal and the …

SW-013 Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends – The Enemy of Everyone (Neutron/Ash/Crover)

March 2, 2015

Conan Neutron is a guy, Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends is a band. It is a band featuring Dale Crover of the mighty Melvins on drums, Tony Ash of Trophy Wives and Coliseum on bass and the production skills of the iconoclastic and enigmatic Toshi Kasai. The Secret Friends bring forth a wiry and adventurous rock ‘n roll that is equal parts Cheap Trick, fugazi, the Cars, Black Sabbath and DEVO with perhaps Mean Streets era Van Halen mixed in.
Neutron, a rock ‘n roll lifer has spent the last 15 years making records and touring in such bands as Replicator, Victory and Associates and Mount Vicious, making uncompromising, sometimes challenging and daring rock music to anybody that is interested. This is the first record that he wrote and arranged himself.

The Enemy of Everyone was fully fleshed out at the secret Melvins HQ – Sound of Sirens September 11th-15th, 2014 during a brutal heatwave, Vocals for Fight Math were done at Antisleep audio, Oakland, CA by Mr. Eugene Robinson on October 8th, 2014. Those were tracked by Mr. Scott Evans. Mixing was done at Sound of Sirens between October 10th-15th. 2014 by Toshi Kasai.

For those familiar with the ouvre it has the Replicator muscle, the Mount Vicious weirdness and the V and A pop sensibility. For those that don’t, this is a record made by some smartass with sideburns that features one of the greatest living drummers. No big deal.
The Enemy of Everyone is a nine song jaunt with songs that range in theme, but largely have to do with being annoyed at things. There’s also a song about accidentally selling your soul while on a drinking bender, and whatever it is that Eugene Robinson is singing about.
Oh right… the inimitable and formidable Eugene Robinson of Oxbow lends a hand with the vocals to FIGHT MATH.
There will be some shows, and with any luck much, much more to come.

You can pre-order the record direct from Seismic Wave at bandcamp, and it will be available through PRF distro and other outlets soon enough.

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Victory and Associates – Better Luck Next Life pre-order

October 9, 2013

Check out the brand new album: Better Luck Next Life by Victory and Associates. Produced by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Tool, Tweak Bird, Hurry Up Shotgun) these are 10 songs to entertain and delight as the medicore miseries of the world threaten to overwhelm. Pre-orders for 180 Gram double Gatefold vinyl and CDs available now!
Digital download sales available immediately.

Victory and Associates is a rock band from Oakland, CA. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Conan Neutron, bassist/vocalist Evan Gritzon, lead guitarist Shane Otis, and drummer Jacob “Mouse” Menough. This is their second full length record, following up 2011’s “These Things Are Facts” and last years “Plausibly Wild/Wildly Plausible” double A side single. Victory and Associates formed in early 2010, starting a mission to create true and honest rock and roll trying their best to prove that punk rock is a mindset as much as a strict genre classification, and that big rock does not have to be dumb to be good.

Victory and Associates simultaneously embrace the glorious and the foolish in rock and roll. Where rock ‘n’ roll not only includes the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, but DEVO, the Melvins and the Buzzcocks. There is much more to be said in the idiom of rock ‘n’ roll and Victory and Associates will darn well say it.

There are no four letter words in any Victory and Associates songs, but there is diversity. The booming “We’ll Have to Be Our Own Heroes”, blasts out of the gate with a desperate energy and a message of self empowerment. Sorry, the people that were going to save the day decided they had better things to do. The lush Everything’s Amazing (Nobody’s Happy) is the peppiest song about first world entitlement/taking the marvels of our modern world for granted that you will hear all week. It’s also the only song we can think of that’s directly inspired by a Louis C.K. comedy bit. The spacey and inexorable groove of For Serious is quite literally a song in defense of sincerity itself, a concept that’s been hijacked by utter idiots, fools, wastoids and shameless marketeers.

Better Luck Next Life is a rock record containing ten songs of disillusionment, disappointment, frustration at diminished expectations and hope. Always hope. Even as it seems like hope itself is disappearing on the horizon. Party, right? look – this is not strict cookie cutter genre music and every song doesn’t sound exactly the same, but this IS for real… this is FOR SERIOUS. These are songs directly inspired by the singularity of disappointment, closing one’s self off to new experiences, the TV show “Party Down” and the harsh realization that at some point you need to pass the torch to others to carry on. High-minded concepts married to huge riffs, hooks and an undeniable sense of fun. It is dark, battered, exhausted but never defeated

Produced by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Federation X, Liars, Tool), these ten songs are aimed right

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