From The Verge · Terrence O'Brien · · 3m
No Dogs in Space returns with punk obsession
The music history podcast is back after two years with a new season diving deep into punk rock.
In brief
The music history podcast is back after two years with a new season diving deep into punk rock. No Dogs in Space returns with season four focused on punk history, starting with the New York Dolls, after hosts realized that's where their expertise and passion shine brightest. Originally reported by The Verge.
Podcast returns after two years
No Dogs in Space is back with season four, Punk 2.0, after a two-year hiatus. The first episode premiered this week, launching a series on the New York Dolls.
Hosts return to their roots
Carolina Hidalgo and Marcus Parks decided to get back to basics by focusing on punk rock, where they feel their passion and expertise are strongest. They realized that's where the most interesting stories are.
“we realize like what we do best is tell a punk story, right? Not the punk story, but a punk story.”
Why the long wait happened
The new season took years to develop because the hosts made several false starts. They initially planned a DC punk scene series but abandoned it after eight months of work.
Bad Brains derailed DC plans
The hosts spent six months researching a DC punk series starting with Bad Brains, but discovered the band had serious homophobic views. This forced them to rethink their approach entirely.
“incredibly homophobic. Like, fire and brimstone”
DC scene was too sprawling
When they tried to cover DC punk as a whole, the scope kept expanding to include foundational acts like Chuck Brown and go-go music. After eight months, they admitted defeat.
“when you try to put all of them together, you can't. You just can't put all of these stories together.”
Link Wray series emerged from ruins
The failed DC project wasn't a total loss. The hosts salvaged a two-part series on Link Wray that will premiere later this year.
Obsessive rabbit holes are the magic
During the New York Dolls series, Hidalgo became obsessed with Mott the Hoople, uncovering how lead singer Ian Hunter went from digging ditches to fronting the band after a friend's call.
Parks digs into drag history
Parks became obsessed with drag queen Jackie Curtis, arguing that the punk style credited to Richard Hell may have actually originated with Curtis. He shared a wild story of Curtis climbing out a window like Batman to steal clothes.
“It could be argued that the punk style that is often credited to Richard Hell probably actually originated with Jackie Curtis.”
Obsession is their superpower
Both hosts were recently diagnosed with autism and recognize that their obsessive nature is what makes the podcast work. They live in a constant state of deep focus on their subjects.
“Obsession really is, it is kind of our superpower.”
New season available everywhere
The new season of No Dogs in Space is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms. For the first time, full video episodes are also posted on YouTube.
The bottom line
No Dogs in Space returns with season four focused on punk history, starting with the New York Dolls, after hosts realized that's where their expertise and passion shine brightest.
