Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.
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In this episode:
“You’re like a horror movie on stage… Said “Oh yeah? Look at us!”... The media delegitimizes subcultures.”
Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird are joined by Lesli Spivey from the early Los Angeles deathrock scene, a genre shaped through punk, horror, and B-movie magic.
Lesli reflects on how deathrock emerged beneath Hollywood’s bright lights and redefined Tineltown’s glitzy spectacle into gothic punk performances, offering insight into subversion and shaping her sound into something heavier, more grounded as rhythm, community, and subcultural survival. Her Indigenous heritage has influenced her views on anarchy, her critics of systems, and how the media delegitimizes subcultures. Spivey, both as part of the Cherokee Nation and the punk scene, has contributed to amplifying the voices often erased throughout history.
Lesli Spivey is also known as Elvorian Von Spivey from the band “Penis Flytrap”. Penis Flytrap is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles. Known for “shock rock” sounds and intense, chaotic live performances, the group also includes Dinah Cancer (45 Grave), Lucifer Fulci, and Hal Satan. She was also in the band “Anima Mundi”, an anarcho-punk collective that toured the U.S West Coast with British punk band “Conflict”. Outside of music, she also contributed to starting the satellite version of the Cherokee nation out in Los Angeles, where she served on the council for several years.
Since she started playing guitar in the Los Angeles punk/death rock scene in 1977, Spivey continues to be foundational in supporting and creating spaces for subcultural survival.
Recorded May 2026.
Links + References:
William Faith - Faith and the Muse
Tsa-La-Gi LA: Cherokee Los Angeles
Credits:
Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.
Co-hosted by Tequila Mockingbird.
Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.
Editorial support: Melissa Hernandez – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.
Transcript:
Theme Music:
Lady Bits, \"Bitch-a-thon,\" Lady Bits.
Related:
Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.
Connect with Punkast:
Instagram: punkastucla
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