Matt Talks Media dives into the worlds of underground music, indie horror and art, and alternative media practices. Hosted by Dr. Matt Dorr — musician, blogger, and communication professor — the podcast blends personal experience with academic research to explore how non-mainstream voices create culture, build communities, and preserve stories often ignored by the mainstream. Each episode connects theory, history, and lived experience to show why alternative media matters.

• Ep. 11: Scarves, Emulators & BIGFOOT!

  • This episode of Matt Talks Media stitches together sports culture, retro gaming tech, and legendary creatures into one beautifully strange conversation.

    Dr. Nolan Meditz explores the history of fan scarves, especially in soccer and hockey cultures. From stadium identity to ritual and belonging, we look at how a simple piece of fabric became a powerful symbol of loyalty and community.

    Steven Doughty dives into the world of video game emulators—what they are, how they work, and why they matter for preservation, access, and gaming history.

    Dr. Matt Dorr rounds things out with a look at NOBRO, a Bigfoot research organization based in Oklahoma. We talk regional cryptid lore, grassroots research communities, and why Bigfoot refuses to step out of the cultural imagination.

    Music featured in this episode:

    • Copulatory Wounding – “Exquisite Entwinement of Aborted Innards”

    • CIA Hippie Mind Control – “An Eternal Stream”

    • Alhymor – “The Illusion Falters”

    Three topics. Three rabbit holes. One episode.

• Ep.10: Format Wars, Beer Cans, and Unblack Metal

  • On this episode of Matt Talks Media, we’re cracking open a three-part deep dive into the weird corners of media history, design culture, and underground music.

    First, Steven Doughty takes us back to the legendary format war that divided living rooms everywhere: JVC’s V/H/S vs. Sony’s Betamax. We dig into what the fight was really about (tech, timing, marketing, and consumer habits), and how this battle shaped the way people interacted with media at home for decades.

    Next, Dr. Nolan Meditz steps up to the bar and delivers a surprisingly fascinating history of the beer can, then dives headfirst into the world of craft beer can design. From branding aesthetics to visual storytelling, we explore how cans became tiny metal billboards, and why craft breweries treat packaging like art.

    Finally, Dr. Matt Dorr closes things out with a spotlight on The Unblack Archive: a fascinating database dedicated to Christian extreme metal artists. We talk about what “unblack metal” is, why it matters, and how scenes like this complicate the easy assumptions people tend to make about genre, ideology, and community.

    🎧 Music featured in this episode:

    • Oak of Weeping – “Job 3: Job Curses the Day He Was Born”

    • Alaretin – “Psalm 66: How Awesome Is He”

    • Majesty – Exaltation I-IV

    If you like media archaeology, design nerdery, and extreme music rabbit-holes, this one’s for you.

• Ep. 9: Manifestos & Melancholy Music

  • In this episode of Matt Talks Media, Dr. Matt Dorr takes a deep dive into Industrial Society and Its Future, the manifesto written by Ted Kaczynski, examining it as a media object and unpacking how manifestos function within alternative and underground media spaces. Rather than sensationalizing the author, the discussion focuses on the text itself, its circulation, and why documents like this continue to resurface in contemporary media discourse.

    Dr. Nolan Meditz joins the conversation to explore Giles Corey, both the album and the book by musician Dan Barrett. Together, we discuss themes of grief, isolation, history, and emotional extremity, and how deeply personal artistic projects can operate as alternative media artifacts that blur the line between music, literature, and confession.

    Steven Doughty is out on vacation in California for this episode, but he’ll be back in the studio in January.

    Music featured in this episode:

    • Datura – “No Hollow Box”

    • Sinnarch – “Omen”

    • Mordekai – “No Hope (Demo)”

    As always, Matt Talks Media explores the strange, uncomfortable, and often overlooked corners of media culture.

• Ep. 8: A Visit With The Hard Boys

  • In this episode, Dr. Matt Dorr sits down with two long-time friends and former bandmates for a deep dive into our shared musical history. Guitarist Blake Harper (Abyssal Rites, The Great He-Goat, Redneck Nosferatu, Dead Beat, Death Inquisition) and drummer Izzy Gazca (Magazu, Deity, Abyssal Rites, Kranionaut) join me in the studio for a candid, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about what it means to develop in the Oklahoma metal scene.

    If you’ve ever played in a band, loved a local scene, or wondered what life looks like behind the amps and drum kits, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

    Music Featured in This Episode:

    Napalm Unit

    Abyssal Rites

    Magazu

    Dead Beat

• Ep. 7: Semaphore & The Wacky World of Creepypasta

  • In this episode, we dive headfirst into the weird, sprawling world of Creepypasta as a massive alternative media space. I break down how these stories evolved from early internet folklore into a global phenomenon, tracing their history from Creepypasta.com and 4chan to the modern horror landscape. We talk about the infamous Slenderman attempted murder and the viral rise of “The Backrooms,” one of the most iconic pieces of digital folklore in the Creepypasta universe.

    My co-host Steven Doughty takes us on a journey back to the 1790s, exploring the early French semaphore telegraph system—a fascinating precursor to Morse code and an unexpected chapter in communication history.

    We’re also thrilled to welcome Dr. Nolan Meditz as an official co-host of the show. Nolan joins us in the studio to expand the conversation, unpack cultural trends, and add his own media-theory flair to the mix.

    Featured music in this episode:

    • NOMAD

    • Respair

    Come hang out with us as we explore horror, history, and the strange ways humans have always tried to communicate through the unknown.

• 31 for 31 Finale: Ol Daddy Longlegs

  • It’s the grand finale of the 31 for 31 horror challenge! For this special Halloween episode, I’m joined once again by my co-host Steven Doughty and a very special guest, Dr. Nolan Meditz, as we close out the month with a deep dive into three unforgettable films — Doctor Sleep, Longlegs, and Skinamarink.

    We break down the psychology, atmosphere, and creative vision behind each film, exploring everything from grief and legacy to experimental fear and the power of silence. I also wrap up the challenge by giving my final ratings for V/H/S Beyond, Smile, Midsommar, Good Boy, and The Long Walk.

    This episode features music from the following bands. Please support the artists!

    Turn off the lights, put on your headphones, and join us for the final descent into the weird, the haunting, and the underground.

• 31 for 31 episode three: Ethical Cannibalism

  • In this week’s 31 for 31 installment, I’m joined once again by my colleague and horror co-conspirator Steven Doughty for a deep dive into three wildly different but equally disturbing films: Talk to Me (2023), Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), and The Ritual (2017).

    We dig into grief and possession, body-metal madness, and Norse forest nightmares — unpacking what makes each film tick, twitch, and terrify. I also drop my ratings for V/H/S Halloween, Hausu, Ready or Not, The Monkey, and House of the Devil.

• 31 for 31 episode two: Rain Main II
  • For the second 31 for 31 episode, I’m joined again by my colleague and fellow media junkie Steven Doughty to dig into some seriously weird and disturbing movies. This round, we’re covering Weapons, Color Out of Space, Terrifier, X, Men, V/H/S 99, and Infinity Pool.

    From cosmic goo and body horror to found footage chaos and arthouse nightmares, we’re talking about what makes these films tick — and what makes them so damn unsettling. Expect plenty of laughs, tangents, and way too much enthusiasm for practical effects and gross-out moments.

• 31 for 31 episode one: Ghost Doctor
  • In this first 31 for 31 episode, Matt sits down with colleague and fellow media nerd Steven Doughty to talk all things scary — breaking down and reviewing a lineup of modern and classic horror favorites.

    The two dive into the chaos of V/H/S and V/H/S 94, the eerie realism of Lake Mungo and [REC], the haunted house chills of The Conjuring, the supernatural tension of The Black Phone, the campy fun of Creepshow, and the ghost-hunting nightmare of Grave Encounters.

    From found footage to haunted nostalgia, Matt and Steven share their reactions, favorite scenes, and what makes these films stick with us long after the credits roll. It’s part horror review, part late-night movie talk, and all appreciation for the genre that keeps us looking over our shoulders.

• DIY Recording Methods
  • ️ Episode 2 – DIY Recording in Underground Music
    From punk basements to black metal in the woods, this episode explores how underground bands turned limited gear into powerful statements of authenticity and resistance. Lo-fi isn’t a flaw — it’s the sound of independence.

• What is alternative media?
  • In this first episode of Matt Talks Media, I dive into the big question: What exactly is alternative media? From punk zines and manifestos to blogs, fan-driven archives, and tape trading, alternative media has always given underground communities a way to tell their own stories outside the mainstream.

    I share both scholarly perspectives and personal experiences — including my time writing reviews on Metal-Archives, running my blog Murdered Culture, and playing in underground bands. Along the way, we’ll look at activist vs. non-activist media, the history of DIY communication, and why these projects matter for preserving culture that would otherwise disappear.

    Whether you’re a fan of underground music, indie horror, or just curious about how people create outside corporate media, this episode is your introduction to the world of alternative media.

    Join me as we dive into the unknown.