All Ears: A Conversation with Eclectic Radio Treasure Tad Cautious

With all the technology available to us modern humans, there are seemingly infinite ways to access music. And yet somehow I still love radio. Especially when it’s programmed with thoughtfulness, intention, and a real connection to a community of listeners. That’s why my dear old friend Neil Cleary, known by his radio nom de plume Tad Cautious, is one of the best radio programmers in the business.

I’ve been listening to Neil on air since the mid-nineties, starting with his show on WRUV-FM in Burlington, Vermont. He’s gone on to do many wonderful things since then—several of which we get into in this conversation. Front and center are his two current shows: The Bunny: Phish Festival Radio on SiriusXM’s Phish channel, and All Ears on Vermont Public Radio. Both are wildly and beautifully eclectic in different ways.

But what really inspired this conversation was my appreciation for how Neil programs and the ethos behind it—one of community service and care, but also adventure, openness, and curiosity. That spirit, I think, is the secret ingredient in freeform and eclectic radio, going back to the father of freeform himself, Tom Donahue, and KMPX in San Francisco in the 1960s—which I talk about a bit in Dead Dharma.

Anyway, you can watch this video for more, though I’ll confess I’m not much of a fan of the medium generally—after all, it killed the radio star. We also recorded this at 8am my time, which presented its own challenges. So maybe just close your eyes and treat this like a radio program, or—gasp!—a podcast.

You can find Neil at Tad_Cautious on Instagram; episodes of All Ears at Mixcloud; The Bunny playlists on Facebook; and episode tracks at Tidal.

Three Things I’m Listening To

Split Enz, Mental Notes (1975) — Long before Neil Finn (another Neil!) became a songwriting force with Crowded House, his first band arrived fully unhinged on this debut, driven by co-founder Phil Judd’s feverish, vaudevillian imagination. With its billowing art rock and electric cabaret in the vein of Van der Graaf Generator, Pavlov’s Dog or super early Genesis, Mental Notes sounds like it comes from a fantastically deranged parallel universe; one worth stepping into for a spell.

Outre-Tombe, Répurgation (2015) — Quebec City death metal, sung entirely in French, which somehow makes it more menacing. This debut worships at the altar of Bolt Thrower and Entombed, but ups the guitar ante, with well constructed and inventive solos that spew forth like lava from beneath the mountainous sludge. Grinding, haunted, and heavy as a collapsed cathedral ceiling.

Flea, Honora (2026) — Nobody expected Michael Balzary’s first solo record at age 63 to be a jazz album—and a genuinely good one. Returning to his first love, the trumpet, and surrounded by an impeccable crew including guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, drummer Deantoni Parks, and producer/saxophonist Josh Johnson, Flea turns out to have deep compositional instincts and two giant ears for arrangement. Thom Yorke and Nick Cave show up as guests; covers of Parliament’s Eddie Hazel, Jimmy Webb, and Frank Ocean round out the program. Quelle surprise!