On this episode, Marc talks with Niko Stratis, author of "The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman," published on May 6, 2025. It's a memoir of Stratis's many experiences and life changes, explored through music that has greatly affected her, with each chapter focused on a specific song. Stratis expertly mixes her own story with the stories of these songs and how those two things intertwine, along the way carving out her own definition of Dad Rock that speaks to who she is, who her own dad is, and how life can be shaped and guided by the music we love.

As she writes, "So much of my relationship to music is driven by what it says about who I am. What the things I collect and adore can possibly say about the parts of myself I am desperate for people to see."

You can buy Niko's book here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Niko Stratis!

On this episode, Marc talks with Jon King, author of "To Hell With Poverty / A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four," published in April of 2025. It's an engaging, fast-paced memoir by the lead singer of legendary UK band Gang of Four, whose classic lineup also included guitarist Andy Gill, drummer Hugo Burnham and bassist Dave Allen. 

King's tales of his youth up through the formation of Gang of Four and the four albums they released between 1979 and 1983 are written in the present tense, as if we're there with him experiencing it all, giving To Hell With Poverty a rushing excitement as life moves quickly both for the band and King himself.

You can buy Jon's book here or here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Jon King!

On this episode, Marc talks with Lisa MacKinney, author of "Dressed in Black: The Shangri-Las and Their Recorded Legacy," released in March of 2025. It's a thorough history of the 1960's group comprising sisters Mary and Betty Weiss and twins Mary Ann and Marguerite Ganser, best known for their hits  “Leader of the Pack” and “Remember (Walking in the Sand)." MacKinney started this project 20 years ago as a graduate student, gradually unearthing almost every possible detail about this fascinating group, despite not having access to any members.

As she writes, "A reappraisal of the Shangri-Las’ small but tremendously significant and influential body of work is long overdue. Repeatedly marginalised in traditional rock narratives, the Shangri-Las deserve to be examined in more informed historical contexts and on their own terms, right now and not later."

You can buy "Dressed in Black" here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Lisa MacKinney.

On this episode, Marc talks with Matthew Shipp, author of "Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings," published in April 2025 by Autonomedia. It's a collection of essays, poems, tributes, obituaries and more. Shipp, best known for his piano playing (solo, in collaboration, and with the David S. Ware quartet), presents much of what he's learned and contemplated over decades as an artist, touching on inspiration, improvisation, language, and many other big ideas.

As he writes, "I don't consider myself a poet, but I do consider myself able to write about what inspires me to play the way I do. And the reason I'm able to do that, even though I'm not a poet, is because obviously I know myself to some extent."

You can buy Matt's book at Autonomedia's website or here. 

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Matthew Shipp!

On this episode, Marc talks with Mark Doyle, author of "John Cale's Paris 1919," published in February of 2025 as part of the 33.3 series of short books on individual albums. It's a fascinating examination of John Cale's 1973 album, which Doyle approaches along the theme of "ghosts," with chapters on "The Ghosts of New York," "The Ghost of Dylan Thomas," "The Ghosts of HIstory," and "The Ghosts of Christmas."

As Doyle writes, "If you are looking for some systematic explanation of the songs' mysteries, some Grand Unified Theory that will tie together all the historical, literary, and autobiographical references in the lyrics, I am afraid this is not that book. Instead, I will undertake the more delicate task of identifying, one at a time, and with the utmost care, just a few of the ghosts haunting the album, taking their measure for a few moments before they float off into the night."

You can buy Mark's book here, and we hope you enjoy our conversation with him!

On this episode, Marc talks with S.H. Fernando Jr., author of "The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast," released in October of 2024 by Astra House. It's a thorough and thought-provoking biography of the legendary rapper, writer, and producer known best as MF DOOM. Fernando delves into the mystery of DOOM's work and life while also capturing the magic that his music conjured.

As Fernando writes, "As a complex character who cherished his privacy, DOOM's very nature precludes any efforts to get behind the mask and into his head. Instead, his story unravels like a ball of yarn as told through the people who worked with him and knew him best."

You can buy "The Chronicles of Doom" here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's chat with S.H. Fernando Jr.!

On this episode, Marc talks with Eric Shade, author of "All Over The Place - The Rise of The Bangles From The L.A. Underground," published in January of 2024. It's a super detailed, comprehensive biography of the Bangles from the childhoods of each member up to the present day, as well as a compelling depiction of the LA scene, especially the Paisley Underground, that they grew up from and are still really a part of. Eric has been a Bangles fan since he was a kid and the amount of knowledge and illustrations he has collected over the decades helped him make this a thorough book about a compelling band.

As Eric writes, "The deeper I delved, a vast, interconnected network of individuals within the LA Underground unfolded. It was an enormous tapestry of impresarios, club promoters, ambitious artists, roadies, music enthusiasts, family members, and devoted friends. The Bangles were both part of this symbiosis and simultaneously stood apart from it all.”

You can buy Eric's book here at Hozac's website.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Eric Shade!

On this episode, Marc talks with Angela Jaeger, author of “I Feel Famous: Punk Diaries 1977-1981,” released on February 4th, 2025. It’s a compendium of her diary entries when she was a teenager living in New York and London, going to see punk bands at CBGB’s, Max’s, Tier 3, and many other places. Jaeger seemingly saw and met every band around, forging friendships with the Cramps, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, X-Ray Spex, the Raincoats, and the Clash, among many others. Her diary entries rush with the excitement of getting to see new music every night at a time when bands were seemingly forming every minute. 

As Jaeger writes, "When I see myself jumping back and forth between New York and London, going out all the time to see bands, joining bands, starting college, stopping college, etc, it leaves my head spinning. And yet I see the motivations behind my moves–wanting to figure out who I was on my own terms, not always pleasing my parents or even myself, but curious to grab the moment, tell the story here and now.”

You can buy Jaeger's book here: https://hatandbeard.com/products/i-feel-famous-punk-diaries-1977-1981

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Angela Jaeger!

On this episode, Marc talks with Donna-Claire Chesman. She’s the author of “Crybaby: The Artists Who Shaped Emo Rap,” published on January 21, 2025. It’s a fascinating look at a genre that grew up from the Soundcloud underground to become wildly popular, focusing on artists like Atmosphere, Lil Peep, Yung Lean, and Juice WRLD. “Crybaby” does justice to a musical subculture that’s more complex and rewarding than you might realize.

As Donna-Claire writes, “The history of Emo Rap is imperfect, and in many ways, 'Crybaby' is an imperfect reconstruction and critical examination of a genre that is felt more than articulated…at one point I toyed with the idea of asking my interview subjects who emo rap “was for,” except I quickly understood that emo rap is for everyone.” 

To buy "Crybaby" and support independent bookstores, go here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/crybaby-the-artists-who-shaped-emo-rap-donna-claire-chesman/21650174

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Donna-Claire Chesman!

On this episode, Marc talks to Daniel Spicer, author of "Peter Brötzmann: Free-Jazz, Revolution and the Politics of Improvisation,” published January 14, 2025. It’s a thorough and fascinating biography of the German musician best known for his roaring saxophone tone and boundary-breaking albums like “Machine Gun” and “Nipples." Talking with Brotzmann and his collaborators, Spicer digs deep into his many great recordings, performances, and partnerships, showing him to be a three-dimensional artist with a wide range of work and ideas.

As Daniel writes, “In terms of biography, my emphasis throughout is on his art rather than his personal life. However, I have made it a priority to consider his art in the context of the revolutionary politics that informed both his own music and the free-jazz tradition from which it sprung.”

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Daniel Spicer!