The Music Book Podcast

By Marc Masters

What's The Music Book Podcast about?

A podcast about music books, talking to authors about how they wrote their books about music! Hosted by music writer Marc Masters.

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The Music Book Podcast episodes:

06.18.2024
037 Tom Maxwell on 90s Chapel Hill Music
On this episode, Marc talks with Tom Maxwell, author of “A Really Strange and Wonderful Time: The Chapel Hill Music Scene, 1989-1999,” published in April of 2024. It's the story of a community where musicians played in each other’s bands,...
06.04.2024
036 Tara Lopez on Chuco Punk
On this episode, Marc talks with Tara Lopez, author of “Chuco Punk: Sonic Insurgency in El Paso,” published today, June 4th, 2024. It’s a fascinating history of how punk rock developed and grew in the Texas city of El Paso,...
05.21.2024
035 Bill Sassenberger on Toxic Shock Records
On this episode, Marc talks to Bill Sassenberger, author of “Toxic Shock Records - Assassin of Mediocrity: A Story of Love, Loss, and Loud Music,” published in the spring of 2024 by Fluke Publishing. Bill and his wife Julianna ran...
05.07.2024
034 Laina Dawes on Black Women in Heavy Metal
On this episode, Marc talks to Laina Dawes, author of “What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman's Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal,” first published in 2013 by Bazillion Points books, then republished in a new edition in 2020....
04.23.2024
033 Michael Veal on John Coltrane and Miles Davis
On this episode, Marc talks to Michael Veal, author of “Living Space: John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Free Jazz, from Analog to Digital,” released in April 2024. It’s a fascinating, complex study of John Coltrane’s work from 1965 to his...
04.09.2024
032 Jon Fine on Indie Rock's Failed Revolution
On this episode, Marc talks with Jon Fine editor of “Your Band Sucks: What I Saw at Indie Rock's Failed Revolution (But Can No Longer Hear),” published in May of 2014. It’s a memoir of his time in the late...
03.26.2024
031 Ira Robbins on Trouser Press
On this episode, Marc talks with Ira Robbins, editor of “Zip it Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine, 1974-1984,” published in March 2024. It’s an anthology of pieces published in the New York-based magazine Trouser Press, which covered all...
03.12.2024
030 Will York on San Francisco Post-Punk
On this episode, Marc talks with Will York, author of “Who Cares Anyway: Post-Punk San Francisco and the End of the Analog Age,” published in April 2023. It’s a thorough and fascinating history of underground music in San Francisco, from...
02.27.2024
029 Michael Azerrad on Amplifiying Nirvana
On this episode, Marc talks to Michael Azerrad, author of “The Amplified Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana,” published in October of 2023. It’s an update of his 1993 biography of Nirvana, in which he annotates his original...
02.13.2024
028 Marshall Gu on Krautrock
On this episode, Marc talks to Marshall Gu, author of “Krautrock,” published on November of 2023. Part of the 33.3 "Genre" series, it's a look at Krautrock through chapter-length examinations of 12 individual groups: Can, Faust, Cluster & Harmonia, Tangerine...
01.30.2024
027 Simon Price on The Cure
On this episode, Marc talks to Simon Price, author of “Curepedia: An A to Z of The Cure,” published on December 12, 2023. It’s a literal encyclopedia of the great British band the Cure, arranged in alphabetical order by subjects,...
01.16.2024
026 Paul Steinbeck on the AACM
On this episode, Marc talks with Paul Steinbeck, the author of “Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM,” published in paperback in December of 2023. It’s a look at the longtime Chicago-based musical organization the AACM, or Association for the...
01.02.2024
025 Steven Jones on Murder Ballads
On this episode, Marc talks to Steven Jones, author of "Murder Ballads Old and New: A Dark and Bloody Record," published on November 12, 2023. It’s a fascinating and in-depth look at songs throughout history that have dealt with death...
12.19.2023
024 Ben Apatoff on Body Count
On this episode, Marc talks to Ben Apatoff, author of "Body Count," published on September 7th, 2023. It’s a thorough study of the 1992 self-titled album by Body Count, a band most famous for having Ice-T as their frontman and...
12.05.2023
023 Nate Patrin on Music in Movies
On this episode, Marc talks to Nate Patrin, author author of “The Needle and the Lens: Pop Goes to the Movies, From Rock and Roll to Synthwave,” published on November 28th, 2023. It’s a look at the way songs that...
11.21.2023
022 Amy Coddington on Rap and Radio
On this episode, Marc talks to Amy Coddington, author of “How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop,” released on September 12, 2023. It’s a fascinating study of how hip-hop made its way into the musical mainstream through pop radio in the...
11.07.2023
021 Will Hermes on Lou Reed
On this episode, Marc talks to Will Hermes, author of “Lou Reed: The King of New York” released on October 3rd, 2023. It’s a thorough yet highly entertaining biography of the legendary musician, who Will depicts as a figure with...
10.24.2023
020 Thurston Moore on Thurston Moore
On this episode, Marc talks with Thurston Moore, author of “Sonic Life: A Memoir,” released today, October 24, 2023. It’s a fascinating story of Moore’s journey through music as a creator and a fan, from his early days discovering records...
10.10.2023
019 Marc Masters on Cassette Tapes (w/guest host Jesse Jarnow)
On this episode, our host Marc Masters is the subject, talking about his new book "High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape," released in October of 2023. It’s a technical and cultural history of the cassette tape format,...
09.26.2023
018 Lior Phillips on South African Pop Music
On this episode, Marc talks with Lior Phillips, author of “South African Popular Music,” released in May of 2023. It's one of the first installments in 33.3's “Genre" series–an extensively researched, information packed narrative covering many different styles of South...
09.12.2023
017 Jeff Schwartz on Free Jazz
On this episode, Marc talks to Jeff Schwartz, author of “Free Jazz,” published in April of 2023. It’s a smart survey of free jazz that’s structured not around individual artists but more around aspects of free jazz, with chapter titles...
08.29.2023
016 John Szwed on Harry Smith
On this episode, Marc talks with John Szwed, author of “Cosmic Scholar: The Life and Times of Harry Smith,” published in August of 2023. It’s a fascinating and superbly skillful portrait of a man who played so many roles: anthropologist,...
08.15.2023
015 Clifford Allen on Matthew Shipp
On this episode, Marc talks to Clifford Allen, author of “Singularity Codex: Matthew Shipp on Rogue Art,” published in August of 2023. It focuses on the 25 releases pianist Matthew Shipp has been involved in for the Rogue Art label,...
08.01.2023
014 Audrey Golden on Women at Factory Records
On this episode, Marc talks to Audrey Golden, author of “I Thought I Heard You Speak: Woman At Factory Records,” published in June of 2023. It’s a fascinating oral history of the legendary UK record label told exclusively by women...
07.18.2023
013 Eric Harvey on Rap and Reality
On this episode, Marc talks to Eric Harvey, author of “ Who Got the Camera? A History of Rap and Reality,” published in October of 2021. It’s a fascinating investigation into how rap music in the 80s and 90s intersected...
07.03.2023
012 Kerry O'Brien and Will Robin on Minimalism
On this episode, Marc talks to Kerry O'Brien and Will Robin, co-editors of “On Minimalism: Documenting a Musical Movement,” published in April of 2023. It's an anthology of writings on the modern musical style known as minimalism, presenting essays, interviews,...
06.20.2023
011 Steve Turner on Mudhoney and Grunge
On this episode, Marc talks to Steve Turner, author of “Mud Ride: A Messy Trip through the Grunge Explosion,” published in June of 2023. Steve is a founding member of Mudhoney, the great Seattle band who helped explode Sub Pop...
06.06.2023
010 Bill Perrine on San Diego Experimental Music
On this episode, Marc talks with Bill Perrine, author of “Alien Territory: Radical, Experimental, & Irrelevant Music in 1970s San Diego,” published in May of 2023. It’s a fascinating look at so much varied experimental music, much of it centered...
05.23.2023
009 Lily Hirsch on Sexist Labels in Music
On this episode, Marc talks with Lily Hirsch, author of “Can't Stop the Grrrls: Confronting Sexist Labels in Music from Ariana Grande to Yoko Ono,” published in March of 2023. It’s a thorough look at the many ways women artists,...
05.09.2023
008 Dan LeRoy on Drum Machines
On this episode, Marc talks with Dan Le Roy, author of “Dancing to the Drum Machine: How Electronic Percussion Conquered the World,” published by Bloomsbury in November of 2022. It’s a fascinating look at the winding, surprising history of drum...
04.25.2023
007 Vashti Bunyan on Vashti Bunyan
On this episode, Marc chats with Vashti Bunyan, writer, singer, songwriter, poet, artist, and author of the memoir "Wayward: Just Another Life to Live," released in 2022 on White Rabbit books. It covers her entire life, with special focus on...
04.11.2023
006 Dee Peyok on Cambodian Music
On this episode, Marc chats with Dee Peyok, author of Away From Beloved Lover: A Musical Journey Through Cambodia, published by Granta in January of 2023. It’s a history of Cambodian music mostly from the 60s and 70s, a travelogue...
03.28.2023
005 Michael Tau on Extreme Music
For this episode, Marc chats with Michael Tau, the author of Extreme Music: From Silence to Noise and Everything In Between, published by Feral House in October of 2022. The book delves into all kinds of music that could be...
03.21.2023
004 Annie Zaleski on Duran Duran
On this episode, Marc talks with Annie Zaleski, author of Duran Duran's Rio, an entry in Bloomsbury's 33.3 series exploring classic albums. The book originally came out in 2021, and about a year later, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of...
03.07.2023
003 Kate Molleson on 20th Century Composers
On this episode, Marc talks with Kate Molleson, a journalist, documentarian, and radio presenter for BBC3. She’s the author of the fascinating book Sound Within Sound: Radical Composers of the 20th Century, which focuses on ten composers left out of...
02.21.2023
002 John Lingan on Creedence Clearwater Revival
On our second episode, Marc talks to John Lingan, author of the book “A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival." John does a great job telling the story of this amazing band, framing it more like a...
02.06.2023
001 Matthew Goody on Flying Nun Records
On the first episode of the Music Book Podcast, Marc talks to Matthew Goody, author of the book “Needles and Plastic: Flying Nun Records 1981-1988." It’s a history of the first seven years of this amazing New Zealand record label,...

What's The Music Book Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Music Book Podcast episodes:

037 Tom Maxwell on 90s Chapel Hill Music

036 Tara Lopez on Chuco Punk

035 Bill Sassenberger on Toxic Shock Records

034 Laina Dawes on Black Women in Heavy Metal

033 Michael Veal on John Coltrane and Miles Davis

032 Jon Fine on Indie Rock's Failed Revolution

031 Ira Robbins on Trouser Press

030 Will York on San Francisco Post-Punk

029 Michael Azerrad on Amplifiying Nirvana

028 Marshall Gu on Krautrock

027 Simon Price on The Cure

026 Paul Steinbeck on the AACM

025 Steven Jones on Murder Ballads

024 Ben Apatoff on Body Count

023 Nate Patrin on Music in Movies

022 Amy Coddington on Rap and Radio

021 Will Hermes on Lou Reed

020 Thurston Moore on Thurston Moore

019 Marc Masters on Cassette Tapes (w/guest host Jesse Jarnow)

018 Lior Phillips on South African Pop Music

017 Jeff Schwartz on Free Jazz

016 John Szwed on Harry Smith

015 Clifford Allen on Matthew Shipp

014 Audrey Golden on Women at Factory Records

013 Eric Harvey on Rap and Reality

012 Kerry O'Brien and Will Robin on Minimalism

011 Steve Turner on Mudhoney and Grunge

010 Bill Perrine on San Diego Experimental Music

009 Lily Hirsch on Sexist Labels in Music

008 Dan LeRoy on Drum Machines

007 Vashti Bunyan on Vashti Bunyan

006 Dee Peyok on Cambodian Music

005 Michael Tau on Extreme Music

004 Annie Zaleski on Duran Duran

003 Kate Molleson on 20th Century Composers

002 John Lingan on Creedence Clearwater Revival

001 Matthew Goody on Flying Nun Records

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