The Music Book Podcast
Marc Masters
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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Top 10 The Music Book Podcast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Music Book Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Music Book Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Music Book Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
013 Eric Harvey on Rap and Reality
The Music Book Podcast
07/18/23 • 39 min
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 with the rise of reality TV and tabloid news - as Eric once put it, “(when) the news was getting more entertaining...and rap was becoming more informational.”
Eric covers so much ground in this book, dissecting some of the best and most important hip-hop of the time while connecting it to so much that was going on politically and culturally throughout those years.
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Eric!
017 Jeff Schwartz on Free Jazz
The Music Book Podcast
09/12/23 • 42 min
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 such as "Energy", "Spirituality", and "Self-Determination."
As Jeff writes, “Few pieces or artists will fall neatly into one chapter...There is no discography or recommended listening list at the end of this book. The goal is to suggest things to listen for rather than what to listen to.”We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Jeff!
021 Will Hermes on Lou Reed
The Music Book Podcast
11/07/23 • 48 min
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 so many sides and so many pursuits, who really can never be reduced down to a single personality, a single motivation, or a single classification.
As Will writes in his introduction, “If you’re hoping for some neat totalizing statement or psychological profile to explain Reed, to fix him like a butterfly specimen, you won’t find it here. Somewhat vexing for a biographer, if thrillingly for a fan, Reed was a shapeshifter who represented–lived–the potentialities of identity without apology, one reason why he remains such a complicated figure.”
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Will!
034 Laina Dawes on Black Women in Heavy Metal
The Music Book Podcast
05/07/24 • 49 min
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. It’s a combination of memoir, oral history, and highly-researched documentation of the roles black women have played in heavy metal, both as artists and as fans, and by extension in all kinds of music scenes.
As she writes, “What are you Doing Here? reveals the common thread of strength and determination among black women musicians in male-dominated music industries. We have a track record of resilience against all the obstacles put in our path.”
So I hope you enjoy my conversation with Laina Dawes, here it is!
046 Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate
The Music Book Podcast
10/22/24 • 48 min
On this episode, Marc talks with Steve Wynn, author of “I Wouldn't Say It If It Wasn't True: A Memoir Of Life, Music, And The Dream Syndicate,” published in August of 2024. It’s an entertaining and insightful memoir of his music-obsessed life, from his childhood biking to the store to buy records, to his days as a record store clerk and radio DJ, to his co-founding of the Dream Syndicate, the LA band whose debut album “Days of Wine and Roses” is a classic of 80’s post-punk.
As Wynn writes, “I had somehow and against all odds gone from being a music-obsessed record-store clerk making songs in his father’s basement to being an underground sensation navigating a major label bidding war, theater tours with the coolest bands on a similar but loftier ascension, and then descending to a contentious flameout and the ultimate crash and burn, all within those three short years.”
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Steve Wynn!
048 Marcus J. Moore on De La Soul
The Music Book Podcast
11/19/24 • 49 min
On this episode, Marc talks with Marcus J. Moore, author of “High and Rising: A Book about De La Soul,” published today, November 19. It’s a biography of the legendary rap trio that also weaves in Moore’s own story as well as the evolution of rap from the 80s, when De La Soul started, to today. It's a follow up to Moore's first book, “The Butterfly Effect,” about Kendrick Lamar, which came out in 2020.
As Marcus writes, “High and Rising doesn’t just tell the story of De La Soul; it unpacks the birth of hip-hop and the evolution of alternative rap. It’s also a memoir about my own travels through life and the environment, and how their music helped me grow as a person and creator in a landscape that doesn’t always understand differing viewpoints of artistry.”
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Marcus J. Moore!
037 Tom Maxwell on 90s Chapel Hill Music
The Music Book Podcast
06/18/24 • 55 min
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, toured with each other, produced each other’s records, and supported each other’s work regardless of style or pedigree. Tom also shows what it was like to be in a place where major labels descended, boosting some bands and discarding others. He experienced it first hand as a member of many NC bands, including Squirrel Nut Zippers, whose 1995 album “Hot” sold over a million copies.
As Tom writes, “I want to give you a sense of what was broadly going on musically and show you the fertile soil from which all this wondrous music sprang. Because this kind of community is very much like a garden: there are the beautiful flowers, of course, which command most people’s attention, but for those flowers to grow there must also be a rich diet, pollinators, earthworms, and the right amount of rain, shade, light, and decay.”
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Tom Maxwell!
044 Corey duBrowa on The EP
The Music Book Podcast
09/24/24 • 55 min
On this episode, Marc talks with Corey duBrowa, author of “An Ideal For Living: A Celebration of the EP,” published in early 2024. It’s an overview of some of the best EP’s from the 1950s until the present, with decade-themed chapters containing entries on individual releases by a wide range of writers. In addition, duBrowa wrote an opening chapter on the history of the format, and put together a final chapter of what he and his friends deem the best EPs of all time. There’s also an intro by Spoon’s Britt Daniel and an epilogue by former Guided By Voices member Chris Slusarenko.
As duBrowa writes, “With an immediacy that flies in the face of an LP’s “grand concept,” an EP turns out to be a great way for an artist to write a few songs and get them out quickly, without fanfare or pomp.”
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Corey duBrowa!
036 Tara Lopez on Chuco Punk
The Music Book Podcast
06/04/24 • 45 min
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, and the way this opened punk up to marginalized groups. It’s a story about community and self-reliance that adds a new chapter to the history of punk rock.
As Tara writes, “While punk is known for its daring subversion, so too is El Paso. Indeed, in the nineteenth century, El Paso’s reputation as a criminal outpost of sin was so widespread that its nickname soon became “Chuco,” a derivative of the Spanish word for “crooked” or “illegal.” El Paso was the natural staging site for a punk revolution."
We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Tara Lopez!
004 Annie Zaleski on Duran Duran
The Music Book Podcast
03/21/23 • 34 min
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 "Rio," a second, larger edition was released with extra material and illustrations. Annie is a great at telling stories and unearthing information, and her book is so full of details and insight, painting a portrait of a band that was more than just a chart-topping pop act.
Hope you enjoy our chat with Annie!
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Music Book Podcast have?
The Music Book Podcast currently has 50 episodes available.
What topics does The Music Book Podcast cover?
The podcast is about Music, Podcasts and Music Interviews.
What is the most popular episode on The Music Book Podcast?
The episode title '002 John Lingan on Creedence Clearwater Revival' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Music Book Podcast?
The average episode length on The Music Book Podcast is 48 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Music Book Podcast released?
Episodes of The Music Book Podcast are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of The Music Book Podcast?
The first episode of The Music Book Podcast was released on Feb 6, 2023.
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