The Music Book Podcast

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!