The Music Book Podcast

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-1977-1981We 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/21650174We 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!

Liz Pelly, author of "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of the Perfect Playlist," dives deep into Spotify’s impact on the music industry. With nearly a decade of reporting under her belt, she highlights the manipulation within streaming that affects artists and listeners alike. Pelly discusses the challenges independent musicians face in a corporate-dominated landscape and advocates for fairer conditions. She also emphasizes the importance of community in music appreciation and encourages deeper connections beyond just streaming.

On this episode, Marc talks with Brendan Greaves, author of “Truckload of Art: The Life and Work of Terry Allen,” published in March of 2024. It’s a thorough and compelling biography of artist, musician, and performer Terry Allen, whose art has crossed lines from museum-hosted visual art to outlaw country to work that no genre can contain. Greaves, who runs the record label Paradise of Bachelors, met Allen many years ago and reissued many of his classic albums, forging a relationship in which really only he could tell such an intimate and honest story of Allen and his many colleagues and friends.As Greaves writes, “Terry Allen occupies an utterly unique position straddling the disparate, and usually distant, worlds of conceptual art and country music. I’m not sure you could say the same about anyone else, ever, and certainly no one with the same aplomb, acclaim, and prestige in each discipline–not to mention the same lacerating, self-effacing sense of humor about it all.”We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Brendan Greaves!

On this episode, Marc talks with Jim Saah, author and illustrator of “In My Eyes: Photographs 1982-1987,” originally published in 2021 and out in a second edition now. It’s a huge, beautiful book of black and white photographs taken by Saah of an astounding array of punk and post-punk groups, from the Ramones to Black Flag to Fugazi to Pavement. It also includes Saah’s interviews with artists who work at the cross sections of music and imagery, including J. Robbins, Jon Langford, Shepard Fairey, and Ian MacKaye.As Jim writes, “I went through thousands of negatives to choose the hundreds of photos in this book. It was a joy to revisit all these images and remember how I felt and why I took them in the first place. I took these photos because I had to.”We hope you enjoy Marc’s conversation with Jim Saah!