Book Musik 056 – Unstrung: Rants and Stories of a Noise Guitarist by Marc Ribot

Posted on October 15, 2021August 4, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Unstrung: Rants and Stories of a Noise Guitarist by Marc Ribot. Ribot first started making some serious noise on the music scene in the 1980s adding incredible sounds to records by the likes of Tom Waits and Elvis Costello as well as being an integral member of the downtown New York music scene playing with John Zorn, The Lounge Lizards and leading several bands of his own with wildly varying styles. This is his first book and it’s a mix of music writing and short fiction. Marc has a wicked smart sense of humor and isn’t shy to talk about his strong political leanings. And you can bet that he’ll crank it up to 11!

Spotify playlist | Apple playlist

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 040 – From Elvis in Memphis (33 1/3) – discussion with author Eric Wolfson

Posted on February 15, 2021August 4, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley are joined by author Eric Wolfson to discuss his new book Elvis Presley’s From Elvis in Memphis (33 1/3). Elvis is a paradox who became the mold for all rock stars to follow. He was the King of Rock in the 50s and then the king of schlock in the 60s but made an impressive comeback with the release of this album in 1969 that reinforced his place in the rock ‘n’ roll pantheon. Going back to Memphis where he started and working at the gritty, down-to-earth American Sound Studio helped him create what is considered by many to be his best studio album.

Links to Eric’s social media:
www.fromelvisinmemphis.com
Twitter: @FromElvisIn333
Instagram: @PresleyDayByDay

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 039 – She Bop: The Definitive History of Women in Popular Music by Lucy O’Brien

Posted on February 1, 2021August 4, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss She Bop: The Definitive History of Women in Popular Music (Revised and Updated 25th Anniversary Edition) by Lucy O’Brien. Respect! Women have been fighting the pop music establishment since the beginning for just a little bit… Rock ‘n’ rollers like to think they live by their own rules, outside the establishment, but women know that it’s an ol’ boys club on par with cliques of politicians and financiers. So, sisters are doing it for themselves and finding unique ways to assert their creative voices. O’Brien gives us an exhaustive look at the struggles and triumphs of women in the music biz since recorded music started.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 037 – Maybe the People Would Be the Times by Luc Sante

Posted on January 1, 2021August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Maybe the People Would Be the Times by Luc Sante. This collection of Sante’s essays, mostly from the last 15-20 years, covers a wide spectrum of his obsessive interests which include a heavy dose of music, photography, writers, filmmakers, New York City life and an assortment of oddities. While it’s a seemingly divergent field of topics, there is an aesthetic thread that connects them all. His writing pulses with life and pulls the reader into his world — dreamy, romantic, personal and always compelling.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 036 – Side by Side: Selected Lyrics by Robert Wyatt & Alfie Benge

Posted on December 15, 2020August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Side by Side: Selected Lyrics by Robert Wyatt and Alfie Benge. Wyatt started his music career as a founding member of The Soft Machine in the 1960s and released his first solo album in the early 70s. Alfie, his wife, manager, and creative partner is an artist who has done all of his cover art as well as writing many of his lyrics. Robert and Alfie are former card-carrying members of the Communist Party of Great Britain and avid followers of ‘pataphysics – the science of imaginary solutions. The tension between serious and playful, political and dreamy is a key feature in their work. This collection of lyrics and artwork is a beautiful testament to their inspiring collaboration.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 035 – A Sound Mind discussion with author Paul Morley

Posted on December 1, 2020August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley are joined by writer Paul Morley to discuss his latest book A Sound Mind: How I Fell in Love with Classical Music (and Decided to Rewrite Its Entire History). Paul is a man after our own heart with wildly eclectic taste in music, an insatiable curiosity and a willingness to challenge his own assumptions. He is a well-established and highly respected pop/rock writer who’s been covering the scene since the 70s. In his 50s he realized that pop music wasn’t giving him the jolt it once did and decided to explore classical music. He discovered that its newness to himself made it as exciting if not more so than the latest pop phenomenon. It’s a fascinating adventure and the book is a passionate call to never stop expanding one’s horizons.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 034 – I’m Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen (33 1/3) by Ray Padgett

Posted on November 15, 2020August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss I’m Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen (33 1/3) by Ray Padgett. Tribute albums are often derided and tend to elicit a love/hate reaction. When done right, they can illuminate a song and boost an artist’s career as did this one for Leonard Cohen. Padgett looks into not only the specifics of this Leonard Cohen tribute album but the history of the genre in general and some of the key players like producer Hal Willner and frequent contributor Juliana Hatfield. When one great artist covers another great artist it can be sublime. Or it could make your ears bleed. Art is always a gamble…

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 033 – Recombo DNA-The Story of Devo or How the 60s Became the 80s by Kevin C. Smith

Posted on November 1, 2020August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Recombo DNA-The Story of Devo or How the 60s Became the 80s by Kevin C. Smith. Smith takes a deep dive examining just what made Devo tick and twitch. From 1970 to 1979, he takes us through the background and influences of this Ohio band who experienced the Kent State shootings, discovered Dada, enjoyed manipulating the ideas of de-evolution, experimented with film and multimedia shows and ultimately became a band with top 40 appeal. They managed to find themselves in the company of the people best suited to further their cause from Toni Basil to Brian Eno to Neil Young. Talent and timing is everything.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 032 – Sweet Dreams: From Club Culture to Style Culture, the Story of the New Romantics by Dylan Jones

Posted on October 15, 2020August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Sweet Dreams: From Club Culture to Style Culture, the Story of the New Romantics by Dylan Jones. The 80s are back! Whether or not this makes you cringe, it was nevertheless an interesting era of Thatcherism, gender fluidity, rampant consumerism, and a hugely creative group of young people looking to conquer the world. This book goes well beyond the superficial veneer of the big hair, the big shoulder pads, and the hyper-stylized MTV videos. Jones gives us a seriously in-depth look at the nucleus of the scene in England as well as contextualizing it in the broader social and political sphere, not just in England but throughout the world. No haircut is left unexamined!

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Book Musik 031 – Suicide’s Suicide (33 1/3) by Andi Coulter

Posted on October 1, 2020August 2, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Suicide’s Suicide by Andi Coulter from the 33 1/3 series. Suicide was a band comprised of Alan Vega on vocals and Martin Rev as the sole multi-instrumentalist. Spawned from the wreckage of 1970s New York, the band never seemed to find a wide audience but those in the know who were lucky enough to have seen them perform live were the participants in a show that surely would not be forgotten. Typically described as an assault to the senses with a strong vibe of imminent violence, most people didn’t quite know what to make of them. But as so often happens with cult artists, their influence casts a wide net and continues to do so to this day.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17