Book Musik 058 – The History of Bones: A Memoir by John Lurie

Posted on December 1, 2021August 1, 2022 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss The History of Bones: A Memoir by John Lurie. Lurie is a multi-hyphenate talent: musician-composer-actor-painter and now book-writer. Initially making his mark as the bandleader for downtown New York group, The Lounge Lizards, he quickly went on to establish himself as an actor in several films. He created and starred in the enigmatic, must-see TV show Fishing with John and the more recent Painting with John. He’s toured the world, composed several film scores, and has even done some modeling. And all along, he’s also managed to keep up a serious painting practice. Is there anything this man can’t do? Tosh and Kimley have some varying thoughts on this…

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

Book Musik · Book Musik 058 – THE HISTORY OF BONES: A MEMOIR by John Lurie

Book Musik 052 – The Lyrics of Syd Barrett

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

Tosh and Kimley discuss The Lyrics of Syd Barrett with a foreword by Peter Jenner and an introduction by Rob Chapman. Barrett was not only a founding member of Pink Floyd but was also the lead singer and primary songwriter for the band. After their first album, his presence in the band quickly diminished and their creative trajectory completely changed. He went on to put out two solo albums which are still highly regarded and very unique in the pop world. And then he disappeared from the pop-rock world entirely perhaps due to mental health issues, drug issues or a giant fuck-you to the rock ‘n’ roll machinery that he just couldn’t abide. The crazy diamond, rock ‘n’ roll mythology surrounding Syd is fun to explore but his lyrics make it abundantly clear that he was a true artist in every sense of the word.

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

Book Musik 047 – You Lose Yourself, You Reappear: Bob Dylan and the Voices of a Lifetime – discussion with author Paul Morley

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

Tosh and Kimley are joined by author Paul Morley to discuss his new book You Lose Yourself, You Reappear: Bob Dylan and the Voices of a Lifetime. Morley explores Dylan’s development as an artist via his numerous “voices” both sonically and metaphorically from his early beginnings in the late 50s/early 60s to his astonishing release last year of Rough and Rowdy Ways. Dylan is notoriously known as someone who is loath to be pinned down and stay in the same place creatively. Those who are willing to go on the ride with him are more than happy, are in fact grateful, for every twist and turn, and every high and low.

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

Book Musik 043 – Shonen Knife’s Happy Hour: Food, Gender, Rock and Roll by Brooke McCorkle Okazaki

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

Tosh and Kimley are joined by author Brooke McCorkle Okazaki to discuss her new book Shonen Knife’s Happy Hour: Food, Gender, Rock and Roll (33 1/3 Japan). Shonen Knife, a trio of women from Osaka, Japan have been sharing their own special brand of rock and roll since 1981 and are still going strong. Often referred to as a Japanese version of the Ramones, they have expanded far beyond that early comparison. Recording in both Japanese and English, they’ve built a worldwide fanbase. Singing about food is a dominant theme and they’ve found a way to unexpectedly mix cute with cool. Brooke makes it clear that there is no pigeonholing this hugely influential and eclectic band.

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

Book Musik 042 – The Velvet Mafia: The Gay Men Who Ran the Swinging Sixties – discussion with author Darryl W. Bullock

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

Tosh and Kimley are joined by author Darryl W. Bullock to discuss his new book The Velvet Mafia: The Gay Men Who Ran the Swinging Sixties. Rock ‘n’ roll as we know it would not exist if not for this group of gay men in the U.K. during the late fifties and sixties fondly referred to as “The Velvet Mafia.” Larry Parnes, Brian Epstein, Joe Meek, Lionel Bart, and Robert Stigwood are some of the major players in this book who left an indelible mark on the pop/rock world. At a time in the U.K. when being gay was illegal and when pop music could only be heard from pirate radio stations, they managed to push the needle forward and open up a culture that allowed us all to swing!

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

Book Musik 041 – Relax Baby Be Cool: the Artistry and Audacity of Serge Gainsbourg – discussion with author Jeremy Allen

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

Tosh and Kimley are joined by author Jeremy Allen to discuss his new book Relax Baby Be Cool: the Artistry and Audacity of Serge Gainsbourg. When Gainsbourg died in 1991, the French mourned the loss of an icon on par with the deaths of Elvis Presley or John Lennon. But outside of France few noticed or knew much about him beyond perhaps his infamous duet with Jane Birkin, “Je t’aime… moi non plus.” Eventually the cult of Gainsbourg began to grow outside of France and he’s become a huge influence on musicians far and wide. This book explores the mythos of Gainsbourg and doesn’t shy away from his often provocative and controversial life.

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 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 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 026 – Niche: A Memoir in Pastiche by Momus

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

Tosh and Kimley discuss Niche: A Memoir in Pastiche by Momus. Nick Currie who performs under the name Momus (the Greek god of satire and mockery) has enlisted no less than 217 dead narrators of questionable reliability to tell his life story. His selection of an eclectic mix of writers, artists, musicians, philosophers, and assorted ne’er-do-wells probably tells us more about Momus than the actual narration. It seems both his work and his life borrow a little from this and steal a little from that and he makes sure to pilfer from only the best sources to create his own unique pastiche.

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