The Music Book Podcast

Marc Masters
  • 4.9 (49)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS

A podcast about music books, talking to authors about how they wrote their books about music! Hosted by music writer Marc Masters.

  1. 1D AGO

    080 Daniel Rachel on Nazi symbols in Rock'n'Roll

    On this episode, Marc talks with Daniel Rachel, author of "This Ain't Rock'n'Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika, and the Third Reich," published in February of 2026. It's an enthralling and massively important look at many of the bands and artists who have flirted with, or even flat out adopted, Nazi iconography in their art, music, dress, performances, and more. Rachel lays out plainly and with thorough context the stories of these artists' use of Nazi symbols, in the process showing how rarely their decisions and motivations have been questioned.  As he writes, "The central question of this book concerns the extent to which artists have commented on their flirtation with the swastika and the Third Reich, and whether rock'n'roll – that is musicians, the media, and the record industry – has ever taken responsibility for it...the notable absence of significant archival documentation underscores rock'n'roll's failure to confront its past." You can buy "This Ain't Rock'n'Roll" here. We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Daniel Rachel!

    44 min

  2. FEB 3

    079 Howard Fishman on Connie Converse

    On this episode, Marc talks with Howard Fishman, author of "To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse", published in May of 2023. It's part biography, part detective story, as Fishman combs through the facts and myths behind singer and guitarist Connie Converse, who made music in the 1950s that went unreleased in her time, and then vanished in the mid-70s at age fifty, never to be heard from again. Fishman meets her family members, friends, people who saw her play, and more, making the case for her music as important and unique, and painting a picture of a singularly creative person. As Howard writes, "The more I listened to her music, the more my curiosity grew...In short order, I stopped writing my own music and became devoted only to Connie Converse – to learning more about her; to piecing together her life; to spreading the gospel of her particular brand of genius everywhere and everyhow I could; to, eventually, inserting myself into the life she left behind to the point that – at times – I felt that I'd become part of the plot." You can buy "To Anyone Who Ever Asks" here. We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Howard Fishman!

    46 min

  3. JAN 20

    078 Matthew Blackwell on Plunderphonics

    On this episode, Marc talks with Matthew Blackwell, author of "Plunderphonics," part of the 33.3 "Genres" series of books focusing on specific musical styles and movements. "Plunderphonics" covers artists who use other people's recordings in their music without permission, often to make a statement about copyright law, the idea of fair use, and so forth. Blackwell focuses primarily on four artists - John Oswald, who coined the term Plunderphonics, Negativland, Avalanches, and Girl Talk - but he also covers many more who've played a vital role in this genre, such as Evolution Control Committee, the Tape Beatles, and Dangermouse.  As Matthew writes, these artists "tried to change the system. They did so by creating music that was deemed illegal, responding to lawsuits with daring media blitzes, and educating their audience about their own right to adapt and transform media." You can buy "Plunderphonics" here. We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Matthew Blackwell!

    51 min

  4. JAN 6

    077 Seth Neblett on the Women of Parliament-Funkadelic

    On this episode, Marc talks with Seth Neblett, author of "Mothership Connected: The Women of Parliament-Funkadelic," published in September of 2025. It's a fascinating oral history of the female members of Parliament and Funkadelic, particularly those in the P-Funk sister groups Parlet and the Brides of Funkenstein: Mallia Franklin, Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva, Debbie Wright, and Shirley Hayden. Seth is the son of Mallia Franklin, who, along with being an important musician in the P-Funk story, was responsible for the inclusion of many members of the collective; most famously, she introduced Bootsy Collins to George Clinton and convinced him to include Bootsy in P-Funk.  As Seth writes, "The Brides of Funkenstein and Parlet, were, along with Bootsy Collins, the most successful groups to come out of the P-Funk Empire. The women sang and contributed to all the organization's in-house projects...In an era of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, detouring through disco, and cresting on punk and new wave of the eighties, this critical "female" piece of the music history puzzle is as important as any other." You can buy "Mothership Connected" here. We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Seth Neblett!

    56 min

  5. 12/23/2025

    076 Josh Bloom on The Apples in stereo

    On this episode, Marc talks with Josh Bloom, author of "The Apples In Stereo," published in December of 2025. It's all about the Denver band The Apples in Stereo, who began in the early 90s and were part of the Elephant 6 Collective alongside Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, and more. Josh has known members of the band for decades, particularly their main leader Robert Schneider, and his book is a mixture of informational bio and first-person narrative, written in a conversational, often humorous tone.  As he writes, "Because Robert and I have a history as on-off-on again friends, I can speak from personal experience to complete a picture of him as the more emotionally complex person, and therefore, songwriter, recording artist, and producer I know him to be." You can buy Josh's book here. We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Josh Bloom!

    48 min

  6. 12/09/2025

    075 Al Shipley on Baltimore Club Music

    On this episode, Marc talks with Al Shipley, author of "Tough Breaks: The Story of Baltimore Club Music," published in August 2025. It's a thoughtful, detailed, and revealing look into a music movement that grew organically in Baltimore clubs, radio stations, and record stores, with beats and other musical ideas passed around quickly so that the styles and sounds morphed constantly. Though it may not have gotten a lot of play outside of the city, was as innovative and important as any club music scene in America. As Al writes, ""Local" is sometimes seen as a shameful or insulting word in music media, but treating the music that’s made in your neck of the woods with curiosity and respect is incredibly rewarding, and too many music writers have never even tried it. Fun music and dance music deserve thoughtful journalism and critical analysis as much as more conventionally “serious” art." You can buy Tough Breaks here.  We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Al Shipley!

    45 min

  7. 11/25/2025

    074 Simon Raymonde on Cocteau Twins

    On this episode, Marc talks with Simon Raymonde, author of "In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor, and Me," published in America in November of 2025. It's a sharp, enthusiastic, and funny memoir of Raymonde's life as a musician, member of the legendary UK band Cocteau Twins (with Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie), and owner of the vital indie record label Bella Union. Simon also delves into his relationship with his father Ivor, who was himself a renowned musician, producer, and arranger. It's all told with a sense of humor and wisdom that makes Simon's words practically leap off the page. As Simon writes, "It seems that my own past is no longer just a shoegazey blur of distant lights receding in the rear-view mirror; it is clearly visible in my present too. Cocteau Twins have never been as popular as we are now, almost three decades after we stopped making music." You can by Simon's book here. We. hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Simon Raymonde!

    48 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    073 Howard Weulfing on his 80s DC Fanzines, Descenes and Discords

    On this episode, Marc talks with Howard Weulfing. He's the author of Descenes and Discords, an anthology of two fanzines he edited in the early 1980s, documenting the burgeoning underground rock scene in DC at the time. Descenes featured interviews, record reviews, live reviews, and more, with most of the focus on DC. Discords also covered scenes around the country, publishing reports from writers such as Gerard Cosloy in Boston, Jim Testa in New Jersey, Tesco Vee in Michigan, and John Foster in Olympia. This new anthology includes explanatory introductions by Howard for each zine issue, as well as a conversation between Howard and Ian MacKaye, reminiscing about what things were like in DC back then. As Howard writes, "Our contributors were out in this community and readily accessible. We were playing shows, running record stores, simply hanging out. We got plenty of letters of criticism, clarification, and sometimes praise. We tried to process it constructively: broadening the coverage, questioning our judgements, while keeping the tone conversational and direct though often with tongue planted firmly in cheek." You can buy Descenes and Discords here. We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Howard Wuelfing!

    49 min
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4.9
out of 5
49 Ratings

About

A podcast about music books, talking to authors about how they wrote their books about music! Hosted by music writer Marc Masters.

Information

  • Creator
    Marc Masters
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Music Book Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Music Book Podcast

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