By Danny Fields
(Interviewers note: Natalie and I met when I was working at Elektra Records in the late 1960’s. I’d just persuaded my reluctant bosses to sign Iggy and the Stooges, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to a recording contract by presenting them as part of a “package deal.” The aim of Elektra was really to get the MC5, who were EXPLODING in the Midwest, signed to the label. The MC5 were sort of the Stooges “Big Brother” band, we all claimed.
An Oral History of Punk By Alan Vega as told to Legs McNeil & Gillian McCain. - Quite simply, Alan Vega revolutionized rock & roll. Along with his long-time collaborator, Marty Rev, their two-piece combo, Suicide was a band about thirty years ahead of their time.
by Amy Haben - I don't know about you, but I cringe when someone invites me to see a tribute band. So when my friend invited me to see Bootleg Blondie, (a Blondie tribute band) while in London, I wasn't sure how to feel.
Twenty years ago, Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain published Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, a scabby inside-look at the wildly fun, incredibly seedy and at times terrifying underbelly of the 1970s New York City punk scene.
LA's Favorite Power-Pop Trio on the Secrets of Longevity - by Todd McGovern - I’ve been a fan of The Muffs since their eponymous release in 1993, drawn by the power of their staccato pop songs, catchy lyrics and of course, Kim Shattuck’s sweet voice and guttural trademark scream.
As seminal punk saga 'Please Kill Me' gets a 20th anniversary rerelease, we speak to co-author Gillian McCain about why the antiestablishment genre deserves to be preserved just like any other piece of history.
Jimmy was my first teacher, he had drummed for Blondie, gotten the musical approval of Lou Reed, and even had to stop Stiv Bators from hitting on his girlfriend.