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Ep. #84: Charles R. Cross

Charles R. Cross is a Seattle-based music writer and author who has written nine books, including the award-winning and definitive Heavier Than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain. He was the editor-in-chief of the Seattle music magazine The Rocket, covering the early rise of local bands like Nirvana and he’s regarded as both an esteemed expert and reliable firsthand witness to the media’s mania about the arts and culture cultivated within the Pacific Northwest almost 25 years ago. His latest book is Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain, which is an intriguing chronicle of the myriad ways in which Cobain’s life and death affected various strains of culture—everything from hip-hop music and high fashion to geographic interest in Aberdeen, Washington and a more serious medical assessment of addictive personalities, suicide prevention, and the moral gridlock that stymies the so-called ‘war on drugs.’ Here, Charles and I discuss his recent trip to Cobain’s hometown, Aberdeen, Washington, the library where Cobain spent a lot of time as a youth, the fiasco that was Aberdeen’s ‘Kurt Cobain Day,’ the good people of that town versus the hapless public officials who grapple with his legacy, how a weird conversation with Larry King inspired Cross’ latest book, the divisiveness of Cobain in his work and lifestyle, how Cross viewed Cobain after finishing his biography Heavier Than Heaven, grappling with Cobain’s suicide and how his life was shadowed by its prospect, how making music and art actually may have prolonged his life, how dwelling upon Cobain proves to be insightful as a writer and fan, holding Kurt’s suicide note and reading his journals, the infuriating crassness of cashing in on Cobain’s death, how Cross feels he’s now said all he can say about Cobain, how he’s struck this close, trusting association with Courtney Love, the latest about the biopic that will supposedly be based upon Heavier Than Heaven, the Nirvana song “Sliver,” and more.

Related links: charlesrcross.com youritlist.com nirvana.com vishkhanna.com

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Ep. #83: Keith Morris of OFF!

Keith Morris is the lead singer and songwriter in the Los Angeles-based supergroup, OFF! An original member of influential punk bands Black Flag and Circle Jerks, Morris started OFF! with guitarist Dimitri Coats, bassist Steven Shane McDonald, and drummer Mario Rubalcaba and, beginning in 2010, they released the highly acclaimed First Four EPs followed by an excellent, self-titled full-length in 2012. Their new album is a powerful and outspoken one called Wasted Years, which is out April 8 via Vice Records and their current tour brings them to Canada for stops in Vancouver on April 12 and Toronto on May 10. Here, Keith and I discuss climate change and end-of-the-world narratives, the life of ‘Uncle Keith’ and how the responsibility of bringing children into existence helps focus adults, the welfare state, how Earth has become a garbage can, critiquing the United States and Dimitri Coats’ vision of Wasted Years as OFF!’s ‘black album,’ the sad saga of ignorant people, living in a depressingly violent Los Angeles neighbourhood full of negative energy but also with the odd ray of light, how the physical toll of OFF! has impacted Keith, plans for Keith to publish some kind of book, the story of FLAG and its conflict with Black Flag, the impact of the Black Flag dispute and Greg Ginn on the lyrical content of Wasted Years, whether FLAG will come back, David Yow, the song “Hypnotized” and more.

Related links: offofficial.com vicerecords.com vishkhanna.com

The members of OFF! outside their studio, during a break in the making of their newest album. Left to right: singer Keith Morris, bassist Steven McDonald, drummer Mario Rubalcaba and guitarist Dimitri Coats.

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Ep. #82: Peter Elkas

Peter Elkas is a talented rock and soul singer, songwriter, and musician based in Toronto. In the early 90s, he was in an inventive Montreal band called Local Rabbits and when they stopped playing together, Elkas set off on an acclaimed creative trajectory of his own. 10 years ago Elkas released Party of One, his first of three solo albums thus far and he’s celebrating this milestone by reissuing the record on vinyl for the first time and making it exclusively available at shows he’s playing, primarily in southern Ontario throughout April, including a Guelph stop at the Ebar on April 3. Here, Elkas and I discuss the 12-string Fender Stratocaster he brought along to our interview, Randy Bachman, Full House, how many guitars is too many guitars for a general audience to care about, dadhood and having to explain things to small humans, my dad can build you a bookshelf and I can barely build you a sandwich, demystifying the power of our dads, 10 years since Party of One and its “gimmicky” reissue, small people playing piano, the struggle of sit-ups, how we can’t remember the name of the movie A Scanner Darkly, Don Kerr as musical saviour for Pete after Local Rabbits ended, a band from Windsor called the Poumons and another outfit called the Burt Neilson Band, the Light of Day foundation and Pete’s role in it, the multiple times he’s shared stages with/met/fingerprinted/performed before rock icon Bruce Springsteen, playing the Stone Pony in New Jersey, passion versus practicality versus pain, the beneficially slow prep for a follow-up to Pete’s last album Repeat Offender, the song “I See Fine,” and more.

Related links: peterelkas.com newscotlandrecords.com vishkhanna.com

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