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Ep. #48: Ben Blackwell of Third Man Records

Ben Blackwell works at Third Man Records, a multi-platform label, record store, venue, and studio in Nashville, Tennessee and he once claimed his business card listed his position as “psychedelic stooge.” Blackwell has also played drums in the Dirtbombs, he runs his own label, Cass Records, and is the official archivist for the White Stripes whose Jack White owns Third Man. As a label, Third Man has been doing some amazing work, releasing cool new records and going deep into history to reissue recordings by important artists and labels like Sun and Paramount Records. In this in-depth conversation, Blackwell and I cover the evolution of Third Man, its emphasis on vinyl and penchant for grand projects and releases, its interest and execution of documenting historically significant musical artefacts, The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records 1917-1932 wonder-cabinet, how sales for vinyl compare to those for CDs, the troubling vinyl shortage, the new Gories record, The Shaw Tapes: Live in Detroit 5/27/88, which Third Man is releasing in November, the song “Real Cool Time” and more.

Related links: thirdmanrecords.com cassrecords.com vishkhanna.com

benblackwell

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Categories
News Podcast

Ep. #28: Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm is a singer and guitarist based in Seattle, Washington. 25 years ago he co-founded Mudhoney, one of America’s best and most influential underground rock bands. They were profiled in a great documentary called I’m Now: The Story of Mudhoney, which was released at the end of 2012, and now they’re the main subject of a biography called Mudhoney: The Sound and The Fury of Seattle by author Keith Cameron. The book covers the entire history of the band right up to their ninth album, the rollicking, well-received Vanishing Point, which came out earlier this year via Sub Pop records. Mudhoney’s latest tour brings them to Montreal’s Il Motore on Sept. 1 and Toronto’s Lee’s Palace on Sept. 2, so Mark and I got on the horn to discuss Mudhoney’s anniversary, playing a show on top of Seattle’s Space Needle, nothing to do with Nirvana, surfing with Pearl Jam, why stools should have three legs, playing a show at Third Man Records next month, which will eventually result in a live Mudhoney album, Conan O’Brien, and more.

Related links: mudhoneyonline.com subpop.com vishkhanna.com

Mudhoney 2013 Band Photo

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