Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves

Poetic Wax is a short weekly podcast where host Andy Fenstermaker digs deep into his vast record collection to uncover and share the history of bands, albums, songs, and more. Poetic Wax explores music history in all its forms, from new angles on things widely covered to the little known moments that create monumental change.
Episodes
Episodes



6 days ago
6 days ago
In the mid 1970s, David Bowie released "Station to Station" as he transformed into the Thin White Duke. His mental and physical state was in major decline due to addiction. Becoming obsessed with the occult, he felt Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin was casting dark spells on him. And then there was his haunted Los Angeles swimming pool. This is the story of David Bowie around that time, how he spiraled into madness, and how he hired a white witch to help him conduct an exorcism on his possibly possessed pool.
CLARIFICATION: In Angela Bowie's memoir Backstage Passes, she recounts this story, noting that Walli Elmlark guided David Bowie in the process of conducting the exorcism as opposed to being present in Los Angeles and doing it herself.
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes. You can also subscribe to the Poetic Wax Podcast Newsletter.
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🎧 DAVID BOWIE ON VINYL:
Station to Station on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/3XBDxNd
Young Americans on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/4hXY32S
More Vinyl by David Bowie 👉 https://amzn.to/3XrANCc



Sunday Mar 16, 2025
The Censorship of "Sister" by Sonic Youth
Sunday Mar 16, 2025
Sunday Mar 16, 2025
Twice censored, this is the story of Sonic Youth's pivotal release "Sister" from 1987, how and why the album's unique cover art got those black boxes, and the story of the photographer that sparked the change.
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes.
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🎧 SONIC YOUTH ON VINYL:
Sonic Youth Sister on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/3VTb04q
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/3L7xutu
More Sonic Youth on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/4ckDGtP



Thursday Mar 13, 2025
How ‘The Bends’ by Radiohead Changed Alternative Rock Forever
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
After the success of "Creep," Radiohead was at a crossroads. They struggled to cope with the potential of being a 'one-hit-wonder.' While their label EMI sought another big hit, they went a different direction. The result was The Bends, an album that saw them redefining their sound, and thus, the trajectory of alternative rock for the next decade. This is the story of Radiohead and The Bends, and how it set the stage for Radiohead becoming one of the biggest bands in the world at the time.
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes.
✉️ Join the Poetic Wax Podcast newsletter
🎧 RADIOHEAD ON VINYL:
Get The Bends on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/42Ze7Nc
More Radiohead on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/42W3gn4



Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Are The Kinks a MOD Band?
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Are The Kinks a MOD band? When you look at The Kinks' early work from the mid 1960s, they seem to fit the part. Sharp suits, R&B influences. But it's not as simple as that. Today, we break it down, defining what a MOD band is, and sharing the arguments for and against the claim.
▶️ Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more Poetic Wax video episodes.
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🎧 Get THE KINKS on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/3Dczxfj



Friday Mar 07, 2025
The DARK History Behind David Bowie's 'Young Americans'
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
As David Bowie transitioned out of his glam phase, he set his sights on Philadelphia and Philly Soul. What came from this was the upbeat "Young Americans" and the album of the same name. This is the story of how that coincided with an incredibly dark period if Bowie's life as he transitioned from glam to plastic soul to the thin white duke. This is the dark history behind Bowie's "Young Americans."
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes. You can also subscribe to the Poetic Wax Podcast Newsletter.
✉️ Join the Poetic Wax Podcast newsletter
🎧 DAVID BOWIE ON VINYL:
Young Americans on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/4hXY32S
More Vinyl by David Bowie 👉 https://amzn.to/3XrANCc



Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Was "Kinks-Size" The Kinks' Forgotten Album or Just a Cash-Grab?
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Released in March 1965 as a US and Canada only compilation, is "Kinks-Size" The Kinks' forgotten album, or was it just a label cash grab? This is the story of that album, why it was released, and how it sizes up today.
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes.
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🎧 THE KINKS ON VINYL:
Kinks-Size on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/4kmYZ2h
More Vinyl by The Kinks 👉 https://amzn.to/3Dczxfj



Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
A Complete History of Bright Eyes’ “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning”
Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
In January 2005, Bright Eyes released two albums, among them the widely acclaimed "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning." This is the complete history of that album, a look at where frontman Conor Oberst was in his career at that time, and some of the events that led up to the stunning double release and the standout singles "The First Day of My Life," and "Lua," as well as other highlights on the album like "Road to Joy" and "Land Locked Blues."
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes.
✉️ Join the Poetic Wax Podcast newsletter
🎧 BRIGHT EYES ON VINYL:
"I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" 👉 https://amzn.to/41rNdfC
More Vinyl by Bright Eyes 👉 https://amzn.to/4hP1pVU



Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
The REAL History and Meaning Behind Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees"
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
"Fake Plastic Trees" is one of Radiohead's most heartbreaking songs. But what does it mean? And how did Thom Yorke come up with those lyrics? This is the REAL history and meaning behind the classic song off Radiohead's sophomore album The Bends, how they recorded it, and how it became one of their most endearing tracks.
Watch the episode on YouTube and go deeper with more video episodes.
✉️ Join the Poetic Wax Podcast newsletter
🎧 RADIOHEAD ON VINYL:
Get The Bends on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/42Ze7Nc
More Radiohead on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/42W3gn4

Andy Fenstermaker
Poetic Wax is hosted by Andy Fenstermaker, an obsessive music fan who has been creating content since the mid 2000s. Former independent, college, and community radio host and music blogger, and current YouTuber and podcast host, Andy has been collecting vinyl since his teen years in the 1990s.