Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves

How Sonic Youth’s “Bad Moon Rising” Captured the Dark Side of America

Before they became the patron saints of noise rock, before the major labels and festival headlining slots, Sonic Youth were a band lurking in the dark corners of the New York underground. And in 1985, they released Bad Moon Rising, an album that captured both the decay of America and the restless experimentation of a band on the verge of something bigger. This is the story of that album and how it still resonates more than 40 years later.
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🎧 SONIC YOUTH ON VINYL:
Bad Moon Rising: https://amzn.to/4bOAk2X
Sister: https://amzn.to/3VTb04q 
Daydream Nation: https://amzn.to/3L7xutu
More Sonic Youth on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/4ckDGtP 

The Exorcism of David Bowie's Swimming Pool

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.
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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 

The Censorship of "Sister" by Sonic Youth

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.
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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 

How ‘The Bends’ by Radiohead Changed Alternative Rock Forever

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.
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🎧 RADIOHEAD ON VINYL:
Get The Bends on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/42Ze7Nc
More Radiohead on Vinyl: https://amzn.to/42W3gn4 

Are The Kinks a MOD Band?

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.
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🎧 Get THE KINKS on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/3Dczxfj 

The DARK History Behind David Bowie's 'Young Americans'

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."
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🎧 DAVID BOWIE ON VINYL:
Young Americans on Vinyl 👉 https://amzn.to/4hXY32S 
More Vinyl by David Bowie 👉 https://amzn.to/3XrANCc 

Was "Kinks-Size" The Kinks' Forgotten Album or Just a Cash-Grab?

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.
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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

A Complete History of Bright Eyes’ “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning”

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."
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🎧 BRIGHT EYES ON VINYL:
"I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" 👉 https://amzn.to/41rNdfC
More Vinyl by Bright Eyes 👉 https://amzn.to/4hP1pVU