Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves

Before Loveless: My Bloody Valentine’s Forgotten Goth Era

In the early days, My Bloody Valentine was far from the iconic shoegaze band they'd become know as. Today we look back at "This Is Your Bloody Valentine." Released in January of 1985, it was the band's debut, and its goth undertones would help shape the sound they'd eventually pioneer: shoegaze. This is the story of that mini album, and the transformation the band underwent to become the #1 shoegaze band of all time.
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
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The Kinks and the Mystery Girl Behind "You Really Got Me"

In October and November of 1964, The Kinks released their debut studio album, "You Really Got Me." The title track was raw and gritty with an enormous sound that caught the world off guard. This is the story of that song, how Dave Davies got that sound, the mystery girl who inspired Ray Davies' lyrics, and the rumor that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin played that famed guitar solo.
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Subscribe to my Substack.

The Legacy of The Beach Boys Christmas Album

Released in November of 1964, The Beach Boys Christmas Album saw America's biggest pop band blend their signature sunny surf rock with a California holiday. Over the last 6 decades, this album has come to include go-to Christmas music spanning generations. Today, we look at the surprising story of The Beach Boys Christmas Album.
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Find the Transcript on and Subscribe to my Substack.

The Stooges and the Legend of the Painted Guitar

The Stooges are pioneers of the proto punk movement, with Iggy Pop often hailed as the Godfather of Punk. In this album story, we explore the origins of the title, and trace it back to a bad decision -- something The Stooges kinda made part of their career. This is the story of how a painted guitar led to Iggy being crowned the Godfather of Punk Rock.
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Find Transcripts on and Subscribe to my Substack.

How Le Tigre Changed Feminist Punk in 1999

In the fall of 1999, Le Tigre released their self-titled debut album. The band stemmed from Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna's desire to create music more playful and light-hearted than that of Bikini Kill while also maintaining the inspiration from feminism and political activism of her other band. This is the story of that debut album, how the band formed, and the members within.
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Find the Transcript on and Subscribe to my Substack.

CAN’s Bold New Era: The Story of ‘Soon Over Babaluma’

In 1973, legendary Krautrock band CAN lost their charismatic lead singer Damo Suzuki. A year later, in November of 1974, they remade themselves and gave us Soon Over Babaluma. This is the story of that album, how a band can indeed find success after their frontman leaves.
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Find Transcripts on and Subscribe to my Substack.

How The Beach Boys Influenced Kraftwerk’s "Autobahn"

This is the unlikely story of how the sun-soaked sounds of The Beach Boys struck a cord with the cold, electronic stoicism in post-war Germany and influenced Kraftwerk's breakout hit "Autobahn."
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Find the Transcript on and Subscribe to my Substack.

The Double-Edged Sword of The Smiths' "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

The Smiths are among the most influential indie bands of all time. Led by confrontational artist Morrissey, the controversial frontman has never been one to keep quiet. He seemed to know this as far back as 1985, when he and Johnny Marr wrote "Bigmouth Strikes Again." This is the history of that song, the Rolling Stones song that inspired Marr's guitar riff, and the subtle nod to the Ancoats district in Manchester. 
Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves is a weekly podcast, YouTube series, and Substack blog hosted by Andy Fenstermaker. 
Get the video version on my YouTube Channel.
Find the Transcript on and Subscribe to my Substack.