Michael Azerrad
@michaelazerrad.bsky.social
Author of _The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana_ and _Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991_.
Bylines: the New Yorker, the Yale Review, the New York Times, etc.
Bylines: the New Yorker, the Yale Review, the New York Times, etc.
Pinned
The Amplified “Come As You Are” Book Revisits Nirvana’s Legend with New Depth and Devastation - That Eric Alper
When Michael Azerrad first published Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana in 1993, he captured lightning in a bottle. It was the only biography written with full access to Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoseli...
www.thatericalper.com
"For those too young to remember MTV Unplugged or zines or mixtapes, this book is a roadmap to the 1990s: the rage, the disaffection, the way music could crack open a kid’s worldview. For those who were there, it’s a chance to relive it all with the benefit of hindsight — and heartbreak."
Happy birthday, Philip Glass
Hap-py birth-day, Phil-ip Glass
HappybirthdayPhilipGlass
Hap-py birth-day, Phil-ip Glass
HappybirthdayPhilipGlass
January 31, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Happy birthday, Philip Glass
Hap-py birth-day, Phil-ip Glass
HappybirthdayPhilipGlass
Hap-py birth-day, Phil-ip Glass
HappybirthdayPhilipGlass
Gustav Holst's 1918 orchestral suite "The Planets" is notable for many reasons, not the least of which is that it inspired this all-synth version, a certified '70s stoner classic. Best heard on big, bulky headphones in total darkness.
The Planets - Isao Tomita
YouTube video by Charclem Charcleme
youtu.be
January 27, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Gustav Holst's 1918 orchestral suite "The Planets" is notable for many reasons, not the least of which is that it inspired this all-synth version, a certified '70s stoner classic. Best heard on big, bulky headphones in total darkness.
I wrote a Substack about Kurt Cobain and Lead Belly — and a song that Kurt never sang.
tinyurl.com/CobainLeadBe...
tinyurl.com/CobainLeadBe...
Kurt Cobain, Lead Belly and "Grey Goose"
The greatest song that Cobain never sang
tinyurl.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:27 PM
I wrote a Substack about Kurt Cobain and Lead Belly — and a song that Kurt never sang.
tinyurl.com/CobainLeadBe...
tinyurl.com/CobainLeadBe...
Sad news: Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst has died. Wow, he was great: played with immense flair and power, a sonic embodiment of the band's righteousness. Also co-wrote many MO songs, was archivist, art director, political researcher, spokesperson and internal cheerleader. Like I say, he was great.
January 20, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Sad news: Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst has died. Wow, he was great: played with immense flair and power, a sonic embodiment of the band's righteousness. Also co-wrote many MO songs, was archivist, art director, political researcher, spokesperson and internal cheerleader. Like I say, he was great.
Al Green has done some great covers of great songs, uncovered new depths in them, both made them his own and everyone else's. When he does a cover, it's a kind of benediction. Here's his beautiful new take on Lou Reed's "I Found a Reason," from the Velvets' _Loaded_.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSf...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSf...
Al Green - I Found A Reason (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by Al Green
www.youtube.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Al Green has done some great covers of great songs, uncovered new depths in them, both made them his own and everyone else's. When he does a cover, it's a kind of benediction. Here's his beautiful new take on Lou Reed's "I Found a Reason," from the Velvets' _Loaded_.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSf...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSf...
I've always been fascinated by what makes music swing. It's kind of an elusive thing, but sometimes one can better understand something by observing its absence. This robot playing John Coltrane's solo on "Giant Steps" is a case in point.
Giants steps solo by a Robot!
YouTube video by Nicolas Farrugia
www.youtube.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:40 PM
I've always been fascinated by what makes music swing. It's kind of an elusive thing, but sometimes one can better understand something by observing its absence. This robot playing John Coltrane's solo on "Giant Steps" is a case in point.
"Early British jazz appreciation shared with so many forms of left-wing culture an eschewal of the popular, a comradeship of the elect, which was the secret at once of its richness and its marginality."
— Kevin Morgan, "King Street blues: jazz and the left in the 1930s-1940s," 1998
— Kevin Morgan, "King Street blues: jazz and the left in the 1930s-1940s," 1998
January 13, 2026 at 3:13 AM
"Early British jazz appreciation shared with so many forms of left-wing culture an eschewal of the popular, a comradeship of the elect, which was the secret at once of its richness and its marginality."
— Kevin Morgan, "King Street blues: jazz and the left in the 1930s-1940s," 1998
— Kevin Morgan, "King Street blues: jazz and the left in the 1930s-1940s," 1998
I did a Substack about composer Phil Kline's magical classic "Unsilent Night," flash mobs, self-checkout registers and benevolent conspiracies.
Silver Bells: Communing with Phil Kline's "Unsilent Night"
"Unsilent Night" is perhaps noted new music composer Phil Kline's greatest hit.
michaelazerrad.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:19 PM
I did a Substack about composer Phil Kline's magical classic "Unsilent Night," flash mobs, self-checkout registers and benevolent conspiracies.
Perhaps you love late-'50s South African pop vocal music. In that case, I recommend _The Very Best of the Skylarks, 1956-1959_, vol. I and II. Yep, that's Miriam Makeba's group. RIYL: the Andrews Sisters and mbaqanga
December 30, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Perhaps you love late-'50s South African pop vocal music. In that case, I recommend _The Very Best of the Skylarks, 1956-1959_, vol. I and II. Yep, that's Miriam Makeba's group. RIYL: the Andrews Sisters and mbaqanga
If you're interested in the craft of songwriting, I recommend listening to this "Democracy Now" episode about lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, who wrote the words to classics like "Over the Rainbow," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" etc.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
December 26, 2025 at 2:27 PM
If you're interested in the craft of songwriting, I recommend listening to this "Democracy Now" episode about lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, who wrote the words to classics like "Over the Rainbow," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" etc.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
I did an UnderPile about the story behind Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ and why the music touches us so deeply. There are also some words of wisdom from the record's potty-mouthed drummer.
On Vince Guaraldi's Immortal Soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas
This Peanuts stuff was a little more sophisticated than it appeared
michaelazerrad.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I did an UnderPile about the story behind Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ and why the music touches us so deeply. There are also some words of wisdom from the record's potty-mouthed drummer.
As yesterday's _New York Times_ "Connection" puzzle so compellingly demonstrates, the B-52s' legacy is deep and abiding.
December 21, 2025 at 1:15 PM
As yesterday's _New York Times_ "Connection" puzzle so compellingly demonstrates, the B-52s' legacy is deep and abiding.
I did a Beneathpile on the enduring relevance of the classic _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ — with a Fugazi reference thrown in.
A Charlie Brown Christmas: You Are Not What You Own
Commercialism meets the Gospel of St. Luke
michaelazerrad.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I did a Beneathpile on the enduring relevance of the classic _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ — with a Fugazi reference thrown in.
Happy 82nd birthday to Keith Richards, who has been struggling to be free ever since.
December 18, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Happy 82nd birthday to Keith Richards, who has been struggling to be free ever since.
Life is short. Just throw on that desert island disc that you've been waiting for the absolutely perfect moment to listen to again. You won't regret it.
December 12, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Life is short. Just throw on that desert island disc that you've been waiting for the absolutely perfect moment to listen to again. You won't regret it.
Miller calls OBCBYL "An almost inadvertent 'How-To' primer..."
Any work has unintended consequences, and that's a beautiful thing — but the "almost" is well said: the book is called _Our Band Could Be Your Life_ for a reason.
Any work has unintended consequences, and that's a beautiful thing — but the "almost" is well said: the book is called _Our Band Could Be Your Life_ for a reason.
Took part in a fun exercise at The Shepherd. Wrote about 4 books that shaped my worldview in regards to underground music---and why it's much more interesting than the mainstream.
#greilmarcus #peterguralnick #richcohen #nicktosches @michaelazerrad.bsky.social #booksky #americana #losthighway
#greilmarcus #peterguralnick #richcohen #nicktosches @michaelazerrad.bsky.social #booksky #americana #losthighway
The best books about why the weird underbelly of American music is more interesting and important than pop music
Rob Miller shares the 5 best books on why the weird underbelly of American music is more interesting and important than pop music. Have you read Our Band Could Be Your Life?
shepherd.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Miller calls OBCBYL "An almost inadvertent 'How-To' primer..."
Any work has unintended consequences, and that's a beautiful thing — but the "almost" is well said: the book is called _Our Band Could Be Your Life_ for a reason.
Any work has unintended consequences, and that's a beautiful thing — but the "almost" is well said: the book is called _Our Band Could Be Your Life_ for a reason.
"I'm still against guns generally. They've impacted my life in a negative way."
— Sean Lennon
John Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980)
— Sean Lennon
John Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980)
December 8, 2025 at 2:22 PM
"I'm still against guns generally. They've impacted my life in a negative way."
— Sean Lennon
John Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980)
— Sean Lennon
John Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980)
Perhaps you're looking for a holiday present for the Nirvana fan in your life. Then may I humbly suggest... my own book!
“Enriched with new anecdotes, insights and info-morsels, this super-expanded Michael Azerrad classic is a great story made even more gripping.”
—Simon Reynolds
“Enriched with new anecdotes, insights and info-morsels, this super-expanded Michael Azerrad classic is a great story made even more gripping.”
—Simon Reynolds
The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana
The Story of Nirvana
bookshop.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Perhaps you're looking for a holiday present for the Nirvana fan in your life. Then may I humbly suggest... my own book!
“Enriched with new anecdotes, insights and info-morsels, this super-expanded Michael Azerrad classic is a great story made even more gripping.”
—Simon Reynolds
“Enriched with new anecdotes, insights and info-morsels, this super-expanded Michael Azerrad classic is a great story made even more gripping.”
—Simon Reynolds
I did a belated Underneath the Heap about a Thanksgiving classic: Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant Massacree."
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
Ageless and Evergreen: "Alice's Restaurant Massacree"
How Arlo Guthrie's '60s counterculture classic is a gift that keeps on giving
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:36 PM
I did a belated Underneath the Heap about a Thanksgiving classic: Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant Massacree."
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
Today is the 32nd anniversary of Nirvana's epochal appearance on "Unplugged." Here's one of the passages about that show from my book _The Amplified Come as You Are_.
November 18, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Today is the 32nd anniversary of Nirvana's epochal appearance on "Unplugged." Here's one of the passages about that show from my book _The Amplified Come as You Are_.
Something bad and yet wonderful happened at the Tortoise show tonight: the PA cut out. No more pants-leg-rattling bass, no spacious reverb, just the sound coming off the stage. They still sounded great. That's down to musicianship, style and the magic gained from playing together for 35 years.
November 17, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Something bad and yet wonderful happened at the Tortoise show tonight: the PA cut out. No more pants-leg-rattling bass, no spacious reverb, just the sound coming off the stage. They still sounded great. That's down to musicianship, style and the magic gained from playing together for 35 years.
"I'm 80 years old now and I think this is probably the best time of my life because I sort of have a general idea of what's happening."
— Pete Townshend, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," November 13, 2025
— Pete Townshend, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," November 13, 2025
November 14, 2025 at 7:32 PM
"I'm 80 years old now and I think this is probably the best time of my life because I sort of have a general idea of what's happening."
— Pete Townshend, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," November 13, 2025
— Pete Townshend, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," November 13, 2025
It is truly a testament to the integrity of Joyful Noise Recordings that their beautiful new Daniel Johnston _In the 20th Century_ cassette box set is actually a box.
(It's 16 albums, mastered by longtime collaborator Kramer, in a limited edition of 999.)
(It's 16 albums, mastered by longtime collaborator Kramer, in a limited edition of 999.)
November 13, 2025 at 4:20 PM
It is truly a testament to the integrity of Joyful Noise Recordings that their beautiful new Daniel Johnston _In the 20th Century_ cassette box set is actually a box.
(It's 16 albums, mastered by longtime collaborator Kramer, in a limited edition of 999.)
(It's 16 albums, mastered by longtime collaborator Kramer, in a limited edition of 999.)
Oh, here's that exquisitely beautiful music from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh that you should hear.
Ritual Mouth Organs Of The Murung - Bangladesh
YouTube video by World Field Recordings
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Oh, here's that exquisitely beautiful music from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh that you should hear.