On this episode, Marc talks with Jon King, author of "To Hell With Poverty / A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four," published in April of 2025. It's an engaging, fast-paced memoir by the lead singer of legendary UK band Gang of Four, whose classic lineup also included guitarist Andy Gill, drummer Hugo Burnham and bassist Dave Allen.

King's tales of his youth up through the formation of Gang of Four and the four albums they released between 1979 and 1983 are written in the present tense, as if we're there with him experiencing it all, giving To Hell With Poverty a rushing excitement as life moves quickly both for the band and King himself.

You can buy Jon's book here or here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Jon King!

On this episode, Marc talks with Lisa MacKinney, author of "Dressed in Black: The Shangri-Las and Their Recorded Legacy," released in March of 2025. It's a thorough history of the 1960's group comprising sisters Mary and Betty Weiss and twins Mary Ann and Marguerite Ganser, best known for their hits “Leader of the Pack” and “Remember (Walking in the Sand)." MacKinney started this project 20 years ago as a graduate student, gradually unearthing almost every possible detail about this fascinating group, despite not having access to any members.

As she writes, "A reappraisal of the Shangri-Las’ small but tremendously significant and influential body of work is long overdue. Repeatedly marginalised in traditional rock narratives, the Shangri-Las deserve to be examined in more informed historical contexts and on their own terms, right now and not later."

You can buy "Dressed in Black" here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Lisa MacKinney.

On this episode, Marc talks with Matthew Shipp, author of "Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings," published in April 2025 by Autonomedia. It's a collection of essays, poems, tributes, obituaries and more. Shipp, best known for his piano playing (solo, in collaboration, and with the David S. Ware quartet), presents much of what he's learned and contemplated over decades as an artist, touching on inspiration, improvisation, language, and many other big ideas.

As he writes, "I don't consider myself a poet, but I do consider myself able to write about what inspires me to play the way I do. And the reason I'm able to do that, even though I'm not a poet, is because obviously I know myself to some extent."

You can buy Matt's book at Autonomedia's website or here.

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Matthew Shipp!