Rec
📘
This band quite literally changed my life (as opposed to a "Garden State" faux-changed my life scenario).
Later in life, I got to know guitarist Peter Buck (we were both living in Portland at the time and I now own one of his Rickenbacker 12-string guitars a result, ha) and came to appreciate their status as the Bartleby, the Scriveners of rock (you should Google the reference: “I would prefer not to”). I told Peter I began playing guitar because of “Chronic Town” and eschewed wanky dumbass solos because that is how he and Johnny Marr both played. It left a mark, in the most positive way possible.
The first chapter is entitled “The Things They Wouldn't Do” and perfectly captures the essence of a group who did it their way or no way at all, including walking away at the peak of fame and never looking back as a way to both preserve their friendships AND not slide into the trap of making music for cash that was a notch below their very best. And their very best is, to be clear, among the best music made by any pop artist at any time.
Nov 27, 2024
Related Recs
Rec
Playing Cycledelic by Johnny Moped today. This album was chaos, charm, and genius all rolled into one. And for me, it’s more than just a punk classic – it’s a reminder of where it all started.
Back in the days of sticky floors, cheap strings, and big dreams, I was in a band called Travis Cut – loud, fast, and barely held together. The kind of band that lived for the next gig and maybe the next pint. That whole era, and the beautiful mess of it all, is what inspired my book Three and a Half Minutes of Fame.
The book isn’t just about music – it’s about the scene, the spirit, and the people who somehow survived it. If you ever pogoed in a basement, argued over setlists in the van, or found meaning in a 7-inch single, this one’s for you.
Punk’s not dead. It just writes books now - thanks to the brilliant team at Earth Island
Back in the days of sticky floors, cheap strings, and big dreams, I was in a band called Travis Cut – loud, fast, and barely held together. The kind of band that lived for the next gig and maybe the next pint. That whole era, and the beautiful mess of it all, is what inspired my book Three and a Half Minutes of Fame.
The book isn’t just about music – it’s about the scene, the spirit, and the people who somehow survived it. If you ever pogoed in a basement, argued over setlists in the van, or found meaning in a 7-inch single, this one’s for you.
Punk’s not dead. It just writes books now - thanks to the brilliant team at Earth Island
Jul 7, 2025
Rec
📚🎶 Spinning my copy of 924 Forestville St by Bracket. Travis Cut toured with them when this album dropped, and playing this record again brought everything rushing back: sticky floors, broken strings, borrowed amps, and long drives to nowhere in particular.
That’s the world Three and a Half Minutes of Fame comes from – not just the music, but the people, the scenes, the slog. The way we lived back then wasn’t glamorous, but it meant something. It still does.
This book is for anyone who ever slept on a stranger’s floor, chased gigs like they were oxygen, or gave everything to a band that never quite made it – but made something all the same.
Three and a Half Minutes of Fame is out now. Pair it with Bracket, loud.
That’s the world Three and a Half Minutes of Fame comes from – not just the music, but the people, the scenes, the slog. The way we lived back then wasn’t glamorous, but it meant something. It still does.
This book is for anyone who ever slept on a stranger’s floor, chased gigs like they were oxygen, or gave everything to a band that never quite made it – but made something all the same.
Three and a Half Minutes of Fame is out now. Pair it with Bracket, loud.
Jul 8, 2025
Rec
Dug out Batch by Big Drill Car today. Like other records from this era, it brought back everything that my book Three and a Half Minutes of Fame is really about: the punk life – loud, messy, fleeting, and totally unforgettable.
The book isn’t a band bio. It’s about the in-between bits – the van breakdowns, the squats, the 3am petrol station meals, the quiet moments of doubt before walking on stage. It’s about being in Travis Cut, sure – but more than that, it’s about throwing yourself headfirst into something because you have to. Because you don’t know how to be any other way.
If you’ve ever followed a band across a country, spent your last tenner getting to a gig, or felt most alive with a guitar in your hand and no Plan B – then this book is for you.
Three and a Half Minutes of Fame – out now.!
The book isn’t a band bio. It’s about the in-between bits – the van breakdowns, the squats, the 3am petrol station meals, the quiet moments of doubt before walking on stage. It’s about being in Travis Cut, sure – but more than that, it’s about throwing yourself headfirst into something because you have to. Because you don’t know how to be any other way.
If you’ve ever followed a band across a country, spent your last tenner getting to a gig, or felt most alive with a guitar in your hand and no Plan B – then this book is for you.
Three and a Half Minutes of Fame – out now.!
Jul 9, 2025
Top Recs from @coreydubrowa
Rec
The man responsible for dozens of Teenage Symphonies to God
"Sad songs about happy things" (the first time, as a kid, I can recall the sweet/sour combo of melodies that could make you cry attached to songs about endless, bottomless love)
I've long since lost track of how many weddings and funerals I've attended that have featured this song; suffice it to say, "a lot."
God only knows what we'd been without him 🙏🏻
Jun 11, 2025
May 22, 2025
Rec
Hey tyler hopefully this doesn’t violate some PI.FYI golden rule
But after nearly two years of writing, editing and arguing, my book about the EP is coming out in May and can be preordered here:
https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/
The book is about the origins, history and cultural impact of the EP since these little objects first started coming out in the 50s. Over 50 of my music biz friends then helped me shape the list and review the top 200 ever released, according to us (ha). For those of you who are into this kind of geekery/snobbery, I can’t wait to hear what you think. A labor of love, as all books are! ❤️
https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/
The book is about the origins, history and cultural impact of the EP since these little objects first started coming out in the 50s. Over 50 of my music biz friends then helped me shape the list and review the top 200 ever released, according to us (ha). For those of you who are into this kind of geekery/snobbery, I can’t wait to hear what you think. A labor of love, as all books are! ❤️
Mar 27, 2024