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."
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.
Jenn Wasner (Flock of Dimes, ex-Wye Oak) is a powerful songwriter, great musician, soulful singer—but best of all, she's a master of the ineffable. And that's what I'm in it for: the feels that can't be put into words. New FoD album is exquisite. On tour now and in December.
flockofdimes.com#Tour
flockofdimes.com#Tour
Flock of Dimes
flockofdimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Jenn Wasner (Flock of Dimes, ex-Wye Oak) is a powerful songwriter, great musician, soulful singer—but best of all, she's a master of the ineffable. And that's what I'm in it for: the feels that can't be put into words. New FoD album is exquisite. On tour now and in December.
flockofdimes.com#Tour
flockofdimes.com#Tour
Today is the 35th anniversary of the release of My Bloody Valentine's _Loveless_, which is as good a reason as any to spin one of the 20th century's greatest works of art in any genre.
November 4, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Today is the 35th anniversary of the release of My Bloody Valentine's _Loveless_, which is as good a reason as any to spin one of the 20th century's greatest works of art in any genre.
It's the 34th anniversary of Nirvana's triumphant homecoming show at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
Here's a passage about it from _The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana_, a new, vastly expanded edition of _Come as You Are_.
Here's a passage about it from _The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana_, a new, vastly expanded edition of _Come as You Are_.
October 31, 2025 at 11:21 PM
It's the 34th anniversary of Nirvana's triumphant homecoming show at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
Here's a passage about it from _The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana_, a new, vastly expanded edition of _Come as You Are_.
Here's a passage about it from _The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana_, a new, vastly expanded edition of _Come as You Are_.
Can't wait for _Even the Good Girls Will Cry_, Melissa Auf der Maur’s (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) memoir about "my life in the rock bands which allowed me to have a front row seat to an incredibly visceral and unforgettable moment in the counterculture." MAdM is a strong writer. Out March 17th.
October 31, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Can't wait for _Even the Good Girls Will Cry_, Melissa Auf der Maur’s (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) memoir about "my life in the rock bands which allowed me to have a front row seat to an incredibly visceral and unforgettable moment in the counterculture." MAdM is a strong writer. Out March 17th.
Soundgarden lead guitarist Kim Thayil publishes his memoir _A Screaming Life_ this May. Besides being a stunning musician, Kim is a good and very thoughtful person, and he was part of the Seattle "grunge" explosion since before the beginning — so I bet it's going to be a great read.
October 28, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Soundgarden lead guitarist Kim Thayil publishes his memoir _A Screaming Life_ this May. Besides being a stunning musician, Kim is a good and very thoughtful person, and he was part of the Seattle "grunge" explosion since before the beginning — so I bet it's going to be a great read.
Cool band alert: Zwei Null Zwei plays a cool, hard-grooving Krautrock-Wire amalgam with their own ineffable spin. It's all DC (hence the band name) post-punk mainstays: Eli Janney (Girls Against Boys), Sohrab Habinion (Obits), Geoff Sanoff, and James Canty (the Make-Up).
Zwei Null Zwei
Eli Janney, Geoff Sanoff, James Canty, Sohrab Habibion: DC expats living in NY.
zweinullzwei.bandcamp.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Cool band alert: Zwei Null Zwei plays a cool, hard-grooving Krautrock-Wire amalgam with their own ineffable spin. It's all DC (hence the band name) post-punk mainstays: Eli Janney (Girls Against Boys), Sohrab Habinion (Obits), Geoff Sanoff, and James Canty (the Make-Up).
Last night's joyous Shudder to Think reunion show recalled Mission of Burma and Dinosaur Jr's amazing early reunion shows: 1) the beautifully human fact that only *those* people can make *that* sound and 2) the new songs were actually killer. New single on Discord (!) Nov. 7.
October 26, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Last night's joyous Shudder to Think reunion show recalled Mission of Burma and Dinosaur Jr's amazing early reunion shows: 1) the beautifully human fact that only *those* people can make *that* sound and 2) the new songs were actually killer. New single on Discord (!) Nov. 7.
I wrote a BelowHeap about CBGB's final night, October 15, 2006. In the mix: Patti Smith, the Dead Boys, John Belushi, Danny Fields, Flea and an impossible hangover.
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
The Last Pogo
A remembrance of closing night at CBGB
open.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I wrote a BelowHeap about CBGB's final night, October 15, 2006. In the mix: Patti Smith, the Dead Boys, John Belushi, Danny Fields, Flea and an impossible hangover.
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
open.substack.com/pub/michaela...
There's a few albums I think of as "perfect albums." Sugar's 1992 alt-rock monolith _Copper Blue_ is one of them. Sugar is doing the reunion thing next year, they've already dropped a new song and it's a ripsnorter. #psyched
October 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM
There's a few albums I think of as "perfect albums." Sugar's 1992 alt-rock monolith _Copper Blue_ is one of them. Sugar is doing the reunion thing next year, they've already dropped a new song and it's a ripsnorter. #psyched
This tends to become an observation car — for some reason, passengers tear the roof off the sucker.
October 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
This tends to become an observation car — for some reason, passengers tear the roof off the sucker.
New show at the Whitney Museum, "Sixties Surreal," notes: "For many artists working in the '60s, Surrealism — or the more general idea of the 'surreal' — became a liberating force... a way to make art amidst profound cultural changes..." Musicians too, like John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan.
September 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
New show at the Whitney Museum, "Sixties Surreal," notes: "For many artists working in the '60s, Surrealism — or the more general idea of the 'surreal' — became a liberating force... a way to make art amidst profound cultural changes..." Musicians too, like John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan.
I did a Substack about when Mick Jagger thought it would be really punk to wear a T-shirt with a swastika on it. "For the Rolling Stones, the writing wasn't just on the wall, it was on Mick Jagger's chest."
The Rolling Stones Get Their Punk On: Some Girls Live in Texas 1978
The last great peak and subsequent artistic decline of a great rock & roll band — maybe the greatest rock & roll band — was signified by one T-shirt. Said T-shirt was on display on a roastingly hot Ju...
michaelazerrad.substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I did a Substack about when Mick Jagger thought it would be really punk to wear a T-shirt with a swastika on it. "For the Rolling Stones, the writing wasn't just on the wall, it was on Mick Jagger's chest."
"Sometimes I can’t stop myself." That was Bob Mould explaining why he was playing a particularly intense, blessedly cathartic solo electric set tonight at Le Poisson Rouge in New York. But there was no need to explain — because that’s why we love musicians like Bob: they can’t stop themselves.
September 24, 2025 at 3:59 AM
"Sometimes I can’t stop myself." That was Bob Mould explaining why he was playing a particularly intense, blessedly cathartic solo electric set tonight at Le Poisson Rouge in New York. But there was no need to explain — because that’s why we love musicians like Bob: they can’t stop themselves.
It's John Coltrane's birthday so here's a super-cool 1960 photo of him with a Robert Motherwell painting at the Guggenheim Museum.
You can hear Coltrane's life-affirming music all day long on Columbia U.'s beloved WKCR here: www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/wkcr/
(Photo: William Claxton)
You can hear Coltrane's life-affirming music all day long on Columbia U.'s beloved WKCR here: www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/wkcr/
(Photo: William Claxton)
September 23, 2025 at 2:36 PM
It's John Coltrane's birthday so here's a super-cool 1960 photo of him with a Robert Motherwell painting at the Guggenheim Museum.
You can hear Coltrane's life-affirming music all day long on Columbia U.'s beloved WKCR here: www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/wkcr/
(Photo: William Claxton)
You can hear Coltrane's life-affirming music all day long on Columbia U.'s beloved WKCR here: www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/wkcr/
(Photo: William Claxton)
You know those 21 little symbols on the back of _In Utero_? They actually mean something. I revealed their fascinating secret in _The Amplified Come as You Are_, the deeply annotated version of _Come as You Are: the Story of Nirvana_.
September 22, 2025 at 3:49 PM
You know those 21 little symbols on the back of _In Utero_? They actually mean something. I revealed their fascinating secret in _The Amplified Come as You Are_, the deeply annotated version of _Come as You Are: the Story of Nirvana_.
I did a Beneathstack about the 1979 movie _Over the Edge_ and how punk rock it is and how that's why Kurt Cobain loved it so much.
This Movie Is Punk Rock: Over the Edge (1979)
Why it was one of Kurt Cobain's favorite films
michaelazerrad.substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I did a Beneathstack about the 1979 movie _Over the Edge_ and how punk rock it is and how that's why Kurt Cobain loved it so much.
I did a Substack about the time John Lennon put together a supergroup featuring Eric Clapton for his first show without the Beatles, then had to play right after an earth-scorching set by one of his heroes, Little Richard. Spoiler alert: Yoko Ono blows them all away.
THE LENNONS VS. LITTLE RICHARD IN TORONTO, 1969
How do you go onstage when your hero has just brought the house down?
michaelazerrad.substack.com
September 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM
I did a Substack about the time John Lennon put together a supergroup featuring Eric Clapton for his first show without the Beatles, then had to play right after an earth-scorching set by one of his heroes, Little Richard. Spoiler alert: Yoko Ono blows them all away.
Master electronic musician William Basinski played a scintillating set at the cavernous Knockdown Center last night. Then, when he was done, he had the soundperson crank Counting Crows' "Spaceman in Tulsa." The place cleared out in a trice.
September 5, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Master electronic musician William Basinski played a scintillating set at the cavernous Knockdown Center last night. Then, when he was done, he had the soundperson crank Counting Crows' "Spaceman in Tulsa." The place cleared out in a trice.
My new Substack is just a long quotation from outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings, from Dave Hickey's book _Air Guitar_. His words apply to Kurt Cobain's experience with fame with such stunning perfection that I thought I'd let them stand on their own.
michaelazerrad.substack.com/p/the-straig...
michaelazerrad.substack.com/p/the-straig...
The Straight Line from Waylon to Kurt
When you don't know who you are anymore
michaelazerrad.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 6:23 PM
My new Substack is just a long quotation from outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings, from Dave Hickey's book _Air Guitar_. His words apply to Kurt Cobain's experience with fame with such stunning perfection that I thought I'd let them stand on their own.
michaelazerrad.substack.com/p/the-straig...
michaelazerrad.substack.com/p/the-straig...
Well, since it's Labor Day, you're probably looking for some funky-kinetic West African music to play at your barbecue. May I recommend _African Scream Contest: Raw and Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin and Togo '70s_. (Note: there is very little actual screaming on this album.)
September 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Well, since it's Labor Day, you're probably looking for some funky-kinetic West African music to play at your barbecue. May I recommend _African Scream Contest: Raw and Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin and Togo '70s_. (Note: there is very little actual screaming on this album.)