MPS MIXTAPE PRESERVATION SOCIETY HOUR 21

Friday the 13th in October naturally conjures up images of scary monsters, ghosts, and all sorts of morbid associations. So it's fitting that my guest on this week's podcast, Kyle Trittipo, supplied me with some music he has done for an online horror movie show (think Svenghoolie or Elvira Mistress of the Dark) that helped color the mood of the podcast. It is a dark time, both musically and in society at large; the antidote is a thoughtful meditation on indie music in the Midwest, especially during the Eighties and Nineties.

The aura of death permeates many of the luminaries Kyle and I speak of during our lengthy conversation (yes, it's another two-parter): from Grant Hart to D.Boon to Bob Stinson and even to Tom Petty (this podcast was recorded before his death a few weeks ago so our references are shadowed by this after the fact) there are plenty of punk casualties and rock 'n' roll spirits haunting our minds and hearts.

We start the hour off amicably enough, discussing various instruments and gear (Kyle works for a major musical equipment distributor) before we delved into our rock heroes and our own respective fan stories. The tone is not somber or flat-- in fact, there's plenty of insight and humor going on in our talk. But one thing I took away from the conversation after I put the show together is that the rock lifestyle is not suited for everyone; this is something I already knew, but now there is such a collateral toll in the form of icons dying against the backdrop of terrible tragedies such as Las Vegas (I almost played the cover of "I Won't Back Down" that Jason Aldean performed on SNL but decided it was too out of place sonically) that the need for courage and new heroes to look to is almost apparent.

I also wanted to play Eminem's freestyle about Donald Trump that has been blowing up the Internet, but since we didn't dwell on hip-hop very much during the podcast I also decided against it. I have no problem with topical songs making political and social points on my show; but since these interviews are mostly conducted before current events impose upon them, I am loathe to inject that kind of commentary into it unless it helps underscore the topic at hand. This is what the blog is for: links and information that didn't make the actual podcast can be supplied here.

I mention Eminem because I think the reaction to his rap against Trump (and followers of Trump who also happen to like Eminem) strikes at the heart of what these musical deaths mean to us: every time a Bowie or Prince or Lemmy or Tom Petty dies, another voice of the people is taken away. Some may argue that these rich celebrities were very self-indulgent and perhaps don't speak for the people at all... to which I call bullshit. Because whether it's a major superstar like Eminem or a scrappy cult band like The Replacements, fans of music invest their emotions and inner lives into these artists and what they represent, what they stand for. Eminem may be promoting an album, but he also happened to rip Trump a new one, and it was effective. He doesn't have to change the world in one rap, because that's not how it works anyway. All he has to do is be the catalyst, and even though other rappers have already dissed Trump since he became President, Em's has been the biggest volley so far. It has done the most damage, and therefore it is exactly what protest is meant to be: it's no good socking it to The Man if no one hears you.

So people are responding to Eminem in the same way they responded to John Lennon and Yoko Ono in bed, or The Ramones refusing to play guitar solos, or N.W.A rapping about the police. They are hearing what they wish they could articulate themselves, and the artists who excel at putting our collective emotions into words are the ones we tend to elevate above ourselves. Fuck whether or not they are good people, or don't do drugs or vote; their job is to express our feelings for us, because we often do not have the means or ability to do so.

That is the subtext of our interview, in my opinion. However, on the surface, it's just two music fans gushing over their favorite bands. So we keep it light and breezy, and there is no heavy pontificating in the podcast itself. I play some tunes by bands and artists we mention (The Minutemen, Billy Bragg, Grant Hart ,and of course two by The 'Mats, Kyle's favorite band) and everyone comes away feeling all the better for it.

Tune in to Part Two next week, it's more of the same and then some.