interview Archive
28 Apr 2026
WAIL: The Visual Language of Prestige Records (Part 1 of 3)
Almost from its very beginning, Prestige Records was a landmark record label, a giant in the world of jazz. Artists including Dorothy Ashby, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Thelonious […]
27 Apr 2026
Magic Dick: Still Whammer Jammering
Harmonica sensation Magic Dick is best known for his years with the J. Geils Band. And while his high-profile presence on the band’s critically-acclaimed (and sometimes Platinum-selling) albums helped catapult […]
24 Apr 2026
Y&T Get Their Due (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One… Yet Meniketti doesn’t categorically rule out a new Y&T single or album in the band’s future. “It’s not as simple as saying, ‘Hey, let’s go to […]
23 Apr 2026
Y&T Get Their Due (Part 1 of 2)
Oakland hard rockers Y&T have been a durable fixture on the rock scene since their start more than 50 years ago. And while the metal masters have racked up more […]
24 Mar 2026
Men Without Hats: You Can (Still) Dance If You Want To
The 1980s were a landmark era in popular music. The rise of MTV brought a greater emphasis on fashion and visuals. Many artists – guided by their labels and/or management […]
12 Mar 2026
A conversation with Tikiyaki Orchestra’s Jim Bacchi
Jim Bacchi is the founder and leader of exotica ensemble the Tikiyaki Orchestra. As with my Randy Wong conversation, I interviewed Bacchi in connection with a feature I wrote for […]
11 Mar 2026
A Conversation with Waitiki 7’s Randy Wong (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One… From my perspective as a listener, exotica is a quintessentially American form because it plunders from a lot of different things. And what could be more […]
10 Mar 2026
A Conversation with Waitiki 7’s Randy Wong (Part 1 of 2)
Randy Wong is the founder and leader of exotica ensemble the Waitiki 7. The group recently released two new albums: Caves of the Sea and Enchantment Under the Kiawe Tree. […]
09 Mar 2026
Exotica’s Enduring Appeal
A shorter version of this featured appeared previously in SPIN. One of the most intriguing and unexpected current-day musical phenomena is the enduring popularity of exotica, a style of music […]
26 Feb 2026
Shoegaze Redux: LSD and the Search for God
Founded more than 20 years ago in San Francisco, LSD and the Search for God have cultivated a following organically; almost by accident, in fact. They’ve carefully curated their engaging […]