Following the release of Teenage Head in 1971, San Francisco’s Flamin’ Groovies would experience a significant amount of setbacks and change. Eventually, they would persevere and create a classic. In Episode 44, the Flamin’ Groovies’ Cyril Jordan tells the story of the band’s arduous journey in bringing their seminal 1976 record Shake Some Action to fruition.
Having recorded their first album as a duo, the San Francisco based band Beulah would make their next record with an expanded lineup and an increase in fidelity. In Episode 38, founding member and multi instrumentalist Bill Swan tells the story of the band’s 1999 sophomore effort When You’re Heartstrings Break, touching on the various locations and stresses involved with bringing the album to fruition.
During their brief time together, the legendary power pop trio The Nerves struggled to gain any sort of recognition. In an effort to remedy the situation, the San Francisco based band would enter a Chinese recording studio and make a record. In Episode 31, The Nerves’ Paul Collins and Jack Lee tell the story of their classic 4 song EP, detailing the band’s formation as well as their various schemes and attempts at achieving rock and roll glory.
For more info on The Nerves, visit alive-records.com and thepaulcollinsbeat.com
In the early 2000s, indie rock stalwarts Superchunk had entered a period of reduced activity. With his long-standing project Portastatic becoming his main musical outlet, Superchunk frontman and Merge Records co-founder Mac McCaughan travels to San Francisco with his Superchunk bandmate Jim Wilbur and brother Matt McCaughan to make a record. In Episode 23, McCaughan delves into the making of 2005’s Bright Ideas touching on how fatherhood and the era’s political climate would inspire the album’s themes.
For more info on Portastatic, visit portastatic.bandcamp.com and mergerecords.com
