Punk icon Ian MacKaye on why we should question the official history of rock music

September 04, 2018 01:05:12
Punk icon Ian MacKaye on why we should question the official history of rock music
Deviate with Rolf Potts
Punk icon Ian MacKaye on why we should question the official history of rock music

Sep 04 2018 | 01:05:12

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Hosted By

Rolf Potts

Show Notes

“Punk is not a sound for me. It’s not a style of music. It’s not a look. It’s not even an attitude. For me punk is the free space: It’s the place where new ideas can be presented without having to hew to profit motives.”  — Ian MacKaye

Ian MacKaye is the co-founder of Dischord Records and former front man for Fugazi and Minor Threat. He currently performs in the two-piece indie band The Evens with his partner Amy Farina. He curates an informal archive of the Washington DC hardcore and post-hardcore music scenes, including the Fugazi Live Series, an extensive online library of digitized concert recordings. In this episode of Deviate Rolf and Ian discuss the "Nirvana moment" of the early 1990s, how new ideas find their way into music, and how lesser known acts influence the dynamic of popular culture (8:00); the task of archiving and preserving evidence of music that was created outside the commercial music industry (29:00); skateboarding and punk rock as lenses through which to see the world in a different way (45:30); and the lessons and experiences of traveling the world as a musician. Notable links: Bands, musicians, and music mentioned:   The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we're happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].

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