“Make festival, not war. Soul Beat Asia. In which what doesn't exist, we recreate together.”

Join Jessica Schwartz in conversation with guest Dr. Kounosuke (Ko) Kawakami from Kurashiki University (Japan) that began as a talk, “The Punk Scene in Japan Today: Soul Beat Asia (World Music Festival Under the Bridge)” and wove its way into an inspired contemplation on belonging and misfitting, DIY punk as intergenerational practice, politics, infrastructure and importance of DIY festivals, and a host of other punk philosophical considerations vital to our local and transnational punk (and punk scholarly) communities.

Bio:

Dr. Kounosuke (Ko) Kawakami is a researcher, curator, and currently Associate Professor at the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts in Japan. My specialty is contemporary art, curation and popular music. My publications include 'Genealogy of Punk' , "The Idea of Anarchism" and "Culture of Expression Research Lectures" 2024.

Punk Playlist, courtesy of Dr. Kawakami:

1. Isidore Isou Venom and Eternity (1951)

Guest Note: “This is a film, but the song playing in the background is a poem by Lettrism”

2. "Take the gun" by Zuno Keisatsu(Brain Police）

Guest Note: Zuno Keisatsu made their record debut in 1972, at the end of the period of intensified political movements by the New Left, Zenkyoto, and Zengakuren. Their politically radical lyrics, which challenged taboos, and radical live performances led to episodes of broadcast censorship and exclusions from concert venues. The name was taken from the title of the song "Who Are The Brain Police?" by Frank Zappa's

3. Turtle Island (2016)

Songs Used

(0:00-0:55) Order. “Neo Humanity.” Punk Navigation, Overthrow Records, 1996.

(0:00-0:44) Hi-Standard. “The Sound of Secret Minds.” Angry Fist, Fat Wreck Chords, 1997.

(0:00-0:44) Zunou Keisatsu. “銃を取れ.” 頭脳警察1, Be-Witch Record, 1975.

Recorded on February 15, 2024, this episode was part of the UCLA online course “Punk: Music, History, (Sub)culture,” open to a live student audience. It was hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz. Bella Gerard edited the audio and the transcript.

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"In 1967, Robby Krieger, the guitarist for L.A. band the Doors, wrote the hit single “Light My Fire” in the living room of his parents’ Pacific Palisades home. This week, nearly six decades later, the lyrics took on a disturbing resonance as the structure where the music originated burned to the ground." (Amy Kaufman, LA Times, 1/11/2025)

Recent LA Times headlines:

"The Doors’ hit ‘Light My Fire’ was written in Pacific Palisades home that burned"1/11/2025

"Former Morrison Hotel, made famous by a Doors album, destroyed by fire in downtown L.A." 12/27/2024

Devastating fires have destroyed lives, communities, and historical sites of memory in Los Angeles. I decided to hold off on posting the first release of the year to share this episode of my conversation with Robby Krieger and Tequila Mockingbird, given two fires - the massive Palisades fire and one that began in downtown LA a couple of weeks prior -greatly impacted two of these sites of memory of one of LA's most influential rock bands, the Doors, now considered a proto-punk band to many. I repost this episode from a few years back as an homage to these places, now destroyed, and the memories--and many others--that will carry on with the people, the music, and the communities that hold them dear and will help them persevere. With love (to/from) LA - the Punkast Team.

--

Original description: Increasingly, people recognize the LA band, the Doors, for their wide-ranging influence on punk, notably inspiring Iggy Pop, Patty Smith, X, Joy Division, Siouxsie, and the Banshees. In this episode, we speak with the Doors’ venerable guitarist and song-writer, Robby Krieger, to learn about his musical journey, contemplate how the Doors shaped punk, and share some of his more recent work, including collaborations with the seminal LA punk bands X and the Mau Mau’s. Inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and named one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone, Krieger wrote or co-wrote some of the Doors’ most famous songs, including “Light My Fire” and “Love Me Two Times.”

Guest commentator David Schwartz offers personal reflections and political context to situate the intergenerational impact of the band.

Songs Excerpted:

(0:51-1:16) The Doors. “The End.” The Doors, Elektra Records, 1967.

(0:04-0:26) Chuck Berry. “Johnny B. Goode.” Johnny B. Goode, Chess, 1958.

(0:26-0:58) The Doors. “Break On Through (To the Other Side).” The Doors, Elektra Records, 1967.

(0:02-0:35) The Doors. “Seminary School.” The Soft Parade, Elektra Records, 1969.

(0:24-0:43) The Doors. “Light My Fire.” The Doors, Elektra Records, 1967.

(0:00-0:18) The Doors. “People Are Strange.” Strange Days, Elektra Records, 1967.

(0:19-1:23) The Doors. “Horse Latitudes.” Strange Days, Elektra Records, 1967.

This episode was co-produced and co-hosted by Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird, with audio editing and cover art by Cheska Zaide. Bella Gerard edited the audio-synced transcript, which is available HERE.

AUDIO REPOSTED from OCT. 2021.

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“The music of which there was supposed to be no rule book, suddenly had a rule book…” So, what are these rules, how do they impact creativity, and how do musicians, producers, and artists, more broadly, continue to push the limits in Los Angeles’ dynamic DIY musical subculture? Join Jessica Schwartz and Tequila Mockingbird as they speak with BRUCE DUFF about his experiences as he addresses students’ questions about this complicated terrain.

Bio:

A musician, producer, journalist, artist manager and author, Bruce Duff is a native of Southern California. As player and producer, he’s worked with Jesters of Destiny, Cheetah Chrome, Adz, Circle, Glitter Wizard, Jeff Dahl, Prima Donna, 45 Grave, the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, the Magnificent, Thor and Simon Stokes, among many others. As a journalist, he wrote for L.A Weekly, Billboard, Bass Player, Psychotronic, Rip, Creem, and dozens of other out-of-print magazines. He retired from journalism in 1995. His first and last book The Smell of Death was published in 2014. In addition to artist management, he runs the day-to-day operations of Josie Cotton’s Kitten Robot Records label. Duff lives in the Hollywood Hills with his wife Else aka Evil E, (the official announcer of the L.A. Derby Dolls), and their two cats Lemmy and Lux.

Links:

http://bruceduffmusic.com/

Audio Samples:

Mother Superior. “Deep.” Deep, Top Beat Records, 1998.

45 Grave. “Sleep in Safety.” Phantoms E.P., Enigma, 1983.

Various Artists. “Flatten the Curve.” FugThaCorona, 2020.

CrowJane. “The Pharmacy.” Mater Dolorosa. 2022.

Recorded on November 30, 2023, this episode was part of the UCLA course “DIY: Punk Organizing as Social Justice,” open to a live student audience. It was hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz and features co-host and guest producer Tequila Mockingbird. Bella Gerard edited the audio and transcript.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.