The Dark Stuff is an online music magazine and podcast that focuses primarily (though not exclusively) on independent artists that perform in Omaha, Nebraska and the Midwest.
This episode features my interview with musician Jason Narducy. He is probably best known as a member of Bob Mould's band, as well as for playing with Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate, and his own bands, Verbow and Split Single. He also has a project with actor, Michael Shannon, where they cover the music of R.E.M.
Jason recently conducted a solo, "living room" tour where he performs intimate shows inside of fan's homes. In advance of his appearance in Omaha, I spoke to Jason for a piece on my radio show, New Day Rising. After the piece aired and I caught Jason's show (which was awesome, btw), I realized that I had about 20 minutes or so of interview that was left on the cutting room floor. And here we are...
Here is the full interview I conducted with Jason along with some clips and photos from his solo show, and from recent appearances with Bob Mould and Superchunk. Hope you dig it.
This week, I am reviewing the brand new box set from Hüsker Dü called "1985: The Miracle Year." This has been one of my most anticipated releases of the year ever since the folks at Numero Group began teasing its release a few months ago.
The box is a 4 LP/2 CD set that features live recordings from Hüsker Dü from throughout 1985. The first album is a full concert, professionally recorded, from January 30, 1985. Initially, the band intended to release a live album that year, but it never happened...until now.
The second album features live recordings from throughout 1985 from venues around the world. The biggest highlight, for me, is the previously unreleased song, "Misty Modern Days." This track has circulated among tape traders for years, but it was an instrumental. This live version is not. It's a full song, with lyrics and everything!
The booklet is amazing. Tons of great photos and memorabilia. The detailed liner notes were written by Bob Mehr, who you may know from his Replacements biography, "Trouble Boys."
Today, the Numero Group answered all of my questions about their forthcoming Hüsker Dü project.
First off, it will be a 4LP box (CD version as well), plus a 36 page booklet with lots of photos. There is a t-shirt sold separately. The box will be called "1985: The Miracle Year" and is scheduled to be released in November. Numero is taking pre-orders as of NOW on their website. I learned shortly after completing my video, that Bob Mehr is the one writing the 36 page book that accompanies the set. He confirmed this with postings on his social media.
I go over the track listing, the vinyl variants and much more in the video. This is amazing news!!
Today, the Numero Group dropped five more live tracks from Hüsker Dü in 1985. However, these recordings are not from the same show as last time. These songs are from November 3, 1985 in Salt Lake City. This soundboard recording has never been heard before.
There is still very little information as to what will ultimately be the actual, physical release (and whether or not there will be one). So, we'll be getting information piecemeal. Numero is selling another limited edition, 1985 tour t-shirt on their website. As with the previous one, they are only taking orders for a week, and that is all.
HUGE news this morning, folks. Legendary punk band Hüsker Dü has new music in 2025. Let me explain...
Today, the Numero Group (https://numerogroup.com/) announced that they are releasing a recently unearthed live recording of Hüsker Dü from January 1985 at First Avenue in Minneapolis. This is NOT an audience recording, it is a full 24-track recording intended for a live album from the band back in '85. The album was shelved, the band moved on, and most assumed the tapes were lost.
The only real information Numero is divulging at this time is where and when the tracks were recorded. They have released a digital EP to the streamers with five songs. As for when the rest is coming or if this is just one of many unearthed live shows, we don't really know. There's no pre-order or anything at this time. They are selling a limited edition, 1985 tour t-shirt on their website. It's only being sold until July 8.
Of course, I listened to the five tracks. They're incredible. Can't wait for more.
Thanks for stopping by for the latest episode of The Dark Stuff. As always, I very much appreciate it. It's pretty much the exact middle of the year, so it seemed appropriate to offer up some of my favorite new releases to discuss. So far, 2025 has been a great year for new music, and it wasn't easy to narrow down this list to just six.
Friends, this video was a joy to make. I was able to see two of my musical idols in one week! I saw Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) and Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Prono For Pyros).
I've been into the music of these two since I first heard them in the late 80s. I missed out on Hüsker Dü and Minutemen, but was absolutely there for Bob's solo career and for Sugar. With Watt, I saw fIREHOSE at least a dozen times, caught his first solo band with Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder back in 1995, saw him in Banyan, and probably ten other bands, as well. I've had the good fortune to chat with both of them a couple of times over the years.
With this video, I wanted to discuss the shared history of Mould and Watt. Their friendship dates back to 1981. I also wanted to discuss the newest albums featuring both men - Bob's 'Here We Go Crazy' and MSSV's 'On and On.'
I then review both shows: Bob Mould Band on April 14 and MSSV on April 21. Two legends, one week. I hope you dig this big crux!
Bob Mould returned to Omaha last night, April 14, in support of his newest solo album, Here We Go Crazy. I've been a fan of Mould's music (Hüsker Dü, Sugar, and solo) since the late 1980s, and even named my radio show - New Day Rising - after the Hüsker Dü song and album. Obviously, there was no way I was going to miss this show.
The show was incredible, and featured a number of songs from the new album. He also played at least six Hüsker Dü songs, by my count.
Bob's band: Jason Narducy on bass, and Jon Wurster on drums
In his 60s, Mould still has the same intensity he did 30 years ago
Another amazing concert from Bob Mould. To me, the song of the night was "Hate Paper Doll." It was so unexpected!
I needed to drop a quick "This Years Week" before I get overwhelmed with a bunch of upcoming projects. First on the docket is that I have removed all my shorts. I got a copyright strike/takedown "request" from Jason Isbell over a short I posted last May. It was a :51 clip of Isbell performing in Omaha. I've had dozens of similar shorts on my channel for years, and never had anything like this happen before. The "request" said that if I deleted the video from YouTube within seven days, I would not receive a copyright strike. I took it down, as I did not want a strike on my channel. Three of those and you're OUT...of YouTube.
I'm pissed at Isbell for doing this, but I went to Stanford University's website on the issue of fair use, and did a little research. After doing so, I have come to the conclusion that the shorts weren't exactly fair use. It was :51 seconds of Isbell performing, and I added nothing of substance to the video. I still think it's bullshit, and I would gladly give the entire eight cents or so the video earned to Mr. Isbell, but there's little point in going scorched earth over a short.
Bob Mould performed on Late Night with David Letterman last night as part of his promotional tour in support of the 25th Anniversary re-release of Mould's solo debut, Workbook. He performed that record's first single, "See A Little Light." Enjoy.
I've been a fan of Bob Mould's music for more than 20 years as of the time of this writing. Hüsker Dü, Mould's seminal 1980s punk band, broke up during my sophomore year of high school (1987) just as I was losing interest in the heavy metal of my youth, and learning to love punk and "college" rock. The Hüskers, as they were affectionately known back then, were one of the first bands that really connected with me after I gave up on metal. The band had much of the same power and energy that I liked in traditional hard rock, but the lyrics dealt with more than getting fucked, getting fucked up, or driving around looking for girls. I have nothing against any of those things, but one can only take so many songs about the same topic.
Hüsker Dü's songs were sometimes political, yet they were not a political band. Most of the songs dealt with personal politics, or the way people treat one another, and the way we, as people, expect to be treated by others. Both Mould, and his song writing rival, drummer Grant Hart, were strong lyricists that wrote about similar things in different ways. Mould was always more direct and overtly (it seemed) autobiographical, whereas Hart's songs seemed more abstract lyrically. The difference served the band well, and is a big part of the reason Hüsker Dü's music is still as relevant today as it was in the 80s.
Beyond the lyrics, Bob Mould has always been an innovative and unique guitar player, as well. Hell, he shreds! The guy is a powerhouse on his instrument of choice. The band's sound - a mix of ferocious, guitar driven punk rock with Beatle-y melodic tinges - served as the basic blueprint for what we think of as "alternative rock" nowadays. There would be no Pixies, no Nirvana, no Green Day, or no Blink 182 (just to name a few) without Hüsker Dü. Just as The Velvet Underground and The Stooges paved the way for all the punk rock of the 70s and 80s, the Hüskers did the same for the late 80s and the 90s.
Once I discovered bands like Hüsker Dü, how could I ever go back to Dokken or Cinderella? I mean, seriously.
After the break up of Hüsker Dü, I continued to follow Mould's work. His debut solo album, Workbook, is among the finest albums of all time. As an album, it is easily his best ever. A truly unique piece of pop music, and one whose lyrics still resonate strongly with me decades later. After another solo album, Mould formed a new band called Sugar. Sugar mined much of the same musical terrain that Hüsker Dü had, except with stronger production values, and only one songwriter. Sugar became more commercially successful than Mould's solo work and that of Hüsker Dü. It was Bob's closest flirtation with mainstream success.
After only two albums, Sugar ended, and Mould again went solo. It was about that time - the mid 90s - that I stopped following Mould's work quite as intensely. I still picked up his new album whenever he released one, and still tried to see him perform whenever he could, but the intensity level of my fandom (is that a word?) had died down a bit. Good thing Bob just wrote a biography that can fill in the rest of his story since then, right?
Mould has written a new autobiography called See A Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody. I picked it up last week (oddly just after picking up Grant Hart from the airport and shuffling him to his hotel for a show later that night), and have been devouring its contents during every free minute.
As far as Mould's career goes, I have known the story (as evidenced by the above post) for a while, but I have never felt like I really knew much about Bob Mould, the person. Truth be told, I have met Bob a few times over the years, as a fan. We chit-chatted for a few minutes each time, nothing special. He was always very nice. I interviewed him in the late 90s for a website I blogged for, and he was a great interview, as well. This book, obviously, delves much deeper into Mould than any casual conversation or interview ever could.
The book is written in much the same way that Mould's songs are: direct, vivid, and easy to understand. There is no need to try and "touch up" the writing with any unnecessary fluff, the story is compelling on its own. For me, the best parts were his re-telling of the early days of Hüsker Dü. In telling the story, he was surprisingly complimentary toward his formal band rival, Grant Hart; and he was quite critical of bassist Greg Norton. This kinda makes sense in light of the fact that he and Hart were the songwriters in the band, and were the only ones to continue making music after the demise of the band. Still, the level of criticism toward Norton was unexpected. I'm not saying it wasn't warranted, just that I was surprised to see it.
The version of events in See A Little... regarding the end of Hüsker Dü was pretty much how I had heard it before. But Bob managed to add some details that I had not known regarding a final band meeting at Hart's parent's home in early 1988, and his calling Grant to notify him that he would be receiving formal notification of his departure in the mail.
Well, I won't go point by point throughout the book and tell you how it squares with what I had heard, since I wasn't there and Bob was. Grab the book and read it for yourself. After finishing the book, I threw on some Hüsker Dü records (and Bob'sWorkbook CD) and listened with slightly newer ears. Many of my opinions about the better or worse Hüsker Dü records were basically matched by Mould's, which I thought was interesting (i.e. Warehouse should not have been a double album).
I had known about Mould's homosexuality by the early 90s. It never mattered much to me to begin with, but I know understand what was feeding his reluctance to discuss it until he was "outed" in the media. Fortunately, by that time, there was pretty much no backlash to the news. I don't know of a single person who chucked their Bob Mould albums because they found out he was gay. Chances are, I wouldn't associate with people like that anyways, but that is beside the point. Bob does address the issue in the book at great length, and much of the "relationship Bob" stuff was completely new information to me.
Even if you aren't a fan of Mould's music, the book is an interesting read since he is such a pioneer in modern music. The indie network of clubs and promoters that many take for granted nowadays, was practically invented by Hüsker Dü in the early 80s. Bob has lived enough musical history for 10 men. For that reason alone, it should be a must read.
Below is a video of Hüsker Dü in 1987 performing "Could You Be The One?" on the short-lived Joan Rivers Show. Mould mentions this appearance in the book, too.
Reuters has a new interview with Bob Mould. He has been one of my favorites for going on 20 years. Like it says in the piece, many of his longtime fans (myself included) have not been digging the music he has been making lately. Bob became interested in electronica over 10 years ago, and its influence began slowly creeping into his music. His 2002 album, Modulate, was almost entirely electronic, and his collaborative DJ effort called Blow Off, was as well. I hated both of them. It seemed to me that while Bob was intensely interested in this style of music, he did not possess the same level of talent and artistic skill that he does for creating catchy guitar rock songs (his stock and trade for 27 years). I wonder if fans of electronica felt the same way.
Bob Mould's last album, 2005's Body of Song, was pretty good. He attempted to mix his electronic and organic styles. I liked about half of the album. Apparently, Bob has heard the complaints from his fans and has responded. In the interview below, he discusses his next album, and says that it is more organic. I guess we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, he has a new DVD coming out.
I posted about his new retrospective concert DVD a few months ago when I first heard about it. Now, it is on the verge of release. Circle of Friends features a concert from 2005, and during it, he performs songs from all eras of his career. Should be interesting. ---------------------------------------- Rocker Bob Mould finds balance of rock and electro (Reuters) For more than 25 years songwriter, performer, producer and DJ Bob Mould's sound has crossed hardcore punk, melodic guitar-based indie music and electronica, with fans coming and going along the way.
Now with his first DVD release and a new album on the way, he says he has struck a balance between his different styles and ended up in a pretty good place.
"Right now I think I have a fairly healthy blend of where I think I'm composing less in the electronic side and more on the organic side," Mould told Reuters in an interview.
"I think that the blend is a lot more acceptable to other people and I'm having a lot of fun with it."
As the co-singer and songwriter of thrash punk band Husker Du in the 1980s, the face and voice of 1990s alternative rock band Sugar, or through solo projects, 47-year-old Mould became synonymous with angst-ridden guitar rock and the alternative rock scene.
Mould's DVD, "Circle of Friends," documents a show from a 2005 tour at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, where Mould revisited songs from all of his different recording incarnations with a full band.
The same band, featuring Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, bassist Jason Narducy from Rockets Over Sweden and keyboardist Richard Morel, will also hit the road after Mould releases his new album, "District Line," in February.
Mould describes the album as having 10 songs, "a lot of guitars, some electronic embellishments," and one mainly electronic song.
His 2002 release, "Modulate," experimented with an electronic sound that caused some of Mould's rock fans to revolt so he has moved back to more guitar based music although not abandoning his electronic interests.
Mould's music has influenced a number of other bands and his sound can be heard in the melodic noise blend of Nirvana, speedy pop punk of Green Day, and punk melodic mix of the Foo Fighters, to name a few. It's a sound print Mould enjoys.
"I typically like it when I hear it because I can sort of tell where it came from and it's nice," he said.
Some bands mining his guitar sound may, however, have focused too much on image rather than the spirit of the song into which Mould wraps social as well as personal themes.
"There was a couple of years where there was sort of mall punk stuff, where I was like wow, you're really missing the point here," Mould said.
"Green Day is an amazing band, but it's sort of like the bands after them that wore the eyeliner and played fast and shopped at Hot Topic, that was more important than trying to sort of raise a social consciousness or trying to create something new."
Mould, meanwhile, continues to work at perfecting his songwriting.
"I learn more and I learn the craft better each time, and I'd like to think that every five or six songs I've written something that's a little bit better," he said.
Punk rock and alternative legend/icon Bob Mouldwill be releasing a new DVD on October 9. The disc, Circle of Friends, is a live performance from late 2005 that features material from his bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar, as well as material from his solo career. It is a 23 song set.
Bob will be touring to promote the DVD with a series of "parties" around the country where he will perform a short acoustic set, take part in a Q&A, and screen the movie. Pitchfork has the dates here.
Just for nostalgia purposes, here is a YouTube of Hüsker Dü from their 1987 appearance on the Joan Rivers Show.
