HoZac Records

Check out 'What's The Big Idea' author Bill Kopp up this week on Only Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast, and grab a copy of the book, shipping NOW on Hozac Books:

**NEW EPISODE ALERT! Listen wherever you get podcasts or go to https://linktr.ee/onlythreelads. Drop your list in the comments!**

Are you all sitting comfybold two square on your body? Then I'll begin.

We return to the topic of the concept album...with a spin. Some concept albums simply don't work without context. Others function as a cohesive collection of songs, even divorced from a weighty backstory or overarching theme. Those are the records that Brett Vargo discusses with this week's Third Lad, Bill Kopp.

You may remember renowned music scribe Bill Kopp from his O3L appearance a few years back discussing his book on classic San Francisco indie label 415 Records, Disturbing The Peace. Now Bill's back, celebrating the release of his latest book, What's The Big Idea - 30 Great Concept Albums, out now on Hozac Books. In What's The Big Idea, Bill explores 30 remarkable concept albums, drawing from new, firsthand interviews with the artists behind their creation, including Pete Townshend, Steve Kilbey, Captain Sensible, Utopia, and William Shatner. While there are some well-known classic concept albums covered such as The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow and Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick, much of the book is dedicated to lesser known gems that dispel the myth that the concept album died in the mid-1970s.

Order the book at: ⁠https://hozacrecords.com/product/pre-order-whats-the-big-idea-30-great-concept-albums-book-by-bill-kopp/⁠

We also feature music by the great veteran Australian singer-songwriter Greg Williams ('Everyday Is Your Birthday') and Pillars of Creation, a band comprised mostly of early Creation Records musicians - led by Jasmine Minks' Jim Shepherd and featuring members of Primal Scream, The Loft, and June Brides ('Be Careful What You Wish For').

Heads up for anyone who has pre-ordered the Tommy Jay and MARS LPs: For two days now Paypal has been broken (?) and won't let us add tracking information so we're gonna do this 2006 style (20 years in November baby!) and just "mail the order" and it "will arrive" as usual, sound good?

Photo of Michelle Bachman with corndog for the algorithm

Sixty years ago THIS WEEK in Chicago. Stay tuned for the incredible VU book compiling Adam Richie’s legendary 1965-66 images coming later this year on Hozac Books!

The LPs have landed! Columbus Underground kingpin Tommy Jay’s 'Short Sagas of Sorrow' /with Mike Rep Hummel (Ohio 1974) and No Wave legends 'Live at Village Gate' (NYC 1977) - both previously unreleased specimens of golden underground weirdness that your withered soul needs now - Order link in bio, shipping this week!

HELL YES, so stoked on the Answering Machines for their sh*t-hot cover of the ANEMIC BOYFRIENDS' Alaskan punk classic "Fake I.D." !!!

Fake I.D., by Answering Machines from the album The Disturbing Side of Music

HoZac Sadistic Sound System tonight on the DJ Reid’s at New Rose in Pilsen (Cermak & Hoyne) for another brain-frying set of weird punk and darkwave delights from 9pm-close, don’t miss it!

Check out another illuminating interview with Genevieve Schorr of Backstage Pass up this week on Under the Influence With Terry O'Reilly and grab a copy of the 1st edition of 'All Roads Lead To Punk' while you still can, available now from Hozac Books!

Interview with Genny Schorr, Punk Pioneer and Wardrobe Stylist To Rock Stars Podcast Episode · Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly · S15, E1,000 Bonus · 48m

HoZac Sadistic Sound System tonight on the DJ decks at Delilah's from 9pm-close, come get your head screwed back on straight with a wild night of mindbenders!

Coming this fall at long last on : The legendary “lost” debut LP from Seattle’s Nights And Days, circa 1988 featuring and - stay tuned!