Bruce Adams joins us for episode # 26. He co-founded kranky records and recently authored a wonderful book, You're with Stupid: kranky, Chicago, and the Reinvention of Indie Music. We talk about Bruce's early history working at Kaleidoscope, Touch and Go and Cargo Records. We also cover his history with kranky records and then talk about how he came to writing You're with Stupid. And, of course, we talk about Chicago.
Time Stamps
1:39 - Guest host Wade Iverson joins the show today
1:45 - Welcome Bruce Adams
2:25 - Bruce moves to Chicago in 1987 and begins working at Kaleidoscope. How did that inform your music history?
7:00 - Nick the Greek - music or money?
7:30 - Corey & Lisa from Touch & Go set the tone and had some great parties!
8:45 - Were there kranky parties?
11:30 - How did your relationship with Joel Leoschke begin?
14:30 - Wax Trax Records provides some useful lessons
17:15 - How compatible were you with Joel?
18:10 - How many ECM records do you own?
20:30 - Talk about Steve Tibbetts
23:30 - Did kranky supply recording budgets to your bands?
27:15 - How do you describe Bowery Electric?
31:15 - How did you work together with your bands to succeed?
33:40 - Did you work together with other labels to share ideas?
37:20 - Are people in the music industry good business people?
39:10 - How did you decide to move on from kranky in 2005?
42:10 - Will you switch from the Maize & Blue to the Fighting Illini?
44:00 - What were your formative musical influences?
48:00 - How did Chicago impact indie labels like kranky, Drag City, Thrill Jockey and Bloodshot?
51:50 - How influential was Labradford?
57:25 - Did Monster Truck Five ever release a record?
58:40 - When did you start writing You’re with Stupid?
65:00 - Who plays Bruce Adams in the movie version of You're with Stupid?
66:15 - Favorite band of all time, favorite kranky show, did Billy Corgan ever invite a kranky band on tour?
67:15 - Mimi Parker / Low memory?
72:00 - All the usual Chicago questions
