“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.

AND CHECK OUT the new series ... the PUNK SCHOLARS PODCAST with co-hosts Jessica Schwartz and Paul Hollins