Jason Pettigrew

Wishing all of you a climate-controlled life! As of January 20th, I was dealing with frozen pipes and computer malfeasance and getting grumpier by the nanosecond.

Fortunately, Frank Zummo was out into the world chatting up people about our book, Unbreakable Rhythm. In the clip below, Frank chats up Spout's Nick Major about making the book, supporting School Of Rock, joining Electric Callboy and so much more. I appreciate Nick's enthusiasm for the book; I haven't seen him since our days at the culture factory and it's great seeing him behind a microphone again. If your life is so incredibly jam-packed between work, school, family, cooking, and saving Gotham City, Frank shouts out our process at 1:52 and 26:15. Thanks, Nick.

In addition to Spout, Frank also warmed the furniture on the set of Joe Vulpis' podcast as well as discussing his fitness and wellness regimen with noted alternative medicine and nutrition advocate Darin Olien on Superlife. And you can order Unbreakable Rhythm directly from Frank right here, be it analog pages, digital download or audio book action. 

That's all for now. More things should reveal themselves at the beginning of February. I'll be sequestered in my house enjoying all the hot water I can before big blizzards and ice storms wall me in. Please send special Italian hoagies from Jim's in Philly or an antipasto (hold the olives) from Rizzo's in Crabtree. Or better yet, let me use you as a heat shield...

(apologies to Gavin Friday)

If you follow my hijinx on social media, you’ll see I attended the opening night of the Derek Hess exhibit at the Museum of Natural History this past November. When I moved to Cleveland, I had a ringside seat for the early moments in Derek’s career, and I don't think I’m being hyperbolic by typing that he was the city’s finest underground-rock ambassador. In his role promoting shows at the Euclid Tavern, he not only got multiple generations to get off their couches and into the clubs, Derek created amazing flier images for visiting bands that none of them would ever forget. Some of those images ended up as lithograph posters which ended up exchanging hands for some hefty amounts.

I’m pleased to report that you don’t have to give up half a year’s worth of your gummy money to have some Hess in your home. The Revolutionary Concert Art of Derek Hess is an indie-rock historian’s holy book, filled with all of the artwork Derek created for posters and fliers trumpeting his show-promo achievements and events (like the modern hardcore StrhessFest festivals) alike. Longtime manager Marty Geramita wrote an essay centered on Derek’s DIY cottage industry; Cleveland-based writer/musician Ron Kretsch recalls Derek’s participation in jumpstarting a new underground-rock zeitgeist in the city; and I contributed an essay explaining why Derek’s output should be embraced as new canonical works. And if that sounds pretentious, well, I’m gladly owning it, fucko. The book is slated for release in late spring; interested parties should bookmark his official site to get the updates to make their pre-order commitments thusly.

While I was at home panicking over broken appliances, home heating bills and trying to get my tax information prepared ahead of time, Frank Zummo was gallivanting in California promoting our collaboration, Unbreakable Rhythm, for Modern Drummer. The other night, he sent me a photo of him on the set of comedian Bert Kreischer’s podcast flanked by Adrian Young of No Doubt and acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, both of whom were interviewed for the book. We got a really considerate review from Jonathan Currin at Good Star Vibes who summed it up succinctly: “The writing style [of the book] is direct and conversational, often reading as though Frank Zummo is speaking to the reader rather than performing for them. This approach gives the memoir an immediacy that keeps it grounded, reinforcing its focus on honesty, accountability, and lived experience.”

After Frank, copy editor Ben Davis and I got done editing the book, it still had less f-bombs than Al Pacino’s 1983 thespian vehicle, Scarface. Frank will soon be back out on the road with Electric Callboy. Catch him if you can, unless you’re susceptible to feeling phantom arm pain watching drummers…

The new issue of SPIN (cover star: Chance The Rapper) appeared in my mailbox a few days ago, which made me smile considerably. Thank you to Jon Cohen for having me along to wax about AVTT/PTTN and Nine Inch Nails, as well as my Vinyl Countdown column where I suggest reasons you should go to a record store to spend your gift-card money, holiday bonus check or funds diverted from home repair, new appliances or trips to Pottery Barn.

As I type this, my treatise on Ministry’s majestic The Land Of Rape And Honey is not in stock at Bloomsbury’s warehouse. Seriously, I don’t have any copies left and there’s a bunch of peeps I still need to hook up with copies! If the situation changes, I shall let you know here, at once. I am pleased to report that Barnes & Noble has it online, and so does Amazon. And there might be copies available over at the Post-Punk & Industrial Museum in Chicago. (Those are signed with such quaint bon mots as “Laugh like a what?” and “You know what you are, but who am I?” as well as one that reads “I am NOT the kitchen clock.” (For all of you PTP diehards out there.) Ask Martin if he has any.

REST IN POWER, HOWIE KLEIN

I wish to acknowledge the Dec 25th passing of Howie Klein. The man who not only maintained all of the madness (and quality control) at Sire Records in the ‘80s was also responsible for giving a signal boost to bands like The Units, Translator, Romeo Void and Red Rockers via his very own 415 Records label in the ‘70s. As president of Warner Bros, Klein helmed the label as the ultimate artist-friendly environment throughout the ‘90s prior to retiring in 2001. Klein was strident in his fight against anti-censorship groups, which led to the creation of his Down With Tyranny blogsite that continues to focus on blue-centered initiatives and calls to action. If you visit the site, you’ll find a number of fond remembrances from people who truly knew him the most intimately. His sense of aesthetics certainly left tire-tracks on my musical tastes.

He was making a lemon-blueberry pie while discussing and clarifying the stories of dealing with Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker in the late ‘80s. While there may be people today who are just as passionately committed to artistry and unhindered communication as Klein was, said executives seem to get bodied by accountants more than ever. The joys of late-stage capitalism. And in the words of the maverick Norwegian avant-music label Rune Grammofon, “Money will ruin everything.”

May your hands be open and warm to console the ones you love, and your fists tight enough for the times to protect them. I love you, too.