Episode 1005 — Writer Rob Janicke

This is what words are for.

In what seems like a lifetime ago, I began the Abandoned Albums podcast with Rob Janicke, and we had a ton of fun doing it. But then he went off to write his spectacular new book Slacker 1991, Teen Spirit, Angst and the Generation It Created:

Like Rob, I am of the generation of which he writes about and I found Slacker to be a great read. Not only a great read about an era in American culture that has a deep well of interpretation, but the book also helped me understand the man I shared a mic with for about a year.

It’s Rob’s personal stories woven throughout the book that give Slacker a unique intimacy.

As he was finishing the book, we reconnected, and obviously, we had to have him return to the show.

Now, much has been made about video and podcasting in the past year, and I generally eschew the video component. But since Rob is photogenic, I thought I would post the video of our conversation here on the ‘stack (it’s also available as an audio-only podcast and on YouTube). In the video, you’ll see why I tend to stick with straight audio — I look like a doofus and am invariably drinking something and chewing gum (a big no-no in the interview rule book).

In this interview you get the trifecta — doofus, drinking (tea & water), and chewing gum.

But hey, Rob looks good and that’s what matters.

You can buy Rob’s book HERE… and you should.

Here’s my interview with Rob: