WAIM Podcast #020 - Matt Berenson

When my longtime friend and musical sherpa Todd Stonehouse handed me his copy of Secret Stars, the Greatest Underdogs Of The Rock n Roll Era, he grinned and said, “You are gonna love this.”Just looking at the ten bands listed on the cover, I knew I had found one of my new sacred texts. Inside the blazing red cover lay chapters on Nick Drake, Robyn Hitchcock, Elliott Smith, Big Star and more. These were my secret stars too! I’d not only found someone writing about these bands in any way, I had found someone writing about them as the oughta be pop gods they were.While Matt Berenson has a long career as a film producer, it makes sense that he and I would connect over his music writing, specifically his writings on genius that never quite gets its proper due. As I dragged my copy of Secret Stars across the Moroccan countryside, each chapter felt like another piece of evidence as to why this writer and I should hang out, be friends, and talk about cool shit. Essentially, that was what I wanted my chat with Matt Berenson to be like for the show. I wanted to capture the exuberance of sharing a new band with a friend, of unveiling those secret stars and helping them to burn a shade brighter. Inside our chat, you’ll get to hear Matty C and Matty B - I promise I will not do that again - explain the fours Ps of rock and roll, and discuss doubling down on the stuff we dig. Taylor Swift gets a mention for the second week in a row. Get ready for that Matty C bump there, Swifty. We even talk about why Van Halen still rules. This conversation was so fantastic in fact, I have decided to split it into two chunks. In this first section on today’s episode, we’ll dive deep into Matt’s book and some of our favorite secret stars.In the next episode, we’ll talk more about Matt’s career in film and the current state of cinema and how much it has in common with the music industry and why streaming is changing everything for creators everywhere. So dive in with a couple of nerds obsessing over obscure discoveries, indie rock demi-gods, and why Tom Waits has the perfect celebrity life. Enjoy. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe