Dispatches From the Fringe

Dispatches From the Fringe

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Introducing "Sound Surrounds": Walter Martin on the Mysterious Power of Reverb
In which I speak with musicians about their early experience of sound and how they shaped their ideas about music and creativity. Read if you like, but…
 • Seth Lorinczi and Walter Martin
How Hard Could It Be? The Rise and Fall (and Rise and Fall) of an Upstart Guitar Brand
In the ‘60s, Micro-Frets was a spunky challenger to corporate guitar brands. Decades later, William Meadors revived the name. But making memorable…
 • Seth Lorinczi
We Got That Supertouch
Blink and you'd have missed it. But forty-four years ago, with little to no fanfare, Bad Brains’ “yellow tape” dropped. Punk, hardcore, and metal would…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Fleeing Reagan, Stealing from Museums, and Magic Mushrooms: Tuxedomoon's Long, Strange Trip
Tuxedomoon's co-founder, Steven Brown, left America 45 years ago—but he never faded away. Now he’s back with a thrillingly moody album and a gorgeous…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Radio, Radio: Rekindling the Thrill of Discovery, and a Sneak Preview for 2026
When I was a kid, my clock radio was everything: A time-travel machine and a lifeline. But when I took it apart, I killed it. Here are some stories I'll…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Happy Birthday, "Damaged." How Black Flag's Debut Met Its Match in the Sony Walkman
When Black Flag’s first album dropped 44 years ago, the Walkman had just hit. Has there been a better pairing of medium and message since?
 • Seth Lorinczi
Back to the Future: The All-Too Brief Heyday of the ‘60s Revival Scene
If you were edgy in the ‘80s (but leery of punk or goth) there was an alternative: The ‘60s revival. For a brief moment, the mods and trippers and beat…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Revisiting Erik Satie's Dissociative Genius Through Patricia Escudero's Lost Synth Odyssey
The composer for people who don’t like classical, Erik Satie always sounded out of time. But 40 years ago, when an elusive keyboardist reinterpreted his…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Combat Boots, Fencing Foils, and Art Auctions: Remixing "Raw Power" (Part III)
After a years-long, multi-continent search for missing tapes, the remix was ready to start. But...who would the new version piss off? And who really…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Raw Power's Got No Place to Go: Things Are Not What They Seem (Part II)
What would you do with the find of a lifetime? In the last installment, Tuxedomoon’s Steven Brown found the “lost” tape for The Stooges’ "Raw Power" in…
 • Seth Lorinczi
Raw Power's Got No Place to Go: Bringing the "Lost" Stooges Album Home (Part I)
Many of us dream of stumbling on a priceless relic. But what if it was the missing master tape for Iggy and the Stooges’ classic “Raw Power”…and it’d…
 • Seth Lorinczi
The Drawback to Living: Unwound on Grief, Gratitude, and Finding Yourself
Nearly 25 years ago, the group some called “the best band of the ‘90s” suddenly pulled the plug. Now they’ve returned, catalyzing crushing loss into…
 • Seth Lorinczi
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