.Ml 38 OCTOBER 2 2009
WWW JUSTOUT COM
M U S IC
Out of the Zen Arcade
Form er H u s k e r Du F ro n tm a n -T u rn e d -S o lo Artist B o b M o u ld G ets Into His Life a n d Tim es
of an improvisational approach
with words,” he said.
In the early 1980s, Husker Dii was a
Mould achieved some main­
breath of fresh air for the then-fledgling stream success with his band
hardcore punk rock scene of Minneapolis. Sugar, the act scored a UK radio
With a threadbare, snarling, yet composed hit with the 1992 single “If I
rock ‘n roll vitriol, the band—led by gui­ Can’t Change Your M ind” from
tarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg its album Copper Blue. Sugar
Norton and drummer Grant Hart—an­ represented a more pop-oriented
nounced through grinding riffs and snarky aesthetic than that of Mould’s
confessionals what punk predecessors had hardcore and punk roots, usher­
only pin-pricked in the past. In the years ing in a new artistic experimenta­
prior to the band’s 1988 demise, Mould and tion that he’s fostered ever since.
company carved a defiant melodic bent to
“On Life and Times” began
their craft, unwittingly influencing the com­ Mould, “a lot of the heat and a
ing onslaught of alternative rock that would lot of the emphasis goes onto
define the late ‘80s and ‘90s.
the story, so it becomes more of
But Hiisker Dii was mired with in­ a lyrical approach. If I hold that
fighting, severe mainstream expectations, up to Sugar—that was very much
and even more severe drug and alcohol a power-pop, guitar riff-ori-
abuse—and that’s before mentioning that ented band. A lot of times—not
Mould and Hart were both semi-closeted to the detriment of any of my
gay men. Subsequent years proved that al­ songs—but a song like “Helpless”
though Hiisker Du’s legacy left a high [also from Copper Blue] is more
watermark for punk and hardcore, it was in about the riff than it is about the
fact Mould’s personality, and capacities as a story.”
songwriter, that would ultimately persevere
Mould’s sexual orientation
and carry his solo career to success.
was thrust into the spotlight in
Mould’s ninth solo album, Life and 1994 in an article by Spin maga­
Times, released on Anti-Records in April, is zine. The publication presented
a conceptually approached album, without Mould with an infamous ultima­
the concept. Borne from free-verse lyricism, tum: Out yourself, or we will.
with music improvised later, the album is
Mould said that he never
both one of the most revealing of Mould’s feared a backlash from his fans. Besides,
catalogue, and a conduit for awakening the most of them already knew he was gay.
ghosts of his initial post-Hiisker Dii output.
“The only fallout that I thought would
Mould played every instrument on the al­ happen, and that really happened, was a
bum, save for the rock solid percussion of little bit with the commercial radio world,”
Superchunk’s Jon Wurster.
explained Mould. “I sort of felt it in the
“I don’t think l was trying to recreate, south in a couple places. There was one sta­
but I knew the feel was similar,” Mould tion that had made some kind of comment
explained via telephone interview. The idea —I don’t have the specifics on it—but it was
was to place himself in the writing mindset sort of a ‘we really don’t wanna play that
of his first solo album, Workbook, produced kind of music...’
20 years earlier.
“If I had been thinking, I would have
“There’s a more confessional style, a little done it myself sooner,” said Mould. “I
less pop and a little less rhyming, more of cooperated, I just felt the article didn’t re­
a short-story, or narrative approach, more ally represent the thoughts I was trying to
B y R Y A N J. P R A D O
H . Dvv a y n e
D
a v is
,
T jiw
Musician Bob Mould s presence in the
gay community can most visibly-and
aurally-be found in his monthly gay
dance party Blowoff ' The electronic-
meets-rock gathering is held once a
month in Washington D C (his home
base) once a month in New York City
and every two months in San Francisco
and Chicago
get across. There’s no good way [to do it].
W hat’s done is done; I look back and laugh
The Bob Mould Band, with special guest
on it now. It’s sort of hilarious.”
Spiral Stairs, plays at 9p.m. Fri., Oct. 16 at the
Mould’s presence in the gay community Doug Fir, 830 E. Burnside, 118 advance, t20
can most visibly—and aurally—be found day o f show, ticketswest.com. Check out blogout.
in his monthly gay dance party, “Blowoff.” justout.com for a fu ll transcript of Prado's chat
The electronic-meets-rock gathering is held with Mould.
John C. Lucy IV
H f a i . ty T rust
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5 once a month in Washington,
| D.C. (Mould’s home base), once
i a month in New York City, and
every two months in San Fran­
cisco and Chicago. The party
has become a national success,
and has also steered Mould away
from his former predilection for
infusing electro into his solo
output—a move that alienated
some longtime Mould fans with
records like 2002’s beat-heavy
Modulate.
“Blowoff is definitely an
equal outlet for me these days,”
explained Mould. “I think now
that I have an outlet for that
side of my musical sensibility, it
is showing up a little bit less in
my work.”
Mould is in the final stages
of finishing up an autobiography
with help from rock journalist
and musician Michael Azzerad,
due for publication in early 2011.
The process has been an eye-
opener for Mould, but one he
hopes to venture into again—that
is, if his memory holds up.
“When writing music, or with
painting or any expressive arts,
_______
there’s so much latitude,” said
Mould. “Things can be blurry
and you can call it art.
“It does seem like it might be a little
premature because I trust that I will have
plenty of good years of work left ahead of
me,” he added. “I’m getting older and I’m
gonna forget this stuff. I think that’s part of
the desire to get it done now, while I can still
remember most of it.” J M
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