Created by Ellis Haizlip and a coterie of folks who knew America was impoverished without a platform for black joy and rage, SOUL! pushed the whole country forward and delivered classic weekly performances from the most mind-blowing musicians of the 60s and 70s. This interview by Rin Kelly.

As Chrome Canyon, Morgan Z makes synthesizer music for the imagination. His Stones Throw release Elemental Themes makes you hunger for films starring Harrison Ford on a planet far away in search of bounty. He has an awesome new flexi in the new L.A. RECORD and will play Saturday with Peanut Butter Wolf, Pharoahs and more at Los Globos. This interview by Daiana Feuer.

When Lisa Carver goes on a book tour, attendees get naked and work on their concussions. Her new book Reaching Out With No Hands: Reconsidering Yoko Ono declares Ono the most important bringer of new alien communication of the past century—someone who wants to “wake you up into your own life.” This interview by Rin Kelly.

Early 80s skatebrats Dave Markey and Jordan Schwartz took photographs of their burgeoning hardcore scene and then collaged them together with misspelled record reviews, “punk terms” word searches, and crookedly typed band interviews to form the lovingly punk fanzine We Got Power. Black Flag’s Chuck Dukowski chats with Dave and Jordan about the business of zine-making, the LAPD and—of course—Anarchy!

In 2011, after an acrimonious split between the members of New Order—ironically, a split that stemmed from a gesture of charity for longtime New Order associate, artist and filmmaker Michael Shamberg—bassist Peter Hook left to tour the music of Joy Division with his band The Light. He will read tonight at Skylight Books. This interview by David Cotner.

Bush Tetras invented a big chunk of post-punk in 1979 with a copy of “Take Me To Funkytown” and months of exposure to an undiscovered gas leak. Their supposed-to-be-final album, Happy, was recorded in the 90s but got trapped in major-label record jail, only to be released just a few months ago. Vocalist Cynthia Sley speaks now about how much of modern life remains piss-off-able. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

Some bands are legends and some bands are entire civilizations—that’s Redd Kross, whose discography goes back to that first pre-cease-and-desist-call (always a promising sign) EP in 1981. Redd Kross plays with the Melvins for New Year’s Eve tonight at the Alexandria Hotel, and the founding McDonald brothers speak now about blood and mustaches. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

Before great labels like Akarma or Rave Up or Psych-Out became infamous abroad, the label that started it all (and which produces a thick magazine of the same name packed with paisley interviews) was Rome’s Misty Lane Records. We caught up with label head Massimo del Pozzo on a cold, cold night in Rome, where he warmed our hearts with his never-say-die attitude and utter contempt for 80s home cassette recording. This interview by D. M. Collins

Chris Goss is the cosmic mastermind behind Masters of Reality, the band who went from labelmates with Slayer to becoming the eminence noir of the desert-rock scene. Delicious Vinyl is reissuing the Masters’ psycho-delic debut and Goss will be playing some rare and welcome shows this weekend. For part 1 of this gigantic interview, Chris Ziegler finds Goss just waking up and ready to talk about awakening.

Wooden Shjips started by making crazy/noisy punk-drone records that they would mail you for free—you just had to ask!—and if they ever invent the extra-extra-extra-long-play record, Wooden Shjips will finally have the space to release their ultimate record. Drummer Omar Ahsanuddin speaks now before the Shjips play the Thrill Jockey anniversary show this weekend. This interview by Chris Ziegler.