SOUND OPINIONS
This week Jim and Greg are joined by Mike Watt of the Minutemen, a band that changed the game of punk rock. The San Pedro hardcore group was founded by Watt, drummer George Hurley, and larger than life lead singer and guitarist D. Boon, who died in 1985. That was shortly after the release of their hugely influential album Double Nickels on the Dime. Before then, punk rock was about breaking the rules, but it actually had many of its own. The Minutemen threw that out and began experimenting with their sound, jamming out and incorporating jazz and funk. The band also employed a DIY model they dubbed “Jam Econo,” which would go on to inspire indie rock in the years after. Watt talks about jamming econo, making Double Nickels and his idea of Hot Topic.