26. David Grubbs
Over the course of the last four decades, Kentucky-born David Grubbs’ musical activity has ranged from hardcore punk to the fine arts. In addition to his work as a solo artist, David is noted for his groundbreaking avant-pop group Gastr Del Sol and his collaborative efforts with a diverse group of influential musicians including The Red Krayola, Pauline Oliveros, Will Oldham, Tony Conrad, Royal Trux and John Fahey. In the 1980s Lousville KY punk scene he was a founding member of the band Squirrel Bait (look for their new jeans). David has also published three books in the past decade: “Records Ruin the Landscape,” about John Cage and early experimental music, and two book-length poems, “Now That The Audience Is Assembled” and “The Voice in the Headphones,” all available from Duke University Press. He’s a Professor of Music at the City University of New York, and his latest album at the time of this interview is an improvised collaboration with the Tokyo-based Taku Unami. I spoke with David about all of this and more in late July of 2020.