No Ice Go Ice

33 1/3

In 1989, Bob Mould took a left turn. Already legendary before his 30th birthday for his noise-and-nuance work in Hüsker Dü, Mould had recently walked away from his old band. He returned with his debut solo album: Workbook. Filled with chiming acoustic guitars, multi-tracked vocals, pristine production, and even a cello, Workbook was both admired and questioned for Mould’s perceived departure from his hardcore roots.

Selected Writing

33 1/3: The B-sides

I have a chapter in a new collection entitled, The 33 1/3 B-sides: New Essays by 33 1/3 Authors on Beloved and Underrated Albums. From the book’s editors, D. Gilson and Will Stockton: “Simply put, we asked past 33 1/3…Read More

Old 97’s – American Primitive

I reviewed the latest album by the Old 97’s for PopMatters. As I say in the review, these songs are engaged with the larger world in a way I’ve never heard from this band. I tend to brace myself when…Read More

Sawdust and Whiskey

I can still recall the names of the players from those mid-‘80s Dallas Mavericks teams: Brad Davis, Derek Harper, Rolando Blackman, Mark Aguirre, Detlef Schrempf, Sam Perkins, James Donaldson. They are all right there beneath the surface, each name prompting…Read More

33 1/3

Your Guide to College Writing

Your Guide to College Writing is part of a broader initiative underway at Chemeketa Community College to combat the high cost of college textbooks by working with faculty, staff, and students to publish affordable and effective alternatives.

The Thomas Pynchon Fake Book

Thomas Pynchon is one of the great unheard lyricists of his time. His award-winning novel, Gravity’s Rainbow, is stuffed full of song lyrics. Depending on how you count, there are around 100 in the book. Over the course of a year, the Thomas Pynchon Fake Book managed to set twenty-eight of them to music.

About Daniel Couch

Daniel Couch is a professor of literature and composition at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. He is the editor of Your Guide to College Writing and co-author of a book on Bob Mould for Bloomsbury’s 33 ⅓ series. His writing has appeared in Portland Monthly, PopMatters, The Smart Set, and elsewhere. Currently, he plays drums in the socially conscious punk band, Scontro.