About Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves
Poetic Wax is a short weekly podcast where host Andy Fenstermaker digs deep into his vast record collection to uncover and share the history of bands, albums, songs, and more. Poetic Wax explores music history in all its forms, from new angles on things widely covered to the little known moments that create monumental change.
A GIFT FROM GOD: The Story of Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon"
To Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch, "The Killing Moon" from Ocean Rain is a work of fate, born from dreams, chance discoveries, and cosmic obsession. From his claim that the lyrics were “already written in the stars” to the band’s surreal trip to Russia and the chaotic recording sessions that nearly tore them apart, this story behind one of the 80s music greats. It's time to unravel how one of the most haunting and timeless post punk and new wave tracks came to life.
🍿 Watch the episode (and see the full series) on YouTube.
📕 Read the transcript and hear the songs on the Poetic Wax Substack.
🎧 Get Echo & the Bunnymen on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/47SUGYI
🎧 Get Ocean Rain on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/4lPvypa
Poetic Wax is a weekly music history series hosted by Andy Fenstermaker, where he digs into the record collection he's been building since the 1990s to uncover the sometimes little told stories behind the artists, albums, and songs from within.
25 Aug 2025
"Ashes to Ashes" and the Humiliation of David Bowie
"Ashes to Ashes" is one of David Bowie’s most iconic songs. It collapses myth, reinvents old characters, and confronts the shadows of his own past. In this episode, we trace the story behind the song: its deep ties to "Space Oddity," its place within Bowie's 1980 album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and the new era it ushered in for Bowie after the Berlin Trilogy. Along the way, we’ll uncover the darker meanings beneath its art-pop surface, explore the groundbreaking artistry that surrounded its creation and its music video, and arrive at a moment of unexpected humiliation when Bowie himself was stripped of all mystique by a single passerby on a beach. This song is a reminder that even pop’s great chameleon was never beyond being humbled.
🍿 Watch the episode (and see the full series) on YouTube.
📕 Read the transcript and hear the songs on the Poetic Wax Substack.
🎧 Get David Bowie on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/4lQg7xe
🎧 Get "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/3UGWjB5
Poetic Wax is a weekly music history series hosted by Andy Fenstermaker, where he digs into the record collection he's been building since the 1990s to uncover the sometimes little told stories behind the artists, albums, and songs from within.
18 Aug 2025
From Cult Heroes to Global Icons: The Cure’s “The Head On The Door”
"The Head on the Door" transformed The Cure from cult favorites into global icons, blending irresistible pop hooks with unsettling undercurrents of melancholy. This is the story of the band’s creative rebirth, shaped by surreal dreams that haunted Robert Smith. The adventurous recording sessions introduced flamenco guitars, brass sections, and jangling synths into their sound. Together, these moments show why this album remains both a breakthrough and a bittersweet masterpiece. At its heart lies the tension between joy and sorrow, light and shadow; a delicate balance that continues to resonate forty years later.
🍿 Watch the episode (and see the full series) on YouTube.
📕 Read the transcript and hear the songs on the Poetic Wax Substack.
🎧 Get The Cure on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/4mOEZ9t
🎧 Get "The Head On The Door" on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/4mOEZ9t
Poetic Wax is a weekly music history series hosted by Andy Fenstermaker, where he digs into the record collection he's been building since the 1990s to uncover the sometimes little told stories behind the artists, albums, and songs from within.
Who has been a guest on Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Iggy Pop
David Bowie
Glen Matlock
Barry Andrews
Ivan Kral
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,178,398
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 67 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
85
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
32
Contact Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves
Guest appearances
Books guests
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