S9E451 - Teenage Tragedy Songs with Paul Mahern
For this special BONUS episode, Audio Engineer, Producer, Teacher and lead singer of Indiana's Zero Boys, Paul Mahern, brings us some of his favorite Teenage Tragedy Songs. Also known as Splatter Platters, Death Discs...etc, this style of songs lamenting teenage death scenarios - often in melodramatic fashion - peaked in popularity in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s but still pack a twisted punch today. Let the teardrops fall!
Songs discussed in this episode: Last Kiss - Wayne Cochran (1961); Johnny Better Get - Zero Boys; Henry Lee - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Ft. PJ Harvey); Henry Lee - Dick Justice; New Rose - The Damned; Looking For A Kiss - New York Dolls; Chain Saw - Ramones; Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton; Telstar - The Tornados; Tribute To Buddy Holly - Mike Berry and the Outlaws; Ode To Billy Joe - Bobbie Gentry; Maxwell's Silver Hammer - The Beatles; Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People; Detroit Rock City - Kiss; Angie Baby - Helen Reddy; Rocket USA - Suicide; Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats; Come Back Jonee, Auto Modown - DEVO; Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols; The Water Was Red - Johnny Cymbal; Dead Man's Curve - Jan and Dean; Teen Angel - Mark Dinning; Leah - Roy Orbison; Warm Leatherette - Grace Jones; Warm Leatherette - The Normal; Timothy - The Buoys
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Audio Engineer/Producer/Teacher
Paul Mahern is an audio producer engineer, lead sing of Zero Boys, and is an adjunct lecturer in music in general studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
He has been a professional musician, music producer, and artist manager since the age of 16. His recording clients include John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, The Fray, Facebook, Sony, RCA, and DreamWorks. He has produced and/or engineered 11 RIAA-certified gold or platinum albums.
Mahern has developed and teaches courses on the history of punk rock and the history of music production for Music in General Studies.
In 2017, the Indianapolis Star listed Mahern as the fifteenth most influential musician of all time from Indiana. This list of 25 musicians also includes Joshua Bell, Hoagy Carmichael, Michael Jackson, and John Mellencamp.
A feature article about Mahern’s life and work appears in the May/June 2016 issue of TapeOp magazine.