Jesse Malin: 2016

New Jersey has Bruce Springsteen. Long Island has Billy Joel. The Bronx has Dion. Queens has Jesse Malin. 

From when he was a boy growing up in Queens, Jesse Malin had a punk rock heart. He started making music in the hardcore group, Heart Attack, when he was just twelve years old. From there, he traveled through numerous projects, eventually starting the old school, glam punk band, D Generation, in 1991. Over the course of three albums in the 1990s, D Generation established themselves as New York City’s garage rock maestros. Unfortunately, fame and fortune stayed just out of reach of D Generation, and by the end of the decade, they would be no more.

In the aftermath of D Generation, Jesse Malin was ready to strike out on his own, and he did with his first solo album, The Fine Art Of Self Destruction, in 2002. Produced by Jesse’s friend, Ryan Adams, the album demonstrated a new facet to Jesse’s talents – that of the streetwise, punk bard. From there, Jesse released the studio albums The Heat (2004), Glitter In The Gutter (2007), the covers album On Your Sleeve (2008) and, with the St. Marks Social, Love It To Life (2010); in addition to a handful of live albums, EPs, and contributions to compilation albums. Last year, Jesse returned with two new albums, New York Before The War and Outsiders. 

Jesse Malin recently returned to WFUV to talk with me about last year’s solo albums, as well as the recent reissue of The Fine Art Of Self Destruction and the first new album in seventeen years from the reunited D Generation, Nothing Is Anywhere, due on July 29. (Plus, coming soon, there will be a deluxe reissue of The Heat.)

It’s always a pleasure to get to hang with Jesse and we always have a great time on the radio!

[recorded: 4/26/16]