In a terrific new book, Taste in Music, musician Alex Bleeker (of Real Estate) and food and travel journalist Luke Pyenson (formerly of Frankie Cosmos) cover the world of music through the foods bands eat while touring the world. In this episode, we speak with Alex and Luke about a book that brings a lot of heart and empathy to a subject that has been covered since the advent of food blogging. Any working band worth its salt cod enjoys food as much of the rest of us, filling their touring riders with subtle culinary flexes. Sure, food is the new rock and roll—and rockers love their food—but as we find out, this collection of essays from legends like Mark Ibold of Pavement, Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, and Natalie Laura Mering of Weyes Blood is more than a collection of “where bands eat”; it’s an essential addition to the music writing canon and one of our favorite books of the year.

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MORE FROM ALEX BLEEKER AND LUKE PYENSON:

• Robin Pecknold: My Savior, My Destroyer, the Subway Veggie Patty [Rolling Stone]

• Our Pop-Up Could Be Your Life [TASTE]