Being clean and sober doesn’t mean I had to give up a “stoner” lifestyle. Heavy, psychedelic music is still as important to me as ongoing therapy or a support group. Actually, even more important.
Welcome to Cleanandsoberstoner.com, where I celebrate all things heavy, but without the aid of mind-altering drugs. I’m a person in long-term recovery, a licensed counselor and a part-time bass player. This is where I post reviews of music, do some cultural commentary and try to share what I’ve learned along the way.
I’m also self-publishing my book on this site, Thirty Years of Heavy Recovery, an autobiographical novel about what happened after I put down the bongs and beers. I’m posting one chapter at a time, with new chapters every week or so.
You can check out my Bandcamp profile here: https://bandcamp.com/grueller. This is where I buy most of my music, because of the money that goes to the bands.
Here’s the Spotify Playlist for the book, which is also a work in progress:
Latest Posts:
Godless Suns
Godless Suns is very much a throwback to an era I still doubt actually existed, and by that I mean before mastering guru’s and executives fucked up the party. This release is very much of this era, not some romanticized 70’s nostalgia. They fit in with a bunch of other bands that have made waves over the past few years, especially Scorched Oak and Saint Karloff. Even more impressive is that they have the narrative ambitions of Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Sergeant Thunderhoof and Vitskar Suden. No pressure guys, but that’s some fairly lofty company.
Read More Godless Suns
Late to the Party 3: Doomsday Profit
You never know where or when you’re gonna discover something mind-blowing. But get on a few Twitter feeds (while it lasts), get into some Facebook groups: I recommend Stoner Rock Army and Ripple’s Waverider Unite for a good start. You will find something interesting. What I never expected was a rich vein of heavy gold […]
Read More Late to the Party 3: Doomsday Profit
Doomsgiving 2022
I’ve spent the past week writing my almost-annual Doomsgiving post. I put a lot of work into it, had a bunch of media and cool references. It was 1500 words of a lot of chest-beating and celebration of how Cleanandsoberstoner has done this year. It has been amazing, and I’m so, so fucking grateful for […]
Read More Doomsgiving 2022