Reading Is Funktamental with Author Peter Aaron on The Cars' Ric Ocasek

In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we discuss the music and life of Ric Ocasek, the driving force behind The Cars with author Peter Aaron. Aaron, a musician and writer, is the author of the new biography Moving in Stereo: Ric Ocasek, the Driving Force of The Cars, exploring the life of the late Cars frontman, featuring interviews and deep dives into Ocasek's iconic career and creative process. Aaron, known for his work with The Chrome Cranks band, offers fresh insight into Ocasek's persona as a visionary songwriter and producer for bands like Weezer, a subject well-covered by Chronogram Magazine and other music publications. For more info, read my review of the book here: https://nysmusic.com/2025/11/24/ric-o.... "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour podcast and radio show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Funktamental" can be heard the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org. It can also be found as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing on music, books, and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com, where he is the book reviewer.