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There’s more to life than just records. There is also food, movies and books. Here are 10 new books about bands or authored by people in bands, in no order whatsoever. So fatten up your spring reading list, and feel free to add your own or recommend something!
Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste: An Oral History of Galaxie 500 – Mike McGonigal
A comprehensive look at Galaxie 500, written by Mike McGonigal, editor and publisher of the outstanding art and music journal, ?Yeti?. Comes out on May 8th. I don’t know much about the band above and beyond the stoic graphics and photos included in their records, so I’m really looking forward to this.
The Loom of Ruin – Sam McPheeters
Sam McPheeters (Born Against, Mens Recovery Project) first novel, the tale of an angry gas station employee. Comes out on April 1, pre-orders up on Amazon.
How To Lose Friends & Irritate People – Justin Pearson
Challenging an audience is an advanced skill, one that these guys have perfected. Collection of essays and stories from Justin Pearson of The Locust, comes with a double seven inch record. High on my spring reading list, if for no other reason than to marvel at the insanity within.
Mozipedia – Simon Goddard
There seems to be a flood of Smiths and Morrissey books coming out lately. The best ones are still Goddard’s other book, ?The Smiths? and ?Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance? by Johnny Rogan. As the title suggests this is more of a reference book than a “sit-down-and-read” book. Although, I did. At a whopping 532 pages, there is more here about Moz than you will ever want to know. The trouble is, most fans already know which kitchen sink dramas he prefers. They already know about his New York Dolls obsession and that he was in an proto Slaughter & The Dogs with Billy Duffy. What none of us know is Morrissey the person, and that’s the way he intends to keep it. Something about this book that kept me head scratching was the inclusion of Moz’s teenage pen pal letters. Seems kinda invasive, I sure as shit wouldn’t want things I said or wrote at 13 to be published in a book. But when it comes to Moz, there is no line that his fans won’t cross. The book redeems itself in that Goddard leaves the mystery of The Smiths intact, but now more than ever we’re left to wonder about them as people instead of rockstars. The litigious aspect of The Smiths is nauseating. How can a band be so deliberate and thoughtful towards their audience and society (and animals, forgotten celebrities, etc), but at the same time be so callous to each other?
Making A Scene: New York Hardcore 1985-1988…Revisited – Bri Hurley
Second edition of this book, now updated and expanded with the help of Chris Daily, author of ?Everybody’s Scene? which documented the Anthrax club in Norwalk, Connecticut. This book reveals the scarred and desperate people that stuck around CBGB long after the first and second wave of punk and HC had ended. Also one of the only photo books that covers this time and place, which makes it that much more fascinating. Tons of funny stories and plenty of candid photos keep things moving along. I didn’t start going to CBGB’s matinees until the 90’s, but amazingly a few of these people were still there milling around. Also, despite how this era is sometimes repackaged, lots of brown bags and glassy eyes.
Tooth: The Graphic Art of Dale Flattum – Dale Flattum
Huge book with CD from graphic artist and former Steel Pole Bathtub alumni Dale Flattum. One thing that stands out about SPBT to me is their obsession with sound collages and disaster. Their art was ancillary to what was happening sonically, but it was just as demented. Fortunately for the band, as with the book – they are at their best when they blur all three together.
Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose – Martin Popoff
Popoff’s first book about Black Sabbath, an oversized, full color exhaustive review of every song and record. A tremendously good read, if you’re a big fan (like me) you’ll have to ignore the blatant revisionism. Popoff has the opposite problem of Goddard, as a close confident of the band he is trusted to present the whitewashed version of the band, where Goddard is an outsider and has no allegiance to anyone’s side of the story. Popoff’s main area of focus is the transitional phases between singers, he explains the tangled relationships between Don Arden, Dio, Ozzy, Ian Gillian and Tony in a very delicate way. I’m glad he wrote this, but I also think that some of the people involved are not telling the truth. Amazing reprinted photos and sleeve art almost make up for the bullshit.
Only Death Is Real – Tom Gabriel Fischer with Martin Eric Ain
Huge and absolutely stunning photography, ephemera and stories from Switzerland’s legendary metal scene. Subtitled ?An Illustrated History of Hellhammer and Early Celtic Frost 1981–1985?, which says it all. Has to be held in your hands to fully appreciate how much work went into this. Available from Bazillion Points
Visual Vitriol: The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation – David Ensminger
Detailed coverage of the often overlooked art of DIY: the cut and paste job, the detailed illustrations of skulls and skateboarders covered by crude logos, the grain of the early photocopiers. Put together by ?Left of The Dial? fanzine editor David Ensminger. Also available for Kindle.
Henry & Glenn Forever – Igloo Tornado
Absurd mini-comic based on the very real friendship of Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig. Somewhat well researched and cleverly drawn, here we find the two punk singers recast as droll suburban roommates living next door to Daryl Hall & John Oates. Funny, but both are kind of easy targets. Perhaps future arrangements can include Ian Mackaye and Ian Svenonius as baristas or Greg Ginn as the CEO of YouTube. That one practically writes itself!
