magazines . books

ALL STOCK

Cover of Me And Mr Jones : My Life With David Bowie And The Spiders From Mars by Suzi Ronson.

Suzi Ronson

Me And Mr Jones : My Life With David Bowie And The Spiders From Mars

Faber & Faber

    From the stylist behind David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust look, an electrifying peek behind the curtains during a legendary chapter of pop culture history. 'Suzi Ronson was there as Bowie transitioned from suburban folkie to world superstar and genius. Few can offer such insight, and tell this fascinating story with such verve.' HANIF KUREISHISuzi Ronson was working in a Beckenham hair salon in the early seventies when Mrs Jones came in for her weekly shampoo and set.

    After being introduced to her son David and his wife Angie, Suzi finds herself at the Bowies' bohemian apartment and is soon embroiled in their raucous world. Having crafted his iconic Ziggy Stardust hairstyle, Suzi becomes the only working woman in David's touring party and joins the Spiders from Mars as they perform around the globe. Amid the costume blunders, parties and groupies she meets her husband-to-be, Mick Ronson, and together they traverse the absurdities of life in show business, falling in with the likes of Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed along the way.

    Dazzling and intimate, Me and Mr Jones provides not only a unique perspective on one of the most beguiling stars of our time but also a world on the cusp of cultural transformation, charting the highs and lows of life as one of the only women in the room as it happened.

    [ + ]
    [ - ]
    Cover of FUTUROMANIA: Electronic Dreams, Desiring Machines And Tomorrow’s Music Today - SIGNED EDITION by Simon Reynolds.

    Simon Reynolds

    FUTUROMANIA: Electronic Dreams, Desiring Machines And Tomorrow’s Music Today - SIGNED EDITION

    White Rabbit

      Simon Reynolds's first book in eight years is a celebration of music that feels like a taste of tomorrow. Sounds that prefigure pop music's future - the vanguard genres and heroic innovators whose discoveries eventually get accepted by the wider mass audience. But it's also about the way music can stir anticipation for a thrillingly transformed world just around the corner: a future that might be utopian or dystopian, but at least will be radically changed and exhilaratingly other.

      Starting with an extraordinary chapter on Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer, taking in illuminating profiles of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Boards of Canada, Burial, and Daft Punk, and arguing for Auto-Tune as the defining sound of 21st century pop, Futuromania shapes over two-dozen essays and interviews into a chronological narrative of machine-music from the 1970s to now. Reynolds explores the interface between pop music and science fiction's utopian dreams and nightmare visions, always emphasizing the quirky human individuals abusing the technology as much as the era-defining advances in electronic hardware and digital software.

      A tapestry of the scenes and subcultures that have proliferated in that febrile, sexy and contested space where man meets machine, Futuromania is an enthused listening guide that will propel readers towards adventures in sound. There is a lifetime of electronic listening here.

      [ + ]
      [ - ]
      Cover of A Fool's Journey : To The Beach Boys And Beyond by Carli Munoz.

      Carli Munoz

      A Fool's Journey : To The Beach Boys And Beyond

      Interlink Books

        Cutting his musical teeth in a Puerto Rican jazz club in the 1960s, Carli Munoz came of age during the countercultural flowering of that era; he lived for music, knowledge, and the mind-expanding magic of LSD. Wanting to expand creative horizons for his successful psychedelic rock band, Munoz flew to New York on a whim with 11 dollars in his pocket and embarked on a deep dive into the gritty scene of gigs, girls, and trips, struggling to fill his pockets with dollars and his belly with food. Free-falling into the dark underbelly of the city, Munoz ended up homeless and penniless until an epiphany on the subway brought him back to the surface. On the cusp of a new decade, Munoz moved to LA to fight for a new life and a second chance. Hanging out in Houdini's old mansion in Laurel Canyon, he watched the free-loving idealism of the '60s melt into the disco-and-cocaine-saturated hedonism of the '70s, until one day he found himself on tour with the Beach Boys. He became close friends with Dennis Wilson - a friendship that ranged from pranking each other to working on an album together to watching him spiral irretrievably into self-destruction. He witnessed the feud between Mike Love and the Wilsons firsthand, as well as the unchecked instability of Brian Wilson. Despite the chaos and power struggles within the band, Munoz was able to create enthralling music with them, as well as with some of the other popular musicians of the '70s, including Wilson Pickett, the Association, George Benson, and Peter Cetera. Populated with an eclectic cast of artists, musicians, clairvoyants, record producers, hippies, hobos, and superstars, A Fool's Journey is a vivid snapshot of an era-defining moment that will never be repeated. Although Munoz toured with the Beach Boys for ten years and partied with rock stars, he was also just an island kid from Puerto Rico, forever in exile, forever 'the other.' The story of his journey is as compelling as it is timely.

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of The Liverbirds : Our Life In Britain's First Female Rock 'n' Roll Band by Mary McGlory & Sylvia Saunders.

        Mary McGlory & Sylvia Saunders

        The Liverbirds : Our Life In Britain's First Female Rock 'n' Roll Band

        Faber & Faber

          In the early '60s, four friends from Liverpool formed a band. But this is not the 'fab four' story we know . .

          Mary, Sylvia, Valerie and Pamela - also known as The Liverbirds - were one of the world's first all-female rock'n'roll bands. At an early gig, backstage at the Cavern Club, a young John Lennon told them that 'girls don't play guitars'.

          But they took that as a challenge. Despite the early scepticism, they won over tough crowds, toured stadiums, recorded two hit albums, and played with the Kinks, Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry - all in the space of just five years. Now, the two surviving members of the band tell their incredible story in full for the first time - capturing a lost era of liberation and rock'n'roll, as they thrived in the vibrant Merseybeat music scene and formed a friendship that has endured through the decades.

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of How To Run An Indie Label - Signed Edition by Alan McGee.

          Alan McGee

          How To Run An Indie Label - Signed Edition

          Faber & Faber

            *Signed edition.*

            Music is like no other business. It's about being at the right place at the right time, following your nose and diving in feet first. It's about being plugged into the mystical electricity and about surfing on the wild energy. It's about how to fuck up and how to survive and be sustained by the holy grail of the high decibel. No-one captures this wild feral spirit better than Alan McGee whose helter skelter career through music has made him a major force. Wilder than his bands, more out of control than his most lunatic singer, more driven than his contemporaries and closer in spirit to the rock n roll star he could never be himself, McGee was always in a rush. Creation would sign people and not just the music. McGee understood that running an indie label is mainly about the charisma, the game changers, the iconography and the story. It's about neverbeing boring.

            His ability to start a raw power ruckus brought the visceral danger back to
            a moribund mid-eighties music scene. His nose for danger and his ear for
            classic guitar rock n roll brought us Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream,
            My Bloody Valentine, Teenage Fan Club and Ride before topping out in the
            nineties with the biggest band in the world, Oasis.

            By no means a conventional instruction manual or business book How To Runan Indie Label tells you everything you need to know about how to be a creative force.

            [ + ]
            [ - ]
            Cover of Saxophone Colossus : The Life And Music Of Sonny Rollins by Aidan Levy.

            Aidan Levy

            Saxophone Colossus : The Life And Music Of Sonny Rollins

            Da Capo Press Inc

              **Winner of the American Book Award (2023)**?**Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award (2023)**The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the "Saxophone Colossus," he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden's Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic "Great Day in Harlem" portrait.

              His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called "the only jazz recluse" has gone largely untold-until now. Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins' extensive personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. A child of the Harlem Renaissance, Rollins' precocious talent landed him on the bandstand and in the recording studio with Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, or playing opposite Billie Holiday.

              An icon in his own right, he recorded Tenor Madness, featuring John Coltrane; Way Out West; Freedom Suite, the first civil rights-themed album of the hard bop era; A Night at the Village Vanguard; and the 1956 classic Saxophone Colossus. Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction.

              In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing, practicing up to 16 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012.? The story of Sonny Rollins-innovative, unpredictable, larger than life-is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny's own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents.

              Part jazz oral history told in the musicians' own words, part chronicle of one man's quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history.

              [ + ]
              [ - ]
              Cover of The Tastemaker : My Life With The Legends And Geniuses Of Rock Music by Tony King.

              Tony King

              The Tastemaker : My Life With The Legends And Geniuses Of Rock Music

              Faber & Faber

                The Tastemaker charts the singular life of a man who has been at the beating heart of music's most iconic moments for over sixty years. Leaving school and starting his career at Decca Records in 1958 at the age of sixteen, Tony King would soon find himself becoming close friends with Elton John, rekindling John Lennon and Yoko Ono's relationship, mediating a quarrelsome Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and spending time with Freddie Mercury in his final days - a far cry from his childhood days in Eastbourne. Living in an era of seismic social, technological and cultural transformation, King experienced these defining moments as a stalwart in London and New York's gay scenes.

                Alongside his heady life in showbusiness, he was witness to the AIDS crisis and its devastating consequences: the death of family, the death of friends and the stultifying weight of responsibility in being called upon to hold things together. At once profound and suffused with Tony King's disarming warmth and unparalleled charisma, The Tastemaker paints an intimate portrait of a music legend and captures the unpredictable world he stamped his indelible mark upon.

                [ + ]
                [ - ]
                Cover of Dark Luminosity : Memoirs Of A Geezer, The Expanded Edition by Jah Wobble.

                Jah Wobble

                Dark Luminosity : Memoirs Of A Geezer, The Expanded Edition

                Faber & Faber

                  Written in his own unmistakable voice and with a new afterword by the author, this is the frank and fascinating memoir by arguably the greatest bass player of his generation. Beginning with an East End childhood in a London barely recovered from the War, he takes us on a journey through the beginnings of punk and post-punk as a founding member of Public Image Limited, an illustrious forty-year solo career which has seen collaborations musical greats such as U2, Brian Eno and CAN and a Mercury Music Prize nomination through to the present day still playing to sell out audiences. Along the way we hear how Wobble navigated chronic alcoholism and marital breakdown and has emerged as a national treasure.

                  If you ever wondered how got his name, the answer is here: his teenage pal Sid Vicious gave it to him when he drunkenly slurred Wobble's real name, John Wardle.

                  [ + ]
                  [ - ]
                  Cover of Where We Come From : Rap, Home & Hope In Modern Britain by Aniefiok Ekpoudom.

                  Aniefiok Ekpoudom

                  Where We Come From : Rap, Home & Hope In Modern Britain

                  Faber & Faber

                    A stunning social history of British rap and grime by one of the nation's foremost cultural chroniclers. 'A stunning exploration of a genre, a movement and a world. It's every bit as lyrical as the rap Ekpoudom has documented.'CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of Queenie'Illuminating and intimate.

                    Ekpoudom's prose is rhythmic and deft but also crackles with joy. I know I'll be reading it for years to come.'CALEB AZUMAH NELSON, author of Small Worlds'A rousing, inspiring, often breathtaking history that reads with the flow of a magnificent novel. Ekpoudom is one of the very finest chroniclers of black British culture.'MUSA OKWONGA, author of One Of Them***I met people who never quite fit in where they were supposed to, who found solace, salvation and meaning in these sounds, these words.

                    Something is happening in Britain, trembling the tracks as it unfolds. Recent years have borne witness to underground genres leaking out from the inner cities, going on to become some of the most popular music in the nation. In this groundbreaking social history, journalist Aniefiok Ekpoudom travels the country to paint a compelling portrait of the dawn, boom and subsequent blossoming of UK rap and grime.

                    Taking us from the heart of south London to the West Midlands and South Wales, he explores how a history of migration and an enduring spirit of resistance have shaped the current realities of these linked communities and the music they produce. These sounds have become vessels for the marginalised, carrying Black and working-class stories into the light. Vividly depicted and compassionately told, Where We Come From weaves together intimate stories of resilience, courage and loss, as well as a shared music culture that gave refuge and purpose to those in search of belonging.

                    Ekpoudom offers a rich chronicle of rap, identity, place and, above all, the social and human condition in modern Britain. ***'A landmark work that will undoubtedly shape conversations about not just UK rap and grime, but British music for years to come.'YOMI ADEGOKE, author of The List'Phenomenal - this is the book we've all been waiting for. Like the heroes he chronicles, Ekpoudom acts as torchbearer, his book a beacon, for the story that follows..'GUY GUNARATNE'Essential .

                    [ + ]
                    [ - ]
                    Cover of Neu Klang : The Definitive History Of Krautrock by Christoph Dallach.

                    Christoph Dallach

                    Neu Klang : The Definitive History Of Krautrock

                    Faber & Faber

                      West Germany, 1968. Like everywhere else in the Western world, the young generation is pushing for radical change, still suffering the after-effects of the Second World War. Many stream out of the lecture halls and onto the streets.

                      Some into the underground. And some into the practice basements, in search of the soundtrack of the movement. The unique and adventurous sounds that German bands like Can, Neu!, Amon Düül, Popul Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Faust, Cluster or Kraftwerk produced back then, now known as Krautrock, are considered a blueprint for modern rock music.

                      And the stream of their creative admirers and continuators has been constantly widening since the first fans like David Bowie and Iggy Pop: whether Blur, Aphex Twin, Sonic Youth, Radiohead or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. In Neu Klang, Christoph Dallach interviewed its pioneers, including Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit and Holger Czukay of CAN; Neu!'s Michael Rother; Dieter Moebius of Cluster; Klaus Schulze of Tangerine Dream; Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and many others. Their answers combine to form an oral history that points far beyond the individual band histories: on the one hand, into the past, to Nazi teachers, post-war parental homes, free jazz, terrorism, LSD and extremely long hair; but just as much into the future, to global recognition, myth-making, techno or post-rock.

                      [ + ]
                      [ - ]
                      Cover of WHAT by John Cooper Clarke.

                      John Cooper Clarke

                      WHAT

                      Picador

                        'Nothing short of dazzling' - Alex Turner

                        Dr John Cooper Clarke's dazzling, scabrous voice has reverberated through pop culture for decades, his influence on generations of performance poets and musicians plain for all to see. In WHAT, the original 'People's Poet' comes storming out of the gate with an uproarious new collection, reminding us why he is one of Britain's most beloved writers and performers. James Brown, John F.

                        Kennedy, Jesus Christ: nobody is safe from the punk rocker's acerbic pen - and that's just the first poem. Hot on the heels of The Luckiest Guy Alive and his sprawling, encyclopaediac memoir I Wanna Be Yours, the good Doctor returns with his most trenchant collection of poems yet. Vivid and alive, with a sensitivity only a writer with a life as varied and extraordinary as Cooper Clarke's could summon, WHAT is an exceptional collection from one of our foremost satirists.

                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]
                        Cover of A Quick Ting On: Grime by Franklyn Addo.

                        Franklyn Addo

                        A Quick Ting On: Grime

                        Jacaranda Books Art Music Ltd

                          From pirate radio to Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage, journalist and rapper Franklyn Addo pens an extraordinary narrative of the history, present and future of Grime music. The influence of Grime on contemporary British culture is difficult to understate. From fashion trends and evolving language to potent political statements, Grime is a musical juggernaut that has reverberated far throughout British society.

                          Chronicled for the first time in powerful literary prose, Addo intelligently documents the genre's cultural explosion and investigates how it became the voice of a generation. A phenomenal insight into the captivating and electrifying genre that has taken the British music scene by storm, A Quick Ting On: Grime is an essential and long-awaited read for Stormzy aficionados and grime newcomers alike.

                          [ + ]
                          [ - ]
                          Cover of The Creative Act : A Way Of Being by Rick Rubin.

                          Rick Rubin

                          The Creative Act : A Way Of Being

                          Canongate Books

                            Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day and then ages out. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable.

                            Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn't, he has learned that being an artist isn't about your specific output; it's about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone's life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities.

                            The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distils the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime's work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments - and lifetimes - of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.


                            [ + ]
                            [ - ]
                            Cover of Loaded : The Life (and Afterlife) Of The Velvet Underground by Dylan Jones.

                            Dylan Jones

                            Loaded : The Life (and Afterlife) Of The Velvet Underground

                            White Rabbit

                              Dylan Jones' definitive oral history of The Velvet Underground draws on contributions from remaining members, contemporaneous musicians, critics, film-makers, and the generation of artists who emerged in their wake, to celebrate not only their impact but their legacy, which burns brighter than ever into the 21st century. Rebellion always starts somewhere, and in the music world of the transgressive teen whether it be the 1960s of the 2020s, The Velvet Underground represent ground zero. Crystallizing the idea of the bohemian, urban, narcissistic art school gang, around a psychedelic rock and roll band - a stylistic idea that evolved in the rarefied environs of Andy Warhol's Factory - The Velvets were the first major American rock group with a mixed gender line-up; they never smiled in photographs, wore sunglasses indoors, and in the process invented the archetype that would be copied by everyone from Sid Vicious to Bobby Gillespie.

                              They were avant-garde nihilists, writing about drug abuse, prostitution, paranoia, and sado-masochistic sex at a time when the rest of the world was singing about peace and love. In that sense they invented punk. It could even be argued they invented modern New York.

                              And then some. Drawing on interviews and material relating to all major players from Lou Reed, John Cale, Mo Tucker, Andy Warhol, Jon Savage, Nico, David Bowie, Mary Harron and many more, award-winning journalist Dylan Jones breaks down the band's whirlwind of subversion and, in a narrative rich in drama and detail, with an irresistible narrative pull, proves why The Velvets remain the original kings and queens of edge.

                              [ + ]
                              [ - ]
                              Cover of Goth: A History by Lol Tolhurst.

                              Lol Tolhurst

                              Goth: A History

                              Quercus

                                GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir of the genre of Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the 80s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, this book offers a fascinating deep dive into the movers and shakers of goth with stories and anecdotes from Tolhurst's personal memories as well as the musicians, magicians and artists who made it all happen - the people, places and events that made goth an inevitable and enduring movement .

                                Starting with the Origins of Goth, Tolhurst explores early art and literature that inspired the genre and looks into the work of T.S Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Albert Camus and more. He also outlines the path of Gothic forebears and shows how many musicians played in punk bands before transitioning into goth endeavours. Next, he introduces readers to the 'Architects of Darkness' - Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and The Cure - the godfathers of goth who established the genre's roots. Following these early bands, Tolhurst discusses a group he calls the 'Spiritual Alchemists', consisting of bands like Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins and more, who helped the darkness expand into the culture. He also tracks the expansion of the genre overseas, from England to New York, Los Angeles and beyond. Gothic fashion was an important part of the movement as well and Tolhurst discusses the clothing that accompanied and complemented the music. Finally, Tolhurst examines the legacy of goth music and shows how its influence can still be seen to this day across music, film, TV, visual arts, social media and so much more, finally concluding with 'Why Goth matters!'

                                [ + ]
                                [ - ]
                                Cover of Dilla Time : The Life And Afterlife Of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm by Dan Charnas.

                                Dan Charnas

                                Dilla Time : The Life And Afterlife Of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm

                                Swift Press

                                  'This book is a must for everyone interested in illuminating the idea of unexplainable genius' - QUESTLOVEEqual parts biography, musicology, and cultural history, Dilla Time chronicles the life and legacy of J Dilla, a musical genius who transformed the sound of popular music for the twenty-first century. He wasn't known to mainstream audiences, and when he died at age thirty-two, he had never had a pop hit. Yet since his death, J Dilla has become a demigod, revered as one of the most important musical figures of the past hundred years.

                                  At the core of this adulation is innovation: as the producer behind some of the most influential rap and R&B acts of his day, Dilla created a new kind of musical time-feel, an accomplishment on a par with the revolutions wrought by Louis Armstrong and James Brown. Dilla and his drum machine reinvented the way musicians play. In Dilla Time, Dan Charnas chronicles the life of James DeWitt Yancey, from his gifted Detroit childhood to his rise as a sought-after hip-hop producer to the rare blood disease that caused his premature death.

                                  He follows the people who kept Dilla and his ideas alive. And he rewinds the histories of American rhythms: from the birth of Motown soul to funk, techno, and disco. Here, music is a story of what happens when human and machine times are synthesized into something new.

                                  This is the story of a complicated man and his machines; his family, friends, partners, and celebrity collaborators; and his undeniable legacy. Based on nearly two hundred original interviews, and filled with graphics that teach us to feel and "see" the rhythm of Dilla's beats, Dilla Time is a book as defining and unique as J Dilla's music itself. Financial Times Music Book of the Year 2022

                                  [ + ]
                                  [ - ]
                                  Cover of Never Good With Horses - Signed Edition by Simon Armitage.

                                  Simon Armitage

                                  Never Good With Horses - Signed Edition

                                  Faber & Faber

                                    The first-ever collection of the Poet Laureate's lyric output.

                                    In Simon Armitage’s work, there has always been a territory he identifies as ‘a twilight zone’ where poetry and song lyric converge. He has explored it through numerous enterprises – most recently with the ‘ambient post-rock’ band Land Yacht Regatta. Many of the lyrics collected here were written for LYR. Others are drawn from Armitage’s days with the DIY indie band The Scaremongers, various film and theatre productions including Songbirds and the BAFTA-winning Feltham Sings, and other miscellaneous ventures. The volume’s ‘Intro’ charts these projects and the blurred origins of ritualised language, while its ‘Outro’ offers contextualising notes and anecdotal insights.

                                    Never Good with Horses further demonstrates the rich range of Armitage’s repertoire and celebrates his ear for the music of language, harnessed here for the page.

                                    [ + ]
                                    [ - ]
                                    Cover of Johnny Cash: The Life In Lyrics by Mark Stielper & Johnny Cash.

                                    Mark Stielper & Johnny Cash

                                    Johnny Cash: The Life In Lyrics

                                    White Rabbit

                                      This book marks the first time Johnny Cash's 60 years of songwriting have been collected anywhere. Cash is one of the most beloved and influential country-music stars of all time, having composed more than 600 songs and perhaps best known for blending country, rock, blues, and gospel in his music, ushering in the countrypolitan and Outlaw country movements.

                                      An essential collectible that sheds new light on Cash's life and work, this oversize and sumptuously designed book includes rare and never-before-seen visual material alongside stories and commentary from Cash's son, John Carter Cash, Mark Stielper, Cash and Carter family historian, and others. Released the year of the twentieth anniversary of the legendary musician's passing, it will be a landmark moment in music publishing.

                                      This publication marks the first time the Cash Estate will open its archive to help lovers of his music understand his timeless songs in a new light, and to share the stories behind their creation. Public Historian Dr. Brian Dempsey will oversee the visual contributions.

                                      [ + ]
                                      [ - ]
                                      Cover of The Art Of Darkness: A History Of Goth - SIGNED EDITION by John Robb.

                                      John Robb

                                      The Art Of Darkness: A History Of Goth - SIGNED EDITION

                                      Louder Than War Books

                                        The first ever complete overview of Goth culture will be released in 2023.

                                        Finally, after a decade of work, countless interviews and immersing himself into the culture, John Robb's definitive book is a journey far into The Art Of Darkness. The first in-depth book on Goth is a deep dive into the enduring culture and the social, historical and political backdrop that created the space for The Art Of Darkness to thrive.

                                        680 pages with interviews with the likes of Andrew Eldritch, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, The Cult, The Banshees, The Damned, Einsturzende Neubauten, Danielle Dax, Johnny Marr, Trent Reznor, Adam Ant, Laibach, The Cure, Nick Cave and many others, this is a deepdive and walk on the dark side and into the very heartland of Goth.

                                        Every generation has got to deal with the blues - embrace the melancholy. Find a beauty in the darkness, a poetry in sex and death...Whether it’s the Roman love of ghost stories, European macabre folk tales of the Middle Ages, Romantic poets, or the original Gothic tribes sacking the Eternal City, a walk on the dark side has always had its attractions. In the post-punk period, Generation Xerox saw music, clothes and culture come together to create one of the most enduring pop cultures of them all that still resonates to this day..
                                        Goth.
                                        It may have been a retrospective term for a scene that was already thriving, but its back story goes back millennia. The book starts with the fall of Rome and ends with Instagram and Tik Tok influencers, taking diversions through Lord Byron, European folk tales, Indian sadhus, Gothic architecture, Romantic poets, philosophers and idealists before coalescing through the dark end of the Sixties’ youthquake, and then blooming like Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs Du Mal in the post-punk period.

                                        Defying the broken heartland of the post-industrial cities, the semi-forgotten satellite towns and the grim real politic of the Thatcher years, this was a post-punk culture full of dark dance and a death disco. The music soundtracked the style and a Stygian obsidian soundtrack fused the many fragments of culture that had been flirted with in the post-war pop narrative; a darker culture that began to coalesce around the holy trinity of the Doors, the Velvets and the Stooges in the late Sixties before flirting with glam rock, being amplified by punk, exploding as Goth, and then splintering into electronic dance music, industrial, psychobilly and new Goth, before finally filtering through dystopian Hollywood blockbusters, modern literature and throughout the modern world.

                                        In the late Seventies, Goth culture emerged around a clutch of bands who found a new form of beauty in the apocalyptic foreboding, as a new youth tribe took glam rock from the catwalk to the cobbles and onto their own dance floors, creating their own art of darkness.


                                        [ + ]
                                        [ - ]
                                        Cover of Sonic Life : The New Memoir From The Sonic Youth Founding Member by Thurston Moore.

                                        Thurston Moore

                                        Sonic Life : The New Memoir From The Sonic Youth Founding Member

                                        Faber & Faber

                                          'Were you there? Well this is as close as it gets! Thurston Moore's compelling and spirited account of the streets, the songs, the clothes, the clubs and the contenders! A sensitive and authentic testimony to Moore's life lived through art and music. Beats with the heart of a true artist and mutineer.' Viv Albertine'Downtown scientists rejoice! For Thurston Moore has unearthed the missing links, the sacred texts, the forgotten stories, and the secret maps of the lost golden age. This is history-scuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable.' Colson WhiteheadA music-obsessed retrospective, beginning with his childhood epiphany of rock 'n' roll in the early 1960s into an infatuation with the subversive world of 1970s punk and no wave blasting forth from New York City - where he eventually runs off to join a band in 1978.

                                          By 1981 Moore would form the legendary and notorious experimental rock group Sonic Youth, who proceeded to record and tour relentlessly for almost 30 years, always progressing, always exploring. Along the way we meet a constellation of artists and musicians who colluded and collided with Sonic Youth including Velvet Underground, Stooges, Patti Smith, Television, Sex Pistols, Clash, Nirvana, Hole, Beastie Boys, Neil Young and a cavalcade of other musical visionaries, as well as figures from the art world - Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Gerhard Richter. Simply put, Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth changed the sound of modern alternative rock music and opened the minds of a generation of artists to new possibilities within the form.

                                          This is essential reading. 'I thoroughly enjoyed Thurston Moore's trip down the gauntlet of memory lane, dodging beer bottles and pools of blood as he balances the demands of art and survival. Plus I'm a sucker for anyone who name-checks Saccharine Trust.

                                          A raw, rollicking document.' Nell Zink

                                          [ + ]
                                          [ - ]
                                          Cover of Paused In Cosmic Reflection by The Chemical Brothers With Robin Turner.

                                          The Chemical Brothers With Robin Turner

                                          Paused In Cosmic Reflection

                                          White Rabbit

                                            Paused in Cosmic Reflection is the definitive story of The Chemical Brothers. Told in the voices of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, with contributions from friends and collaborators, it is fully illustrated with 30 years of mind-bending visuals.

                                            [ + ]
                                            [ - ]
                                            Cover of I Thought I Heard You Speak : Women At Factory Records by Audrey Golden.

                                            Audrey Golden

                                            I Thought I Heard You Speak : Women At Factory Records

                                            White Rabbit

                                              Factory Records has become the stuff of legend. The histories of the label have been told from many perspectives, from visual catalogues and memoirs to exhibitions. Yet no in-depth history has ever been told from the perspectives of the women who were integral to Factory's cultural significance.

                                              The untold history of Factory Records is one of women's work at nearly every turn: recording music, playing live gigs, running the label behind the scenes, managing and promoting bands, designing record sleeves, making films and music videos, pioneering sound technology, DJing, and running one of the most chaotic clubs on the planet, The Hacienda. Told entirely in their voices and featuring contributions from Gillian Gilbert, Gina Birch, Cath Carroll, Penny Henry and over fifty more interviewees, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SPEAK is an oral history that reveals the true cultural reach of the label and its staying power in the twenty-first century.

                                              [ + ]
                                              [ - ]
                                              Cover of Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story Rude Boys, Racism And The Soundtrack Of A Generation - RECORD SHOP EXCLUSIVE SIGNED EDITION by Daniel Rachel.

                                              Daniel Rachel

                                              Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story Rude Boys, Racism And The Soundtrack Of A Generation - RECORD SHOP EXCLUSIVE SIGNED EDITION

                                              White Rabbit

                                                In 1979, 2 Tone exploded into the national conscience as records by The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born.

                                                2 Tone was black and white: a multi-racial force of British and Caribbean island musicians singing about social issues, racism, class and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and took fight against right wing extremism.

                                                The music of 2 Tone was exuberant: white youth learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae; and crossed with a punk attitude to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, masterminded by a middle-class art student raised in the church. Jerry Dammers had a vision of an English Motown. Borrowing £700, the label's first record featured 'Gangsters' by The Specials' backed by an instrumental track by the, as yet, unformed, Selecter. Within two months the single was at number six in the national charts. Dammers signed Madness, The Beat and The Bodysnatchers as a glut of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, soon infighting amongst the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to an inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination.

                                                Still under the auspices of Jerry Dammers, 2 Tone entered in a new phase. Perhaps not as commercially successful as its 1979-1981 incarnation the label nevertheless continued to thrive for a further four years releasing a string of fresh signings and a stunning endpiece finale in '(Free) Nelson Mandela'.

                                                Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment, shaped British culture.

                                                [ + ]
                                                [ - ]
                                                Cover of Issue 479 + 480 - January + February 2024 by The Wire.

                                                The Wire

                                                Issue 479 + 480 - January + February 2024

                                                  Special bumper double issue. On the cover: Releases of the Year: We asked our contributors to vote for their top ten records, CDs, streams and more, then added up the votes; Critics’ Reflections: Our writers discuss their memorable cultural experiences of the year; Columnists’ Charts: Our specialist critics delve deep into their musical niches from noise to modern composition; Archive Releases of the Year: We asked our contributors to vote for their top ten archive records, CDs, streams and more, then added up the votes. Plus: Engineered Phantoms: AI for the masses. By Abi Bliss; Back to the Land: Strange as folk. By Louis Pattison; Rival Camps: Crossing the streams. By Britt Brown; Weapons of Mass Distraction: Artists and Gaza. By GAIKA. Also inside this issue: Invisible Jukebox: Linton Kwesi Johnson: The veteran reggae poet faces down The Wire’s mystery record selection. Tested by Gabriel Bristow; Laetitia Sadier: The Stereolab founder promotes community and healing with her new solo work. By Claire Biddles; Fred Frith: The Henry Cow co-founder returns to his groundbreaking 1974 album Guitar Solos with a reissue and a new album. By Clive Bell. Plus: Unlimited Editions: Bead Records; Unofficial Channels: Lanner Chronicle; Phil Geraldi; HUUUM; Lisa Ullén; Thomas Ignatius; Global Ear: Chicago; The Inner Sleeve by Vince Clarke; Epiphanies by Mariam Rezaei; many pages of reviews and much more.

                                                  [ + ]
                                                  [ - ]
                                                  Cover of End Of Year Review 2023 by Piccadilly Records.

                                                  Piccadilly Records

                                                  End Of Year Review 2023

                                                    Back in the day (the late 90s!), confronted from October onwards by a raft of Christmas-related albums from the major labels, and barely a squeak of a release from the independents, we decided to compile our own top 50 albums of the year, and promote that over the festive season instead. 

                                                    Now, well over two decades on, the Piccadilly Records Top 100 has become one of THE essential end of year charts to check out. Our End Of Year Review booklets have also become increasingly sought-after, and now comes packed with our Top 100 albums, Top 20 compilations, Top 20 reissues/collections, Genre charts, book chart, staff charts and reviews of our favourite albums all wrapped in lush perfect bound artwork by Piccadilly pal Mark Brown (www.markbrownstudio.co.uk). 
                                                    The perfect read for any music lover over Crimbo.

                                                    [ + ]
                                                    [ - ]
                                                    Cover of Maggot Brain (Issue #14) by Third Man Books Present.

                                                    Third Man Books Present

                                                    Maggot Brain (Issue #14)

                                                      The Fall 2023 issue is jam-packed! Cover boy HARRY SMITH shines thanks to a cheeky, never-before published photo by Allen Ginsberg. We celebrate the life and work of the self-described “ethnopharmacologist” just in time for the release of John Szwed’s illuminating biography and Smith’s first one-person art exhibition, at the Whitney, with three killer, well-illustrated features (on his Anthology of American Folk Music, an interview by Marc Masters with Szwed, and a terrific dive into Smith’s relationship with fellow visual artist and filmmaker Jordan Belson by Raymond Foye). Also in this issue: Andy Beta on the reissue of a forgotten LOU REED record. Excerpts from two revelatory works—ANDY ZAX’s Extinctophonics, and CHRISTINA WARD’s Holy Food. Kathy Lindenmayer witnesses a show by BOYGENIUS. An archival interview with fabric arts pioneer and Bauhaus OG, ANNI ALBERS. An illustrated ADVANCE BASE tour diary by Owen Ashworth. Tamara Palmer considers the oddball career arc of ORBITAL. v Andy Beta goes deep on TETSU INOUE. Nate Lippens goes off on RENE RICARD and other obsessions. And Michelle Dove on CAT POWER’s sense of humor! Plus illustrations throughout by MARLY BEYER; and columns by LUCY SANTE, MIMI LIPSON, DWIGHT PAVLOVIC, and editor MIKE McGONIGAL; tributes to SIXTO RODRIGUEZ, ESP SUMMER, and PEE-WEE HERMAN; and the triumphant return of the UNSTAPLED column, with reproductions of a contemporary basketball fanzine.

                                                      [ + ]
                                                      [ - ]
                                                      Cover of Johnny Cash: The Life In Lyrics - Super Deluxe Record Store Edition by Mark Stielper & Johnny Cash.

                                                      Mark Stielper & Johnny Cash

                                                      Johnny Cash: The Life In Lyrics - Super Deluxe Record Store Edition

                                                      White Rabbit

                                                        DELUXE LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION: Enclosed in a protective slipcase debossed with foil, including several frameable reproductions of rare memorabilia:
                                                        - A never-before-published photograph of Johnny Cash performing at a private event in Knoxville, TN, in April, 1975
                                                        - A reproduction of the Cash coat of arms, hand-drawn and lettered by Cash, with reflections on its meaning
                                                        - A double-sided reproduction of Cash's handwritten lyrics for "Flesh and Blood" with ornamental drawings and a special note to June Carter
                                                        - An access code to listen to never-before-released audio comments by Cash.

                                                        This book marks the first time Johnny Cash's 60 years of songwriting have been collected anywhere. Cash is one of the most beloved and influential country-music stars of all time, having composed more than 600 songs and perhaps best known for blending country, rock, blues, and gospel in his music, ushering in the countrypolitan and Outlaw country movements.

                                                        An essential collectible that sheds new light on Cash's life and work, this oversize and sumptuously designed book includes rare and never-before-seen visual material alongside stories and commentary from Cash's son, John Carter Cash, Mark Stielper, Cash and Carter family historian, and others. Released the year of the twentieth anniversary of the legendary musician's passing, it will be a landmark moment in music publishing.

                                                        This publication marks the first time the Cash Estate will open its archive to help lovers of his music understand his timeless songs in a new light, and to share the stories behind their creation. Public Historian Dr. Brian Dempsey will oversee the visual contributions.

                                                        [ + ]
                                                        [ - ]
                                                        Cover of CUREPEDIA: An A-Z Of The Cure - Special Edition by Simon Price.

                                                        Simon Price

                                                        CUREPEDIA: An A-Z Of The Cure - Special Edition

                                                        White Rabbit

                                                          This deluxe edition, limited to 1000 copies, will feature alternative original cover artwork, housed in a bespoke slipcase, with a ribbon marker and 26 integrated full colour A-Z chapter headings. Complete with interior pages printed in red and black ink and bespoke C-U-R-E lettered endpapers, this edition also comes with four additional prints (C-U-R-E) from original mixed media print in an envelope, and a bookplate insert signed by Simon Price and Andy Vella. All artwork, design and packaging is by Andy Vella, celebrated artist and longtime Cure collaborator (as part of Parched Art).

                                                          The Cure are arguably the biggest alternative rock band in the world. Their popularity is not limited to any one country, or even continent. Between 1985 and 2000 every album they released went to at least Gold in the UK, the US or both. In America they have earned four Platinum albums, and they are estimated to have sold 30 million albums worldwide. Their iconic status as elder statesmen of Alternative Rock remains undiminished - if anything, their tireless touring has ensured that it has grown with every passing year - and lead singer Robert Smith is an endlessly fascinating figure to successive generations of fans. The Cure's influence reverberates through genres including Emo, Goth, Industrial and Indie Rock.

                                                          The book is an encyclopaedic A-Z of The Cure examining and riffing on miscellaneous trivia, biographies of the band members past and present, summaries of each album and selected songs, details of the band's various tours and films, and essays on broader topics such as their image, their politics and their influences. Playful, eccentric and irreverent - true to the spirit of the band itself - CUREPEDIA is a comprehensive biography of one of the biggest alternative rock bands in the world.

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of CUREPEDIA: An A-Z Of The Cure by Simon Price.

                                                          Simon Price

                                                          CUREPEDIA: An A-Z Of The Cure

                                                          White Rabbit

                                                            The Cure are arguably the biggest alternative rock band in the world. Their popularity is not limited to any one country, or even continent. Between 1985 and 2000 every album they released went to at least Gold in the UK, the US or both. In America they have earned four Platinum albums, and they are estimated to have sold 30 million albums worldwide. Their iconic status as elder statesmen of Alternative Rock remains undiminished - if anything, their tireless touring has ensured that it has grown with every passing year - and lead singer Robert Smith is an endlessly fascinating figure to successive generations of fans. The Cure's influence reverberates through genres including Emo, Goth, Industrial and Indie Rock.

                                                            The book is an encyclopaedic A-Z of The Cure examining and riffing on miscellaneous trivia, biographies of the band members past and present, summaries of each album and selected songs, details of the band's various tours and films, and essays on broader topics such as their image, their politics and their influences. Playful, eccentric and irreverent - true to the spirit of the band itself - CUREPEDIA is a comprehensive biography of one of the biggest alternative rock bands in the world.

                                                            [ + ]
                                                            [ - ]
                                                            Cover of Passion For Vinyl - Part I: A Tribute To All Who Dig The Groove by Robert Haagsma.

                                                            Robert Haagsma

                                                            Passion For Vinyl - Part I: A Tribute To All Who Dig The Groove

                                                            Record Industry

                                                              This book is a tribute to vinyl, a format that is making a spectacular comeback recently, although for many music lovers it never really disappeared.

                                                              Brazilian superstar Ed Motta came to Holland to buy an apartment, but spent all his money on vinyl instead. When a young Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth discovered a scratch on his recently bought Bathory LP he demolished his bedroom. It’s Atlantic’s CEO Craig Kallman mission to own all relevant albums on vinyl. He has 750.000 already. That’s what vinyl does with music lovers.

                                                              In Passion For Vinyl a wide selection of DJ’s, musicians, label owners, designers, record dealers, collectors and engineers like Henry Rollins, Bernie Grundman, Hans Pokora, Chris Ellis, Steffi, Mala, Vaughan Oliver, Lee Dorrian, Jacco Gardner, John Dyer Baizley and many others share their unconditional love for vinyl. They muse about the first record that changed their lives, talk about their prized collectibles and explain why they were determined to keep vinyl alive. Passion for Vinyl also tells the history of Record Industry, the Dutch factory that has been pressing vinyl since the 1950’s.

                                                              The 7” single contains two exclusive tracks from Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell and Rinus’ Garage Feat. Triggerfinger.

                                                              [ + ]
                                                              [ - ]
                                                              Cover of Passion For Vinyl - Part II: An Ode To Analog by Robert Haagsma.

                                                              Robert Haagsma

                                                              Passion For Vinyl - Part II: An Ode To Analog

                                                              Record Industry

                                                                Record stores are popping up again everywhere. New vinyl pressing plants are opening in America, Europe and Asia. Young vinyl enthusiasts – both male and female! – are swarming to record fairs looking for old and new records to build their collection. When Passion for Vinyl Part 1 came out, there was still some doubt about the comeback of vinyl. Wasn’t it all just a hype? Now, five years later, even the biggest sceptic can’t deny it: vinyl is back and it’s here to stay!

                                                                In light of all these new and exciting developments, a follow-up to the successful and well-received first volume of the Passion for Vinyl book is more than viable. DJs, musicians, engineers, designers, shop managers, record label CEOs and collectors like Dischord’s Ian MacKaye, Norton’s Miriam Linna, singer-songwriter Ryley Walker, musician and producer T Bone Burnett, Abbey Road’s half-speed maestro Miles Showell, DJs Sven Väth and Ellen Allien, designer John Kosh and many others tell about the records that changed their lives, their love for vinyl and the impact its resurgence has had on them. Passion for Vinyl Part 2 also shows how analogue recording techniques are making a comeback in the recording and mastering studios.

                                                                In the last few years, countless music lovers have (re)discovered that nothing beats listening to a vinyl record on a proper stereo set. It makes the listener connect with the music like nothing else. This book is a tribute to that unique experience.

                                                                The 7” single contains three exclusive tracks from Norton Records’ Hasil Adkins & Bloodshot Bill and DJ/producer Ellen Allien.

                                                                [ + ]
                                                                [ - ]
                                                                Cover of Passion For Vinyl - Part III: Tales From The Groove by Robert Haagsma.

                                                                Robert Haagsma

                                                                Passion For Vinyl - Part III: Tales From The Groove

                                                                Record Industry

                                                                  It’s quite amazing that in a world that has become increasingly digital and where ‘stuff’ has become invisible, vinyl has made such a spectacular comeback. Yet it is very likely also one of the main reasons for its resurgence. People like to collect. The physical aspect of playing a record adds to the listening experience and creates memories. An album can take you back to an important time or place. And buying a new record is a great way of supporting a favorite artist and their label. That’s also the reason why new generations of music lovers have embraced vinyl.

                                                                  This new edition of Passion for Vinyl tells these stories. It’s about the records that inspire people. The way they shaped their lives. How they sparked them to pick up an instrument, become a DJ, or start a label, pressing plant or YouTube channel. Passion for Vinyl features exclusive interviews with Blue Note recording artist Gregory Porter, CEO of Linn Gilad Tiefenbrun, Bettina Richards of Thrill Jockey Records, YouTube personality Melinda Murphy, Beggars Group US president Nabil Ayers, Ben Blackwell of Third Man Records, Classic Album Sundays’ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Liz Dunster of Erika Records, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, DJ, collector and label owner Gilles Peterson, Jenn D’Eugenio of Gold Rush Vinyl and Women in Vinyl, Bad Seed member Warren Ellis, Paulo Jr. of Sepultura, Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds, and many others.

                                                                  This book offers close to 30 interviews with a very diverse cast of characters. They have in common a deep love of music. Passion for Vinyl shares the unique experience of making, buying, collecting, and enjoying vinyl. Its purpose is to inspire.

                                                                  The 7" single contains two exclusive tracks from Lovemonk’s Gecko Turner and Munster Records’ Los Saicos.


                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                  Cover of Watford Forever : How Graham Taylor And Elton John Saved A Football Club, A Town And Each Other by John Preston & Elton John.

                                                                  John Preston & Elton John

                                                                  Watford Forever : How Graham Taylor And Elton John Saved A Football Club, A Town And Each Other

                                                                  Viking

                                                                    'The heartwarming story of the collaboration and friendship between English football’s oddest couple, Elton John and Graham Taylor' The Times 'An ever-entertaining telling of a remarkable sporting fairy-tale' Daily Telegraph_____________________ An unforgettable British underdog story from one of our greatest narrative nonfiction writers, John Preston, and the international musical icon and bestselling author, Sir Elton John. Britain in the 1970s was beset by unrest and unemployment, as inflation soared, fuel was scarce, and hooliganism was on the rise. And for Watford FC, the outlook was even gloomier.

                                                                    Rundown and rat-infested, Watford were an ailing side with holes in their kit and barely enough fans to fill a stand. Of the 92 clubs in the Football League, spread across four divisions, Watford were in 92nd place. Meanwhile, Elton John was the most successful rockstar in the world.

                                                                    With six-inch platforms, spangled jumpsuits, and peroxide hair, he was glamorous, gay, and seemingly a world away from the semi-detached house in Pinner where he had supported Watford FC as a child. Many assumed he would move to America. Instead, he bought the football club.

                                                                    Watford Forever is the remarkable story of Elton John's ownership of Watford FC and its transformational journey to the top of the First Division under iconic manager Graham Taylor. Perhaps most remarkably, four of the same players who had been written off as has-beens went with them all the way from the bottom to the top. Inspiring and infectiously funny, this is a tribute to football's unlikeliest friendship as Elton John and Taylor, a straight-talking former fullback with a love of Vera Lynn, beat the odds and their personal demons to save a club and a community.

                                                                    Immersed in the grime and glamour of '70s Britain, Watford Forever is one of sport's great underdog stories and a love letter to the beautiful game.

                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                    Cover of Sonic Life: A Memoir - SPECIAL EDITION by Thurston Moore.

                                                                    Thurston Moore

                                                                    Sonic Life: A Memoir - SPECIAL EDITION

                                                                    Faber & Faber

                                                                      Sonic Life - Limited Edition

                                                                      Edition of 300 copies, 496pp printed 1/1 on 80gsm Munken Premium Cream with 1x8pp colour plate section

                                                                      Fine bound, hardback, numbered edition of Sonic Life, signed by the author, housed in a branded slipcase

                                                                      Unique, signed Polaroid print, taken by Thurston Moore in a portfolio

                                                                      Letterpress print of Sonic Life logo on 330gsm Somerset Radiant White Velvet

                                                                       A study of a life lived in an environment of wild music and endless wonder, Sonic Life is the long-awaited memoir of iconic American musician and Sonic Youth frontman, Thurston Moore.

                                                                      A music-obsessed retrospective, beginning with his childhood epiphany of rock ’n’ roll in the early 1960s into an infatuation with the subversive world of 1970s punk and no wave blasting forth from New York City – where he eventually runs off to join a band in 1978. By 1981 Moore would form the legendary and notorious experimental rock group Sonic Youth, who proceeded to record and tour relentlessly for almost 30 years, always progressing, always exploring.

                                                                      Along the way we meet a constellation of artists and musicians who colluded and collided with Sonic Youth including Velvet Underground, Stooges, Patti Smith, Television, Sex Pistols, Clash, Nirvana, Hole, Beastie Boys, Neil Young and a cavalcade of other musical visionaries, as well as figures from the art world – Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Gerhard Richter. Simply put, Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth changed the sound of modern alternative rock music and opened the minds of a generation of artists to new possibilities within the form. This is essential reading.

                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                      Cover of We Were The Robots (A Disco Pogo Tribute) by Daft Punk.

                                                                      Daft Punk

                                                                      We Were The Robots (A Disco Pogo Tribute)

                                                                      Disco Pogo

                                                                        Daft Punk featured often in the formative years of Jockey Slut magazine (including their first front cover). This tribute to the duo collates all the interviews and photos from the seminal magazine - covering their early days on Soma up to the release of Discovery. Further articles cover the rest of their tenure as one of the globe’s most furtive, influential electronic acts right up to their unexpected split in February 2021.

                                                                        - Their first ever interview, for Jockey Slut in 1994.
                                                                        - Oral histories on their early years on Soma and the making of Homework and Discovery.
                                                                        - Their first unmasked cover shot and interview for Jockey Slut in 1996.
                                                                        - A Fax interview from Jockey Slut in 1995 including their doodles and handwriting.
                                                                        - Long reads on Human After All, Random Access Memories and their Coachella performance.
                                                                        - Vintage features from writers including Alexis Petridis, Emma Warren and Ben Cardew.
                                                                        - A History of Roule records and the duos' extra curricular activities.
                                                                        - Exclusive Interview with Tony Gardner, the man behind the robots.
                                                                        - Daft Punk in film: Interstella 5555, Electroma and Tron.
                                                                        - Daft Punk was playing in my house - an exclusive interview with LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy.
                                                                        - An exclusive interview with Pedro ‘Busy P’ Winter and Together’s DJ Falcon.
                                                                        - Daft Punk superfans.

                                                                        The book has been a labour of love since the band split but we are finally ready to share it with the Disco Pogo community and beyond.

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of World Within A Song : Music That Changed My Life And Life That Changed My Music by Tweedy, Jeff.

                                                                        Tweedy, Jeff

                                                                        World Within A Song : Music That Changed My Life And Life That Changed My Music

                                                                        Faber & Faber

                                                                          What makes us fall in love with a song? What makes us want to write our own songs? Do songs help? Do songs help us live better lives? And do the lives we live help us write better songs? Following publication of Let's Go (So We Can Get Back) and How To Write One Song, both New York Times bestsellers that cemented and expanded his legacy as one of America's best-loved performers and songwriters, Jeff Tweedy is back with another disarming, beautiful, and inspiring book. Featuring over fifty songs that have both changed Jeff's life and influenced his music-including songs by the Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, Otis Redding, Dolly Parton, and Billie Eilish-as well as thoughts on Jeff's own songs, World Within a Song asks why do we listen to music, why we love songs, and how music can connect us to each other and to ourselves.

                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                          Cover of Dancehall - The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture - 15th Anniversary Edition by Beth Lesser.

                                                                          Beth Lesser

                                                                          Dancehall - The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture - 15th Anniversary Edition

                                                                          Soul Jazz

                                                                            New edition of Beth Lesser’s seminal ‘DANCEHALL: The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture’. Features a new introduction by Duro Olowu.

                                                                            15th anniversary edition on Soul Jazz Records of this now classic large format deluxe book - the definitive photography book and essential guide to Jamaican Dancehall in the 1980s, featuring 100s and 100s of amazing photographs, all with accompanying text, interviews and biographies.

                                                                            ‘DANCEHALL’ is an essential reference book for anyone interested in Reggae and captures a previously unseen era of musical culture, fashion and lifestyle in stunning, vibrant colour.

                                                                            Dancehall is a culture that encompasses music, fashion, drugs, guns, art, community, technology, and more. Born in the 1950s out of the neighbourhood soundsystems of Kingston, Dancehall grew to its height in the 1980s before a massive influx of drugs and guns made the scene too dangerous for many.

                                                                            Today Dancehall remains at the centre of Jamaican musical and cultural life. From its roots in Kingston in the 1950s to its heyday in the 1980s, Dancehall conquered the globe spreading to the USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Europe and beyond.

                                                                            In the early 1980s Jamaica was in the throes of political and gang violence - photographer Beth Lesser ventured where few other dared and this book is a never-before-seen record of the exciting, dangerous and vibrant world of Dancehall.

                                                                            Living in Jamaica in the late 1970s and early 80s, Beth Lesser photographed and documented a cultural explosion as producers, singers, DJs and soundsystems who all made a living out of the slums of Kingston. With unprecedented access to the incredibly vibrant music scene during this period, Beth Lesser’s photographs are a unique way into a previously hidden part of Jamaican culture.

                                                                            “Lesser’s book is a vibrant anthology of all that mattered; the soundsystems, singers, producers, singers and deejays.” - The Guardian

                                                                            “This superb book of Beth Lesser’s photographs, supplemented by her emphatic text and wonderful candid interviews with many of the main players gives us a unique view straight to the heart of dancehall reggae.” - Steve Barrow, author of ‘Rough Guide To Reggae’

                                                                            “This book features Dancehall and all its luminaries, with a backdrop of bass bins, heat-hazed colour and excellent knitwear, plus interviews, biographies and diversions into the music’s development.” - MOJO

                                                                            “I love when I find a book that investigates a particular scene or sub-culture. Beth Lesser’s ‘DANCEHALL’ captures the Jamaican Dancehall culture of the 1980s with the same level of sincerity and curiosity that Brassai exhibited while capturing Paris nightlife in the 1930s.” - The Satorialist

                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                            Cover of Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - SIGNED EDITION IN LIMITED SLIPCASE by Sly Stone.

                                                                            Sly Stone

                                                                            Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - SIGNED EDITION IN LIMITED SLIPCASE

                                                                            White Rabbit

                                                                              Strictly limited signed and numbered slipcase special edition.

                                                                              One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer who created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock; penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and 70s, from "Everyday People" to "Family Affair"; and electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop culture performance. Yet he has also been a cautionary tale, known as much for how he dropped out of sight as for what put him in the spotlight in the first place. As much as people know the music, the man remains a mystery. In Thank You, his much-anticipated memoir, he's finally ready to share his story - a story that many thought he'd never have the chance to tell. Written with Ben Greenman, who has written memoirs with George Clinton and Brian Wilson among others, Thank You will include a foreword by Questlove. The book was created in collaboration with Sly Stone's manager Arlene Hirschkowitz.

                                                                              "For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story," says Stone. "I wasn't ready. I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It's been a wild ride and hopefully my fans enjoy it too."

                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                              Cover of Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) by Sly Stone.

                                                                              Sly Stone

                                                                              Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

                                                                              White Raabbit

                                                                                One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer who created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock; penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and 70s, from "Everyday People" to "Family Affair"; and electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop culture performance. Yet he has also been a cautionary tale, known as much for how he dropped out of sight as for what put him in the spotlight in the first place. As much as people know the music, the man remains a mystery. In Thank You, his much-anticipated memoir, he's finally ready to share his story - a story that many thought he'd never have the chance to tell. Written with Ben Greenman, who has written memoirs with George Clinton and Brian Wilson among others, Thank You will include a foreword by Questlove. The book was created in collaboration with Sly Stone's manager Arlene Hirschkowitz.

                                                                                "For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story," says Stone. "I wasn't ready. I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It's been a wild ride and hopefully my fans enjoy it too."

                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                Cover of Party Lines : Dance Music And The Making Of Modern Britain by Ed Gillett.

                                                                                Ed Gillett

                                                                                Party Lines : Dance Music And The Making Of Modern Britain

                                                                                Picador

                                                                                  'A fascinating deep dive' Jeremy Deller.
                                                                                  From the illicit reggae blues dances and acid-rock free festivals of the 1970s, through the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love in 1988, to the increasingly corporate dance music culture of the post-Covid era, Party Lines is a groundbreaking new history of UK dance music, exploring its pivotal role in the social, political and economic shifts on which modern Britain has been built. Taking in the Victorian moralism of the Thatcher years, the far-reaching restrictions of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994, and the resurgence of illegal raves during the Covid-19 pandemic, Party Lines charts an ongoing conflict, fought in basement clubs, abandoned warehouses and sunlit fields, between the revolutionary potential of communal sound and the reactionary impulses of the British establishment. Brought to life with stunning clarity and depth, this is social and cultural history at its most immersive, vital and shocking.

                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                  Cover of A Year With Swollen Appendices : Brian Eno's Diary by Brian Eno.

                                                                                  Brian Eno

                                                                                  A Year With Swollen Appendices : Brian Eno's Diary

                                                                                  Faber & Faber

                                                                                    The diary and essays of Brian Eno republished twenty-five years on with a new introduction by the artist in a beautiful hardback edition. 'One of the seminal books about music . .

                                                                                    . an invaluable insight into the mind and working practices of one of the industry's undeniable geniuses.'GUARDIAN.

                                                                                    At the end of 1994, musician, producer and artist Brian Eno resolved to keep a diary. His plans to go to the cinema, theatre and galleries fell through quickly.

                                                                                    What he did do - and write - however, was astonishing: ruminations on his collaborative work with artists including David Bowie, U2, James and Jah Wobble, interspersed with correspondence and essays dating back to 1978. These 'appendices' covered topics from the generative and ambient music Eno pioneered to what he believed the role of an artist and their art to truly be, alongside razor-sharp commentary on his day-to-day tribulations and happenings around the world. A fascinating, candid and intimate insight into one of the most influential creative artists of our time, A Year with Swollen Appendices is an essential classic, reissued for a new generation of readers.

                                                                                    This beautiful 25th anniversary paperback edition has been re-designed in A5, the same size as the diary that eventually became this book. It features two ribbons, pink paper delineating the appendices (matching the original hardback edition) and a two-tone cover that pays homage to the original design.

                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                    Cover of Sonic Life: A Memoir - SIGNED EDITION by Thurston Moore.

                                                                                    Thurston Moore

                                                                                    Sonic Life: A Memoir - SIGNED EDITION

                                                                                    Faber & Faber

                                                                                      * SUPER LIMITED SIGNED COPIES *

                                                                                      A study of a life lived in an environment of wild music and endless wonder, Sonic Life is the long-awaited memoir of iconic American musician and Sonic Youth frontman, Thurston Moore.

                                                                                      A music-obsessed retrospective, beginning with his childhood epiphany of rock ’n’ roll in the early 1960s into an infatuation with the subversive world of 1970s punk and no wave blasting forth from New York City – where he eventually runs off to join a band in 1978. By 1981 Moore would form the legendary and notorious experimental rock group Sonic Youth, who proceeded to record and tour relentlessly for almost 30 years, always progressing, always exploring.

                                                                                      Along the way we meet a constellation of artists and musicians who colluded and collided with Sonic Youth including Velvet Underground, Stooges, Patti Smith, Television, Sex Pistols, Clash, Nirvana, Hole, Beastie Boys, Neil Young and a cavalcade of other musical visionaries, as well as figures from the art world – Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Gerhard Richter. Simply put, Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth changed the sound of modern alternative rock music and opened the minds of a generation of artists to new possibilities within the form. This is essential reading

                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                      Cover of George Harrison : The Reluctant Beatle by Philip Norman.

                                                                                      Philip Norman

                                                                                      George Harrison : The Reluctant Beatle

                                                                                      Simon & Schuster Ltd

                                                                                        From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle. Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.

                                                                                        Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'Here Comes the Sun', and his solo debut album 'All Things Must Pass' achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page.

                                                                                        Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python's Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her.

                                                                                        Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous colour photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar-player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.

                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                        Cover of Paused In Cosmic Reflection - Record Store Exclusive Edition by The Chemical Brothers With Robin Turner.

                                                                                        The Chemical Brothers With Robin Turner

                                                                                        Paused In Cosmic Reflection - Record Store Exclusive Edition

                                                                                        White Rabbit

                                                                                          Record Store Exclusive Edition
                                                                                          - Housed in a bespoke slipcase
                                                                                          - Alternate colourway
                                                                                          - Ribbon marker
                                                                                          - Kate Gibb risograph art print
                                                                                          - Limited to 1500 copies

                                                                                          Paused in Cosmic Reflection is the definitive story of The Chemical Brothers. Told in the voices of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, with contributions from friends and collaborators, it is fully illustrated with 30 years of mind-bending visuals.

                                                                                          Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are The Chemical Brothers. In the UK, they have had six No. 1 albums and 13 top-20 singles, including two chart-toppers. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. Robin Turner has worked with The Chems for more than twenty years.

                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                          Cover of Marr's Guitars by Johnny Marr.

                                                                                          Johnny Marr

                                                                                          Marr's Guitars

                                                                                          Thames & Hudson Ltd

                                                                                            A stunning photographic presentation of the guitars that defined the distinctive sounds and style of Johnny Marr with personal reflections and insights from the legendary guitarist himself. 'Guitars have been the obsession of my life ... they've been a mission and sometimes a lifeline' - Johnny Marr The guitarist's guitarist, Johnny Marr redefined music for a generation.

                                                                                            His ringing arpeggios and chordal innovations helped elevate The Smiths to be one of the most influential and important British bands of all time. Tracing Marr's career from his teenage years to his recent work on the Bond soundtrack, Marr's Guitars showcases the most significant of Marr's superb collection of electric and acoustic guitars, revealing through them the evolution of his iconic sound and style of playing. Each guitar is identified with a crucial moment, a specific song or a particular sound, and each embodies a key aspect of Marr's lifelong passion.

                                                                                            Renowned photographer Pat Graham presents each instrument as a full portrait, supported by micro shots highlighting the specific details that make each one unique, while Johnny Marr himself reveals in his accompanying commentary on what tracks and at which shows the guitars were played. Many of the guitars are closely associated with Marr, such as the Rickenbacker 330, the Gibson ES-355 and the Johnny Marr Signature Fender Jaguar. Some were passed down to him, including Nile Rodgers' Stratocaster, Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music Hagstrom and Bert Jansch's Yamaha.

                                                                                            Others are guitars once owned by Marr that have since been passed on to the next generation of guitar heroes, including the Stratocaster used by Noel Gallagher on 'Wonderwall' and the Gibson Les Paul Goldtop used on In Rainbows by Radiohead's Ed O'Brien. Punctuating the photography of the guitars and the accompanying commentary are contextual studio, backstage and onstage shots. Together, they make Marr's Guitars a unique cultural history of modern music and guitar playing told through the prism of Johnny Marr's experiences and achievements.

                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                            Cover of Fly Away Paul : The Extraordinary Story Of How Paul McCartney Survived The Beatles And Found His Wings by Lesley-Ann Jones.

                                                                                            Lesley-Ann Jones

                                                                                            Fly Away Paul : The Extraordinary Story Of How Paul McCartney Survived The Beatles And Found His Wings

                                                                                            Coronet Books

                                                                                              the remarkable account of Paul McCartney's time in Wings and ascent into solo stardom, by renowned music biographer Lesley-Ann JonesNo comprehensive biography of the time Paul McCartney spent with Wings has ever been published, until now. A period often dismissed as McCartney's 'missing' years, in fact the band lasted for a decade: two years longer than the Beatles, and wielded such impact and influence that they at one point achieved the status as the biggest live band in the world. Band on the Run sold over 6 million copies worldwide and became EMI's biggest selling album of the 1970s in the UK.

                                                                                              Music biographer Lesley-Ann Jones has met McCartney many times and knew his late wife Linda. Here she shows how crucial Linda was to the evolution of Wings - at great cost to herself given the ridicule she was to encounter. But Linda saw that McCartney needed the band in the wake of the break up of the Beatles.

                                                                                              Drawing on extensive interviews and her trademark meticulous research, the author shows how this period in Paul McCartney's career was to become crucial not only to his development as an artist, but to his very survival.

                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                              Cover of These Things Happen : The Sarah Records Story by Jane Duffus.

                                                                                              Jane Duffus

                                                                                              These Things Happen : The Sarah Records Story

                                                                                              Tangent Books

                                                                                                This is the definitive history of Sarah Records; the Bristol-based label that signed the acts no major label would touch but who you wanted to hear.

                                                                                                Sarah put out a board game, produced cut 'n' paste fanzines and stuck two fingers up to the mainstream music industry. Sarah was your secret world and it was located in the heart of Bristol. Sarah Records lasted for seven years, nine months and 11 days.

                                                                                                In These Things Happen, those who were there at the beating heart of the indie-pop world reveal the deepest, darkest secrets of what really went into making Sarah’s pop masterpieces. Featuring almost 130 interviews, including at least one member of every single band (as well as the world exclusive first interview with Christine of Christine’s Cat fame), this book is an oral history of a defining moment in pop history.

                                                                                                Who stripped naked on stage to another band’s drum solo? Why did Julian Knowles sleep with his boots on his stomach in Hull? Whatever happened to Mr James C Urchin? All of these burning questions and more will be answered in this book. With no tatty old gig flyer left unturned in the pursuit of exposing the true political pop pandemonium that went on in the wonderful world of Sarah Records.

                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                Cover of Listen : On Music, Sound And Us by Michel Faber.

                                                                                                Michel Faber

                                                                                                Listen : On Music, Sound And Us

                                                                                                Canongate Books

                                                                                                  'I'm not here to change your mind about Dusty Springfield or Shostakovich or Tupac Shakur or synthpop. I'm here to change your mind about your mind.' There are countless books on music with much analysis given to musicians, bands, eras and/or genres. But rarely does a book delve into what's going on inside us when we listen.

                                                                                                  Michel Faber explores two big questions: how we listen to music and why we listen to music. To answer these he considers biology, age, illness, the notion of 'cool', commerce, the dichotomy between 'good' and 'bad' taste and, through extensive interviews with musicians, unlocks some surprising answers. From the award-winning author of The Crimson Petal and the White and Under the Skin, this curious and celebratory book reflects Michel Faber's lifelong obsession with music of all kinds.

                                                                                                  Listen will change your relationship with the heard world.

                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                  Cover of No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy : Memoirs Of A Working-Class Reader by Mark Hodkinson.

                                                                                                  Mark Hodkinson

                                                                                                  No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy : Memoirs Of A Working-Class Reader

                                                                                                  Canongate Books

                                                                                                    Mark Hodkinson grew up among the terrace houses of Rochdale in a house with just one book. Today, Mark is an author, journalist and publisher. He still lives in Rochdale but is now surrounded by 3,500 titles, at the last count.

                                                                                                    No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy is his story of growing up a working-class lad during the 1970s and 1980s. It's about the schools, the music, the people - but pre-eminently and profoundly the books and authors that led the way and shaped his life. It's about a family who didn't see the point of reading, and a troubled grandad who taught Mark the power of stories.

                                                                                                    It's also a story of how writing and reading has changed over the last five decades.

                                                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                    Laura says: This is a fantastic book. A beautifully written tale of growing up in a northern town in the 70s and 80s and discovering the power of books and music. There's also a lovely thread running through the book of Mark's relationship with his grandad. Maybe it resonated so much with me as I'm of a similar age, but I think regardless of when or where you grew up, this is a really wonderful read.

                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                    Cover of LYF011 - Archives 1998-2012 by Wu Lyf.

                                                                                                    Wu Lyf

                                                                                                    LYF011 - Archives 1998-2012

                                                                                                    Wu Lyf

                                                                                                      A Celebration of the glimpses of gold that characterised WU LYF’s short reign-Featuring New Essays, Original Art, Photography & Lyrics.

                                                                                                      Whilst preparing the 10th Anniversary Re-issue of the Singular WU LYF LP- "Go Tell Fire to the Mountain" a long forgotten hard drive was unearthed that held a pristine archive of the golden years of the LYF's creative output.
                                                                                                      On it we found many snapshots of early Live Performances, Scans of all the Collaged Art works and Paintings, numerous Beautiful Photos captured by Friends and Lovers.

                                                                                                      For those directly involved browsing over it provoked some giddy nostalgia for a well spent youth - a glorification of what was and some starry eyed speculation as to what could have been…

                                                                                                      The conversation then arose that it would be a real shame to leave the work of WU LYF entirely overlooked in cultural history, lost to the sands of time, left as mere digital ash decaying in discarded digital urns.

                                                                                                      So why not share it all?

                                                                                                      Featuring text by and interviews by our very own Liam with Joe, Tom, Ellery and Evans. Plus additional text by Warren (War God) Bramley, JD Beauvalet, Matt Wilkinson, Beatrice Miniconi, Mino Tristovskij & Sean Wood.

                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                      Liam says: In 2021, I had the privilege of being able to contribute to the LYF ARCHIVES 1998-2012 by interviewing members Ellery, Joe and Tom. Fast forward to July of this year, LYF ARCHIVES saw life. Documenting the short but spirited life of this seminal band, this is a must for anyone who followed the WU in any capacity during their brief existence.

                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                      Cover of Issue 477 - November 2023 (With Free Wire Tapper 63 CD) by The Wire.

                                                                                                      The Wire

                                                                                                      Issue 477 - November 2023 (With Free Wire Tapper 63 CD)

                                                                                                        Irreversible Entanglements: With a new album in the can, the US quintet discuss freedom, community and dismantling the mechanisms of oppression. By Phil Freeman

                                                                                                        The Primer: Jazz & Poetry: A user’s guide to the ongoing conversation between mighty music and vibrant verse. By David Grundy

                                                                                                        Vanishing Twin: The London based art pop trio take a playful approach to retrofuturist psychedelia. By Claire Biddles

                                                                                                        Invisible Jukebox: Matana Roberts: The Chicago born musician and multidisciplinary artist faces The Wire’s mystery record selection. Tested by Teju Adeleye.

                                                                                                        Unlimited Editions: Gin&Platonic

                                                                                                        Unofficial Channels: Chocolate Monk Top Tens

                                                                                                        Carol Robinson: Clarinet results from the Paris based musician. By Louise Gray

                                                                                                        Tom Mudd: Getting algorithmic with the Edinburgh experimentalist. By Stewart Smith

                                                                                                        Hearsay: Chicago improvising trio turn the tables. By Bill Meyer

                                                                                                        Marina Herlop: Exploring otherworlds with the Catalan composer. By Miloš Hroch

                                                                                                        Global Ear: Oaxaca A mountain town’s brass ensembles celebrate Mexico’s Indigenous Mixe culture. By Juan San Cristóbal Lizama

                                                                                                        The Inner Sleeve: Val Wilmer on Henry Grimes’s The Call

                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                        Cover of Issue #4 by Disco Pogo.

                                                                                                        Disco Pogo

                                                                                                        Issue #4

                                                                                                          Issue 4 is a bumper 200 pages of quality journalism and original photography and features The Chemical Brothers, Romy, Skream, Pet Shop Boys, 90s Chicago House, DJ Paulette, Mr Scruff, Jon Carter, John Carroll Kirby, Alex Kassian, Movulango, Say She She, Church of Sound, Josh Caffe, Sofia Kourtesis, A (New) Balearic Network, On-U Sound, 50 Years of Hip Hop and much more...

                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                          Cover of Goth: A History - SIGNED EDITION by Lol Tolhurst.

                                                                                                          Lol Tolhurst

                                                                                                          Goth: A History - SIGNED EDITION

                                                                                                          Quercus

                                                                                                            GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir of the genre of Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the 80s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, this book offers a fascinating deep dive into the movers and shakers of goth with stories and anecdotes from Tolhurst's personal memories as well as the musicians, magicians and artists who made it all happen - the people, places and events that made goth an inevitable and enduring movement .

                                                                                                            Starting with the Origins of Goth, Tolhurst explores early art and literature that inspired the genre and looks into the work of T.S Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Albert Camus and more. He also outlines the path of Gothic forebears and shows how many musicians played in punk bands before transitioning into goth endeavours. Next, he introduces readers to the 'Architects of Darkness' - Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and The Cure - the godfathers of goth who established the genre's roots. Following these early bands, Tolhurst discusses a group he calls the 'Spiritual Alchemists', consisting of bands like Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins and more, who helped the darkness expand into the culture. He also tracks the expansion of the genre overseas, from England to New York, Los Angeles and beyond. Gothic fashion was an important part of the movement as well and Tolhurst discusses the clothing that accompanied and complemented the music. Finally, Tolhurst examines the legacy of goth music and shows how its influence can still be seen to this day across music, film, TV, visual arts, social media and so much more, finally concluding with 'Why Goth matters!'

                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                            Cover of The Art Of Ecstasy by Vintage Disco Biscuit.

                                                                                                            Vintage Disco Biscuit

                                                                                                            The Art Of Ecstasy

                                                                                                            Vintage Disco Biscuit

                                                                                                              The Vintage Disco Biscuit Artbook is a 376 page luxury 9” x 9” hardback book including a historic foreword of ecstasy, penned by Mr. C. It contains 100 full colour photos in astounding macro detail of various tablets throughout the years (try to find your favourite! - Ed), plus 85 original Disco Biscuit compositions.

                                                                                                              A series of 100 stories have been collated for the book, from individuals of different nationalities, cultures, genders and sexual orientations from the global clubbing scene to discuss the diversity, inclusivity and love house music has given the world since the 1980s.

                                                                                                              Contributions from: Rusty Egan, Adamski, Dave Little, Trevor Fung, Dave Beer, Bez, Marshall Jefferson, Sen I, Jimmy Dean, Dr Sessa, Professor Nutt and Robert Owens.

                                                                                                              Beautifully presented, with highly detailed photography and genuinely inspired and / or comedic written content; the book’s an excellent read for anyone with a passing interest in Shulgin’s chemical phenomenon and its symbiosis with dance music culture. The ultimate coffee table book for the acid house generation! 


                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                              Cover of Re-sisters : The Lives And Recordings Of Delia Derbyshire, Margery Kempe And Cosey Fanni Tutti by Cosey Fanni Tutti.

                                                                                                              Cosey Fanni Tutti

                                                                                                              Re-sisters : The Lives And Recordings Of Delia Derbyshire, Margery Kempe And Cosey Fanni Tutti

                                                                                                              Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                From the acclaimed author of Art Sex Music comes a vital meditation on womanhood, creativity and self-expression, and a revelatory exploration into the lives of three visionary artists. 'A fascinating tale of the interlinking lives of three legendary trailblazers.'SALENA GODDEN'Re-sisters emanates an enthralling power.'JUDE ROGERS, MOJO'Cosey Fanni Tutti has lived the life and has the stories to tell: not just hers, but those of two other still unheralded female pioneers.'JON SAVAGEMyself , Delia and Margery - a trinity of the sacred and profane , sinners and saints of a kind. Three defiant women with our individual, unconventional attitude to life.

                                                                                                                Untameable spirits, progressive thinkers living within the inherent societal constraints of our times. In 2018, boundary-breaking visual and sonic artist Cosey Fanni Tutti received a commission to write the soundtrack to a film about Delia Derbyshire, the pioneering electronic composer who influenced the likes of Aphex Twin and the Chemical Brothers. While researching Delia's life, Cosey became immersed in Derbyshire's story and uncovered some fascinating parallels with her own life.

                                                                                                                At the same time Cosey began reading about Margery Kempe, the 15th century mystic visionary who wrote the first English language autobiography. Re-sisters is the story of three women consumed by their passion for life, a passion they expressed through music, art and lifestyle; they were undaunted by the consequences they faced in pursuit of enriching their lives, and fiercely challenged the societal and cultural norms of their time. 'An impeccably researched meditation on womanhood as viewed through the lives of three firebrands.'FIONA STURGES, GUARDIAN'Awe-inspiring.

                                                                                                                Read these revelatory portraits: this book is for anybody who wants to discover the work of three women who, without fanfare, have enriched our world.'ROBERT WYATT'Passionate, original and fiercely defiant.'RUPERT THOMSON

                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                Cover of Issue 475 - September 2023 by The Wire.

                                                                                                                The Wire

                                                                                                                Issue 475 - September 2023

                                                                                                                  Don & Moki Cherry: An 18 page special surveying the globe-trotting creative achievements of Don Cherry’s organic music family by The Wire’s crack writing team: Frances Morgan, David Grundy, Howard Mandel, Neil Kulkarni, Francis Gooding, Magnus Nygren, Gabriel Bristow, Bill Meyer, Marcus J Moore, Pierre Crépon, Matt Krefting, Phil Freeman, Emily Pothast, Clifford Allen, Clive Bell and Jo Hutton.

                                                                                                                  The Pitch: The Berlin improvising collective connect the sonic with the social. By Peter Margasak

                                                                                                                  Invisible Jukebox: GAIKA: Will The Wire’s mystery record selection reduce the London polymath to “Eternal Tears”? Tested by Ciaran Thapar;

                                                                                                                  Feng Jiangzhou: Experimental rock gets down and dirty in the hands of the Beijing noise veteran. By Anla Li.

                                                                                                                  Unlimited Editions: Pakapi Records

                                                                                                                  Unofficial Channels: Ethio-Pain

                                                                                                                  Aho Ssan: Networking with the Paris based producer. By Antonio Poscic

                                                                                                                  Powerplant: UK-Ukraine synth punks touch grass. By Spenser Tomson

                                                                                                                  Janneke van der Putten: Strange overtones from the Dutch vocalist. By Abi Bliss

                                                                                                                  Global Ear: São Paulo: Tape against tradition in the Brazilian metropolis. By Romulo Moraes

                                                                                                                  The Inner Sleeve: Suzanne Ciani on Glenn Gould/Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Goldberg Variations

                                                                                                                  Epiphanies: John Butcher goes deeper underground

                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                  Cover of Shooting Star : The Definitive Story Of Elliott Smith by Paul Rees.

                                                                                                                  Paul Rees

                                                                                                                  Shooting Star : The Definitive Story Of Elliott Smith

                                                                                                                  Nine Eight Books

                                                                                                                    'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming Lips'I'm the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous.' - Elliott Smith, speaking in 1997In 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide.

                                                                                                                    Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse. Yet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century. Now, two decades after Elliott's death, Shooting Star seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul.

                                                                                                                    With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he achieved: the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music. This is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.

                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                    Cover of Hungry Beat The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984) by Douglas MacIntyre And Grant McPhee.

                                                                                                                    Douglas MacIntyre And Grant McPhee

                                                                                                                    Hungry Beat The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984)

                                                                                                                    White Rabbit

                                                                                                                      The definitive oral history of Scottish postpunk, from Glasgow to Edinburgh, the Postcard label and Fast Product Description.

                                                                                                                      The immense cultural contribution made by two maverick Scottish independent music labels, Fast Product and Postcard, cannot be underestimated. Bob Last and Hilary Morrison in Edinburgh, followed by Alan Horne and Edwyn Collins in Glasgow helped to create a confidence in being Scottish that hitherto had not existed in pop music (or the arts in general in Scotland). Their fierce independent spirit stamped a mark of quality and intelligence on everything they achieved, as did their role in the emergence of regional independent labels and cultural agitators, such as Rough Trade, Factory and Zoo.

                                                                                                                      Hungry Beat is a definitive oral history of these labels and the Scottish post-punk period. Covering the period 1977-1984, the book begins with the Subway Sect and the Slits performance on the White Riot tour in Edinburgh and takes us through to Bob Last shepherding the Human League from experimental electronic artists on Fast Product to their triumphant number one single in the UK and USA, Don't You Want Me. Built on interviews with Last, Hilary Morrison, Paul Morley and members of The Human League, Scars, The Mekons, Fire Engines, Josef K, Aztec Camera, The Go-Betweens and The Bluebells, Hungry Beat offers a comprehensive overview of one of the most important periods of Scottish cultural output and the two labels that changed the landscape of British music.

                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                      Reduced Cover of Believe In Magic - Heavenly Recordings: The First 30 Years - Working Men's Club Exclusive Edition by Robin Turner.

                                                                                                                      Robin Turner

                                                                                                                      Believe In Magic - Heavenly Recordings: The First 30 Years - Working Men's Club Exclusive Edition

                                                                                                                      White Rabbit

                                                                                                                        We're super excited to be able to get our hands on some of these limited edition version of this fantastic book. 

                                                                                                                        This edition features an exclusive 7" single                                                                                                                         - Angel (part 1) b/w Angel (part 2) - from Piccadilly favourites Working Men’s Club. They blew us away with their live shows last year and we can't wait for their debut album. 

                                                                                                                        You may have heard Angel in all its 12 minute glory in WMC’s legendary live sets. Here’s the studio version, produced by Ross Orton, split over both sides of a 7”.

                                                                                                                        Heavenly was already a state of mind. Seemed like the right time to make it something really special. We were all deeply immersed in music that we loved. None of us could believe our fucking luck, really. (Jeff Barrett) 

                                                                                                                        It was thirty years ago today - or thereabouts - that Heavenly came to be. In celebration of this big ol’ birthday comes Believe in Magic - a chronicle not only of Foxbase Alpha, Working Men’s Club and 28 of the releases in between that got the label to where it is today, but also of the haircuts, nights down the pub, pencil-eraser-carvings, cheese toasties, acid houses, Sunday Socials and lost Weekenders - Yorkshire and otherwise - that are as much a part of its story. 

                                                                                                                        As Jeff Barrett puts it at the beginning of the book, if there’s a continuous theme that runs through all of this, I think it’s that everything comes down to conversations with people about music. It might seem like it all starts with someone on one side of the counter who is selling you something, or someone writing excitedly in a magazine telling you about a band you need to hear, but I don’t think I’ve ever really seen things as one-way transactions. It’s more an ongoing dialogue, one that never really stops and helps to build up this growing soundtrack to our lives, something that’s passed from one person to another. That’s really the ever-present thread. That’s why we still believe in magic. 

                                                                                                                        Though we are three decades distant from The World According to Sly and Lovechild, lineup changes, ups, downs, and a good few office cleanups under the label’s belt, the Heavenly firm continue not to believe their fucking luck; at still being here, keepin’ on keepin’ on doing what they love, and at being able to pass all of this - then, now, and next week - on to you. 

                                                                                                                        Believe in Magic is a fully illustrated history of one of the most colourful and exciting independent British record labels; a label responsible for creating satellite communities of fans around the country and at all the major festivals.
                                                                                                                        After several years working at Factory and Creation, Heavenly Recordings was set up by Jeff Barrett in 1990 as the acid house revolution was in full swing; early releases set the tone and tempo for the mood of the decade to come - their first release was by perhaps the most revered acid house DJ of them all, Andrew Weatherall; and this was quickly followed by singles from St Etienne and Manic Street Preachers. 

                                                                                                                        Heavenly was always different to other labels; more of a 'club' with a defiant spirit of inclusiveness, and in 1994 they set up The Heavenly Social, which alongside the Hacienda, became perhaps the most famous club in recent British history, where the Chemical Brothers made their name. 

                                                                                                                        Over nearly 200 releases in thirty years Heavenly have consistently produced some of the most exciting music across all genres - dance, acid house, singer-songwriter, psych-garage - and this book collects rare photographs, ephemera, artwork into a celebration of a label that is, alongside Rough Trade and Factory, one of the most beloved institutions on the independent landscape. Running though the book are thirty stories, mostly told in the form of oral history by artists like James Dean Bradfield, Flowered Up, Beth Orton, Doves and Don Letts, which capture the presiding personality of the label, its bands and the people associated with its success. 



                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                        Cover of All The Leaves Are Brown : How The Mamas & The Papas Came Together And Broke Apart by Scott G. Shea.

                                                                                                                        Scott G. Shea

                                                                                                                        All The Leaves Are Brown : How The Mamas & The Papas Came Together And Broke Apart

                                                                                                                        Backbeat Books

                                                                                                                          "An expertly-researched, densely detailed, and likely definitive bio ... The book that finally tells the full story of the music and madness that was the relatively brief--but era-defining--lifespan of the Mamas and the Papas."--Houston Press

                                                                                                                          "Given the personal lives of these singers, Scott Shea's book might qualify for the horror genre rather than history or biography. But then there's the music--which was startling, distinctive, and unforgettable. For a generation, these songs have served as monuments to major moments in life. All the Leaves Are Brown is a hard read for its sorrow, but rewarding for its insights into the art of a unique and profoundly influential band."-- Mike Aquilina, songwriter, TV host, and co-author of Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth

                                                                                                                          "Scott Shea takes us on the wild ride that was The Mamas & The Papas with terrific detail, refreshing honesty, and perhaps best of all, a true love of their music. All the Leaves Are Brown had me from page one."--Sheila Weller, author of New York Times bestseller Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation

                                                                                                                          "The Mamas & The Papas' story is wilder than any work of fiction and Scott Shea is the first author to tell it objectively and in full. This is a book I could not put down."--Bill Flanagan, author of Fifty in Reverse: A Novel

                                                                                                                          Drawing on previously published memoirs of band members and new interviews with those who knew them, radio producer Shea crafts an impersonal but intriguing compilation of the accounts, song development, and relationship entanglements that led to the fast rise and extraordinary fall of the Mamas & the Papas. The book primarily focuses on John Phillips, from his troubled childhood as the son of an abusive, alcohol-addicted parent, to his complicated first marriage and his attempts to become a serious folk musician. Then Phillips met aspiring model Michelle Gilliam, and their relationship became the catalyst for his best-known songs, "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday." Phillips soon brought Cass Elliot into the group, along with tenor Dennis Doherty. As a band, the Mamas & the Papas recorded five albums, with 10 hits, in the 1960s. Drugs, affairs, jealousies as Mama Cass becomes the breakout star, and an embarrassing set as the closing act for Phillips's Monterey International Pop Festival soon led to the band's demise. VERDICT Shea's matter-of-fact journalistic style prevents sensationalism from overtaking this study of the Mamas & the Papas' powerful influence and importance.

                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                          Cover of Remain In Love by Chris Frantz.

                                                                                                                          Chris Frantz

                                                                                                                          Remain In Love

                                                                                                                          Orion

                                                                                                                            Forty years on from the release of their era-defining album Remain in Light, Chris Frantz's memoir tells the story of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.

                                                                                                                            Chris Frantz met David Byrne at the Rhode Island School of Art & Design in the early 1970s. Together - and soon with Frantz's future wife, Tina Weymouth - they formed Talking Heads and took up residence in the grimy environs of Manhattan's Lower East Side, where their neighbours were Patti Smith, William Burroughs and a host of proto-punk artists who now have legendary status. Building an early audience and reputation with many performances at CBGB alongside the Ramones, Television and Blondie, Talking Heads found themselves feted by Warhol (who famously referred to them as 'Talking Horses') and Lou Reed, and signed to Sire Records.

                                                                                                                            A band whose sensibility was both a part of, and apart from, punk, their early albums quickly became classics; until the Brian Eno produced masterpiece Remain in Light, saw them explode. Soon, however, relations within the band started to become strained as a band that had always operated democratically lost its team ethic. Chris and Tina started recording as Tom Tom Club in the early '80s; in the process creating a hybrid of funk, disco, pop, electro and world music that would have a huge impact on the club scene around the world.

                                                                                                                            Warm and candid, funny and heartfelt, Remain in Love charts the rise and fall of a band - in a decade they came to define - who combined the sensibility of artists with visionary songwriting talents. It is also the story of the once-in-a-lifetime love story and creative partnership between Chris and Tina Weymouth, one of the greatest rhythm sections to electrify the pop stage.

                                                                                                                            'As the Brits say: I'm gobsmacked. I devoured this book... one of the most potent examples of living the dream' Debbie Harry

                                                                                                                            'A great drummer who has written a great book' Bill Murray

                                                                                                                            'A revealing inside account of the highs and lows of a band who looked and sounded like nobody else' Olivia Laing, Guardian

                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                            Cover of Maggot Brain (Issue #12) by Third Man Books Present.

                                                                                                                            Third Man Books Present

                                                                                                                            Maggot Brain (Issue #12)

                                                                                                                              The cover feature celebrates the enduring, luminous genius of DOLLY PARTON, with a revealing conversation between Caryn Rose and Lynn Melnick on how her music quite literally saved Melnick’s life. ALSO IN THE ISSUE: OCTAVIA BUTLER – The very full transcript of editor Mike McGonigal’s lengthy, in-depth talk with the sci-fi feminist visionary, from 1997. The entire transcript has never appeared in print. ROLIN-POWERS – The great Michelle Dove on what makes these avant-folk lovebirds tick, and why you should care. THE CLEAN + HAMISH KILGOUR – An epic, archival interview with the band from 15 years ago, plus a fresh look thanks to Michael Galinsky at why Hamish meant so much to so many. The Clean were our favorite contemporary rock band. FRED TOMASELLI – Many pages of his delightful reworkings of New York Times front pages, plus an insightful interview with one of our finest contemporary artists. CRAZY DOBERMAN – Erick’s Bradshaw delivers an epic, well-illustrated tour diary of a brief jaunt with these noise greats. Plus also – Composer TAYONDAI BRAXTON by Katy Henricksen! – a meaty, beautiful feature on DR. PETE LARSON by Fred Thomas, worlds collide! – An amazing LUCY SANTE column! – Cassette tapes! – Reissue of the issue is the ‘Saturn 2’ comp of obscure Midwestern ‘90s shoegaze! – The Bay Area’s deliriously good new band GALORE by Jessica Beard! – A beloved celebrity writes in to Mimi Lipson’s advice column! – A lengthy excerpt from a great unpublished novel by DAVID GORDON! – Editor Mike McGonigal’s tribute to Tom Verlaine! – And we think that’s everything, hard to really know, as we always pack so much into every issue because we love you!

                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                              Cover of Maggot Brain (Issue #13) by Third Man Books Present.

                                                                                                                              Third Man Books Present

                                                                                                                              Maggot Brain (Issue #13)

                                                                                                                                Maggot Brain is a quarterly magazine edited by Mike McGonigal, a prominent writer from Detroit. The magazine is full-color and consists of over 100 pages filled with exceptional content, including art, music, literature, unpublished archival material, and more. Its unique feature is that it solely exists in print form. Contents of Maggot Brain #13: The cover showcases a fresh design, as the magazine's logo changes every three issues. It highlights a captivating live photograph of the iconic musician Prince.

                                                                                                                                Highlighted columns in this issue: A delightful contribution by Lucy Sante, a renowned contemporary nonfiction writer who has been featured in every previous edition, making her our favorite. The return of the hip-hop column, featuring Paula Perry this time. An insightful reissue column focusing on the band Moss Icon from the 1990s, written by Fred Thomas. Mimi Lipson's exceptional advice column. A feature on Kim Jung Mi, a Korean pop psych legend. Dorothy Berry shares her experiences as a Black individual in experimental music spaces. Maggot Brain #13 is now available, and the magazine is thrilled to present its readers with this exciting edition. The new cover design perfectly complements the stunning live shot of Prince, and readers can expect a diverse range of engaging content within its pages.

                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                Cover of The Great Psychic Outdoors : Lo-Fi Music And Escaping Capitalism by Enrico Monacelli.

                                                                                                                                Enrico Monacelli

                                                                                                                                The Great Psychic Outdoors : Lo-Fi Music And Escaping Capitalism

                                                                                                                                Repeater Books

                                                                                                                                  Homemade records, tape-hiss worship and a taste for a very peculiar kind of psychedelia have carved themselves a weird niche in the contemporary musical landscape under the name of lo-fi. This genreless genre, characterized by poor recordings and rough sounds, spanning from the most extreme heavy metal to the sweetest ear-candies pop can offer, has become a solid presence in our collective sensibility. And yet, it has largely been neglected: this staunch refusal of anything hi-fi and hi-tech has fallen under the radar of the categories we use to analyse ourselves and our times.

                                                                                                                                  The Great Psychic Outdoors, dedicated to the most interesting and controversial artists in this movement, will rectify this injustice and vindicate the revolutionary potential of lo-fi music, engaging with this weird genre on its own terms and facing head on the contradictions and possibilities of this multi-faceted phenomenon. Confronting the aesthetic and conceptual stakes of this sonic craft, The Great Psychic Outdoors shows what lo-fi says about us, our lives under capitalism and the strange ways we cope with pain, madness and beauty.

                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                  Cover of ISSUE #3 by Disco Pogo.

                                                                                                                                  Disco Pogo

                                                                                                                                  ISSUE #3

                                                                                                                                    Issue 3 is a heavyweight 220 pages and features Roisin Murphy, Grace Jones, Art of Noise, Boards of Canada, Chris Frantz, Danielle Moore, Decius, Hifi Sean, Jamz Supernova, Leftfield, Luke Solomon, Native Tongues, Ralph Lawson, Twisted Nerve, Underground Resistance and much, much more.

                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                    Cover of The Islander : My Life In Music And Beyond by Chris Blackwell.

                                                                                                                                    Chris Blackwell

                                                                                                                                    The Islander : My Life In Music And Beyond

                                                                                                                                    Nine Eight Books

                                                                                                                                      'An adventurer, an entrepreneur, a buccaneer, a visionary' - BONOAs the founder of Island Records, fabled music producer Chris Blackwell has discovered and worked with some of the most important musicians of the second half of the twentieth century - from Steve Winwood to Cat Stevens, Bob Marley to Grace Jones, U2 to Roxy Music, plus countless others. He is also widely credited with having brought reggae music to the world stage. Now, as reflects on his life, Blackwell takes us back to the island where it all began: Jamaica - the place where his family once partied with the likes of Noel Coward, Ian Fleming and Errol Flynn and where, as Jamaican local music began to adopt contemporary American trends, Blackwell's burgeoning musical instincts flourished.

                                                                                                                                      It was also the birthplace of the now-legendary Island Records, founded by Blackwell in 1959. Five years later, while living in London selling Jamaican records to Caribbean immigrants, Blackwell came across the vocal talents of teenager Millie Small, who he paired with the song 'My Boy Lollipop'. The producer added a ska beat and released what would be a worldwide hit.

                                                                                                                                      But this was just the beginning of a truly remarkable career. In this fascinating memoir, including up to fifty photos supplied by Blackwell's team, the music icon will discuss the many artists he's worked with over the years, as well as unpicking the initiatives, decisions and risks that ultimately brought such success to both Blackwell and his esteemed musical collaborators.

                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                      Cover of Totally Wired : The Rise And Fall Of The Music Press by Paul Gorman.

                                                                                                                                      Paul Gorman

                                                                                                                                      Totally Wired : The Rise And Fall Of The Music Press

                                                                                                                                      Thames & Hudson Ltd

                                                                                                                                        A raucous yet reflective look back at the evolution of the music press and the passionate rock and pop journalists who defined the music of the 20th century. Totally Wired is the definitive story of the music press on both sides of the Atlantic, tracing its rise and fall from humble beginnings nearly 100 years ago. Along the way, this potent creative breeding ground for scores of writers, publishers, photographers, designers and music-makers tested the very limits of journalistic endeavour and influenced the wider worlds of film, media and pop.

                                                                                                                                        Focusing on developments from the 1950s to the 2000s, a period that witnessed rock 'n' roll, mod, the Summer of Love, glam, punk, pop, reggae, dance music, R&B and hip-hop, Paul Gorman chronicles the stories of individual magazines from their Tin Pan Alley beginnings and the countercultural foundation of Rolling Stone and the underground press. He explores the 1970s heyday of NME, Melody Maker and Sounds plus such punk-rock publications as Sniffin' Glue and Temporary Hoarding; tracks the emergence of dedicated monthlies Q, The Face and Mojo as well as dance-culture independents like Boy's Own and Jockey Slut; and spotlights feminist and Riot Grrrl 'zines Ben Is Dead and Girlfrenzy along with the rise of media by and for people of colour, from Black Music and Black Echoes in the 1970s to The Source, Vibe and XXL in the 1990s. Evoking the music press's kaleidoscopic visual identities, Totally Wired is illustrated with rare and legendary magazine artwork throughout.

                                                                                                                                        Painting a complete picture of the scene, Gorman discusses the role played by such writers as Lester Bangs, Charles Shaar Murray and Nick Kent in the development of the careers of, among others, David Bowie, the Clash and Led Zeppelin. He also tackles the entrenched sexism and racism faced by women and those from marginalized communities by highlighting publications and individuals whose contributions have been unfairly overlooked. The resulting narrative, containing stories of unbound talent, blind ambition and sometimes bitter rivalry, makes Totally Wired a riveting and roller-coaster read.

                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                        Cover of Issue - Summer 2023 by Noctis XXII.

                                                                                                                                        Noctis XXII

                                                                                                                                        Issue - Summer 2023

                                                                                                                                          Noctis XXII Game Changers - this issue is dedicated to the game changers, creative disruptors, and new leaders with exciting ways of navigating life. Spotlighting pioneering artists, social advocates, and fresh talent trailblazing their way through the industry, creating new opportunities, and inspiring future generations to come.

                                                                                                                                          Featuring groundbreaking model, public figure, and activist Ellie Goldstein on the cover.

                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                          Cover of Summer 2023 by The Face.

                                                                                                                                          The Face

                                                                                                                                          Summer 2023

                                                                                                                                            This is the pretty in (Barbie) pink 'Summer of Sin' issue featuring American model and musician Lolahol — also known as Lourdes Leon, also known as Lola, also known as Madonna's daughter #nepobaby.

                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                            Reduced Cover of John Robb: Confessions Vol. 1 by John Robb Feat. Iman Kakai-Lazell.

                                                                                                                                            John Robb Feat. Iman Kakai-Lazell

                                                                                                                                            John Robb: Confessions Vol. 1

                                                                                                                                            Moochin' About

                                                                                                                                              Ladies & gentleman, introducing Mr. John David Robb... John Robb, is an English music journalist and singer. Robb writes for and runs the Louder Than War website and a monthly music magazine of the same name. He has written several books on music and occasionally makes media appearances as a music commentator. He is also the vocalist in the punk rock band Goldblade and bassist and vocalist in post punk band The Membranes.

                                                                                                                                              Robb has worked as a journalist for many years. He wrote for ZigZag in the 1980s, and was a regular freelance contributor to Sounds in the late 1980s, as well as writing for Melody Maker. He now writes for The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Guardian, The Independent.

                                                                                                                                              While working for Sounds, Robb was the first journalist to interview Nirvana (in 1988), and also later coined the word ‘Britpop'.

                                                                                                                                              "To live in the 21st century is an art from. To have your life turned into a visual feast is the aim of any artist. To have my life reimagined by Iman Kakai-Lazell has been a thrilling trip into sound and vision and this book is a dayglo adventure into the high decibel. As Lord Byron once said ‘ The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain.’" - John Robb

                                                                                                                                              This is the 2nd in a series of custom made books by artist Iman Kakai-Lazell, featuring icons of 'The Arts & Entertainment' in a way never before seen. In conjunction with each artist, each book will feature never before seen photos, manipulated & reinterpreted with original lyrics & confessions. Each series will be extremely limited and will never be repressed.


                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                              Cover of Nick Drake: The Life by Richard Morton Jack.

                                                                                                                                              Richard Morton Jack

                                                                                                                                              Nick Drake: The Life

                                                                                                                                              John Murray Publishers Ltd

                                                                                                                                                'This is the book we've been waiting for . . .

                                                                                                                                                It is a biography to be treasured' Joe Boyd'The Drake completist could ask for nothing else' Telegraph'Illuminating. The definitive word on Drake' ObserverIn 1968 Nick Drake had everything to live for. The product of a loving, creative family and a privileged background, he was not only a handsome and popular Cambridge undergraduate, but also a new signing to the UK's hippest record label, Island.

                                                                                                                                                Three years later, however - having made three well-reviewed but low-selling albums - Nick had been overwhelmed by a mysterious mental illness. He returned to live in his family home in rural Warwickshire in 1971, and died in obscurity in 1974, aged just 26. In the decades since, Nick has become the subject of ever-growing fascination and speculation.

                                                                                                                                                Combined sales of his records now stand in the millions, his songs are frequently heard on TV and in films, and he has become one of the most widely known and admired singer-songwriters of his generation. Nick Drake: The Life is the only biography of Nick to be written with the blessing and involvement of his sister and Estate. Drawing on copious original research and new interviews with his family, friends and musical collaborators, as well as deeply personal archive material unavailable to previous writers - including his father's diaries, his essays and private correspondence - this is the most comprehensive and authoritative account possible of Nick's short and enigmatic life.

                                                                                                                                                Includes a foreword by Gabrielle Drake and over 75 photos, many rare or previously unseen.

                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                Cover of Lady Sings The Blues by Billie Holiday.

                                                                                                                                                Billie Holiday

                                                                                                                                                Lady Sings The Blues

                                                                                                                                                Penguin Classics

                                                                                                                                                  'A masterpiece, as fresh and shocking as if it were written yesterday' Craig Brown"I've been told that no one sings the word 'hunger' like I do. Or the word 'love'."Lady Sings the Blues is the inimitable autobiography of one of the greatest icons of the twentieth century. Born to a single mother in 1915 Baltimore, Billie Holiday had her first run-in with the law at aged 13.

                                                                                                                                                  But Billie Holiday is no victim. Her memoir tells the story of her life spent in jazz, smoky Harlem clubs and packed-out concert halls, her love affairs, her wildly creative friends, her struggles with addiction and her adventures in love. Billie Holiday is a wise and aphoristic guide to the story of her unforgettable life.

                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Happy Forever : My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More by Mark Volman & John Cody.

                                                                                                                                                  Mark Volman & John Cody

                                                                                                                                                  Happy Forever : My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More

                                                                                                                                                  Jawbone

                                                                                                                                                    Mark is one of the most indomitable yet gentle spirits I ve ever met. He will always be one of my favorite artists I ve ever worked with. And someday when I grow up, I want to be just like him.

                                                                                                                                                    Alice Cooper. This book is a puzzle. The outside frame pieces are about me, but the picture wouldn t be complete without the perspectives of all the people telling you about me.

                                                                                                                                                    Mark Volman. Mark Volman has led a storied life, and many of those stories are contained in Happy Forever. A true son of southern California, he has gone from topping the charts with The Turtles ( Happy Together ) to underground cred with Frank Zappa and beyond.

                                                                                                                                                    As Flo & Eddie, Mark and his longtime singing partner Howard Kaylan were the not-so-secret ingredient on many other artist s records, taking Bruce Springsteen into the Top 10 for the very first time and helping T. Rex dominate the British charts. Then came The Ramones, U2, Blondie, Duran Duran, and so many more; the list of credits is long and varied.

                                                                                                                                                    Happy Forever covers all of that, along with subsequent forays into animation, a stint as a radio personality in Los Angeles and New York, and a midlife return to academia, which led Mark to create and run innovative college programs in LA and Nashville. But this is not the world according to Mark Volman, and it is not your average musical autobiography. Alongside his own comments, this uniquely insightful book contains contributions from more than one hundred of Mark s peers, friends, and lovers who share their thoughts on the man himself and on topics that span the social and cultural landscape of past half-century.

                                                                                                                                                    Happy Forever s cast list reads like a who s who of popular music, featuring members of The Doors, The Monkees, The Byrds, The E Street Band, and many more; producers Tony Visconti, Bob Ezrin, and Hal Willner; voice actors from The Simpsons and the Firesign Theatre; and key figures from the worlds of radio, animation, and academia. The book also includes previously unseen photographs and forewords by Alice Cooper and Chris Hillman.

                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Sing Backwards And Weep : The Sunday Times Bestseller by Mark Lanegan.

                                                                                                                                                    Mark Lanegan

                                                                                                                                                    Sing Backwards And Weep : The Sunday Times Bestseller

                                                                                                                                                    White Rabbit

                                                                                                                                                      THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER"Mark Lanegan-primitive, brutal, and apocalyptic. What's not to love?" NICK CAVE"A stoned cold classic" IAN RANKIN'Mark Lanegan writes like he sings, from the pained heart of a damaged soul with brutal honesty' BOBBY GILLESPIE"Powerfully written and brutally, frighteningly honest" LUCINDA WILLIAMSA ROUGH TRADE AND MOJO BOOK OF THE YEARFrom the back of the van to the front of the bar, from the hotel room to the emergency room, Mark Lanegan takes us back to the sinister, needle-ridden streets of Seattle, to an alternative music scene that was simultaneously bursting with creativity and saturated with drugs. He tracks the tumultuous rise and fall of Screaming Trees, from a brawling, acid-rock bar band to world-famous festival favourites with an enduring legacy, and tells of his own personal struggles with addiction, culminating in homelessness, petty crime, and the tragic deaths of his closest friends.

                                                                                                                                                      Gritty, gripping and unflinchingly raw, SING BACKWARDS AND WEEP is about a man who learned how to drag himself from the wreckage, dust off the ashes, and keep living and creating. 'The most brutally honest rock memoir imaginable' DAILY TELEGRAPH

                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Thank For The Lovely Day: 11 The Go-Betweens Songcomics by Gunther Buskies & Jonas Engelmann.

                                                                                                                                                      Gunther Buskies & Jonas Engelmann

                                                                                                                                                      Thank For The Lovely Day: 11 The Go-Betweens Songcomics

                                                                                                                                                      Ventil Verlag

                                                                                                                                                        Pop music and comic culture – somehow they have always been siblings. So what could be more natural than to have the great songs of one of the most legendary bands transformed into comic strips by fantastic illustrators and cartoonists? So here it is: The Go Betweens songcomic – Thank You For A Lovely Day. Eleven songs from the entire creative period of the legendary Australian band interpreted by eleven international cartoonists and artists. As diverse, colourful and complex as the band's nine studio albums.

                                                                                                                                                        In 1977, friends Robert Forster and Grant McLennan founded The Go-Betweens in Brisbane, Australia and within a few years their folky indie rock, songs such as 'Right Here', 'Love Goes On' and 'Streets of Your Town' helped make them an international force in the indie world. In 1989, the band disbanded after six successful albums, only to return in 2000 with a new album 'The Friends of Rachel Worth’ - recorded together with the members of Sleater-Kinney - followed by 'Bright Yellow Bright Orange’ in 2003 and ‘Oceans Apart’ in 2005 after which the sudden death of Grant McLennan in May 2006 put an end to recording activity.

                                                                                                                                                        Since then, Robert Forster has been nurturing the band's legacy; helping re-release and present their early works in the form of two box sets by Domino Records, telling the story of the Go- Betweens, as a story of true friendship, in his autobiography "Grant and I” as well as releasing numerous solo albums and touring them around the world.

                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Mud Ride : A Messy Trip Through The Grunge Explosion by Steve Turner & Adem Tepedelen.

                                                                                                                                                        Steve Turner & Adem Tepedelen

                                                                                                                                                        Mud Ride : A Messy Trip Through The Grunge Explosion

                                                                                                                                                        Omnibus Press

                                                                                                                                                          A down-and-dirty chronicle of the birth and evolution of the Seattle grunge scene-from amateur skate parks and underground hardcore clubs to worldwide phenomenon-as told by one of its founding fathers and lead guitarist of legendary alternative rock band, Mudhoney. In the late 80s and early 90s, Steve Turner and his friends-Seattle skate punks, hardcore kids, and assorted misfits-started forming bands in each other's basements and accidentally created a unique sound that spread far beyond their once-sleepy city. Mud Ride offers an inside look at the tight-knit grunge scene, the musical influences and experiments that shaped the grunge sound, and the story of Turner's bands, Green River and Mudhoney, which went from underground flophouse shows to selling out stadiums with Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

                                                                                                                                                          Including stories about the key moments, musicians, and albums from grunge's beginnings to its come-down from the highs of global success and stardom, this is the first account of the musical phenomenon that took over the world from someone who was there for it all. Written by Steve Turner, lead guitarist of Mudhoney, a foundational grunge band that inspired musical icons from Kurt Cobain to Sonic Youth, Mud Ride features a foreword by Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and never-before-seen photographs and grunge memorabilia throughout. Take a seat and ride through the messy and muddy grunge scene that grew from the basements of the Northwest and went on to circle the globe.

                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Wading In Waist-High Water - The Lyrics Of Fleet Foxes by Robin Pecknold.

                                                                                                                                                          Robin Pecknold

                                                                                                                                                          Wading In Waist-High Water - The Lyrics Of Fleet Foxes

                                                                                                                                                          Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                            Featuring over 50 song lyrics alongside never-beforeseen insights from Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold, Wading in Waist-High Water is an intimate look into-and resounding celebration of-musical craftsmanship and care.

                                                                                                                                                            “There is something quite moving about seeing the lyrics of these fifty-six songs collected and assembled this way. You can see the evolution of the minds and hearts at work behind the lyrics. . . . It’s a thrill, realizing that it’s a still-evolving and growing body of work.” —Brandon Taylor, from the Introduction

                                                                                                                                                            Since the release of their breakout debut in 2008, Fleet Foxes and their frontman, singer-songwriter Robin Pecknold, have enjoyed international critical and commercial acclaim. Drawing comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and the music of Brian Wilson, Grammy-nominated Fleet Foxes have reshaped the American indie-folk sound, crafting songs that are acoustically and melodically driven, steeped in gospel-like harmonies, and propelled by resonant and timeless lyrics.

                                                                                                                                                            Wading in Waist-High Water: The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes contains Robin Pecknold’s complete lyrics from 56 songs, capturing the poetic and inventive storytelling that is a hallmark of the band’s music. These richly layered lyrics explore the complexity, darkness, and beauty of physical and emotional landscapes, both pastoral and modern. Alongside the lyrics, Pecknold includes hand-written notes and candid observations on creative processes, inspirations, and motivations.

                                                                                                                                                            With an introduction by celebrated author Brandon Taylor, Wading in Waist- High Water: The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes is a moving and intimate look at the art of songwriting, the joy of music-making, and what it means to produce meaningful and memorable sound.

                                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Sound Within Sound - A Radical History Of Composers In The Twentieth Century by Kate Molleson.

                                                                                                                                                            Kate Molleson

                                                                                                                                                            Sound Within Sound - A Radical History Of Composers In The Twentieth Century

                                                                                                                                                            Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                              A groundbreaking music history book from BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Kate Molleson, which fundamentally changes the way we think about classical music and the musicians who made it on a global scale.

                                                                                                                                                              In a world undergoing rapid transformation, twentieth century classical musicians brought forth a truly paradigm-shifting aural catalogue of human existence. Yet when we reflect on the genre’s history its central figures seem to share three characteristics: they were white, male and western. Sound Within Sound is the impassioned and exhilarating story of the composers who dared to challenge the conventional world of classical music in the twentieth century. Kate Molleson tells the stories of ten figures from across the globe who altered the course of musical history, only to be sidelined during an era that systemically favoured certain sounds – and people – over others.

                                                                                                                                                              A celebration of radical creativity rooted in ideas of protest, gender, race, ecology and resistance, Sound Within Sound is an energetic reappraisal of twentieth-century classical music that opens up the world far beyond its established centres, challenges stereotypical portrayals of the genre and shatters its traditional canon.

                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                              Cover of The Sick Bag Song - Reprint by Nick Cave.

                                                                                                                                                              Nick Cave

                                                                                                                                                              The Sick Bag Song - Reprint

                                                                                                                                                              Canongate Books

                                                                                                                                                                The Sick Bag Song chronicles Cave's 22-city journey around North America in 2014. Racked by romantic longing and exhaustion, Cave teases out the significant moments - the people, the books and the music - that have influenced and inspired him, and drops them into his sick bag. The book began its life scribbled onto airline sick bags and later evolves into a restless contemporary epic, exploring love, loss, inspiration and memory.

                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Supersonic : The Complete, Authorised And Unabridged Interviews by Oasis.

                                                                                                                                                                Oasis

                                                                                                                                                                Supersonic : The Complete, Authorised And Unabridged Interviews

                                                                                                                                                                Headline

                                                                                                                                                                  'We are the biggest band in Britain of all time, ever. The funny thing is, all that fucking mouthing off three years ago about how we were going to be the biggest band in the world - we actually went and did it.' Noel Gallagher

                                                                                                                                                                  Oasis are one of the biggest bands the word has ever seen. Here, in Supersonic, they tell the story of the their beginnings from dive-bar hopefuls to global superstars.They themselves talk us through the pivotal moments in their phenomenal trajectory, from the day Noel Gallagher joined his brother Liam's band, through their first crucial five years culminating at their landmark gigs at Knebworth Park in 1996 - the pinnacle of their success.

                                                                                                                                                                  With over thirty hours of interviews with Liam, Noel and those closest to them, this book documents in unprecedented depth and with their trademark candour and humour, the story behind one of the world's greatest bands, all told in their own words and fully illustrated with exclusive photographs and ephemera throughout.

                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker.

                                                                                                                                                                  Jarvis Cocker

                                                                                                                                                                  Good Pop, Bad Pop

                                                                                                                                                                  Vintage

                                                                                                                                                                    What if the things we keep hidden say more about us than those we put on display?

                                                                                                                                                                    We all have a random collection of the things that made us - photos, tickets, clothes, souvenirs, stuffed in a box, packed in a suitcase, crammed into a drawer. When Jarvis Cocker starts clearing out his loft, he finds a jumble of objects that catalogue his story and ask him some awkward questions: Who do you think you are? Are clothes important? Why are there so many pairs of broken glasses up here?

                                                                                                                                                                    From a Gold Star polycotton shirt to a pack of Wrigley's Extra, from his teenage attempts to write songs to the Sexy Laughs Fantastic Dirty Joke Book, this is the hard evidence of Jarvis's unique life, Pulp, 20th century pop culture, the good times and the mistakes he'd rather forget. And this accumulated debris of a lifetime reveals his creative process - writing and musicianship, performance and ambition, style and stagecraft.

                                                                                                                                                                    This is not a life story. It's a loft story.

                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids? : An Indie Odyssey by Nige Tassell.

                                                                                                                                                                    Nige Tassell

                                                                                                                                                                    Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids? : An Indie Odyssey

                                                                                                                                                                    Nine Eight Books

                                                                                                                                                                      In 1986, the NME released a cassette that would shape music for years to come. A collection of twenty-two independently signed guitar-based bands, C86 was the sound and ethos that defined a generation. It was also arguably the point at which 'indie' was born.

                                                                                                                                                                      But what happened next to all those musical dreamers? Some of the bands, like Primal Scream, went on to achieve global stardom; others, such as Half Man Half Biscuit and the Wedding Present, cultivated lifelong fanbases that still sustain their careers thirty-five years later. Then there were the rest, who ultimately imploded in a riot of paisley shirts, bad drugs and general indifference from the record-buying public. Now, for the first time, music journalist Nige Tassell tracks down the class of C86 and recounts their stories, both tragic and uplifting.

                                                                                                                                                                      Yet, while the pursuit of long-lost musicians can often manifest as earnest hagiography, Tassell's unique, light-hearted approach makes this a very human story of ambition, hope, varying degrees of talent and what happens after you give up on pop - or, more precisely, after pop gives up on you. It's a world populated by bike-shop owners, architecture professors, dance-music producers, record-store proprietors, birdwatchers, solicitors, caricaturists and even a possible Olympic sailor - and let's not forget the musician-turned-actor gainfully employed as Jeremy Irons' body double... More than simply the tale of the tape, Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? is an exploration of C86's wide-reaching and often surprising legacy.

                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Access All Areas : A Backstage Pass Through 50 Years Of Music And Culture by Barbara Charone.

                                                                                                                                                                      Barbara Charone

                                                                                                                                                                      Access All Areas : A Backstage Pass Through 50 Years Of Music And Culture

                                                                                                                                                                      White Rabbit

                                                                                                                                                                        First as a journalist and then a publicist at Warner Brothers Records for nearly twenty years, Barbara Charone has experienced, first-hand, the changes in the cultural landscape. Access All Areas is a personal, insightful and humorous memoir packed with stories of being on the cultural frontline, from first writing press releases on a typewriter driven by Tip Ex, then as a press officer for heavy metal bands taking the bus up to Donnington Festival with coffee, croissants and the much more popular sulfate. To taking on Madonna, an unknown girl from Detroit, and telling Smash Hits 'you don't have to run the piece if the single doesn't chart', and becoming a true pioneer in music, Charone continues to work with the biggest names in music, including Depeche Mode, Robert Plant, Foo Fighters and Mark Ronson at her agency MBCPR.

                                                                                                                                                                        The story of how a music-loving, budding journalist from a Chicago suburb became the defining music publicist of her generation, Access All Areas is a time capsule of the last fifty years, told through the lens of music.


                                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Issue 472 - June 2023 by The Wire.

                                                                                                                                                                        The Wire

                                                                                                                                                                        Issue 472 - June 2023

                                                                                                                                                                          Inside this issue:
                                                                                                                                                                          Totally Wire-d: A 20 page special unpicking everything you wanted to know about Mark E Smith and The Fall by the totally Wire-d writers’ squad: Claire Biddles, Graham Duff, Esi Eshun, Louise Gray, Michael Fenton, Jo Hutton, Leah Kardos, Stewart Lee, Craig Leon, Eugene S Robinson, Bruce Russell, Dave Segal, Richard Thomas, Spenser Tomson, Brian Turner and Kek-W

                                                                                                                                                                          House Of All: Tessa Norton talks to the new band formed by ex-Fall members about life after Mark E Smith

                                                                                                                                                                          Invisible Jukebox: No Home: Will The Wire’s mystery record selection raise Fucking Hell for the London DIY artist? Tested by Meg Woof

                                                                                                                                                                          Nondi_: Pennsylvanian footworker reports from Flood City. By Neil Kulkarni

                                                                                                                                                                          Kristen Roos: Vancouver synthesist embraces limitations. By Robert Barry

                                                                                                                                                                          Natalia Beylis: Kyiv born sound artist makes water magic. By Brian Coney

                                                                                                                                                                          Andy Akiho: Sculpted sounds from the US composer. By Kurt Gottschalk

                                                                                                                                                                          Unlimited Editions: Edition Telemark. By Peter Margasak

                                                                                                                                                                          Unofficial Channels: The Deep Ark. By Michaelangelo Matos

                                                                                                                                                                          Global Ear: Oakland: Anti-gentrification in the East Bay. By Collin Smith

                                                                                                                                                                          The Inner Sleeve: DJ Scotch Egg on Faust’s You Know Faust

                                                                                                                                                                          Epiphanies: Adele Bertei heeds the siren call of Patti Smith

                                                                                                                                                                          Print Run: ESG’s Come Away With ESG by Cheri Percy; Alien Territory: Radical, Experimental & Irrelevant Music In 1970s San Diego by Bill Perrine; Come My Fanatics: A Journey Into The World Of Electric Wizard by Dan Franklin; Season Of The Witch: The Book Of Goth by Cathi Unsworth; Neil Ardley: Kaleidoscopes And Rainbows by Vivian Ardley with John Coles & Dave Gelly; Empire Roller Disco: Photographs By Patrick D Pagnano by Sara Rosen & Patrick D Pagnano; The Future Of Rock And Roll: 97X WOXY And The Fight For True Independence by Robin James; Ain’t But A Few Of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story by Willard Jenkins (Editor)

                                                                                                                                                                          On Screen: Jordan Albertsen Boom: A Film About The Sonics; Christina Batte WNYU: The World’s Best Radio Station In The World

                                                                                                                                                                          On Location: Bergamo Jazz Festival, Bergamo, Italy; aya x MFO, London, UK; Borealis, Bergen, Norway; Big Ears, Knoxville, US; Birds Of Paradise, Utrecht, Netherlands; Counterflows, Glasgow, UK; Claire Rousay, London, UK; The Philadelphia Orchestra, New York, US; Moin, London, UK; Fred Moten/Brandon Lópes/Gerald Cleaver, London, UK; Sixth Edition: Festival For Other Music, Stockholm, Sweden; Tremor, São Miguel, Portugal; Object Collection: HOUSECONCERT + Neil Luck & Mimi Doulton, London, UK; Sonic Protest, Paris, France; Rewire, The Hague, Netherlands

                                                                                                                                                                          Soundcheck: Nancy Andrews & Linda Smith, Martyna Basta, Andrea Belfi, DJ Brittle, Gerald Cleaver, Cold Comfort, Paul B Cutler, Mark Dresser, Paul Dunmall Ensemble, Fire! Orchestra, Fourth World Magazine III, Godflesh, Goodiepal & Bananskolen, Gunnar Gunnsteinsson, Heleen Van Haegenborgh, Alexander Hawkins Trio, IzangoMa, Rickie Lee Jones, Zubin Kanga, Marie Krüttli, Lucy Liyou, Dave Lombardo, Mandy, Indiana, Donny McCaslin, Metallica, Me:You, Modern Cosmology, MV & EE, Old Saw, Joaquín Orellana, Aruán Ortiz Trio, Massimo Pupillo/Malcolm McDowell/Gabriele Tinti, Taiko Saito, Marta Salogni & Tom Relleen, Brandon Seabrook, Skull Practitioners, Wadada Leo Smith & Orange Wave Electric, Sparks, Specime, Temps, Henry Threadgill Ensemble, Alan Wilkinson/Alex Ward/Jem Doulton, Venamoris, VHS Head, Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch, Wobbly, billy woods & Kenny Segal, MC Yallah, Yetsuby, Various Music Perspective Vol 1

                                                                                                                                                                          The Boomerang: Enhet För Fri Musik, Milford Graves with Arthur Doyle & Hugh Glover, Anna Homler & Richard Sanderson, Juju, Roland Kayn, Angus MacLise, Toshimaru Nakamura, Julien Ottavi, Joel Stern, Suicide, Lewis Taylor, Uboa, Alan Vega, Various Suburban Annihilation: The California Hardcore Explosion From The City To The Beach 1978–1983

                                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Be My Baby by Ronnie Spector.

                                                                                                                                                                          Ronnie Spector

                                                                                                                                                                          Be My Baby

                                                                                                                                                                          Pan Books

                                                                                                                                                                            Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest rock memoirs of all time, Be My Baby is the true story of how Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Spector carved out a space for herself against tremendous odds amid the chaos of the 1960s music scene and beyond. With an introduction by Keith Richards and a new epilogue from Ronnie. Ronnie Spector's first collaboration with producer Phil Spector, 'Be My Baby', stunned the world and shot girl group The Ronettes to stardom.

                                                                                                                                                                            No one could sing as clearly, as emotively as Ronnie. But her voice was soon drowned out in Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, and lost in Ronnie and Phil's ensuing romance and marriage. Ronnie had to fight tooth and nail to wrest back control of her life, her music and her legacy.

                                                                                                                                                                            And while she regained her footing, Ronnie found herself recording with Stevie Van Zandt, partying with David Bowie and touring with Bruce Springsteen. Smart, humorous and self-possessed, Be My Baby is a whirlwind account of the twists and turns in the life of an artist. More than anything, Be My Baby is a testament to the fact that it is possible to stand up to a powerful abuser and start on a second - or third, or fifth - act.


                                                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Abbey Road : The Inside Story Of The World's Most Famous Recording Studio (with A Foreword By Paul McCartney) by David Hepworth, Paul McCartney.

                                                                                                                                                                            David Hepworth, Paul McCartney

                                                                                                                                                                            Abbey Road : The Inside Story Of The World's Most Famous Recording Studio (with A Foreword By Paul McCartney)

                                                                                                                                                                            Penguin (Transworld)

                                                                                                                                                                              With a foreword by Paul McCartney'It's semi-devotional -- a really special place' Florence Welch'There are certain things that are mythical. Abbey Road is mythical' Nile RodgersMany people will recognise the famous zebra crossing. Some visitors may have graffitied their name on its hallowed outer walls.

                                                                                                                                                                              Others might even have managed to penetrate the iron gates. But what draws in these thousands of fans here, year after year? What is it that really happens behind the doors of the most celebrated recording studio in the world?It may have begun life as an affluent suburban house, but it soon became a creative hub renowned around the world as a place where great music, ground-breaking sounds and unforgettable tunes were forged - nothing less than a witness to, and a key participant in, the history of popular music itself. What has been going on there for over ninety years has called for skills that are musical, creative, technical, mechanical, interpersonal, logistical, managerial, chemical and, romantics might be tempted add, close to magic.

                                                                                                                                                                              This is for the people who believe in the magic.

                                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook.

                                                                                                                                                                              Peter Hook

                                                                                                                                                                              Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division

                                                                                                                                                                              Simon & Schuster

                                                                                                                                                                                'Genuinely funny; indeed, the story will keep you entertained for a very long time' - Sunday Times

                                                                                                                                                                                Joy Division changed the face of music. Godfathers of the enduring alternative scene, they reinvented rock in the post-punk era, creating a sound - dark, hypnotic, intense - that would influence U2, Morrissey, R.E.M., Radiohead and many others. This is the rollercoaster story of Joy Division - the friendships, fights, fall-outs; the rehearsals and recording sessions; the larger than life characters - told by the band's legendary bassist, Peter Hook.

                                                                                                                                                                                'Hook has restored a flesh-and-blood rawness to what was becoming a standard tale. Few pop music books manage that' - Guardian

                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Shorty’s Ark by Will Oldham & Lori Damiano.

                                                                                                                                                                                Will Oldham & Lori Damiano

                                                                                                                                                                                Shorty’s Ark

                                                                                                                                                                                Drag City

                                                                                                                                                                                  ‘Shorty’s Ark’ is a book for young readers, a collaborative effort between singer Will Oldham and graphic artist Lori Damiano, based on work by Oldham and musician Matt Sweeney. Drawing inspiration from the story of Noah, ‘Shorty’s Ark’ names and pictures a wild variety of species to inform and engage an equal variety of young minds with the diversity that can be found around this great planet of ours. The flood stands as metaphor for current impending changes in our planet, and the story works as a springboard for understanding concepts of interdependency, diversity and extinction.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Colourfully illustrating as many creatures and their places as possible, ‘Shorty’s Ark’ is an earth-affirmative vision meant to stimulate the curiosity and passion of those who encounter it. Will Oldham makes songs, mostly out of his home in Louisville, KY where he lives with his wife Elsa Hansen Oldham and their daughter, Poppy Jo. Increasingly, Oldham’s lyrics make sense. He loves partnering up in order to make the strongest work; it was partnership that yielded the song ‘Shorty’s Ark’ (it can be heard on Matt Sweeney & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s ‘Superwolves’ album), and his partnership with Lori Damiano that make this book what it is.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Lori Damiano is an illustrator / animator / textile artist based in Oregon. She loves to tell stories in pictures made out of paint, yarn, or pixels. A lot of the stories she draws are based on observing her fellow earthlings.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Siouxsie And The Banshees - The Early Years by Laurence Hedges.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Laurence Hedges

                                                                                                                                                                                  Siouxsie And The Banshees - The Early Years

                                                                                                                                                                                  Wymer Publishing

                                                                                                                                                                                    Monday 20th September 1976 saw one of the most unexpected moments in music history when what was to become one of the most iconic, important and mimicked bands of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s took to the stage at The 100 Club in Oxford Street, London. A last-minute addition to the '100 Club Punk Special' that included The Clash, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Damned, an unknown Siouxsie and The Banshees, comprising Sid Vicious, Steve Severin, Marco Pirroni and Siouxsie Sioux, unleashed twenty minutes of 'performance art' improvisation, featuring fragments of 'Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles', 'Twist And Shout' and 'Satisfaction'. 'The Lord's Prayer', which was to become a staple of Siouxsie and The Banshees' early live repertoire, was a white-noise assault on the senses and a barometer of the alienation many teenagers felt from the bloated nature of mid-1970s 'arena rock'.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Several line-up changes later, in 1978, Siouxise and The Banshees were propelled into the pop stratosphere. Signed to a major record label, the band released 'Hong Kong Garden' and wrote one of the most influential post-punk albums of all time, The Scream, a savage critique of curtain-twitching suburbia, the cheap titillation of the tabloids, and the dangers of believing and following any one doctrine. 1979's Join Hands, influenced by the political landscape in Britain and further afield, and the catastrophic loss of life in World War One, was a milestone of the band's increasing maturity, from the adrenaline-fuelled stomp of 'Icon' to the phased guitar, saxophone and bells of 'Playground Twist'.

                                                                                                                                                                                    After a tour fraught with fractiousness, a new line up with Slits' drummer Budgie and Magazine guitarist John McGeogh, together with Siouxsie Sioux and Steve Severin, released the band's most experimental album, Kaleidoscope, which was a heady mix of psychedelia and sonorous adventures including the singles 'Happy House' and 'Christine'. Siouxsie and The Banshees The Early Years explores the adventures, trials and tribulations of a band defying categorisation. Their uncompromising brilliance is exemplified by three unique albums, which are chronicled in the pages of this authoritative survey.

                                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Boy Friends - A Memoir Of Joy, Grief And Male Friendship by Michael Pedersen.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Michael Pedersen

                                                                                                                                                                                    Boy Friends - A Memoir Of Joy, Grief And Male Friendship

                                                                                                                                                                                    Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                      An intimate and original memoir of love, grief and male friendship by one of Scotland's brightest young talents.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Ever feel like you were fated to be friends with someone? An alchemy in your meeting, instant fondness – part chemical, part kismet. This is how I’ve felt about every friend I’ve fallen in love with – none so much as you.

                                                                                                                                                                                      In 2018, Michael Pedersen lost a most cherished friend soon after their collective voyage into the landscape and luminosity of the Scottish Highlands. Sitting at a desk at The Curfew Tower, Northern Ireland, Michael begins to write to his departed friend – Scott Hutchison. What starts as a love letter to one magical, coruscating human soon becomes a paean to many friendships – perhaps all friendship.

                                                                                                                                                                                      In Boy Friends, Pedersen confronts the bewildering process of grief. As memories rise to the surface – both heart-wrenching and hilarious – he recalls his younger self: the overly sensitive boy growing up in working-class Edinburgh; his befuddling stint in an ancient collegiate university; a short-lived, combustible career as a lawyer; and, foremost, the gorgeous male friendships that have transformed his life.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Written to glitter, with intoxicating energy, Boy Friends is a powerful depiction of friendship and loss, a homage to the beauty of moments shared.

                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of How To Be Invisible by Kate Bush.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Kate Bush

                                                                                                                                                                                      How To Be Invisible

                                                                                                                                                                                      Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                        Selected and arranged by the author, How To Be Invisible presents the lyrics of Kate Bush in a beautiful new paperback edition featuring a new cover by illustrator Jim Kay. 'The greatest singer-songwriter of the past 40 years, whose work is complex, ethereal and filled with so many secrets that one can listen to the albums for decades and still discover new delights every time.

                                                                                                                                                                                        There's not a spare word anywhere in Bush's work. Everything means something.' Irish Times


                                                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Limited Edition Of One by Steven Wilson & Mick Wall.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Steven Wilson & Mick Wall

                                                                                                                                                                                        Limited Edition Of One

                                                                                                                                                                                        Constable

                                                                                                                                                                                          The more I thought about it, the more I realised my career has been unusual. How did I manage to do everything wrong but still end up on the front cover of magazines, headlining world tours and achieving Top 5 albums? How did I attract such obsessive and fanatical fans, many of whom take everything I do or say very personally, which is simultaneously flattering but can also be tremendously frustrating? Even this I somehow cultivated without somehow meaning to. My accidental career.

                                                                                                                                                                                          Limited Edition of One is unlike any other music book you will ever have read. Part the long-awaited memoir of Steven Wilson: whose celebrated band Porcupine Tree began as teenage fiction before unintentionally evolving into a reality that encompassed Grammy-nominated records and sold-out shows around the world, before he set out for an even more successful solo career. Part the story of a twenty-first century artist who achieved chart-topping mainstream success without ever becoming part of the mainstream.

                                                                                                                                                                                          From Abba to Stockhausen, via a collection of conversations and thought pieces on the art of listening, the rules of collaboration, lists of lists, personal stories, professional adventurism (including food, film, TV, modern art), old school rock stardom, how to negotiate an obsessive fanbase and survive on social media, and dream-fever storytelling.

                                                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer : The Guitarist Who Changed The Sound Of American Music by Philip Watson.

                                                                                                                                                                                          Philip Watson

                                                                                                                                                                                          Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer : The Guitarist Who Changed The Sound Of American Music

                                                                                                                                                                                          Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                            The definitive biography of guitar icon and Grammy Award-winning artist Bill Frisell. FEATURING EXCLUSIVE LISTENING SESSIONS WITH: Paul Simon; Justin Vernon of Bon Iver; Gus Van Sant; Rhiannon Giddens; The Bad Plus; Gavin Bryars; Van Dyke Parks; Sam Amidon; Hal Willner; Jim Woodring; Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill'A beautiful and long overdue portrait of one of America's true living cultural treasures.'JOHN ZORN'The perfect companion-piece to the music of its subject.'MOJO'Outlines the subject's life in a series of scrupulous strokes and intimate interviews that are rare in such undertakings . .

                                                                                                                                                                                            . a cool, casual victory.'IRISH TIMESOver a period of forty-five years, Bill Frisell has established himself as one of the most innovative and influential musicians at work today. A quietly revolutionary guitar hero for our genre-blurring times, he connects to a diverse range of artists and admirers, including Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Gus Van Sant and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, all of whom feature in this book.

                                                                                                                                                                                            A vital addition to any music lover's book collection, Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer tells the legendary guitarist's story for the first time. 'Stuffed with musical encounters, so many that every couple of pages there's an unheard Frisell recording for the reader to chase down.'NEW YORKER'Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer is the definitive biography.'BILL MILKOWSKI, DOWNBEAT'Superb . .

                                                                                                                                                                                            . the book races along like Sonny Rollins in full sail. Like subject, like writer: this is super-articulate, adventurous prose.'PERSPECTIVE'[Watson's] writing balances unbridled passion and dispassionate research nearly as deftly as Mr.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Frisell's playing does sound and silence . . .

                                                                                                                                                                                            compelling.'WALL STREET JOURNAL

                                                                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Manchester Unspun : Pop, Property And Power In The Original Modern City by Andy Spinoza.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Andy Spinoza

                                                                                                                                                                                            Manchester Unspun : Pop, Property And Power In The Original Modern City

                                                                                                                                                                                            Manchester University Press

                                                                                                                                                                                              At the end of the 1970s, Manchester seemed to be sliding into the dustbin of history. Today the city is an international destination for culture and sport, and one of the fastest-growing urban regions in Europe. This book offers a first-hand account of what happened in between.

                                                                                                                                                                                              Arriving in Manchester as a wide-eyed student in 1979, Andy Spinoza went on to establish the arts magazine City Life before working for the Manchester Evening News and creating his own PR firm. In a forty-year career he has encountered a who's who of Manchester personalities, from cultural icons such as Tony Wilson to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and influential council leaders Sir Richard Leese and Sir Howard Bernstein. His remarkable account traces Manchester's gradual emergence from its post-industrial malaise, centring on the legendary nightclub the Hacienda and the cultural renaissance it inspired.

                                                                                                                                                                                              Manchester unspun begins in the gloom of a city still bearing the scars of the Second World War and ends among the shiny towers of an aspiring twenty-first-century metropolis. It is an insider's tale of deals done, government and corporate decision-making, nightclubs, music and entrepreneurs. -- .


                                                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Dance Your Way Home : A Journey Through The Dancefloor by Emma Warren.

                                                                                                                                                                                              Emma Warren

                                                                                                                                                                                              Dance Your Way Home : A Journey Through The Dancefloor

                                                                                                                                                                                              Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                                This book is about the kind of ordinary dancing you and I might do in our kitchens when a favourite tune comes on. It's more than a social history: it's a set of interconnected histories of the overlooked places where dancing happens . .

                                                                                                                                                                                                . Why do we dance together? What does dancing tells us about ourselves, individually and collectively? And what can it do for us? Whether it be at home, '80s club nights, Irish dancehalls or reggae dances, jungle raves or volunteer-run spaces and youth centres, Emma Warren has sought the answers to these questions her entire life. Dancing doesn't just refract the music and culture within which it evolves; it also generates new music and culture.

                                                                                                                                                                                                When we speak only of the music, we lose part of the story - the part that finds us dancing as children on the toes of adults; the half that triggers communication across borders and languages; the part that finds us worried that we'll never be able to dance again, and the part that finds us wondering why we were ever nervous in the first place. At the intersection of memoir, social and cultural history, Dance Your Way Home is an intimate foray onto the dancefloor - wherever and whenever it may be - that speaks to the heart of what it is that makes us move.

                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of You Are Beautiful And You Are Alone : The Biography Of Nico by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

                                                                                                                                                                                                You Are Beautiful And You Are Alone : The Biography Of Nico

                                                                                                                                                                                                Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                                  A redemptive, myth-shattering biography of one of the twentieth century's most underestimated creative and artistic forces.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  'What I have in common with Nico is the understanding of her furious frustration at not being recognised.' - MARIANNE FAITHFULL

                                                                                                                                                                                                  The real story of Nico is one of determination, self-destruction and belief in one's artistic vision, at any cost. Nico was an ever-evolving myth, an enigma that escaped definition. Born Christa Paffgen, Nico grew up in war-torn Berlin before being scouted by a fashion photographer in her early teens. At age twenty-seven, she became Andy Warhol's newest Superstar, securing the position of chanteuse for the Velvet Underground. Though she is primarily remembered for contributions to their seminal debut album - and her relationships with Brian Jones, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison - her own artistry and influence have often been overlooked.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Nico spent most of her career as a solo artist on the road, enduring empty concert halls, abusive fans and the perilous reality of being a drug addict. Yet beneath the superficial denigrations and one-dimensional myths was a complicated visionary determined to make art that was truly her own. In You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone, defying the sexist casting of her life as the tragedy of a beautiful woman losing her looks, youth and fame, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike cements Nico's legacy as one of the most vital artists of her time, inspiring a generation of luminaries including Bjoerk, Morrissey and Iggy Pop.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Containing over a hundred new interviews and rare archival material, this is an empowering reappraisal of an underappreciated icon.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Javi says: One of the most enigmatic, problematic, and chameleonic figures in alternative music's history, who finally gets the biography she deserves. Iconic - Controversial - Nico.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of The Listening Service: 101 Journeys Through The Musical Universe by Tom Service.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Tom Service

                                                                                                                                                                                                  The Listening Service: 101 Journeys Through The Musical Universe

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Based on his critically-acclaimed BBC Radio 3 programme The Listening Service, in which Tom Service takes an idea on an ear-opening and mind-expanding walk through the musical landscape every week, this book is a celebration of music's multi-dimensional power in our lives. With 101 short chapters based on the programmes and grouped thematically the book will open ears and imaginations to find answers to the questions we all have about why and how music - from Toots and the Maytals and J S Bach, Gustav Mahler and Miley Cyrus, to Anna Meredith and Mozart - works its magic over us. With direct links to the programmes using a QR code, the chapters draw on powerful and communicative anecdotes and analogies, as well as the latest scientific research, and above all, a spirit of discovery and connection across genres, cultures, and histories. At its heart is the conviction that music changes us.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Like Punk Never Happened : New Expanded Edition by Dave Rimmer.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Dave Rimmer

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Like Punk Never Happened : New Expanded Edition

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Faber & Faber

                                                                                                                                                                                                      The definitive account of the first rise and fall of Boy George and Culture Club, and British pop music in the 1980s. NEW EXPANDED EDITION, WITH A FOREWORD BY NEIL TENNANTFEATURES A BONUS CHAPTER ON DURAN DURAN AND A NEW AFTERWORD'Speaks from the centure of pop's beating heart.' DYLAN JONES'Fascinating.' NEW YORK TIMES'A controversial and honest account.' NME'Music journalism at its best.' THE WORDA story of money, sex, stardom, screaming fans and forgotten ideals, Like Punk Never Happened is Dave Rimmer's witty, authoritative, fast-moving and provocative insider account of the roller-coaster ride that was Boy George & Culture Club and the new '80s pop. 'Rimmer is among the most entertaining writers ever to pen a rock book.'ROCK AND ROLL CONFIDENTIAL'The funniest, smartest book I know about the connections between pop glitter and real-life human passion, the erotics of fandom, or the dirty details.'ROB SHEFFIELD, author of Talking to Girls about Duran Duran'As sharp a study of British pop as we'll get.'SIMON FRITH, CITY LIMITS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of The Listening Party by Tim Burgess.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Tim Burgess

                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Listening Party

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dorling Kindersley

                                                                                                                                                                                                        The Charlatans' Tim Burgess invites you to the greatest listening party of all time.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        In 2020 when the world was forced to hit pause on live in-person gigs, Tim Burgess found an ingenious way to bring people together by inviting artists and bands, from Paul McCartney and New Order to Michael Kiwanuka and Kylie, to host real-time album playbacks via Twitter. Relive 100 of the most memorable listening parties here with stories from bands and fans, rarely seen backstage images, and unique insider info from those who created these iconic albums.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        "Hey Twitter, let's all say a big thanks to Tim for these brilliant events this year! We really needed them. So much great music being talked about.'" - Sir Paul McCartney

                                                                                                                                                                                                        "Twitter being used for something really positive." - Mary Beard

                                                                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Faith, Hope And Carnage by Nick Cave And Seán O'Hagan.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Nick Cave And Seán O'Hagan

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Faith, Hope And Carnage

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Canon Gate

                                                                                                                                                                                                          Faith, Hope and Carnage is a book about Nick Cave's inner life.

                                                                                                                                                                                                          Created from over forty hours of intimate conversations with Sean O'Hagan, it is a profoundly thoughtful exploration, in Cave's own words, of what really drives his life and creativity.

                                                                                                                                                                                                          The book examines questions of faith, art, music, freedom, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave's life, from his early childhood to the present day, his loves, his work ethic and his dramatic transformation in recent years. From a place of considered reflection, Faith, Hope and Carnage offers ladders of hope and inspiration from a true creative visionary.


                                                                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]

                                                                                                                                                                                                          next 100

                                                                                                                                                                                                          E-newsletter —
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Sign up
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top