Radiohead and Raekwon. Joshua Tree and Jamming. Roky and record stores. Graham and graphic novels. If you haven’t already finished (or started) Christmas shopping for the music lover in your life, here are a few more options for your list. Read all about ’em:
Kid A Mnesia: A Book of Radiohead Artwork
By Thom Yorke & Stanley Donwood
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Whilst these records were being conceived, rehearsed, recorded and produced, Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood made hundreds of images. These ranged from obsessive, insomniac scrawls in biro to six-foot-square painted canvases, from scissors-and-glue collages to immense digital landscapes. They utilised every medium they could find, from sticks and knives to the emerging digital technologies. The work chronicles their obsessions at the time: Minotaurs, genocide, maps, globalisation, monsters, pylons, dams, volcanoes, locusts, lightning, helicopters, Hiroshima, show homes and ring roads. What emerges is a deeply strange portrait of the years at the commencement of this century. A time that seems an age ago — but so much remains the same.”
Fear Stalks the Land!: A Commonplace Book
By Thom Yorke & Stanley Donwood
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This commonplace book includes faxes, notes, fledgling lyrics, sketches, lists of all kinds and scribblings towards nirvana, as were sent between the two authors during the period 1999 to 2000 during the creation of the Radiohead albums Kid A and Amnesiac.”
From Staircase to Stage: The Story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan
By Raekwon & Anthony Bozza
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary wordsmith Raekwon the Chef opens up about his journey from the staircases of Park Hill in Staten Island to sold-out stadiums around the world with Wu-Tang Clan in this revealing memoir — perfect for fans of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane and Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter. There are rappers who everyone loves and there are rappers who every rapper loves, and Corey Woods, aka Raekwon the Chef, is one of the few who is both. His versatile flow, natural storytelling, and evocative imagery have inspired legions of fans and a new generation of rappers. Raekwon is one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, and his voice and cadence are synonymous with the sound that has made the group iconic since 1991. Now, for the first time, Raekwon tells his whole story, from struggling through poverty in order to make ends meet to turning a hobby into a legacy. The Wu-Tang tale is dense, complex, and full of drama, and here nothing is off-limits: the group’s origins, secrets behind songs like C.R.E.A.M. and Protect Ya Neck, and what it took to be one of the first hip-hop groups to go from the underground to the mainstream. Raekwon also delves deep into the making of his meticulous solo albums — particularly the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx — and talks about how spirituality and fatherhood continue to inspire his unstoppable creative process. A celebration of perseverance and the power of music, From Staircase to Stage is a master storyteller’s lifelong journey to stay true to himself and his roots.”
True Love Cast Out All Evil: The Songwriting Legacy of Roky Erickson
By Brian T. Atkinson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Transcendence came with a price,” Brian T. Atkinson writes in his introduction to this collection of reflections by and about pioneer psychedelic rocker Roky Erickson (1947-2019). The singer and songwriter who fronted The 13th Floor Elevators burst onto the Texas music scene in 1966 with the release of You’re Gonna Miss Me, the band’s only charting single, which featured Erickson’s primal vocal stylings. The band attracted considerable regional attention, including interest from a young Janis Joplin, who considered joining the group before opting to go to San Francisco instead. Through his interviews with those who were there and presentation of Erickson’s own words, Atkinson chronicles how Erickson was haunted for most of his life by mental illness, likely compounded by his liberal usage of hallucinogenic and other drugs. Despite that, however, his influence on Texas musicians of various genres is vast. As Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top attests in his foreword, “He stands alone to this day and is revered as an artist because he had the gift of a wonderful voice.” As with his previous books on Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Mickey Newbury, Atkinson has recorded hours of interviews with veteran and upcoming musicians who were impacted by Erickson. Along with the insights of long-time music journalists like Joe Nick Patoski and the bittersweet recollections of friends and family members like Mikel Erickson, brother of the singer, this work includes poetry and lyrics written by Erickson during his confinement at Rusk State Hospital in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The picture that emerges is that of a brilliant, troubled mind and an artist whose influence extended far beyond the period of his greatest notoriety, continuing even beyond his death.”
A Life in Focus: The Photography of Graham Nash
By Graham Nash
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In this curated collection of art and photography from his personal archive, Graham Nash’s life as a musician and artist unfolds in vivid detail. Best known as a founding member of The Hollies and supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, Graham developed a love of photography from the time he was a child. Inspired by his father, Nash began taking pictures at 10 years old and would go on to take his camera with him ever since — on tour with The Hollies and later CSN and CSNY, among friends at Laurel Canyon and abroad. Many of his photographs depict intimate moments with family and friends, among them Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills and Neil Young. This volume presents these images alongside Nash’s own reflections, telling the story behind the pictures and giving insight into the life of one of the greatest musicians of all time.”
The Best of Jamming!
By Tony Fletcher
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One of Britain’s best-loved and most successful fanzines, Jamming! documented the musical landscape as it evolved between 1977 and 1986. Fully illustrated throughout, The Best of Jamming! includes numerous stand-out pieces from the zine’s impressive 36 issue-run, from early features on The Jam, The Smiths, Run-D.M.C., Cocteau Twins and The Beat, to surprise exclusive interviews with Paul McCartney, U2 and Pete Townshend. Personal letters from Mark E. Smith, Paul Weller and others appear alongside arts, sports and politics features, poetry and a foreword by Billy Bragg. Having guided Jamming! from a six-page school publication to a nationally distributed monthly, editor Tony Fletcher provides behind-the-scenes insights, while musicians and former contributors reflect on their interviews and Jamming!’s long-lasting influence. An immensely evocative read, The Best of Jamming! perfectly encapsulates the excitement and unprecedented potential of the DIY era.”
U2’s The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America
By Bradley Morgan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U2 planted the seeds for The Joshua Tree during an existential journey through America. As Irishmen in the 1970s, the band grew up with the belief that America was a place of freedom and prosperity, a symbol of hope and a refuge for all people. However, global politics of the 1980s undermined that impression and fostered hypocritical policies that manipulated Americans and devastated people around the world. Originally conceived as The Two Americas, The Joshua Tree was U2’s critique of America. Rather than living up to the ideal that the country was “an idea that belongs to people who need it most,” the band found that America sacrificed equality and justice for populism and fascism. This book explores the political, social, and cultural themes rooted in The Joshua Tree when it was originally released in 1987 and how those themes resonated as a response to the election of Donald Trump when U2 toured for the album’s 30th anniversary. The author juxtaposes the band’s existential journey through America with his own journey connecting with his Irish roots by becoming a citizen in the age of Trump and places U2’s and The Joshua Tree’s relevance in context with the current political climate.
London’s Record Shops
By Garth Cartwright & Quintina Valero
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London’s Record Shops celebrates the city’s greatest music vendors. From Brixton dub shacks to Hackney vinyl boutiques, Camden’s rockabilly ravers to Southall’s last Bollywood shop, underground Peckham outlets to Soho’s legendary dance music hub, these brilliantly eccentric and engaging emporiums are documented with striking photographs and incisive interviews. For anyone who loves music and London this book will engage, inform, and charm.”
King Diamond: Abigail
By Dan Watters, Damien Worm & King Diamond
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “King Diamond’s classic horror story featured on his 1987 concept album Abigail, has received a masterful in-depth overhaul and is brought to life in a whole new way in this stunning graphic novel by Dan Watters, Damien Worm, and King Diamond himself.”
Flatbush Zombies 3001: A Prequel Odyssey
By Rob Markman, J.J. Lopez & Flatbush Zombies
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The official prequel to Flatbush Zombies’ debut album. Erick, Meech, and Juice were just three friends from Flatbush with the power to really move a crowd — until a supernatural crystal changed everything! Now, dark forces are invading the neighborhood to unleash a nightmare entity at Brookyln’s world-famous West Indian Day Parade … and only Flatbush Zombies stand in their way. By writer Rob Markman and the premiere of interior artist J.J. Lopez, plus featuring brand-new character designs by Marvel Comics artist David Nakayama!”
