NoMeansNo are on the road to nowhere, Boy George spreads some good (and bad) karma, Jarvis Cocker offers us some Pulp facts and more. Crack the cover on these additions to your reading list:
NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History
By Jason Lamb
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “They were unlike any other band in the punk scene they called home. NoMeansNo started in the basement of the family home of brothers Rob and John Wright in 1979. For the next three decades, they would add and then replace a guitar player, sign a record deal with Alternative Tentacles and tour the world. All along the way, they kept their integrity, saying “No” to many mainstream opportunities. It was for this reason the band (intentionally) never became a household name, but earned the respect and love of thousands of fans around the world, including some who became big rock stars themselves. They were expertly skilled musicians playing a new kind of punk: intelligent, soulful, hilarious, and complex. They were also really nice Canadian dudes. NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion is the fully authorized oral and visual history of this highly influential and enigmatic band which has never been told before now. Author Jason Lamb obtained exclusive access to all four former members and interviewed hundreds of people in their orbit, from managers and roadies to fellow musicians, friends, and family members. The result is their complete story, from the band’s inception in 1979 to their retirement in 2016, along with hundreds of photos, posters, and memorabilia, much of which has never been seen publicly before. For established fans, this book serves as a love letter to their favorite group and provides many details previously unknown. For those curious about the story and influence of NoMeansNo, it reveals an eye-opening tale of how a punk band could be world class musicians while truly “doing it themselves.” Their impact and importance cannot be overstated, and NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion is the essential archive.”
Karma: My Autobiography
By Boy George
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Karma is the definitive autobiography from the incomparable Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello Award-winning lead singer of Culture Club, and LGBTQ+ vanguard: Boy George. Nothing short of an amazing story, the memoir delivers a searingly honest and captivating account of his extraordinary life. Take a front-row seat to the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight. Boy George’s compelling storytelling shines a light on his encounters with legendary figures like David Bowie, Prince and Madonna, providing an intimate peek into the music industry’s glittering world. Humor, sarcasm, and signature style. This is the explosive and honest account of Boy George’s life as a child growing up in sixties London and coming out to his Irish Catholic family. Hear his account of his exploration of his sexuality through the hedonism of the ’70s (the glam and punk revolutions that birthed Culture Club), his recollections of the heydays of the nineties, and his ultimately embracing the man and artist that he is today. For those seeking books on self-acceptance and recovery from addiction, Karma stands as an example of the transformative power of embracing one’s true self.”
Hardcore: The Cinematic World of Pulp
By Paul Burgess & Louise Colbourne
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the mid- to late 1990s, Paul Burgess was invited by Jarvis Cocker to document the British band Pulp, taking photographs during video shoots, live gigs, and other events for what has become one of the landmark albums of the period, This Is Hardcore. Written and designed by Burgess and Louise Colbourne, Hardcore contains a candid selection of previously unseen images of the band, behind the scenes and on set, from the four main video shoots made to promote the album. Twenty-five years have passed since Pulp released this extraordinary album, and this book holds up a mirror to the ingenious creative processes and characters behind the seminal record. With carefully curated images from Burgess’s archive, Hardcore also includes quotations and interviews from then and now by the video directors, band members, and other artists involved with the album. The book contains contributions from Doug Nichol, John Currin, Stephen Mallinder, Sergei Sviatchenko, John Stezaker and Florian Habicht, all of whom have a connection to the album, the band, or the era. There are also visual responses from a selection of younger artists and designers, such as Alexa Vieira, who have been inspired by Burgess’s photographs and the band’s legacy.”
Bob Dylan: The Biography
By United Library
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, is not merely a singer-songwriter; he is a cultural phenomenon and one of the greatest songwriters in the history of music. This meticulously researched biography delves deep into Dylan’s six-decade career, providing a comprehensive exploration of his evolution as an artist. From his early years in Minnesota, to his pivotal role as a voice for change in the 1960s civil rights and antiwar movements, Dylan’s journey is a testament to his unwavering commitment to his craft and his fearless approach to challenging the status quo. The book uncovers the creative genius behind iconic songs like Blowin’ in the Wind, The Times They Are a-Changin’ and Like a Rolling Stone, showcasing how his lyrics were influenced by political, social, philosophical, and literary sources. Readers gain insight into the albums that defined eras, from the acoustic beauty of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan to the groundbreaking electric rock of Highway 61 Revisited. Dylan’s career is marked by reinvention, and the book navigates his transitions into country, gospel, and contemporary rock, all while maintaining his distinctive poetic lyricism. It explores his continuous evolution as an artist, including his recent critically acclaimed releases and his exploration of American standards. This book is not just a biography; it’s a celebration of the man behind the music and the profound impact he has had on popular music, literature, and American culture. It’s a tribute to an artist whose poetic expressions within the American song tradition earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature and a permanent place in the hearts of millions worldwide.”
Psalms of My People: A Story of Black Liberation as Told through Hip-Hop
By Lenny Duncan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “James Baldwin, in his famous talk The Struggle for the Artist’s Integrity, suggests that “the poets (by which I mean all artists) are finally the only people who know the truth about us.” And to understand the truth about the history of Black peoples in America, argues Lenny Duncan, we must look to the modern Black poet: The hip-hop artist. In Psalms of My People,artist, scholar, and activist Duncan treats the work of hip-hop artists from the last several decades — from N.W.A, Tupac and Biggie to Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar — like sacred scripture. Their songs and lyrics are given full exegetical treatment — a critical and contextual interpretation of text — and are beautifully illustrated, with a blend of ancient and modern art styles illuminating every page. All the while, Duncan traces the history of hip-hop, revealing it as a conduit to tell the modern story of Black liberation in this country, following the bloody trail from the end of the Civil Rights Era through the day George Floyd was sacrificed on the streets of America. “Who else but the hip-hop artist,” asks Duncan, “has embodied the cries, pain, and secret concrete ? Whose art? Our art. Whose story is written in the book of life with crimson lines dipped in a well that is 400+ years deep? Whose story? Our story. For whom does God bring down empires? Us.”
