Bluegrass kings, teen pop idols, psycho killers (qu’est ce que c’est), Britpop stars, the women of punk, and deep dives into dozens of classic albums — here’s what you’ve got on the books:
The Music of Bill Monroe
By Neil V. Rosenberg & Charles K. Wolfe
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spanning over 1,000 separate performances, The Music of Bill Monroe presents a complete chronological list of all of Bill Monroe’s commercially released sound and visual recordings. Each chapter begins with a narrative describing Monroe’s life and career at that point, bringing in producers, sidemen, and others as they become part of the story. The narratives read like a “who’s who” of bluegrass, connecting Monroe to the music’s larger history and containing many fascinating stories. The second part of each chapter presents the discography. Information here includes the session’s place, date, time, and producer; master/matrix numbers, song/tune titles, composer credits, personnel, instruments, and vocals; and catalog/release numbers and reissue data. The only complete bio-discography of this American musical icon, The Music of Bill Monroe is the starting point for any study of Monroe’s contributions as a composer, interpreter, and performer.”
The Love It Takes: The Extraordinary Influence of Louis Tomlinson
By Skylar Burton
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Love It Takes explores the remarkable impact of Louis Tomlinson, a celebrity whose life and career exemplify the pinnacle of resilience and the strength of collective support. In contrast to conventional celebrity stories and photo collections crafted by management teams or officially sanctioned writers with specific motives, this book is authored by his fans. Being unauthorized, it stands out as raw, sincere, and deeply moving. Compiled from heartfelt stories, poetry, photography, and art from over 250 individuals from all over the world, this book paints a vivid picture of Tomlinson through the eyes, ears, and hearts of his deeply loyal fans, and why they remain loyal after all these years. Tomlinson rose to prominence as a pivotal member of One Direction — a band that, within a span of five years, broke records with five chart-topping albums, embarked on four global sell-out tours, and garnered numerous accolades before going on indefinite hiatus in 2016. Since then, Tomlinson is the one you hear about the least and there’s a reason that is both curious, compelling, and frustrating. Conformity gets its reward. Through The Love It Takes you will discover the humility, resilience, and unwavering positivity of Tomlinson and how he has motivated and inspired people across the globe and from all walks of life to pursue their dreams, overcome obstacles, and become better versions of themselves.”
Burning Down the House: Crime Fiction Incited By The Songs Of The Talking Heads
By Various Authors
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Twelve of today’s most innovative crime fiction authors bring the songs of the Talking Heads to life in this blistering collection. A charity anthology to benefit the fight against climate change, Burning Down The House is a dazzling exploration of what crime fiction can entail — deftly mixing grimy crime, small-town grit lit, literary noir, and tales that blend crime with speculative fiction, sci-fi, road trip comedy, magical realism, and horror. In this collection, readers will meet musicians desperate to escape their dying towns, con men with violent histories, detectives haunted by the ghosts of the past, women who refuse to be defined by the narrow expectations placed upon them, slimy magicians poised for a final vanishing act — and even a magic talking guitar. This collection will delight, challenge and inspire crime readers of all kinds with stories from exciting up-and-comers and award-winning veterans — including James D.F. Hannah; P.D. Cacek; Bobby Mathews; Libby Cudmore; and Gregory Galloway.”
The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed: Rock Classics
By John Van Der Kiste
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Released in 1969, Let it Bleed was The Rolling Stones’ eighth studio album (10th in the U.S.). The second in a sequence of four consecutive records that comprised their creative peak, it is considered by many to be their best. After a period of turmoil culminating in drug busts, the enforced departure and sudden death of founding member Brian Jones, they delivered a powerful set of nine tracks that encompassed hard rock, blues, country, folk, gospel and even funk. From the eerie Gimme Shelter to the epic You Can’t Always Get What You Want, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the band plus an array of guests including Al Kooper, Ry Cooder and The London Bach Choir, it was a set that captured the uncertain prevailing mood at the end of the 1960s and the era that produced the Woodstock and Altamont festivals. No. 1 in Britain and No. 2 in America, it still sounds just as fresh, urgent and challenging more than half a century later. This account examines in detail the background, inspiration and recording of the songs, the reception of the work as a whole, and its legacy and influence on subsequent generations of bands and performers to this day.”
Neil Young 1963 to 1970: Every Album, Every Song
By Opher Goodwin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the realm of singer-songwriters, few have been as influential as Neil Young, whose music has always been creative and relevant throughout six decades. Neil is a chameleon for whom boundaries of genres do not exist. He has delved into folk, country, R&B, rock ’n’ roll, grunge, hard rock, electronic and pop and made them his own. But the sixties were his launch pad. This book follows his music through that seminal period when he played with The Squires, Mynah Birds, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Crazy Horse and The Stray Gators. During this seminal period, Young wrote or co-wrote some of his greatest songs, including I Am A Child, Southern Man, Helpless and — most importantly — Ohio. It is the story of how one of the most seminal artists of the last 50 years learned his trade — every band, every twist and turn and every track.”
Ian Hunter: Every Album, Every Song
By Mick Smith
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dive into the musical universe of solo Ian Hunter songs like never before. We unlock the secrets behind every lyric, riff, and melody in this one-of-a-kind musical journey. From the soul-stirring anthems that defined an era to the hidden gems that eluded the spotlight, this book leaves no chord unheard. It is an immersive voyage into the evolution of a songwriter extraordinaire, as it explorse the stories, inspirations, and creative genius that brought these songs to life. With a mix of anecdotes, in-depth analyses, and a touch of rockstar charisma, this book isn’t just a collection of pages, it’s a front-row seat to Hunter’s musical legacy. Whether you’ve been inspired by All The Young Dudes since its debut or you’re just discovering the magic of the Defiance series, this is a must-have addition to your collection, as we rank up the volume to a sonic journey through the soundtrack of so many people’s lives. It’s a deep dive into the heart and soul of Hunter’s almost unparalleled musical journey. This book will appeal to all rock aficionados and die-hard fans of Mott The Hoople’s legendary frontman, making it the ultimate backstage pass Hunter fans have been waiting for.”
The Divine Comedy: Every Album, Every Song
By Alan Draper
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Towards the tail end of the 1980s, Neil Hannon, a talented singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, formed his first lineup of The Divine Comedy. In 1989, he signed a deal with Setanta Records which led to The Divine Comedy becoming the label’s most successful chart act of the 1990s. In this book, Alan Draper examines the 13 studio albums released under The Divine Comedy banner between 1990 and 2022. This overview includes some interesting additional recordings includin single releases and also takes in the pair of albums recorded by offshoot project The Duckworth Lewis Method, on which Hannon combined forces with fellow Irishman Thomas Walsh. The sweeping eclecticism on display throughout the recording career of The Divine Comedy is simply breathtaking: from indie roots on the 1990 debut album Fanfare For The Comic Muse; through the groundbreaking hybrid chamber-pop of Liberation and Promenade; to hit singles during the 1990s Britpop era and ambitious orchestral arrangements on later masterworks such as Fin De Siecle and Absent Friends. Through all these changes, Hannon’s restless spirit has remained a constant factor at the heart of The Divine Comedy, resulting in the extraordinary and ongoing canon of music explored in this book.”
Change the Record: Punk Women Music Politics
By M.I. Franklin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Poets, guitarists, songwriters, TV stars, provocateurs, riot grrrl founders, the authors in this study challenge perceptions of punk music and politics. Viv Albertine, Alice Bag, Pauline Black, Carrie Brownstein, Kim Gordon, Nina Hagen, Chrisse Hynde, Patti Smith, Brix Smith Start and Cosey Fanni Tutti have been breaking new ground in writing about their lives. They fill gaps in the historical record, back catalogues and perceptions of how music works as politics. They provide fans and music scholars with a corrective to androcentric studies of punk as a DIY politics of resistance to the mainstream. M.I. Franklin shows how they do this, along with ways to hear the personal and world politics inherent in their musical output.”
Tax, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll: The Decade That Went Whoosh!
By Damian Corless
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tax, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll is the story of how an influx of British pop stars in the early 1980s was a significant catalyst in the miraculous transformation of Ireland from poor, downtrodden and insular to rich, confident and outward looking. In the space of a dizzying decade or so, the country was turned upside down, seeing itself very differently and being seen in a new light by a bedazzled and somewhat bewildered watching world. Status Quo’s Francis Rossi set the ball rolling, closely followed by Sting and Andy Summers of The Police, but it was with the arrival of a cluster of younger freshly-minted MTV superstars that Ireland got itself a new English colony, and far attracting hostility from the natives, these settlers were warmly embraced (well, mostly). Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Spandau Ballet and Def Leppard were amongst those who landed into a crumbling wreck of a capital city. Dublin’s killer smog was an international embarrassment, while the River Liffey’s once majestic Georgian waterfront now gaped like rows of sooty, broken teeth. Physical isolation and the Troubles spilling from the North had choked tourism to a trickle. By the mid-1990s the ‘sceptic isle’ of ‘police and priests’ berated with feeling by Bob Geldof in ‘Banana Republic’ had, to a remarkable extent, been bundled into the dustbin of history. Of course, virtually all the heavy lifting in uprooting and overthrowing the old order had been done by the mutinous young people of Ireland. They’re all here between the covers. Suddenly, everything went whoosh!”
Thriving On A Riff: Jazz & The Spiritual Life
By William G. Carter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “What does jazz have to do with human spirituality? In Thriving OnA Riff, Presbyterian minister and jazz pianist Bill Carter shows us how jazz, in its quest for transcendence, bridges the gap between the secular and the sacred and, further, that these two worlds are not mutually exclusive — jazz is spiritual. Carter traces jazz from its origins in the twilight of American slavery, to its evolution from dance music to serious art form during the American civil rights movement, and its eventual introduction into the church as a legitimate expression of praise and lament. Along the way, he explores the spiritual dimensions of jazz, with its blend of passion and intellect, its ability to awaken us to something in and beyond ourselves. From King David to Dave Brubeck, from the Psalms of Israel to John Coltrane‘s A Love Supreme, musicians help us glimpse the experience of music as communion with the Divine. And true to jazz sensibilities, brief Improvisation sections add to the gravitas and delight, expounding on the chapter’s theme in the form of a poetic extension without breaking rhythm. Weaving together stories from the history of American music with his personal experiences as a working musician, Carter invites us to meet a God who not only embraces syncopation but blesses the swing.”
Halestorm: Hyde Manor
By Halestorm
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Z2 Comics and Grammy-winning rock band Halestorm transform the group’s barbed riffs and evocative narratives into sequential art for Hyde Manor, a harrowing descent into one woman’s fight with the darkest parts of herself. Twins Brittany and Brianna Winner, artist Sara Scalia, and colorist DJ Alonso weave a tale of the celebrated group as they seek refuge in the titular Hyde Manor — a sprawling gothic estate perched on the remote end of the Oregon Coast. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2012 EP Hello, It’s Mz Hyde and its ensuing LP, The Strange Case Of…, the Hyde Manor graphic novel depicts the members of Halestorm encountering sinister doppelgangers of themselves. Within the decrepit halls of Hyde Manor, mirror reflections independently talk back and photographs transform to reveal sordid prophecies, leading the band to slowly succumb to madness while recording a new album. The tale creaks and twists with doom-filled revelations, perfectly tied to Halestorm’s scorching discography.”
