Is it just me, or does every actor, comic, chat-show host and two-bit celeb have a kids’ book out? It sure seems that way. And no wonder; if I could dash off a few sentences (or, better yet, just put my name on someone else’s work) and get a book deal out of it, I would. Personally, I can’t wait for more rock stars to jump on this bandwagon — I would totally read bedtime stories by Iggy Pop (presumptive title: Little Iggy The One-Eyed Snake), Gene Simmons (Oh, The Groupies You’ll Meet!), Keith Richards (Daddy Needs His Medicine!) and Nick Cave (Who’s That At The Door, Boys & Girls? Why, It’s Death!). Until that happens, I guess we’ll all have to make do with these memoirs, biographies, coffee-table tomes and mass-market fan fare:
MC5: An Oral Biography of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band
By Brad Tolinski, Jaan Uhelszki & Ben Edmonds
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Few bands have dared to ignite a revolution through their fusion of activism and art like MC5. Managed by the charismatic radical and hippie spokesman, John Sinclair, MC5 were a thunderous proclamation of dissent, amplifying the voices of the marginalized long before it was fashionable. From championing racial equality to rallying for cannabis legalization, they fearlessly thrust their beliefs onto the world stage. For their efforts, the rabble-rousing musical arm of the White Panther Party, the scourge of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and other defenders of public decency, were often beaten with clubs, threatened at gunpoint, tossed into jail, and even unceremoniously dumped by their record company, right as their album was storming up the charts. What has been lost amidst this notoriety is MC5 itself, a band worth remembering not because they were bad boys, but because they were so damn good. In MC5: An Oral Biography of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band, Brad Tolinski and Jaan Uhelszki invite readers to reconsider the legendary group. Centered around interviews with MC5, their manager, and their inner circle — many of whom are no longer with us — this book presents a genuinely candid, funny, and moving portrait of rock’s most uncompromising and articulate band. MC5 also features a virtual “who’s who” of 1960s rockers, including Iggy & The Stooges, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Graham, John Lennon, Jefferson Airplane, and political firebrands like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Eldridge Cleaver. As innovative, insightful, and inspiring as the band itself, this is a fitting testament to the legacy of these iconic pioneers — in their own words.”
The Silver Snarling Trumpet: The Birth Of The Grateful Dead – The Lost Manuscript
By Robert Hunter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Strange to think back on those days when it was perfectly natural that we all slept on the floor in one small room… These were the days before practical considerations, matters of ‘importance,’ began to eat our minds. We were all poets and philosophers then, until we began to wonder why we had so few concrete worries and went out to look for some.” So wrote Robert Hunter in The Silver Snarling Trumpet, both a novelistic singular work of art and the missing piece of the Grateful Dead origin story. In this book, listeners are privy to the early days of Hunter, Jerry Garcia and their cohorts, who sit at coffee shops passing around a single cup of bottomless java because they lacked the funds for more. Follow these truth-seeking souls into the stacks at Kepler’s Books, renting instruments at Swain’s House of Music, and through the countryside on mind-expanding road trips. Witness impromptu jams, inspired intellectual pranks, and a dialogue that is, by turns, amusing and brilliant and outrageous. Hunter shares his impressions of his first gig with Garcia for a college audience, along with descriptions of his most intense dreams and psychedelic explorations. All of it, enlivened by Hunter’s visionary spirit and profound ideas about creativity and collaboration. Also included is Hunter’s own 1982 assessment of his work, which he shared with close confidants but decided to leave unpublished. Five years after Hunter’s death, the text has been found, so readers and fans can explore the origin of his genius and his craft.”
Now You’re One of Us: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross
By Jeff and Steven McDonald
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Emerging from humble beginnings in suburban Los Angeles, the brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald took their rock ’n’ roll fantasy and ran with it — and wound up becoming one of the most influential American bands of their time. The band’s flamboyant, genre-defying, joyously tuneful blend of musical, sartorial and pop cultural elements profoundly influenced the punk rock, glam metal and grunge movements and won them a worldwide cult of fervent admirers that includes bands like Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, L7 and The Bangles. Redd Kross continue rocking to this day, much to the intense delight of fans old and new. And now the McDonalds team up with award-winning music journalist Dan Epstein to tell their wild, hilarious and gloriously star-spangled tale.”
Thunderclap Newman: Hollywood Dream
By Mark Ian Wilkerson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Thunderclap Newman stunned the music world in the summer of 1969 with the success of their wonderfully odd debut single Something In The Air, which ousted none other than The Beatles from the top of the charts. They followed up with an LP described by Nik Cohn as “one of the finest, most truly bizarre albums of the era” before disintegrating just a few months after its release.This is the story of one of the most unlikely combos in pop history, and of the four disparate characters who formed its core: Pete Townshend, principal songwriter and guitarist for The Who; his best friend and driver, the singer-songwriter and drummer John ‘Speedy’ Keen; a 15-year-old wunderkind guitarist named Jimmy McCulloch; and finally, an enigmatic telephone engineer who also happened to be a brilliant improvisational jazz pianist: Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman. Rife with triumph and tragedy, and drawn from exhaustive research and more than 50 interviews with those who were there, Hollywood Dream: The Thunderclap Newman Story provides a detailed, exacting look at the fascinating story of a band who everyone has forgotten but everyone knows.”
Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? The Unlikely Memoir
By Jakko M Jakszyk
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jakko M. Jaksyzk is an award-winning, world-renowned musician, best known for having been a member of Level 42, but most recently, for the past 13 years, lead singer and guitarist with progressive rock founding fathers King Crimson. Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? is, at first glance, a traditional rock ’n’ roll memoir, charting Jakko’s long and varied musical career, packed with eyebrow-raising and hilarious anecdotes about his encounters with everyone from Michael Jackson, Kate Bush and Gene Simmons, to Uri Geller, Cliff Richard and the Dalai Lama. Dig a little deeper, however, and it soon becomes clear that this autobiography is much more than that. Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? is an almanac of entertaining tales from the mid-20th century rock, theatre and alternative-comedy trenches, all told with great wit and charm. It tells the story of an abandoned child who became lost in dreams of becoming a musician and who, with determination, talent and a slice of luck, ended up working with their childhood heroes. It is a story about the fundamentals of who we are and the constant shift between nature and nurture. Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? is a tale about discovering, processing and making peace with who you are. This is an autobiography about a musician’s life — but unlike any other you have read before.”
Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven And Hell
By Deryck Whibley
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From his earliest days growing up in Canada, Deryck Whibley was a punk who loved music and couldn’t wait to achieve something bigger and better than the humble path that lay before him. Whibley was raised by a single mom and their small family constantly moved from place to place, so he was used to being the new kid, starting fights (or finishing them), and connecting with people who shared his sensibility for chaotic fun and loud music. Sum 41 was born of a group of friends who loved to jam, shared a DIY ethos, and were determined to be rock stars one day. Walking Disaster is Whibley’s story, but it is also the untold story of Sum 41. Whibley takes you backstage, into the recording booth, and through the highest highs and lowest lows of the band whose story is inextricably woven with his own. With his insightful, earnest, and genuine voice, Whibley gets real about fame, fortune, and the music industry. Detailing everything from winning at the MTV Video Music Awards and being nominated for a Grammy to revisiting his high-profile relationships and friendships, contending with invasive paparazzi, and suffering from health issues that brought him to the brink, Whibley offers a forthright and unforgettable memoir.”
A Thousand Threads: A Memoir
By Neneh Cherry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born in Sweden in 1964, Neneh Cherry’s father Ahmadu was a musician from Sierra Leone. Her mother Moki was a 21-year-old Swedish textile artist. Her parents split up just after Neneh was born, and not long afterwards Moki met and fell in love with acclaimed jazz musician Don Cherry. Eventually, the strong pull New York City in the 1970s drew him them there, but they made a home wherever they traveled. Neneh and her brother Eagle-Eye experienced a life of creativity, freedom, and, of course, music. In A Thousand Threads, Neneh takes readers from the charming old schoolhouse in the woods of Sweden where she grew up, to the village in Sierra Leone that was birthplace of her biological father, to the early punk scene in London and New York, to finding her identity with her stepfather’s family in Watts, California. Neneh has lived an extraordinary life of connectivity and creativity and she recounts in intimate detail how she burst onto the scene as a teenager in the punk band The Slits, and went on to release her first album in 1989 with a worldwide hit Buffalo Stance. Neneh’s inspiring and deeply compelling memoir both celebrates female empowerment and shines a light on the global music scene — and is perfect for anyone interested in the artistic life in all its forms.”
Never: The Autobiography
By Rick Astley
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I hadn’t been very comfortable with fame, but I didn’t know what to do with myself after I was famous. On the surface, I was just hugely relieved to be shot of the whole thing. I felt like I’d been let off the hook… But underneath that, I was pretty miserable.’ When Never Gonna Give You Up propelled Rick Astley into the pop stratosphere, it changed his life forever. Nothing could have prepared the young, unassuming lad from Lancashire for what was in store. This is Rick’s story, in his own words. At just 19, Rick was taken under the wings of music powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman. Unpredictable, outlandish adventures followed, taking Rick from the shadows of local bands to international stardom. Then, suddenly, at the height of fame, Rick retired at 27 from the industry that had brought him much success and financial stability. Behind the hits and the glitz and glamour was a young man coming to terms with his newfound fame, the pop-music machine and pressures of the road, and reconciling with a childhood spent between his divorced parents. Time off gave Rick room for much-needed reflection and therapy — and helped to set the stage for his triumphant return. Balancing nostalgia, fresh perspectives and introspection, with a good dose of northern humour, Never is an intimate look at the man behind the hits — and is a portrait of truth, artistic evolution and the astounding power of contentment.”
From Here To The Great Unknown: A Memoir
By Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, riveting memoir completed by her daughter, Riley Keough. In 2022, Lisa Marie asked her daughter to help finally finish her long-gestating memoir. A month later, she died. Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, lay in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran toward his body on the floor. About living in Los Angeles with her mother, getting sent to school after school, always kicked out, always in trouble. About her singular, lifelong relationship with Danny Keough, about being married to Michael Jackson, about what they had in common. About motherhood. About deep addiction. About ever-present grief. Riley knew she had to fulfil her mother’s wish to reveal these memories, incandescent and painful, to the world. To make her mother known. This extraordinary book is written in both Lisa Marie’s and Riley’s voices, a mother and daughter communicating — from this world to the one beyond — as they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here To The Great Unknown is a book like no other — the last words of the only child of an American icon.”
Days And Days: A Story About Sunderland’s Leatherface And The Ties That Bind
By Chris MacDonald
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It might seem odd ― a punk band introducing poetry into someone’s life. But what if this lyrical influence was the reason you became a writer in the first place? Days And Days weaves together two stories. One is a tale of friendship and self-discovery that occurs during a backpacking adventure through England, Scotland, and Ireland. The other celebrates the highly influential yet underestimated U.K. band Leatherface, a group dubbted “the greatest British punk band of the modern era.” Without so much as a single hostel booked, Chris MacDonald and his friend Jason cross the Atlantic. They sleep in train stations, endure a haunting on top of a volcano in Edinburgh, are driven out of Belfast by the IRA, and witness the mother of all storms. They also find themselves in the rehearsal space of their teenage punk idols, a building steeped in cultural significance for the Sunderland music scene. Days And Days is about the silver thread that connects us even after drifting apart. It’s a story about forgiveness and reflection, how beauty can be found within callous cladding. Leatherface band members, colleagues, and friends generously share personal insights that guide the reader into the melancholy, darkness, and humor that surround Sunderland’s best-kept secret.”
Little Richard: Send Me Some Lovin’
By Spencer Leigh
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born Richard Wayne Penniman, Little Richard said he invented rock ’n’ roll. Spencer Leigh claims he didn’t, but the world would have been very different without Tutti Frutti, two minutes of wild exhibitionism, recorded in 1955. It transformed American music and world culture. There still would have been The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Prince without Little Richard, but their careers would have been different. Little Richard: Send Me Some Lovin’ is a fun-packed biography about an influential and charismatic man who lived his life as though he were continually on stage.”
Rush At 50
By Daniel Bukszpan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Formed in Toronto in 1968, Rush became one of the most popular and best-selling bands in rock history, thanks to their tireless effort and imaginative, ever-evolving music. This richly illustrated and entertainingly written book from Rush expert and music journalist Dan Bukszpan pays tribute to the trio on the 50th anniversary of their debut album by curating and examining 50 of the most significant milestones in their career. In examining 50 touchstones, Buszpan presents a unique look at Rush’s career arc from Toronto bar band to international mega-platinum stadium fillers. Every page is illustrated with stunning concert and candid offstage photography, including gig posters, 7” picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more. The result is an epic tribute to one of the most influential and admired bands in rock.”
Kurt Cobain: The Fallen Angel Of Rock ‘N’ Roll
By Ernesto Assante
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When Kurt Cobain was found dead at his Seattle home on April 8, 1994 at the age of 27, music lost the idol of an entire generation. Ernesto Assante, renowned music journalist, guides the reader through the personal story of an artist and the discovery of an entire musical genre that symbolizes an era. A story of pain, passion, and music. A fascinating and mysterious personal adventure.”
TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines, And Rock Journalism: Don’t Let The Name Fool You
By Allison Bumsted
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since the magazine’s first issue in 1964, TeenSet’s role in music journalism has been overlooked and underappreciated. Teen fan magazines, often written by women and assumed to be read only by young girls, have been misconstrued by scholars and journalists to lack “seriousness” in their coverage of popular music. TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines, And Rock Journalism: Don’t Let The Name Fool You disputes the prevailing conception that teen fan magazines are insignificant and elevates the publications to their proper place in popular music history. Analyzing TeenSet across its five-year publication span, Allison Bumsted shows that the magazine is an important artifact of 1960s American popular culture. Through its critical commentary and iconic rock photography, TeenSet engaged not only with musical genres and scenes, but also broader social issues such as politics, race, and gender. By offering a counternarrative to leading male-oriented narratives in music journalism, she challenges current discourses that have marginalized women in popular music history.”
On Record: Vol. 9 – 1992: Images, Interviews & Insights From The Year In Music
By G. Brown
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On Record Vol. 9 –1992 of the comprehensive book series witnesses the rise of the grunge movement and the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind along with the continued emergence of hip-hop. Controversial recordings like Ice-T’s Cop Killer, Madonna’s Erotica and performances on MTV’s Unplugged also punctuated the year. The year 1992 also saw country stars Wynonna Judd, Collin Raye and Tracy Lawrence receive their first No. 1s on the music charts. From heavy metal (Megadeth, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden) to pop (Mariah Carey, Wilson Phillips, Right Said Fred), On Record Vol. 9 – 1992 has something — including indie, alternative and punk-rock subgenres like shoegaze and riot grrrl — for anyone who loved the music of 1992. Colorado Music Experience founding director and author G. Brown covered popular music at The Denver Post for 26 years, interviewing more than 3,000 musicians, including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Kurt Cobain, all of whom recounted their escapades and reminisced about what their time on the charts meant to them personally and musically. Over the decades, G. also amassed an archive of close to 15,000 rare promotional photos.”
On Record: Vol. 10 – 1983: Images, Interviews & Insights From The Year In Music
By G. Brown
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The On Record series presents rare archival images and insightful interviews by long-time popular-music journalist and radio personality G. Brown. On Record Vol. 10 – 1983 covers bands at their commercial peak (Genesis, The Police), U2’s first international hit (War) and David Bowie’s biggest success (Let’s Dance). It also includes Prince, Bryan Adams and Def Leppard — acts that finally start to make it big in 1983. In this year KISS appeared without makeup (Lick It Up), Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All broke ground for the trash-metal genre, and Quiet Riot’s Metal Health became the first heavy-metal album to hit No. 1. The second British Invasion, plus the year in country, hip-hop and jazz are also covered.”
The Music Never Died: Tales From The Flipside
By Mark Swartz & Jeb Loy Nichols
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “What if Biggie Smalls had survived the assassin’s bullets and reinvented hip-hop with the help of an avant-garde luminary? If Amy Winehouse had shaken off her demons and channeled her inner Barbra Streisand into a new life on a tropical island? If Jeff Buckley had been pulled alive from the Mississippi by a devilish hand and become a pioneer of Southern black metal? With accompanying illustrations by Jeb Loy Nichols, Mark Swartz’s stories imagine what might have happened to these stars and more — including Jimi Hendrix, Gram Parsons, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye, Lil Peep and Jim Morrison — if their untimely deaths had been averted, or somehow had not been the end of their lives. Praised for his “lithe satirical humor, impressive intellectual dimension, and sly provocation,” these qualities are on full display in these at once heartfelt and borderline absurd tales.”
The Haçienda: Threads
By Rebecca Hook
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The music. The fashion. The nights. The people. The love. These are the threads that came together to make The Haçienda great. Celebrate the magic of the club that changed everything in this official book, told through evocative photographs and eye-witness accounts of the people who were there, from musicians, DJs and fashion designers to performers, clubbers and staff. Featuring contributions from Peter Hook, John Cooper Clarke, Bez, Rowetta, Mani, Noel Gallagher, Irvine Welsh, Andrew O’Hagan, Mike Pickering, DJ Paulette, Todd Terry and Roger Sanchez — as well as Haçienda staff, clubgoers and many more.”
Harry Styles Is Life: A Superfan’s Guide To All Things We Love About Harry Styles
By Kathleen Perricone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From his first appearance on The X Factor and touring with One Direction to breaking out in a successful solo career, reimagining the men’s fashion world, and becoming a pop icon, Harry Styles has taken the world by storm. Gathering his incredible life story, music, and fan culture all in one place, Harry Styles Is Life is the one and only Styles reference you need. This treasure trove of essential Harry knowledge. Both a tribute to our beloved Harry and a chic showpiece for any well-appointed bookshelf, Harry Styles Is Life is a must-have for every Styler, Harrie, or Directioner.”
Beyoncé Is Life: A Superfan’s Guide To All Things We Love About Beyoncé
By Kathleen Perricone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “All hail the queen! From her first solo at a methodist church to becoming a part of Destiny’s Child, shaping the R&B scene, and becoming a pop icon, Beyoncé has taken the world by storm. Gathering her incredible life story, music, and fan culture all in one place, Beyoncé Is Life is the reference you need. Did you know that Beyoncé was supposed to star in the movie A Star Is Born instead of Lada Gaga? Or that she became the first female artist to have the No. 1 album (Dangerously In Love) and the No. 1 single (Crazy in Love) in the U.S. and the U.K. at the same time? Get to know her musical family, her talented friends who have helped launch her career, her husband and children who are her inspiration, and the artists who have helped shape her vision. Beyoncé Is Life takes it a step further and sheds light on the deep and rich symbolism always present in her music and videos, along with many more Easter eggs and facts.”
NSYNC 30th Anniversary Celebration: We Want You Back!
By Selena Fragassi
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Celebrate the history and memories of NSYNC with the ultimate tribute book — filled with amazing tour photography, band-member profiles, fan memories, and more. With over 70 million records sold, NSYNC are one of the best-selling boy bands of all time — and arguably the most famous. Following their successful self-titled debut album in 1997, led by the single I Want You Back, NSYNC’s second album No Strings Attached became one of the fastest-selling albums in history, with over 1 million copies sold in just one day. The boy band completed five nationwide concert tours before going on hiatus in 2002. To the glee of fans around the world, NSYNC reunited in 2023 — after almost two decades apart — to release the single Better Place. Now you can have the band back with this fully illustrated, definitive retrospective. Expertly curated by a fan, for the fans, this collection is overflowing with the band’s history, greatest moments in performance, and the evolution of each member.”
