20 Essential Music Books
This is certainly a subjective take on 'essential,' but all of these are rrrrrworth rpicking up! |
| 1 | Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History Of Punk
Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain - THE quintessential book on punk rock, drugs,
debauchery and everything wonderful about the self-destructive brilliance of rock n'
roll |
| 2 | Trouser Press Record Guide
Edited by Ira Robbins - There are 2 separate tomes from Trouser Press called
respectively, 'The Trouser Press Record Guide,' and, 'The Trouser Press Guide to
the 90's.' Both are filled with thousands of reviews and information that I've spent
countless hours pouring over. |
| 3 | Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From The American Underground 1981 - 1991
Michael Azerrad - A defining book on the 80's punk and indie scene |
| 4 | Lords Of Chaos
Michael Moynihan - A pretty tabloid-esque look at black metal's ominous
beginnings, but, an essential documentation of early 90's Scandinavian black metal
and culture |
| 5 | Rip It Up And Start Again: Post Punk 1978 - 1984
Simon Reynolds - An extremely well written and exhaustively researched book on
the fascinating origins of post-punk from 1978 - 1984 |
| 6 | Gimme Something Better: A History of Bay Area Punk Rock
Jack Boulware & Silke Tudor - Chronicling the vibrant bay area punk scene from
the Dead Kennedy's through Green Day, this is a great reminder of how important
the CA punk scene was (and how different it was from its East Coast brethren) |
| 7 | Document And Eyewitness: An Intimate History Of Rough Trade
Nell Taylor - Telling the Rough Trade record label story is not only an amazing book
on music, but aso an eye-opening look into how to (not) run a business |
| 8 | We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Underground, 1988 -2001
Eric Davidson - garage punk deserves its due, and this book is told in the same
fiery, drunken way that the music it depicts is played....an awesome read |
| 9 | Our Noise: The Story Of Merge Records
Cook, McCaughan, Ballance - One of the greatest labels ever make one of the
greatest label books ever |
| 10 | A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Story Of The Smiths
Tony Fletcher - Of the countless books on the Smiths out there, this is the one I
recommend...even though Morrissey wasn't involved (see below) |
| 11 | Morrissey: Autobiography
Morrissey - I belong to the cult of Morrissey, so, if you do than you will love this
(especially to see his side of the whole Rough Trade label fighting), but, if you hate
Morrissey, this will only reenforce your loathing....a brilliantly pretentious book |
| 12 | The Pitchfork 500
Pitchfork - Well, if there was a 'Sputnik 500,' I would have included that, but, alas!,
there is not, so, this will suffice...a good primer of a solid cross-section of Indie
rock's storied past |
| 13 | Swedish Death Metal
Daniel Ekeroth - An extensive look at the origins of Death Metal with tons of cool
pics and a very personal relationship to the music |
| 14 | Route 666: The Road To Nirvana
Gina Arnold - Written back in 1993, it's interesting to see a punk rock retrospective
as told through the eyes of someone just witnessing the mainstream explosion of
her previously underground culture |
| 15 | The Dirt: An Oral History Of Motley Crue
Tommy Lee & Vince Neil - This is just excess at its most excessive, and, let's be
honest, sometimes we all like our rock n' roll dangerous and dripping in drugs |
| 16 | Black Metal: Beyond Darkness
Louis Patteson - A collection of essays on black metal that is much more within the
academic realm of essaying in contrast to casual zine pieces. There is some really
thought-provoking material in here! |
| 17 | The Replacements: All Over But The Shouting
Jim Walsh - An oral history of one of the most entertaining bands both musically
and personally...I'm amazed that they lived through this (well....Bob unfortunately
did not) |
| 18 | Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division
Peter Hook - A very well-written piece by Peter Hook offers some brilliant insights
into my all-time favorite band |
| 19 | Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography Of Sonic Youth
David Browne - The Sonic Youth story is about so much more than Sonic Youth,
and this book really nails the whole transformation taking place in music during
their inception and beginnings |
| 20 | Gimme Indie Rock: 500 essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981 - 1996
Andrew Earles - A brand new edition to the cannon, but a fresh look on 'essential,'
listening from this time, and this shows a nice breadth of taste (mostly good and of
course, a little bad) |
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