Read Band Books!
| 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs from Billie Holiday to Green Day by Dorian Lynskey British music journalist Lynskey uses copious research and fresh interviews with several writer-performers to chart the evolution of political thought in pop music. The titular "33 revolutions" are individual songs he employs as signposts. He frequently looks at the tunes cursorily, using them as gateways for the topics at hand—the Vietnam and Middle East wars, civil rights, the black-power movement, etc. Lynskey focuses mostly on American and British firebrands, with side trips to Chile, Africa and Jamaica. Suggested Soundtrack: Renegades by Rage Against The Machine | |
| Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music by David Remnick New Yorker editor Remnick delves into the lives and art of musical greats in this standout collection of pieces published in the magazine. Remnick’s close observational details add texture, but what’s most remarkable is his ability to give due at once to the artists’ larger-than-life musical legacies and their all too human fallibilities. Music fans will revel in this peek behind the curtain. Suggested Soundtrack: Yesterday and Today by The Beatles Also available on Libby as an ebook or an audiobook! | |
| Nothin' But a Good Time: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Hair Metal by Justin Quirk Though many consider glam metal to be “a hilarious relic,” Quirk argues that, instead of being a footnote to 20th-century popular music, it was a legitimate creative force in the 1980s—helping build MTV, expanding the global reach of pop music, and attracting sellout crowds at concerts. He doesn’t shy away from his subject’s dark side—recounting deaths at concerts due to inadequate crowd control—and lends his narrative depth by noting how the genre functioned as an “embodiment of a positivity culture” amid the political and cultural crises happening in America during the Reagan administration. Suggested Soundtrack: Hysteria by Def Leppard | |
| Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page by Brad Tolinski Author Tolinski demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge of classic rock and guitar history in his fluid prose. Further expanding the book ’s scope are the “Musical Interludes” that follow each chapter and feature entertaining asides like “an inventory” of Page’s guitars; he also conducts interviews with some of Page’s former bandmates like John Paul Jones and Paul Rodgers. By shining a light on the shadowy Page, Tolinski has created a must-have for any Led Zeppelin fan or guitar player. Suggested Soundtrack: Mothership by Led Zeppelin Also available on Libby as an ebook! | |
| Your Favorite Band is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life by Steven Hyden For those who have argued late into the night with their friends about why one band is better than another, this title will grab them from the minute music critic Hyden covers 19 rivalries going all the way back to the obvious Beatles/Rolling Stones, but the majority of the chapters examine bands that have been prominent during the past quarter century. The author uses the rivalries as a jumping-off point to talk about not only the musicians, but also the meaning of the conflicts, skillfully applying the arguments to a discussion of his own experience. Suggested Soundtrack: All Eyez On Me by 2pac Also available on Libby as an ebook! | |
| Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé by Bob Stanley From long-time success stories like Simon & Garfunkel to one-hit wonders, this encyclopedic history covers about 60 years and multiple musical genres, like R&B, doo-wop, glam, grunge, disco, new wave, techno, and country. Some pieces are short and pithy, while others are a little more in-depth, but overall this addictive book is a must-read for fans of popular music of all stripes. Suggested Soundtrack: Renaissance by Beyoncé Also available on Libby as an ebook! | |
| David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music by Darryl W. Bullock From the acclaimed British biographer of Florence Foster Jenkins comes a sweeping overview of LGBT musicians from both sides of the Atlantic who have had a pivotal influence on recorded music. Turning the spotlight on modern creators of popular music, the author presents the struggles and triumphs of gifted artists who paved the way in the realms of pop, punk rock, folk, and disco, noting how "LGBT people were there as jazz gestated" and "in the maternity ward during the birth of the blues.” Suggested Soundtrack: Blackstar by David Bowie Also available on Libby as an ebook! | |
| Can't Stop the Grrrls: Confronting Sexist Labels in Music from Ariana Grande to Yoko Ono by Lily E. Hirsch Musicologist Hirsch pulls from the lives of celebrities to illuminate the double standards and torturous mistreatment the entertainment industry has routinely applied to women throughout history. Readers might already be familiar with Yoko Ono's or Britney Spears's lives, but Hirsch brings them together with other maligned stars to create a powerful portrait of how the music industry, the press, and fans allow talented women to be ripped apart on an international scale. Suggested Soundtrack: Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande Also available on Libby as an ebook! | |
| The Decibel Diaries: A Journey Through Rock in 50 Concerts by Carter Alan Boston deejay Alan’s memoir focuses on his experiences of 50 different rock concerts and their influence on his life. Each episode is meant to bring insight into the artists that have driven American music and culture at different junctures of history. This book sets out to communicate his impressions of the artists in the moment, providing matter-of-fact summaries without necessarily knowing for certain that these musicians would eventually become legendary acts. Suggested Soundtrack: Just Push Play by Aerosmith | |
| Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir by Jann S. Wenner Wenner turned on to drugs and politics as a student at Berkeley in 1964 but by 1967, it seemed to him "the only thing people were making better than drugs was music." That year, Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason founded Rolling Stone . It quickly became one of the most influential magazines in America, read not only for music reviews but also for the quality of its writing and its take on public issues. In this book, the author dissects his relationships with Mic Jagger, Steve Thompson and Bruce Springsteen. Suggested Soundtrack: The Promise by Bruce Springsteen Also available on Libby as an ebook and an audiobook! |