Favorite Rock Reads of 2020
More Time At Home Means More Time For Reading
There aren’t many positive things to say about 2020, but there were some great rock books published this year. Here’s a brief list of a few favorites.
Remain In Love by Chris Frantz
Talking Heads has always been an interesting band on the surface, but this career-spanning memoir takes you down into the creative machinery that drove their impressive musical output. Part love letter to his bandmate, collaborator and wife, Tina Weymouth, and part detailed expose, Frantz explores the band’s legacy and his complicated relationship with frontman, David Byrne. Fans of Tom Tom Club will also not be disappointed.
All I Ever Wanted by Kathy Valentine
Valentine’s account of her tenure with the Go-Go’s is solid — starting with her replacing original bassist, Margot Olavarria, just prior to the band’s meteoric rise — but I found her pre-Go-Go’s musical exploits (Violators, Painted Lady, Textones) just as interesting. There’s always something really entertaining and endearing about punk rock underdog stories.
Do What You Want: The Story Of Bad Religion by Jim Ruland
It has been a long, strange trip for Bad Religion. From a garage in the the San Fernando Valley to music festivals all over the world, the band is considered a driving force behind the punk explosion of the 1990s. Covering a stop-and-start career featuring several different line ups, Ruland does an impressive job of capturing the band’s myriad phases, configurations and lasting influence.
Kick It: A Social History Of The Drum Kit by Matt Brennan
In this fascinating social history of drumming, Brennan paints the humble drum kit as a powerful tool for radical social change. I’ve spent many years playing drums, but Kick It gave me some truly interesting new perspectives on my instrument of choice. This is a must read for drummers, but you definitely don’t have to be a drummer to throughly enjoy this book.
Self Empunishment by Brian Walsby
A veteran of the 1980s fanzine scene, Walsby offers a series of interviews with notable punk lifers including Keith Morris, Milo Aukerman, Lori Barbero, Lou Barlow, Steven McDonald, Rebecca Sevrin and Eugen Robinson—to name a few—who provide unique perspectives on self reliance and self-employment. Best of all, the interviews are accompanied by Walsby’s iconic artwork.
They Just Seem A Little Weird by Doug Brod
Depending on your musical tastes, KISS, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick and Starz might seem like a strange line up, but Brod weaves a fascinating tale of rock and roll excess, desperation and depravity. Cheap Trick is by far my favorite of the four, but their link to my childhood gods, KISS, is undeniable. And when it comes to classic rock, it’s hard to ignore Aerosmith’s impressive output in the 1970s. But the failed career of stadium rock wannabes, Starz, might be the most interesting (and heartbreaking) tale of all.
We’re Not Here To Entertain by Kevin Mattson
Contextualized around the rise of Reaganism, this well-researched book shows the important countercultural role punk rock played in the 1980s. From the bands themselves to scenes and zines from across the country, Matteson thoroughly examines DIY ethics and suburban angst during the height of the Cold War. This book is just as enjoyable as a socioeconomic text book as it is a cultural deep dive.
Mutations: The Many Strange Faces Of Hardcore Punk by Sam McPheeters
This collection of personal essays takes an unflinching look at a lifetime spent in and around punk rock. This is no romantic, starry-eyed remembrance of the good all days, but a head-on examination of punk in all its glorious (and imperfect) forms. The writing is strong and the insights are funny, insightful and thought-provoking in equal measures.
