Next Week in Music | March 23-29 • 5 New Books

Spring has sprung. We can come out from under the blankets. Open the doors and windows. Leave the house without bundling up. And after a winter spent hunkered down and huddled up with a book, reading probably isn’t at the top of the to-do list right now. Good thing — next week’s pickin’s are of the slimmest variety. Read ’em and weep:

Stay Alive: The Life And Death Of Stuart Adamson: The Authorised Biography
By Scott Rowley

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stay Alive is the official biography of Stuart Adamson, co-founder of not one but two seminal Scottish post-punk groups: The Skids and Big Country. But this is a book that is about much more than music. Stay Alive is about alcoholism, abuse, family, fame, addiction, depression and working-class pride. And along the way there are stories of drug busts, debauchery, flag burning, fist-fights, prison escapes and riots, with a revolving cast of characters from The Clash to The Rolling Stones. For the first time, Adamson’s wives, children and bandmates tell their side of the story: Unflinching, funny and brutally honest.”

Famous: Ego, Envy And Ambition In Pop, Rock And Hip-Hop
By Matt Thorne

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When an artist becomes truly famous, there is almost no one on earth who can understand how their world has changed forever. Perhaps only a young pretender who wants to rule the charts together, or a rival who wants to bring them down from their throne, knows how they feel and how to get into their heads. Someone who wants to invite them onto their TV show, act with them in a movie, make some money by filming a commercial together, duet on a song, or have a secret affair. Or any combination of the above. Famous examines seven moments in music when stars from pop, rock and hip-hop have come together and how the resulting reverberations impacted everything from the culture at large to the decisions of world leaders. The book sheds thrilling new light on the fascinating stories of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney and Diana Ross, Lou Reed and Paul Simon, Chuck Berry and Keith Richards, David Bowie and Tina Turner, Madonna and Tupac Shakur and Kanye West and Taylor Swift.”

On The Record: Music That Changed America
By Anna Harwell Celenza

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From The Star-Spangled Banner and Lift Every Voice And Sing to Rhapsody In Blue and Hamilton, the story of America is written not only in its laws and speeches but also in its music. In On The Record: Music That Changed America, award-winning scholar and storyteller Anna Harwell Celenza reveals how certain songs and compositions didn’t just mirror history — they made it. Across two centuries of American life, Celenza traces the extraordinary moments when music moved Congress, challenged power, and united people around shared ideals. Billie Holiday’s haunting performance of Strange Fruit brought the horror of racial violence into public view. Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring offered hope in an age of fear and suspicion. Nina Simone’s Mississippi Goddam gave voice to a new generation demanding justice, while Paul Simon’s Graceland reshaped global diplomacy. Through vivid storytelling and rich historical insight, On The Record reveals how the interplay between art and politics has defined the American experiment. Each chapter connects a groundbreaking musical work to the social and legislative changes it inspired — from civil rights to women’s liberation; environmental protection to digital Freedom. This is not just a history of music — it’s a history of America heard through the songs and compositions that changed its course. Provocative, moving, and deeply original, On The Record reminds us that music doesn’t just reflect who we are. It helps us decide who we want to be.”

A Night At The Disco
By Alice Harris & Christian John Wikane

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A Night At The Disco is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970–’79. An unprecedented collection of photographs of more than 100 artists, illuminating the styles and sounds from a decade that sparked a global phenomenon in music and culture. Exclusive comments from Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, founding members of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps, Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire, and dozens more artists, songwriters and producers, offering fascinating insights that tell the stories behind the beats. From underground New York clubs to discothèques across the globe, A Night At The Disco illustrates how artists spanning soul, pop, disco, funk, jazz and rock defined nightlife during the 1970s and influenced popular music to the present day. With a foreword by Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire, this is a real treat for music, dance and disco fans everywhere.”

Parasomnia: The Graphic Album
by Kevin J Anderson

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “For fans of mind-bending fantasy, a graphic novel companion to Dream Theater’s Parasomnia album featuring eight vivid tales that blur the line between dreams and reality, brought to life by award-winning creators. A companion to the acclaimed Dream Theater album, Parasomnia: The Graphic Album expands on the exploration of just how thin the line is between the waking world and the world of dreams, as each of the eight powerful tales examines the impact of the dreaming world on our everyday lives; Brought to life by a stunning roster of award-winning writers and artists.”