I haven’t spoken to Neko Case in more than 20 years, but I can still vividly recall our last telephone chat. She was in the back of a car, bombing down some rural U.S. roadway with a bunch of people who were trying to find an antique store. Needless to say, it was not the optimal setting for an in-depth chat about whatever album or tour she was promoting. But it did seem to be an accurate reflection of the whirlwind rollercoaster that constituted her life at that time. Back then, Case was a newly minted indie-rock sex symbol with a rep as a loose-cannon party animal. Of course, like so many formerly wild children, she’s grown up, calmed down, mellowed out and written a memoir. It’s definitely on my list — along with some of the other titles below:
The Harder I Fight The More I Love You
By Neko Case
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “An unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary life — one forged through a poverty-stricken childhood in ‘slummy, one-horse towns’; obsessive desire; bursts of comedy; and indispensable friendships, reflecting on the way art, music, and a deep connection to nature helped her on a singular journey to become a beloved, Grammy-nominated artist. Neko Case has long been revered as one of music’s most influential artists, whose authenticity, lyrical storytelling, and sly wit have endeared her to a legion of critics, musicians, and lifelong fans. In The Harder I Fight The More I Love You, Case brings her trademark candour and precision to a memoir that traces her evolution from an invisible girl ‘raised by two dogs and a space heater’ in rural Washington state to her improbable emergence as an internationally acclaimed talent. In luminous, sharp-edged prose, Case shows readers what it’s like to be left alone for hours and hours as a child, to take refuge in the woods around her home, and to channel the monotony and loneliness and joy that comes from music, camaraderie, and shared experience into art. The Harder I Fight The More I Love You is a rebellious meditation on identity and corruption, and a manifesto on how to make space for ourselves in this world, despite the obstacles we face.”
Pretend We’re Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ’90s
By Tanya Pearson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 2018, during an interview with journalist Tanya Pearson, Shirley Manson lamented: “It’s a blanket fact that after Sept. 11, nonconformist women were taken off the radio.” This comment echoed a reality Pearson had personally witnessed as a musician and a fan, and launched her into a quest to figure out just what happened to these extraordinary female figures. Pretend We’re Dead seeks to answer two big questions: First, where did all these wildly different, politically conscious, and supremely talented women in rock come from in the 1990s? And second, after their unprecedented breakout, why did they vanish from the mainstream by the early aughts? Along with analysis and narrative, Pretend We’re Dead is built on exclusive interviews with the unfiltered voices of legends including: Shirley Manson, Melissa Auf der Maur, Patty Schemel, Kate Schellenbach, Nina Gordon, Louise Post, Josephine Wiggs, Tanya Donelly, Kristin Hersh, Tracy Bonham, Donita Sparks, Liz Phair, Zia McCabe, Tracy Bonham, Lori Barbero, Josephine Wiggs and Jill Emery. Through thought-provoking conversations, these women explore how they fell in love with music and started bands; fought labels, their coverage in the media, and sexism; and wrote deeply political and feminist music. Readers also learn about the effects of Woodstock ’99, the corporatization of the music industry, the rise of Clear Channel and its ties to the Bush administration, and finally the nationalist sentiment after 9/11. While sonically diverse, these musicians all wrote fierce, socially conscious, feminist lyrics, and Pretend We’re Dead commemorates and celebrates the overlooked contributions of true trailblazers.”
A Life In Three Octaves: The Musical Journey of Gangubai Hangal
By Deepa Ganesh
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gangubai Hangal is among the greatest Hindustani classical music vocalists of India. She was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, given a state funeral, memorialised on a stamp and there are concerts in her memory to this day. Born in 1913 in Dharwad into a family with a rich musical tradition, young Gangu’s interest in music was piqued by many things, not least by the magical new technology that was the gramophone. But her life and her artistic journey truly began when she became a disciple of Sawai Gandharva at the age of 17. By taking refuge in her guru, Gangubai was able to distance herself from the devadasi community to which she belonged, and move on to the concert stage, radio and recording studios. In many ways, Gangubai’s life ran parallel to the journey of India itself. From being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi to being part of the changing landscape of Indian music, hers was a life poised between the riches of tradition and the promise of modernity. A Life in Three Octaves is an intimate, warm-hearted account of a remarkable human being and an extraordinary artiste whose music held many polarities in tension — tradition and innovation, system and originality, the personal and impersonal.”
Wild West Village: Not a Memoir (Unless I Win an Oscar, Die Tragically, or Score a Country #1)
By Lola Kirke
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In this darkly humorous memoir-in-essays, actress and singer-songwriter Lola Kirke untangles an extraordinary upbringing in a family of eccentric, messy artists and explains how a big city girl went a little bit country. The youngest daughter of a rock-star father and clothing-designer mother, Lola and her siblings (including actress Jemima and celebrity doula Domino), spent their childhoods freshly plucked from their English heritage in an eclectic West Village brownstone, hosting everyone from Cuban exiles to Courtney Love. But behind the enviable exterior of worldly coolness, was a home in disarray. In Wild West Village, Kirke chronicles a search for self amidst the chaos of the affairs, addictions, and afflictions surrounding her, detailing misadventures in everything from masturbation to marijuana, Cadbury’s to country music, and a dream of salvation on the silver screen. Filled with unforgettable characters and insights into identities forged in fire, Wild West Village locates humor and lightness in life’s darker situations. Irreverent and high-spirited, these are the stories of a young woman, teetering between a twang and a British accent, trying to fit in with larger-than-life personalities while secretly coming into her own.”
Alice Cooper: The Godfather of Shock & Roll
By Gary Graff
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pythons, guillotines, stage blood… with his concoction of vaudeville, horror film tropes, and three-chord rock ’n’ roll, Alice Cooper invented a genre. Let veteran rock journalist and Detroit rock writer Gary Graff be your guide to Cooper’s extraordinary career through the lens of 75 career accomplishments, events, and collaborations. Through seven-and-a-half decades, Graff covers it all: Cooper’s childhood in Detroit and Arizona and early garage bands The Earwigs and The Spiders; all 28 studio albums, including those as frontman of Alice Cooper the band; a selection of his greatest singles, like the classic-rock standards I’m Eighteen, School’s Out and Welcome to My Nightmare; collaborations with artists including Slash, Johnny Depp, Wayne Kramer and more; associations with notable guitarists, including Glen Buxton, Nita Strauss and Orianthi; nonmusical passions like classic cars and, of course, golf; his relationship with wife and entertainment accomplice Sheryl; and his tireless charity work. Beginning with his 1969 debut LP Pretties For You and continuing through his latest release, the Rock And Roll Hall of Famer is regarded as one of the most influential performers and musicians in hard rock and heavy metal, influencing countless acts both visually and musically. This book is your unprecedented retrospective of Cooper’s career from teenage garage rocker to international star and celebrity. The result is a unique and lavishly produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star.”
Doc Watson: A Life in Music
By Eddie Huffman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Arthel “Doc” Watson (1923 – 2012) is arguably one of the most influential musicians Appalachia has ever produced. A musician’s musician, Doc grew up on a subsistence farm in the North Carolina mountains during the Depression, soaking up traditional music and learning to play guitar even though he was blind. Rising to fame in the 1960s as part of the burgeoning folk revival scene, Doc became the face of traditional music for many listeners, racking up multiple Grammys and releasing dozens of albums over the course of his long career. Eddie Huffman tells the story of Doc’s life and legacy, drawing on extensive interviews and hundreds of hours of archival research. In making the most comprehensive biography of Watson ever, Huffman gives us an affecting and informative portrait of the man they called Doc. Full of fascinating stories — from Doc’s first banjo made from his grandmother’s cat to the founding of MerleFest — this promises to be the definitive biography of the man and how he came to be synonymous with roots music in America and shows how his influence is still felt in music today.”
Protecting Whitney: The Memoir of Her Bodyguard
By David Roberts
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “David Roberts was Whitney Houston’s bodyguard — the real one. Roberts was hired in 1988 for Houston’s U.K. portion of the Moment of Truth world tour. Accustomed to working for diplomats and Fortune 500 clients, Roberts had reservations about working with a pop star. But Houston’s heart of gold won him over from the moment they met at Heathrow airport. There’s a high bar for those who work in this business: You must be willing to die for your boss. Houston made that easy. Roberts got to travel the globe with one of the most fun-loving and generous souls he’d ever met. His memoir reveals heartwarming anecdotes of life with one of the world’s most recognizable stars, including privately shared moments such as the birth of Bobbi Kristina. But there are also shocking and heartbreaking revelations. Roberts was present for some of Houston’s most challenging ordeals. And he was helpless as he watched those who claimed to love and support her look the other way because they saw her voice as a cash machine. His heart was ultimately shattered as he witnessed her succumb to the one threat he could not protect her from: Herself.”
If Nick Drake Came to My House
By Mackenzie Crook
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In If Nick Drake Came to My House, Mackenzie Crook — the creator of Detectorists and Worzel Gummidge — explores the power of art to impact our lives, expressed through verse and image depicting an imaginary visit from the late, great singer-songwriter. A tender homage to a classic book by Joan Gale Thomas, Crook’s first book for adults is infused with his characteristic warm humour, both in the short yet powerful story and his own beautiful illustrations. It’s a book for anyone who has ever wished they had the chance to tell their hero how much they meant to them.”
Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen
By Wayne Erbsen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This work represents a lifetime of research by Wayne Erbsen, professor of old-time and bluegrass music at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, who interviewed many legendary figures in Appalachian music. Often the first and only scholar to ever collect their stories, he provides in this book an indispensable history of bluegrass and old-time music in Appalachia for generations to come. The book begins with stories featuring many pioneers of old-time and bluegrass music. Next are chapters on brother duets from the 1930s, legendary banjo pickers and fiddle players, plus tales of 19th-century songwriters whose songs still populate bluegrass music. Also covered are wide-ranging and whimsical topics such as cowboys in bluegrass music, Charlie Cline’s powerful snoring, a near-encounter with Bigfoot, and Hoss Cartwright’s hat.”
Rethinking Elvis
By Mark Duffett
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Decades after his passing, Elvis Presley remains one of popular music’s greatest icons. He was among the most successful, influential, socially significant, and controversial performers of the 20th century, with a celebrity so indelible that every recent American president has negotiated its orbit. While much of the coverage of Elvis’s life concerns his personal history and musical ability, Rethinking Elvis pushes beyond the familiar to address Elvis’s branding, historical and geographic reception, heritage, and fan phenomenon. Using Elvis’s iconography as a point of departure, popular music scholars and historians contend with issues related to the performer’s whiteness, Southern identity, and gender, among others, in turn offering myriad opportunities to pursue new approaches in the emergent field of Elvis studies.’
Austin Music Is A Scene Not A Sound
By Michael Corcoran
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Michael Corcoran culminates 40 years of writing about Austin music with a history of the scene, going back to the German singing societies of the late 1800s and ending with the ascent of South by Southwest, whose registration line would become the Ellis Island of new Austin. Over 50 legendary Austin live music venues, starting with the Skyline and Victory Grill in the wake of Second World War, are profiled in a rolling Clubland Paradise section. Austin Music Is A Scene Not A Sound includes the stories of Willie Nelson and the Armadillo, nascent Black radio DJs Lavada Durst and Tony Von, the making of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the significance of Sixth and Red River street, and how Aquafest went from Austin’s biggest annual event to belly-up in five years. Illustrated with photos, this history and guide showcases interesting stories, venues, and context from the Live Music Capital of the World.”
Mood Machine: The Rise Of Spotify & The Cost Of The Perfect Playlist
By Liz Pelly
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since Spotify launched in 2008, music streaming services have steadily encroached on our lives. Streaming was sold as a legal alternative to piracy. But in reality, it was an untenable model that enriched a small number of executives while pillaging music communities and exploiting listeners. Mood Machine tells the story of the so-called streaming revolution by reckoning with both sides of what Spotify refers to as its two-sided marketplace: The listeners who pay with their dollars and data, and the musicians who provide the material powering it all (and are increasingly charged fees to access their fans). With testimony from industry insiders and artists alike, Pelly will give voice to the new discontent, and sketch out how the ecstasy and diversity and connection of music can be preserved for future generations.”
Stars Around My Scars: The Annotated Poetry of Taylor Swift
By Elly McCausland
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grab your highlighters and prepare to join professor of “Swifterature” Dr. Elly McCausland as she dives deep into the tortured poetry of Taylor Swift. Going line by line and word by word through 46 of Swift’s most celebrated and hotly debated songs from across her 11-album career, McCausland is here to help you listen, read, and understand Taylor’s music in a new way. Stars Around My Scars is a fan-focused opportunity to revel in the poetic songwriting glow of a once-in-a-generation luminary. Each entry presents a song with literary significance, offering a close reading of the lyrics with accompanied marginalia that points out poetic technique, literary references, and creative throughlines. Accompanied by an in-depth analysis of the deeper meaning, craftsmanship, and literary connections present both above and beneath the surface, McCausland puts listening to Swift and appreciating poetry hand-in-hand. Written in an approachable style for Swifties of any era, Stars Around My Scars indulges the act of examining Swift’s lyrics for their literary easter eggs and connections and legitimizes Swift as this generation’s great poet and writer.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source tinnitist.com ’
