Robyn Hitchcock is getting on in years — autobiographically speaking. After chronicling a pivotal year in his young life in his excellent and entertaining 2024 memoir 1967 — I highly recommend the audio book — the idiosyncratic singer-songwriter returns to pick up where he left off with Stranded In The Future. I’ll see you there. For those who want more, there are also intriguing titles by or about El Vez, John Robb, Michael Shrieve, David Bowie and, um, Elvis Presley’s eating habits. Fire up the deep fryer and read all about ’em:
Stranded In The Future
By Robyn Hitchcock
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stranded In The Future is a kind of dystopian self-portrait. It’s about obsession, and obsessive behavior. Spanning from 1968 to 1978, it takes in the mythology that teenagers weave around their musical heroes and their early loves: in this case, one specific hero and one specific love. The book explores the way that Robyn Hitchcock, in his own head, linked these two figures to each other, although they never actually met. On the way, the story mines the incremental hangover of the 1970s as Hitchcock begins to play live, teaches himself to write songs, and eventually forms The Soft Boys. There’s a side order of trolleybuses too! Hitchcock’s beautiful prose will resonate far beyond the fans of his music, and build on the literary following he established with his first book, 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left.”
Make The Dream Real: World-Building Performance By El Vez, The Mexican Elvis
By Karen Jean Martinson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “El Vez, also known as The Mexican Elvis, presents a powerful message of social justice and inclusion in his performances. Make The Dream Real interrogates how this message is activated through world-building: The use of a variety of theoretical, theatrical, and musical tactics that bring into being a progressive social space that refutes the current economic, political, social, and cultural configurations of the United States. World-building in an El Vez show immerses the audience in a social space in which equal rights are guaranteed, inclusivity is fostered, difference is valued, and the violence of economic inequality is mitigated. Using a dramaturgical methodology that marries critical inquiry with theatrical practice, the book delves into the theoretical foundations that inform artist Robert Lopez’s work, and each chapter analyzes a different performative component he uses. Make The Dream Real interrogates how El Vez’s playful engagements hold the United States to its egalitarian promises, voicing and enacting — however fleetingly — a just and richly inclusive social space through performance.”
Punk Rock Ruined My Life: And Other Stories
By John Robb
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Minister for the counterculture, Mancunian mainstay and alternative U.K. national treasure John Robb has lived a life in music. In this book he charts his adventures on the cultural frontline, chronicling the making of a DIY icon. Robb’s quest began in his hometown of Blackpool — where punk was a battle against the odds — and went international when he toured the world with his band. The first person in the U.K. to interview Nirvana, he also discovered The Stone Roses for weekly newspaper Sounds and did early interviews with The Jesus And Mary Chain and The Manics, before moving on to legends such as Mark E. Smith, Nick Cave and Patti Smith. Along the way, he became an on-screen commentator and author of bestselling books. Robb’s memoir tells of deep friendships with figures from Poly Styrene to Chris Packham. Packed with riotous stories, it provides an alternative account of British musical and cultural history and a triumphant blueprint for a punk rock life.”
Invisible Rhythms: A Guide To Staying Curious And Creative For The Long Game (Updated)
By Michael Shrieve
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “What does it mean to stay creatively alive for over 60 years? At 20, Michael Shrieve played the drum solo heard around the world at Woodstock. By 25, he walked away from Santana at the height of their success — not because he failed, but because competence had become confining. What followed was six decades of reinvention:Collaborations with David Crosby, Mick Jagger, Steve Winwood, John McLaughlin, Jack DeJohnette, Zakir Hussain and dozens of other visionary musicians. Explorations in electronic music with Klaus Schulze and Steve Roach. Partnerships with Stomu Yamashta and Bill Laswell. Therapeutic sound. And a relentless refusal to let expertise become a cage. Invisible Rhythms is not an autobiography. It’s a field guide to the long game — a book about recognizing the signal before you can explain it, protecting your curiosity when the world wants you to settle, and building a life where the work finally starts working on you. Whether you’re a musician, a writer, an entrepreneur, or someone who has always felt “wired differently,” this book is for you. The lessons are drawn from a lifetime of creative risk, but they belong to anyone who has ever felt pulled toward something they couldn’t yet explain.”
A Little Bit Of Bowie: An Unofficial Celebration Of The Most Influential Musician Of All Time
By Summersdale Publishers
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just discovering the legend behind Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, venture within to encounter icons, artists, astronauts, gnomes and much more! Featuring various quotes, quiz questions and facts — covering David Bowie‘s early career right through to his final album — A Little Bit Of Bowie grants you backstage access to the stories behind his culture-shaping sound and vision. Within these pages you will find: Must-know trivia tidbits on Bowie’s work as a musician, artist, actor, writer (and mime artist!); wise words from the Starman himself, exhibiting his avant-garde attitudes, formidable creativity and hilarious sense of humor; a medley of beginner- and expert-level quiz questions to challenge even the staunchest of fans. From Brixton to Berlin to New York, this book shines a spotlight on some of the best bits of Bowie’s out-of-this-world life and career. Sway alongside one of the most iconic, ingenious and inspiring creative forces in history, as you celebrate the spectacular life and legacy of Bowie!”
A Little Bit Of BTS: An Unofficial Celebration Of The Biggest K-Pop Band
By Summersdale Publishers
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Step into the magic shop of BTS with this delightful book of meaningful quotes, stan-level facts and in-depth trivia for their diehard Army. Known for their dynamite stage presence, smooth-like-butter dancing skills and angelic voices, BTS are a K-pop boyband with a message of self-love at the heart of their music. They’re globally renowned and have shattered multiple records, so it’s in their DNA to write impactful lyrics addressing mental health and societal issues, winning the hearts of their fanbase. It doesn’t matter which song made you fall in love with them or who your bias is; this book is a perfect gift for every fan, taking you on a journey filled with: Inspirational quotes that will make you love them even more; lesser-known facts about their lives; ultimate trivia. This book, a tribute from one Army to another, celebrates the group’s incredible journey. We are young forever.”
Last Stand: In Utero And The Final Days Of Nirvana
By Robert Boyd
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One year following the release of Nevermind, Nirvana’s sophomore album and an unforeseen cultural phenomenon, internal drama created stumbling blocks and uncertainty regarding the band’s future. Despite continued skepticism largely fueled by the media, in February 1993 Nirvana gathered in rural Minnesota with maverick producer Steve Albini to record their third studio album. Regardless of the promising scenario, coupled with the band’s cathartic material, doubt during the ensuing months remained a common denominator surrounding what would ultimately prove to be their final album — Nirvana‘s last stand.”
33⅓ Oceania | 5mmm’s Compilation Album Of Adelaide Bands 1980
By Collette Snowden
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The 5MMM Compilation Album of Adelaide Bands 1980 exemplifies creativity and innovation by community and grassroots cultural enterprises that had lasting effects on Australian popular music. With an early form of crowd-funding, Adelaide’s new community radio station 5MMM-FM raised capital for the recording. The album contained 14 tracks by South Australian independent bands and artists. The production of the album challenged the domination of the established Australian recording industry, which posed obstacles for South Australian bands. To get a recording contract, bands and musicians from Adelaide (and Perth, Brisbane, Hobart and regional Australia), had to navigate the challenges of regional geography and cultural bias, and recording company hegemony. Consequently, the rationale for this compilation album was based on frustration with the recording industry, a punk DIY ethos, a newly emerged independent media, cultural nationalism, and, locally, the South Australian cultural heritage and focus on creative industries. The album and the effects it produced were symptomatic of the new public awareness of the Australian independent music sector that in turn fed into live music attendance, and commercial local recording. The contribution of a grassroots commitment to Australian music has not been well documented and this account situates the discussion in the social, political, and cultural context in which it emerged.”
Tales From The Rock & Roll Twilight Zone: Eerie Enigmas And Supernatural Secrets From Rock’s Darkest Corners
By Richard Syrett
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Readers of Tales From The Rock & Roll Twilight Zone will gain exclusive insights into the shadowy, unexplored side of rock history that mainstream biographies deliberately avoid. This book provides meticulously researched accounts of rock legends whose deaths — often written off as accidents or suicides — are re-examined through a forensic lens, uncovering credible evidence of foul play, coverups, and hidden agendas. It empowers readers to understand how powerful institutions — be it intelligence agencies, occult networks, or corporate interests — have manipulated the trajectory of rock music for cultural engineering purposes. Instead of passively consuming the official stories about icons like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Elvis Presley, readers are equipped with alternative narratives supported by little-known facts, declassified documents, and insider testimonies. Additionally, the book offers readers a deeper comprehension of the recurring symbolism, numerology, and esoteric references embedded within rock’ s most iconic albums and performances, allowing them to decode the hidden messages and agendas interwoven into pop culture. It encourages critical thinking by drawing connections between isolated incidents — like the “Paul is Dead” phenomenon or the Altamont Free Concert disaster — and broader patterns of manipulation, conspiracy, and occult ritual. By the end of the book, readers will not only be entertained by riveting, untold stories, but they’ ll also walk away with a sharper, more discerning lens through which to view the music industry and its hidden puppet masters.”
Reflexivity In French Rap: More Than A Mirror To The Republic
By Emily Q. Shuman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Reflexivity In French Rap offers a new look at rap’s position in the French cultural landscape. Emily Q. Shuman examines how French rappers hold up a mirror to themselves and to their social world, playing off the terms of debate over the music’s aesthetic value and place in the French social imaginary. Shuman traces commonly held beliefs about French rap, from selectively legitimizing parallels to France’s literary patrimony, to belief in its innate capacity to incite violence, to expectations that it performs racial difference, to lamentations of its commodified nature, to reinforcements of the mainstream media as its principal antagonist. However, rather than writing off these representations as distorted exterior gazes projected onto the music, Shuman instead shows how French rappers channel them into the lyrical, sonic, and visual qualities of their performances. Featuring rappers and groups such as MC Solaar, Médine, Booba, Tandem, Sniper, La Rumeur, Youssoupha, Abd al Malik, Casey, PNL, Alpha Wann, Shay, NTM, Keny Arkana and Vald, this fascinating book finds that the richest knowledge that French rap produces about its social and political context is entwined with its meta-commentary on its aesthetic form and anticipated reception.”
The Museum Of Imaginary Musical Instruments
By Deirdre Loughridge & Thomas Patteson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Museum Of Imaginary Musical Instruments is a guided tour through centuries of instruments that never existed. From ancient myths to futuristic media, these imagined devices appear in literature, theory, video games, and art, at times echoing real instruments, other times pushing far beyond the bounds of technology. This book presents a wide-ranging collection of such creations, showing how they reflect changing ideas about sound, invention, and the limits of the possible. At once a cultural history and a study of creative thought, it uncovers unexpected links between music, design, and the human urge to make meaning through sound. These are not just fictional artifacts; they are windows into what music might mean, even when it cannot be played.”
The Elvis Presley Cookbook: Fun Facts And Simple Southern Comfort Recipes Fit For A King
By Elizabeth McKeon, Ralph Gevirtz & Julie Bandy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Your taste buds are about to be all shook up. Put on your blue suede shoes and shake up your saltshaker, because this cookbook has some hunka-hunka delicious food! The Elvis Presley Cookbook is making a big flavor-filled comeback — with nearly 100 mouthwatering recipes worthy of The King himself. With every bite, travel back in time and relive the classic Southern flavors Elvis adored. Packed with personal stories, fun facts, family traditions, appetizing full-color food photography, and photos, The Elvis Presley Cookbook is a full-access backstage pass to Elvis’s table. With this cookbook, you can eat like The King without spending like one. Budget-friendly, short ingredient lists make these dishes easy on the wallet, while feeding the family. Taste history as you recreate the meals served at Graceland. From his and Priscilla’s wedding reception to the legendary Beatles’ visit — these meals will take you back in time to some of Elvis’s most memorable moments. Travel back in time to Elvis’ life to learn behind-the-scenes details, like how Elvis preferred meat loaf to steak because meat loaf is quicker to eat. Indulge in your favorite comfort foods and enjoy nostalgic All-American classic dishes from years gone by. Whether you’re nostalgic for the food of yesteryear, have a hankering for classic Southern flavors, or are simply a super fan of this iconic musician, this is one cookbook you won’t want to be without.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source tinnitist.com ’
