Our Band Could Be Your Life
The story of the American indie underground in the eighties as told through short biographies of some of the leading lights of the scene.
I really enjoyed at least half of these short bios, as some of the bands had fascinating interpersonal struggles, financial problems and made great music.
However, the author made some odd decisions. Your band is only indie if your records are recorded for an indie label who used only indie distribution? A pointless distinction if you ask me. If, as I suspect, he only did this to avoid covering REM for the millionth time, then why not just say that?
Why, also, decide to not cover the major label careers of the bands that he does write about beyond a brief sneery paragraph or two about how none of their records were as good once they took money from the big boys?
Why spend countless pages wittering on about the idealism of certain bands? Sure they had admirable politics, that's great, I want to read about the music too at some point though.
Maybe I'm too comfortably cynical about the music business as a whole but the whole concept of indie purity just seems silly to me nowadays. So I'm docking points for his pious devotion to his precious hardcore band's purity.
Otherwise highly recommended for those with an interest in 80's underground indie music.
Earth, Air, Fire and Custard
The last book of the Paul Carpenter trilogy further illustrates the law of diminishing returns, so much so that the last third of the book struck me as utterly incoherent.
I can only say that it was a reasonably enjoyable ride for all it's incoherence, but that I'm very glad that he's stopped writing about Carpenter now and I don't have to buy any more books in the series. (Being a completist is a bitch).
If you like Tom Holt, have read the first two, and don't mind the random pointless, incoherent plot twists too much then you'll probably feel like you haven't wasted your time reading this.
Top 20 Albums of 2006
King Creosote - KC Rules OK
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Saint Jude's Infirmary - Happy Healthy Lucky Month
Youth Group - Skeleton Jar
Cat Power - The Greatest
Joanna Newsom - Ys
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
M Ward - Post-War
My Latest Novel - Wolves
Scott Walker - The Drift
Stuart A Staples - Leaving Songs
Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
Espers - II
Califone - Roots & Crowns
TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
Joan As Policewoman - Real Life
Citay - Citay
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
Grant-Lee Phillips - NineteenEighties
Books Read in 2006
- Steel Beach by John Varley rated B-
- The Truth by Terry Pratchett rated B+
- Black and Blue by Ian Rankin rated A+
- The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod A-
- The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson rated A
- Spin by Robert Charles Wilson rated A+
- Singularity Sky by Charles Stross rated B
- Double Vision by Tricia Sullivan rated A-
- Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds rated A
- Maul by Tricia Sullivan rated A-
- Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross rated A
- Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days by Alastair Reynolds rated C
- Futebol by Alex Bellos rated A
- Under Old Earth and Other Explorations by Cordwainer Smith rated C+
- Microserfs by Douglas Coupland rated A
- The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde rated C
- JPod by Douglas Coupland rated C+
- All Fun And Games Until Somebody Loses An Eye by Christopher Brookmyre rated A
- Margrave Of The Marshes by John Peel & Sheila Ravenscroft rated B
- Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons rated A
- The Wrestling by Simon Garfield rated B+
- Miss Wyoming by Douglas Coupland rated B+
- The Salmon Of Doubt by Douglas Adams rated C
- Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett rated A-
- Time Enough For Love by Robert A Heinlein rated B+
- Newton's Wake by Ken MacLeod rated A-
- M*A*S*H by Richard Hooker rated B+
- The Final Reflection by John M. Ford rated B
- Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman -
- Espedair Street by Iain Banks B-
- The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford rated A
- Hogfather by Terry Pratchett rated B
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