Recent Rock Reads

Holiday Gift Recommendations For Music Lovers

“I read this book and it made me think of you” is one of the most magical phrases in the English language.

Whenever I unwrap a book, I’m instantly aware of the careful thought that went into choosing it. By giving somebody a book, you not only show them how well you understand their tastes and interests, but it’s also an invitation to a conversation.

Some of my favorite books of all time were given to me as gifts. In fact, my lifelong love of reading and writing was originally sparked by a bandmate handing me a Kurt Vonnegut novel in high school. So, I can tell you from personal experience that giving books as gifts can have a profound impact on the receiver.

For this edition of Recent Rock Reads we’ve got three books that loosely revolve around the roots of alternative rock.

From The Replacements to The Go-Go’s, the formation of Twin/Tone Records to the rise of college radio and beyond, these unique works of non-fiction offer heartfelt autobiography, music history, cultural critique, and academic explorations.

Any of these books would make a great gift for the rock readers in your life, especially those with a taste for influential ‘80s music…even if you’re buying that gift for yourself. Go ahead and stuff your own stocking!

Happy holidays. Happy reading.

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⚡️💥 What Are Some Of Your Favorite Recent Rock Reads?

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Euphoric Recall: A Half Century as a Music Fan, Producer, DJ, Record Executive, and Tastemaker

By Peter Jesperson

Peter Jesperson is probably best known as the person who discovered The Replacements in addition to managing the self-destructive Minneapolis band during the early years of their career. He also co-founded Twin/Tone Records, the indie label that delivered some of the band’s most important albums including Sorry Ma… and Let It Be, in addition to releases by Soul Asylum, The Suburbs, Babes in Toyland, The Jayhawks and many others. Jesperson also briefly worked as a tour manager with R.E.M. as they slugged it out on the road to alt rock superstardom.

All of that is reason enough to pick up a copy of Jesperson’s excellent autobiography, but it’s his lifelong passion for music that makes this such a relatable read. From his earliest days as a record store employee and club DJ to his career as a music industry tastemaker and executive, Jesperson’s fascinating career was always guided by his pure love of singles, albums, bands and live shows. That consistent integrity coupled with his honest assessment of his own drug and alcohol struggles made this a standout in 2023. A great read for fans of college rock, alt rock and Americana.

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33 1/3: The Go-Go’s ‘Beauty And The Beat’

By Lisa Whittington-Hill

This book looks beyond the playful, polished image presented to mainstream music consumers in the early ‘80s to celebrate The Go-Go’s for the groundbreaking feminist punks they actually were. Even as Beauty and the Beat climbed the charts on the strength of hooky hit singles “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got The Beat,” this fierce all female band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments faced countless challenges in the male-dominated music industry.

In this short, sharp overview of the album’s creation and lasting influence, Whittington-Hill does a great job of showing how The Go-Go’s made music on their own terms to lay the groundwork for future artists ranging from Courtney Love to Riot Grrrl bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile and beyond. Her unflinching narrative combines a genuine love for the music with cultural critique to make this one of the most thought-provoking 33 1/3 books in recent memory.

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Live From The Underground: A History of College Radio

By Katherine Rye Jewell

A lot of ink has been spilled about the ‘80s college rock acts like U2, R.E.M. and The Replacements that paved the way for the alternative rock explosion of the ‘90s, but curiously little gets written about the dedicated music fans-turned-DJs who first put those artists on the left-of-the-dial airwaves starting in the ‘70s. Which is why Jewell’s cultural deep-dive into the contentious history of college radio is an important book.

More of an academic deep-dive on the medium’s evolution than a glossy pop history overview, Jewell examines college radio’s hard-won reputation for eclecticism by delving into the history of media deregulation, shady record label PR and marketing, culture wars over obscenity, and higher education politics among many other heady topics. This is a well-researched book that is a necessary read for anybody fascinated by the important role college radio has played in driving alternative culture.

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⚡️💥 Speaking Of Books…I’ve Published A Few Myself

Go All The Way: A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop

Fun, bright, and playful, power pop is a sometimes adored, sometimes maligned, often misunderstood genre of music. From its heyday in the ‘70s and ‘80s to its resurgence in the ‘90s and ‘00s, power pop has meant many things to many people. In Go All The Way, today's best and brightest writers go deep on what certain power pop bands and songs mean and have meant to them. Whether they love or hate it, Go All The Way is a dive into the Beatles-inspired pop rock of the last five decades.

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Forbidden Beat: Perspectives on Punk Drumming

Whether they're self-taught bashers or technical wizards, drummers are the thrashing, crashing heart of our favorite punk bands. In Forbidden Beat, some of today's most respected writers and musicians explore the history of punk percussion with personal essays, interviews and lists featuring their favorite players and biggest influences. From ‘60s garage rock and proto-punk to ‘70s New York and London, ‘80s hardcore and D-beat to ‘90s pop punk and beyond, Forbidden Beat is an uptempo ode to six decades of punk rock drumming.

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Bad Citizen Corporation: Greg Salem Punk Rock PI Series, Book 1

An East Los Angeles police officer by day and a beach cities punk rock legend by night, Salem is forced into action when his two worlds violently collide. The search for his friend’s murderer takes him on a treacherous journey through the murky waters of his hometown, forcing him to explore the dark corners of his sun-soaked world.

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That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist

Jackson Sharp is a former guitar player fresh out of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He's on a mission to settle the score with his dead beat dad, but needs to collect some cash from his younger brother and former bandmate, Jamie. He finds Jamie at his struggling Tulsa record shop, but the cash is long gone. Jamie offers up a heist instead—steal a rare copy of a pre-Beatles 45 from a wealthy collector in Memphis. The road trip that follows is the violent family/band reunion that Jackson never wanted.