TOUCH AND GO: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83

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society verse by ross farrar

bridge 9 records put out a book by ross farrar, lead singer of ceremony, called society verse. the book is comprised of lyrics from ceremony songs re-organized with punctuation and put into stanza's. for a majority of the songs there are explanations for the lyrics as farrar explains what he was thinking at the time he wrote them. my favorite of which is his explanation for 'throwing bricks' where he explains the fight he got into that enabled him to write that song. also included in the book is 'into the wayside part iv,' a short story he wrote about growing up in rohnert park. all the photographs in the book are in black and white, and were taken by farrar. in my opinion the photographs and the short story are worth the price of the book alone. society verse is an extremely enjoyable read for anyone, whether or not they are ceremony fans.

our noise: book review

our noise: the story of merge records - the label that got big and stayed small written by john cook, mac mccaughan and laura ballance came out last year on algoquin books. it covers the first twenty years of merge records in fourteen chapters. this is the most enjoyable book i've read in a really long time. the interviews offer a look into one of the most important record labels of our time. the beginning of the book made me nostalgic for everything 90's. with full color pictures, you immediately enter a world of yesteryear. these pictures include everything from superchunk setlists, show flyers, personal letters, intimate postcards, and even record invoices. the pictures alone are worth the cost of the book. and with whole chapters dedicated to butterglory, neutral milk hotel, spoon, and arcade fire there is really something for everyone. the book is definitely re-readable making it completely worth investing in. the story ends in a world where the music industry is completely changing due to digital downloads, poor record sales, and dying major labels. however, it offers hope for the independent labels like merge whose only business tactic has been to put out records they love. highly recommended. purchase here.