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Like a great musical compilation that features a ton of different styles. From fiction by Honeychild Coleman and Hanif Abdurraqib to several great Roundtable Discussions called āNo Whites on the MicāĀ that cover topics like how to start a DIY collective, whatās happening in the punk scene NOW and self care. I came for the great writing and the bands but came back again to fully enjoy the amazing comics and photos. This is one of those must have books like āBanned in DCā and āShotgun Seamstress; The Complete Zine Collectionā.
May 9, 2024
Related Recs
follows incarcerated people fighting as gladiators in highly publicized/commercialized arena fights. if they make their way to the top, they earn their freedom.
absolutely rips into the racism/sexism/overall injustice of the U.S. prison-industrial complex with its depiction of brutality that isn't even that dystopian or "fictional." i still regularly think about this book, and I read it two summers ago. brilliant and painful.
there were many, many layers and themes spinning and converging in the book, and my only critique is that I'm not sure they all had the space to play out (I would have read 200-300 more pages for sure), but it packs a PUNCH nonetheless
4d ago
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stories over time of a cast of characters loosely linked through the music industry
In a post-modern style like not too dissimilar to vonnegut
each chapter can be seen almost as a stand alone vignette
edit: after re-reading your ask, Iāll admit not the weirdest book, but itās also definitely not run of the mill narrative fiction.
If you want weird, read Naked Lunch by William Burroughs. One of the most banned books of all time for a reason, grotesque, obscene, challenging, but imo definitely worth the read and Iāll be rereading it sometime. Helps to read along with a study guide to make sure youāre following whatās going on.
Mar 6, 2025
An unbelievably comprehensive 600-page oral history of the Village Voice, formerly the best of all US alt-weeklies and simply the main way anyone marginally cool knew wtf was going on in town before social media. Dripping with details (e.g. after being the only paper with writers/photographers on the ground at the Stonewall riot, the Gay Liberation Front was founded in rock critic Robert Christgau's spare journalism classroom (!)); casually interleaved with jaw-dropping adversarial interview appearances (both Donald Trump and Michael Alig drop in to give their own perspective on events); and unafraid to critique/discuss the Voice's own historic homophobic, racist, and sexist blindspots, I can't think of a better crash course in What People Talked About in 1960-1995 NYC (the Voice's subsequent Craigslist-induced decline era gets comparatively short shrift).
Apr 9, 2024
Top Recs from @kathleen-hanna
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I would say this is super listenable Political Punk, but I hate the idea that great bands with normal ideas like equality for everyone are āpoliticalāĀ when really itās everyone else who is being boring as hell while upholding the status quo. Lambrini Girls are way too musically wild and way too fun to be tied down to all these words anyways. Even better lyrics than Idles and I really like Idles. I know itās not a competition but if it wasā¦.Take a deep dive into their interviews on YOUTUBE. You will not regret it.
May 9, 2024
šŖ©
This ten song record from 2023 is already an underground classic. Is it surfy new wave punk? Punky Disco? Whatever it is ITāS FUCKING GREAT. Lira Mondal is the vocalist I want to hear everyday singing every song. The obvious musical comparison might be Pylon, but thereās also a poppy Romeo Void vibe that Iām fully addicted to. The best record of this year and it came out last year! hahaha!
May 9, 2024
šµ
Iām a sucker for complicated yet repetitive percussion, single note guitar riffs and great singing so this is kinda like the perfect storm for me. Thereās a track called āsingingā where Fabi Reyna talks about how she didnāt want to sing because she thought it would take away from her as a guitarist. I AM SO GLAD SHE GOT OVER THAT!!! Her voice is gorgeous, smooth in a Sade kinda way but even more intimate. Like youāre sitting on the couch while sheās singing in the same room! Iām absolutely desperate to hear these songs live.
May 9, 2024