Jazz was born in the late 1800’s out of a mix of African and European music traditions. One key elements of jazz is improvisation—the ability to create new music spontaneously. Another is syncopation. When musicians syncopate their music, they take patterns that are even and regular and break them up, make them uneven, and put [...]
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You may have caught Steve Earle’s recent show in Kent, or maybe you’ve listened to his music on CD. You may not know that Steve has written books, as well as a thoughtful introduction to James Agee’s A Death in the Family. Click on the covers to find Earle in our collection. “[James [...]
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In whose name : the Islamic world after 9/11 Born in Iran, Abbas casts a sharp eye over a world seen by few from the West. Seeking out people and places that have been overlooked by others, he reveals far more—and in greater depth—than photojournalists who focus on flashpoints or who race to break the [...]
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The Eagles : an American band “Take It Easy.” “Lyin’ Eyes.” “One of These Nights.” “Hotel California.” These songs are among the most memorable ever written, and they all came from one amazing band: the Eagles. This gorgeous volume traces the history of the group from the late 1960s through to the present. Capturing the [...]
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The Beatles : the stories behind the songs 1962-1966 Who was “just 17” and made Paul’s heart go ‘boom?’ Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? The Beatles : the stories behind the songs 1967-1970 Where is Penny Lane? What was the inspiration for “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds?”Steve Turner investigates the most famous [...]
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Bring the noise : 20 years of writing about hip rock and hip hop Bring the Noise weaves together interviews, reviews, essays, and features to create a critical history of the last twenty years of pop culture, juxtaposing the voices of many of rock and hip hop’s most provocative artists—Morrissey, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, [...]
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Life Itself: A Memoir by Roger Ebert The Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic tells the full, dramatic story of his life and career, including his recovery from alcoholism and the complications from thyroid cancer treatment. The Ballad of Bob Dylan: A Portrait by Daniel Mark Epstein A vivid, full-bodied portrait of one of the most influential artists [...]
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The Main Event welcomed one of the most popular and acclaimed writers of our time, Chuck Klosterman. Most known for his book of essays SEX, DRUGS, AND COCOA PUFFS, the Heavy Metal memoir FARGO ROCK CITY, and the novels VISIBLE MAN and DOWNTOWN OWL, Klosterman has also written many articles for the New York Times, ESQUIRE, [...]
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If you’ve enjoyed the recent PBS series, “Give Me the Banjo,” pluck our books on the history of the instrument, and CDs by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Abigail Washburn, and Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers! The Birth of the Banjo, That Half-Barbaric Twang The Banjo in American Popular Culture, America’s Instrument: The Banjo in the [...]
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Celebrate Queen’s 40th anniversary with these recent books about the remarkable musical group. Is This the Real Life?: The Untold Story of Queen Mark Blake looks beyond Queen’s public persona to shed light on the legendary band’s four wildly divergent personalities, particularly lead singer Freddie Mercury’s. Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown [...]
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