ALL KNOWN METAL BANDS (2008); Hardcover
300 pages Dan Nelson, Used
This volume contains the names of over 50,000 metal bands. Presuming that each of these bands had an average of four members, and multipling that by the number of bands, one might figure that at least a quarter of a million humans have pledged allegiance to one of them at some point is his or her lifetime. Never has a genre of music relegated to the underground of a civilization had so many devotees; no radio needs to transmit the power of this music, for it is sought out fiercely and freely by the doomed and the dispossessed, whose ears are never soiled by songs of love and weakness. These names are invisible tokens to be spoken aloud, each representing a human quest for superhuman spectacle: shaking floorboards and quivering walls, split ears leaking blood, with faces painted and ornaments pointy, voices uttering eternal truths shunned by woman and man alike.
HELLS ANGELS Hunter S Thompson (1967); Paperback
1971 Penguin reprint, Classic cover. Biker/Hunter S Thompson/Cult, Used
This is a report on a marginalized American subculture, written by an expert on American subcultures. With deep roots in reality, this is the true dawn of Gonzo Journalism. This is journalism rooted in first-hand experience, slightly twisted by a fine mind and writer of the first calibre. This book is about exactly what it says on the front cover, the 'Hell's Angels" as they were, where they came from, what they believed, how they operated and how they evolved and peaked (in terms of piquing America's interest) over the two year period Hunter set out to collaborate and verify their story by 'hanging out' with them and becoming their spokesman for the blatant truth, but in the context of the often grossly exaggerated image bestowed on them by the press and public officials. It's a fantastic account of a way of life that few have ever seen or understood, and as usual, Hunter nails it with his brilliant accuracy and immaculate research. This in-depth documentary, technically and historically precise, is an absolutely brilliant piece of work.
ABSTRACT GRAFFITI (2011); Hardcover
176 pages Art/Graffiti/Street Art, New
… the book is far less coffee table book than it is art history primer. Dominated by interviews with artists, writers, activists and one London judge, Lewisohn concerns himself more with individuals who’ve had a pivotal or lasting impact on the abstract side of the movement, rather than any media-hyped superstars. In other words, Abstract Graffiti is more about the hows and whys, and less about the whos. — Planet Magazine
Since the early days of the graffiti movement in late 1970s New York, street art has transformed cities around the world. Today it is a hugely popular, yet still highly controversial art form. In Abstract Graffiti, Cedar Lewisohn provides a vibrant account of the ‘outer limits’ of street art and graffiti that are being explored by artists in cities as diverse as London, Prague, Philadelphia and São Paulo. The work of these artists is ‘abstract’ not necessarily in the sense that it is non-figurative; rather, it may embrace a fresh, abstract approach to art. Lewisohn interviews both established graffiti artists and new practitioners of avant-garde forms of art in public spaces – such as Knit Graffiti and Street Training – and traces the art-historical lineage of these abstract trends. Addressing such issues as street art as a form of protest, graffiti as a crime, the place of street art in museums, and the evolution of materials, this book offers unrivalled insight into some of the most exciting and challenging work on the contemporary art scene.
TALKING MUSIC: Conversations With John Cage, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, And 5 Generations Of American Experimental Composers; Paperback
(1999) 504 pages, Modern/Avant-garde/Contemporary/Music/Composition, Used
Talking Music is comprised of substantial original conversations with seventeen American experimental composers and musicians—including Milton Babbitt, Pauline Oliveros, Steve Reich, Meredith Monk, and John Zorn—many of whom rarely grant interviews.The author skillfully elicits candid dialogues that encompass technical explorations; questions of method, style, and influence; their personal lives and struggles to create; and their aesthetic goals and artistic declarations. Herein, John Cage recalls the turning point in his career; Ben Johnston criticizes the operas of his teacher Harry Partch; La Monte Young attributes his creative discipline to a Morman childhood; and much more. The results are revelatory conversations with some of America's most radical musical innovators.
VACANT: A Diary of the Punk Years 1976-1979; Paperback
1999 Nils Stevenson 128 pages, Punk/Music/Documentary, Used
From its beginnings at World's End, King's Road, London, where Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood turned art into fashion and fashion into life from their shop SEX, punk sent shock waves of anarchistic music, attitude, fashion, and style through Europe, the United States, and beyond with a force that is still at work at the end of the century. Nils and Ray Stevenson were there from the start. More graphically than any other writer, Nils traces the roots of the experience that lay at the heart of punk: "We had no regard for 'authenticity.' We owned it and we manipulated it with an irreverence that was previously unheard of. . . . Punk was a cage to go wild in." The raucous reality of the unfolding story is recreated month by month in Ray's riveting photographs, accompanied by his brother's startlingly frank diary entries and handwritten comments from others who were part of the scene. McLaren and Westwood, the Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Clash, the Buzzcocks, the Slits, the Stranglers, and their fellow renegades from across the Atlantic--Richard Hell, the New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and Debbie Harry--all come alive and kicking off the page. The first book to capture the immediacy and excitement of the original punk, this is a must-buy for all fans of punk, neo-punk, and the distinctive British music and fashion scenes. (Nils Stevenson was the Sex Pistols' tour manager, and then managed Siouxsie and the Banshees.)
THE BIKE FROM HELL (Alex R Stuart - New English Library) 1975; Paperback
Biker/New English Library/Cult/Novel 144 pages, Used
The Sons and Daughters of Baal rode high to Stonehenge on that Midsummer night. Johnny's black bike was sold after his trial - four times. It killed two owners and injured a third. So it was brought back to wait for Johnny's release. It's all coming together. But, there are still several loose threads in the web. Threads which are almost invisible, and might not be seen in time. Threads which upon everything depends...
Knuckle Girls (Richard Allen - New English Library) 1977; Paperback
128 pages Punk/Skinhead/Richard Allen/New English Library/Cult, Used
Meet Glasgows's Ina Murray, her violent upbringing taught her to fight for her rights - with a bicycle chain and copper wire surrounded by a circle of cheering supporters. Part of the series of "Skinhead" novels by Richard Allen on New English Library in the 1970's.
UNEMPLOYABLE: 30 years of Hardcore, Skate and Street (2016); Hardcover
HUUUUGE!! 708 pages (4.5 Kilos- check for postage) Skate/Documentary/Skateboard, New
"Clearly we were unemployable. To the outside that meant we were losers with juvenile hobbies and no future. To us, it meant not following a conventional life path. We wanted a grown-up life that would match our teen lives: optimistic, innovative, and fun.” ―Globe cofounder Matt Hill
From the 1970s underground Melbourne skate scene to a company with a presence in over one hundred countries, Unemployable is the story of how three Australian brothers―Stephen, Peter, and Matt Hill―founded one of the world’s biggest skate, street, and surf companies, Globe International. Throughout several iterations, the company was the first Australian skate shoe player; a creator and distributor of leading streetwear fashion labels such as Stüssy, Mossimo, Obey, and Mooks; a producer of celebrated skate and surf movies; and from its earliest beginnings, a business that recognized the importance of connecting to the customer. Beyond the story of the Hill brothers, the book features a large cast of players who ran Globe’s debauched skate tours, infamous industry parties, exotic surf contests, frenzied stadium events, cutting-edge fashion parades, and red-carpet launches. In addition, it includes over 190 exclusive contributions from Globe insiders and untold tales from the world’s most respected skaters and surfers including Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk, CJ and Damien Hobgood, and many more. It also touches on Globe’s affiliations beyond action sports. A story about following your dreams, Unemployable will resonate with a broad range of readers beyond a purely skate/surf/street audience. 500 illustrations
DISPOSABLE: A History of Skateboard Art (2007); Paperback
Skateboard/Art/Documentary 237 pages, Used
Longtime skateboard artist Sean Cliver put together this staggering survey of over 1,000 skateboard graphics from the last 30 years, creating an indispensable insiders' history as he did so. Alongside his own history, Sean has assembled a wealth of recollections and stories from prominent artists and skateboarders such as: Andy Howell, Barry McGee, Ed Templeton, Steve Caballero, and Tony Hawk. The end result is a fascinating historical account of art in the skateboard subculture, as told by those directly involved with shaping its legendary creative face.
PUNK ROCK RULES OK? - Collectors Issue No.1 (1977); Paperback (Rare!)
(Rare as shit 70's Punk Collectable)1977 (UK) Mint - New old stock
32-page 12" x 8½" softback book packed with photographs and information on The Sex Pistols, The Adverts, The Stranglers, The Damned, The Jam, The Clash, Television, MC5, Dead Boys, The Ramones and much more. Light hearted take on the punk scene….two pages spread on each band…..
GANG SLANG: A Dictionary of Criminal and Sexual Slang (2002); Paperback
192 pages Gangs/Dictionary/Adult, Used
The complete guide to criminal slang in the UK, US and Australia. Are you a nob, on a one-way ride? Perhaps you're a mechanic, or a stand-over man? Do you have brown kotchel or do you go mumping? If you don't know what this means then this complete guide to criminal slang as spoken in the UK, USA, and Australia should help.
LOCALS ONLY California Skateboarding 1975-1978; Hardcover
Skateboarding/Photography/70's/Documentary 84 pages (2012 edition), Used
One afternoon in 1975, a young photographer named Hugh Holland drove up Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles and encountered skateboarders carving up the drainage ditches along the side of the canyon. Immediately transfixed by their grace and athleticism, he knew he had found an amazing subject. Although not a skateboarder himself, for the next three years Holland never tired of documenting skateboarders surfing the streets of Los Angeles, parts of the San Fernando Valley, Venice Beach, and as far away as San Francisco and Baja California, Mexico. During the mid-1970s, Southern California was experiencing a serious drought, leaving an abundance of empty swimming pools available for trespassing skateboarders to practice their tricks. From these suburban backyard haunts to the asphalt streets that connected them, this was the place that created the legendary Dogtown and Z-Boys skateboarders. With their requisite bleached blonde hair, tanned bodies, tube socks and Vans, these young outsiders are masterfully captured against a sometimes harsh but always sunny Southern California landscape in LOCALS ONLY. LOCALS ONLY features more than 120 beautiful color images plus a Q+A format interview with the artist.
