The Music Shelf

Extreme Music
Michael Tau
Feral House
www.feralhouse.com
9781627311243, $29.95, PB, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Music-Silence-Everything-between/dp/16273112=
46

Synopsis: Michael Tau had spent years obsessed by the extremes of musical e= xpression. "Extreme Music: Silence to Noise and Everything In Between" is t=
he culmination of decades of research into the sounds (and silences) that c= omprise the outer limits and conceptual expressions that stretch the defini= tion of music.

Tau defines and categorizes these recorded sounds into sections that allow = fans and newcomers to explore the fascinating world of musicians who defy c= onvention. He explores a wide range of extremes including volume, speed, an=
d vulgarity to packaging, recording methods, unplayable media, outdated tec= hnologies, and digital pioneers. He asks and answers the questions: Are all=
sounds music? Is silence music? Is a plate of rotting food once cataloged,=
packaged and sold by a distributor qualify as music?

"Extreme Music" includes over 100 interviews with makers and musicians as T=
au uses his background in psychiatry to help readers understand what motiva= tes people to create and listen to non-mainstream music. As a fan of multip=
le avant-garde musical genres, Tau uncovers the pleasures (and sometimes pa=
in and frustration) found at the outre fringes of music.

Critique: Unique, informative, insightful, comprehensive, exceptionally wel=
l organized and presented, "Extreme Music: Silence to Noise and Everything =
In Between" by Michael Tau is an impressive and unreservedly recommended Mu= sic Recording & Appreciation guide for curious seekers, die-hard fans, and = cultural investigators. Of special note are its features of images and cura= ted links to samples of music. While a core and valued pick for professiona=
l, community, and academic library Music History/Technology collections, it=
should be noted for the personal reading lists of music students, academia=
, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "= Extreme Music" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.72) = and would well serve for supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Michael Tau (https://feralhouse.com/extreme-music) was born=
and raised in Toronto, Canada. As a teenager, he was introduced to bizarre=
and adventurous music via the after-hours CBC radio program, Brave New Wav= es, which he recorded onto cassette to listen to the next day. In universit=
y, he attended noise shows in lofts in Montreal's quasi-industrial district=
s, to the detriment of his hearing. He has since written for numerous under= ground music publications and has authored several music zines.

Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983
Jen B. Larson
Feral House
www.feralhouse.com
9781627311236, $28.95, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Girls-Women-Punk-1975-1983/dp/1627311238

Synopsis: Women have been kicking against the pricks of music patriarchy si= nce Sister Rosetta Tharpe first played the guitar riffs that built rock-n-r= oll. The explosion of punk sent shockwaves of revolution to every girl who = dreamed of being on stage. Punk godmothers Suzy Quatro, The Runaways, Patti=
Smith, Poison Ivy, Tina Weymouth, Debbie Harry, The Go-Gos, and Fanny's Mi= llington sisters provided the template for thousands of girls and women thr= oughout the United States to write and record their songs.

A combination memoir and music history, "Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the US=
A, 1975-1983" by Jen B. Larson is the story of local and regional bands who=
se legacy would be otherwise lost. Despite the modern narrative labeling wo= men as anomalies in rock music, the truth is: women played important roles =
in punk and its related genres in every city, in every scene, all over the = United States. The women and bands profiled by Jen B. share their experienc=
es of sexism and racism as well as their joy and successes from their days =
on stage as they changed what it meant to be in a band. These pioneering wo= men were more than novelty acts or pretty faces--they were fully contributi=
ng members and leaders of mixed-gender and all-female bands long before the=
call for "girls to the front".

The women of "Hit Girls" are now rightfully exalted to cult status where th= eir collective achievement is recognized and inspiring to new generations o=
f women rockers. Included are interviews with: Texacala Jones, Stoney River=
a, Mish Bondaj, Alice Bag, Nikki Corvette, Penelope Houston, and many more = formidable and infamous women who made their voices heard over the screamin=
g guitars.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of more than 100 rare = and never-before seen images, "Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-19= 83" also features a comprehensive playlist of all the artists cited. A semi= nal and comprehensive history, "Hit Girls" is especially recommended for pe= rsonal, professional, community, college, and university library Punk Music=
History/Biography collections in general, and Rock Band Biography reading = lists in particular. It should be noted for music history students, academi=
a, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that = "Hit Girls" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Jen B. Larson (https://feralhouse.com/hit-girls) is a write=
r, musician, and public art schoolteacher living in Chicago. She holds a B.=
A. in English literature and creative writing as well as an M.Ed. in specia=
l education. Her bands, Swimsuit Addition, beastii, and Jen and the Dots, h= ave performed and recorded extensively over the last decade.

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