Music-related biographies, etc.

In the last few months I read Billy Joe Shaver’s, what was good, fairly informative of his history altho’ not very insightful or in-depth. 2 outta 5 olives.

I read BoB Mould’s, what was excellent writing and very interesting but may disturb anyone who is not gay-friendly or at least open-minded about alternative life-styles. That said, it was very cool to learn his creative process, and the influence of his life on his art. 4 outta 5 olives.

Currently 1/3 through a biography of Al Jourgensen, and enjoying that, also.
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bandcamp; vlayman;
THD; blog.
I mix with olive juice.

Re a cuppla writers, Dorsey & Lansdale

 

Posted at lostoverture.com:

If you get the chance, pick up Tim Dorseys’s latest, Pineapple Grenade… … Absolutely hysterical.

… great writer, somewhat like the Dexter stuff, except the protag is a complete nut and his sidekick an addict/drunk/nut.  Much political and sociological observation/humor; in this one, for example, he writes a letter proposing to Sarah Palin, passes on Iraq, Bay of Pigs, arms dealing, mimes, clowns, drugs, ecology, espionage, bureaucracy, sexual attraction and drive, car-jacking, …

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I’m currently reading Joe Lansdale’s latest, Edge of Dark Water, what is hard to describe in that it’s a period piece set during the Great Depression and has aspects of a mystery, as well as an uneducated but intelligent teenage female protag who, with her addict mom, a gay male teen, a black female teen, and a Preacher who has murdered twice is on the run to Hollywood with stolen bank-job proceeds and the ashes of their friend.

Lansdale is a awesome writer, famous for his horror novels, but also for his Hap and Leonard books.

Hap and Leonard are intelligent but blue-collar Texan martial arts enthusiasts who are forever solving mysteries.  The characters are hilarious, and very interesting; Hap is in his 40’s and chronically under-employed, white, and very violent; Leonard is the same age and his best friend, but black and gay and also violent.  They usually kill a cuppla bad guys a piece, each book.

But Lansdale is quite a humanist for a noir writer, and he often visits issues of sexuality and race, as well as violence, friendship, sex and love.

I learned of him thru the reco of Andrew Vachss.

Of Bruen’s and Brants

Saw a cool flick last night on DVD:  Jason Statham (a fave ’round here) in Blitz , based on Ken Bruen’s “Brant” series!   

I’m a big noir fan, and Bruen is absolutely top of the game.  The Brant books, about a tough/dirty English cop, are just a little cartoonish – I do prefer his Irish garda (Jack Taylor) books –  but they are always fun, and they made for a entertaining movie.

As for Statham, well, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels  on, he’s been uniformly freakin’ cool, and is here.