Best Music Books 2024 (and a Few Late 2023 Gems)
Music shapes culture and identity, and this year’s top books offer fresh insights into the artists and movements that defined us. Kathleen Hanna’s Rebel Girl dives into feminist punk, while Ann Powers’ Traveling reflects on Joni Mitchell’s impact. Biographies shine with Thurston Moore’s Sonic Life, Will Hermes’ Lou Reed: The King of New York, and S.H. Fernando’s The Chronicles of DOOM about MF DOOM.
Histories like A Chance to Harmonize uncover FDR’s Federal Music Project. Meanwhile, Aaron Carnes’ In Defense of Ska and Alex Bleeker and Luke Pyenson’s Taste in Music explore ska’s evolution and musicians’ culinary adventures.
Peter Ames Carlin’s The Name of This Band is R.E.M. revisits 80s and 90s rock nostalgia. From punk to hip-hop, ska to country, these books tell stories that resonate far beyond the music.
R.E.Member When?
The Name of This Band is R.E.M.: A Biography by Peter Ames Carlin
Peter Ames Carlin weaves an intricate tale of R.E.M., the college-town band that captured global attention. Through evocative storytelling, Carlin goes beyond their hits to explore the friendships, conflicts, and sheer artistry that kept them together for decades. A nostalgic yet unsentimental journey into the heart of 80s and 90s rock.
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Rebel Yell
Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna
As the frontwoman of Bikini Kill and a driving force in the riot grrrl movement, Kathleen Hanna’s name often gets distilled into third-wave feminist iconography. But Rebel Girl peels back the layers to reveal Hanna’s nuanced humanity. With raw, diary-like candor, she recounts tour chaos, autoimmune struggles, and the unglamorous consequences of early feminist missteps. Whether unpacking “sellout culture” or revisiting the riot grrrl rallying cry of “Girls to the front,” Hanna’s memoir is a deeply personal and riveting portrait of punk rock’s most compelling storyteller.
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Joni’s Journey
Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann Powers
Part biography, part personal odyssey, Ann Powers explores Joni Mitchell’s life through an obsessive lens, blending her own narrative with the legendary singer-songwriter’s. More than a biography, it’s an intimate meditation on the profound ways Mitchell’s music embeds itself in our lives, resonating with anyone who’s ever found themselves lost—or found—through her poetic lyrics.
Order Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann Powers from Amazon.
Sonic Rebellion
Sonic Life: A Memoir by Thurston Moore
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore takes readers deep into New York’s No Wave scene, where art and sound collided in glorious chaos. From the band’s genesis to their globe-trotting heyday, Moore captures the gritty yet transformative energy of a cultural moment. Filled with love for music in all its forms, this memoir is a love letter to sound and the artists who dare to shape it.
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The King of New York
Lou Reed: The King of New York by Will Hermes
Will Hermes crafts an exhaustive portrait of Lou Reed, from his Velvet Underground days to his collaborations with legends like David Bowie and Andy Warhol. Using newly unearthed archival material, Hermes paints Reed as a provocateur who reshaped New York’s cultural skyline. It’s both a Reed biography and a love song to the city that forged his artistry.
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The Ska Chronicles
In Defense of Ska: Expanded 2nd Edition by Aaron Carnes
Aaron Carnes gives ska fans a gift with this expanded dive into the genre’s resilient charm. From L.A.’s Latino-led ska revival to the Christian ska movement of Five Iron Frenzy, Carnes’ exploration celebrates ska’s ability to transcend boundaries. With fresh anecdotes and a kaleidoscopic view of its history, this edition cements ska as a genre worth shouting about.
Order In Defense of Ska: Expanded 2nd Edition from Amazon
Taste Makers
Taste in Music: Eating on Tour with Indie Musicians by Alex Bleeker & Luke Pyenson
Indie musicians dish on their road-food rituals in this eclectic collection of essays. From Phoebe Bridgers’ private chef to Hüsker Dü’s econo dining days, the stories go far beyond food to explore identity, grief, and creativity. Highlights include Dawn Richard’s thoughts on body image, Natalie Mering’s solo meals, and Steve Sladkowski mourning over pierogies. Quirky, heartfelt, and often hilarious, this is a feast for fans of indie music and storytelling alike.
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Masked Marvel
The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast by S.H. Fernando
MF DOOM remains one of hip-hop’s most enigmatic figures, and S.H. Fernando’s definitive biography unravels his fascinating story. From Daniel Dumile Jr.’s Long Island roots to his rise as rap’s masked supervillain, Fernando deftly intertwines DOOM’s music with the cultural history of East Coast hip-hop. With exclusive insights and interviews, this is a must-read for fans of the late legend.
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A New Deal in Harmony
A Chance to Harmonize: How FDR’s Hidden Music Unit Sought to Save America from the Great Depression—One Song at a Time by Sheryl Kaskowitz
This meticulously researched work illuminates the Federal Music Project, an overlooked New Deal initiative that used music to uplift a struggling nation. With musicologist Charles Seeger (father of Pete Seeger) at its helm, the program sought to inspire collectivism through folk songs and classical works. Kaskowitz’s narrative reads like a political thriller with a melodic twist, offering a new perspective on how music can heal a nation.
Brooklyn Blues
Health and Safety: A Breakdown by Emily Witt
Emily Witt plunges readers into the visceral chaos of Brooklyn’s club scene while navigating love, heartbreak, and the existential malaise of modern life. Between her adventures at underground raves and dispatches from her New Yorker day job, Witt crafts a memoir that’s equal parts eulogy for a fading era and rallying cry for those chasing fleeting moments of euphoria.
