What’s this? The first month of 2015 isn’t even over and already there’s a scrum for the best music book of the year? First in the pipeline is The Art of Asking: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help, by Amanda Palmer (published by Grand Central, out now on import/Amazon). Originally published late last year in the US, the book – partly based on Palmer’s TED talk on artist funding – quickly found its way on to the New York Times bestseller list, and for good reason. Offering spiky reminiscences about her outsider persona as a teenager, her days as a street performer, her time as a major label artist, her relationship with writer Neil Gaiman and, latterly, her status as a creative and social communicator (notably via online platforms), the books zings with Palmer’s admirable and sometimes self-denigrating brassneck qualities.
Speaking of brassneck, say hello to Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon, whose memoir, Girl in a Band (published by Faber, Feb 24), looks set to be pitched as the US equivalent of Viv Albertine’s Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys. This is a superbly written, evocative memoir that focuses on Gordon’s personal life, relationships, work ethics, and her associations with alt/avant-garde rock music.
Slightly more mainstream but still revolving around the art of song is Naked at the Albert Hall: The Inside Story of Singing, by Tracey Thorn (published by Virago, April 30). Following up Bedsit Disco Queen, her 2013 award-winning memoir, Thorne joins the dots between her own experiences as a singer and her insights on the likes of X Factor, stage presence, and topics such as autotune.
And the best music book of 2015 is . . . ? Let the bookmarking commence.
