Our Band Could Be Your Life
by Michael Azerrad · first published 2001
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Well-researched oral-history-style account of 1980s American underground and indie bands like Minor Threat, Sonic Youth and Fugazi; suits music fans and anyone curious about DIY scenes.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This book is a series of profiles of American indie rock bands from 1981 - 1991. Black Flag, Mission of Burma, the Minutemen, Husker Du, The Replacements, the Butthole Surfers, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Big Black, Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, and Beat Happening -- one chapter on each, in an order that works its way through the decade chronologically.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2021–2026Liftoff
Eric Berger
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 2014 recommend · 20 mention14 recommend · 2014 recommend
2008–2026The making of the atomic bomb
Richard Rhodes
Recommended by 117 · mentioned by 161117 recommend · 161 mention117 recommend · 161117 recommend
2008–2026The power broker
Robert A. Caro
Recommended by 121 · mentioned by 180121 recommend · 180 mention121 recommend · 180121 recommend
2007–2026Founders at work
Jessica Livingston
Recommended by 246 · mentioned by 385246 recommend · 385 mention246 recommend · 385246 recommend
…cofounding RHCP, was a high-level French Horn player in high school. East Bay Ray - surf and jazz. D Boon of the Minutemen studied flamenco guitar at one point. There's a great book by Michael Azzerad (Our band could be your life, https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/michael-azerrad/our-band-...) which gets into the influences of many 80s/early 90s bands including Minor Threat, who late in their existence were veering off into U2…
on “How to write a hardcore punk riff [video]” ↗…gifted the most. Several scifi books have also been gifted to friends, mostly Asimov (both the Foundation and Robots series), Herbert's Dune, and Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama. Also, gifted a copy of Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad, which is my favorite book about my favorite bands (and the American punk scene of the early 80s). The recipient was too young to remember the scene from that era, but was open to understanding…
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗…were able to keep it together as long as they did (The Beatles, if the stories about Lennon/McCartney are true, did not last half as long). About 15 years ago Michael Azzerad wrote a great book called Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991. It has some very good interviews with the founding members of various bands who came after The Ramones, covering the bands' formation, songwriting/recording…
on “The Curse of the Ramones” ↗…loved punk for decades, have played in punk bands, etc.). There is a pretty strong reverence for the roots and evolution of punk among, at least, the musicians who make the music. I recommend reading Our Band Could Be Your Life for a really wonderful biographical snapshot of some of America's most important punk bands (it spans late 70s to early 90s, through the stories of a handful of the most influential/interesting bands),…
on “Eight Tons of Punk” ↗I hadn't really listened to them until I read 'Our Band Could Be Your Life', Azerrad, one of the books mentioned in the article. Now I'm a fan.
on “A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived” ↗…accents. I worked at a college radio station when Kool Thing came out and we got an alt mix or B side take on a 45 that was incredible. For further reading on the early history of the band, I recommend Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michael-azerrad/our... Like Thurston said in the NYT interview, everyone is asking for Sonic Youth to…
on “Thurston Moore Revisits His Sonic Youth” ↗Fair. I'm a big fan of 'Our Band Could Be Your Life', Azerrad, but I've only read it. It sounds like you, or people you know well, are living it out.
on “Punk is dead and so are we” ↗…easier to read* but just as enjoyable as Neuromancer. The Bridge trilogy by William Gibson - 8/10 so far. I am in the second book. Can't believe I slept on these for the last couple decades. non-SF: Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad - 9/10 - if you like punk/hardcore from the 80s, this is a great read. * Every time I read Neuromancer, Gibson's literary footguns…
on “Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?” ↗…alternative/underground music scene of the 1980s (Minor Threat, Mission of Burma, The Replacements, Fugazi, Minutemen, Big Black, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Butthole Surfers ...) should read Michael Azzerad's "Our Band Could Be Your Life." He conducted some solid research and got many of the key players to talk to him, and the book is a great read. He made an observation that these bands were in many respects entrepreneurial ventures,…
on “Henry Rollins on defining success” ↗…Punk / Hardcore bands of the 1980s underground scene. (The audiobook in particular is fun as it's read by musicians influenced by the artists in their respective chapters) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Band_Could_Be_Your_Life
on “Rare concert records going on Internet Archive” ↗Although I never read the book, this is Azerrad is often referred to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Band_Could_Be_Your_Life Edit: only saw now that it is mentioned in another comment.
on “Henry Rollins on defining success” ↗> So is starting a tribute rock band an ok alternative to reading books? That might depend on how you feel about 'Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991', which is a book about bands starting.
on “Ask HN: Books about people who did hard things” ↗