John Cook

Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small

(Algonquin; US: Sep 2009)

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Our Noise is an oral history of Merge Records, featuring interviews from its founders (McCaughan and Ballance), it’s numerous signees (featuring members of Lambchop, Spoon, the Arcade Fire, and more), and various admirers and business partners (like Dischord Records founder/Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye). Author John Cook alternates his chapters between recounting the history of the Merge label and then profiling one particular band. In a short amount of time, the main players are firmly established: Mac is a svengali-like figure, gathering likeminded rock types around him while being in it primarily just for the music; Laura—by contrast—has a knack for the business side of things, capable of keeping people on budget even during the most dire of times.

You don’t have to be familiar with Superchunk, the label, or even any of the bands on the label to enjoy the stories told within. You don’t have to know Britt Daniel’s personal history to relate to how he wound up getting major-label cash to become an alternative rock star, only to suffer from terrible reviews and downright depressing sales figures when all was said and done.

For still being in the game after putting out two decades worth of classic albums (including such standard-bearers as the Magnetic Fields’ 99 Love Songs and Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea), it’s obvious that Merge—with its success and its struggles—is still wanting nothing more than to make some peers of its own. In our rushed digital age of today, there’s something profoundly sweet about such a simple sentiment.

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—Evan Sawdey

When you still have people fingering the chords to “Stairway to Heaven” at your local guitar shop or while playing (insert either Rock Band or Guitar Hero), that’s how you know the meaning of transcendence. Enter Led Zeppelin. Now, rare and never before released photos of the band from their early years as the New Yardbirds to their last performance in London 2007 have been compiled in Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times. With a foreword by Anthony DeCurtis, Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times provides a photographic history of the band as ultimate decadent figures of ‘70s culture. Die hard fans and newbies to Led Zeppelin would appreciate this visual lesson in rock and roll glory.

—Eleanore Catolico

Renowned concert photographer Jim Marshall comes out with a legendary archive of musicians since the late 1950s entitled Trust: Photographs of Jim Marshall (October 2009). Totally relentless in his approach by demanding complete access to his subjects, Marshall documented the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and John Coltrane with candid poignancy that few could ever really emulate. Marshall’s emphasis on ‘trust’ between both himself and these artists makes these images all the more relevant—a body of work that continues to grow into this century with portraits of artists that matter taken when it mattered. Give this gift to anyone who loves photography or music history.

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—Eleanore Catolico

Sometimes art shies away from political change and controversy, and sometimes art can ignite it. This coffee table book showcases the artwork inspired by Barrack Obama’s Campaign for Change. Shepard Fairey, the street artist who painted the now infamous “Obama Hope Stencil” (2008) edited this collection along with Jennifer Gross, of the Manifest Hope project. This book is the perfect gift for any loving-liberal who still tears up at the mention of Obama’s acceptation speech. But it is also perfect for any armchair historian, artist, or propaganda enthusiast too. More than just the beautiful paintings, renderings and sketches of the U.S. President, Art for Obama also illustrates the sheer talent of young American art communities. Soon this book will be a chronicle of nostalgia, for now it’s still quite inspiring of Hope and Change.

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—Katharine Wray

Often discussion about the Clinton administration focus on his balancing of the budget and the economic boom of the 1990s, or on the Lewinsky scandal and impeachment proceedings. It kinda depends which side of the aisle you sit on. However, the work of Richard Sale in this book takes a different look at the foreign policy of Clinton’s eight years in office; an almost non-partisan look. Through covert-ops, diplomacy, (and some might say) sneakiness, the young President placed America in the changing world of foreign affairs. Any history buff, Clinton fan, or know-it-all will enjoy receiving this book. Full of interviews from CIA agents, Joint Chiefs, Special Forces, the NSA and administration insiders, Clinton’s Secret Wars manages to be insightful, educational and riveting all at the same time.

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—Katharine Wray

London is a sumptuous limited edition book of revealing and engaging photography of one of the world’s great cities. Taking in the high spots as well as capturing the pulse of life in the metropolis, this is what the coffee table was designed for. Bryant’s photography captures the full range of life and expression in this iconic city: from the quiet lanes, private gardens and architectural detail of beautiful old buildings to industrial zones, marketplaces, pubs, galleries, parks and the tube. It’s an illuminating and stunning look at the grand old city. As an extra bonus, this book is a limited to an edition of 5,000 and comes with a numbered photographic print of Tower Bridge signed by the photographer.

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—Sarah Zupko