Product Description
'Songs are there for the people, to be used by people, in any way they want to use them.' (Polly Jean Harvey, 1993) This book takes Polly Jean at her word. Kate Schatz puts together a collection of stories that is weird, dark, and seductive in its portrayals of women, kidnapping, love, sex, isolation and power. Each story begins and ends with the first and last line of each song, and many of the remaining song lyrics will appear throughout each piece. Rid of Me lends itself easily and readily to a literary interpretation. Musically, apt comparisons have been made to everything from Beefheart and Patti Smith to vintage Delta Blues and Celtic punk. But lyrically and emotionally, Rid of Me deserves other comparisons: there is the gothic horror of Shirley Jackson and Poe, the confessional pain of Plath, the carnality of NiN, and the sardonic wit of Dorothy Parker. Harvey employs specific literary devices: repetition and allusion as well as recurring tropes, themes and images (size/measurements, bleeding, desire, body parts, skin) and a penchant for myth and archetypes (fire, hair, hands, Mary, the moon, queens, kings). Schatz does the same.The 33 1/3 series is acclaimed for experimenting with different ways of writing about music. This book will bolster that reputation further. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a really beautiful work
I haven't listened to the PJ Harvey album that inspired this book, but it isn't necessary - the story stands alone. Schatz's storytelling is vivid, layered, and intense. This novel is a love story, an adventure, and a magical realist fantasy. A really beautiful work.

Misled
I was ready to get into the book when I noticed this is not the typical 33 1/3 book about how the record was made, this is a fiction book which allegedly is based on the record. Why this wasn't clear on the product description I don't know. Believe me, I'm a huge PJ Harvey fan, and I could not get past page 30 of this....

not what i was looking for...
i've read and enjoyed several other books in the 33-1/3 series ("Doolittle", "Loveless", "In Utero", "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea") -- they've provided interesting insights into the making of some of my favorite albums -- and, as a fan of "Rid Of Me", i was looking forward to this one.little did i know that, unlike the other books in the series, this one is not about the making of the album, it is a work of fiction.i suppose i should have read the description more carefully, 'cause i really have no interest in this.

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down...(and rise again!)
Kate Schatz has delivered a carefully crafted, mesmerizing tale of entrapment, flight and freedom that left this reader eager to read whatever she'll be writing next. As someone totally unfamiliar with the music of PJ Harvey, I read this story for its own sake and was not disappointed. Its two heroines, Mary and Kathleen, were each manipulated and confined by the men in their lives, one powerful in his own right, one completely powerless yet equally controlling. Their separate escapes and bizarre and frightening union made this reader question conventional notions of mental illness, crime and the redemptive powers of love.

After reading this book, I listened to PJ Harvey's "Rid of Me," CD for the first time, paging through each chapter during its related song. It was as if Mary and Kathleen were baring their souls and sharing their spirits! Thank you, Kate Schatz, for taking me where I would never venture on my own. It was a thrilling ride!

Stands on its own... doesn't replicate the album
Rid of Me is the latest addition to Continuum International's 33 1/3 series, which takes seminal albums of the last 40 years and allows writers of various bents to write about, around, through and over the music that informs the books. Rid of Me takes its cue from PJ Harvey's album of the same title and appropriately veers away from its surface toward an unusual and fictive adventure into the irreverently dark psychology(ies) that made the album popular in the first place.

There is a tendency in reviewing an interdisciplinary project like this, to weigh the "derivative" text (Schatz's Rid of Me) against the original work (Harvey's Rid of Me), but it's been awhile since I was really into the album (even back then it wasn't one of my mainstays). Not to mention that to evaluate the book in this way would too readily presuppose that it is necessary to have some insider knowledge of the album in order to appreciate Schatz's book (which is, frankly, not true), and it also tends to overvalue the original album instead of considering the generative potential of the intermingling of creative forms.

Certainly, for the knowing reader, the lyrics are weaved into Schatz's text, but what is more interesting is the way that the story disembarks from the album through a detour into the troubled backstories of two "characters" (Mary and Kathleen) mentioned on the album. In Schatz's story, having struggled in a patriarchal world that disavows their subjectivity, both Mary and Kathleen are escapees bound together in their troubled pasts as much as in their desire to leave the world that traumatized them behind. As their histories and scarred psychologies are revealed to us through dream, hallucination, flashback and narration, I became increasingly unsure of the boundaries between reality and hallucination, between utopia and dystopia. I suspect this suspension of disbelief, evoked by the text, is meant to mimic in the reader the tenuous link between self and world that both Mary and Kathleen experienced in their lives, and continue to struggle with even in their escape. The implication is that one cannot really leave trauma behind, but can only watch it burn and "go on," and, in this sense, the story is as much about female love and reconciliation as it is about the violence and struggle of being a woman in a patriarchal world. ... Read more

Product Description
In the first ever biography, PJ Harvey’s development is fully traced, from her childhood in the sleepy Dorset village of Corscombe, through her signing to independent label Too Pure back in 1991, right up to her headlining tour of Australia in 2003.Includes new and archive interview material with Harvey herself and her associates. Black and white photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A good read, but not the real bio this great artist deserves..
I knew going in that this book was limited in what it had to offer. It basically gathers all kinds of info from the rock mags and press and binds it together as a "bio". In effect, it smacks of non-insider journalism, which is exactly what it is, since it's unauthorized.

Where Blandford's book excels, sort of, is describing Polly Jean Harvey's early years growing up in the country outside of Yeovil. Her parents, big music junkies, would often play Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica" through Sunday lunch, which Polly said "made her feel ill", and also Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", which "made her cry". There is also good detail of her early band experiments with Automatic Dillami, and how she met collaborators like John Parish early on.

The Polly that emerges from this cobbled-together writing is a fiercely independent and collaborative spirit, that probably works too hard and enjoys her privacy. That committment to privacy, while probably making her work superior, also means that we probably will never have a real biography of PJ. This edition deteriorates far too much into "album, tour; album, tour" reports, and goes right up to the eve of "Uh Huh Her"'s release.

So, PJ fans, buy it and read it; I advise you that you won't be able to put it down. Just don't expect any new revelations about this wonderful and enigmatic artist.

Finally a book about PJ!
Unfortunately, this book is spotty.

The early stuff seems well-researched.Perhaps the people she associated with then are not famous so they're more likely to tell all those cool stories. Perhaps famous people are tight-lipped, hoping for the same treatment.I'm just guessing, though, I have no idea.

The really interesting stuff (and a much bigger proportion) covers her early career (before and during the Dry period).After that, it seems mostly written from interviews and magazine articles.

I was thrilled with the chapters on the early stuff, but by mid-way this thing ran out of gas.If the author could've kept it up this would be a 5 star.Peace.

No New Info for PJ Fanatics
This book is basically a gathering of articles and interviews regarding the singer/songwriter PJ Harvey.PJ Harvey was a big influence on music in the 90's and inspired a lot of the styles in artists that are around today like the yeah yeah yeahs.

I found that this book did not delve very far into her life story and this is probably not the author's problem but because PJ Harvey is a private individual.I am not a die-hard fan and I did not read any information that I did not already know.The book is short, easy reading.

If you are a collector of PJ Harvey related items then you should still buy this book for your collection.If you are just looking to read more about her, this is probably not the book for you.

Buena opción. Léase con reservas.
Por supuesto, Siren Rising no pretende ser una gran obra literaria, sino una investigación periodística dirigida a seguidores asiduos (fans) de PJ Harvey.

¿Es un buen libro? Lo veo desde dos perspectivas distintas. 1) La formal, en donde Siren Rising se muestra como un documento bien escrito. La investigación parece ser vasta y de buenas fuentes. 2) Lo más importante, sin embargo, es la evaluación que debe hacerse a todo trabajo periodístico, en función de qué tanto representa la verdad o, si se admite el término, una "verdad aceptable".

En su introducción, cuyo contenido es una muy acertada reflexión acerca de la pasión en las artes, Blandford termina con la frase "I hope this book will stand as a testament to her talent, a tribute that even she may accept".En lo personal, no sé si ella realmente lo acepte o incluso si esté de acuerdo con el contenido. Me atrevo a dudarlo, puesto que él nunca la entrevistó directamente. No lo sé; si alguien conoce la opinión de PJ al respecto, me gustaría compartirla.

El texto es una recopilación de información pública de diferentes fuentes, como son artículos de revistas, entrevistas en diversos medios, algunas citas o comentarios de alguien más, etc., estructurada cronológicamente, tratando de parecer una biografía (desde su niñez hasta un poco antes de que el álbum Uh Huh Her fuera editado).

El método puede ser adecuado. Lo que no me parece, es que Blandford reproduce citas textuales de PJ dentro de párrafos, colocadas entre interpretaciones propias acerca de lo que él cree que ella quiso decir, fabricando así una historia con lo que, quizá, piensa puede gustar más a los lectores acerca de la vida de Polly. En muchas partes del libro, esto le da un carácter más de chisme que de biografía. Si quieren leerlo, les sugiero que tomen las citas de PJ tal como están entrecomilladas, aislándolas del contexto en el que están insertadas por el autor.

Las fotografías, tanto las de ambas portadas como las que se reproducen en el interior del libro, son definitivamente estupendas. Todas en blanco y negro, se incluyen retratos de diversas épocas, fotos de ella tocando y cantando, algunas con amigos cercanos, como Rob Ellis, John Parish y Nick Cave. No entiendo por qué se incluyeron las fotografías de Tiffany Anders y de Josh Homme; hubiera yo preferido que, en su lugar, se hubieran insertado fotografías de personas que influyeron más en su desarrollo artístico (como sus padres, por ejemplo) o de algunas otras personas que, en forma mucho más significativa, la han acompañado a lo largo de su vida y de sus logros, como Maria Mochnacz o los dos primeros visionarios, Paul Cox y Mark Vernon, entre otros.

El título del libro me gusta. Para quienes conocemos la obra de PJ, nos percatamos de que Blandford extrajo la frase de su canción Electric Light, y la usó para tratar de describirla. Siren Rising... si su intención era plasmar a la mujer con una voz poderosa, tan profunda como cautivadora, que se encuentra cosechando éxito tras éxito, me parece adecuada su elección.

En fin. Compré el libro con el propósito de conocer mejor lo que hay detrás de un talento tan extraordinario y prolífero, para sentirme más cerca de ella y de su entorno. Si me preguntan si lo logré después de haberlo leído, respondería "mmm... sí, un poco".

some good information, but prob. not for diehard fans
i enjoyed this book, but this def. isn't the definitive biography (although as there aren't any others we'll just have to make do w/ this one). diehard fans prob. already know the vast majority of this info. also, i def. noticed several glaring inaccuracies ("nickel under the foot" was not written by PJ, for example), so i wouldn't believe everything he says, esp. since the vast majority of his quotes come from previously published magazine articles and interviews. it's nice that all that info is organized, though you could prob. find a lot of the interviews reprinted online.

as is often the case, the book oftentimes is little more than "and then she released this album, did this tour, put out this single, had a song on this soundtrack, collaborated with so-and-so", esp. near the end, but the first few chapters about her early life and bands are worthwhile. in any case, a book like this is a good checklist if you're looking for PJ-related tracks you don't already have and great excuse to re-listen to all PJ's albums and re-evaluate and re-appreciate a great artist's career. as an added bonus there's a good discography and bootlegography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Don't waste your money!
All this is is a reprinting of many images that appeared in myriad publications, posters, releases, etc.There isn't anything novel. ... Read more

Product Description
Commentary (music and lyrics not included).Chapters: Uh Huh Her, to Bring You My Love, Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, Rid of Me, Is This Desire?, White Chalk, a Woman a Man Walked By, Dance Hall at Louse Point, Dry, 4-Track Demos, the Peel Sessions 1991-2004, Itunes Originals - Pj Harvey, Too Pure - the Peel Sessions. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 59. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Uh Huh Her is a 2004 album by British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. The album was written, recorded and produced over a two-year period by the singer/songwriter herself. She also played every instrument in the album a first from Harvey since 4-Track Demos back in 1993 with the exception of the final drum tracks, added by long-time collaborator Rob Ellis. It was released in May 2004. To support the release, Harvey toured for seven months. She performed in various European summer festivals such as Glastonbury and opened for Morrissey in a few dates. During the same tour she also performed the album's unreleased title-track. Uh Huh Her debuted and peaked at number 12 in the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Silver by the BPI. It became Harvey's highest charting album to date in the U.S., peaking at number 29 in the Billboard 200, and had sold more than 135,000 copies there as of 2005, according to AskBillboard. Although it charted higher than Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea in many territories, Uh Huh Her failed to achieve its predecessor chart longevity and crossover interest. The album received largely positive reviews upon its release, although there was some criticism towards its production. It currently holds a 79 out of 100 metascore at Metacritic based upon 28 reviews, indicating "Generally Favorable Reviews". Uh Huh Her also earned PJ Harvey nominations to awards such a...http://booksllc.net/?id=759335 ... Read more

Product Description
Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : White Chalk, Dance Hall at Louse Point, Dry, Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, 4-Track Demos, Uh Huh Her, Rid of Me, to Bring You My Love, the Peel Sessions 1991-2004, Is This Desire?, a Woman a Man Walked By. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : White Chalk est le huitième album en 17 ans de carrière de la chanteuse PJ Harvey. Sorti le 24 septembre 2007 au Royaume-Uni et le 2 octobre 2007 aux États-Unis, sous le label Island Records de Universal, il est produit par son acolyte John Parish (Eels, Sparklehorse) et Flood (Depeche Mode, The Killers). Composé principalement au piano, il fait directement référence à certains titres présents sur l'album de Uh Huh Her sorti trois ans plus tôt tels que The Darker Days of Me and Him ou The Desperate Kingdom of Love. Epuré et discret, la guitare ou les cris saturés de la chanteuse laissent désormais place à des mélodies plus douces, teintées de folk, aux murmures mélancoliques. Paroles et musiques de PJ Harvey. Musique avec Technique Graphique ...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Pj Harvey, Gillian Gilbert, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Corinne Bailey Rae, Bat for Lashes, Joan Armatrading, Nerina Pallot, Julianne Regan, Linda Lewis, Vashti Bunyan, Ellie Goulding, Lauren Laverne, Kate Nash, Charlotte Hatherley, Skin, Shingai Shoniwa, Kate Maberly, Laura Marling, Scout Niblett, Miki Berenyi, Hayley Hutchinson, Sadie Jemmett, Josephine Wiggs, Emma Anderson, Emmy the Great, Steph Fraser, Melanie Garside, Bilinda Butcher, Justine Frischmann, Debbie Smith, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Holly Golightly, Sheila Nicholls, Beth Gibbons, Shelly Poole, Jo Ann Kelly, Julia Adamson, Louise Wener, Kelly Johnson, Vi Subversa, Viv Albertine, Danielle Saxon Reeves, Mia Clarke, Holly Ross, Mary Hampton, Ana Da Silva. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 242. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Amy Jade Winehouse (born 14 September 1983) is an English singer-songwriter, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Pj Harvey, Thomas Sprat, Richard Gale, Thomas Meech. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 25. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. Raised in Corscombe, Dorset, Harvey formed the band (calling it PJ Harvey) as a teenager with drummer Rob Ellis and bassist Ian Olliver, who was replaced with Steve Vaughan. The trio released their first album Dry in 1992. Ellis and Vaughan left the band after the release of Rid of Me (1993), and Harvey continued as a solo artist. Among the accolades she has received have been the 2001 Mercury Music Prize, seven BRIT Award nominations, five Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Music Prize nominations. Rolling Stone named her 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter and 1995's Artist of the Year, and placed two of her albums (Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love) on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. She was also rated the number one female rock artist by Q magazine in a 2002 reader poll. Harvey has said that she enjoys performing more than writing and recording because performing is when the music "makes more sense". Harvey was born in Bridport, Dorset, brought up on her family's farm in Corscombe,, and attended school in nearby Beaminster. The daughter of a stonemason and a sculptor, Harvey grew up on a small sheep farm. At an early age her parents introduced her to the blues, jazz and art-rock, which, she told Rolling Stone in 1995, would later influence her: "I was brought up listening to John Lee Hooker, to Howlin' Wolf, to Robert Johnson, and a lot of Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart. So I was exposed to all these very compassionate musicians at a very young age, and that's always remained in me and seems to surface more as I get older. I thi...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=169214 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: John Morton, William Barnes, Pj Harvey, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, David Littman, Richard Bingham, Louis Strange, Stephen Daldry, Lionel Jeffries, Evelyn Pitfield Shirley Sturt, John Plumptre Carr Glyn, Giles Hussey, Sir Richard King, 2nd Baronet, Henry Strangways, Nigel Poett, Warinus de La Strode, Rick Kemp, Ian Carruthers, Jane Bown, Malcolm Heath, Rosamund Holland-Martin, Jus Oborn, Reginald Dare, Vinny Miller, Henry Sturt, Colin Roper, John Michel, Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Robert Fitz Martin, Annie Dalton, Gilbert Ironside the Younger, Ernie Bourne, Nathan Haines, William Fitzherbert, Robert Henley, William Parke, Ben Nolan, William Hounsell, Arthur Hayward, William Wild, Francis Glisson, John Mill, George Turberville, Harvey Bainbridge, Tony Brandon, Stephen Harris, Bill Flynn, John Young Bown, Jack Thomas Counter, Catherine Franklin, Thomas Malet, Naomi Ryan, Edwin Whitefield. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 219. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury PC (22 July 1621 21 January 1683), known as Anthony Ashley Cooper from 1621 to 1631, as Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, 2nd Baronet from 1631 to 1661, and as The Lord Ashley from 1661 to 1672, was a prominent English politician during the Interregnum and during the reign of King Charles II. A founder of the Whig party, he is probably best known as the patron of John Locke. Anthony Ashley Cooper was born in 1621 and had lost both of his parents by age 8. He was raised by guardians named in his father's will, before attending Exeter College, Oxford and Lincoln's Inn. After he married the daughter of Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry in 1639, Coventry's patronage secured Cooper a seat in the Short Parliament, though Cooper lost a disputed election to a seat i...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1906264 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Mariah Carey, Tori Amos, Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge, Portishead, Pj Harvey, Lionel Richie, Fefe Dobson, Natalie Imbruglia, Fightstar, Florence and the Machine, the Killers, the Bravery, Automatic Man, Hoobastank, Bad Company, Justin Bieber, Vanessa Amorosi, Gabriella Cilmi, the Airborne Toxic Event, the 88, the Feeling, Charlie Simpson, Jon Mclaughlin, Clocks, Babyface, Rival Schools, Dj Felli Fel, Boy Kill Boy, Ashes Divide, Attic Lights, Wallis Bird, Johntá Austin, School Gyrls, Andy Bull, Molly Beanland, Coco Sumner, World's Famous Supreme Team. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 328. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following her marriage to Mottola in 1993, a series of hit records established her position as Columbia's highest-selling act. According to Billboard magazine, she was the most successful artist of the 1990s in the United States. and is also considered to be one of the most influential female vocalists in contemporary music. Following her separation from Mottola in 1997, Carey introduced elements of hip hop into her album work, to much initial success, but her popularity was in decline when she left Columbia in 2001. She signed to Virgin Records but was dropped from the label and bought out of her contract the following year after a highly publicized physical and emotional breakdown, as well as the poor reception given to Glitter, her film and soundtrack project. In 2002, Carey signed with Island Records, and after a relatively unsuccessful pe...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=19499 ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Pj Harvey, Bat for Lashes, Grey Delisle, June Carter Cash, Mike Seeger, Bob Zentz, Maybelle Carter, Matthew J. Tow, John Mccutcheon, Sara Carter, Dorris Henderson, Jack Lawrence, Ledward Kaapana, Bryan Bowers, List of Autoharp Players. Excerpt:Bat for Lashes Live band line-up Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), also known by her stage name " Bat for Lashes ", is a British musician. As a musician she sings and plays the piano , guitar , harpsichord and the autoharp . Khan's debut album Fur and Gold , released on 11 September 2006, peaked at #48 on the UK Album Charts and went on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2007, in the following year Khan also picked up two BRIT nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female, leading to growing media attention. Khan s second album Two Suns , released on the 6 April 2009, reached #5 on the UK Album Charts and #17 on the Irish Album Charts . The first single released from the second album "Daniel " charted within the top 40. The second single "Pearl's Dream " was released on 22 June 2009. The album Two Suns has also been nominated for the Mercury Prize . Khan herself was up for Best Female Solo Artist at 2010's Brit Awards. History Early life Khan was born in London on 25 October 1979. Until the age of five she was raised in Wembley where her parents had met and married several years before. However her father, Rehmat Khan , a former professional squash player, decided to relocate the family to the commuter town of Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire to help with his coaching of future squash world open winner Jahangir Khan , Natasha's uncle. As children Khan, along with her sister Suraya and brother Tariq would attend her Uncle s squash matches, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph , Khan reflected that seeing her Uncle he... ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. Raised in Corscombe, Dorset, Harvey formed the band (calling it PJ Harvey) as a teenager with drummer Rob Ellis and bassist Ian Olliver, who was replaced with Steve Vaughan. The trio released their first album Dry in 1992. Ellis and Vaughan left the band after the release of Rid of Me (1993), and Harvey continued as a solo artist. Among the accolades she has received have been the 2001 Mercury Music Prize, seven BRIT Award nominations, five Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Music Prize nominations. Rolling Stone named her 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter and 1995's Artist of the Year, and placed two of her albums (Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love) on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. She was also rated the number one female rock artist by Q magazine in a 2002 reader poll. Harvey has said that she enjoys performing more than writing and recording because performing is when the music "makes more sense". ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Billy Bragg, Morrissey, Nick Cave, Pj Harvey, Chris Martin, Björk, Cathy Davey, Olivia Lufkin, Jont, Peter Murphy, List of Alternative Rock Artists, Robyn Hitchcock, Michael Dempsey, Steve Adey, Eugene Francis Jnr, Josh Pyke, David Ford, Alexander Hacke, Sarah Cracknell, Joe Beagle, Marc Riley, Nil Karaibrahimgil, Stefan Weber, Coppe', Snob Scrilla, Antony Raijekov, Jay-Jay Johanson, Anne Pigalle, Lisa Maxwell, Ira Losco, Joe Inoue, K.a.z, Rikiji. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 243. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), known primarily as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. After the band's breakup in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom on ten occasions. Widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music, Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as "one of the most influential artists ever," and The Independent has stated that "most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status that he has reached in his lifetime." Pitchfork Media has called him "one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last 20 years." Morrissey's lyrics have been described as "dramatic...bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home." He is also noted for his unique vocal style. His forthright, often contrarian opinions have led to a number of media controversies, and he has also attracted media attention for his advocacy of vegetarianism and animal rights. Steven Patrick Morrissey was born at Park Hospital (now known as Trafford General Hospital) in D...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=103139 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: English Female Guitarists, Scottish Female Guitarists, Pj Harvey, Gillian Gilbert, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kt Tunstall, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae, Bat for Lashes, Joan Armatrading, Amy Macdonald, Nerina Pallot, Julianne Regan, Linda Lewis, Vashti Bunyan, Ellie Goulding, Lauren Laverne, Kate Nash, Charlotte Hatherley, Skin, Shingai Shoniwa, Kate Maberly, Laura Marling, Scout Niblett, Miki Berenyi, Hayley Hutchinson, Sadie Jemmett, Josephine Wiggs, Emma Anderson, Emmy the Great, Steph Fraser, Melanie Garside, Bilinda Butcher, Justine Frischmann, Debbie Smith, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Holly Golightly, Sheila Nicholls, Beth Gibbons, Shelly Poole, Jo Ann Kelly, Julia Adamson, Louise Wener, Kelly Johnson, Vi Subversa, Viv Albertine, Danielle Saxon Reeves, Mia Clarke, Holly Ross, Mary Hampton, Alli Macinnes, Ana Da Silva, Maeve O'boyle. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 263. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Amy Jade Winehouse (born 14 September 1983) is an English singer-songwriter, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R ... Read more

Product Description
UK music magazine. ... Read more

Product Description
PJ Harvey cover, alternative rock ... Read more