Whether it’s photos from post-punk Auckland in ’80s Aotearoa, or music biographies (Amy Winehouse, Thurston Moore, Sinéad O’Connor, Bowie, recorded sound itself…), there are plenty of good reads in this month’s picks of the new music books. Have a browse…

Amy Winehouse : in her words
“Global icon, six-time Grammy winner, headline-maker, the most talented recording artist of her generation; much has been said about Amy Winehouse since her tragic death aged just 27. But who was the real Amy? Amy Winehouse: In Her Words shines a spotlight on her incredible writing talent, her wit, her charm and lust for life. Bringing together Amy’s own never-before-seen journals, handwritten lyrics and family photographs together for the first time, this intimate tribute traces her creative evolution from growing up in North London to global superstardom, and provides a rare insight into the girl who became a legend.” (Catalogue)

Sonic life : a memoir / Moore, Thurston
“Thurston Moore moved to Manhattan’s East Village in 1978 with a yearning for music. He wanted to be immersed in downtown New York’s sights and sounds–the feral energy of its nightclubs, the angular roar of its bands, the magnetic personalities within its orbit. But more than anything, he wanted to make music — to create indelible sounds that would move, provoke, and inspire. His dream came to life in 1981 with the formation of Sonic Youth, a band Moore co-founded with Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo. […] In the spirit of Just Kids, Sonic Life offers a window into the trajectory of a celebrated artist and a tribute to an era of explosive creativity. It presents a firsthand account of New York in a defining cultural moment, a history of alternative rock as it was birthed and came to dominate airwaves, and a love letter to music, whatever the form. This is a story for anyone who has ever felt touched by sound — who knows the way the right song at the right moment can change the course of a life.” (Catalogue)

Crush : photos from post-punk Auckland / Ganley, Jonathan
“CRUSH – Photos from Post-Punk Auckland looks back at the hard-edged music of the years 1982 to 1990 through the eyes of photographer Jonathan Ganley. With 136 images of 33 groundbreaking local and international bands and musicians, the book showcases era-defining artists such as The Clash, The Fall, The Clean, Fetus Productions, Chris Knox, Straitjacket Fits, and Sonic Youth. Alongside his evocative analogue images that vividly capture the scene and the times, the book also contains Jonathan Ganley’s eye-witness accounts of the first Auckland gigs by some of the best international post-punk bands, and describes some of his experiences photographing local musicians, on-stage and off. CRUSH – Photos from Post-Punk Auckland celebrates a decade of innovative music that still reverberates with music fans around the world.” (Catalogue)

Why Sinéad O’Connor matters / McCabe, Allyson
“A stirring defense of Sinéad O’Connor’s music and activism, and an indictment of the culture that cancelled her. Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor burst onto the pop scene in 1987 with her album The Lion and the Cobra, and followed it with the Grammy-winning I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990), which featured a cover of Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U.” In 1992, she infamously tore a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live to protest the sexual abuse committed by priests and covered up by church authorities. O’Connor was immediately castigated for her politics, which were already radical, and her career suffered ever since. […] The book works through O’Connor’s life and career in chronological order, from her abused childhood to initial success, stardom, and the ensuing fallout. McCabe compares O’Connor with Madonna, digs into how she aspired to be a protest singer rather than a pop star, and McCabe explores O’Connor’s attempts to de-stigmatize mental illness” (Catalogue)

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