Books and more Page 1 of 2
These are our favourite books of 2023, works that challenged and delighted us with tales of life, love and very often rock n roll
Chris Bateman tunes into this expansive anthology of Johnny Cash’s lyrics, put together by Mark Stielper and John Carter Cash
Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore discusses underground culture shaping his life and how he translated that into a magical music memoir
Could the origin story of Twin Peaks’ favourite FBI agent be found beyond the picket fences of David Lynch’s 1986 film?
Paul Hanford’s study of Berlin as a club culture capital profiles DJs, music makers and subcultures via history, politics and psychogeography
With Wayward, Vashti Bunyan disidentifies her story from its countercultural return-to-nature mythology, writes Alice Keeling
Our literature correspondent Chris Bateman goes down the rabbit hole to report back on his ten favourite books of the year
Bobby Gillespie’s autobiography is a devotional, often hedonistic tale of rock and roll, punk and acid house salvation, writes Chris Bateman
Rachel Cusk’s Second Place rewards patience, as reading it is to fully commit to the author’s way of thinking, writes Chris Bateman
Hanif Abdurraqib interrogates history through the lens of lived experience in his essay collection celebrating Black performance
We asked Laurent Fintoni about the musical foundations behind his Bedroom Beats book, including mid 90s hip-hop, Mo’ Wax, Dilla and Madlib
Kerri ní Dochartaigh’s genre defying book explores our attachments to place in beautiful, poetic detail according to Chris Bateman
Taking another look at the final entry of the Skywalker Saga with the assistance of the novelisation, art of book and visual encyclopedia
Barwise and York’s book offers unexpected conclusions while equipping the reader to counter arguments against the BBC, writes Chris Bateman
Junior Tomlin discusses his Velocity Press monograph and how science fiction, surrealism and dub shaped his rave flyers and record covers
David Keenan tells Stewart Gardiner about losing himself to writing fiction, keeping the voices at bay and letting Xstabeth loose
Martin James takes us on a breakbeat era tour as he discusses the updated edition of his drum & bass origin story
Sharron Kraus talks to Gareth Thompson about her Preternatural Investigations podcast and finding ways into a place’s magic and mystery
Joe Muggs talks to Stewart Gardiner about his essential collection of extended interviews on soundsystem culture
Ian Preece tells all on Listening to the Wind, his hefty yet accessible book profiling intrepid independent labels from across the globe
Matt Anniss talks to Stewart Gardiner about Join the Future, his essential book on British dance music’s seminal but unsung sound: Bleep & Bass
Stewart Gardiner leans away from Ballardian nightmares and into a galaxy far, far away with a look at Landry Walker’s Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars
Gareth Thompson visits Thurston Moore and co’s Ecstatic Peace Library pop-up to immerse himself in the John Fahey exhibition
Stewart Gardiner discusses New World Island, Alex Niven’s convincing cultural manual, alongside Faber’s updated edition of Lou Reed’s Collected Lyrics
Stewart Gardiner emerges from the Concrete Islands library to discuss books by Rachel Cusk and Gordon Burn, alongside Urbanomic’s Unsound: Undead
Simon Shiel finds that every image in Claire Scully’s carefully illustrated psychogeographic sequence allows the reader a place to pause and reflect
Erin Williams’s graphic memoir is a vital and challenging meditation on the daily transgressions women face from men, writes Simon Shiel