Let's List Again!

By Ryan Rodier, co-host of the You Don't Know Mojack Podcast.

As a collector, I love lists about music.  How much do I love ‘em?  Lots.  Like, A LOT!  More music lists please.  I especially love lists of artists and discographies because they are both a resource and a source of discovery.  Plus, they also feed into the most important list of all: the want list – a perfectly curated, slightly confidential list of those elusive, hopefully soon-to-be-members of your collection.  And, once you have a formidable enough collection, you also need a list of what you have to prevent from buying the same release (or at least not the same version). 

If you love lists as much as I do, I aim to please with this article by providing a list of lists.  Yes, you read that correctly.  A list of lists that will hopefully scratch all the itches: places to turn as a resource, for discovery, and also assist with want list curation (apologies in advance to your wallet).  All of these sources are lists of artists and their releases, generally leaning more toward the underground rock music genres of punk etc., and all of them are physical books along the lines of a discography with commentary.  Don’t get me wrong, Discogs and numerous other online lists are amazing, but way back when I started collecting I was picking up records at the shop or mailorder through word of mouth, late night radio, mix tapes and comps, catalogues, thank you lists, and zines like Flipside and MRR.  So, as great as Discogs is, I still have a strong preference for thumbing through a book.  Admittedly nostalgic, and arguably less efficient, but for me still a more rewarding experience when confirming a band I just heard on a random comp has released two records that I need to get!    

Discogs and the below list of print sources have incorrect or incomplete entries, which can be part of the fun sometimes.  This means you must (yes, you must) check more than one source to cross-reference, fill gaps, and make sure your want list is updated accordingly.  But, just like online and print sources, no list is complete, and the below list of lists is no different.  This is just a list of sources I collected over the last 30 plus years, and therefore is 100% incomplete because it only reflects my experience.  That is why there are a few references specifically on Canadian underground music (probably more than a non-Canuck would list), but no lists of Anarcho or Japanese punk.  There are also some questionable or more mainstream references included, but even trendy wave-riding books can provide a nug or two not included in a less saccharine text.  There are also likely other glaring holes in the below, so please let me know what they are (please!). 

With all of that, let’s get to the list…of lists.  There are a total of about 50 titles when including honourable mentions and as with any good list it has to be in some sort of order, so I am going with oldest to newest sometimes grouped by author. 

1.      International Discography of the New Wave: Volume 1. 1980, edited by B. George and Martha DeFoe, with Pam Meyer, Mark Abbott and Tom Klinkowstein.  One Ten Records, 1980.  (U.S.A. – no page numbers)

This is the oldest and as a time capsule it is absolutely one of the coolest on this list.  I’m pretty sure I learned about this book from reading one of Henry Rollins’ books, possibly one of the Fanatic or Stay Fanatic books (see honourable mentions below).  Author Bob George was a visual artists and owner of One Ten Records in New York City.  I can’t find anything about Martha Defoe which is a shame since this book is so rad, and since Martha was involved, so is Martha.  Pam Meyer played in an unrecorded all-girl band called Magnetic Pull with Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo.  Mark Abbott and Bob George have tracks on the 1981 “Just Another Asshole” comp that Atavistic re-issued in 1995 (along with tracks by Thurston Moore, Wharton Tiers, Lee Ranaldo, Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, and Kim Gordon, to name a few), and Mark also has a track on the “Hear the Roar of the Mountains Volume One” comp tape from 1985 on Audiophile Tapes (along with a track from Elliott Sharp).  Tom Klinkowstein appears to be a Communications Design prof.  These are good people to make this book.        

About the thickness of two early MRRs, the pages on mine are now brown and flaking, the binding is crumbling, and there are pen markups all over it (a prior owner was definitely trying to complete a Dangerhouse records collection, and had The Panik and P.V.C.2 singles on their want list).  This thing has been places, and rightly so.  It is clear that the authors were not only providing a list, but also a resource to make connections and grow this new wave that was continuing the punk ethos.  It states in the intro: “This catalogue is primarily a guide to independently produced music.  It is a tool. . . Editing relied on a certain historical word, ‘punk’, and the current term, ‘new wave’. . . Exclusions are both passive and active.  Haste and ignorance account for the inclusion of opportunists, fakes, innocents, and hangers-on.  The preference of this catalogue is for self-produced music.”  Woah, right!?  Probably written in 1979 too! 

The book provides an international discography of band releases, compilations, record labels, distributors and stores, clubs, fanzines, regional lists, a stop press section, ads, and acknowledgments.  The discography has sets of photos of the releases in full page black and white separators here and there, and the pages are seeded with amazing cool found graphics from the time, like some sort of stock print precursor to clipart.  The international entries are fascinating and show how this scene had grown in only a few short years and, knowing what we know now, how it was about to continue spreading (see the next entry below).  For those who knew back then, this would be a crucial resource.  Black Flag and D.O.A.’s pre-1980 releases are included in the discography and it’s hard not to imagine Chuck Dukowski or Joe Keithley using this book as they built the North American underground touring circuit.  Perhaps Chuck is who told Henry about it?  This thing is like the Dead Sea Scrolls of punk rock – a discography and the great grandparent of the MRR “Book Your Own Fuckin’ Life” zine.  (OK these entries need to be shorter or this list will be looooong…)

2.      International Discography of the New Wave: Volume 2. 1982/1983, edited by B. George & Martha DeFoe, with Henry Beck, Nancy Breslow, Jim Linderman, and Pam Meyer.  One Ten Records, 1983.  (U.S.A. – 736 pages)

Evidence that this was no passing fad, in only a couple of short years Volume 2 is four times the size of the above Volume 1 and thicker than the index of an Encyclopedia Britannica.  As noted in the intro, “The scope of this book is the best definition of how things had changed since Volume 1”.  This scene and network was really taking off, and to document it this comprehensively before the internet is a mind-blower (lots of stamps and long distance calls were surely needed).  The list of adjunct collaborators to pull this book off is also very large, including more familiar names like Lyle Hysen and Ira Kaplan.  Also interesting to see mention of contributors from around the globe at the time, including Clinton Walker who has an entry below in the honourable mentions.

This Volume 2 has the same ethos and intent as Volume 1, and is now broken down into discography, compilations, UK Labels, US and Canada Labels, World Labels, Distributors, Fanzines, Regional Listings, UK Regional Listings, World Regional Listings, as well as A Guide to Licensing in the UK, How to Approach a UK Publishing Deal, Negotiating a Contract, and of course a Stop Press section.  The makers of this book want the disease to spread!  Like Volume 1, there is also an ultra, ultra nerdy explanation in the intro section about how the book is organized which I fully endorse in terms of setup for the reader and in organizing your own collection (e.g., ignore “The”; numbers are assumed to be spelled out; alphabetize by last name).

Now with entries by many more bands and labels, there are dozens of obscure and one- and-done releases in here, but also the ones you’d expect that are now legendary.  You also now have the address for Dischord Records, Sub Pop Records, the Diodes in Canada, New Alliance Records, Snout Records if you wanted to send mail to Zoogz Rift, and the Slickee Boys Fanclub at your fingertips!  Sure, this thing is out of date by now, but what a document!  There are also tons of bands in here I still have never heard, providing a great resource and fruitful ground for discovery 40 years later!

3.      Ira Robbins & The Trouser Press:

a.      The Trouser Press Guide to New Wave Records, edited by Ira Robbins.  Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1983.  (U.S.A. – 389 pages)

b.      The Rolling Stone Review: 1985 The Year in Rock, edited by Ira Robbins.  Rolling Stone Press, 1985.  (U.S.A – 251 pages)

c.       The New Music Record & Tape Guide, edited by Ira Robbins.  Omnibus Press, 1987.  (U.K. – 171 pages)

d.      The New Trouser Press Record Guide, edited by Ira Robbins.  MacMillan, 1989.  (U.S.A. – 655 pages)

e.      The Trouser Press Record Guide 4th edition, edited by Ira Robbins.  Collier Books, 1991.  (U.S.A. – 763 pages)

f.        The Trouser Press Guide to ‘90s Rock, by Ira Robbins.  Fireside Books, 1997.  (U.S.A. – 846 pages)

This is a collection of mostly indispensable books involving Ira Robbins.  Ira and some like-minded individuals started the Trouser Press magazine in the mid-70’s initially focused on the U.K. rock scene, but it evolved into more of an underground music magazine since they were on the ground floor in New York as groups inspired by ‘60s garage rock and proto-punk were picking up steam as the punk movement.  Not only was the Trouser Press magazine a critical document of this underground scene during its 10-year run, in the early ‘80s these left-of-center punk and now “new wave” artists and their releases started to be collected into Trouser Press record guides.  For a period of time when I started to crave more information about this type of music, in addition to fanzines and word of mouth, these Trouser Press Record Guides were my go-to reference in the ‘90s not only because they were great but also because they were all that was available at the time where I grew up. 

The last print edition was 1997’s Trouser Press Guide to ‘90s rock which had new entries on over 2,000 bands and reviews of approximately 8,500 records and CDs.  This was the first one I got, probably in my late teens, and this is still the best one to have in my opinion.  As I came upon the earlier editions in my travels I snatched them up used for $5 or so, noting the evolution in content, opinions and reviews.  I don’t always agree with the reviews in these guides, or how they are organized (sometimes a much more important group is categorized under a member’s side project – pretty minor though), but they provide a key resource to this day.  When given the choice I always go with Robbins over Bangs and Christgau.    

1985’s Rolling Stone book is not essential, but is included to show what else Robbins put his stamp on back in the day, and the lists and scene reports in it are still interesting.  There is definitely a ton of MOR stuff here, but they also do a great job on the punk etc. variety.  Picks for 1985 include The Replacements and Hüsker Dü, there are reviews of D.O.A., Dickies, Lyres, Fall, and Cramps releases, write-ups on The Meat Puppets, The Proletariat, The Neats, Big Black, Suicide Commandos, Spot is listed as one of the producers of the year, and SST gets the critics pick for Best Record Company.  1987’s Record and Tape Guide is also not necessary, especially if you have the 1989 Trouser Press Guide, but again it is still interesting to see what was included and not.  The contents of all five core volumes are available on the Trouser Press website which continues to be updated and is an amazing resource.  I am also currently enjoying Ira’s relatively recent Music in a Word book series. 

4.      Smash the State: A Discography of Canadian Punk, 1977-92, by Frank Manley.  No Exit, 1992.  (Canada – 138 pages)

For a long time this was the only comprehensive documented list of what qualified as punk music from Canada.  I must of course acknowledge André Gibeault’s books, but they are impossible to come by, they only include Canadian garage rock until 1975, and when you think of Canadian punk what you think of is in Manley’s book. At the time of its release the only thing I knew was what could be gleaned from the want/trade lists in the back of MRR.  Although when you look back now it is incomplete, and obviously out of date, it is still arguably the definitive book on the topic for punk vinyl releases in Canada during this time frame.  And, when you bought the book it came with a comp 7” with the bands Arson and The Fits (late ‘70s Toronto), as well as The Rock and Roll Bitches and The Hot Nasties (1980 Edmonton and Calgary, respectively)!  This book also ended up spurring on three full length Smash the State LP comps on No Exit Records in the 1990’s that are a treasure trove of early impossible-to-find-original-copies-of Canadian punk rock in one place (the comps themselves are now highly sought after). 

This is the book where I learned for the first time that even my home province of Saskatchewan had punk bands in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s like The Extroverts.  You have to remember, with the exception of some Vancouver and Toronto bands, and bands associated with BYO like SNFU or Stretch Marks, a lot of these releases were regional private presses, limited runs, the bands were one and done or didn’t tour, there was no distribution, they were easily forgotten from generation to generation in remote Canadian locations, no zines from Vancouver or Toronto made it to the middle of Canada where I was, and this is all before the internet.  It has great info on each release, and great photos of records you had never seen an actual copy of at the time.  This entire book basically became a want list for me, and after 30 years I am still working on it…  These things are hard to come by today, and it’s one of the most treasured discographies I own.  It would be amazing to see an updated 35th anniversary coffee table edition or the like including the last 30+ years, so let me know if anyone out there is looking for a contributor!

5.      Spin Alternative Record Guide, edited by Eric Weisbard with Craig Marks.  Vintage, 1995.  (U.S.A. – 468 pages)

Not to be outdone by The Trouser Press Guide to ‘90s Rock, here we have an entry from Spin Magazine.  But, unlike the Trouser Press, this book is riddled with glaring omissions and questionable inclusions.  SPIN may have been a bit edgier than Rolling Stone back then but, I mean, the first entry in the book is ABBA.  Puh-lease.

This thing is pretty mersh, frankly, but not totally without its charm, and in addition to ABBA the guide section does provide a list of legit punk etc. releases that are interesting to peruse.  It also includes top 10 lists from the likes of Steve Turner, Lou Barlow (putting one of his own records on his own list!), Greg Graffin, Mac McCaughan and King Buzzo, and album and artist descriptions with discographies and ratings from credible authors and critics such as Byron Coley, but it is not as essential as the Robbins (see above) or Strong (see below) books – not by a long shot.  It’s neither comprehensive nor essential as the write-ups on it suggest, but due to its contributors, just barely made it onto this list as opposed to an honorable mention like the similar “alternative” Rolling Stone book I note below.  As Wikipedia states: “The book did not sell particularly well and received a mixed reaction from reviewers in 1995. The quality and relevance of the contributors' writing were praised, while the editors' concept and comprehensiveness of alternative music were seen as ill-defined.”  If you find this used at a local shop pick for cheap pick it up as an interesting snapshot with some selective credibility in its pages.

6.      The Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Punk: Part 1, by David Thompson.  Collector’s Guide Publishing, 1995.  (Canada – 366 pages)   

This is a weird one, and David Thompson appears elsewhere on this list so be on the lookout.  This is a flipbook-sized “guide” that almost has a desk calendar shape, and is focused on late ‘70s U.K. punk (acts actively recording between 1976-1978, to be exact), excluding later offshoots like Goth, Mod, Oi, Power Pop etc.  It covers over 200 artists so you know it has the Clash, Damned, Ruts and Sex Pistols, but also some more obscure bands like The Count Bishops, Neon Hearts and The Spondoolix.  It is printed in black and white on pulp paperback quality pages so the “illustrated” aspect of the book leaves something to be desired (the pictures are small, given the size of the book).  In terms of redeeming characteristics, the entries including notes on band member lineups and U.K. chart listings are interesting for the ultra nerdy.  This appears to be the harder one to find of David’s two books included in this article, and you can still find them both rather cheaply on the web, but due to its presentation I would not say this one is essential unless late ‘70s U.K. punk is a specific focus of yours.    

7.      The M.C. Strong books:

a.      The Great Alternative & Indie Discography, by M.C. Strong.  Canongate, 1999.  (U.K. – 726 pages)

b.      The Great Metal Discography: From Hard Rock to Hardcore, 2nd edition, by M.C. Strong.  Mojo Books, 2002.  (U.K. – 621 pages) 

c.       The Great Indie Discography, by M.C. Strong.  Canongate, 2003.  (U.K. – 1,088 pages)

From the author of the Great Rock Discography and Great Folk Discography, together with the Trouser Press guides, the 1999 Indie Discography and eventually the 2003 second edition were the pre-internet and pre-Discogs sources for the avid underground punk etc. collector.  Like the Trouser Press guides, sometimes the organization choices and inclusions/exclusions leave something to be desired (e.g., organized by decade; I disagree with almost all of the explicitly acknowledged exclusions from the second edition), but the challenge of locating an entry is addressed by a great index and also often leads to discovery!  Due to its size and ambitiousness the descriptions of band and release history is more strictly factual when compared to Trouser Press and super succinct at times, but what it lacks in narrative it more than makes up for with scope of coverage and quality content.  The 2003 edition is bigger than a phone book, packed with great info, and can still be easily acquired. 

As for the Great Metal Discography, I only grabbed this in the last five years or so out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised.  Not essential, but neat to see a ton of SST releases included, for example, so would also recommend it for those who like the thrashier more metallic stream of punk etc.  

8.      Alternative Rock, by David Thompson.  Miller Freeman, 2000.  (U.S.A. – 837 pages)

Touting 7,000 recordings reviewed and rated this is a pretty decent resource at times.  Not essential, but not the Spin Guide either.  The reviews and profiles included are definitely more mainstream at times (e.g., including Sinead O’Connor, who I love, but “alternative”?), although to its credit the book does not include ABBA.  David also wrote that weird The Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Punk: Part 1 mentioned above. 

My own personal highly specialized and reliable technique for checking whether a punk etc. book is going to be any good involves confirming whether the book mentions NoMeansNo in the table of contents or index.  Mentioning NoMeansNo = street cred.  This book does mention NoMeansNo, and it does have a fair amount of decent content including essays about scenes, genres, and the evolution of punk etc., in addition to the thousands of entries.  So, maybe not as essential from a research perspective as the Robbins or Strong books, but definitely decent and worth picking up if you come across it. 

9.      Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995, by Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider.  ECW Press, 2001.  (Canada – 757 pages)

More of an exhaustive history book than a discography, it does include a select discography, and that, with some artistic licence on my part, warrants including it here.  After the Smash the State book, this was really the next comprehensive document of underground Canadian music and pre-dated other more detailed histories that followed on the Canadian punk etc. underground (e.g., Perfect Youth; Treat Me Like Dirt; All Your Ears Can Hear).  This book definitely covers a wide swath of genres including mainstream MOR acts, but also does a credible job of covering acts that you would only find left of the dial on college radio (or by receiving college radio on your TV like where I grew up!).  To coincide with the second edition in 2012 a comp of modern Canadian acts covering artists from the book was released (e.g., Bry Webb from the Constantines covering the Skydiggers), as well as an absolutely killer second volume of the more underground acts themselves covered in the book (e.g., Slow, NoMeansNo, Nils, Doughboys).  This is a great resource even if you don’t have maple syrup running through your veins like I do.  The second volume of sorts, Hearts on Fire: Six Years that Changed Canadian Music 2000–2005, is also great although it sadly does not include any lists.

10.      American Hardcore: A Tribal History, 2nd edition, by Steven Blush.  Feral House, 2010.  (U.S.A. – 408 pages)

A history, with a list!  I bought the first edition in 2001 as soon as it came out and when I heard the second edition was expanded with hundreds of new bands, thirty new interviews, flyers and a new chapter, I had to get it too.  After the first edition came out a great accompanying documentary and comp were also released. 

There is not much in the discography section that is a mind-blower discovery-wise, but it is still a useful resource for the focus of this book: hardcore.  What is hardcore?  This book probably does the best job at describing it and its associated discography in a focused way.  That necessarily means there are bands and releases that are not included even with this second edition, but one has to draw a line somewhere.  This book is a must-have.

11.      (1976/1979) 45 Revolutions: Punk, Mod/Powerpop, New Wave, NWOBHM, Indie Singles – In the Years of Anarchy, Chaos and Destruction: Volume 1 UK/Ireland, by Mario Panciera.  Hurdy Gurdy Books, 2007.  (Italy – 1,174 pages)

This is an insanely great book, and it is a gorgeous book.  What do I mean by “gorgeous”?  You know those fancy books that have a ribbon in them as like a permanent bookmark thingy so you never lose your spot?  This book has two of those.  Plus, it is just a massive, luxuriously packaged and well-organized book with insane detail.  It includes over 3000 singles by 2000 different artists along with a short band history, member line-up, and period reviews, and also includes 4550 color images and 2885 black and white photos.  Pretty sure I also heard about this book by reading one of Henry’s Fanatic or Stay Fanatic books.  Sadly it is pretty rare with only 1,000 ever being made, very pricey, and despite what its name suggests this is the only volume.  Save your allowance and if you spot it pick it up.    

  12.      Gimmie Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996, by Andrew Earles.  Voyageur Press, 2014.  (U.S.A. – 381 pages)

Without question one of my favourite books on this list.  This is one of those books that I devoured instantly, I discovered a ton, and I keep going back to it over and over and over.  I also agree with many of Andrew’s picks and opinions in the book.  I could definitely quibble here and there with which release by an artist was selected, or not, but the subjectivity of which artist or album makes your hair stand up is a huge part of why one is passionate about this stuff, so you can’t really fault the author with this type of book.  I may have made a different choice, but that doesn’t mean Andrew is wrong – this is an absolutely great book and it’s essential for anyone who wants to branch out a bit on their interest in punk etc.

But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement, and in this case I mean room for growth.  I am in need of a second volume to devour over and over like this one.  Maybe not 500 more “essential”, or maybe a date range outside of 1981-1996 or broader geographic area, but definitely 500 more.  Those additional 500 are out there, for sure, so just let me know if you need any suggestions!

13.      The Knights of Fuzz: The New Garage & Psychedelic Music Explosion, 2nd edition, by Timothy Gassen.  Garage Nation, 2014.  (U.S.A. – 488 pages)

Written by Timothy Gassen (RIP) of The Marshmallow Overcoat band, this is a great discography of a scene that I love, but when I read it, it reveals that I actually only dabble in in this type of music.  I love garage more than psych, and I have a pretty strong leaning toward the surf-garage cats, but I have only ever really scratched the surface of this genre and I have a lot more to discover.  It appears that, technically, the 1995 edition of The Knights of Fuzz was an update of Echoes in Time, Gassen’s first book of this sort which sold out its small pressing immediately, so this second edition is really the third edition? 

Instead of a more global update, the second edition includes a reproduction of the 1995 first edition as a time capsule, and then a couple hundred pages or so of updates for the subsequent 20 years since the first edition.  This one is also unique in that it includes updates submitted by fans and band members which is pretty cool and totally punk rock, as well as articles and zine reproductions.  I love flipping through this book not only as a resource, but also to further understand all the links between the referenced groups, labels, and scenes with other groups and movements such as grunge, the surf and garage scene in Canada, and elsewhere.  This is just a great resource to discover artists playing the music that inspired the punks of the ‘70s, and if you love punk etc. you are sure to dig the groovy and trashy artists covered in this second edition, which is now as big as a phonebook and thankfully still readily available.   

14.      Flex: Discography of North American Punk, Hardcore and Powerpop 1975-1985, 4th edition, by Burkhard Järisch.  Imprint, 2015.  (Germany – 1,350 pages)   

Covered in two huge, phonebook sized hardcover books, these two volumes boast 10,000 reviews and 15,000 sleeve scans.  The entries include great commentary and reviews in addition to band and pressing info, including alternate versions, reissues, bootlegs, links to online resources and more.  There are comprehensive sections for Black Flag, Dead Boys, Dead Kennedys, Dickies, D.O.A., Heartbreakers, Hüsker Dü, Minor Threat, Misfits, Plasmatics, Ramones, Samhain, Septic Death and many, many more, including dozens of lesser known groups.  And just to give you a sense of what I mean by comprehensive, sometimes there are dozens of pages of info on a single artist.  Trust me, if something doesn’t seem right on Discogs, check the Flex book.  The one thing that bugs me with this set is I am not a huge fan of including comps alphabetically within the general artist listing, but that is pretty minor.  These things are heavy, the most comprehensive for their area of focus that I am aware of, and sadly out of print.  I’d love to see a set covering 1985-1995!  I should also note that the author has a similar two-volume set covering Japanese punk etc. which I don’t have but someday hope to acquire. 

15.      We Can Be the New Wind: The Interaction of Punk, Hardcore Punk, Power Pop and Neo-Garage with Alternative Rock in the 1980’s, by Alexandros Anesiadis.  Earth Island Books, 2022.  (U.K. – 822 pages)

Allow me some artistic license again with this one.  You could argue this does not belong here because it is more about the bands than their releases, but the description of each band discusses their releases, so….this one is just too much for an honourable mention. 

I was anxiously awaiting this book as soon as it was announced, since it was described as huge in size, and that it was going to cover musical styles of which I am a huge fan (plus the Walsby cover art is killer).  I also had very high hopes given I really enjoyed Alexandros’ other book Cross Over the Edge about the thrashier side of punk, even though I’m not a huge fan of most of those artists.  When I got this book I devoured it, I discovered a ton of new music by reading it, and still reference it regularly.  It is easy to find discussions on the biggies like Black Flag and Minor Threat in tons of other sources, but where else are you going to find great write-ups on Run Westy Run, The Magnolias, Jet Black Berries, The Dogmatics and Das Damen all in the same place?  This book totally filled a gap for me, and the lengths to which Alexandros also went to get interviews with the artists is absolutely amazing.  It is a great reference, I love reading it, and I am glad it exists.

But, as much as I love this book I struggle with its organization, especially given its size.  Much of it is organized by region which could work if it was done consistently, but the latter 1/3 of the books feels pretty random at times and it is very difficult to relocate content.  I say this recognizing I have never written a book, so who am I to say anything about this book, but I do think it would benefit greatly from a second edition with a total revamp to its organization for consistency and accuracy, also with a detailed table of contents and index.  And, to take it to the next level, put in a detailed discography for each band.  Now we are talking! 

16.      Nefarious Artists: The Evolution and Art of the Punk Rock, Post-Punk, New Wave, Hardcore Punk and Alternative Compilation Record 1976-1989, by Welly Artcore.  Earth Island Books, 2023.  (U.K. – 412 pages)        

This is the third book of Welly’s that I’ve read, the first two being Beneath the Shadows of T.S.O.L. and Directions to the Outskirts of Town which were both great.  This is Welly’s first foray into a book of lists and it is also great, because it is a book of comps! 

The jacket of the book notes that “Long before online streaming and even TV music videos, that were beyond the reach of many new bands outside of a lucky spin on the radio, the compilation became the most effective way to access, and be accessed by, the eager new ears and inquisitive minds of the then new punk generation.”  Very true.  This book provides a “field study” of over 500 punk rock, post- punk, new wave, hardcore punk, and alternative rock compilations from their beginnings in 1976 as major label samplers and live showcases of the 'new wave' through their rapid evolution into a documentary art form of D.I.Y. punk rock creativity and expression.  This book is pretty comprehensive (although there is room for a second volume for sure to fill some gaps and broader date ranges) and well organized, and I discovered a ton when reading it.  It is a great read, well written, informative, and great scans are included throughout to really immerse yourself in this welcome addition to the books of lists!  I added many comps to my want list after reading this book, and when listening to those comps added many more records to my want list, and so on.  That is exactly why I love these things!

Honourable Mentions

That is a pretty good list of lists I hope, but there are more.  These honourable mentions are books that have lists but were not listy enough for the above list.  Some are “selected discographies”, some are lists of a label’s entire discography, and some are a bit random, but they are all lists of a sort.  I am not, however, including Handsome Dick Manitoba and Amy Wallace’s The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists as you might expect.  I love the Dictators and when I got that book I had high hopes, but after reading it wished I had read something else and swiftly submitted it to the used bookstore gods.   

1.      Rolling Stone’s Alt-Rock-A-Rama: An Outrageous Compendium of Facts, Fiction, Trivia, and Critiques on Alternative Rock, by Scott Schinder.  Dell, 1996.  (U.S.A. – 492 pages)

2.      Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story, by Clark Humphrey.  MISCmedia, 1999.  (U.S.A. – 239 pages)

3.      Live Through This: American Rock Music in the Nineties, by Everett True.  Virgin Publishing, 2002.  (U.K. – 294 pages)

4.      From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk Rock, 2nd edition, by Clinton Heylin.  Chicago Review, 2005.  (U.S.A. – 426 pages)

5.      Inner City Sound: Punk and Post-Punk in Australia, 1976-1985, by Clinton Walker.  VCP, 2005.  (Australia – 190 pages)

6.      Fanatic!: Song Lists and Notes from the Harmony In My Head Radio Show, by Henry Rollins.

a.      Vol. 1, 2nd Ed. (2.13.61, 2006; U.S.A. – 290 pages)

b.      Vol. 2 (2.13.61, 2007; U.S.A. – 470 pages)

c.       Vol. 3 (2.13.61, 2008; U.S.A. – 536 pages)

7.      Babylon’s Burning: From Punk to Grunge, by Clinton Heylin.  Viking, 2007.  (U.K. – 694 pages)

8.      Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records The indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small, by John Cook with Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance.  Algonquin Books, 2009.  (U.S.A. – 289 pages)

9.      We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001, by Eric Davidson.  Backbeat Books, 2010.  (U.S.A. – 351 pages)

10.  Fresh at Twenty: The Oral History of Mint Records, by Kaitlin Fontana.  ECW Press, 2011.  (Canada – 385 pages)

11.  The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge, by Stephen Tow.  Sasquatch Books, 2011.  (U.S.A. – 254 pages)

12.  Love Rock Revolution: K Records and the Rise of Independent Music, by Mark Baumgarten.  Sasquatch Books, 2012.  (U.S.A. – 276 pages)

13.  NYHC: New York Hardcore 1980-1990, by Tony Rettman.  Bazillion Points, 2014.  (U.S.A. – 384 pages)

14.  A Wailing of a Town: An Oral History of Early San Pedro Punk and More 1977-1985, by Craig Ibarra.  END FWY, 2015.  (U.S.A. – 352 pages)

15.  Brick Through the Window: An Oral History of Punk Rock, New Wave and Noise in Milwaukee, 1964-1984, by Steven Nodine, Eric Beaumont, Clancy Carroll and David Luhrssen.  Brickboys, 2017.  (U.S.A. – 698 pages)

16.      Record Aficionado

a.      Vol. 1: U.S. Hardcore / Punk 1978-1985 (Tumbled Leather, 2018; U.S.A. – 142 pages)

b.      Vol. 2: Revelation 1987-1991 (Tumbled Leather, 2021; U.S.A. – 152 pages)

c.       Vol. 3: U.S. Hardcore / Punk 1985-1990 (Tumbled Leather, 2021; U.S.A. – 180 pages)

17.      Stay Fanatic, by Henry Rollins.

a.      Vol. 1: Hectic Expectorations For the Music Obsessive (2.13.61, 2019; U.S.A. – 315 pages)

b.      Vol. 2: Jovial Bloviations For the Vinyl Inspired (2.13.61, 2020; U.S.A. – 264 pages)

c.       Vol. 3: Frantic Rants For The Turntable Able (2.13.61, 2022; U.S.A. – 266 pages)

d.      Vol. 4: Lessons in Possession and Confessions of Obsession (2.13.61, 2024; U.S.A. – 334 pages)

18.      Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, by Bill Kopp.  Hozak Books, 2021.  (U.S.A. – 361 pages)

19.      Estrus: Shovelin’ The Shit Since ’87, by Chris Alpert Coyle and Scott Sigiuchi with Dave Crider and Art Chantry.  Korero Press, 2023 (U.K. – 256 pages)

20.      Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records, by Jim Ruland.  Hachette Books, 2022.  (U.S.A. – 422 pages)

21.      Toxic Shock Records: Assassin of Mediocrity – A Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music, by Bill Sassenberger.  Fluke, 2024.  (U.S.A. – 200 pages)

As a reward for making it this far how about more lists, but this time just eye candy!?  To round out this article here are some selected books of lists that are primarily pictures of the amazing, iconic, thought provoking art that has graced the punk etc. releases over the years.  I love thumbing through these to spot a different version, or to remind me of something I have not listened to in a while.  Plus, these books really emphasize how the punk etc. artists intend you to experience their album or single as an entire audio and visual package, whether it was thrown together with a photocopier and gluestick, silkscreened, painstakingly created with letreset or letterpress, or even when mass produced on a major label before the suits realized what was going on.

1.      The Album Cover Art of Punk!, Burkhardt Seiler.  Gingko Press, 1999.  (U.K. – 120 pages)

2.      Some People Can’t Surf: The Graphic Design of Art Chantry, by Julie Lasky.  Chronicle Books, 2001.  (U.S.A. – 160 pages)

3.      Punk on 45: Revolutions on Vinyl 1976-1979, by Gavin Walsh.  Plexus, 2006.  (U.K. – 159 pages)

4.      Touchable Sound: A Collection of 7-inch Records from the USA, edited by Brian Roettinger, Mike Treff and Diego Hadis.  Sound Screen Design, 2010.  (U.S.A. – 412 pages)

5.      The Art of Punk: The Illustrated History of Punk Rock Design, by Russ Bestley and Alex Ogg.  Voyageur Press, 2012.  (U.S.A. – 224 pages)

6.      Punk 45: The Singles Cover Art of Punk 1976-1980, edited by John Savage and Stuart Baker.  Soul Jazz Records, 2013.  (U.K. – 366 pages)

7.      Savage Impressions: An Aesthetic Expedition Through the Archives of Independent Project Records & Press, by Bruce Licher and Karen Nelson Licher.  P22 Publications, 2020.  (U.S.A. – 236 pages)    

Ok, that’s it!  Let me know what I missed!  I for sure did not get them all, and I just discovered the Steven Gardner books fer cripes sakes.  And go see live music.  -R