Todd Taylor

This was pretty good. I love the author's attitude and his ideas about punk rock and DIY and especially about old jaded punks and how lame they are. Unfortunately I wasn't really familiar with any of the bands included so I was less connected to the interviews. I like that he interviewed, artists, writers and talked about the zines in general and I actually thought his introduction (about himself) was the best part.

So I've been checking out the bands that were interviewed hoping to find some new favorite bands.

Thanks Mr. Taylor.… (lisätietoja)

Todd understands the fine art of interviewing, which he expounds upon in an essay in this book. It’s the last piece in the book, and it was interesting to read it after being blown away by the quality of the interviews in this book. As I read his descriptions of his techniques, I could think back over the interviews and say, yeah, Todd really gets it; he truly knows his stuff. This book is amazing. It’s a testament to the shining star of punk rock, to the beauty of fine journalism, and to the elusive secrets of what makes musicians tick. I hadn’t even heard of some of the bands in here, but I still found myself engrossed in reading their thoughts and views, as teased out through Todd’s careful questioning. And it’s because of his ability to reach in beyond the typical band stuff and extract the individuality of the members as people. In addition to the many band interviews, Todd also includes interviews with people as varied as lawyer and novelist Andrew Vachss, and notorious underground comic artist Mike Diana. The essays that bookend the main section of interviews articulate Todd’s experiences with punk rock and his passionate belief in its persistent relevance. All in all, this book is an excellent collection from one of punk rock’s most earnest and talented journalists.… (lisätietoja)