The Armageddon Rag, George R. R. Martin (1983).
Out of print for years, Spectra recently reissued this SF/horror thriller about the murder of a singer and a music promoter. Martin is kno

Idoru, William Gibson (1996).
I have never heard of this particular author, but apparently he is well-known for innovating the “computer punks” genre of fiction. (I’m just

The Exes, Pagan Kennedy (1998).
Kennedy, widely regarded as a demigod of the early ’90s zine world, garnered critical praise for this novel about a Boston indie-rock band

Boy Island, Camden Joy (2000).
One of America’s greatest rock writers, Joy takes on the rock of David Lowery (

The Carpet Frogs: Music After Tomorrow, Alan Arlt (2001).
It’s only four years old, but Arlt’s debut novel has already become sort of legendary. It’s the story of Symon Smith, a young Minneapolis rock

How Soon Is Never?, Marc Spitz (2003).
Fans of Morrissey and Marr will undoubtedly be interested, but anyone who’s ever been despondent over the breakup of their favorite band (I’m still upset about The Delgados) can relate to Spitz’s novel. It’s a love story about two earnest fans trying t

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist [Paperback]
Rachel Cohn (Author), David Levithan (Author) The Last of the Savages, Jay McInerney (1996).
A few readers recommended this one, but a few more reported they were unimpressed by McInerney’s fifth novel. It follows two prep school friends, one who becomes a lawyer, and one who becomes a record producer (and drug addict, as record producers in rock novels inevitably are). PuThe Rich Man’s Table, Scott Spencer (1998).
A young man finds out that his father is legendary folk singer Luke Fairchild (rea

Tender, Mark Childress (1990).
Most of the readers who suggested this one seemed to find it more charming than brilliant, but Tender has a lot of fans. It’s essentially a novel about Elvis, though he’s named Leroy Kirby in the bSpider Kiss, Harlan Ellison (1961).
Originally published as Rockabilly, this is one of the writer’s most admired works. It’s also one of the first rock novels ever written. The main character, Stag Preston, has echoes of Elvis, though he was evidently based on Jerry Lee Lewis. Several readers recommended this one – it’s published with Ellison’s 1982 Stalking the Nightma

The Rotters’ Club, Jonathan Coe (2001).
Not technically a rock novel, but you should still check out this hilarious and touching book from one of the UK’s best young authors. I still laugh every time I think of Philip Chase, the prog rock-obsessed student who writes breathless odes to Yes in his school pa

Espedair Street, Iain Banks (1987). The Scottish author’s fourth book was recommended to me by about – let me count – 17,000 readers. So while I haven’t read it myself, I’m fairly comfortable saying that this novel has a hell of a lot of admirers. If you haven’t read Banks, this is probably a decent place to start.

SO YOU WANNA BE A ROCK AND ROLL STAR: AMATEUR/GARAGE BAND ROCK NOVELS

Say Goodbye: The Laurie Moss Story, Lewis Shiner (1999).
A young San Antonio native tries to make it big as a singer-songwriter in Los Angeles. Shiner’s novel was wildly praised as one of the most realistic accounts of the music industry ever. The New York Times Book Review loved it: “Shiner has written a fine novel about rock ‘n’ roll by believing more in musicians’ human nature than in their mythologies.”

Anything Goes, Madison Smartt Bell (2002).
The story of a Southern bar band ("We didn’t play Nirvana, we didn’t play punk and we didn’t play grunge, we definitely didn’t play any origin

The Wishbones, Tom Perotta (1997).
Perotta’s novels might not be revelatory, but they’re congenial and fun. The story of a New Jersey wedding band, a movie version is expected within the next few y

The Last Rock Star Book or: Liz Phair, A Rant, Camden Joy (1998).
A young disaffected writer (named Camden Joy) is hired to write a “quickie” paperback biography of Liz Phair, and becomes obsessed with the singer – and his past – in the process. Joy is a brilliant and original writer who takes more risks per page than most authors do in their entir

Michael Chabon Telegraph AvenueThe Anomolies by Joey Goebel.

Picture it: a Wes Anderson movie about rock bands set in rural Kentucky. Goebel’s debut contains a wild cast of characters comprising the band, The Anomalies, including whee

Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta

Come for the promise of Robert Pollard-like reclusive genius, stay for the soberingly articulate mediation on middle age and death. Stone Arabia centers around The Chronicles – a 30-year project by the main character’s brother to record albums, make fake band histories and even white his own record reviews. Arabia proves ligh

A Visit from the goon squadMaster of Reality by John Darnielle

Basket Case by Carl Hiaasen. It’s a fun mainstream mystery about a dead rock star, his wild widow, eccentric band mates, and the lost tracks to a comeback album. The second is Trevor’s Song by Susan Helene Gottfried.

Read more: http://www.musicbanter.com/rock-n-roll-classic-rock-60s-rock/54736-rock-novels.html#ixzz2Gw8VEKHx

Heart shaped box

kend called Ladies and Gentlemen … The Redeemers. It’s

Read more: http://www.musicbanter.com/rock-n-roll-classic-rock-60s-rock/54736-rock-novels-2.html#ixzz2Gw8n4M6y

ears, Jonathan Lethem dissected the web of relationships within an LA band in his You Don’t Love Me Yet, while Ben

Rick Moody, Garden State

Northern New Jersey is fertile ground for notable novels about bands: close enough to New York to be local, yet at times worlds apart from a cultural perspective. Ric

P. F. Kluge is writer in residence at Kenyon College. His seven previous novels include Eddie and The Cruisers

24

Fuel injected dreams
James Robert Baker
Sports

Blake Nelson, Girl

If you want me to stay
Michael Parker
Read more at http://www.ranker.com/list/25-slamming-rock-and-roll-novels/konnoisseur411#IgCwLbIRUExv5iKU.99

The Big Wheel (http://www.amazon.com/Big-Wheel-Bruce-Thomas/dp/0571129447) by Bruce Thomas (bass player for Elvis Costello & the Attractions) is a mostly-fictional account of the trials of a new wave band not unlike his actual band. It’s funny as hell sometimes. Apparently, Elvis C. thought it too close for c
06-21-2007, 10:41 PM
Espedair Street (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Espedair-Street-Iain-Banks/dp/0349102147/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/026-0877410-9796444?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182479559&sr=8-1) is an amazing novel about the greatest fictional rock group of the seventies. Iain Banks is a fantastic novelist, and this is one

Carl Hiaasen’s Basket Case, where the reporter protagonist gets involved in solving the mysterious death of the middle-aged lead singer of The Slut Puppies, a late 70’s band punk/metal band who seem to be a cross between the Ramones and Van Ha Robert Dunn (Pink Cadillac)