Jury duty book reviews

No, jury duty never comes at a convenient time. And waiting around with a room full of strangers isn't fun. Complicating matters are the group fear of H1N1 and collective stress over the holidays. But I didn't mind getting it this week. There was no traffic, it made visiting Clement at JANM really convenient, and I got to catch up on some reading that I've been saving up since receiving my notice in the mail.

First off was Cometbus 52. As it says on my Staff Recommendation note on his latest mag at the GR store, Aaron Cometbus is a fixture in indie punk rock culture and one of my literary heroes. Alluding to touchstones of punk culture without being bogged down by actual descriptions of music, this particular issue recounts his stay in St. Louis and brings to life a generation of punks that juggle their addictions to music and coffee. How much of it is truth or fiction? That's not the point, because you're not supposed to search the bins at Amoeba, Headline, or iTunes for the bands that are mentioned. What counts is Cometbus's honesty in capturing the enduring underdog spirit of punk--not to mention the unspoken poetry of its doomed-but-cyclical nature--and the readers looking at his or her own scene (music-based or not) afterword.


The newest issue of Cometbus, which came out just a month after the last one, is the equivalent of a split EP. Half of the contributions come from longtime CB writer Maddalena Pollenta, and they can be difficult to read. Her writing tends to be less narrative and less anchored to a timeline, which is good because her subject matter is a lot harsher. Her approach makes death, dope, and depression less clinical and more human. Of Aaron's pieces, I thought his essay about ex-punks making up a quarter of NYC was really interesting. His interview with John Holmes was an insightful glimpse into the past, too, adding remarkable depth to his cartoonish imagery that most people know from the first two Ramones albums.

I get to meet a lot of my heroes via Giant Robot--interviewing John Woo for the latest issue is just one example--but I got kind of freaked out when Aaron called GR to find out how many copies of this issue Eric wanted to order. I was composed enough to tell him that his last issue sold out on Sawtelle before I could buy one, and that I really enjoyed his last band when they played in Eagle Rock earlier in the year. He knew GR well enough to say that he wasn't sure what duties Eric and I had regarding the mag and shops, and that I should have said hi, which was cool.


I actually purchased the two issues of Cometbus, but the last item I read was a review copy of a book on the Anthrax Club, a punk venue that operated from 1982-1990. While I didn't know much about the Stamford or Norwalk scenes, I did listen to punk during those years and can appreciate the trailblazing aspects as well as the evolution of music that took place during the years. The book is highly complimentary toward the proprietors--made by a fan with their full cooperation as well as quotes from musicians that any punk will recognizes--and that's okay. This book is about a local spirit and not sociology or economics.

One of the first things I thought when plowing through book was that not every scene is lucky enough to have a Glen E. Friedman, Anna Summa, Gary Leonard, Ed Colver... These pics seem to be by fans, which lends a real clubhouse feel that's appropriate. There are plenty of shots of the audience, which you don't see often enough, and the pictures of the bands are often unflattering, which supports the text's assertion that the club was small but cozy and honest.

Band photos and quotes include Fugazi, Gorilla Biscuits, 7 Seconds, Rollins Band, Insted, Descendents, AOD, Dr. Know, No For an Answer, Sick of it All, Cromags, Bold, Swiz, SNFU, OPIV... Friends of GR include pre-Raghunath Ray of Today, Smalley in Dag Dasty, Zach in Inside out, and vintage "Lady Killer"-era Vandals! Check out the preview below...

Everybody's Scene - The Story of Connecticut's Anthrax Club from kencredible on Vimeo.

Back to jury duty. I got dismissed without ever being considered for a case. My civic duty is done for another year...