Exploring music, identity, and cultural history through biography, criticism, and storytelling.

A ROUGH TRADE, MOJO, UNCUT & LOUDER THAN WAR BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE RALPH J. GLEASON MUSIC BOOK AWARD ​ A redemptive, myth-shattering biography of one of the twentieth century's most underestimated creative and artistic forces. ​ 'Here is the Odyssey of Nico . . . a scholarly and detailed chronicle of this brilliant artist, who was spurned and tortured for her trouble.' IGGY POP ​ 'Gripping.' THE TIMES ​ '[This] book gets closer to understanding Nico than most.' GUARDIAN ​ 'Deserves to sit with the great biographies.' RECORD COLLECTOR ​ 'A compassionate portrait of a musician whose artistry has often been overlooked.' MOJO ​ 'Valuable . . . Bickerdike gives Nico her due as an artist.' THE SPECTATOR ​ 'Entertainingly written and insightful.' INDEPENDENT ​ 'The best music book you will read this year.' LOUDER THAN WAR

Part biography, part social history, Being Britney pieces together a collage of stories, interviews, legends and fan experiences to construct a definitive portrait of one of the biggest stars in recent history. ​ [An] astute reckoning with modern celebrity' - THE TIMES 'A wild read' - THE GUARDIAN 'A well-researched, measured account' - THE SUN

The authorized biography of the quintessential ’80s pop band The Bangles, who scored massive hits with “Manic Monday,” Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Hazy Shade of Winter,” and more From their first meeting in 1981, the Bangles were ambitious, focused, and intentional; their hard-work and determination resulted in millions of records sold across the globe, before becoming the first all-girl band to have five “Top 10” hits. Not long after coming together, they toured the world, released #1 records, and collaborated with the biggest artists of the day. They seemed unstoppable—until tensions within the band, artistic differences, and the pressures of sudden celebrity tore them apart less than a decade later.

'Music is essential to life beyond the existential flatline of the day-to-day. Vinyl is its coolest messenger. That's Why Vinyl Matters.' - Henry Rollins ​ Why Vinyl Matters is part history, part future forecasting, part nostalgia and all celebration. A collection of more than 25 interviews, all illustrated with photos, sidebars, quotes, album covers, outtakes and much more. This is the book for anyone who has ever gone to the store and bought music on vinyl.

The Secular Religion of Fandom: Pop Culture Pilgrim examines the function of fandom, specifically the visiting of spaces which have been recently deemed worthy of sanctification and a newly elevated status of importance. It examines how such pilgrimages are used as a means for forming and maintaining a common language of culture, creating a replacement apparatus based on more traditional frameworks of religious worship and salvation, while becoming an ever more dominant mechanism for constructing individuality and finding belonging in a commodified culture. Looking at television shows such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, bands like The Stone Roses and Joy Division, and authors like J.K. Rowling and the Brontë sisters, The Secular Religion of Fandom: Pop Culture Pilgrim delves into these issues by examining spaces, fan communities and rituals, providing a unique and provocative investigation into how technology, media and humanistic need for guidance are forming novel ways of expressing value, forging self and finding significance in an uncertain world.

Kurt Cobain and Ian Curtis. Through death, they became icons. However, the lead singers have been removed from their humanity, replaced by easily replicated and distributed commodities bearing their image. This book examines how the anglicised singers provide secular guidance to the modern consumer in an ever more uncertain world.

Explores the lasting legacy in the fan, post-punk and dot.com economy of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, and what such dedication says about the larger issues facing us in a modern world. Essays on Curtis, exploring ideas of memory, death, technology, fandom and secular religion are complemented by photos taken at the Ian Curtis Memorial Stone.