Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and music critic Byron Cooley have created the definitive chronicle of the late ’70s New York art-rock scene. Together they skillfully depict the culture, politics, and environment that formed the still-obscure and quietly influential bands of that era. The details are vast and at times daunting; all the who-dated-whoms, whens, wheres, and whys are included with factual reference points, oral histories, and extensive quotes and photography. The scene, created largely by emerging artists, was rich in photographers and creative writers, and a lot of the never-before-seen source material in No Wave is worthy of a book alone. No Wave fans, especially the art-school-leaning types, will appreciate the reproductions of Lydia Lunch fashion
calendars, black-and-white behind-the-scenes photography, record covers, and concert flyers.
Thurston Moore and Byron Cooley
Hardcover, 144 Pages, $24.95, Abrams Image
– Chris Force