Our Band Could Be Your Life. . - Notes from the Underground - book review

Thrasher Magazine, July, 2002 by Ryan Henry

Michael Azerrad

Little, Brown

If you're the least bit into Black Flag, The Minutemen, Mission of Burma, Minor Threat, Husker Du, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Dinosaur Jr, Fugazi, Mudhoney, or Beat Happening, you will read this. Focusing on the state of punk rock and hundreds of indie bands and friends in the US from 1981 to 1991, Azerrad delivers the stories of said groups and the labels behind them in 40-page bursts. He's done well documenting bands like Nirvana and the musical output of Seattle in other endeavors, but this book explores the whole spectrum of what was happening in the previous decade, focusing on the most influential--and at the same time, underrated--of independent music's last stand. Standout biographies on Black Flag, The Minutemen, and Mudhoney, but the Husker Du chapter is worth the price alone. Buy this book. Listen to Zen Arcade.