Got this in the mail the other day and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. UPS beat the hell out of the padded envelope, looked like it had been run over by a truck, so I guess that’s another testimony to the quality of the book, it can take a beating.  I love getting anything in the mail, besides bills, especially records, but anything will do…ever since my days ordering stuff out of the back of comic books when I was a kid. You know being a thrift store shopper I forgot how a nice book with full color high resolution photographs can cost ($40), but let me tell you this is a NICE BOOK. I’m very impressed with the quality committed to something, like a part of the underground scene, which usually takes the form of newsprint or photocopies. The pictures themselves capture youth in motion and devotion, and as I said high resolution and very high quality, to be enjoyed as artwork in themselves. Sophia Schorr-Kon is a no-bullshit photographer. On top of that, Tom Barry is a master of the written word. Very easy reading that just flows, very matter of fact, but insightful as well.  The subject matter too is interseting on it’s own.  I might agree with what some of my friends have put forward, that the American hardcore of the 80′s died in the later half of that decade at the hands of the “boyscout” crews.  The same might be said of European hardcore.  Tom Barry addresses that very quickly though in his introduction, “Many oldschool detractors felt that this was not hardcore, that the sound had changed too much, that it was forgetting its punk and Oi roots.  The truth was that these kids were too young to be influenced by the same sounds; they’d created their own thing and it was spreading through Europe quickly.”  There will always be a continuity in music and an evolution of sorts. Regardless of what you call it, this music and scene is representative of a certain segement of the population, the one that’s on edge.  There’s has to be something for them and of them, something besides what is popular with the masses or the watered underground music that seems to be fashionable with the Hot Topic scene or whatever they have in Europe.  Reading about these guys from France, Portugal, Germany, Poland and England left me rooting for their success.  But they are self determined and don’t need my cheers, they are doing it for themselves.  The classic DIY attitude in action.  Here’s the press thing that I got via email…

“Balance: European Hardcore
Documenting the Bands and Lifestyles of the European Hardcore Music Scene

Borne out of the American punk scene of the late 1970s, hardcore music raged through the 1980s, spreading to towns and cities across the globe. The hardcore network spans all of Europe, and Balance visits every major node of it, opening the doors of the bars and dives that host Europe’s hardcore bands. Capturing the chaos of the mosh pit, the monotony of the office, and the sheer energy of the music, Balance pays homage to the bands, promoters, designers, and supporters who have made the decision to live a hardcore life.

Balance: European Hardcore features striking photography of shows and portraits of influential musicians. Alongside these images, the authors provide insights into the informal rules that give order to the international movement—for example, all lyrics are written and performed in English—allowing readers an insider’s perspective on the enduring but underdocumented music scene.

Balance focuses on the current European scene, documenting the lives of musicians who strike a balance between their day jobs and this vital musical force. From tattooists in Portugal to miners in Poland, Balance uncovers the twin lives of those working to support their passion. Hardcore has always been more than just music and although the performers and fans across the continent speak different languages and live in different places, they are tied to each other through a communal music scene that transcends borders.

Tom Barry is the drummer for London hardcore band Kartel and has been a fixture of the city’s hardcore music scene since the 1990s. He began covering alternative and underground music as a staff writer with Big Cheese magazine before moving into youth work and continuing to contribute to community-focused publications. His writing has covered a variety of subjects, from interviews with Slayer to the content of local school meals.

Sophia Schorr-Kon is a freelance photographer who took up photography at the London College of Communication. She has covered a large range of UK music festivals such as Glastonbury and Bestival. She has also worked with many bands and musicians, shooting for labels such as Sony. Schorr-Kon also works within the political sphere and regularly contributes to the New Statesman.

Mark Batty Publisher (http://markbattypublisher.com/) is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses. Today, the visual comes at us from more places than ever, and its dissemination is faster and more advanced every year. Books from Mark Batty Publisher capture this acceleration on the pages of every book. Affordable, well designed, thoughtfully created, and produced to last, MBP books are artful products that readers want to hold onto forever.”

You know even though I am kind of slut for getting this book for free and as a result giving it energy here, I’m finding out that’s the relationship that reviewers have with releasers.  By the same token I wouldn’t have given it this much enrgy and space if it wasn’t good.  If you’re the type of person who has a few bucks to spend, likes quality images and words, and just wants to learn little bit about a scene that you might not be familiar with, then this is DEFINITELY worth your time.

Another review, this time of a book written by one of those friends I’ve never actually met. Being that he’s a buddy, my view point is already biased in his favor because it’s a pretty damn good book. Mike is the one who finally got me to read Bukowski, and you can see Mr. Bukowski in Mike’s writing style. The best way for me to describe it, is it’s like have a beer (a fine wide cup of coffee for me now these days) and swapping stories about the past.  Basically what you get is a bunch of stories (most, if not all, originally written for Strange Reaction’s Mike Check), loosely gathered under topics. Mike was a teenager during the second wave of punk and first wave of hardcore on the late 70′ early 80′s LA scene so it makes for an interesting read. If you’ve ever been in high school, had a dysfunctional family, had friends, been to punk shows, married with children or just plain old grown up, then you can relate. Very easy reading and because of the conversational nature, I breezed through it pretty quick and was left feeling like I could do that again, if Mike ever wrote a follow up (which I think he has plans to do). There is a Facebook page to check out, which is worth your time because Mike is a master of the Photoshop and has done some cool things with the cover of his book. You can get the book for about $14 at Headline Records or Createspace type in FGACJX53 for a discount.