“The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars” rather more pretty than morbid

cover-encyclopedia-of-dead-rock-starsWhen The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars (second edition) was pitched to me as a “another hefty read,” I assumed hyperbole. Such was not that case — this 800-page tome looks like the most morbid phone book in the world sitting on my coffee table or the book stack next to my side of the bed. It’s out now from Chicago Review Press, and despite having received it a good half month ago, it’s taken a while to get through enough to feel comfortable summing it up for you all.
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Two new split singles coming from Big Eyes

big-eyes-splits
Here’s a nice bit of irony: our favorite power-pop-garage trio, Big Eyes, has two splits coming out in the coming weeks. One’s a split with Orange County’s Audacity, on Volar Records, due out on red and gold vinyl sometime this month. You can snag test presses from both bands on their current tour together, or pre-order it direct from the Volar Records store. Listen to Audacity’s side — which is a lovely bit of power pop entitled “Bottle It Up” — below. Continue reading