Michael Gray Photos and Upcoming Appearances

Michael Gray laid some serious blues knowledge on us last night. Good talk. Sold quite a few books and folks seemed awfully impressed. Thanks, Michael, for coming to see us. There are some photos below, but if you couldn't make it last night, there are a couple upcoming chances. Take a look:

October 14th: Main Library at Margaret Mitchell Square @ 7pm
October 19th: Auburn Ave. Research Library @ 7pm

Blind Willie McTell Event at Decatur CD this Friday

This Friday, we're excited to have noted author Michael Gray at Decatur CD. He'll be here at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9th, reading from and talking about his book, Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell. Here's what we wrote in the most recent Decatur CD Newsletter:

Partnering up with our friends and literary supervisors, A Cappella Books, we're proud to announce a reading at Decatur CD at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 9th. Michael Gray, author of Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell, will be here in the store to read from and discuss his book. What's the tome like? Well, straight from the fingers of the author:

"More than a biography, the book, written by this Englishman (!), is also

- a unique outsider's history of Georgia, and the historical context that informed McTell's lifetime (1903-1959)
- a travelog taking in the key places in McTell's life and work: including Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, Milledgeville, Statesboro and Thomson, plus the backroads in between, and
- the story of how the author tracked down the truth behind many of the mysteries of McTell's ancestors, life and death.

Not only is my book the first biography of this major figure in Georgia music history, but 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of his death, making this the ideal time to celebrate his life and work."

Not too shabby, right? Gray has spoken at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and penned previous books on the likes of Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa and Elvis Presley. Needless to say, the man is a rich compendium of rock 'n' roll lore. It will be a joy to have him. Mark your calendars!!

Two Authors at Decatur CD for Friday's Art Walk

Good time coming this Friday. We'll have two authors in the store for Decatur's annual arts festival. In fact, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote about one of them over the weekend. Full details below grabbed straight from the DCD Newsletter. We hope to see you on Friday:

On Memorial Day Friday, May 22, at 7pm, we're happy to be hosting our latest author in-store appearance with A Cappella Books. The two books being featured are Eric Segalstad and Josh Hunter's The 27s and David Janssen and Edward Whitelock's Apocalypse Jukebox. Here is some explanation of these two interesting tomes:

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The 27s
The 27s is the grandest story of rock & roll, firmly ingrained in popular music and culture yet the saga somehow slipped through the cracks of time; until today. If you're reading this you probably know that Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain's lives were cut short at age 27, but the same fate happened to thirty other musicians. Sure, they weren't all equally famous, but every one of them pushed rock in new directions, leaving lasting legacies that continue to inspire fans and musicians.

No chapters, just one complete story that unfolds over 312 pages bursting with color and original illustrations, quotes from interviews, curious coincidences, riveting revelations, and a myth greater than them all. It's a story about modesty & excess, fame & loneliness, success & defeat, struggle & perseverance, and life & death.

Apocalypse Jukebox
From hellfire hymnals to anarchic rock and roll, Apocalyptic Jukebox reveals our collective fixation on disaster, revelation, and impossible salvation.

American popular music has always been preoccupied with the end of the world, be it the Second Coming or a natural or nuclear disaster. In Apocalypse Jukebox, Edward Whitelock and David Janssen uncover both the paranoia and hope that thread through the nation's history and surface in its music.

From the books's opening scene--a terrifying 1883 meteor s hower in the American South--a sense of doom is palpable. And it is this deep foreboding that shadows every development in North American popular music. The authors examine a remarkable diversity of apocalyptic influences, focusing in particular on such performers as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Coltrane, Devo, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, and Green Day.

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Not bad, huh? The authors will be here at good old Decatur CD at 7pm on Friday, May 22. They'll be reading from, signing and selling the books. Warren is also prepping a monster of a mix that will feature selections from both books. We'll have some beer as well. It's also Decatur Art Walk night, which kicks off the Decatur Arts Festival weekend. Should be a blast.

A Cappella and Decatur CD featured books

If you subscribe to our semi-weekly newsletter (and you really should; the right hand side of this website can help you out), you may have already read this. But we're all about our seven-month-old books section, and happy to give you any reasons at all to peruse it. Here's one more...staff recommended books:

Warren sez...
Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer by Chris Salewicz
This is a thoroughly engaging account of Joe Strummer and the formation of a band that would dramatically change the profile of rock and activism forever. Joe was an idealist and a terror all at once, always embarking on his own musical course. Knowing how much I like his music with the Mescaleros, I'm already missing all the musical collaborations that were undoubtedly to come, including, yes, in my opinion, a reunion with Mick Jones.

Eliot sez...
White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s by Joe Boyd
White Bicycles is named after the catchy single by the London psychedelic rock band Tomorrow. The book, however, opens with author Joe Boyd hunting down long-forgotten American blues-singers. Clearly, Boyd had a hand in all kinds of music during the 1960s. And because he was one of the few people in the biz that didn't have LSD for breakfast every morning, he remembers it all. Whether recounting a scathing castigation from Coleman Hawkins or offering his condolences to a grieving Fairport Convention, Boyd's gripping stories add a new depth to some of the best-loved music of the '60s while also introducing his audience to some lesser-known acts. It all adds up to what Brian Eno calls "the best music book I've read in years." And who are we to doubt Brian Eno?

Austin sez...
Heavy Metal Fun Time Activity Book by Aye Jay (with foreword by Andrew WK)
Metal and crayons don't mix, you say? Bite your tongue! (Or, more in keeping with the spirit of this book, cut it off and feed it to one of the members of Gwar.) This hilarious collection includes all sorts of fun games with metal themes. Help Spinal Tap through a backstage area maze. Connect the dots and color in Dimebag Darrell's (RIP) goatee. Unscramble the names of seven bands Mike Patton has fronted. The book is a hoot, an ideal sincere gift to your metal-loving friend or a gag gift for most anyone who enjoys music. But don't take my word for it...take Ronnie James Dio's! "At last, an activity book for metal heads. From Slipknot to Spinal Tap, the brain teasers are all there. Use some magic and the answers are sure to come."

Robert Hicks photos

By all accounts, our first book event was a pretty rousing success. Robert Hicks and his new tome, A Guitar and a Pen, brought in a nice crowd filled with people who were ready to drop coin on books and music. That's what we like to see, of course. The brew was a-flowin', as were Hicks tales, one in particular about eating a deceased relative! (That's one in the book, which you should still pick up here at Ye Olde DCD.) Fun times all around. Check out the photos...

Save the Date(s): our first book events!

Just a quick heads-up to let all you in-store-event-lovers out there know that you need to mark your calendars. May 31 and June 20 are the dates of note, and here's why, straight from the latest Decatur CD Newsletter:

"Saturday, May 31st at 7pm: Nashville music publisher Robert Hicks will be here to read from and discuss his anthology, A Guitar and a Pen: Stories by Country Music's Greatest Songwriters. The latest from the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow of the South is a collection of stories detailing the songwriting process of some of the music world's finest, including Charlie Daniels, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, Robbie Fulks and many more.

Friday, June 20th at 7pm: Ellis Nassour will be here to read from and chat about his new book, Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline. Nassour was selected as a Time magazine 2006 person of the year, and assisted in the career development of The Who, Bill Cosby, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Loretta Lynn and many more.

Now, we're going to work out some unique musical and drinkable surprises for those evenings, so stay tuned. More coming soon..."

Books?!? We got books.

We've been clamoring about this on the DCD Newsletter quite a bit, but it's about time we got around to a short 'n' sweet blog shout. If you've been in the store recently, you surely noticed large pair of bookcases near the DVD section. In case the sign didn't tip you off, we've partnered with our friends at A Cappella Books to bring you one of the finest music book selections in town. Stop by soon and have a gander. Although we're still very much in the infant stages of this new venture, we've already accumulated well over 200 titles. Not too shabby, eh? And remember, a book is the thinking person's stocking stuffer. We'll see you soon...