Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance
Written by: Dean Wareham
Editorial Reviews:
A bewitching account of the lures, torments, and rewards of making and performing some of the most interesting music in some of the most iconic indie bands (Galaxie 500, Luna) in recent memory
What do you do if you're an outsider with a funny accent coming of age in alien bastions of privilege in New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts? If you're a certain sort of kid, you front a rock band. And if you're Dean Wareham, you end up founding a rock band, Galaxie 500, that continues to enjoy what can be called notable postmortem cult success. And then you start a new band, Luna, which enjoys even more spectacular, albeit still "cult" success (which means they don't play your songs on mainstream radio and you never crack MTV), until, some fifteen years after it began, that band reaches its natural end too. And then you write a book about it all: an unsentimental journey through the great, world-wide indiemusic landscape.
A wickedly honest and unsparing account of a journey through the music world-the artistry and the hustle, the effortless success and the high living as well as the bitter pills and self-inflicted wounds-by a brilliant and fearless participant-observer, Black Postcards is absurdly rich in rewards for anyone who was ever in a band or just took an interest in indie music over the past twenty years-a sort of Kitchen Confidential written by a different species of front man. Black Postcards also captures what has happened, for good and ill, to the entire ecosystem of popular music over this time of radical change, a time when categories like "indie" and "alternative" started to morph beyond all recognition. Rolling Stone called Dean Wareham's band Luna "the greatest band you've never heard of " and named its album Penthouse one of its 100 greatest rock albums of our time. Black Postcards is also about what it's like to have to pretend to be civil as you answer the same helpful question over and over again, "Why aren't you guys more famous?" Why indeed?
If you like "Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance, you might also like ...
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Biased review for paralell moments
Comment: I was first taken to a Luna concert by a very close friend. We ended up going to a lot of their shows together; I met and fell in love with someone at a Luna concert. Both friend and lover were personally connected to Luna. My good friend now has a family but Luna is a connection to our early 20's. These were my early-ish New York years and Wareham's book sadly puts that into perspective. I remember when I first heard that Dean and Britta were together; I attach songs and events to my own life events. I think I am going to have to keep this book for life, just to remember that it all existed indeed.
Yes, I am biased.
Even if you didn't know Luna this is a very informative book that aptly discerns the development of music made by well-educated kids (such as Harvard grad Wareham) who were not quite able to reach out to the mainstream and live the cliche Rock'n'Roll life.
This is great news for those of us who have ever entertained the idea of living the music dream. Very quickly, Dean casually informs us of the crappy vans and disorienting routine of playing, of crashing record labels, fighting bandmates.
All in a lightly mocking, pretty-boy-prince style that could very well translate into why a band such as Luna was never able to become more mainstream to have perhaps cared for longevity. Dean pans us along seductively by giving our poison along with our meals. I can see myself in Dean's stand-offish persona, one that mocks REM, Chilli Peppers, etc...while longing for the absurd stability they've earned by crafting their brands so carefully.
It's great to see him tell us all about the Galaxie 500 control freaks; about love and the petty morality we all come to expect in the monotonous banter of existance. Music is a funny beast, taking us far afield, icing our paths along for fludity, and as he takes the cakes and bumps along the ride, he shares it along with us.
Dean is somehow endearingly likeable; his detestable easygoing charm pushes him along; his somewhat priviledged upbringing and natural good looks make it all seem a bit deflating. The have-it-all cover up is just worn-out skin for a proding, pleasure-loving urbanite.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Smart and funny.
Comment: I love a good Rock & Roll autobiography and this one is everything you hope for: Wareham is smart enough to quote Trotsky but funny enough to crack dirty jokes about tour life, he's old enough to have perspective about the industry but young enough to not be nostalgic. I was quoting lines out of it to friends the whole time I was reading it, such as "Perhaps we were postmodern. Perhaps we were just old fashioned."
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wareham Fans - Rejoice!
Comment: After being a huge fan of both Galaxie 500 and Luna, I was giddy with delight when I learned that Dean Wareham wrote an autobiography.
It's not often when you can say you loved, not one, but two bands with the same singer/songwriter guitarist.
This is a great read if you're a fan of either band.
But even if you're not, the style and musings of Wareham are insightful and dryly comical.
Fans of both bands can arguably say that either/both should have been much more popular then they were and in a perfect world, their songs should be playing on radio stations all over the world.
Not to say they should be making a lot more money.
The not so glamorous world of an indie, and even major label,band is captured in a warts and all telling.
And the in-fighting among bandmates is understandable if you're living with them in smelly vans and hotel rooms 24 hours a day.
As a postscript - if you're a big Luna fan, I would recommend their travelogue DVD "Tell Me Do You Miss Me" that captures the final tour.
Great stuff.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This rating system should go to eleven...
Comment: I really enjoyed this book.
I think the overarching theme is the battle of the creative soul against group think.
The record labels selling the "bruit du jour", the media selling "shock and awe", and our cultural legacies that define the proper "progression" of our lives. At times that creative soul is triumphant and you pant your flaming Seminole on the battle field of life, other times you wind up drunk and stoned, eating cheez whiz and wonder bread sandwiches at 3am, and wondering where the hell you went wrong.
I guess the key is to recognize when you reached that creative dead-end and have the courage to forge a new path. Even if that feels like backtracking. Even you feel the sting of loss.
The Book leads you candidly through his journey to (and out of) several of these dead-end. He does this in literary tones that oscillate from reverence for the creative work that might have been, to playful banter on the absurdities of business, love and the creative process.
Aspiring musicians will benefit from the catalog of pitfalls and "early warnings" he documents. Music fans who grew up in the alternative rock scene of the 90's will especially love the behind the scenes view of a music industry under siege financially by Napster, and artistically by "grunge".
All-in-all a great read you don't have to be a Galaxie 500, Luna, or Dean & Britta fan to enjoy.
Hope this review helps :-)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Why's everybody look so strange? Here's the answer.
Comment: I could ask Dean Wareham lots of questions about him, Galaxie 500, Luna etc. But now my mind is clear. I believe he was honest while he was writing. Not only any fan of Dean Wareham or Luna or Galaxie 500 but everybody who likes music more than a listener must read the book, it's a pleasure and it's as important as listening to Tugboat or 23 Minutes In Brussels, anyway. and it is more than a book about a man and his band(s), it has lots of points about being in a band and making music business. Moreover, you can figure out some points how the modern rock/indie music scene developed. as a personal note; i haven't read a book, easy to follow and understand like this one, even written in my native language.
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.42166092
EAN: 9781594201554
ISBN: 1594201552
Label: Penguin Press HC, The
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: 2008-03-13
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
Studio: Penguin Press HC, The
 | Format: Hardcover List Price: $25.95 Our Price: $17.13 Your Save: $ 8.82 ( 34% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Customer Rating:  |
Editorial Reviews:
A bewitching account of the lures, torments, and rewards of making and performing some of the most interesting music in some of the most iconic indie bands (Galaxie 500, Luna) in recent memory
What do you do if you're an outsider with a funny accent coming of age in alien bastions of privilege in New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts? If you're a certain sort of kid, you front a rock band. And if you're Dean Wareham, you end up founding a rock band, Galaxie 500, that continues to enjoy what can be called notable postmortem cult success. And then you start a new band, Luna, which enjoys even more spectacular, albeit still "cult" success (which means they don't play your songs on mainstream radio and you never crack MTV), until, some fifteen years after it began, that band reaches its natural end too. And then you write a book about it all: an unsentimental journey through the great, world-wide indiemusic landscape.
A wickedly honest and unsparing account of a journey through the music world-the artistry and the hustle, the effortless success and the high living as well as the bitter pills and self-inflicted wounds-by a brilliant and fearless participant-observer, Black Postcards is absurdly rich in rewards for anyone who was ever in a band or just took an interest in indie music over the past twenty years-a sort of Kitchen Confidential written by a different species of front man. Black Postcards also captures what has happened, for good and ill, to the entire ecosystem of popular music over this time of radical change, a time when categories like "indie" and "alternative" started to morph beyond all recognition. Rolling Stone called Dean Wareham's band Luna "the greatest band you've never heard of " and named its album Penthouse one of its 100 greatest rock albums of our time. Black Postcards is also about what it's like to have to pretend to be civil as you answer the same helpful question over and over again, "Why aren't you guys more famous?" Why indeed?
If you like "Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance, you might also like ...
 | Luna - Tell Me Do You Miss Me |
 | Back Numbers |
 | Accelerate |
 | Lush Life: A Novel |
 | Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! |
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Biased review for paralell moments
Comment: I was first taken to a Luna concert by a very close friend. We ended up going to a lot of their shows together; I met and fell in love with someone at a Luna concert. Both friend and lover were personally connected to Luna. My good friend now has a family but Luna is a connection to our early 20's. These were my early-ish New York years and Wareham's book sadly puts that into perspective. I remember when I first heard that Dean and Britta were together; I attach songs and events to my own life events. I think I am going to have to keep this book for life, just to remember that it all existed indeed.
Yes, I am biased.
Even if you didn't know Luna this is a very informative book that aptly discerns the development of music made by well-educated kids (such as Harvard grad Wareham) who were not quite able to reach out to the mainstream and live the cliche Rock'n'Roll life.
This is great news for those of us who have ever entertained the idea of living the music dream. Very quickly, Dean casually informs us of the crappy vans and disorienting routine of playing, of crashing record labels, fighting bandmates.
All in a lightly mocking, pretty-boy-prince style that could very well translate into why a band such as Luna was never able to become more mainstream to have perhaps cared for longevity. Dean pans us along seductively by giving our poison along with our meals. I can see myself in Dean's stand-offish persona, one that mocks REM, Chilli Peppers, etc...while longing for the absurd stability they've earned by crafting their brands so carefully.
It's great to see him tell us all about the Galaxie 500 control freaks; about love and the petty morality we all come to expect in the monotonous banter of existance. Music is a funny beast, taking us far afield, icing our paths along for fludity, and as he takes the cakes and bumps along the ride, he shares it along with us.
Dean is somehow endearingly likeable; his detestable easygoing charm pushes him along; his somewhat priviledged upbringing and natural good looks make it all seem a bit deflating. The have-it-all cover up is just worn-out skin for a proding, pleasure-loving urbanite.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Smart and funny.
Comment: I love a good Rock & Roll autobiography and this one is everything you hope for: Wareham is smart enough to quote Trotsky but funny enough to crack dirty jokes about tour life, he's old enough to have perspective about the industry but young enough to not be nostalgic. I was quoting lines out of it to friends the whole time I was reading it, such as "Perhaps we were postmodern. Perhaps we were just old fashioned."
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wareham Fans - Rejoice!
Comment: After being a huge fan of both Galaxie 500 and Luna, I was giddy with delight when I learned that Dean Wareham wrote an autobiography.
It's not often when you can say you loved, not one, but two bands with the same singer/songwriter guitarist.
This is a great read if you're a fan of either band.
But even if you're not, the style and musings of Wareham are insightful and dryly comical.
Fans of both bands can arguably say that either/both should have been much more popular then they were and in a perfect world, their songs should be playing on radio stations all over the world.
Not to say they should be making a lot more money.
The not so glamorous world of an indie, and even major label,band is captured in a warts and all telling.
And the in-fighting among bandmates is understandable if you're living with them in smelly vans and hotel rooms 24 hours a day.
As a postscript - if you're a big Luna fan, I would recommend their travelogue DVD "Tell Me Do You Miss Me" that captures the final tour.
Great stuff.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This rating system should go to eleven...
Comment: I really enjoyed this book.
I think the overarching theme is the battle of the creative soul against group think.
The record labels selling the "bruit du jour", the media selling "shock and awe", and our cultural legacies that define the proper "progression" of our lives. At times that creative soul is triumphant and you pant your flaming Seminole on the battle field of life, other times you wind up drunk and stoned, eating cheez whiz and wonder bread sandwiches at 3am, and wondering where the hell you went wrong.
I guess the key is to recognize when you reached that creative dead-end and have the courage to forge a new path. Even if that feels like backtracking. Even you feel the sting of loss.
The Book leads you candidly through his journey to (and out of) several of these dead-end. He does this in literary tones that oscillate from reverence for the creative work that might have been, to playful banter on the absurdities of business, love and the creative process.
Aspiring musicians will benefit from the catalog of pitfalls and "early warnings" he documents. Music fans who grew up in the alternative rock scene of the 90's will especially love the behind the scenes view of a music industry under siege financially by Napster, and artistically by "grunge".
All-in-all a great read you don't have to be a Galaxie 500, Luna, or Dean & Britta fan to enjoy.
Hope this review helps :-)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Why's everybody look so strange? Here's the answer.
Comment: I could ask Dean Wareham lots of questions about him, Galaxie 500, Luna etc. But now my mind is clear. I believe he was honest while he was writing. Not only any fan of Dean Wareham or Luna or Galaxie 500 but everybody who likes music more than a listener must read the book, it's a pleasure and it's as important as listening to Tugboat or 23 Minutes In Brussels, anyway. and it is more than a book about a man and his band(s), it has lots of points about being in a band and making music business. Moreover, you can figure out some points how the modern rock/indie music scene developed. as a personal note; i haven't read a book, easy to follow and understand like this one, even written in my native language.
Technical Details
Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 782.42166092
EAN: 9781594201554
ISBN: 1594201552
Label: Penguin Press HC, The
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: 2008-03-13
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
Studio: Penguin Press HC, The
