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Mutations

The Many Strange Faces of Hardcore Punk
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( 666 ratings, 64 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Mutations explores the multifaceted nature of punk, a movement without a fixed identity that serves as an outlet, lifestyle, ideology, and aesthetic for many. Sam McPheeters, a veteran of the punk scene, shares his experiences leading Born Against, releasing numerous records and fanzines, and touring widely. Through essays, profiles, criticism, and personal history, he examines diverse punk communities such as New York hardcore, Riot Grrrl, and Gilman Street, alongside the complex forces driving creativity and mental health within the scene.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5000

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for enthusiasts of punk and hardcore music, cultural historians, and readers interested in first-person accounts of underground movements.
Fans of music memoirs and subcultural studies will find this collection particularly engaging.

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How can so many people pledge allegiance to punk, something with no fixed identity?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

How can so many people pledge allegiance to punk, something with no fixed identity?

Depending on who and where you are, punk can be an outlet, excuse, lifestyle, escapism, conversation, community, ideology, sales category, social movement, punishable offense, badge of authenticity, reason to drink beer forever, or an aesthetic of belligerent incompetence. And if someone has a strong belief about what punk is, odds are they have even stronger feelings about what punk is not. Sam McPheeters championed many different versions.

Over the course of two decades, he fronted Born Against, released dozens of records and fanzines, and toured seventeen times across the northern hemisphere. In this collection of essays, profiles, criticism, and personal history, he examines the diverse realms he intersected, New York hardcore, Riot Grrrl, Gilman street, the hidden enclaves of Olympia, New England, and downtown Los Angeles, and the forces of mental illness and creative inspiration that drove him, and others, in the first place.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its honesty and insight, Mutations has been called "the memoir that hardcore punk needs" (Pitchfork) and an "absolutely essential study" for punk fans. GQ notes McPheeters' keen eye for the ridiculous and self-reflective honesty, while the Los Angeles Times highlights his skill at revealing the intellectual depth beneath hardcore's loud exterior. Writing is described as smooth, conversational, and welcoming by The Quietus, with Vol. 1 Brooklyn enjoying the book's compelling pace.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781947856981

Publisher: Rare Bird Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 February 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Rare Bird Books

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Tobi Vail

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 312

About the Author

Sam McPheeters was born in Ohio and raised in upstate New York. In 1981, at age twelve, he co-authored Travelers Tales: Rumors and Legends of the Albany-Saratoga Region. Starting in 1989, he sang for Born Against, Men's Recovery Project, and Wrangler Brutes, touring seventeen times across North America, Europe, and Japan. Since 2009, he has written for Criterion, Vice, and The Village Voice, among others. He currently lives in Pomona, CA, with his wife.

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