In the basement of an apartment building in Manhattan,Scott Zieher discovered a pile of photographs among theeffects of a recently deceased tenant. These photographs,presented for the first time in Band of Bikers, offer anintimate portrait of a group of gay bikers in the city and thewoods, and a touching snapshot of an entire generation atits carefree zenith. Newly aware of muscle and biker magazines and their heavy-handederoticism, photographer and photographed brimwith a subtly vibrant, chromatic pride. The photographs asa whole bring into focus a brief, specific period of relativeinnocence, when middle-of-the-road Americans more oftenthan not failed to perceive the homoerotic undertones oftheir most heterosexual of institutions. With conceptual lightcast by issues ranging from anonymity in homosexuality andunderground motorcycle chic, to vernacular photography'spop-culture ramifications, a warm and generous spiritof camaraderie pervades this subterranean survey. Likea real-world set forScorpio Rising casually captured byan unpretentious extra, presented as Band of Bikers andaccompanied by an essay by Zieher, this found cache ofold-school, leather party snapshots attains archeologicalsignificance.

Girl Gangs, Biker Boys, and Real Cool Cats is the first comprehensive account of how the rise of postwar youth culture was depicted in mass-market pulp fiction. As the young created new styles in music, fashion, and culture, pulp fiction shadowed their every move, hyping and exploiting their behaviour, dress, and language for mass consumption and cheap thrills. From the juvenile delinquent gangs of the early 1950s through the beats and hippies, on to bikers, skinheads, and punks, pulp fiction left no trend untouched. With their lurid covers and wild, action-packed plots, these books reveal as much about society’s deepest desires and fears as they do about the subcultures themselves. Girl Gangs features approximately 400 full-color covers, many of them never reprinted before. With 70 in-depth author interviews, illustrated biographies, and previously unpublished articles from more than 20 popular culture critics and scholars from the US, UK, and Australia, the book goes behind the scenes to look at the authors and publishers, how they worked, where they drew their inspiration and—often overlooked—the actual words they wrote. Books by well-known authors such as Harlan Ellison and Lawrence Block are discussed alongside neglected obscurities and former bestsellers ripe for rediscovery. It is a must read for anyone interested in pulp fiction, lost literary history, retro and subcultural style, and the history of postwar youth culture. Contributors include Nicolas Tredell, Alwyn W. Turner, Mike Stax, Clinton Walker, Bill Osgerby, David Rife, J.F. Norris, Stewart Home, James Cockington, Joe Blevins, Brian Coffey, James Doig, David James Foster, Matthew Asprey Gear, Molly Grattan, Brian Greene, John Harrison, David Kiersh, Austin Matthews, and Robert Baker.

Musicians, both fictional and real, have long been subjects of cinema. From biopics of composers Beethoven and Mozart to the rise (and often fall) of imaginary bands in The Commitments and Almost Famous, music of all types has inspired hundreds of films. The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film features the most significant productions from around the world, including straightforward biographies, rockumentaries, and even the occasional mockumentary. The wide-ranging scope of this volume allows for the inclusion of films about fictional singers and bands, with emphasis on a variety of themes: songwriter–band relationships, the rise and fall of a career, music saving the day, the promoter’s point of view, band competitions, the traveling band, and rock-based absurdity. Among the films discussed in this book are Amadeus, The Blues Brothers, The Buddy Holly Story, The Commitments, Dreamgirls, The Glenn Miller Story, A Hard Day’s Night, I’m Not There, Jailhouse Rock, A Mighty Wind, Ray, ’Round Midnight, The Runaways, School of Rock, That Thing You Do!, and Walk the Line.With entries that span the decades and highlight a variety of music genres, The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film is a valuable resource for moviegoers and music lovers alike, as well as scholars of both film and music.

B. Lee Cooper offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of contemporary American society as it has been captured and transmitted in the lyrics of more than 3,000 popular recordings. By tracing the permutations of American popular music from the end of the Big Band/Swing Era through the Age of Rock, the author presents a thematically structured analysis of popular music lyrics from 1950 through 1985. Cooper divides his lucid commentaries and lists of songs into fifteen sections, each dealing with a particular social, political, or personal theme. In the brief essays that precede the lengthy discographic sections, the author explores the ways in which popular music has dealt with such issues as religion, death, education, youth culture, transportation, mass media, protest, military activity, women's liberation, and drug use and abuse. An illustrative discography of 45 r.p.m. records follows each section of commentary. An extensive bibliography of books, articles, and special reports appears at the end of the volume, along with a selected discography of album-length recordings which supplements the extensive 45 r.p.m. listings.

Martian deathtrap pits a desperate band of human defenders against the merciless interplanetary invaders. The battleground is a huge mansion filled with trapdoors, secret passages, giant insects, and death lurking around every corner. For the Martians, their mission is to secure the captured ground by whatever means necessary. For the humans, the goal is to beat the odds and simply survive.--Jacket flap.