When British rockers invaded the United States in the 1960s, youths responded by growing long hair and playing electrified music in suburban garages. Garage rock has grown from a hobby of the rebellious to a cultural statement: anything not mainstream, from alternative country to hardcore punk, can be included in the realm of contemporary garage rock. Issues of rebellion, clothing and hair styles, playing styles, nostalgia and "selling out" permeate the modern culture of garage rock. Pure rock from the '50s, '60s and '70s and older root styles such as swing and rockabilly have been reasserted in this form, leaving the confines of garages for clubs and other venues where fans' tastes are tuned to the underground. This study explores garage rock as it evolved alongside mainstream music and examines how it reflects notions of self though the assertion of individuality and rebellion in prosperous postmodern times. Using the Detroit music scene as the focus, the author presents two sections. The first section examines the creation of the scene, the importance of relationships to the past and the appearance used throughout. The second section analyzes the alliances and relationships to society that undergird contemporary garage rock. The author maintains garage rock has developed a place in American cultural history, and its continuation will be based on how the underground situates itself within postmodern society.

Five Years Ahead of My Time: Garage Rock from the 1950s to the Present tells of a musical phenomenon whose continuing influence on global popular culture is immeasurable. The story begins in 1950s America, when classic rock ’n’ roll was reaching middle age, and teenaged musicians kept its primal rawness going with rough-hewn instrumentals, practicing guitar riffs in their parents’ garages. In the mid-1960s came the Beatles and the British Invasion, and soon every neighborhood had its own garage band. Groups like the Sonics and 13th Floor Elevators burnt brightly but briefly, only to be rediscovered by a new generation of connoisseurs in the 1970s. Numerous compilation albums followed, spearheaded by Lenny Kaye’s iconic Nuggets, which resulted in garage rock’s rebirth during the 1980s and ’90s. Be it the White Stripes or the Black Keys, bands have consistently found inspiration in the simplicity and energy of garage rock. It is a revitalizing force, looking back to the past to forge the future of rock ’n’ roll. And this, for the first time, is its story.

Traces "garage" and "psychedelic" rock from the 50's through the sixties, unfolds the history and the sonic structures of some of rock's core repertoire

“We gotta get out of this place.” —Any kid in the ’80s trying to make it playing rock and roll. Mix one dash of high school and two jiggers of teenage angst with a metric ton of heavy metal, and you have the recipe for the improbable wild ride of five kids with limited means and big dreams. Seventeen-year-old Sean needs a lot of things: He needs his parents to stop hassling him. He needs his car to actually start. He needs his Jewfro to grow out into heavy metal hair. But most of all, he needs a band... Without one he isn’t sure that he’s ever going to make it out of this two-horse town. He’s been trying to put a band together for as long as he can remember, but finding like-minded metalheads in rural America has been challenging. Finally the stars align and a band is born. It’s magic. But can these five talented metal kids keep things together long enough to play the show of a lifetime? If you are a fan of heavy metal music and grew up in the 1980s (or just wished you had) this story is for you.

Milwaukee hasn't earned a reputation as a launching pad for hopeful rock stars, but for generations it has had the perfect acoustics for the garage band rock scene. Of course, the whole point of garage rock is that every place has the perfect acoustics, but just try telling that to the folks who heard Blitzkrieg Over Kenosha" for the first time. With dual citizenship in the research library and the basement show, Peter Roller follows Milwaukee's garage rockers everywhere they haul their amps, observing bands like the Stilettos, the Angry Daisies, the Palmettos, the Chevelles and the Violent Femmes in their natural habitat."

DIV "Ken Gross is one of the premiere auto writers in the United States. This is a terrific book... a great Father's Day gift and a great read." - Jay Leno Cars and rock ‘n roll have always gone hand in hand. Whether it’s a garage band piling into some decrepit rig to get to the next gig or a killer guitar riff blasting from a Mustang, rock ‘n roll keeps us moving when we’re behind the wheel. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the music world’s big names are also serious car guys. Jimmie Vaughn, Billy Joel, Brian Johnson (AC/DC), J Geils, Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), and others each spend as much time behind the wheel as they can. Hot rods, customs, muscle cars, motorcycles, race cars, and sports cars—the variety of vehicles is as eclectic as rock ‘n roll itself. Rockin’ Garages showcases top performers, their cars, and their garages. Authors Tom Cotter and Ken Gross profile each musician, revealing the story behind their moto-lust and what drives their car collecting. Each profile is complemented by Michael Alan Ross’ top-notch photography. Rockin’ Garages puts you behind the wheel with some of your favorite musicians. /div