binge of indie rock label books continues

I remembered to read the last chapter of the Merge Records book this morning, Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small. Arcade Fire wasn't a band that commanded my attention. The postscript that Touch & Go downsized in 2009 made me wince. I felt bad for Corey Rusk & his laid off workers. I'm not comfortable with laying that at the feet of Merge Records, although Mac & Laura admit that they should've been more communicative with old friends. 

The Butthole Surfers seeing Touch & Go sprang to mind. That hurt too. Listening to And Introducing cover Azerrad's Our Band Could Be Your Life clouded by memories fondly of the Butthole Surfers. That was a shitty move. I wasn't a Fugazi person back then because they always seemed too dour. MacKaye's perspective made me come around. 

When Touch and Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79–'83 comes back into print, i need to snag it. It was published 2010. Copies are going for upwards of $80 now. 

I started Baumgarten's Love Rock Revolution this morning. Reading these indie rock books has been a healing salve for my long binge on reading the machinations of the CIA.