Off the Record

The ultimate music fan's bible packed with insight into the world of rock 'n' roll. Off the Record brings together the best interviews and articles from Australia's music street press, about bands on the cusp of greatness to megastars at the height of their powers—all imbued with a cool street-press indie sensibility. Many pieces come from Time Off, a magazine established in 1979 and the first free music/entertainment weekly in Australia. Far from regurgitating industry marketing copy, music street press has a fiercely independent and wry voice. Off the Record reflects this, offering a unique insight into recent music history: Powderfinger return from their first-ever Sydney shows, Nick Cave name-checks his literary heroes, and Neil Finn worries that Crowded House's new album might be a little too dark, while elsewhere Kurt Cobain dives into Dave Grohl's drum kit (and sprains his wrist in the process). Australian bands, from the Saints to the Grates and the Hilltop Hoods, are featured, but the international focus is strong too, from the Rolling Stones and Sonic Youth to Oasis and the White Stripes. This is the must-have indie book about all things music.