Plenty of rock stars have walked the walk and talked the talk over the years – but few have been through the trenches as much as Wayne Kramer – the revolutionary guitarist whose work was a key part of the MC5 and their importance in music! Even after decades, Kramer is still highly regarded for the small number of albums the group gave the world – albums that were soon followed by years of excesses in drugs and then crime – leading Wayne to spend a few young years behind bars in a federal prison, before emerging to play a surprisingly important background role in scenes on both the coasts. Part of that life was some time as a music writer – which really helped shape Kramer's prose here, and create a book that's a very riveting read – honest and upfront, but not in the braggy way that some musicians sometimes treat their personal tragedies in projects of this nature. Softcover volume is 310 pages, with some black and white images. Book

An amazing collection of 40s and 50s jazz drawings by Gene Deitch – the complete anthology of his work for legendary jazz magazine Record Changer! Gene was an amazing artist and cartoonist, whose work helped solidify the legacies of some of the most famous cartoon characters in the American pop culture canon – from Popeye, to Tom & Jerry and beyond – but we're especially in love with his jazz-centric Record Changer era! Gene adored jazz and his love for it really shows! Cat On A Hot Thin Groove includes all of his magazine covers, cartoon panels and other bits from Record Changer – versatile work that ranges from fun, cartoon-y panels of "Jazz Cat" characters, to more elaborate and abstract illustrations. Wonderful, vital stuff – and it's very nicely anthologized here by Fantagraphics! Coffee-table scale paperback – 160+ pages of prime Deitch jazzy drawings with text accompaniment. Book

A beautiful book on the dancehall scene in Jamaica – one that's done in a different style than some of the other Soul Jazz books – which are often focused more on album cover art! This book's got a very different approach – and is more an art book with photos of the dancehall scene in Jamaica, as well as lots of detailed information – including a history of Jamaican dance culture, bios of artists, and more information. Beth Lesser has already given us other great writings on reggae, and she really knows her stuff – and her care here is apparent, and a great complement to the hundreds of photos included within! And don't worry, there's still some pictures of records – but the book also offers up a lot lot more. Over 200 pages, oversize, and full color throughout – and this new edition also includes a fresh introduction from Duro Olowu, and more material than the original volume! Book

From our perspective in the 21st Century, the film career of director David Lynch is the stuff of legend – long and loudly hailed – yet for the man himself, the road to success was a long one – and even along the way, Lynch struggled with countless creative difficulties and personal issues that sometimes made the path between thought and expression a very long one! Here, Lynch himself recounts a lot of those years of struggle, with plenty of help from co-writer Kristine McKenna – who weaves together all sorts of material from dozens of interviews with people in Lynch's life and career, both personal and professional – voices that are added to David's own to provide a very illuminating picture of the real world that's obscured by the cinematic image. Hardcover edition is 577 pages, with many black and white images throughout. Book