Mute Records was one of the most striking British labels of the post-punk years – second maybe only to Factory Records for the way it mixed art and design to package modern music – a legacy that began with the label's very first 45, and continued through countless great albums and singles for years to come! This beautiful volume is an especially strong look at the first decade or so of Mute – and showcases the way it found new styles to present its music – a rich legacy of sounds from Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Fad Gadget, Nitzer Ebb, Einsturzende Neubauten, and many others – a mode that continued even after Mute had found bigger fame in the mainstream, and started to issue some of its productions on major labels. The book traces hundreds of images, and even includes label scans, mock-ups, and other related work – along with a complete representation of the label's albums too. This hardcover edition is full color throughout, over 300 pages, and a great companion to the classic music of Mute! Book

A look at the important second chapter in the LA punk scene – the years 1982 through 1987 – examined in great detail by John Doe, who was very much on the spot as a member of the band X! Doe gets help from writer Tom Desavia, and both open the door to contributions from a whole host of others – Henry Rollins, Billy Zoom Dave Alvin, Maria McKee, Peter Case, Jane Wiedlin, and many others – all of whom lend their voices to provid a very vivid illustration of this point in LA – a time when the music went from the underground to the mainstream, and faced some key challenges along the way. Harcover edition is 328 pages, with a section of black and white images. Book