National Network for Equitable Library Service

“Two Solitudes” is excerpted from Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995, available as a print or ebook.

Trust Yourself is excerpted from Have Note Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995, available as a print or ebook. Published in autumn 2001, Have Not Been the Same became the first book to comprehensively document the rise of Canadian underground rock between the years 1985 and 1995. It was a tumultuous decade that saw the arrival of Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Sloan, Barenaked Ladies, Daniel Lanois, and many others who made an indelible mark not only on Canadian culture, but on the global stage as well.

Treat Me Like Dirt captures the personalities that drove the original Toronto punk scene. This is the first book to document the histories of the Diodes, Viletones, and Teenage Head, along with other bands (B-Girls, Curse, Demics, Dishes, Forgotten Rebels, Johnny & the G-Rays, the Mods, the Poles, Simply Saucer, the Ugly and more) and fans that brought the punk scene to life in Toronto.

Neil Peart decided to drive his BMW Z-8 automobile from L.A. to Big Bend National Park, in Southwest Texas. As he sped along “between the gas-gulping SUVs and asthmatic Japanese compacts clumping in the left lane, and the roaring, straining semis in the right,” he acted as his own DJ, lining up the CDs chronologically and according to his possible moods.

Featuring exclusive interviews with people who worked alongside Tori Amos in the studio — one of her producers, sound engineers, and backing band members — as well as in–depth research into the singer herself, Tori Amos: In the Studio explores this groundbreaking artist’s career album by album. From a child prodigy pianist to her first band, her breakthrough album as a solo artist to her prolific years of recording and touring, Tori Amos has refused to play by the rules of the recording industry and instead fearlessly forged her own path and musical identity.

Danko Jones may be a straight-forward rock band, but their story is anything but. They’re a band that has roots in many different music communities — the North American indie-rock scene, the Scandinavian garage-rock scene, the European metal scene — but belong to none of them.

The result of an extensive poll asking heavy metal fans to list their favourite high-octane albums, this compendium combines those survey results with Popoff’s original interviews with world famous rockers who reveal recording session secrets in addition to their own heavy classics and ear-splitting faves. When all of this is melded with Popoff’s unique and celebrated insights into the metal of yesterday and today, an essential resource becomes a rock-writing standard.

Long after his death, Glenn Gould still lures new listeners to his piano, connecting with them on a haunting, personal level. “He feels and you feel,” says young New York writer Nicole Spectre. “I can feel his pain and joy — it touches me. He speaks directly to me.”

This bestseller is now newly revised and updated Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition gets to the heart of this superstar with albums and singles that head straight to the top of the pop and country music charts, a shelf full of awards, and millions of fans around the world.

With albums and singles that head straight to the top of the pop and country music charts and a shelf full of awards, Taylor Swift was Billboard's number one selling artist across all genres in 2008 — and all before she turned twenty. With her self-titled debut album in 2006, Taylor Swift rose to fame on the strength of her confessional-style songwriting on hits like 'Tim McGraw,' and her sophomore album Fearless spent longer at number one than any album had in a decade.