More crazy:

NEW YORK- The latest volume in Continuum Books' eclectic 33 1/3 series of little books about great albums may not feature the most famous band in the world, but fans of indie rock legends Neutral Milk Hotel have snapped up nearly every copy of Kim Cooper¹s book, requiring a surprise reprint just six weeks after it went on sale.

Series editor David Barker says, "It's fantastic to see Kim's book off to such a great start, and outselling our books about Springsteen and Bowie. The story is clearly resonating with a lot of fans. The book's success is also a tribute to clued-up independent and online stores--since it's basically unavailable in 95% of regular bookstores in America."

The highly influential Neutral Milk Hotel broke up in 1998, not long after the release of their masterpiece, "In the Aeroplane Over The Sea." The album continues to sell 25,000 copies a year mainly by word of mouth, and was recently given ten retroactive stars by Pitchfork.com. The album was reissued by England's Domino label in September.

Kim Cooper's "Neutral Milk Hotel's 'In the Aeroplane Over The Sea'" explores the deep friendships that fed the band's evolution, its role within the Elephant 6 creative community and previously unpublished information on recordings, songwriting and touring, and explains some of the reasons why band leader Jeff Mangum felt compelled to retreat from public life just as his band was taking off.

requiring a surprise reprint just six weeks after it went on sale.

Wow. I am glad I ordered mine when I did - I should get it before the end of the week.

Rock on, Kim!

She's very good about marketing the book online, and we both wound up posting on the Elephant 6 boards about it when some of the hardcore fans were dubious about the project.

Also, I've noted before, the book is really the definitive history of not only that record but how Elephant 6 worked as a collective. It'd have interest for any indie rock fan. Kim did a great job of reporting and traveled a lot to interview people in Athens and earn their trust.

Where's the link for that, Jon?

Where's the link for that, Jon?

It was a press release email from Kim that someone forwarded to me.

It was a press release email from Kim that someone forwarded to me.

Well, I expect she knows about it then, already, huh?

Sometimes just reading music writing makes me want to quit.

"Heart in a Cage" is a densely wrought latticework of Maiden-approved solos and martial rhythms, "Ask Me Anything" casts Julian Casablancas's barroom baritone into an audioscape of video game strings and ketamined "Sweet Child O' Mine" guitar lines, while "Vision of Division" is a suffocating swirl of industrial squall and stiff robo-skank.

Sometimes just reading music writing makes me want to quit.

But please don't.

New tag!

I had a strong suspicion that the writer was from the Village Voice, even before I googled it.

A review of the new book from Lost In The Grooves contributor Phil Freeman.