Our Band Could Be Your Life

Originally published in 2001, Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life is one of the definitive books about the American underground music scene of the 1980s.

Through the stories of thirteen bands, Azerrad documents the network of independent labels, DIY venues, college radio stations, fanzines and touring circuits that allowed an entirely new musical culture to flourish outside the major-label system. Each chapter focuses on a different band, tracing not only their music but the people, relationships and ideals that helped build the American punk and indie underground.

Featured artists include Black Flag, the Minutemen, Mission of Burma, Minor Threat, Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi, Mudhoney and Beat Happening.

More than a collection of band histories, Our Band Could Be Your Life tells the story of how independent music became a sustainable culture built through touring, record labels, community and a stubborn commitment to doing things differently. Its influence extends far beyond the bands documented here, making it essential reading for anyone interested in punk, hardcore, indie rock and DIY music history.