Lester “Les” McCoy is a retired cowboy who now lives in the city, working days at the Ranch and Feed. He loves his country music. Not so his tenant, Damien Ridley, who lives downstairs in his duplex and works evenings at the gym. ”Metal boy,” as Les likes to call him, prefers to listen to all things rock and metal at decibels that make his ears bleed. Damien is attracted to Les, which he makes abundantly clear with those translucent gray eyes and his hot, kissable mouth. Problem is, although Les is in lust with Damien, he's an old prairie bachelor and sees his metal boy as too young for a roll in the hay. He'd rather be put out to pasture. Enter a friend who's gay-bashed and a co-worker who kicks his head out of his ass, and Les reconsiders whether a heavy metal dude can help an old cowboy with the blues.
In life, there’s a fine line between lust and love. One often leads to the other, but sometimes, it’s just about release. Follow the men in these best-selling stories by J.D. Walker as they ride a physical and emotional rollercoaster to the heart. The experience changes their lives forever. Contains the stories: Back at the Altar: Cole Altridge is jilted at the altar. He is hesitant to pursue any further relationships and buries himself in work until Brenda, his best friend, drags him out to do karaoke one night. There, he comes to the rescue of Jeremy Sultan, an acquaintance he now sees with new eyes. Sparks fly and the sex is hot. Will he let himself get his happily ever after? Copy Me, Unrequited: Theodore Mennington loves Henry Bunting, but he knows it's one-sided. Sheldon Wickens has the hots for Theodore, but it never goes anywhere. When Sheldon signs a one-year lease for the apartment complex where Theodore lives, Henry sees the attraction between Theodore and Sheldon and plays cupid. Theodore has to decide if he wants to take a chance on something new, or remain unrequited. Dream Man: Every night Michael Stein dreams of 'Mr. Muscles' -- a sex machine who pounds him into oblivion and makes his sheets wet. Who needs reality? Then he meets Christian Bolster, his dream man. Will he take a chance, or forever hide behind the facade of Mr. Muscles? Heavy Metal Cowboy Blues: Lester 'Les' McCoy loves his country music. He's also in lust with Damien Ridley -- the 'metal boy' who lives downstairs -- despite his very loud music tastes which drive Les crazy! He's an old prairie bachelor, and thinks Damien is too young for him. But, a gay-bashing and some friendly advice lead Les to use Patsy Cline and canary yellow underpants to get the stud he's always wanted. He’s the Boss: Lynn Hall owns an employment agency with one problem -- he can't keep his own staff in line. In steps Duncan Stern, the perfect employee. Sparks fly, but Lynn’s the boss and they need to be professional, right? Passion won’t be denied, however and turns into steamy nights and hot office liaisons. One lecherous client threatens their love, and Lynn wonders -- will he lose the man of his dreams? Ho Hum New Year: John Parnassus hates the holidays with a passion. He doesn't believe in love, men or the 'holiday spirit', still bitter after his ex left him on Christmas morning. In steps fate in the guise of Tim Hinton. Surprised to find they have common ground, John finds himself at a crossroads: should he make a move, or endure another ho hum New Year? Run to You: Tyson Cranwick is in love with Justin Simpson, but all they have in common is their jobs at the call center. Justin loves sports, so Tyson decides to train for the same 5k race as his crush, hoping he'll get a date out of the deal. Nothing goes as planned, however, and Tyson fears he's lost his chance. Or has he? Can he overcome his fear and listen to what Justin's heart has to say? The Best Man for Me: Royce Lummis' fiancé is a no-show at the rehearsal; worst of all, he sees him kissing another man. Heartbroken, Royce accepts the offer of a couch from Rodney Fanning—his best man and ex-boyfriend. Though they have history between them, Rodney is a good friend and Royce's heart slowly heals. It's almost too late when Royce finally realizes that Rodney is the best man for him. Will he get his man?
From 1983 until 1991, Glam Metal was the sound of American culture. Big hair, massive amplifiers, drugs, alcohol, piles of money and life-threatening pyrotechnics. This was the world stalked by Bon Jovi, Kiss, W.A.S.P., Skid Row, Dokken, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Ratt and many more. Armed with hairspray, spandex and strangely shaped guitars, they marked the last great era of supersize bands. Where did Glam Metal come from? How did it spread? What killed it off? And why does nobody admit to having been a Glam Metaller anymore?
A Beginning Singer's Guide is a vocal pedagogy with four practical uses. First, it can be used as a collateral text for studio voice lessons. The teacher can conserve time by assigning relevant reading in the book instead of making lengthy expositions during the lesson. Second, it can be used as a primary text for undergraduate vocal pedagogy classes. Many schools offer a vocal pedagogy class whose enrollment includes singers and future choral conductors. A special chapter for the future choral conductor containing methods and other aids should meet the need for an all-in-one text for this class. Third, it can be used as a practical guide for new voice teachers. A special chapter containing methods for new voice teachers and studio administration will be very useful to the new teacher of voice. Fourth, the book explores subjects not usually covered in music pedagogy books, such as notes on working with a pianist, improving memory, common acting terms, subtexting, and methods for alleviating performance anxiety. These important, yet often disregarded areas, further complement a singer's talent and skill. The author does not espouse any particular 'method' of singing; instead, he applies a universal, scientific approach with the firm belief that singing can be enhanced through further musical knowledge. The sequence of the book follows the natural sequence of learning to sing. The book is rounded out with line art of the vocal mechanism, musical examples, tables outlining the musculature of singing, practical forms, information for the beginning teacher, and a bibliography.
Sexing the Groove discusses these issues and many more, bringing together leading music and cultural theorists to explore the relationships between popular music, gender and sexuality. The contributors, who include Mavis Beayton, Stella Bruzzi, Sara Cohen, Sean Cubitt, Keith Negus and Will Straw, debate how popular music performers, subcultures, fans and texts construct and deconstruct `masculine' and `feminine' identities. Using a wide range of case studies, from Mick Jagger to Riot Grrrls, they demonstrate that there is nothing `natural', permanent or immovable about the regime of sexual difference which governs society and culture. Sexing the Groove also includes a comprehensive annotated bibliography for further reading and research into gender and popular music.
This updated reissue of Mark LeVine’s acclaimed, revolutionary book on sub- and countercultural music in the Middle East brings this groundbreaking portrait of the region’s youth cultures to a new generation. Featuring a new preface by the author in conversation with the band The Kominas about the problematic connections between extreme music and Islam. An eighteen-year-old Moroccan who loves Black Sabbath. A twenty-two-year-old rapper from the Gaza Strip. A young Lebanese singer who quotes Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, and reggae are each the music of protest, and are considered immoral by many in the Muslim world. As the young people and subcultures featured in Mark LeVine’s Heavy Metal Islam so presciently predicted, this music turned out to be the soundtrack of countercultures, uprisings, and even revolutions from Morocco to Pakistan. In Heavy Metal Islam, originally published in 2008, Mark LeVine explores the influence of Western music on the Middle East and North Africa through interviews with musicians and fans, introducing us to young people struggling to reconcile their religion with a passion for music and a thirst for change. The result is a revealing tour de force of contemporary cultures across the Muslim majority world through the region’s evolving music scenes that only a musician, scholar, and activist with LeVine’s unique breadth of experience could narrate. A New York Times Editor’s Pick when it was first published, Heavy Metal Islam is a surprising, wildly entertaining foray into a historically authoritarian region where music reveals itself to be a true democratizing force—and a groundbreaking work of scholarship that pioneered new forms of research in the region.
This monster Rock-n-Roll survey focuses on the songs and the vibrant personalities who create them, for college audiences and the general public. Dean published the world's first history of Rock in 1966. Here, in his ebullient style, he buzzes through piles of musical singles from the whole last half century, describing what is fun about each major and minor hit, pointing out what elements were exciting or new or significant in the development of musical styles. He relates some tantalizing tidbits about the earlier musical heritage that artists have drawn upon in crafting ever more amazing evolutions of rock music. This snappy, witty and informative album has universal appeal, doubling as a coffee-table trivia treasure and a college-level popular music history text. It includes hundreds of photos, chapter questions, and an extensive index. Reader-friendly and informationally complete, it covers soft rock, heavy metal, rhythm & blues, country rock and classic oldies, all with tender loving care, for the specialist and casual listener alike. Its mini-portraits of the artists who move so many hearts (and feet), the photos and the insightful sound bites get to the essence of each song and each musician's contribution to the music of our age. The single-song focus makes the book unique. It's a playlist for R'n'R professors and the general public, written with a collegiate vocabulary, tight organization and a respect for all. "Hearing Elvis for the first time was like busting out of jail." - Bob Dylan That being said, no one is being incited, here, to bust out of jail or to emulate the quixotic habits of rock stars. "There's nothing in here to hide from the kids, the clergy or grandma." Gold Rush can be used as a university or community college text, but most people will grab it for the sheer pleasure of reading about everyone's favorites. Great gift for Rock enthusiasts. Gold Rush is the first book of its kind to feature a celebration of the great single songs of the rock era and beyond. Gold Rush takes thousands of songs, spanning three centuries, and brings them back uniquely as if they came out just yesterday. Gold Rush unites the Anglo-American and later worldwide spirit of Rock and Roll in a tapestry of interconnected melodies and adventures. As Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide helps you select videos at Blockbuster, so Gold Rush is a powerful playlist for your music collection, with many new and fascinating photos of favorite stars. Gold Rush explains the most important stories behind the songs you picked to be played, the songs that 'went gold,' from the 1897 Alaska/Klondike Gold Rush to the #1 songs of today and beyond.
A book that challenges common misconceptions about the nature of intelligence Satoshi Kanazawa's Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters (written with Alan S. Miller) was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "a rollicking bit of pop science that turns the lens of evolutionary psychology on issues of the day." That book answered such burning questions as why women tend to lust after males who already have mates and why newborns look more like Dad than Mom. Now Kanazawa tackles the nature of intelligence: what it is, what it does, what it is good for (if anything). Highly entertaining, smart (dare we say intelligent?), and daringly contrarian, The Intelligence Paradox will provide a deeper understanding of what intelligence is, and what it means for us in our lives. Asks why more intelligent individuals are not better (and are, in fact, often worse) than less intelligent individuals in solving some of the most important problems in life—such as finding a mate, raising children, and making friends Discusses why liberals are more intelligent than conservatives, why atheists are more intelligent than the religious, why more intelligent men value monogamy, why night owls are more intelligent than morning larks, and why homosexuals are more intelligent than heterosexuals Explores how the purpose for which general intelligence evolved—solving evolutionarily novel problems—allows us to explain why intelligent people have the particular values and preferences they have Challenging common misconceptions about the nature of intelligence, this book offers surprising insights into the cutting-edge of science at the intersection of evolutionary psychology and intelligence research.
From the concert stage to the dressing room, from the recording studio to the digital realm, SPIN surveys the modern musical landscape and the culture around it with authoritative reporting, provocative interviews, and a discerning critical ear. With dynamic photography, bold graphic design, and informed irreverence, the pages of SPIN pulsate with the energy of today's most innovative sounds. Whether covering what's new or what's next, SPIN is your monthly VIP pass to all that rocks.
A comprehensive resource that will prove invaluable to fashion historians, this book presents a detailed exploration of the breadth of visually arresting, consumer-driven styles that have emerged in America since the 20th century. What are the origins of highly specific denim fashions, such as bell bottoms, skinny jeans, and ripped jeans? How do mass media and popular culture influence today's street fashion? When did American fashion sensibilities shift from conformity as an ideal to youth-oriented standards where clothing could boldly express independence and self-expression? Street Style in America: An Exploration addresses questions like these and many others related to the historical and sociocultural context of street style, supplying both A–Z entries that document specific American street styles and illustrations with accompanying commentary. This book provides a detailed analysis of American street and subcultural styles, from the earliest example reaching back to the early 20th century to contemporary times. It reviews all aspects of dress that were part of a look, considering variations over time and connecting these innovations to fashionable dress practices that emerged in the wakes of these sartorial rebellions. The text presents detailed examinations of specific dress styles and also interrogates the manifold meanings of dress practices that break from the mainstream. This book is a comprehensive resource that will prove invaluable to fashion historians and provide fascinating reading for students and general audiences.
