Like Punk Never Happened - Brian McCloskey's Smash Hits archive online

We love a labour of love (apart from UB40's obviously) - and Like Punk Never Happened - Brian McCloskey's Smash Hits archive is such a labour. If you've an urge to rediscover the 80s music scene, it's a dream.

Of course, the cool kids weren't reading Smash Hits, they were eyeballs deep in the NME, Melody Maker, Sounds and The Face to name just four. But looking at the site and its associated Flickr archive, you probably get more of a feel for the decade and its music from here than some meandering article on Blue Rondo A La Turk in the NME.

See the blog, pick the issue, then head to the Flickr gallery where every page is scanned for your nostalgic delight. The working day will just melt away. A new issue will go up every fortnight.

Like Punk Never Happened - Brian McCloskey's Smash Hits archive

Starman: David Bowie - The Definitive Biography by Paul Trynka

Bowie fans (like myself) should be interesting in a forthcoming book release of the man's life, Starman: David Bowie - The Definitive Biography by Paul Trynka.

Trynka, who is a former editor of Mojo, has apparently interviewed over two hundred friends, ex-lovers and fellow musicians in order to write what he's claiming is the 'definitive biography' of Bowie. If the writing matches up with the research, he could be right. Covering the early years in post-war, bombed out Brixton to a troubled later childhood in Bromley, it obviously focus heavily on the decadent glamour of Ziggy Stardust, the occasionally controversial 'Berlin' years and, we suspect, what are generally seen as a decline and second coming in later years.

Printed in hardback by Sphere on 3rd March 2011, this 448-page book is available for pre-order now for £12.80.

Find out more at the Amazon website

Seasons They Change - The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk by Jeanette Leech

I'm sure you've all got exciting plans for your weekend - DJing, clubbing, watching bands, taking in Dancing On Ice. Me? I'll be finding a comfy chair and settling down with a copy of Seasons They Change - The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk by Jeanette Leech.

According to the write-up: 'In the late 60s and early 70s, the inherent weirdness of folk met switched-on psychedelic rock and gave birth to new, strange forms of acoustic-based avant garde music.'

Damn right it did. Yes, the Incredible String Band is here, but so are all the obscure acts who hardly got a mention in the NME of the day, let alone the annals of musical history since. Hey, it even throws in the modern-day equivalents, who just happen to have been inspired by the first wave. Yes, following the lines from past to present. 368 pages, some tasty photos and a big reading list at the end. What more could you want for £9.04?

Find out more about the book at the Amazon website

The Story of Northern Soul - a new book by David Nowell

With northern soul hype at an all-time high after the Soulboy movie, it's the perfect time to update a book on the subject of northern soul. That book goes by the name of The Story of Northern Soul by David Nowell.

Published by Portico and now on the shelves (virtual or otherwise), it's essentially an updated version of the long out of print Too Darn Soulful, kicking off with the emergence of sould music in the mod clubs of the 1960s, working its way through the northern scene as it developed, throwing in some anecdotes, photos and flyers plus, in this new version, a chapter covering developments and changes since 1999, when the original book was first published.

Amazon has it in stock, with this 330-page book selling right now for £7.67.

Find out more about the book at the Amazon website

Won't Get Fooled Again book by Richie Unterberger

Fan of The Who? You might want Won't Get Fooled Again by Richie Unterberger, which is out on 1st February 2011 via Jawbone.

It's essentially the story of Pete Townshend's Lifehouse project, the 'ambitious follow-up' to Tommy that eventually saw the light of day in parts via the Who's Next and Quadrophenia albums. In the book, rock writer and historian Richie Unterberger documents this period in detail, drawing on new interviews, obscure rare archive sources and recordings and a general knowledge of the music of the times. The result is claimed to be a comprehensive, articulate history that sheds new light on the band's innovations and Pete Townshend's massive ambitions at the time, some of which still seem a bit way out.

You can pre-order now on Amazon, £12.71 is the discounted price.

Find out more about the book at the Amazon website