Aimee Cooper

We don't get enough books to review here at Punknews.org HQ. To quote an old PSA, "Reading Is Fundamental!" I wholeheartedly agree. While a CD can let you hear the music as it's being played, a book on music can let you feel the music pulsing through it's pages and onto your fingertips. This is why I love reading books that have to do in some form with punk rock.

Clocking in at a light 132 pages, Aimee Cooper's "Coloring Outside the Lines" is a light read, perfect for a Saturday afternoon or a long car ride. The book tells the story of Aimee's discovery of punk rock [via a stood up date and a very inebriated Johnny Thunders], and her subsequent involvement in the burgeoning LA punk scene. This woman was a part of "the Connected," a now infamous group of LA punks who stuck together. She also worked for Slash magazine, where she met such punk rock luminaries as Exene and John Doe from X.

The book goes into a decent amount of depth for it's abrupt length about Aimee's experiences with work, friends, shows, and the like. It reads in a very "diary" type of format - Aimee has opened up her soul in these pages and exposes it to the reader without fear of scrutiny. I, for one, applaud her for it.

It's funny, because the book this reminds me of the most is "Amped" by Jon Resh [review here], and as I look up the info on this book on Amazon.com, I see that someone has already recommended "Amped" in addition to this book. I couldn't see a better pair. If you're looking for a belated Christmas present for someone, these books are it. Aimee's writing isn't perfect, nor will this book shatter any stereotypes, but it is a quick and interesting look into the 1980's LA punk scene [by someone other than Henry Rollins].