I recently played drums on the debut album by a Los Angeles-based garage rock/power pop band called The Brothers Steve. Our two song digital single (“Angeline and Carolanne“) was released by Big Stir Records on June 28. Our debut album (on limited edition, color vinyl) is available for Pre-Order Now. We’re also playing a show in LA on July 27th.
Still not convinced? Maybe this creepy video for “Carolanne” will seal the deal…
Hey everybody! Today marks the release of my first self-published book, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist. I say “book,” but technically I believe that the 17,000-word length qualifies it as a “novelette.” In other words, it’s a quick read.
Here’s The Skinny: Jackson Sharp is a former guitar player fresh out of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He’s on a mission to settle the score with his dead beat dad, but needs to collect some cash from his younger brother and former bandmate, Jamie. He finds Jamie at his struggling Tulsa record shop, but the cash is long gone. Jamie offers up a heist instead—steal a rare copy of a pre-Beatles 45 from a wealthy collector in Memphis. The road trip that follows is the violent family/band reunion that Jackson never wanted.
First and foremost, I’ve always been a sucker for a good pop hook with energetic guitars and driving drums. Power Pop is that it’s timeless music inspired by the early music of bands like The Beatles, The Who, The Byrds and The Beach Boys. Listen to songs like “September Gurls” by Big Star, “Little Red Light” by Fountains of Wayne, “We Got The Beat” by The Go-Go’s or “Starry Eyes” by The Records and you’ll at least get the idea. It makes the perfect soundtrack for my book about a couple of desperate brothers on their way to steal a rare 45 by the pre-Beatles band, The Quarrymen.
Fans like to debate what does and doesn’t qualify as Power Pop, but I put this playlist together with the help some music-loving friends on Facebook. It’s not definitive, but there are some truly great songs on there. Hope you dig the music, and my new novelette, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist.
S.W. Lauden is the author of the Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series including Bad Citizen Corporation, Grizzly Season and Hang Time. His Tommy & Shayna novellas include Crosswise and Crossed Bones. A new novelette, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist, was released on June 18, 2019. S.W. Lauden is the pen name of Steve Coulter, drummer for Tsar and The Brothers Steve.
Patrick Whitehurst generously invited me over to his blog after reading my new novelette, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist. We did a fast and furious interview about crime fiction and music. Here’s a snippet of what Patrick had to say about the book:
“With a setting near Tulsa, Lauden’s toe-tapping, gritty novelette is like the Outsiders on a punked-up, rockabilly high. It’s a smooth crime story with a playlist sure to get a song or two stuck in your head while you read.”
I’ll take it! You can read the whole thing right HERE.
S.W. Lauden is the author of the Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series including Bad Citizen Corporation, Grizzly Season and Hang Time. His Tommy & Shayna novellas include Crosswise and Crossed Bones. A new novelette, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist, will be released on June 18, 2019. S.W. Lauden is the pen name of Steve Coulter, drummer for Tsar and The Brothers Steve.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. Jackson Sharp is a former guitar player fresh out of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He’s on a mission to settle the score with his dead beat dad, but needs to collect some cash from his younger brother and former bandmate, Jamie. He finds Jamie at his struggling Tulsa record shop, but the cash is long gone. Jamie offers up a heist instead—steal a rare copy of a pre-Beatles 45 from a wealthy collector in Memphis. The road trip that follows is the violent family/band reunion that Jackson never wanted.
Here’s a Power Pop playlist I created on YouTube a few months ago:
Other Music Posts You Might Like:
S.W. Lauden is the Anthony Award-nominated author of the Tommy & Shayna novella, CROSSWISE, and the sequel, CROSSED BONES. His Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series includes BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, GRIZZLY SEASON and HANG TIME. He is also the co-host of the Writer Types crime, mystery and thriller podcast. Steve lives in Los Angeles.
There has long been a powerful political undercurrent to punk rock. Starting with The Sex Pistols and The Clash, it spiraled outward across decades with bands like Dead Kennedys, Propagandhi, Pussy Riot and Anti-Flag. When it comes to politically charged punk, “I Wanna Destroy You” by The Soft Boys is an undeniable anti-Fascist anthem (underscored by singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock’s 2017 video). Whatever your political views, this song would make a great short story.
Our narrator is a man at odds with himself. Disgusted by the violent culture surrounding him, he comes unglued. Righteous indignation fuels his fury, pushing his murderous imagination to new extremes. The thinking here is nothing new (“desperate times call for desperate measures,” “fight fire with fire,” etc.), but thoughts are different than actions. Does that make him a hero or villain? That’s for the reader to decide.
Previous Short Stories in…
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I’ve always enjoyed a dose of anti-consumerism with my pop culture, whether it’s Fight Club, George Carlin’s “Stuff” routine or Mr. Robot. The darkest and most demented lines from Idiocracy still bring a smile to my face (even as I type this on my MacBook at the local Starbucks). The same goes for songs like “Lost in the Supermarket” by The Clash, “Royals” by Lorde, “Pay To Cum” by Bad Brains and “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve. When it comes to grappling with consumer culture, “Price Tags” by Sleater-Kinney is a favorite of mine. It would make a great short story.
Our protagonist is a 9-to-5’er with mouths to feed and bills to pay. Miserably stocking shelves for minimum wage, she wonders if people like her will ever pull themselves out of this discount spiral. Everyday is Black Friday now, with working class families battling for basement…
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I’m back over at Crimespree Magazine today with an article about a few drummers in the crime fiction commit—including myself.
“Aspiring authors are often told to write what they know, but the collision of percussion and prose goes much deeper for me. I joined my first real band when I was 16-years-old, a C student in a band with three brainy punks. We hadn’t been playing together very long when the lead guitarist handed me a Kurt Vonnegut book at a rehearsal. I was too embarrassed to tell him that I never really read for fun, so I took the book and gave it a try.”
You can read the article, Crime Beats, right HERE.
S.W. Lauden is the Anthony Award-nominated author of the Tommy & Shayna novella, CROSSWISE, and the sequel, CROSSED BONES. His Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series includes BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, GRIZZLY SEASON and HANG TIME. He is also the co-host of the Writer Types crime, mystery and thriller podcast. Steve lives in Los Angeles.
The second installment of my “Short Story in a Song” series over at Punk Noir Magazine. “The Obituaries” by The Menzingers.
Coming of age. Exploring independence. Adulting.
These are well-worn themes in the arts. A quick glance at the bookshelf reveals classics like The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Likewise, many bands have explored similar territory with songs like “Suburban Home” by Descendents,” “Burnout” by Green Day or “Photosynthesis” by Frank Turner.” Caught somewhere on the coming of age continuum between King Dork by Frank Portman and “West Coast” by Fidlar, “The Obituaries” by Pennsylvania punks The Menzingers is a melodic anthem that belongs on that list. It would make a great short story.
Our young protagonist is on a rooftop in Brooklyn, the whole world and his whole life spread out before him. The possibilities are endless, but slightly overwhelming to his wasted mind. Prematurely obsessed with death and decay, he reluctantly stumbles…
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I’m over at Punk Noir Magazine today with a reboot of my Short Story in a Song series.
I recently read an excellent essay called “Playing House” in Heather Havrilesky‘s latest collection, What If This Were Enough? In it, she recounts a doomed relationship from many years ago. He pretended to be something he was not—happy, together—and though she saw through it, she pretended to want to share in his fantasy. She knew it was self-destructive from the start, but burrowed deeper into their mutual misery.
As I read it, the song “Ever Fallen In Love” by Buzzcocks played on repeat in my mind. The simple lyrics are broad enough to be interpreted in many ways, but the underlying themes are universal. Our protagonist has strong feelings for somebody who doesn’t feel the same way. It creates an unhealthy imbalance in their relationship (real or imagined?) that leaves him feeling abused. He knows this infatuation will destroy him, but he clings to it in the…
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“Crime writers are the nicest people.”
You hear it everywhere you go, from bookstores, readings and signings, to magazine articles, blog posts and podcasts. For a genre that seems to revel in darkness, death and desperation, crime authors can be some of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. Need proof? Read on!
Bouchercon 2018
I recently spent four days with my crime writer pals at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida for the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. There are a few prominent crime fiction conventions throughout the year—many focused on a specific crime sub-genre—but Bouchercon is probably the best known. I was on a couple of interesting panels while I was there, but spent most of my time doing interviews for the Writer Types podcast with my co-host Eric Beetner. We’ll have long-form interviews with Lawrence Block, Lee Child and Ian Rankin in upcoming episodes, but for now you can listen in as we ambush 30+ authors on the convention floor and in the bar. There were so many talented authors there that we split our coverage into two episodes:
Deadline: A Tribute To William E. Wallace
In 2017 we lost William E. Wallace who was a writer, a fan, and a friend to all who loved the crime fiction genre. A retired crime reporter, William pursued his love of writing producing short stories, novellas and short novels that he published on his own or through small presses like Shotgun Honey and All Due Respect. Aside from promoting his own works, he diligently trumpeted the underdog and promoted the works of indie publishers and authors alike.
This collection is a tribute to William, for all he had given and all that he has left behind. The stories within these pages are written by authors and colleagues who wrote with and wrote about. Featuring stories by Jen Conley, Eric Beetner, Joe Clifford, Sarah M. Chen, Rob Pierce, Renee Asher Pickup, Eryk Pruitt and Travis Richardson, among many others. My contribution is called “Hot Water.”
Pick up your copy of DEADLINE: A TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM E. WALLACE. All proceeds will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, whom, like William, speak for the underdog and uphold freedom of speech.
Noir at the Bar LA: Chilled To The Marrow
Oct. 28th will be a very special Noir at the Bar reading event in Los Angeles. Beyond an amazing lineup we will be raising money for crime author Duane Swierczynski whose daughter, Evie, has been battling leukemia.
The incredible Noir at the Bar LA line up—one of many such #TeamEvie Noir at the Bar fundraisers across the country this same weekend—includes Sara Gran, Attica Locke, David J. Schow, Christa Faust & Gary Phillips, Anna Snoekestra, Aaron Phillip Clark, Dennis Palumbo and the man himself, Duane Swierczynski.
But why wait until Oct. 28? Donate to #TeamEvie NOW.
S.W. Lauden is the Anthony Award-nominated author of the Tommy & Shayna novella, CROSSWISE, and the sequel, CROSSED BONES. His Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series includes BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, GRIZZLY SEASON and HANG TIME. He is also the co-host of the Writer Types crime, mystery and thriller podcast. Steve lives in Los Angeles.
S.W. Lauden 