We Can Be The New Wind
Alexandros Anesiadis
Earth Island Books
We Can Be The New Wind is a massive tome. Alexandros Anesladis is a self-described “manic record collector” with a deep love of all things punk. His previous book, Crossover the Edge: Where Hardcore, Punk And Metal Collide, chronicles the bands who migrated from punk to metal in the 1980s. New Wind is a companion volume looking at the bands that began in the punk world but migrated toward a more melodic, pop sound. This is a massive work touching on over 900 bands over its 800 plus pages.
We Can Be The New Wind is written from a fan’s perspective. The tone, style and layout remind me of the long-running punk rock fanzine Maximum Rock and Roll, for better or worse. The writing is passionate, stream of consciousness tales of mostly American bands, but including groups from around the world. There isn’t much analysis of the bands or how the geographic scenes influenced the music. New Wind feels to me like going over to a superfan’s home and listening to them tell you why all the records in their collection are great.
Anesiadis put a ton of work into this volume. He interviewed over 150 bands, such as 7 Seconds (whose album New Wind gives the book its title), Husker Du, and To Damascus. I hate to be critical because I respect the dedication required to produce this book, but in the end, the writing reads like Maximum Rock and Roll. It’s a giant fanzine rather than journalism.
For readers who like fanzines, New Wind will provide hours of entertainment and insights. If you’re looking for something more like Greil Marcus or Robert Palmer, you’ll be disappointed.
