July 15th, 2009 by admin
News about Dash Snow’s death has now been reported by the Guardian, the New York Times. Gawker broke the story yesterday, erroneously writing he was two years shy of his 30ieth birthday; Dash Snow died 27 years old.
Writer Ariel Levy wrote about Dash in much-read feature in New York Magazine two years ago:
“What makes the legend richer is that Dash Snow could very easily have lived a different kind of life, been a different kind of artist. Snow’s maternal grandmother is a De Menil, which is to say art-world royalty, the closest thing to the Medicis in the United States. His mother made headlines a few years ago for charging what was then the highest rent ever asked on a house in the Hamptons: $750,000 a season. And his brother, Maxwell Snow, is a budding member of New York society who has dated Mary-Kate Olsen. But Snow has concocted something else for himself. He has been living as hard as a person can-in and out of jail, doing drugs, running from the police-for a decade. He’s unschooled, self-taught.”
The web is filled with a mix of caring and vicious comments about Snow’s art and lifestyle, which go hand in hand. Fact is he was addicted to heroin, but his art was also displayed in major galleries in NYC, London, and LA–including the Whitney Biennial, and some of his works picked up by collectors over the past few years. There’s little doubt that Dash Snow, given this article, his De Menil pedigree, the anarchistic creative crew he was part of, and the widespread news about his death will leave a legacy like the rest of The 27s. The young, tragic death of an artist always seems to do that.
(c) 2009 by Mordechai Rubinstein
June 4th, 2009 by admin
We met a lot of people at Book Expo, but one of our favorite encounters was with music industry veteran Mike Ragogna, who writes two weekly columns for the Huffington Post. His latest is about the books that he found most interesting at Book Expo and we’re psyched to see that The 27s was one of them. Read the article about The 27s at Book Expo here.
June 2nd, 2009 by admin
The 27s won the 2009 IPPY award for popular culture
We just came back from New York City and Book Expo, which is the largest book trade show in the country. Long lines for our official author signing and we even ran out of books. Thanks to everybody who showed up!
Friday night we headed down to The Providence, a former church and recording studio where Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and even Guns N Roses have all laid down tracks. It’s a really cool club and definitely worth checking out if you’re ever on the west side.
The Independent Publisher Book Awards is a broad-based awards program to laud the best in independent publishing and we were up against the best of the best produced in small, medium, and university presses across the country.
The show, which you probably understood by now, was held at The Providence and The 27s won silver in the popular culture category. David Byrne of the Talking Heads won this last year for one of his books, so we’re psyched for the recognition.
April 5th, 2009 by admin
Parts of Eric Segalstad’s interview with NPR’s Robert Smith about The 27s is posted here, at least an hour before it officially airs on All Things Considered.
February 25th, 2009 by admin
New York Times bestselling author + filmmaker Ian Halperin (Director of The film The Cobain Case, Author of Who Killed Kurt Cobain and Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain) took time out of his busy schedule to read through The 27s.
After he sent an enthusiastic mid-way dispatch (”I love your book”), we were excited to read his thoughts after reading The 27s all the way through. Here it is:
“As much as this book is about The 27s, it is about music; about America; about the art and perils of the music industry; about the mystique behind death at age 27; and finally about history itself. The 27s is a must read for anyone interested in knowing more about the greatest musicians of modern times. It’s presented like a resonance of sound in the clearest grain of a violin. Well done!”
Thanks Ian! We hear Halperin has two new books in the pipeline, so stay tuned to these upcoming titles.
January 6th, 2009 by admin
Rock lost one of its great trailblazers. Ron Asheton, guitarist for The Stooges was announced dead earlier today.
We met Ron briefly while working on the book, backstage after a 2007 Stooges concert in Norway. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Ron the 29th greatest rock guitarist a few years ago. The Stooges are shortlisted for induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Ron Asheton, his brother Scott, Dave Alexander (a 27) and Iggy Pop founded the Stooges in 1967. The band’s proto-punk sound went on to influence a score of bands.
Rock In Peace, Ron!
January 3rd, 2009 by admin
Apparently Amy Winehouse fears she’ll join The 27s. At least that’s what former personal assistant Alex Haines says and adds that he reckons she spent 3500 quid per week to keep up her habit. Sounds a little sensational if you ask us and she still has a few more years until she hits the 27 mark. Now that your man’s outta jail it’s time to get back into the studio. Go Winehouse!
Read the news brief.