So punk rock is dead, it’s been co-opted by the major record companies and mainstream culture in general, there’s nothing left worth listening to, and if there ever was it’s certainly gone now. Or at least that’s how the argument goes. It’s a popular notion. Now you’re thinking that because I’ve dubbed it a “popular notion,” I’m about to present some form of evidence to prove it completely erroneous, thus making myself look smarter than the average introverted, know-it-all music snot. If you’re thinking that, then you’re right, and as evidence I present you with punk journalist Todd Taylor’s debut collection “Born to Rock: Heavy Drinkers and Thinkers.”
The book is a collection of interviews and essays spanning eight years of working for fanzines such as the punk stalwart Flipside or Taylor’s own rag, Razorcake. The list of interviewees is a hardcore punk’s wet dream of modern bands. The obscure sit alongside the nearly famous, while the topics of discussion range from the truth about the Civil War to whether or not it is artistically valid to write nothing but songs about science fiction authors. Taylor is an engaging interviewer, often keeping in the background while his subjects rant into the microphone for extended periods. His love of the subject matter, everything punk rock, shines through as he questions bands that have been on the road for ages on what possesses them to keep going night after grueling night. The answer is often along the lines that they love it as much as the author.
This is obviously not a book for everyone. Those uninterested in modern punk rock will find little of
interest amid the stream of bizarrely named bands and eccentric personalities. But anyone already at least somewhat engaged with the subject will find a treasure trove of interesting sketches about the people who have shaped the face of modern punk. These aren’t the snotty little trendsetters you see on MTV with their shirts off and their muscles bulging, but rather the bands that have either turned down mass success or have never had it offered to them.
Taylor takes on Florida’s Hot Water Music, the sci-fi geeks supreme in Bloodhag and the jangly noise makers in the Thumbs. What comes through in all this is that Taylor is one hell of an interviewer. He researches every subject nearly to death and often seems to know things his interviewees have forgotten. His questions are occasionally absurd, but tend to draw out interesting answers.
Taken in doses the book is a pleasant excursion into the world of modern punk. Anyone interested in either punk or simply interviewing technique might want to take a look. The interviews answer the question of why DIY punk continues to matter to so many people. It just seems to be at its best when it’s on the brink of death.

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