Which star had sexual relations with a frozen chook? What did Kurt Cobain say when the DJ played Pearl Jam? How did ACDC Lane in Melbourne get its name? Find out in Underneath the Riffs: A Rock Reader, Vol 1 (ed. Jeff Jenkins and Miranda Young, Wilkinson Publishing, October). This book takes you behind the music, with conversational tales from all sorts of people who have floated in the heady atmosphere of rock-backstage, front of stage, or behind the lyrics. The editors want to get this book out not just to readers, but to listeners. They say its appeal is wide and it’s hugely accessible, like having a conversation with a bunch of interesting people who’ve seen and heard some hardcore things! Contributors include Tim Rogers, Dylan Lewis, Ed Nimmervoll, Francis Leach, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum, Sarah Morgan and Wally Meanie.

Rock on with Radio Days (Peter Sheridan & Ritchie Singer, Bakelite, October), a photographic history of 1930s to 1950s glorious-coloured Bakelite radios, innovative in their time, nostalgic pieces of art in ours. This is apparently the first photographic history of this object. No doubt it will become a reference for collectors, and invoke memories of an era, including the cultural spirit of progress.

Get intimate with the world’s most legendary rock band in Led Zeppelin: When Giants Walked the Earth (Mick Wall, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, October). Wall knew both Page and Plant in their heyday and is a respected rock writer. He blows the cover on backstage excess, band member backgrounds, and musical magnificence.

This article from Thorpe Bowker's Weekly Book Newsletter and Media Extra is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

Tags: mick wall, miranda young, nicolson, peter sheridan, weidenfeld