Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout

The midpoint of the book captures this era of her life. Laura (still known as Tom then) had recently eloped with her second wife, Heather. Against Me! had just released its major label debut, New Wave (2007), which brought newfound fame but also a small army of pissed-off fans who felt they’d been shafted by the leap. The rising profile of Against Me! and the taxing schedule that came with it caused tensions and fights among its members. And on top of it all, Laura wasn’t much caring for the face of the selfish, perpetually hungover prick she saw staring back at her in the mirror every day.

I’d never heard of of Against Me! or of Laura Jane Grace before reading this…and that kinda made me feel like I was out of touch with pop culture. But then again, my head’s already full with music. I’m 44 after all and brand new punk bands reaching critical mass in 2007 were/are probably after my time.

In my teens and well into my twenties, there was plenty of punk blasting on away on my cassettes and CDs. Often times when I listen to punk now, I think it’s too loud. Maybe my hair is too gray.

The interesting things to me in the here and now are the people behind the music. Reading of Laura’s struggles in this VICE article, I was hooked immediately. The way I used to be hooked when hearing that first track off a new CD that I’d been waiting for. I’m eager to get her Tranny book when it comes out in November.

Here’s a quote from the book:

I had no idea what Heather was thinking as we left the scene. She said nothing. We walked in silence along the nearby railroad tracks until it was time to get back to the venue. There were two police cars waiting in the parking lot when we arrived.

Related: I love listening to John Roderick on the Roderick on the Line podcast, love his Instagram and Twitter, love reading his older writings. But I have maybe 1% interest in listening to his band, The Long Winters, the one I’d never heard of until after I came to know him on the podcast. Again, I’m out of touch.

PS - VICE is worth the printed hard copy subscription.

#musicnews #laurajanegrace #johnroderick