Rec
😃
🎸🔥 Back in the day, touring with Mega City Four wasn’t just about the shows — it was about finding your people.
The bands I was in, documented in raw details in Three and a Half Minutes of Fame, shared their DIY spirit, their relentless drive, and their refusal to sell out. We watched them, learned from them, and dreamed of being even half as good.
That sense of belonging, that fire — it’s what kept us going through van breakdowns, late-night gigs, and all the chaos that came with trying to make it on our own terms.
Three and a Half Minutes of Fame captures all that — the sweat, the noise, the friendships, and the endless push to live up to a scene that was bigger than all of us.
If Mega City Four shaped your soundtrack, this book will take you back to those raw, unforgettable years.
The bands I was in, documented in raw details in Three and a Half Minutes of Fame, shared their DIY spirit, their relentless drive, and their refusal to sell out. We watched them, learned from them, and dreamed of being even half as good.
That sense of belonging, that fire — it’s what kept us going through van breakdowns, late-night gigs, and all the chaos that came with trying to make it on our own terms.
Three and a Half Minutes of Fame captures all that — the sweat, the noise, the friendships, and the endless push to live up to a scene that was bigger than all of us.
If Mega City Four shaped your soundtrack, this book will take you back to those raw, unforgettable years.
Jul 11, 2025
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Rec
Its the same author as come as you are, the nirvana book, and if you have any interest in indie bands or indie music this is a real page turner. admittedly I’ve only turned about 15 of those pages but I already can tell I love it. didn’t realize how many of these guys were truly DIY, indie to the bone, pressing Their own records type indie.
Rec
⭐Just finished this book. There were times I wanted to stop reading because it was so sad to see how much suffering, sadness, and disappointment went into making some of my favorite music ever. But there was also a lot of love and magic. The context it adds around Chris, Jody, Alex, Andy and all that orbited the band is unparalleled. It felt like sitting around and being told first-hand stories directly to you from those that lived it, for over 400+ pages, imperfections and all.
Rec
Hard to believe it's nearly twenty years old now.
Three things stand out for me, reading it again today. Took like 3 months of reporting, or so, to get it all done.
1) The Courtney Love vignette from the Shins' show at the Hollywood Bowl (it was all very Ab Fab and unintentionally hilarious). She is every bit the piece of work she was described to be.
2) James was living in a house in Portland, OR that Elliott Smith used to live in. We smoked pot in the basement and he showed me the washer/dryer that was basically where Elliott four-tracked the "Roman Candle" album.
3) He had a guitar hanging in his home studio that had "You'll be Dead" spray painted on it -- a line from Star Wars (I think his brother, an artist I worked with at Starbucks, did that). I used to have a photo of that but IDK what happened to it.
It was a fun era to be writing about rock music.
Apr 5, 2024
Top Recs from @thatwouldbealex
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4d ago
May 30, 2025
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🎶 ‘90s Sound. Modern Story. Familiar Voices.
When your audiobook ends up in the ears of your old schoolmate Jamie Oliver, you know it’s doing the rounds in the right kind of kitchens.
“Three and a Half Minutes of Fame” is the story of chasing the dream — even if the dream only lasts the length of the perfect pop song.
It’s for anyone who ever sat on the floor with Definitely Maybe, Leisure, or The Stone Roses, thinking:
“That could be me.”
Now, with Oasis reunion gigs (finally) happening, it felt right to put this lineup together — 3 records that defined a generation... including mine.
🎧 Audiobook out now — stick it on between spins.
When your audiobook ends up in the ears of your old schoolmate Jamie Oliver, you know it’s doing the rounds in the right kind of kitchens.
“Three and a Half Minutes of Fame” is the story of chasing the dream — even if the dream only lasts the length of the perfect pop song.
It’s for anyone who ever sat on the floor with Definitely Maybe, Leisure, or The Stone Roses, thinking:
“That could be me.”
Now, with Oasis reunion gigs (finally) happening, it felt right to put this lineup together — 3 records that defined a generation... including mine.
🎧 Audiobook out now — stick it on between spins.
Jul 4, 2025