It’s a biography of a whole ecosystem. The way things intertwined and developed over time was fascinating.

I always love to read about DIY—especially in music scenes.

I’m glad it didn’t just focus on the band’s work—as I wasn’t familiar with most of the music previously. (I had lived nearby in Charlotte in the 90s, but I was a kid at that point.)

Whereas I knew about Ben Folds and Squirrel Nut Zippers, I had no idea about Zen Frisbee (which gets mentioned over 100 times).

The community and the time are the real focal points here.

It’s the story of a bunch of college bands that were important to their members, the bands around them, and the community at large—long after their times were over.

That said, I do wish that the book didn’t essentially end with long lists of updates on where people are now. It felt less like a resolution and more like tedium.

Even as a philosophy major, I found the last chapter, a philosophical essay on the nature of time and creativity, to be a bit much. But I do think it drove home the idea that the scene (and the elements that created it) was bigger than any individual or accomplishment.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advance copy of this new book that looks at a particular time in a city's history where everything came together to make art and noise that will still enthrall listeners years from now.

During the 80's there was an ad for shampoo that sums up how certain bands become popular. The ads starts with a woman washing her hair, telling her friends how great the product was, them telling their friends and so on and so on. That is an origin tale for many bands, they met, share an interest, decide to create art and once they decide the art is right, or as right as it is ever going to be, the decide to share it with others. Siblings, crushes, buds, hangers on and scene makers see them, maybe 5-10. They tell their friends and so on and so on. History might be made, or a spectacular flame out might be coming soon. Again a band origin story for many, but what made them interested in music or art in the first place. What was happening that made them say, Hey I can do that, or I can do that better. Or even hey I can help these people make art, and maybe make some scratch doing it. A Really Strange and Wonderful Time: The Chapel Hill Music Scene: 1989-1999 by musician and author Tom Maxwell looks at a particular scene that drew on location, enviroment and tiny moments that lead up to huge moments in creativity.

The book begins with a club in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, an area that had a lot going on, a time period where things still seemed positive. Clubs need entertainment and this club began forming relationships with local bands, being both supportive, and nurturing, no matter how some of the bands might act. What also helped was location, in that this area was part of the East Coast tour circuit, meaning bands going North or South would stop and perform in the area. This helped grow local record shops, who began to start selling local acts and some of the larger bands who would stop for shows. These places began to bring people together, and share more music, jazz, experimental rock, with people creating more art along these lines. Merge Records a small label was soon becoming a player in the burgeoning college music scene, as more and more bands began to break throughout the area.
Tom Maxwell was a member of one of these groups that began to break out. Maxwell's band Squirrel Nut Zippers was a swing revival, showing the different forms of music that were breaking out. As such he was close to the scene and brings a lot of his own knowledge and perspective to the book. In addition to discussions with other artists, Maxwell talks to the people around the scene, the fans, the promoters and DJs who would champion bands. The book is a bit of a memoir, but this more about the scene, and how it germinated from a couple of small coincidences to something that filled Billboard charts, made a lot of money for some people, and a lot of heartbreak for others. The writing is a very good, and though a bit of familiarity with the music of the times would help readers. Maxwell knows the place, the music and the people and it shows. Some of the bands might be unfamiliar, but one will build up quite a list of new music to listen to.

Recommended for people who worked in record stores during the 90's like myself and going, oh yeah I loved that band, oh those guys were good, what happened to them. A really deep look at a music scene told by a person embedded deep in the middle as things were changing, and as things began to cool down.

"A Really Strange and Wonderful Time" is an enthralling biography that delves into the thriving rock scene of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, unveiling the birthplace of
influential artists such as Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, and Squirrel Nut Zippers. While North Carolina has a rich history of musical talent, from bluegrass pioneer Charlie Poole to jazz legends Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Nina Simone, it was the indie rock boom of the late
1980s and '90s that truly propelled the state onto the global stage.

This book takes readers on a captivating journey through the extraordinary decade between 1989 and 1999, a time when North Carolina bands broke into the Billboard's top
200 and sold millions of records. It was during this period that Carrboro, Chapel Hill's smaller and sleepier neighbor,
housed an ambitious indie label and gave birth to legacy label Merge Records. "A Really Strange and Wonderful
Time" presents an opportunity to closely examine the remarkable happenings of this era.

Author and musician Tom Maxwell brings this story to life by skillfully weaving together firsthand accounts from those who experienced the scene firsthand. Through
interviews and insightful commentary, Maxwell allowsband members, culture mavens, producers, visual artists, DJs, and club owners to speak for themselves. His own perspective as a participant adds color and context to the narrative, taking readers directly into the heart of the action.

The book is meticulously researched and intimately written, immersing readers in the sweat-drenched basement gigs, sold-out shows at renowned venues like the Cradle, makeshift recording studios, and cramped 15-passenger vans. Maxwell unravels the wondrous flowering of musical activity during this period and the subsequent decline, showing that success is not solely
defined by fame, but rather lies in the communal spirit of the artistic community.

In conclusion, "A Really Strange and Wonderful Time" offers a compelling exploration of Chapel Hill's influential
rock scene, capturing the essence of an era that propelled North Carolina into the public consciousness. By giving voice to the individuals who shaped the scene,
Maxwell provides readers with an intimate and insightful perspective on the highs and lows of this extraordinary musical journey. Whether you were a part of the scene or
simply a lover of indie rock, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of community, creativity, and the transformative impact of music.

A meticulously researched book about the Chapel Hill indie music scene in the 90s. I expected this would be similar to books I've read about the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the 90s, which produced several bonafide superstar bands, such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. Unfortunately, other than REM (who is only briefly mentioned), I'd never heard of any of these bands. So that makes it a 3-star for me, but fans of the bands will likely love this book.

I just reviewed A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell. #NetGalley