RAT A TAT TAT BIRDS photographs by Jeff Winterberg 1991-2003
R at-a-tat-tat Birds, Photographs by Jeff Winterberg 1991-2003 (Volumeone 2004), brings together a decade's worth of photographs from some of the most influential (and least documented) fringes of the American underground music scene of the recent past; San Diego, Richmond, VA, Washington, DC, and, more recently, New York City.

In the tradition of seminal photo collections like Glen E. Friedman's My Rules and Banned in D.C., Rat-a-tat-birds offers an ideosyncratic, intensely personal view of what it's like to participate. As a gutarist for the San Diego hardcore band Antioch Arrow in the early 90s, Winterberg found himself in a unique position to document scenes from the road, as well as on and off stage.

Images of performances by legendary bands like nation of ulysses, heroin, antioch arrow, clikatat ikatowi, the boredoms, mens recovery project, crom tech, the melvins, karp, rocket from the crypt, cupid car club, universal order of armageddon, drive like jehu, godheadsilo, the rapture, fugazi, clikatat ikatowi, end of the line, unwound, lightning bolt, black dice, rodan, the shit, black heart procession, hot snakes, thrones, the love life, acid mother's temple, godspeed you black emperor!, turing machine, shellac, moss icon, iggy pop, last of juanitas, cherry valence, tight bros from way back when, the fucking champs and numerous others sit side by side with house shows, loft party's, one-off joke bands, portraits, and backyard hijinx.

Captured in the moment at stage-level, Jeff's photographs offer a view of the American underground that is increasingly giving way to over-commercialization and corporate interest. From house shows to smoke-filled clubs, cramped record stores, rooftops and even greenhouses, these images show very little boundary between the band and the audience. But above all, these are powerful images that show the development of an artist with an assured eye, the expression of someone passionate about music both as a musician and documentarian.

152 pages, 32 full color with an introduction by Sam McPheeters

PRICE : 22 euros