Left of the Dial Conversations with Punk Icons

Featuring interviews with leading figures of the punk underground, including Ian MacKaye, from Minor Threat and Fugazi; Jello Biafra, from Dead Kennedys; and Dave Dictor, from MDC, this book probes the legacy of punk's sometimes fuzzy political ideology, its homegrown traditions, and its rupturing of social norms. Passionate, far-reaching, and fresh, these conversations illuminate punk's oral history with candor and humor by focusing on the history of ideologies and values as understood by performers, instead of as represented by discographies or gig memories. The book also features rare photographs shot during the heyday of punk and hardcore, and a massive punk flyer collection that celebrates a visual history of the bands represented.

David Ensminger is an instructor at Lee College and the author of Visual Vitriol. He lives Baytown, Texas.