S.W. Lauden's Blog: CoreNoMore

I recently played drums on the debut album by a Los Angeles-based garage rock/power pop band called The Brothers Steve. Our two song digital single (“Angeline and Carolanne“) was released by Big Stir Records on June 28. Our debut album (on limited edition, color vinyl) is available for Pre-Order Now. We’re also playing a show in…

Hey everybody! Today marks the release of my first self-published book, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist. I say “book,” but technically I believe that the 17,000-word length qualifies it as a “novelette.” In other words, it’s a quick read. Here’s The Skinny: Jackson Sharp is a former guitar player fresh out of the Oklahoma…

Patrick Whitehurst generously invited me over to his blog after reading my new novelette, That’ll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist. We did a fast and furious interview about crime fiction and music. Here’s a snippet of what Patrick had to say about the book: “With a setting near Tulsa, Lauden’s toe-tapping, gritty novelette is…

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. Jackson Sharp is a former guitar player fresh out of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He’s on a mission to settle the score with his dead beat dad, but needs to collect some cash from his younger brother and former bandmate, Jamie. He finds Jamie at his struggling Tulsa record shop, but the cash is…

Originally posted on PUNK NOIR MAGAZINE:
There has long been a powerful political undercurrent to punk rock. Starting with The Sex Pistols and The Clash, it spiraled outward across decades with bands like Dead Kennedys, Propagandhi, Pussy Riot and Anti-Flag. When it comes to politically charged punk, “I Wanna Destroy You” by The Soft Boys…

Originally posted on PUNK NOIR MAGAZINE:
I’ve always enjoyed a dose of anti-consumerism with my pop culture, whether it’s Fight Club, George Carlin’s “Stuff” routine or Mr. Robot. The darkest and most demented lines from Idiocracy still bring a smile to my face (even as I type this on my MacBook at the local Starbucks).…

I’m back over at Crimespree Magazine today with an article about a few drummers in the crime fiction commit—including myself. “Aspiring authors are often told to write what they know, but the collision of percussion and prose goes much deeper for me. I joined my first real band when I was 16-years-old, a C student…

Originally posted on PUNK NOIR MAGAZINE:
Coming of age. Exploring independence. Adulting. These are well-worn themes in the arts. A quick glance at the bookshelf reveals classics like The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Likewise, many bands have explored similar territory with songs…

Originally posted on PUNK NOIR MAGAZINE:
I recently read an excellent essay called “Playing House” in Heather Havrilesky‘s latest collection, What If This Were Enough? In it, she recounts a doomed relationship from many years ago. He pretended to be something he was not—happy, together—and though she saw through it, she pretended to want to share in his…

“Crime writers are the nicest people.” You hear it everywhere you go, from bookstores, readings and signings, to magazine articles, blog posts and podcasts. For a genre that seems to revel in darkness, death and desperation, crime authors can be some of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. Need proof? Read on! Bouchercon 2018 I…