In the Jingle Jangle Jungle: Keeping Time with the Brian Jonestown Massacre

by Joel Gion, Anton Newcombe (foreword)

The Brian Jonestown Massacre are one of the great contemporary cult American rock and roll bands. At the peak of their anarchic reign in the San Francisco underground of the mid '90s their psychedelic output was almost as prodigious and impressive as their narcotic intake.

Immortalised in one of the most unforgettable rock and roll documentaries of all time, DIG! alongside their friends/rivals/nemeses, The Dandy Warhol's, in their early years when the US were obsessed with grunge, the BJM felt like a '60s anachronism. But with albums like Their Satanic Majesties Second Request and Thank God for Mental Illness, and incendiary, often chaotic, live shows, they burnished their legend as true believers and custodians of the original west coast flame; a privilege and responsibility which continues to this day when the band have a bigger and more dedicated audience than ever.

Joel Gion's memoir tells the story of the first ten years of the band from the Duke Seat. A righteous account of the hazards and pleasures of life on and off the road, In the Jingle Jangle Jungle takes use behind the scenes of the supposed behind the scenes film that cemented the band's legend. Funny as hell, shot through with the innocence and wonder of a 'percussionist' whose true role is that of the band's 'spirit animal', In the Jingle Jangle Jungle is destined to take its place alongside cult classics in the pantheon of rock and roll literature like Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands, Head On, and 45 by Bill Drummond. It will also feature a foreword by Anton Newcombe, fellow member and founder of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Genres: Music, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography

370 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2024

About the author

Joel has been the tambourine-playing frontman of The Brian Jonestown Massacre for the last thirty years. He's THAT good at it. The band was formed in 1990 and immediately established itself as not only the torch-bearers of the classic 60s 'San Francisco Sound', but also as the most prominent US chapter of Shoegaze and Britpop.
The prestigious Sundance Film Festival's 'Grand-Jury Prize' of 2004 was unanimously awarded to Dig!, a documentary based on The Brian Jonestown Massacre and their interchangeable friends/foes The Dandy Warhols. It quickly became a global cinematic sensation and catapulted BJM onto the world stage, where they have remained ever since. While the film's main focus was on the two bands' lead singers, many consider Joel to be the scene-stealing star of the show.
Joel describes himself as “less a musician, more a writer who happens to be a musician”. His first book, In the Jingle Jangle Jungle: Keeping Time with the Brian Jonestown Massacre, was published in the UK by White Rabbit Books in 2024 and its companion piece book, Jumbled Up, was released in October of 2025. He is also a regular contributor to Creem Magazine.

Reviews

[kaedin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book answered my question about how someone can make a career out of just playing the tambourine. The answer is you can’t

[Tayves Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

speed and rock n roll. badass. love it.

[Fin O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable blast through the BJM years, highly recommended.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't add too many things to my "Gonzo" shelf, but this undoubtedly needs to be there. Like Fear and Loathing, there are those who say, "I don't understand why reading about other people behaving badly is funny." Well, I guess ya hadda be there.

Needless to say, I have seen the original Dig! many times, and Dig! 2.0 in the theaters. If you are one of those people who says, "Just realease the ten-disc anthology already because I will buy it," read this book. The funny thing is, back in the day -- long before those movies came out -- I got it into my head that Brian Jonestown Massacre were a Portland band, so the rivalry with Dandy Warhols must have gained some sort of traction even then.

Most of the original band members are in fact, from San Francisco. I found that part of the book to be fascinating because I realize how much I blew it when I spent about five days there in 1990, right after the "big earthquake." Apparently there was this whole "British shoegazer scene" that we missed. Of course, given another week, we might have found it because we did manage to get to the Casa Loma. Also, being from New York we were so shocked at how deserted and dangerous everything seemed at night [after reading this, I am now amazed we did not get mugged on the lower Haight Street]. It's something we got used to in Philadelphia.

Gion even worked at a record store [Reckless Records] which I do not remember seeing, but we would never have passed a record store by without stopping in. In fact he mentions a lot of record stores except for Tower. It makes me wonder if he had some sort of axe to grind with them.

In any case, the writing style had me on the floor laughing on more than one occasion. His story about his ill-fitting shoes and the whole band going to seeing Austin Powers at some mall in Los Angeles are just two such examples. And of course, the horrible tour stories from around 1997 and 1998 are classic. We ourselves saw them in Philadelphia on Tax Day of 1998. Although I did not have a clear idea of what they looked like then; when we got to the club, I thought, "That must be them!" because they did not look anything like anyone else in Philadelphia. And Joel was wearing his trademark big fur coat and oversized sunglasses.

Joel was the most approachable-looking one, but we did not try to barge our way into the green room as per uzhe. They seemed like a tough crowd who would have dismissed us as "normies." For the record, they did not get into a brawl on stage that night. Reading this memoir, I now regret not trying to hang out with them because we could have been talking about Britpop, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Austin Powers all night. And who else would cite Liam Gallagher and Davy Jones as tambourine/maracca-playing icons. Who knew?

[Tim Ong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel is an incredible musician but it turns out he’s also an amazing storyteller and writer. Fans of BJM will love this book, obviously, but I think anyone who appreciates the Beat authors and poets from the 60s will also dig it.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel Gion, as far as I am concerned. was the star of the documentary Dig! His deadpan tambourine playing on stage and his antics offstage made me want to know more. "In the Jingle Jangle Jungle" exceeded my expectations.

Rock 'n roll shenanigans are easy when you're a star and the money is pouring in. It is quite another when the band you are in constantly self-destructs and tours are conducted on a shoestring budget. Joel manages to comment wryly, often hilariously, on the chaos that surrounded him. It is astounding how much he recalls, considering the amount of drugs and alcohol he consumed. And, it turns out, he was playing to the cameras while Dig! was being filmed, thereby ensuring we would take notice. This is one of the most entertaining rock autobiographies I have read, highly recommended for those who enjoy similar books.

[Max Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! I've been a really big fan of BJM since my late teens, and it was nice to get to know Joel and the band beyond what I witnessed in 'Dig!'.
Some funny and charming anecdotes, and it was an interesting insight into Joel's sometimes turbulent relationship with Anton and the band.
I wasn't so much a fan of the writing at points - the constant embellishments were a bit grating and often the excessive amount of words used to describe something made it a bit harder to read. The humour was lost on me at times, too. I also thought the ending was a little rushed - the final anecdote fell a bit flat, and I was expecting a little more weight in Joel's parting words, after nearly a lifetime of reflection.

[Jerrett Lyday · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool book with a lot of shining moments. Watch Dig! Before you jump in. The book sags a little bit in the middle, in my opinion, but that often happens in beat literature, and I would argue that this book is absolutely an attempt at a beat revival. I do think Joel captures a lot of what it’s like to be on tour with a struggling band (especially if that struggling band is BJM, IYKYK). Worth a read if you’re a BJM fan!

[Sarah Clairmont · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was always going to read this.

[Koen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erg fijne en humorvol geschreven muziekautobiografie en schets van de psychedelische undergroundscene van de jaren negentig. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is een van mijn favoriete bands en een dankbaar onderwerp voor een boek dankzij al het door drank en drugs aangewakkerd drama en de aan zelfsabotage grenzende acties van de bandleden. Het boek las erg soepel, vol smaakvolle anekdotes, maar ik mist soms wat reflectie en het was ook niet altijd duidelijk op welk moment in de geschiedenis we ons bevonden.
En nu snel al hun albums op repeat.

[Freddie Tuson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time for a Dig! rewatch, now if only I could get my hands on some speed for the full experience

[Liz Estrada]

Now reading it in Spsnish to see the translation. Will then review.

[Jennifer Dines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel ends his "time with the Brian Jonestown Massacre" with an escape to Santa Cruz, a stopover where he works out a way to return to the place where he left his heart - San Francisco. One day, he finds a copy of CMJ with a picture of himself in an article about sideburns. His reflection on this moment is masterful: "my old life was still walking around like a zombie that didn't realize it was dead".

Joel has presented us with a music memoir, yes; in fact, I have a twelve hour playlist I created with all the music mentioned in the book. But this is also an addiction narrative - addiction to drugs and to the music scene as well.

But whereas Joel fails in terms of music capitalism (because let's face it...most of society only "approves" of musicians once they make a lot of money - it's the same old derision of a "starving artist"), he excels in his Kerouac-ian writing with winding prose and themes of desolation, desperation, and sacrifice.

Back to that quote about a zombie life...it reminded me of this moment from Big Sur:

“All over America highschool and college kids thinking 'Jack Duluoz is 26 years old and on the road all the time hitch hiking' while there I am almost 40 years old, bored and jaded”.

Okay, Joel, time for the prequel and the sequel...how did you get into this and what happened after?

Cheers on this achievement!

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many Joel’s does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Just one, but it’ll all come crashing down later

Joel is the ultimate buddy you’d want by your side if you were starting a 60s psych rock band. He’s always doing heroic doses and nursing hangovers–self-preservation is mostly a non-factor for the whole band. Through it all, he keeps a two steps forward one step back kind of sitcom-esque plot vignettes going with many scenes set in real named places, especially San Francisco, and has a keen optimism which is its own reward but is also finally rewarded.

Not just a sidekick, he also has an odessy or two of his own but mostly he seems to be the glue that helps keep the wheels from rolling off completely for the wayward artists he’s in the trenches with.

And I got a shovel cuz I dig spending time in the trenches with him too

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Autobiography by Joel Gion ( part time musician - if you want to call him that ) of Brian Jonestown Massacre aka BJM. I thought he was an idiot and this autobiography cemented my opinion of him. Bit of a " showman " and thinks he is talented for just playing the macaras and tambourine. No talent whatsoever. Anton had the right mind to move away from him. Anton is the mastermind and talented founder of the band. Joel is a " wannabe ".

[Carlos Nouaille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Éramos nosotros contra todo, a veces contra nosotros mismos.

Joel Gion es conocido por ser el panderetista —perdón, percusionista— del grupo The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Su líder, Anton Newcombe, es un personaje entregado por completo a la música, adicto por aquel entonces a múltiples y anacrónicas sustancias que le hacían comportarse como un genio altivo y hostil. En cambio, Joel es un alma libre, que disfruta de las sorpresas que se va encontrando por el camino, de espíritu festivo y un carisma arrollador. Un buen día se ve subido en un escenario con una pandereta en las manos, y así acabó atrapado en el torbellino de The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Las memorias de Joel Gion son un retrato interesantísimo de la escena musical de la Costa Oeste en los años 90. Destilan su optimismo a prueba de balas y mucho sentido del humor. Si además eres seguidor del grupo, has visto el documental Dig! o conoces la ciudad de San Francisco, lo disfrutarás todavía más.

Dig!… si algo queda claro es la importancia capital del documental que retrató la historia de The Brian Jonestown Massacre haciendo un paralelismo con sus coetáneos The Dandy Warhols. Cuando se conocieron, los dos grupos conectaron inmediatamente. Los dos reverenciaban el sonido de las bandas de los sesenta —la British Invasion, la psicodelia, el folk— y los reinterpretaban desde la óptica de los noventa —toques de britpop o shoegaze—, tratando de abrirse paso cuando todo el mundo se dedicaba al grunge. ¡Si hasta los dos compartían juego de palabras en el nombre! Los Dandys eran disciplinados, más asequibles, incluso frívolos, pero su líder, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, carecía de la apabullante capacidad musical de su homólogo. En cambio, los Brian Jonestown eran salvajes, impredecibles y autodestructivos, y Anton Newcombe era capaz de componer una pieza antes del desayuno y dominaba decenas de instrumentos. Los Dandys firmaron contratos discográficos y conquistaron el éxito, mientras los Brian Jonestown se hundían en una espiral de caos.

Ahora, con la historia contada desde el punto de vista de Joel, profundizamos en aquella época y conocemos al que se ha convertido en el segundo miembro más veterano del grupo y, en cierta manera, el rostro de la banda —en la última gira se le puede ver dominando el centro del escenario, enarbolando su pandereta con gesto de indiferencia—. Un relato de música, alcohol y drogas, y un grupo empeñado en hacer las cosas a su manera, contra todo y contra todos, hasta que gracias a esa persistente lealtad a sí mismos lograron convertirse en figuras de culto.

[Jay Slayton-Joslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall pretty strong. Obviously, as a huge fan of the band, I wish more was explored about the industry, the albums, and what have you. Realistically, that's not feasible in the book or else it would be 1000s of pages long and Gion did a good job at combining his life and telling about the period of the band. He's not afraid to show the unglamorous parts of the music life, too.

Few people come out of this looking like heroes, but there are plenty of cool stories along the way.

A great supplement for their music or dig!. Not a guide to how to be a rockstar but Gion has a passion for life and music and his writing is pretty infectious.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I eked this out for sooo long because I just adored every single moment spent with this book. Joel is terrific company, so funny, and an incredible writer. Every moment is vivid; normally I simply forget books after reading them, but this one is seared in my mind forever! Yes, there are lots of gaps in the narrative and scene fade-outs and exclamations of 'can't remember any of that my dudes!' but what did you expect?!

[Lukas Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drug users with a music problem. Dig!

[Dave Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
I read quite a few Rock Biogs and this was one of the best.
Some beautiful poetic passages and Joel is funny and self-deprecating throughout.
More about the vibes of the times than the details. Very enjoyable

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling, hilarious, and a complete surprise. To think Gion survived so many chemically altered years in one of the most volatile, unusual bands to surface during the dreadful 90s music scene, yet the book is far from some sordid, ego-bloated and gossip-saturated rock star document. The comedy found in the writing alone, with plenty of incredible run-on sentences and warped poetry, had me laughing out loud. One scene involving Gion and the band, attempting to complete a tour in another punishing nightmare of a bus, tainted by the radio's Lenny Kravitz, is the best. There are enough low-budget rock n' roll escapades and disasters that I was not able to stop reading. Furthermore, it is uncommon for a ROCK musician to write a book this self-deprecating and sincere about his mistakes, yet it is still a rowdy, debauched, and fun ride. It just comes without all the obligatory rock bio vices where rock bio readers have to sit and be humble spectators; the kind found in everything documenting bigger, populist bands. Despite all the sarcasm (and sarcastic intelligence), you always feel like a companion to the author. Bravo work.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a groovy ride through the 90s about life with the Brian Jonestown Massacre, including cameos by Oasis and Bobby Gillespie. I look forward to Joel writing another book!

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favourite musician autobiography, can’t wait for the next book.

[Lala kcsho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermoso!

[Lissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The humor is there, but it lacks a solid arc and waters down a lot of what you would expect from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I found it very difficult to maintain interest.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am drawn to rock memoirs, but am often disappointed by their execution. While I'm a huge BJM (and Joel) fan, I approached this with trepidation - fortunately, my fears were for naught. This is a fun, informative, and atmospheric read.

Covering only about a 10-year period (til the screening of Dig! at Sundance in 2004), Joel devotes most of his book to his on-again, off-again, on-again participation in Anton Newcombe's revolving circus of musicians that make up the Brian Jonestown Massacre. One won't get much on Joel's family life or upbringing, and even his early days in SF are recounted primarily as entry points to the BJM universe. Since that is presumably what most fans of the band and film are here for, it's probably a wise choice. Joel describes this period in a verbal style that seems deliberately to evoke the colorfully kaleidoscopic world of the tangerine trees, marmalade skies, and cellophane eyes that mark the '60s psychadelic musical inspirations of Joel, Anton, and co. (by this I mean he favors a lot of descriptive language, but often strung together [strung out?] in heavenly turns of phrase; it's true that at times his prose style seem more suited to, or derived from, the oral delivery of a (manic?) self-spinner, but largely they work). In terms of content, after an initial set of chapters that set Joel up in SF and describe his entry into the music scene (I hadn't known that Joel tried out on guitar with the BJM initially), which will be probably new to mostreaders, the book turns to the familiar Dig! narrative - here fans can follow along with some familiar storylines, albeit with Joel's witty retrospective commentary. In fact, there are parts of the book that seem like a DVD commentary (hmm... I should rewatch Dig! with the commentary track on ...). Even if the basic plot is familiar, there is quite a lot of new insight into classic moments like the Georgia drug checkpoint, Joel's presence at the TVT records signing, and loads more.

Some cautions ... for those unacquainted with the BJM, this might be a tough read. Characters are often introduced quickly - a few, like Anton, Matt and a couple others, with paragraph-long descriptions - such that casual readers might not know who they are or where they fit into the BJM mythos (Jeff, for instance, is never given much of an explanation, except for his hair clips). I'm not calling for a 'history' of the BJM, which would rob the book of its charm and wit, but I would say that new readers might want to watch Dig first. As a historian myself, moreover, I am amazed at the level of detail in Joel's recollections, especially given the quantity of substances both legal and illegal that Joel consumes throughout the story; I sometimes wonder about this level of clarity and recall, but, again, the overall picture rings true and I'm not going to sweat some potential extrapolation or exaggeration. Finally, while Joel is perfectly honest (or seems to be) about his own peaks and valleys, 'highs' and lows, flaws and strengths, he is pretty cautious about dishing it out to others, especially those he likes. This is not a kiss-and-tell book by any means. That means that those looking for 'dirt' on Anton, for instance, will largely be disappointed (as they should be). In fact, twice Joel observes that he is passing over the dark days of Anton's heroin addiction because, as he notes in the second moment, Anton is still, 'at this prepublication moment', a close friend. Wisely done.

There are some moments of real beauty and honesty in this book. Although Joel confesses he wasn't always at the heart of the recording process, he offers some great moments (and inspired prose) about how he *felt* while performing, about how the process of making music was elevating and cathartic (at least, on those days when it wasn't). One also gets some glimpses of Joel's less public character - I came away with newfound understanding of his real devotion to 60s music, to a certain fashion in clothing (there are some great moments on his boots), and to his appreciation for stylish haircuts (the drummer who was pretty poor, but had a great haircut - cue up the Pavement tune!). These moments humanize Joel, and bring him out of the jingle-jangle jungle a bit. I appreciated them.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a memoir by Joel Gion, the percussionist from the Brian Jonestown Massacre. They’re one of my favourite bands of all time and so when I was approached by a publicist and offered an advanced copy of the book for review, I jumped at the chance.

I was also able to interview him for my radio show, so that was awesome. One for the bucket list.

Anyway, I was pretty much always going to enjoy this book because it tells the inside story of the early days of the BJM, but I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. Joel admits that he’s not a writer in the traditional sense, but he has a way with words that makes the story really come to life. When he writes about places, it feels as though you’re really there.

In the Jingle Jangle Jungle only covers the early years of the band, but it takes us up nicely through to the release of DiG, the documentary about the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols that went on to become a cult phenomenon. It was super interesting to read Joel’s take on what the documentary covered, like watching it through a different pair of eyes.

All of this combines to make a book that’s a must-read for any Brian Jonestown Massacre fan, as well as anyone who’s into music in general. It’s sure to become an instant classic in the field of musical memoirs, and I can’t think of anything out there that’s even remotely similar.

My friend Jordanna put it best when she said that Joel helped to steady the ship in one of the most important bands of the last thirty years. That makes this book a key piece of musical history, and one that you’re not going to want to pass up. I’m just glad I was given the privilege of being one of the first people to read it, even before the other band members.

[Omar Muñoz Cremers]

De memoires van de tamboerijn guy van The Brian Jonestown Massacre resulteren in een heerlijk leesbaar boek. Kan ook haast niet anders met zo'n band. Gion kiest er voor om niet de hele geschiedenis tot 2024 te vertellen maar beperkt zich tot de "eerste periode", de jaren '90. Hoe rol je van raver met een jaren '60 fetisj, parttime in de platenzaak werkend en een beetje speed dealen (o.a. aan Jesus & Mary Chain, Primal Scream) naar olijke tegenhanger van alleskunner Anton Newcombie in de ambitieuze chaosmagneet BJM? Viel me vooral op hoe arm je bent als muzikant totdat er eindelijk een major label toehapt. Voor de liefhebbers komen The Dandy Warhols ook langs en Anton blijkt lange tijd eigenlijk een lieve gast die van studio naar studio reist en weer een LP in elkaar draait. Zo vanaf de Viper Room Massacre observeert Gion steeds meer irritant gedrag. Natuurlijk zijn er drugs in het spel (in een prachtige scène snuift Gion voor het eerst heroïne met Harmony Korine in een New Yorkse club voor VIP's) al weet hij het goed te doseren en subtiel te brengen hoe de banddynamiek verandert. Net wanneer alles definitief in de soep lijkt te zijn gelopen, blijken de vriendelijke documentairemakers met Dig! de blits te maken op het Sundance Festival. Interessant hoe die film bij toeval tot stand is gekomen en wezenlijk onderdeel is van die periode. Tegenwoordig doen beide frontmannen wat blasé over de film, maar Gion zelf vindt het geweldig (ook omdat hij als enige bewust lijkt te zijn geweest dat hij werd gefilmd en een personage moest spelen.) Zo eindigt alles met een vrolijke noot, Anton is definitief van de heroïne en in een mooie scène volgt live de verzoening. En sindsdien maakt de band, totaal onafhankelijk en vrij, eigenlijk hun beste muziek.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pleasant surprise.

I picked up a copy of this at ALA, free hardcover copies of indie music tambourine player memoirs being my love language. I've never listened to BJM, could name like three Dandys songs, and saw Dig when it came out like 20 years ago; to say I didn't know what I was getting into would be an understatement.

But I do love me a good indie rock book. I just didn't know this was gonna be a good one.

Joel's (may I call you Joel?) voice is the strength and weakness of this book. His ability to tell a story and fine eye for detail are spellbinding. The tradition that he posits himself as being part of - the Beats, an heir to the 60s stream of consciousness, New Journalism and Hunter Thompson - is exactly what he is, in fact, a part of. He's funny as hell throughout, manages to be emotionally honest, and even has moments that approach profundity.

But no matter how good the rap is, the problem with talking to speed freak is that they never shut up. The book's biggest weakness is, arguably, that it's too much of a good thing. It's too long, the chronology is confused by the anecdotes, and the whole thing could have benefitted from judicious editing and some tightening up.

So, yeah, it just keeps going, but that's easy to forget moment to moment. The writing throughout is vivid. Joel's voice feels authentic, like an overheard conversation with someone you might like.

Too much of a good thing, but still a very good thing. The best rock tambourine player memoir I've read, but I'm not sure if Davy Jones has a book out.

[Hakim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joel Gion is one of the most fascinating musicians in modern rock. He's a tambourinist in a psychedelic rock band called The Brian Jonestown Massacre (by far the coolest pun I've ever heard). No, he doesn't sing and he doesn't play any other instruments, he just stands there and tears it up like there's no tomorrow. A bona fide tambourine mad scientist. I have massive respect for his musical ability, and I must say, I have newfound admiration for him now because his sense of humor is top tier, and his writing prowess is impressive.

I loved all the anecdotes, his experiences in a San Francisco, the struggles of being an indie musician... but sadly, I thought much of the book was boring. The author seemed to lose himself in the minutiae, when I yearned for a deeper dive into his relationship with Anton Newcombe, more insights into the creative process (though there is some of that), and a richer depiction of the touring experience.

Still, Joel is a wonderful writer. He absolutely should write a sequel, since this does not cover the past couple decades.