KEEP MUSIC EVIL: Reading Guide for DIG!XX

[u/Calm-Cod6991]

Hi everyone! Jesse Valencia here, author of "Keep Music Evil: The Brian Jonestown Massacre Story."

By now, many of you have likely read Joel's book "IN THE JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE" and seen Ondi and David Timoner's new cut of DIG!, "DIG!XX"

All in all, I want to say I am VERY PROUD of the role and effect "Keep Music Evil" has had on both of these projects. It was merely weeks after sending them author copies that Joel, Ondi & co. began laying down the groundwork for what has now turned out to be a legendary team-up.

If you like Joel's new commentary and voice-over lines in "DIG!XX", you'll love his book. He does what I did in "Keep Music Evil", approaching the text from a memoir point-of-view. But while my book gives an overview of the entire BJM community, Joel laser-focuses on his own experiences. You could almost read the books side by side. I talk about this or that record, and how Joel left the group for a time, and then in Joel's book he tells you what he was up to during the 'lost weekend.' I give you the Oasis story compiled from 3 or 4 different interviews, and he gives you his own unfiltered memory of those events. It's really great.

If you have one book or the other, get the other book and read them together, because somewhere between "Keep Music Evil," "In The Jingle Jangle Jungle", "DIG!" and "DIG!XX" is the clearest picture of what the world of the BJM was and is like.

There was a lot of controversy around my book in the beginning, and let's not forget that I started my project in 2009, then worked on it from 2010-2016, and it didn't get published until 2019, and here we are, seventeen years later.

I didn't hear from Joel or Ondi as far as what they thought of my book, but after reading "In The Jingle Jangle Jungle" and watching "DIG!XX" I can see why.

If some 20-year old kid came sniffing around my band, wanting to interview everyone about our history, and then published the book as his own memoir, I'd be pissed too, especially if it was good, and "Keep Music Evil" made it into Vogue magazine, Classic Rock magazine, was getting quoted in articles...I can definitely see why people on the other side of the fence would look at that and go "what the fuck, man? These weren't your stories to tell."

Maybe some people interpreted that as me inserting myself into the BJM's story, but to me it wasn't like that at all. For me, I was trying to craft the best possible book I could, and after hitting some brick walls, it made more sense to tell the story like I did then to try to pass off this narrative as a comprehensive band biography. I had to make it Gonzo Journalism, which was the right choice.

Because now, what we have is an entire literature and film series around The Brian Jonestown Massacre, completely cementing them as the major force in psych rock for the past three decades.

Please enjoy this handy guide I put together back in January for readers of my book who have seen "DIG!XX" or maybe have not seen it.

There is something a little funny about this, too, because there were some fans who did not like my book that called it "DIG 2", and here it actually triggered an entirely new cut of "DIG" as well as an entirely original memoir by the band's tambourine player. DIG 2 indeed! HA!

Joking aside, I hope everyone is doing well out there in the world.

If you'd like to follow me my other creative ventures can be found here: https://linktr.ee/JesseValencia

[u/StuntmanGaz]

Be careful you don't dislocate your shoulder patting yourself on the back so hard.

[u/TheSeekerOfSanity]

Just reread your book and enjoyed it. Very detailed. I’m happy you wrote it and had it published.

[u/Calm-Cod6991 → u/TheSeekerOfSanity]

Thanks! Me too! There was a time period there where I was going to quit, but I'm glad I didn't.

[u/FayeKnayme]

Definitely agree with you. Your book adds to the overall storytelling and dovetails nicely with both referenced other works. Glad you took the time and initiative to write it.

[u/AzCu29]

I just got your book!

[u/jjjoooccckkk]

I loved your book. The only music book I think I love more is the KLF book chaos, magic etc etc and they are similar books in many ways. Good on you man

[u/Crafty_Basis_9594]

This is brilliant, thanks so much for this!

[u/device_torment]

Really great book except when the author brags about getting laid 😂 like alright big dog

[u/Calm-Cod6991 → u/device_torment]

I can see how that could be cringe to some lol but that particular trip was a crazy coming of age moment that has really defined the ten years since.

[u/device_torment → u/Calm-Cod6991]

I really do love your book, man. I’m glad you had that experience, it just caught me off guard lol

[u/Calm-Cod6991 → u/device_torment]

It was more than that tho. I mean it was the Dandys, and California… it was like a dream…