David Gamage is a musician in addition to being an author. He also runs the punk, post-punk label Engineer Records along with Earth Island Books, which published this. At around 700 pages, this is a massive book. It’s compartmentalized, though, making it something that is easy to read in small pieces.

The book starts with a short chapter going over the history of Engineer Records. From there we get coverage of bands that have been released on the label. Each band gets a full chapter. There are almost 80 bands included here. There are a few we’ve covered at Music Street Journal, some others I’ve heard of, and others I haven’t. It’s a fascinating read in all cases.

Like everything from Earth Island Books, this is classy. It’s packed full of intriguing stories about bands who are doing music for the love of it. They must play because “the fire still burns.” That passion sells the book more than anything I can say.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.