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It’s the summer after his freshman year of college, and the 19-year-old narrator of Matthew Specktor’s That Summertime Sound has two options: return home to Los Angeles, to a city and a family that hardly notice him; or journey to the heart of America—Columbus, Ohio—for a summer of unexpected and life-defining experiences.
Set against the Columbus music scene of the 1980s, Specktor’s lead character treks to Ohio in search of his favorite band, Lords of Oblivion. Headed by eccentric frontman Nic Devine, Lords of Oblivion are the antithesis of the popular New Wave sound of the decade. The narrator quickly adapts to life in Columbus, dressing in the local thrift store fashions, finding an on-again off-again girlfriend, going out, sleeping late, and above all, seeing live music. Eventually, he meets and befriends Nic Devine, cementing a friendship that will define the summer.
That Summertime Sound reads like a music encyclopedia with constant references to seminal bands like The Feelies, Hüsker Du, Pere Ubu, and Uriah Heap. Specktor’s cinematic prose is so visual that the music and characters become a reality. That Summertime Sound captures the vibrancy of youth and the thrill of summer. It’s about going along for the ride, because you can, when you can choose yourself before choosing responsibility.
Additionally, to accompany the release of That Summertime Sound, audio recordings of readings done by Jeremy Irons, James Franco, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) will be featured on the book’s website, www.thatsummertimesound.com.
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