Following in the footsteps of the late greatLester Bangs-- the most revered and irreverent of rock 'n' roll critics -- twenty-four celebrated writers have penned stories inspired by great songs. Just asBangscast new light on aRod Stewartclassic with his story"Maggie May,"about a wholly unexpected connection between an impressionable young man & an aging, alcoholic hooker, the diverse, electrifying stories here use songs as a springboard for a form dubbed the lit riff.AlongsideBangs'sclassic work, you'll find stories byJ.T. LeRoy, who puts a recovering teenage drug abuser in a dentist's chair with nothing but theFoo Fighters's "Everlong"-- blaring through the P.A. -- to fight the pain;Jonathan Lethem, whose narrator looks back on his lost innocence just as an extramarital affair careens to an end -- this to the tune"Speeding Motorcycle"as recorded byYo La Tengo; & Jennifer Belle, who envisions a prequel toPaul Simon's "Graceland"-- one that takes place at a children's birthday party replete with a real live kangaroo.With original contributions fromTom Perrotta,Nelson George,Amanda Davis,Lisa Tucker,Aimee Bender,Darin Strauss, & many more -- riffing on everyone fromTom Waits&Bruce Springsteento theWhite Stripes,Cat Power, &Bob Marley-- this is both an astounding collection of short stories & an extraordinary experiment in words & music.Soundtrack available fromSaturation Acres Music & Recording Co.**