Some New Kind of Kick

**A Los Angeles Times Bestseller**

**A California Independent Booksellers Alliance Bestseller**

Vanity Fair, "7 Books We Can't Stop Talking About"
 

"[A] whirlwind of discovery and debauchery that is... loaded with iconic scenes and scenesters..."

“Powers imbues his epic coming-of-age story with a narrative tension that ping pongs between on-and-off drug abuse (eventually fully off) and a complicated musical partnership with legendary Gun Club maestro Jeffrey Lee Pierce… at turns dark, comedic, and dishy, with occasional tugs at the heartstrings.” 

“An entertaining, funny, illuminating, and at times harrowing story from a man who was slap bang centre of the 80s alternative scene… Brian Tristan comes across as a really nice guy. Kid Congo Powers as one of the coolest.”

“A thoroughly entertaining, can’t-put-it-down saga.”
 

"Immensely entertaining.”

“A juicy and humble account of a joyful yet traumatic life spent in three of the most beloved alternative bands of the 1980s.”

“A dreamlike narrative that maintains a kind of spiritual innocence even as it wades into a sea of rock & roll action, back alley sex, and drugged glory.”

“An informative, fun, and easy to read recounting of life on the frontlines of underground music at a time when there was equal amounts of danger and excitement in the air; with no easy paths to take, and little thought of commercial success.”

"A beautifully edgy tale of a kid discovering himself through music."
 

"... Fans of early punk rock will revel in this pungent evocation of the scene."

"[Some New Kind of Kick is] an autobiography that has taken years to write and shows the guts this man has. It’s also a frank account of Kid’s time growing up, his denial of grief and his own sexuality, as well as being a brilliant document of his experiences with said brilliant bands. It’s also utterly amazing to read."

"Enthralling…. an incredibly compelling story."

"An entertaining, funny, illuminating, and at times harrowing story… Powers’ book is an illuminating insight on how rock ‘n’ roll can save, but also destroy."

"Moving... a hold-on-tight roller coaster ride... beautifully produced... There's a reason Some New Kind of Kick is popping up on a lot of Best of 2022 lists."

"Kid Congo Powers has lived an amazing life and his bands (founding member of the Gun Club, the Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Pink Monkey Birds among others) need no introduction. He found punk in the streets of Los Angeles--right place, right time--and it allowed him his self-expression: sexually, culturally, musically and, of course, the drugs. The book follows him as he does time in these bands, each with its own fascinating dynamic, while the spiral of drug use, interrupted by bouts of being clean, continues to drag him down. His keen insight makes for vivid descriptions of scenes, some pretty crazed band dynamics and some wanton self-destructive behavior. Luckily he pulled through and lived to write about it."