The ABCs of Rock
The late publicist and musician Mooney lists performers and design shop Print Mafia provides grainy silkscreens in this nostalgic AC/DC to ZZ Top abecedary. With the exception of the letter W, for the White Stripes, this selection skips 21st-century acts and instead salutes '70s- and '80s-era Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. Younger music lovers remain conversant with letter N's Nirvana, M's Bob Marley, and O's Ozzy Osbourne, but they forgivably might draw a blank on the punkabilly X, whose one-letter name is paired with L.A.'s iconic Hollywood sign, or the bubblegum-new-wave Go-Go's, represented by a serigraph of a ponytailed teenybopper. Print Mafia's lurid illustrations in fuchsia, electric green, and hot yellow perfectly suit letter T's Talking Heads and letter C's the Clash--borrowing straight from these bands' cover art and concert poster aesthetics; the designs imitate the DIY style of pasteup and photocopier art, with a dash of Roy Lichtenstein. Almost but not quite the size and shape of an LP, this compendium recalls the predigital era and speaks best to those who are kids at Heart (or loved the band). All ages. (Oct.)(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC.  All rights reserved.