I'm the author Denim and Leather: The Rise and Fall of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (a book of the year in The Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Spin and Uncut), as well as The Gospel of the Hold Steady: How a Resurrection Really Feels. I write regularly for The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Spectator, The Economist and The Quietus, as well as contributing to other titles including The Times, The Independent and the Daily Telegraph. I am a former editor of FourFourTwo magazine, and of the Guardian's Film&Music section.