Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group: Second Edition

Rock 'n' roll antihero Ian F. Svenonius provides an exquisitely provocative and deliciously ironic how-to guide for rock bands; new edition features a brand-new preface and artwork by the author

 

"Like its author, Supernatural Strategies is part tongue-in-cheek, part deadly serious—a satire of rock’s consumerist origins but also a thoughtful treatise on what it means to devote yourself to a collective . . . Drawing from the wisdom of rock ’n’ roll’s most famous ghosts, Svenonius’s advice ranges from hilarious to cryptic to surprisingly useful." —Pitchfork

"Svenonius hasn’t written a basic 'How to Make It in the Music Business' book. Rather, the writer, online talk show host and, most important, singer in a series of breathtaking rock 'n' roll bands (the Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Chain & the Gang), is drawing a line in the sand and doing so with what he hopes will finally define the undefinable." —Los Angeles Times

IAN SVENONIUS’S EXPERIENCE AS AN ICONIC UNDERGROUND ROCK MUSICIAN—playing in such highly influential and revolutionary outfits as the Make-Up and Nation of Ulysses—gives him special insight on techniques for not only starting but also surviving a rock 'n' roll group. Therefore, he’s written an instructional guide, which doubles as a warning device, a philosophical text, an exercise in terror, an aerobics manual, and a coloring book.

This volume features essays on everything the would-be star should know to get started, such as Sex, Drugs, Sound, Group Photo, The Van, and Manufacturing Nostalgia. The book also has black-and-white illustrations. Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group will serve as an indispensable guide for a new generation just aching to boogie.

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Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group: Second Edition

Rock 'n' roll antihero Ian F. Svenonius provides an exquisitely provocative and deliciously ironic how-to guide for rock bands; new edition features a brand-new preface and artwork by the author

 

"Like its author, Supernatural Strategies is part tongue-in-cheek, part deadly serious—a satire of rock’s consumerist origins but also a thoughtful treatise on what it means to devote yourself to a collective . . . Drawing from the wisdom of rock ’n’ roll’s most famous ghosts, Svenonius’s advice ranges from hilarious to cryptic to surprisingly useful." —Pitchfork

"Svenonius hasn’t written a basic 'How to Make It in the Music Business' book. Rather, the writer, online talk show host and, most important, singer in a series of breathtaking rock 'n' roll bands (the Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Chain & the Gang), is drawing a line in the sand and doing so with what he hopes will finally define the undefinable." —Los Angeles Times

IAN SVENONIUS’S EXPERIENCE AS AN ICONIC UNDERGROUND ROCK MUSICIAN—playing in such highly influential and revolutionary outfits as the Make-Up and Nation of Ulysses—gives him special insight on techniques for not only starting but also surviving a rock 'n' roll group. Therefore, he’s written an instructional guide, which doubles as a warning device, a philosophical text, an exercise in terror, an aerobics manual, and a coloring book.

This volume features essays on everything the would-be star should know to get started, such as Sex, Drugs, Sound, Group Photo, The Van, and Manufacturing Nostalgia. The book also has black-and-white illustrations. Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group will serve as an indispensable guide for a new generation just aching to boogie.

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Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group: Second Edition

Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group: Second Edition

by Ian F. Svenonius
Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group: Second Edition

Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group: Second Edition

by Ian F. Svenonius

Paperback

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$17.95 
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    Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on May 5, 2026

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Overview

Rock 'n' roll antihero Ian F. Svenonius provides an exquisitely provocative and deliciously ironic how-to guide for rock bands; new edition features a brand-new preface and artwork by the author

 

"Like its author, Supernatural Strategies is part tongue-in-cheek, part deadly serious—a satire of rock’s consumerist origins but also a thoughtful treatise on what it means to devote yourself to a collective . . . Drawing from the wisdom of rock ’n’ roll’s most famous ghosts, Svenonius’s advice ranges from hilarious to cryptic to surprisingly useful." —Pitchfork

"Svenonius hasn’t written a basic 'How to Make It in the Music Business' book. Rather, the writer, online talk show host and, most important, singer in a series of breathtaking rock 'n' roll bands (the Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Chain & the Gang), is drawing a line in the sand and doing so with what he hopes will finally define the undefinable." —Los Angeles Times

IAN SVENONIUS’S EXPERIENCE AS AN ICONIC UNDERGROUND ROCK MUSICIAN—playing in such highly influential and revolutionary outfits as the Make-Up and Nation of Ulysses—gives him special insight on techniques for not only starting but also surviving a rock 'n' roll group. Therefore, he’s written an instructional guide, which doubles as a warning device, a philosophical text, an exercise in terror, an aerobics manual, and a coloring book.

This volume features essays on everything the would-be star should know to get started, such as Sex, Drugs, Sound, Group Photo, The Van, and Manufacturing Nostalgia. The book also has black-and-white illustrations. Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group will serve as an indispensable guide for a new generation just aching to boogie.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781636143101
Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd.
Publication date: 05/05/2026
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 4.25(w) x 6.88(h) x (d)

About the Author

IAN F. SVENONIUS is the author of the underground bestsellers Against the Written Word, The Psychic Soviet, Censorship Now!!, and Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group. He was also the host of VBS.tv’s Soft Focus, where he interviewed Mark E. Smith, Genesis P. Orridge, Chan Marshall, Ian MacKaye, and others. As a musician he has created more than twenty albums and countless singles in various rock ‘n’ roll combos (Escape-ism, Chain & the Gang, the Make-Up, the Nation of Ulysses, etc.). He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

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