Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011

In this gossip-fueled, engaging oral history, fashion and music journalist Goodman traces New York’s tempestuous rock revival at the turn of the 21st century. Although the Lower East Side was rapidly gentrifying by the mid-1990s, with Williamsburg following soon after, they still provided a fertile matrix of affordable rent, bars, clubs, drugs and sleaze for art-school kids and other malcontents who wanted to rock. By 2000, the breakthrough of the Strokes and Interpol brought mainstream attention to downtown music for the first time since Talking Heads. Soon enough the Moldy Peaches, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, and LCD Soundsystem, among others, were gracing the covers of pop magazines and headlining tours. In roughly chronological order, Goodman tracks the scene through the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks and the transformation of the music industry by way of file-sharing and the Internet, with particular focus on DFA Studios and the Strokes. For keyhole gazers, the tales of rock-star substance abuse alongside snark and sniping between the principals will provide welcome shivers. In chapters with titles such as “I’m Only Sixteen and I’ve Already Had Crabs Three Times,” Goodman’s subtle editing deftly shapes disconnected voices into clear narratives and a seemingly coherent whole. (May.)

This review has been corrected to reflect an updated pub month.