A fictional alt-rock band with the same name as the author's real alt-rock band battles a fake alt-rock band for fans and record sales in this manipulative second novel by Baird (Day Job). The group—Seventeen—is managed by Machiavellian Dennis Freedman, better known as Deedee Vanian, who signs them to a not-so-lucrative deal and then assigns his flaky assistant, Annika Guttkuhn, to run their day-to-day affairs. Seventeen's initial gigs are a mess, including a show in Providence that ends in a near-riot, so as part of a convoluted plan, Vanian creates a rival group called Limna that features the tortured musings of Seventeen's hunky former lead singer, Neil Ramsthraller. Tension levels rise when the two groups hit the road together, and the tour culminates in a wild gig in Florida that seals the fates of both bands. Baird paints a decidedly nasty portrait of the alternative music scene as a claustrophobic world in which bands are used and abused on a regular basis, and he tosses out some incisive commentary on the ins and outs of the music business. But the shaky, threadbare "battle of the bands" plot—not to mention a cast of limited, unlikable characters—makes this a trying read, and Baird doesn't add much to his account beyond his obvious disdain for the industry. He further muddies the waters with a slew of po-mo tricks—mostly odd graphic effects, including grainy black-and-white photos and a bizarre assortment of footnotes. The results are at times witty and disturbing, but finally uneven and too disjointed to appeal to those outside the music business. (May 1)
Forecast:Seventeen is an actual band (with an album,
Bikini Pie Fight) featuring Baird as a singer/guitarist, and whether or not the novel is a cleverly cynical marketing tool, it comes off that way. Strictly for fans.
