Vivien Goldman has put together the perfect book for the streaming generation. Using identity, money, love, and protest as chapter headings, Goldman makes interesting and sophisticated connections as she discusses dozens of woman-fronted punk acts. Some of these, like Crass and Patti Smith and the Raincoats, will be familiar to Razorcake readers. The newer ones—like Pragaash and Big Joanie and Skinny Girl Diet—might not be as familiar, but are no less vital.

Goldman has been around since punk’s inception, and effectively merges her own experiences with interviews and research throughout. I think her intention here was to tantalize: as I read, the aforementioned stories—and especially the connecting thread of framework—made me dive back into bands I already knew, and dig to find out more about those I didn’t. Goldman puts the ball in the reader’s court to tremendous effect throughout. Awesome! –Michael T. Fournier (University of Texas Press, utexaspress.com)