California über alles

"California Über Alles," titled after one of the Dead Kennedys' greatest songs, is the first comprehensive book about one of the most important and influential US punk bands. It focuses on the band's founding phase in the San Francisco scene up to the release of their first album "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" (1980) and the departure of the first founding member, drummer Ted, in February 1981. Author Alex Ogg spoke with many witnesses for this work. The book includes artwork by Winston Smith, the house graphic artist of the prominent Alternative Tentacles label, as well as numerous previously unpublished photos. The Dead Kennedys were the most defining punk band in the USA from 1979 to 1986. Their singer Jello Biafra quickly became a committed, politically active intellectual.