There's a great book about creativity and the artist hiding in this ultimately unsurprising rock memoir. Holding down a few part-time jobs and tired of being pigeon-holed as a female singer (and held thus to showcases of earnest, acoustic work), Trynin created her own record label out of her apartment and recorded a demo anyway, after which: major-label flirtation, a six-figure deal, tours, sleeping with a bandmate, music videos, depression, disappointing sales...

I read a comic memoir a while back by a former A&R executive whose primary note seemed to be shock that the filthy lucre was driving everything, that great artists weren't getting the great deals they deserved and that no one cared about The Art. In the key of naivete, and pretty winceworthy coming from the other side of the desk. Trynin's point of view is subtler, and sadder: All those trappings of success didn't help her get closer to her craft -- they only took her further away, but she had to go through all of it to know that. She sets it down for the next artist, the next band, even as she knows they'll disregard her advice.

Here's the video for Trynin's first single (discussed extensively in the book), "Better Than Nothing":