‘Drummer’ pretty darn great in bed

While MTV and fictional novels don’t necessarily go hand

in hand, the music television channel has expanded its hold on

American popular culture to the literary world, and the result is

surprisingly acceptable.

In one of MTV Books’ first original publications,

Don’t Sleep with Your Drummer, first time author Jen Sincero

follows fictional 28-year-old wannabe rock goddess Jenny Troanni on

her journey from copywriter to high school tutor, to tortured

musician through a year-and-a-half of the protagonist’s diary

entries.

In the first few months of her rise to pseudo-stardom, Troanni

begins to cut ties with her monotonous former life by first

quitting her office job and next breaking up with her Hootie and

the Blowfish-loving boyfriend, Jason.

The author herself obviously finds this idea hilarious, as she

mentions Jason’s affinity for the mid-nineties radio staple

at least four times within the book’s first few pages.

Once free to explore the musical world, Troanni records the

trials and tribulations of putting a band together, from

excruciating auditions to problems with chemistry and hairstyles,

finally arriving at a core group of misfits who call themselves

Sixty-Foot Queenie.

Guitarist Lucy, who may or may not be the reincarnation of Jimmy

Hendrix, is Troanni’s best friend and a world traveler who

thinks she becomes a native of every country she visits.

Bassist Rodney is a greasy-haired 17-year-old with a lot of

talent but an overbearing mother who becomes one of Troanni’s

main sources of stress.

With Troanni as lead vocalist, rounding out the group is the

annoying but well-meaning drummer Matt, later replaced by the

impossibly attractive Scott, the object of Troanni’s

infatuation.

As the band scores local gigs, gains a cult following, and gets

signed to a record label, Troanni’s personal relationships

begin to crumble.

Fame and money predictably cause rifts between the bandmates and

Sixty Foot Queenie constantly changes players as Matt’s

musical ability is no longer up to par and Rodney’s mom pulls

her son away from the hedonism that ensues in the clubs they

headline.

The one constant throughout the novel is Troanni’s undying

love for making music. It weathers the storms of hookups, breakups,

screaming fans and bad reviews, making all the pitfalls along the

way worth it.

While her attempts at wit sometimes falter, as when she refers

to her feline’s moodiness as “catitude,”

Sincero’s unorthodox style and mostly humorous insights make

the book a quick, fun read.

Nicole Sparacino, The Daily Cardinal (U. Wisconsin)

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