Rough Description is out now. Published by ECW Press, Rough Description is my third book.
“Rough Description is Don Pyle’s tantalizing memoir, recalling first bands, the absurdity and incredible rewards of touring, and reflections on groups and situations he’s been in, most prominently as drummer and co-founder of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. He recounts friend and work relationships with musician Dallas Good, venerable producer/engineer Steve Albini, comedy troupe Kids In The Hall, whose series and theme music his group created, and more.
He describes laughable experiences attending hair school, his evolving relationship with his mother, how the Ramones affected his young teen brain, a life-changing car accident, and other situations from a creative life lived fully, with a bit of dish. Hear how a punk rock penpal lead to a career in showbiz, and how to put out the same record over and over again.”
“Based on his days as a fly in the mosh pit of the nascent punk scene in Toronto and decades of drumming for some of my favorite beat groups, you would think that Don Pyle has a lot of great stories to tell, and insight to share. You are not wrong. Come for the Guelph Riot, and then see if you can guess which Shadowy Man tossed a lovingly compiled Grateful Dead cassette from a moving vehicle.”
“A big-city-art-punk-music-dream recounted from the first row, backstage, on stage, and under the carpets. A marvel of memory and identity entangled in sound and vision across decades, it’s also an emotional and intimate travelogue of revelation, transformation, and the power of creativity and community.”
Patti Schmidt (Brave New Waves)
“What can't Don Pyle do? He's dazzled us with his drumming, documented Toronto's punk history with intimate verve, and (for a lucky few) styled our hair. Now, he's written the most affectionate, insightful and tender music memoir I've ever read. Like the sweetest, sweatiest moshpit hug, you'll never want it to end.”
Jason McBride (author of Eat Your Mind, The Radical Life and Work of Kathy Acker)
“Don is, on top of everything else, an incredible writer. His new book, Rough Description, is one of the best books I’ve read in 2026…
As cliché as it sounds, there is something in this book for everyone: Read it expecting to be immersed and moved”
Liz Worth (author of Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond)
LONG BRANCH - ARC OF THE SUN OUT NOW
The second Long Branch album, Arc Of The Sun, is out now. Buy vinyl or digital files from our Bandcamp, or listen on the usual streamers. Listen via embedded player on this page too.
