Music: styles and genres Books

Book SynopsisCalling all Carpenters! From her Disney days to the Coachella stage, and now with smash hits that've been streamed billions of times, Sabrina Carpenter's journey to musical stardom is decoded in this book. If you have a taste for more, inside you'll also find inspiring quotes, fun-sized facts and a treasure trove of trivia.

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Book SynopsisThe hidden meanings of the Beatles’ most esoteric lyrics and sounds are revealed by a rare insider who spent two decades with the man who made “meditation,” “mantra,” and “yoga” household words: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. “I absolutely love this book. Between the stories and the pictures, many I’ve not seen before, this is truly a spiritual journey.” —Chris O’Dell, author of Miss O’Dell, My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, and the Women They LovedThe spiritual journey of the Beatles is the story of an entire generation of visionaries in the sixties who transformed the world. The Beatles turned Western culture upside down and brought Indian philosophy to the West more effectively than any guru. The Inner Light illumines hidden meanings of the Beatles’ India-influenced lyrics and sounds, decoded by Susan Shumsky—a rare insider who spent two decades in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of the Beatles’ mentor, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. “With clarity, depth, and impeccable research, an exceptionally comprehensive book filled with engaging tales and fresh insights that even diehard Beatles fans will find illuminating.” —Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: From Emerson and The Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West This eye-opening book draws back the curtain on the Beatles’ experiments with psychedelics, meditation, chanting, and Indian music. Among many shocking revelations never before revealed, we discover who invented "raga rock" (not the Beatles), the real identity of rare Indian instruements and musicians on their tracks, which Beatle was the best meditator (not George), why the Beatles left India in a huff, John and George’s attempts to return, Maharishi’s accurate prediction, and who Sexy Sadie, Jojo, Bungalow Bill, Dear Prudence, Blackbird, My Sweet Lord, Hare Krishna, and the Fool on the Hill really were. “This book reminds us in illuminating fashion why Susan is the premier thinker about India’s key influence upon the direction of the Beatles’ art. In vivid and stirring detail, she traces the Fabs’ spiritual awakening from Bangor to Rishikesh and beyond.” —Kenneth Womack, author of John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life Half a century later, the Beatles have sold more records than any other recording artist. A new generation wants to relive the magic of the flower-power era and is now discovering the message of this iconic band and its four superstars. For people of all nations and ages, the Beatles’ mystique lives on. The Inner Light is Susan Shumsky’s gift to their legacy.Trade Review“Fascinating, informative, revelatory, The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles by Susan Shumsky is a 'must read' selection for the legions of Beatles fans.” -- Midwest Book Review“With all the Beatles books out there, it's extremely rare for anyone to find a genuinely worthwhile angle to re-examine the Fabs anymore, but Shumsky has found one and handles it honestly and thoroughly.” -- Mike Segretto, Psychobabble“In this 500-page book, replete with over 170 photos, over 130 QR codes, and stunning revelatory information, a niche in Beatles history that until now has largely been ‘sampled’ is thoroughly investigated and brought to light. Whatever your religion, philosophy, or outlook, The Inner Light is a superb work. Even lifelong Beatles fans will definitely learn something new in this well-written, meticulously documented book.” -- Jude Southerland Kessler, Culture Sonar“Susan’s book tells a whole story, without sugar coating the truth. The references are like ripples in a pond, reminding me of places, people, events, books, and music that warmly fill my heart, mind and soul.” -- Gurudas (Roger Siegel), author of By His Example“A captivating, perceptive study. Long after The Beatles’ 1968 visit to Rishikesh, the sights, sounds, and religious beliefs of India resonated through their lives and music. Their stay at the ashram comes under special scrutiny, including some revelatory stories about Maharishi.” -- Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon and Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison

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Book SynopsisMartin Porter is an author, journalist and publisher who began his career as a technology writer/reporter in the mid-1970s for Rolling Stone, GQ and Premiere magazines. As editor and publisher of Pro Sound News, EQ, Guitar Player and Surround magazines, he has been one of the leading chroniclers of this golden period in music and audio technology. David Goggin, aka Mr Bonzai, is an award-winning author, photographer and music journalist. Together the authors manage the popular Record Plant Diaries Facebook page.

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Book Synopsis Filled with fascinating photographs and juicy behind-the-scenes details, Queen All the Songs illuminates the unique recording history of a mega-bestselling and hugely influential rock band—album-by-album and track-by-track. A lovingly thorough dissection of every album and every song ever released by the beloved rock group, Queen All the Songs follows Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John from their self-titled debut album in 1973 through the untimely passing of Freddie, all the way up to their latest releases and the Oscar-winning film, Bohemian Rhapsody. The writing and recording process of each track is discussed and analyzed by author Benoît Clerc, and page-after-page features captivating and sometimes rarely seen images of the band. Queen All the Songs delves deep into the history and origins of the band and their music. This one-of-a-kind book draws upon decades of resear

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Book SynopsisBob Dylan: All the Songs focuses on Dylan''s creative process and his organic, unencumbered style of recording. It is the only book to tell the stories, many unfamiliar even to his most fervent fans, behind the more than 500 songs he has released over the span of his career. Organized chronologically by album, and updated to include all of his most recent work including the 2020 release of his 39th album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, Margotin and Guesdon detail the origins of his melodies and lyrics, his process in the recording studio, the instruments he used, and the contribution of a myriad of musicians and producers to his canon.

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Book SynopsisBlondie's Parallel Lines mixed punk, disco and radio-friendly FM rock with nostalgic influences from 1960s pop and girl group hits. This 1978 album kept one foot planted firmly in the past while remaining quite forward-looking, an impulse that can be heard in its electronic dance music hit Heart of Glass. Bubblegum music maven Mike Chapman produced Parallel Lines, which was the first massive hit by a group from the CBGB punk underworld. By embracing the diversity of New York City's varied music scenes, Blondie embodied many of the tensions that played out at the time between fans of disco, punk, pop and mainstream rock. Debbie Harry's campy glamor and sassy snarl shook up the rock'n'roll boy's club during a growing backlash against the women's and gay liberation movements, which helped fuel the disco sucks battle cry in the late 1970s. Despite disco's roots in a queer, black and Latino underground scene that began in downtown New York, punk is usually celebrated by criticTrade ReviewIt’s a rare treat when an author busts out a tightly researched agenda that totally flips your perspective on a record, a band, a scene, a genre, and an entire artistic era. Kembrew McLeod provides such a treat with this gloriously revisionist history, positing that Blondie and the core of the New York punk scene’s early bands and aesthetics were a product of a wildly vital gay underground theater scene that flourished from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. * MTV News *A neat snapshot of a time of revolution, reinvention and experimentation ... [This book is] every bit as appetising as the album itself, and an astute, erudite examination of one of the greatest albums of all time. * Record Collector *An interesting thesis well made in this enjoyable addition to the 33 1/3 series. * International Times *There’s a little book I’ve been devouring on the subway this past week or two: Blondie’s Parallel Lines by Kembrew McLeod. It has had me tracing and re-tracing connections all over the place, re-examining my own assumptions about my own evolving musical tastes and cultural assumptions from the time of my first transistor radio ... Refreshing. * One Flew East *Nothing beats a great argument that makes you think of the album in question in a whole new light, then – of course – sends you right back to the music to love it all over again ... Parallel Lines – the book – is worth reading if you’re a devotee of Blondie or the 33 1/3 series (and of course for fans of both already) but if, somehow, you’ve never experienced this record in your lifetime and haven’t yet read any of the other entries into this set of snapshots of classic albums, McLeod’s book might instantly, easily, make you a fan of both. * Off The Tracks *The publisher Bloomsbury cannot be praised highly enough for the 33 1/3 series ... This volume houses countless surprising details ... [and] McLeod writes so informatively and with such inspiration that one cannot dismiss Parallel Lines or any of the other similar music covered in the book. * CulturMag (Bloomsbury translation) *[Blondie's] Parallel Lines ... gives a good critical insight into how record labels have worked up until the present day ... the whole thing reads very well. * OX Fanzine (Bloomsbury translation) *Table of ContentsIntroduction: “Went Walking One Day on the Lower East Side … ” Chapter One: Downtown New York in the 1960s and 1970s Blondie’s New York Genes Punk’s Bubblegum Roots The Avant-Garde Goes Pop! Children of The Velvet Underground Max’s Kansas City Chapter Two: Blondie’s Arty Antecedents Off-Off-Broadway Sets the Stage for Punk Eric Emerson Makes the Scene Two Stars Align in the Glitter Age Punk’s Trash Aesthetic Chapter Three: Parallel Scenes The Downtown Disco Underground Emerges Blondie Stumbles Into Existence CBGB and the Bowery Neighborhood The Downtown Rock Scene Coalesces Chapter Four: From the Bowery to Blondiemania Debbie and Chris Rebuild Blondie Takes Off “Going Professional” Art and Commerce Chapter Five: “Disco Sucks,” “Chicks Can’t Rock,” Blah Blah Blah “Heart of Glass” Breaks Blondie In America From CBGB to Studio 54 “Death To Disco!" Punk vs. Disco? Gender Trouble Conclusion, or, Fade Away (and Radiate) Postscript: Blondie Points To the Future, Then Ceases To Exist

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Book SynopsisIn his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life. Me is the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.'The rock memoir of the decade' – Daily Mail'The rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader' – Sunday Times______________Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was performing his first gig in America, facing an astonished audience in his bright yellow dungarees, a star-spangled T-shirt and boots with wings. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.In Me Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you, by a living legend.______________'Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all' – The Times'Racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes - what more could you ask from the rocket man' – Guardian (Book of the Week)'Chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid' – TelegraphTrade ReviewBlazingly honest . . . From sex and drugs and dancing with the Queen to sobriety and finally fatherhood, the rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader * Sunday Times *The rock memoir of the decade * Daily Mail *Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all * The Times *All the sex, drugs and showbiz gossip you could want . . . A chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid account * Telegraph *Outrageously enjoyable . . . racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes – what more could you ask from the rocket man? * Guardian *Bracingly open and spectacularly funny . . . practically everyone who is anyone in rock jumps briefly but revealingly into view * New Statesman *Full of warmth and candour . . . John's enthusiasm for music continues to shine through, as does the rebellious streak that made him the groundbreaking artist he continues to be today * Independent *A fitting testament to Elton’s life . . . unrelentingly enjoyable * GQ *Me is a riveting, laugh-til-you-cry, heartfelt page-turner . . . it is the earnest, sweet, damaged “music mad” kid at the heart of Me that will stick with you. * EW *The perfect pop memoir . . . the world's most successful singer-songwriter is thin-skinned, opinionated, mischievous a, prone to excess - and funny * The I *

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Book SynopsisLexicon of the Mouth surveys the oral cavity as the central channel by which self and surrounding are brought into relation. Questions of embodiment and agency, attachment and loss, incorporation and hunger, locution and the non-sensical are critically examined. In doing so, LaBelle emphasizes the mouth as a vital conduit for negotiating "the foundational narrative of proper speech." Lexicon of the Mouth aims for a viscous, poetic and resonant discourse of subjectivity, detailed through the "micro-oralities" of laughing and whispering, stuttering and reciting, eating and kissing, among others. The oral cavity is posed as an impressionable arena, susceptible to all types of material input, contamination and intervention, while also enabling powerful forms of resistance, attachment and conversation, as well as radical imagination. Lexicon of the Mouth argues for the revolutionary promise of the laugh, the spirited mythologies of the whisper, the schizophonics of self-talk, and the primal noise of gibberish, suggesting that the significance of voicing is fundamentally bound to the exertions of the mouth. Subsequently, assumptions around voice and vocality are unsettled in favor of an epistemology of the oral, highlighting the acts of the tongue, the lips and the throat as primary mediations between interior and exterior, social structures and embodied expressions. LaBelle makes a significant contribution to currents in sound and voice studies by reminding that to hear the voice, and to consider a politics of speech, is first and foremost to assume the mouth.Trade ReviewLaBelle shows how the mouth envelops and develops bodies, languages and subjectivities. He constructs what he calls the ‘oral imaginary’, the forms of figuration and function that define the role of the mouth as a cultural artefact … the many choreographies of the mouth that he presents and the many ways in which those choreographies envelop and inflect voice, culture and politics leaves us in a dizzying, vertiginous space of possibility and potentiality. -- John Melillo * Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies *An artist and a sound culture theorist, LaBelle offers a wide-ranging epistemology of oral gestures, arguing for the mouth as a contested space in which the politics and psychology of speech and the body are embodied. In a dozen chapters, he explores the oral cavity (and some associated physiology), illustrates its verbal and nonverbal productions, and connects them to topics in cultural theory such as decolonization and transgression …The exemplification favors critical theory (Butler, Kristeva, Lacan, Cixous, Freud) and performance art, and the book will be of special interest to art historians, cultural theorists, and performers. There are also many intriguing observations about such topics as ear and neck biting, kissing protests, and hysterical laughter… Summing Up: Optional. Upper-division undergraduates and above. -- E. L. Battistella, Southern Oregon University * CHOICE *In the decade since, a stunning range of new offerings from a variety of publishers has become readily available, and sound studies is a far more expansive discipline. This fact is nowhere more evident than in Bloomsbury Academic’s excellent sound studies catalog ... the scholarship here shows how adept the cultural study of sound can be at unearthing the thorny political and social tensions that define contemporary culture. -- Nicholas C. Laudadio, University of North Carolina Wilmington * Journal of Popular Music Studies *Future studies will now be able to explore the more hidden cavities and diaphragms of the humanoid body, which oscillate and resonate. Brandon LaBelle's volume is a perfect start and an ideal reference point for these journeys. -- Holger Schulze, University of Copenhagen * Seismograf *To simultaneously emancipate the ear and the mouth is a great accomplishment. To do so with care and love a gift. Lexicon of the Mouth offers erudite ruckus, expansive erotics, destabilizing poetics, liberatory politics. By revealing how 'the drama of the mouth' is greater than that of the word, Brandon LaBelle opens new horizons for performance, music, and the sound arts. * Allen S. Weiss, Performance Studies and Cinema Studies, New York University, and author of Phantasmic Radio (1995), Breathless (2002), and Varieties of Audio Mimesis (2008) *Tuning his ear to the poetics and politics of the mouth, Brandon LaBelle makes a highly original and significant contribution to our understandings of voice in its various modalities and performativities. This is a breathtaking transdisciplinary accomplishment, beautifully written and deeply scholarly; it deftly re-focuses our attention on the multiform assemblages of the mouth -- from the individual to the inter-subjective, from the social to the political, from the bodily interior to public spaces –- and thus evokes a vital new cartography of auditory culture. * Norie Neumark, Professor and Chair in Media Studies, Director of the Centre for Creative Arts, La Trobe University, Australia *Table of ContentsPreface: Associative Introduction: Movement 1. Bite, Chew, Eat 2. Burp, Choke, Cough, Gag, Spit, Vomit 3. Cry, Scream, Shout, Sing 4. Gasp, Growl, Grunt, Sigh, Yawn 5. Gibberish, Gobbledygook 6. Inner voice, Self-talk 7. Kiss, Lick, Suck 8. Laugh 9. Murmur, Whisper 10. Lisp, Mute, Stutter 11. Recite, Repeat, Vow 12. Whistle Conclusion: Dirty Etc. Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBackground Noise follows the development of sound as an artistic medium and illustrates how sound is put to use within modes of composition, installation, and performance. While chronological in its structure, Brandon LaBelle's book is informed by spatial thinking - weaving architecture, environments, and the specifics of location into the work of sound, with the aim of formulating an expansive history and understanding of sound art. At its center the book presupposes an intrinsic relation between sound and its location, galvanizing acoustics, sound phenomena, and the environmental with the tensions inherent in what LaBelle identifies as sound's relational dynamic. For the author, this is embedded within sound's tendency to become public expressed in its ability to travel distances, foster cultural expression, and define spaces while being radically flexible. This second expanded edition includes a new chapter on the non-human and subnatural tendencies in sound art, revisions to the text as well as a new preface by the author. Intersecting material analysis with theoretical frameworks spanning art and architectural theory, performance studies and media theory, Background Noise makes the case that sound and sound art are central to understandings of contemporary culture.Trade ReviewThe rise of a prominent auditory culture, as seen in the recent plethora of art exhibitions on sound art, in conjunction with academic programs dedicated to "aural culture", sonic art, and auditory issues now emerging, reveals the degree to which sound art is lending definition to the 21st Century. And yet sound art still lacks related literature to compliment, and expand, the realm of practice. Written by The Wire's contributor Brandon Labelle, Background Noise sets out an historical overview, while at the same time shaping that history according to what sound art reveals—the dynamics of art to operate spatially, through media of reproduction and broadcast, and in relation to the intensities of communication and its contextual framework. * The Wire 2010 *Background Noise follows the development of sound as an artistic medium and illustrates how sound is put to use within modes of composition, installation, and performance. While chronological in its structure, Brandon LaBelle's book is informed by spatial thinking - weaving architecture, environments, and the specifics of location into the work of sound, with the aim of formulating an expansive history and understanding of sound art. * Dailywatch.com *Reading Background Noise for the first time introduced me to the world of sound art, to its rich history, its incredible variety of concrete works, its overview of artists working in the field, and its discourses. It taught me how to think about sound in relation to space instead of time. Now, some seven years later, Background Noise is still one of my most important sources. It is a must-read for anyone interested in auditory culture and sound art. * Marcel Cobussen is editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sonic Studies and co-editor of The Routledge Sounding Art Companion (2015) *There are stones here. Stones gathered with great shrewdness by Brandon LaBelle from the broad shore of relational artistic practice; each carries the weight of its own historical significance; each is perfectly shaped to deliver its conceptual impact; each is thrown outwards in just the right sequence and with just the right trajectory to set the ripples running, producing patterns that continue to inspire the reader long, long after the momentum of the book has come to rest. Background Noise is the very best of books: as reverberant as the phenomena it so beautifully articulates. * Angus Carlyle, Professor of Sound and Landscape, University of the Arts London, UK *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface to the Second Edition Introduction: Auditory Relations Fade In Part 1: 4'33": Sound and Points of Origin Introduction to Part 1 Chapter 1 Sociality of Sound: John Cage and Musical Concepts Chapter 2 Exposing the Sound Object:Musique Concrète's Sonic Research Chapter 3 Automatic Music: Group Ongaku's Performative Labors Part 2: Box with the Sound of Its Own Making: From Gags to Sculptural Form Introduction to Part 2 Chapter 4 Rhythms of Chaos: Happenings, Environments, and Fluxus Chapter 5 Minimalist Treatments: La Monte Young and Robert Morris Chapter 6 Conceptualizations:Michael Asher and the Subject of Space Part 3: I Am Sitting in a Room: Vocal Intensities Introduction to Part 3 Chapter 7 Performing Desire/ Performing Fear: Vito Acconci and the Power Plays of Voice Chapter 8 Finding Oneself: Alvin Lucier and the Phenomenal Voice Chapter 9 Word of Mouth: Christof Migone's Little Manias Part 4: Public Supply: Buildings, Constructions, and Locational Listening Introduction to Part 4 Chapter 10 Tuning Space:Max Neuhaus and Site-Specific Sound Chapter 11 Other Architectures:Michael Brewster, Maryanne Amacher, and Bernhard Leitner Chapter 12 Composing Intensities: Iannis Xenakis's Multimedia Architectures Part 5: Soundmarks: Environments and Aural Geography Introduction to Part 5 Chapter 13 Seeking Ursound: Hildegard Westerkamp, Steve Peters, and the Soundscape Chapter 14 Language Games: Yasunao Tone and the Mechanics of Information Chapter 15 Complicating Place: Bill Fontana and Networking the Soundscape Part 6: Global Strings: Interpersonal and Network Space Introduction to Part 6 Chapter 16 Interactions: Achim Wollscheid's Production of the Local Chapter 17 Global Events: Atau Tanaka and Network as Instrument Chapter 18 Live Streams: Apo33 and Multiplying Place Fade Out Conclusion: Auditive Pivot Appendix: Peripheries – subnature, phantom memory, and dirty listening List of Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisThe Jesus and Mary Chain’s swooning debut Psychocandy seared through the underground and through the pop charts, shifting the role of noise within pop music forever. Post-punk and pro-confusion, Psychocandy became the sound of a generation poised on the brink of revolution, establishing Creation Records as a tastemaking entity in the process. The Scottish band’s notorious live performances were both punishingly loud and riot-spurring, inevitably acting as socio-political commentary on tensions emergent in mid-1980s Britain. Through caustic clangs and feedback channeling the rage of the working-class who’d had enough, Psychocandy gestures toward the perverse pleasure in having your eardrums exploded and loudness as a politics within itself. Yet Psychocandy’s blackened candy heart center – calling out to phantoms Candy and Honey with an unsettling charm – makes it a pop album to the core, and not unlike the sugarcoated sounds the Ronettes became famous for in the 1960s. The Jesus and Mary Chain expertly carved out a place where depravity and sweetness entwined, emerging from the isolating underground of suburban Scotland grasping the distinct sound of a generation, apathetic and uncertain. The irresistible Psychocandy emerged as a clairvoyant account of struggle and sweetness that still causes us to grapple with pop music’s relation to ourselves.Trade ReviewAn interesting and eminently readable study of one of the most significant albums of the 1980s ... The book is a welcome addition to a consistently excellent series. * The Kelvingrove Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Taste the Floor Chapter One: Never Understand Chapter Two: Just Like Honey Chapter Three: In a Hole Chapter Four: Sowing Seeds Chapter Five: Taste of Cindy Chapter Six: Some Candy Talking Chapter Seven: My Little Underground Chapter Eight: The Living End Chapter Nine: Cut Dead Chapter Ten: Inside Me Chapter Eleven: It's So Hard Chapter Twelve: Something's Wrong Chapter Thirteen: The Hardest Walk Chapter Fourteen: You Trip Me Up

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Book Synopsis‘If it’s me and your granny on bongos, it’s The Fall.’As legendary frontman of post-punk outfit The Fall, Mark E. Smith was known as much for his mercurial temperament as his exceptional musical talent. Famous for his singular way with words both onstage and off, his road to the music hall of fame was paved with brilliant one-liners, eccentric behaviour, and the dozens of members of The Fall he ejected along the way. Collecting his wit and wisdom for the first time and featuring an introduction from Stuart Maconie, Messing Up the Paintwork is a tribute to a musical icon described as ‘untouchably cool’ (Lauren Laverne), an ‘uncompromising musical maverick’ (Tim Burgess) and ‘a man shouting from a prison window’ (Frank Skinner). And it’s a book for the fans who will miss him terribly.

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Book SynopsisA Times Summer Read 2023A Guardian 50 Best Holiday Reads 2023'This really is a wonderful book for pop kids everywhere' - RICHARD OSMANUsing the arrival of the Spice Girls as a jumping-off point, this fascinating new narrative will explore, celebrate and contextualise the thus-far-uncharted period of British pop that flourished between 1996 and 2006. A double-denim-loving time before the glare of social media and the accession of streaming. The bastions of '00s pop - armed with buoyant, immaculately crafted, carefree anthems - provided entertainment, escapism and fun for millions. It was a heady, chorus-heavy decade - populated by the likes of Steps, S Club 7, Blue, 5ive, Mis-Teeq, Hear'Say, Busted, Girls Aloud, McFly, Craig David and Atomic Kitten, among countless others - yet the music was often dismissed as inauthentic, juvenile, not 'worthy' enough: ultimately, a 'guilty pleasure'. Now, music writer Michael Cragg aims to redress that balance. Using the oral-history format, Cragg goes beneath the surface of the bubblegum exterior, speaking to hundred's of the key players about the reality of their experiences. Compiled from interviews with popstars, songwriters, producers, choreographers, magazine editors, record-company executives, TV moguls and more, this is a complete behind-the-scenes history of the last great movement in British pop - a technicolour turning-point ripe for re-evaluation, documented here in astonishing, honest and eye-opening detail.Trade Review'If you're interested in pop history, I recommend this new book which explores in fascinating detail the dizzy, competitive and lost world of 'manufactured' nineties and noughties pop.' -- Neil Tennant, Pet Shop Boys'So close to the reality... A fantastic book.' -- Nicola Robers, Girls Aloud'A must-read for any pop fan. 5/5.' -- Classic Pop'A hoot. You don't so much read it as inhale it.' -- The Observer'So funny and detailed and, most importantly, with such a clear love and understanding of the people in it. (Michael) strikes such an entertaining balance of fan worship and camp detached wit.' -- The Times'A funny, bright, often poignant read.' -- Sunday Times'Book of the millennium.' -- Popjustice'Cragg's knowledge and affection for the music shines through every paragraph.' -- BBC'An outstanding catalogue of oral testimonies from major and minor players in UK pop in the decade before the financial crash.' -- New Statesman'The definitive account of turn-of-the-millennium pop.' -- Buzz'Joyful and eye opening...an enormously entertaining read. 4/5.' -- Record Collector'Prepare to be left open mouthed...some of the finest secrets from the pop-music landscape of those heady times.' -- Heat'A brilliant, celebratory, gossipy history of 90s pop. Great stories and interviews. If that's your era, you'll love it.' -- Richard Osman'Never before has there been a text so close to the reality. It's the first time I've really felt a true reflection and been transported back. (A) fantastic book!' -- Nicola Roberts, Girls Aloud'Fantastic' -- Xenomania Records'It was such a rollercoaster ride back then. It was totally the golden era and we loved every single second of it. It was the best time to be a pop star, and it's great to be able to relive it all again in the amazing Reach For The Stars' -- Duncan James, Blue'We know everything about our current crop of pop stars because they begrudgingly have to make TikToks every morning. In Reach for the Stars, Michael delves into the pre-internet pop era, speaks to the people that (just about) survived it and makes some extraordinary discoveries. I can't think why anyone wouldn't love this book.' -- Greg James, radio and TV presenter'Arguably the best possible combination of writer and subject since Jesus wrote the Bible.' -- Stuart Heritage, Guardian writer'A truly hilarious pop culture nostalgia fest!' -- Jack Rooke, comedian, author and creator of Channel 4's Big Boys'Nobody buys books. No one's going to read this. No one's going to read these sorts of things. They just don't.' -- Louis Walsh'An outstanding music book. England's Dreaming for people with a working knowledge of 5ive.' -- Fergal Kinney'A book that does justice to an extraordinarily fertile period for British pop - Michael Cragg's assessment of new millennium bubblegum is top rate storytelling.' -- Bob Stanley'You won't find a more comprehensive and entertaining pop book than this.' -- Jordan Paramor, journalist and author'A gloriously funny, often shocking and occasionally poignant trip down memory lane, Reach For The Stars will send you excitedly rooting in the loft for your cargo pants and plucking your eyebrows to within an inch of their lives! It's a must read for any discerning pop fan.' -- Lucie Cave, editor, presenter and podcast host

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Book SynopsisIn this essential and impassioned text, LeRoi Jones traces the intertwined development of blues and jazz music with the history of its creators in 'White America'. As important and relevant as at its first publication in 1963, it shows how music and its people are inseparable - expressing and reflecting the other, surviving and adapting through oppression.Trade ReviewA must for all who would more knowledgeably appreciate and better comprehend America's most popular music -- LANGSTON HUGHESA panoramic sociocultural history of African-American music . . . the first major book of its kind by a black author -- NPRSo essential and, for many of today's music fans, so under-examined . . . Precise, probing and academic * * The Current * *Blues People is not only a fresh, incisively instructive reinterpretation of negro music in America, but it is also crucially relevant to negro-white relationships today -- NAT HENTOFF

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Book SynopsisWhen a musician dies, it is rarely the end of their story. While death can propel megastars to even further success, artists overlooked in their lifetime might also find a new type of fame. But a badly timed move or the wrong deal can see the artist die all over again. Colonel Tom Parker, the former carnival huckster, understood this high-wire act implicitly and the posthumous career of Elvis Presley has provided a template for everyone else. Estates have two jobs: keeping the artist's name alive and ensuring they continue to make money. These can sometimes be compatible goals, but often they spark a tension that is unique in the music business. Drawing on interviews with those running music estates as well as music lawyers, record company executives and archivists, Leaving the Building reveals how the music industry is constantly striving to perfect the business of death.

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Book SynopsisCelebrate the 30th anniversary of the landmark album Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black with this commemorative sequel graphic anthology!Revolution Never Sleeps begins on the familiar backdrop of 1991 and explodes into far-flung futures with a series of speculative fiction stories by the industry's leading creators, including Evan Narcisse (Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales), Regine Sawyer (Dark Nights: Death Metal), Che Grayson (Batman: Urban Legends), Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Villain: All Caps), and many more! Witness revolutionaries in every millennium stand up and fight the power with a little help from the rhythms and rebels of the past.

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Book SynopsisOne of Britain's best-loved and most successful fanzines, Jamming! documented the musical landscape as it evolved between 1977 and 1986. Fully illustrated throughout, The Best of Jamming! includes numerous stand-out pieces from the zine's impressive 36 issue-run, from early features on The Jam, The Smiths, Run-D.M.C, Cocteau Twins and The Beat, to surprise exclusive interviews with Paul McCartney, U2 and Pete Townshend. Personal letters from Mark E. Smith, Paul Weller and others appear alongside arts, sports and politics features, poetry and a Foreword by Billy Bragg. Having guided Jamming! from a 6-page school publication to a nationally distributed monthly, editor Tony Fletcher provides behind-the-scenes insights, while musicians and former contributors reflect on their interviews and Jamming!'s long-lasting influence. An immensely evocative read, The Best of Jamming! perfectly encapsulates the excitement and unprecedented potential of the DIY era.Trade Review'Captures its era perfectly.' Classic Rock, 8/10 'His fanzine was a cut above. So's this compendium' Kris Needs, Record Collector, 4/5

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Book SynopsisThe life's work of two of British music's most unique and timeless artists, with an introduction by Jarvis Cocker.Whenever an aspiring musician asks me about songwriting I point them towards Robert and Alfie. Their work is so unusual, so perceptive, so playful and so grown-up. I don't think there''s anyone to compare. If you want songs that touch your mind as well as your heart, these are the best. Wide distribution of this book could improve the state of music dramatically. - Brian Eno***Selected and arranged by the authors themselves, and featuring an introduction by Jarvis Cocker, Side by Side presents the lyrics, poems, writings and drawings of innovative musician Robert Wyatt and his creative partner, English painter and songwriter Alfie Benge.As a founding member of influential English rock bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, and with a solo career which has lasted for over forty years and seen him collaborate with a diver

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Book SynopsisMarshall Gu is a music writer and has written for Pitchfork, Tone Glow, Bandcamp, and Resident Advisor. He lives in Toronto.

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Book SynopsisDusty Henry is a writer and editor based out of Seattle, Washington. He currently works at KEXP, a non-profit radio station and arts organization, where he oversees the station's editorial work. He is a frequent contributor to the station's Sound & Vision radio show and helped produce, script, and conceptualize the award-winning podcast Fresh off the Spaceship: The Story of the Black Constellation and regularly contributes to KEXP's 50 Years of Hip-Hop podcast. His work has also appeared in Stereogum, NPR Music, and Consequence of Sound, as well as featured at the Pop Conference.

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Book SynopsisA celebration of Harry Styles we Adore You!Harry Styles is a global superstar and fashion icon who has broken records, won awards and was the first solo man to grace the cover of Vogue, but he is also grounded, humble and down to earth. He doesn't care what other people think, isn't afraid to be vulnerable and truly loves his fans. We could all do with being a bit more like Harry.With chapters on finding your style, building confidence and supporting charities, The Book of Harry explores Harry's incredible journey to stardom and the lessons we can take from his music, career and wider approach to life. Learning from his example, it will arm readers with tips, tricks and wisdom to empower them to be fearless, be themselves and above all, Treat People With Kindness.

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Book Synopsis160 progressive exercises to introduce simple sightsinging.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Artists and music journalists have been coining genres for decades, based on sounds shared between artists. This new era for genre is derived from listener data and labelled by engineers who, Seaver says, never expected to become authorities on the matter. This speaks to the contradiction at the heart of Computing Taste: it’s both easier and harder to pinpoint a person’s music taste than you might expect. It all depends on what you think taste is. Spotify can tell us how many times we loop a favorite song, make reasonable assumptions about the genres that speak to us, and deduce from GPS data what we might want to hear in the gym as opposed to the office. But Seaver stresses that a key anthropological question remains unwrapped: why do people love the songs that they do?" -- Katie Hawthorne * Guardian *"Recommendations now 'drive close to half of all users’ streams', according to Spotify’s co-president Gustav Söderström. In Computing Taste, an ethnography of the data scientists and product managers working in 'the world of music recommendation', Seaver gives an account of the way this sort of technology operates. The job of his interviewees, who tend to work for private companies hired by streaming services, is to help their clients 'answer an apparently simple question: what’s next?'" * London Review of Books *"The central premise uniting these theories is that we can’t really tell an algorithm who we are; we have to show it. Platforms used to offer recommendations based on clear user inputs (consider that Netflix used to ask you to rate a movie out of five stars); now things have gotten murkier as our behavior is tracked and collated in complex, opaque ways. Consumers have learned to adjust their actions to get the content they want, according to Nick Seaver, an anthropology professor at Tufts University and the author of Computing Taste: Algorithms and the Makers of Music Recommendation. 'You were much more in control of how you represented yourself under those [earlier] systems,' Seaver told me. Now our behavior—even the embarrassing kind—generates our unique media world." * Atlantic *"A useful deep dive into precisely how these systems are built, the people who build them, their goals and aspirations, and much more." -- Bill Marx * Arts Fuse *"Computing Taste: Algorithms and the Makers of Music Recommendation is a pleasure to read. It is well-written, with nice turns of phrase. I commend it to anyone interested in how media works in the 21st century." * Metascience *"Streaming music services are the norm today, but people don't often think about how they work or how they recommend the next song. Seaver peeks behind the musical curtain in this book about the humans behind the algorithms. . . . Music lovers and those who like books about artificial intelligence will enjoy Seaver's deep dive into the culture, data, and science of music recommendation systems. Computing Taste offers insight into algorithmic music recommendations that's entertaining and easily digestible." -- Natalie Browning * Library Journal *"I would recommend this book if you identify with the following phrase, which is taken from Seaver’s interview with one music company engineer: ‘I’m plagued by the idea that there’s something I haven’t heard yet.’ Music nerds will especially appreciate that Seaver proposes definitions for topics that are hard to describe, like taste and genre. They will enjoy identifying their habits in Chapter 3, ‘What are Listeners Like?’ and learning how music engineers define obscure subgenres like ‘shiver pop.’ . . . The peeks into these veiled companies are almost reminiscent of spy novels. If you’re interested in start-up culture and liked The Social Network, there’s something for you in this book. Throughout Computing Taste, Seaver comments on the balancing act between artificial intelligence and human expertise. He says the title ‘is meant to index that tension’—to probe how technological systems can coexist with something as personal as music taste." -- Hope Karnopp * Daily Cardinal *"The gap between technology and culture might not be as wide as we think, says Seaver in his analysis of how music recommender systems are produced. . . . You’ll come away from Computing Taste realizing that algorithms aren’t the enemy, ready to think again.“ * Engineering and Technology *“Seaver’s nimble account of how contemporary music recommendation systems are conceived and crafted takes readers beyond easy oppositions of humans and algorithms to explore the captivating dynamics of taste and technics, hearing and computing, guidance and coercion.” -- Natasha Dow Schüll, author of "Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas"“Computing Taste tells a fresh story in the increasingly crowded scholarship on artificial intelligence and culture. It will be immensely useful for those outside of computer science and engineering who want to understand how people think and work in the AI industry.” -- Jonathan Sterne, author of "Diminished Faculties," "MP3," and "The Audible Past""Seaver’s exquisite and essential book brings us into an expert community aspiring to find the delicate balance between caring for and controlling the sprawling phenomenon of taste. The ethnographically engaging Computing Taste offers a complex rendering of the makers of music recommendation systems who believe that algorithms can predict and shape musical taste while also wrestling with the reductive absurdity of such a claim. Seaver’s theoretical creativity both pushes critical studies of technology in new directions and makes this book a joy to read.” -- Lisa Messeri, author of "Placing Outer Space: An Earthly Ethnography of Other Worlds"“Who are the programmers writing the music recommendation recipes that structure so many of our auditory habits in these digital days? How do these new taste makers script listeners into the musical multiverses their algorithms create? Seaver brilliantly tunes us to the cadences of these people’s works and lives, decoding the mix of cosmologies, capital, and computation that channel how and what we hear today.” -- Stefan Helmreich, author "Sounding the Limits of Life: Essays in the Anthropology of Biology and Beyond"“Perhaps there’s no accounting for taste, but as Seaver demonstrates in Computing Taste, his resonant and resourceful ethnography of music recommendation algorithms, musical taste can indeed be counted and coded. By listening to the sociotechnical dynamics of that translation process—the means by which aesthetic, subjective, social, and situational choices are transcribed into human-orchestrated algorithms—Seaver helps us appreciate not only the myriad harmonic parts that music and machines play in our personal and social lives, but also the many modes and contexts in which we listen.” -- Shannon Mattern, author of "A City Is Not a Computer: Other Urban Intelligences"Table of ContentsPrologue: Open Plan Introduction: Technology with Humanity Chapter 1 Too Much Music Chapter 2 Captivating Algorithms Chapter 3 What Are Listeners Like? Chapter 4 Hearing and Counting Chapter 5 Space Is the Place Chapter 6 Parks and Recommendation Epilogue: What Are We Really Doing Here? Acknowledgments Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisDuring fifty years of publishing the Bible of Rock and Roll, Jann Wenner conducted a series of interviews that are now regarded among the most important historical documents of rock. Some of these conversations broke headlines-in 1970, his interview with John Lennon exposed the unvarnished tensions that led to the breakup of the Beatles. He gets up-close-and-personal with Bob Dylan, the most singular figure in music who revealed himself to Wenner more openly than to anyone else. And Mick Jagger only trusted one person to publicly interview him about his private life and his backstage account of the world''s greatest rock band.Including stunning photographs and an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with Bruce Springsteen, The Masters intimately profiles the extraordinary musicians who dominated rock and roll, from London and California to New York and L.A.. This is a primary source, cultural masterpiece, and must-have volume about the artists who changed history.

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Book Synopsis33 Revolutions Per Minute tracks the turbulent relationship between popular music and politics, through 33 pivotal songs that span seven decades and four continents, from Billie Holiday singing ''Strange Fruit'' to Green Day raging against the Iraq war. Dorian Lynskey explores the individuals, ideas and events behind each song, showing how protest music has soundtracked and informed social change since the 1930s. Through the work of such artists as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Fela Kuti, The Clash, Public Enemy and Gil Scott Heron, Lynskey examines how music has engaged with racial unrest, nuclear paranoia, apartheid, war, poverty and oppression, offering hope, stirring anger, inciting action and producing songs which continue to resonate years down the line.

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Book SynopsisA unique Companion to J S Bach''s iconic Cello Suites from internationally-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis.The very model of how to write about music.' Philip PullmanAn essential companion.' Jeremy Denk, New York TimesIlluminating, accessible and detailed.' ObserverBach's six cello suites for solo cello are among the most cherished works in musical literature. Little-known for some two hundred years after their composition, they have acquired an aura that enthrals audiences worldwide.Internationally renowned cellist Steven Isserlis goes deep into the history and the emotional journey of the suites, bringing to bear all his experience of performance to offer a rewarding companion for everyone, from the casual listener to the performing musician.Trade Review'In his writing, as in his playing, Steven makes hard work seem effort-less. He's the master of the material, yet always able to make it accessible. In The Bach Cello Suites he explains often difficult technical detail with great joy and humour. For someone like me, who doesn't know their gavotte from their elbow, it is an absolute treat to be led to this sublime music by such an enthusiastic expert.'- Michael Palin'The book I've always wanted: an accessible, eloquent guide to the world's greatest - and maybe most elusive - pieces of music. And written by the man I'd want to tell me about it. This is such a delight.'- Derren Brown

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Book Synopsis''There is something quite moving about seeing the lyrics of these fifty-six songs collected and assembled this way. You can see the evolution of the minds and hearts at work behind the lyrics'' Brandon Taylor, from the IntroductionSince the release of their breakout debut in 2008, Fleet Foxes and their frontman, singer-songwriter Robin Pecknold, have enjoyed international critical and commercial acclaim. Drawing comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and the music of Brian Wilson, Grammy-nominated Fleet Foxes have reshaped the American indie-folk sound, crafting songs that are acoustically and melodically driven, steeped in gospel-like harmonies, and propelled by resonant and timeless lyrics.Wading in Waist-High Water: The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes contains Robin Pecknold's complete lyrics from 56 songs, capturing the poetic and inventive storytelling that is a hallmark of the band's music. These richly layered lyrics explore the complexity, dar

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Book SynopsisThe Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed's worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. It was edited by his wife, the artist Laurie Anderson.Lou Reed was a musician, singer, songwriter, poet, and founding member of the legendary rock band the Velvet Underground. He collaborated with many artists, from Andy Warhol and John Cale to Robert Wilson and Metallica. Reed had a groundbreaking solo career that spanned five decades until his death in 2013. Reed was also an accomplished martial artist whose practice began in the 1980s. He studied with Chen Tai Chi pioneer Master Ren GuangYi. This book is a comprehensive collection of Reed's writings on Tai Chi. It includes conversations with Reed's fellow musicians, artists, friends, and Tai Chi practitioners, including Julian Schnabel, A.M. Homes, Hal Willner, Mingyur Rinpoche, Eddie Stern, Tony Visconti, and Iggy Pop. The Art of the Straight Line features Reed's unpublished writin

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Book SynopsisA songbook that includes the songs from the debut album of Scottish teen singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald arranged for piano, voice and guitar. It includes four pages of colour photographs.Table of ContentsMr Rock'n' Roll; This Is The Life; Poison Prince; Youth Of Today; Run; Let's Start A Band; Barrowland Ballroom; L.A.; A Wish For Something More; Footballer's Wife; The Road To Home; Pound; Body Breakdown; Cry for Eternity; The Flame of Youth; Trail of Broken Hearts

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Book SynopsisThe rise of Oasis in the 1990s was stratospheric, yet they remained the people's band. This is the story about how lives were changed forever, told by those who lived through it. All around the world, millions felt a connection to these working-class lads from Manchester. With anthemic songs crafted and sung by the greatest songwriter and singer of their generation, from their first interview they proclaimed themselves the best band in the world, and for a shining moment in the mid-1990s they were. Live Forever'. Definitely Maybe. (What's The Story) Morning Glory?. Wonderwall'. Knebworth. A level of success not seen by a British band for 30 years, ushering in a new cultural zeitgeist: Britpop, Cool Britannia, New Labour, and at the centre of it all, the soap opera antics of the warring Gallagher brothers and their bandmates. Departed members were replaced by fresh faces as the 2000s ushered in their next career phase with Oasis inspiring younger generations. Yet the music and drama continued up to one night in Paris when everything fell apart until the world stood still in August 2024. Expanded and revised to include over 25 exclusive new interviews from The Oasis Podcast, including contributions from those involved (Alan McGee, Tony McCarroll, Andy Bell, Steve White, Owen Morris), writers with first-hand coverage (Paolo Hewitt, John Robb), celebrity fans (Ricky Hatton) and many more, this book spans their entire career from 1991 to the present day, making it the ultimate story of Oasis.

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Book Synopsis1987. Armed with a Filofax, a brick of a mobile phone and steely determination, 20-year-old Nicki Chapman is walking through the seedy streets of Soho towards her first job in the music biz.But how did Nicki go from being a looked-over assistant running promo packages over to BBC Radio 1 to a judge on Pop Idol with 15 million viewers tuning in for the nail-biting moment Will Young triumphed over Gareth Gates?Everyone knows there were the kingmakers in the heady days of 90s British pop music, but this is a queen''s side of the story; a down-to-earth, no-nonsense team player who fought to make it in an industry that was very much a man''s world.Empowering, entertaining and sprinkled with stardust, Nicki''s inspirational behind-the-scenes story takes in the rocketing highs and heart-breaking lows of promoting, managing and touring with the Spice Girls, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Take That, Billie Piper, Phil Collins and S Club 7, all whilst confro

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Book Synopsis''Brilliant biography of an undersung late-blooming treasure . . . subtly profound as well as wickedly entertaining, this biography does its subject scintillating justice'' MojoCruel to Be Kind is the definitive account of Nick Lowe''s uncompromising life as a songwriter and entertainer, from his days at Stiff Records, to becoming the driving force behind Rockpile, to the 1979 smash hit ''Cruel To Be Kind''.Nick''s original compositions have been recorded by the best in the business, from enfant terrible of the New-Wave, Elvis Costello, to ''The Godfather of Rhythm and Soul'', Solomon Burke; from household names, including Engelbert Humperdink, Diana Ross, and Johnny Cash, to legendary vocalists such as Curtis Stigers, Tom Petty, and Rod Stewart.His reputation as one of the most influential musicians to emerge from that most formative period for pop and rock music is cast in stone. He will forever be the man they call the ''JesuTrade ReviewEven the Jesus of Cool needs a St. Paul to spread his gospel and Will Birch is more than up to the task in Cruel to Be Kind. In this intimate, engrossing, and eye-opening biography of Nick Lowe, Birch reveals deep insights into the man and his work. It's a book as elegant as one of Lowe's songs: filled with just the right combination of pathos, humor, and wit, told with an economy of style, and nary a wasted word or sentence. Absolutely brilliant * Bob Mehr, author of the New York Times bestseller Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements *Brilliant biography of an undersung late-blooming treasure . . . subtly profound as well as wickedly entertaining, this biography does its subject scintillating justice * Mojo *Birch also knows a good Spinal-Tappish anecdote when he hears one and, drawing on Lowe's formidable skill as a raconteur, this book is stuffed with them * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisWhen LCD Soundsystem broke up in 2011, they left behind a small but remarkable catalog of music. On top of the genius singles and a longform composition for Nike, there was a trilogy of full-length albums. During that initial run, LCD Soundsystemand the project''s mastermind, James Murphywere at the center of several 21st century developments in pop culture: indie music''s growing mainstream clout, Brooklyn surpassing Manhattan as an epicenter of creativity in America, the collision and eventual erosion of genre perceptions, and the rapid and profound growth and impact of digital culture. Amidst this storm, Murphy crafted Sound Of Silver, the centerpiece of LCD''s work.At the time of Sound Of Silver's creation and release, Murphy was a man closing in on 40 while fronting a critically-adored band still on the ascent. This album was the first place where he earnestly grappled with questions of aging, of being an artist, and the decisions we make with the time we have left.Trade ReviewLeas is an excitable ... host, and his love for the music ... shines. ... As the first LCD book per se, it's peerless. * Record Collector *Now in this book Ryan Leas has written down in detail the story of the album, and fans of LCD Soundsystem or anyone looking for more information will have come to exactly the right place. * OX Fanzine (Bloomsbury translation) *Table of Contents1. I Was There 2. Fashion 3. Living On Repeat 4. The Ways We Show Our Age 5. Borrowed Nostalgia For The Unremembered '80s 6. New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down 7. We Can Still Come Home To This

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Book SynopsisGet ready for a deep-dive into the LIFE, LYRICS and LOOKS of Chappell Roan, our favorite Midwest princess and queer icon. Every now and then, an artist breaks out of the music industry and becomes a cultural Femininomenon. With her powerful vocals, emotive lyrics, and captivating stage presence, Chappell Roan has quickly become a global superstar admired by millions. In this beautifully designed and well-researched book, we explore Chappell's journey from small-town girl to international pop sensation, delving into her early life, the stories behind her lyrics, her musical influences, iconic fashion looks and the key moments that have shaped her glittering career. Author Nick Levine is a journalist who has interviewed Chappell twice for NME, and specializes in music, culture and LGBTQ issues. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in pop including Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and many others. With behind-the-scenes stories and incredible photos of her most iconic moments, this is a celebration of Chappell's dazzling world of drag, dreams, fearless self-expression and inspirational activism. This book is a one-way ticket to The Pink Pony Club and an essential gift for any fan.

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Book SynopsisFrom a Los Angeles hospital bed, equipped with little more than a laptop and a stack of records, James “J Dilla” Yancey crafted a set of tracks that would forever change the way beatmakers viewed their artform. The songs on Donuts are not hip hop music as “hip hop music” is typically defined; they careen and crash into each other, in one moment noisy and abrasive, gorgeous and heartbreaking the next. The samples and melodies tell the story of a man coming to terms with his declining health, a final love letter to the family and friends he was leaving behind. As a prolific producer with a voracious appetite for the history and mechanics of the music he loved, J Dilla knew the records that went into constructing Donuts inside and out. He could have taken them all and made a much different, more accessible album. If the widely accepted view is that his final work is a record about dying, the question becomes why did he make this record about dying? Drawing from philosophy, critical theory and musicology, as well as Dilla’s own musical catalogue, Jordan Ferguson shows that the contradictory, irascible and confrontational music found on Donuts is as much a result of an artist’s declining health as it is an example of what scholars call “late style,” placing the album in a musical tradition that stretches back centuries.Trade ReviewThis intelligent book uses the records and insights of Dilla's contemporaries to examine his approach to production, his relationships within the genre, love of records and how Donuts can be seen as a piece of music attuned to its creator's failing health. An insightful and emotive read. -- James Griffin * Bonafide Magazine *Jordan Ferguson’s book on Donuts provides a trove of information about what was clearly one of the albums of the last decade of any genre […]Ferguson offers a cogent reading of the album. Others have speculated that Jay Dee buried “secret messages” within the tracks. I don’t know how secret they are but it is clear that there were major preoccupations, life-death-relationships and, of course, music. What he produced was a brilliant, multi-layered, sonically exhilarating work and Ferguson has done the album justice with this slim volume. -- Robert Iannapollo * ARSC Journal *Excerpted * Stones Throw *That such a lively collection of beats and samples—as cerebral as they are physical—was created by a dying man ensures that Jordan Ferguson’s book will be poignant, but his clear storytelling and direct prose allows producer James Yancey to emerge as a complicated, contradictory character. The first half is the most extensive biography we have of the man, from his childhood in Detroit to his death in Los Angeles, just three days after the release of Donuts. The second half grapples with the album as a meditation on mortality, which only shows what an immense talent the world lost. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *Table of Contents1. Welcome to the Show 2. The Diff’rence 3. Hi. 4. Waves 5. Stop! 6. The Twister (Huh, What) 7. Workinonit 8. Two Can Win 9. Geek Down 10. The New 11. Bye.

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Book SynopsisDangerous is Michael Jackson's coming of age album. Granted, that’s a bold claim to make given that many think his best work lay behind him by the time this record was made. It offers Jackson on a threshold, at long last embracing adulthood—politically questioning, sexually charged—yet unable to convince a skeptical public who had, by this time, been wholly indoctrinated by a vicious media. Even though the record sold well, few understood or were willing to accept the depth and breadth of Jackson’s vision; and then before it could be fully grasped, it was eclipsed by a shifting pop music landscape and personal scandal—the latter perhaps linked to his assertive new politics. This book tries to cut through the din of dominant narratives about Jackson, taking up the mature, nuanced artistic statement he offered on Dangerous in all its complexity. It is read here as a concept album, one that offers a compelling narrative arc of postmodern angst, love, lust, seduction, betrayal, damnation, and above all else racial politics, in ways heretofore unseen in his music. This record offered a Michael Jackson that was mystifying for a world that had accepted him as a child and as childlike and, hence, as safe; this Michael Jackson was, indeed, dangerous.Trade ReviewVirtually all of his creative moments were moments of transition, and Ms. Fast makes a strong argument that “Dangerous” was among his most disruptive. In this book, the 100th entry in Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 series, each one devoted to a single album, Ms. Fast employs close readings of lyrics, musical production choices and video presentations to underscore little discussed aspects of Jackson’s creative output. So she breaks “Dangerous” into thematically rich sections: Jackson breaking with his old self, then switching to familiar modes to make bold political statements and then coming full circle. -- Jon Caramanica * The New York Times *Throughout this book’s 144 pages Fast certainly makes plenty of compelling arguments as to why ‘Dangerous’ represents a true coming of age album for Jackson as well as perhaps his most ambitious and experimental collection, but one that didn’t really get a chance to be appreciated or properly understood before it was eclipsed by the media circus that soon engulfed Jackson’s entire life. -- Chris Downton * Cyclic Defrost *As a musicologist, [Fast] is quite capable of writing about the complexity of Jackson's music, offering a clear insight into his process. By placing the work in a cultural context: racism, politics, gender and sexuality, she also offers the non-musician an excellent read and good critical insight. Mostly because she makes crystal clear that Jackson knew exactly what he was doing as a writer and performer, his versatile voice and body combining high and low art to convey a serious message. Fast's analysis also makes it clear that Jackson was able to ingeniously communicate his message through the compilation of the album itself. This book offers a much-needed in-depth analysis of Jackson's music and art…Highly recommended. -- Karin Merx * Cultural Studies *Susan Fast's new monograph on Michael Jackson's Dangerous album is an utterly compelling, utterly intelligent reassessment of Jackson's oft-maligned record of 1991 and a challenge to anyone who thinks that they have a grasp on Jackson's controversial art. Fast has an arsenal of literary theorists to help her support her claim (Gates, Foucault), but her writing style-like the Jackson album that is her subject-is dangerous. I can't think of a 33 1/3 book that's written with so much verve, so much life that the deployment of tough theory and philosophy is swept away in the author's passionate prose. -- Paul Gleason * Stereo Embers *Fast has provided a model for how to reach a broader audience with scholarly writing. * Journal of the Society for American Music *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction. Telling Stories About Michael Jackson Chapter One. Noise Chapter Two. Desire Chapter Three. Utopia Chapter Four. Soul Coda: Dangerous Notes

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Book SynopsisFinally, a brilliant exploration of the German rock band Can's 1971 album Tago Mago. This hugely unique and influential album deserves close analysis from a fan, rather than a musicologist. Novelist Alan Warner details the concrete music we hear on the album, how it was composed, executed and recorded--including the history of the album in terms of its release, promotion and art work. This tale of Tago Mago is also the tale of a young man obsessed with record collecting in the dark and mysterious period of pop music before Google. Warner includes a backtracking of the history of the band up to that point and also some description of Can's unique recording approach taking into account their home studio set up. Interviews with the two surviving members: drummer Jaki Liebezeit, keyboardist Irmin Schmidt and bassist Holger Czukay make this a hilariously personal and illuminating picture of Can.Trade ReviewWarner asserts that the musical criticism and musicology "ignore the material and autobiographical details that have been built into a web of deeply personal associations". This is true of a certain classical model of music writing, and [this] book is a deeply enjoyable and lyrical rebuttal to that -- Frances Morgan * The Wire *In high school, I came upon the book Twilight of the Gods by Wilfred Mellers, a 1973 study attempting to explain the importance of the Fab Four’s music through a musicological analysis of their works. This seemed extremely absurd. I recently realized, after reading several books in the 33 1/3 series, that it’s not really about the individual albums profiled—it’s about what it’s like to be a fan. It’s about what it’s like to view a particular work as the pinnacle of aesthetic accomplishment—to experience the unique sensation of “This speaks to me!” There is also a fetishization of the vinyl album as an art object. Each band and record in the series is mythologized as much as the authors’ experience of discovering them is; in the case of Can’s 1971 album Tago Mago, Warner describes their “stoner athleticism.” The Scottish novelist realizes the absurdity of this linguistic attempt to describe music, as much as Mellers, but Warner’s volume about the German psychedelic band is rich because he shows how “Tago Mago gave me permission to dream.” Tago Mago, along with a number of other Can masterpieces, will be reissued on vinyl alongside the release of the 33 1/3 book. * SLUG Magazine *Scottish novelist Alan Warner (Morvern Callar, The Deadman’s Pedal) has given us a unique and absorbing look at the great Krautrock classic Tago Mago by Can […] Music fans will find themselves nodding in solidarity with his admitted obsession with the record […]Can’s Tago Mago is a masterpiece that still enthralls and informs listeners 40+years past it’s debut, and in a different way, Alan Warner’s look at his relation to the record, and music in general, is much the same. Our most deeply felt connections with art are the pieces that cause us to grow over time with the work, and Warner has given us a near-perfect description of such. -- James Mann * Big Takeover *I really can't recommend Warner's Tago Mago highly enough. I've never read anything by Warner that isn't artful and considered, a mix between the analytical and passionate, but that has never been better demonstrated than in this short book. You may not want to go out and get a copy of Can's album (personally, I prefer Ege Bamyasi), but that's not what he is setting out to do. This is [his] story, one which is both personal and universal, or at least common to the sort of people whose relationships with music, and other art forms, can be as important as their relationships to people - basically, the sort of person who buys the 33? books. * Scots Way Hae! *Table of ContentsPART ONE HALLELUWAH AN ANATOMY OF LISTENING CAN WITHOUT THE MUSIC ‘LIKE CAN’S DRUMMER…’ THE TERRIFYING SEX PISTOLS MR IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS SWEARING A ‘RECORD COLLECTION’ VAN HALEN & BAGPIPES PART TWO A SPANNER IN THE SKY MADE IN A CASTLE WITH BETTER EQUIPMENT TAGO MAGO CAN WORLD NOT A DREAM THE EDITS A SINGLE SONG WHICH NEVER ENDS NOSTALGIA DANGER THE MYSTERY OF LA ISLA DE TAGOMAGO

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