About the Author

Eric Weisbard is the Senior Program Manager in the Education Department of Experience Music Project in Seattle. He is the former music editor at Village Voice and was a senior editor at Spin.

Reviews

Just about anyone interested in understanding pop music will find something here.--R. D. Cohen"Choice" (11/01/2004)

What exactly is pop music anyway? We all kind of know it when we hear it, but its nature is fluid: hard to define and constantly changing. This book, which was born out of the inaugural April 2002 Pop Conference at Seattle's Experience Music Project, is a unique inquiry into the nature of the pop phenomenon. Twenty-five essays by a roster of some notable contributors...scrutinize pop in its various facets as niche, form, stance, and culture...The collection's idiosyncratic range of themes includes modern pop production techniques, why certain immensely popular groups are ignored today, unoriginality in pop song writing, and obsessive record collecting. Essays touch on pop in a variety of genres, including jazz, hip-hop, soul, and heavy metal. A very thoughtful compilation of writings, many of which will likely stand as important discussions of their subjects over time.--David Valencia"Library Journal" (05/01/2004)

store--a perfect introduction to the far-flung nature of music at the beginning of the 21st century.

variety of genres, including jazz, hip-hop, soul, and heavy metal. A very thoughtful compilation of writings, many of which will likely stand as important discussions of their subjects over time.

The contributors see through the mythologies that surround pop music without losing the longings that drew them to music in the first place. The result is a collection as cluttered with treasure as a good record store--a perfect introduction to the far-flung nature of music at the beginning of the 21st century.

Just about anyone interested in understanding pop music will find something here.--R. D. Cohen"Choice" (11/01/2004)
What exactly is pop music anyway? We all kind of know it when we hear it, but its nature is fluid: hard to define and constantly changing. This book, which was born out of the inaugural April 2002 Pop Conference at Seattle's Experience Music Project, is a unique inquiry into the nature of the pop phenomenon. Twenty-five essays by a roster of some notable contributors...scrutinize pop in its various facets as niche, form, stance, and culture...The collection's idiosyncratic range of themes includes modern pop production techniques, why certain immensely popular groups are ignored today, unoriginality in pop song writing, and obsessive record collecting. Essays touch on pop in a variety of genres, including jazz, hip-hop, soul, and heavy metal. A very thoughtful compilation of writings, many of which will likely stand as important discussions of their subjects over time.--David Valencia"Library Journal" (05/01/2004)
store--a perfect introduction to the far-flung nature of music at the beginning of the 21st century.
variety of genres, including jazz, hip-hop, soul, and heavy metal. A very thoughtful compilation of writings, many of which will likely stand as important discussions of their subjects over time.
The contributors see through the mythologies that surround pop music without losing the longings that drew them to music in the first place. The result is a collection as cluttered with treasure as a good record store--a perfect introduction to the far-flung nature of music at the beginning of the 21st century.