Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994-2007)
English
By (author): Dan Ozzi
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Ozzis reporting is strong, balanced and well told...a worthy successor to its obvious inspiration, Michael Azerrads 2001 examination of the 80s indie underground, Our Band Could Be Your Life.New York Times Book Review
A raucous history of punk, emo, and hardcores growing pains during the commercial boom of the early 90s and mid-aughts, following eleven bands as they sell out and find mainstream fame, or break beneath the weight of it all.
Punk rock found itself at a crossroads in the mid-90s. After indie favorite Nirvana catapulted into the mainstream with its unexpected phenomenon, Nevermind, rebellion was suddenly en vogue. Looking to replicate the bands success, major record labels set their sights on the underground, and began courting punks rising stars. But the DIY punk scene, which had long prided itself on its trademark authenticity and anti-establishment ethos, wasnt quite ready to let their homegrown acts go without a fight. The result was a schism: those who accepted the cash flow of the majors, and those who defiantly clung to their indie cred.
In Sellout, seasoned music writer Dan Ozzi chronicles this embattled era in punk. Focusing on eleven prominent bands who made the jump from indie to major, Sellout charts the twists and turns of the last gold rush of the music industry, where some groups sold out and rose to surprise super stardom, while others buckled under mounting pressures. Sellout is both a gripping history of the music industrys evolution, and a punk rock lovers guide to the chaotic darlings of the post-grunge era, featuring original interviews and personal stories from members of modern punks most (in)famous bands:
- Green Day
- Jawbreaker
- Jimmy Eat World
- Blink-182
- At the Drive-In
- The Donnas
- Thursday
- The Distillers
- My Chemical Romance
- Rise Against
- Against Me!