Sellout, Dan Ozzi
Sellout, Dan Ozzi
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Sellout
The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994–2007)

Author: Dan Ozzi

Narrator: Chris Abell

Unabridged: 13 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 10/26/2021


Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

"Ozzi's reporting is strong, balanced and well told...a worthy successor to its obvious inspiration, Michael Azerrad's 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 hardcore’s 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-90’s. After indie favorite Nirvana catapulted into the mainstream with its unexpected phenomenon, Nevermind, rebellion was suddenly en vogue. Looking to replicate the band’s success, major record labels set their sights on the underground, and began courting punk’s rising stars. But the DIY punk scene, which had long prided itself on its trademark authenticity and anti-establishment ethos, wasn’t 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 industry’s evolution, and a punk rock lover’s guide to the chaotic darlings of the post-grunge era, featuring original interviews and personal stories from members of modern punk’s most (in)famous bands: Green DayJawbreakerJimmy Eat WorldBlink-182At the Drive-InThe DonnasThursdayThe DistillersMy Chemical RomanceRise AgainstAgainst Me!

About Dan Ozzi

Dan Ozzi is a highly regarded music journalist. A New York–raised, Los Angeles–based writer, he is the author of Dey Street’s Sellout: The Major Label Feeding Frenzy that Swept Punk, Emo and Hardcore, a national bestseller and an NPR Book of the Year. Along with Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, he co-authored 2016’s Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout, which was listed in Billboard’s “100 Greatest Music Books of All Time.” He has contributed to The Guardian, SPIN, Billboard, The Fader, and others. For more than five years, he was a staff writer at Vice’s music website, Noisey.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jacob on November 14, 2021

Thanks to Mr. Ozzi for convincing me to check out bands I’ve hated forever without any good reason.......more

Goodreads review by Rachael on September 09, 2021

As a product of the early 2000s New Jersey punk rock scene, this book was like candy to me. Reading references to the Wayne Firehouse, TheNJScene, New Brunswick basement shows, and Vintage Vinyl (RIP) was like a trip back in time. On the other hand, the format of the book focusing on a different ban......more

Goodreads review by Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) on July 06, 2023

Little personal anecdote in lieu of introduction to the book review; feel free to skip if you aren’t interested. Back in May, I was browsing at the record store when I stumbled upon something that made me squeak incredulously: a brand new record by… the Used. That took me back, as the Used’s record “......more

Goodreads review by Bryan on February 07, 2022

Damn, it's nice to read a book on occasion about a topic I'm interested in that's written in an approachable, conversational style. I must remember this for the future. And I want a book like this for like twelve more bands at least. Unorganized comments/takeaways: - Rancid sounds like a cult. - Jawbre......more

Goodreads review by Nev on March 10, 2022

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO FUCKING MUCH. If you’re a fan of punk, emo, or hardcore bands from the mid 90s to mid 2000s then you need to read this. It’s a fun walk down memory lane and an insight into the behind the scenes of how different bands decided to move from indie labels to major labels. Even thoug......more