Table of Contents

FOREWORD BY RICK MOODY INTRODUCTION BY MARC WOODWORTH HOW TO USE THIS BOOK THE WRITERS OVERTURE: EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS CHAPTER 1 THE ALBUM REVIEW INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS ANN POWERS ON DAFT PUNK’S RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES JIM DEROGATIS ON SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S BOOKENDS LAURIE ANDERSON ON ANIMAL COLLECTIVE’S CENTIPEDE HZ LOU REED ON KANYE WEST’S YEEZUS WRITING PROMPT: THE BLIND REVIEW WRITING PROMPT: MAKE IT BETTER THE GO-BETWEENS: HOW TO MAKE CONTACTS CHAPTER 2 THE LIVE REVIEW INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS PAUL MORLEY ON JOY DIVISION AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON ZACH SCHONFELD ON SPIRITUALIZED AT WEBSTER HALL CHARLES AARON ON HOLE WRITING PROMPT: THE LIVE SHOW THE GO-BETWEENS: THE FIVE THINGS EVERY MUSIC WRITER OR EDITOR NEEDS CHAPTER 3 TRACK-BY-TRACK INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS KIM COOPER ON NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL MARY GAITSKILL ON B-MOVIE TAVI GEVINSON ON TAYLOR SWIFT JONATHAN LETHEM ON TALKING HEADS WRITING PROMPT: TRACK-BY-TRACK THE GO-BETWEENS: HOW DID YOU LAND YOUR JOB? CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION RICHARD MELTZER ON EVIL AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LUKE TURNER ON ENYA BRIAN MORTON ON COMPUTER MUSIC JORDAN FERGUSON ON J DILLA WRITING PROMPT: LATE STYLE THE GO-BETWEENS: OFF-BEAT ADVICE CHAPTER 5 THE ARTIST INTERVIEW INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS LIZZY GOODMAN WITH KIM GORDON THOMAS SAYERS ELLIS WITH BOOTSY COLLINS ALLEN GINSBERG WITH BECK WRITING PROMPT: BE BOTH INTERVIEWER AND INTERVIEWEE WRITING PROMPT: LEARN FROM THE BEST THE GO-BETWEENS: YOUR DREAM INTERVIEW SUBJECT CHAPTER 6 THE PERSONAL ESSAY INTRODUCTION BRUCE EATON ON BIG STAR LESTER BANGS ON VAN MORRISON JAMES WOOD ON THE WHO RICK MOODY ON OTIS REDDING, SIMON & GARFUNKEL, THE BEATLES , FUNKADELIC AND OTHERS WRITING PROMPT: THE PERSONAL ESSAY WRITING PROMPT: OFF-THE-RADAR MUSIC THAT MATTERS THE GO-BETWEENS: HOW IS MUSIC WRITING DIFFERENT? CHAPTER 7 THE BLOG PIECE INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS CHRIS DEVILLE ON MUMFORD AND SONS NICHOLAS CROGGON AND JAMES PARKER ON THE TROUBLE WITH CONTEMPORARY MUSIC CRITICISM MATT MELIS ON FANDOM WRITING PROMPT: THE BLOG PIECE THE GO-BETWEENS: YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE CHAPTER 8 THE ARTIST PROFILE INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS ALEX ROSS ON RADIOHEAD JOHN JEREMIAH SULLIVAN ON AXL ROSE LINDSEY ZOLADZ ON PUSSY RIOT SASHA FRERE JONES ON BEYONCÉ WRITING PROMPT: THE LOCAL ARTIST PROFILE THE GO-BETWEENS: WHAT SOURCES DO YOU USE? CHAPTER 9 ALTERNATIVES INTRODUCTION JOHN DARNIELLE ON BLACK SABBATH MARTY DAVIS ON BLACK FLAG ROB SHEFFIELD FROM LOVE IS A MIX TAPE JOE DEUEL ON Hüsker Dü CAMPBELL MCGRATH ON BOB DYLAN WRITING PROMPT: THE ANNOTATED MIX TAPE WRITING PROMPT: OTHER VOICES WRITING PROMPT: HEADLINES FROM TITLES THE GO-BETWEENS: DESERT ISLAND DISCS CHAPTER 10 HOW IT SOUNDS INTRODUCTION EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR WRITERS ANDY BABIUK ON THE BEATLES OWEN PALLET ON KATY PERRY SUSAN FAST ON LED ZEPPELIN JOHN PERRY ON JIMI HENDRIX WRITING PROMPT: ISOLATED TRACKS THE GO-BETWEENS: DO YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE MUSIC TO WRITE ABOUT IT? CHAPTER 11 MUSIC SCENES INTRODUCTION GINA ARNOLD ON LIZ PHAIR’S GUYVILLE ROSS SIMONINI ON JAMAICAN RUDE BOYS SIMON MORRISON ON DANCE CLUBS IN KOSOVO WRITING PROMPT: MUSIC SCENES THE GO-BETWEENS: HOW HAS THE FIELD OF WRITING ABOUT MUSIC CHANGED? CHAPTER 12 CULTURAL CRITICISM INTRODUCTION CARL WILSON ON CELINE DION CHUCK KLOSTERMAN ON EMINEM GREIL MARCUS ON CLARENCE ASHLEY WRITING PROMPT: CULTURAL CRITICISM THE GO-BETWEENS: WORDS OF ADVICE TO THE LONELY MUSIC CRITIC CHAPTER 33 1/3 HOW TO PITCH A 33 1/3 INTRODUCTION A SUCCESSFUL PITCH: SUSAN FAST ON MICHAEL JACKSON’S DANGEROUS A SUCCESSFUL PITCH: PHILLIP CRANDALL ON ANDREW WK’S I GET WET PHILLIP CRANDALL REVISITS HIS 33 1/3 PROPOSAL WRITING PROMPT: THE 33 1/3 PITCH COMPANION WEBSITE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX

Promotional Information

Excerpts from the 33 1/3 series, magazines and leading online publications alongside fresh, inspiring advice from influential writers and editors for making your music writing the best it can be.

About the Author

Marc Woodworth is a Lecturer in the English department at Skidmore College, USA, and Associate Editor of Salmagundi Magazine. Ally-Jane Grossan is editor of the 33 1/3 series published by Bloomsbury.

Reviews

Collection of great long and short pieces on (pop) music, profiles, analyses and personal reactions; practical manual for breaking into a challenging and protean business; text for a cool college course; all-star lineup of contemporary music writers; models for venues from your own blog to the New Yorker; thing to dip into for bite-size bits of advice—How To Write About Music is, as the Dead Boys never quite put it, all this (and more). Highlights include Chuck Klosterman's interview how-to, Susan Fast's exegesis of Dangerous, Alex Ross's Radiohead, and, and, and—the volume draws on the 33 1/3 books without being in thrall to them, and it introduces many styles and many tastes—it's hard to imagine a better place to start.
*Stephen Burt, Professor of English, Harvard University, USA*

All killer and no filler—How to Write About Music is crammed full of stylistically diverse excerpts and stellar advice from the world’s leading music writers. From Tavi Gevinson’s chit-chatty Taylor Swift defense to Susan Fast’s benchmark 33 1/3 proposal on Michael Jackson; students, bloggers and experienced critics alike are sure to find plenty of inspiration. Innovative, accessible and organized like a lovingly compiled mix tape, How to Write About Music will have you jiving around The Shard in no time.
*Samantha Bennett, Senior Lecturer, The Australian National University, Australia*

The best critics make it look easy, but figuring out how and why music works on us—why certain sounds and melodies can incite ecstasy or devastation—is extraordinarily tough work. This smartly compiled primer, the first of its kind, is jammed full of priceless advice on how to make it happen.
*Amanda Petrusich, author of Do Not Sell At Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World’s Rarest 78rpm Records*

As a university senior lecturer in media theory with a passion for music, I was on the look out for an accessible, student friendly text to inspire different ways of thinking about and writing about music. The balance between a fun read for music fans and useful textbook for academics is spot on … If you want to get students more engaged with reading assignments, or are looking for some ideas on how to create innovative assessments and teaching methods, or if you are just a fan of music and music journalism this is definitely good value for the cover price. It is also a good introduction to the 33 1/3 book series by Bloomsbury Press. Highly recommended, highly engaging, and excellent read
*Stephanie A. Fremaux, Teesside University, UK*

Provides a diverse set of experienced voices in different word lengths
*Times Higher Education*

The long-running 33 1/3 series is branching out from its usual pocket-sized, album-by-album format to round up some of the best writing about music from the sharpest minds in the business.
*Fact Mag*

Bloomsbury is publishing How To Write About Music, a book collecting a selection of texts from the 33 1/3 series, as well as excerpts from magazines, books and blogs, plus advice from music writers. Editors Marc Woodworth and Ally-Jane Grossan interviewed over 40 music writers for the textbook, including the likes of Drew Daniel, Anthony Kwame Harrison, Richard Henderson, Marvin Lin, Paul Morley, Jessica Hopper, and The Wire’s Editor-In-Chief, Tony Herrington.
*The Wire*

It is remarkable that while there have been plenty of music history books and biographies, there has never really been a guide about the profession and just how to get started in it–until now. Edited by Marc Woodworth and Ally-Jane Grossan, How to Write About Music is a new title from Bloombsury, the publishing company that puts out the 33 1/3 music book series. Excerpts of writings from the series are included in this guide as well as from other books, magazines and blogs. Specific areas about music journalism from crafting the live review to writing artist profiles are augmented by tips from writers and editors; there’s even a section on how to pitch a 33 1/3 book.
*Brooklyn Based*

A no-brainer purchase for amateur music writers.
*Exclaim!*

A book that can be read straight through or kept as a quick guide when needed, How to Write About Music is a book that every music writer should read over at least once.
*Canada Arts Connect*

The pieces [of this book] have been carefully and imaginatively selected ... [Many] pieces showcase their authors’ extensive chops in music theory, analysis and aesthetics and, more importantly, their ability to invite their readers to look at the music from a different perspective ... The volume can certainly be used as a teaching and learning tool, either to practise one’s craft independently or as a textbook ... [A] welcome addition to the library of any student aspiring to write about music on a professional level, of those wishing to learn the craft independently and of simply anyone who is interested in good writing about music.
*Popular Music*

As a whistle-stop tour around today's journalistic writing on popular music, the book stands up very well ... There is plenty to please and educate in here.
*IASPM@ Journal*

… there’s really no reason why anyone interested in music-writing – both writer and reader – wouldn’t want to get hold of this book. Loads of great advice and examples, practical tips and a checklist for how to go about (attempting) to make your mark in this modern and then post-modern world. A pretty crucial, indispensable even set of words.
*Off The Tracks*

Then, there are my research books, which have honestly been just as enjoyable lately as my fiction. The 33 1/3 Books team recently released How to Write About Music, a textbook on exactly what it says it’s about. It’s great—educational while being wholly enjoyable and reading it is like taking a course by a great professor. I’m sure it will be used in classrooms, but for solo reading it functions beautifully. Bonus, awesome intro by Rick Moody, a veteran of this reading list.
*RoyChristopher.com*