Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide to Your Favorite Music Scenes--From Punk to Indie and Everything in Between

When i'd hear about this book my first thought was: WTF? Are you serious? But later, when i was in the last page i can reallyd talk to anyones saying: You must read this book. If you like music, read it.

If mainstream music has your ear splitting, jump off that main music road that you've been on for so long and embark on a bumpy out-of-the-way journey to an 11-city soundscape exploration with Leslie Simon as your expert and entertaining guide with her book //Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide To Your Favorite Music Scenes--From Punk To Indie And Everything In Between//. And just as you might have suspected, there's so much percolating underneath the Billboard Top 100. From the co-author of the cult 2007 hit //Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide To Emo Culture// comes a snarky, fact-filled look at people and places who made indie music history. In the follow-up book //Wish You Were Here//, Simon perfectly captures the excitement, absurdity, and obsessive passion of rock history, most of which will make you say, "Hmmm ..."" In this travel-guide-meets-tongue-in-cheek-history, Simon painstakingly traces the eleven noteworthy local scenes in the development of indie rock as we know it. From the birth of "straight edge" culture in Washington, D.C. clubs to the renaissance of NYC hipster chick thanks to the Strokes' 2001 debut album, this book covers every riveting detail in indie music lore, with info like: which albums you need to complete your Suburban Florida music collection (Hot Water Music is a no-brainer); how to play the part of the Intellectual Indie Scenester in Seattle (make sure the Shins are on your iPod, for one thing); the most influential label in Minneapolis (Twin/Tone Records, if you must know); and, where to satiate your late night food cravings on Long Island (one word: diners). Whether poking fun at Twin Cities rock critics and their obsession with free record label swag, or offering a hilarious rundown of best--and worst--Los Angeles-based bands featuring celebrities, Simon ensures there's never a dull moment in //Wish You Were Here//. Rob Dobi's spot-on illustrations appear throughout the book as the perfect complement to her enthusiastic and hilarious voice. And so, as they say, when foraying somewhere outside of the usual realm, wish you were here ... Reviewed by Dominique James

There's a dearth of acceptable material on current pop and alternative music for use in a high school library (language, photos, etc; this is a book we can promote with minimal reservations.