Download or read book Major Labels written by Kelefa Sanneh and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of Oprah Daily's 20 Favorite Books of 2021 • Selected as one of Pitchfork's Best Music Books of the Year “One of the best books of its kind in decades.” —The Wall Street Journal An epic achievement and a huge delight, the entire history of popular music over the past fifty years refracted through the big genres that have defined and dominated it: rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance music, and pop Kelefa Sanneh, one of the essential voices of our time on music and culture, has made a deep study of how popular music unites and divides us, charting the way genres become communities. In Major Labels, Sanneh distills a career’s worth of knowledge about music and musicians into a brilliant and omnivorous reckoning with popular music—as an art form (actually, a bunch of art forms), as a cultural and economic force, and as a tool that we use to build our identities. He explains the history of slow jams, the genius of Shania Twain, and why rappers are always getting in trouble. Sanneh shows how these genres have been defined by the tension between mainstream and outsider, between authenticity and phoniness, between good and bad, right and wrong. Throughout, race is a powerful touchstone: just as there have always been Black audiences and white audiences, with more or less overlap depending on the moment, there has been Black music and white music, constantly mixing and separating. Sanneh debunks cherished myths, reappraises beloved heroes, and upends familiar ideas of musical greatness, arguing that sometimes, the best popular music isn’t transcendent. Songs express our grudges as well as our hopes, and they are motivated by greed as well as idealism; music is a powerful tool for human connection, but also for human antagonism. This is a book about the music everyone loves, the music everyone hates, and the decades-long argument over which is which. The opposite of a modest proposal, Major Labels pays in full.
Download or read book The N Word in Music written by Todd M. Mealy and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-05-04 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The minstrelsy play, song, and dance "Jump, Jim Crow" did more than enable blackface performers to spread racist stereotypes about Black Americans. This widespread antebellum-era cultural phenomenon was instrumental in normalizing the N-word across several aspects of American life. Material culture, sporting culture, consumer products, house-pets, carnival games and even geographic landmarks obtained the racial slur as a formal and informal appellation. Music, it is argued, was the catalyst for normalizing and disseminating those two ugly syllables throughout society, well beyond the environs of plantation and urban slavery. This weighty and engaging look at the English language's most explosive slur, described by scholars as the "atomic bomb" of bigoted words, traces the N-word's journey through various music genres and across generations. The author uses private letters, newspaper accounts, exclusive interviews and, most importantly, music lyrics from artists in the fields of minstrelsy, folk, country, ragtime, blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll and hip hop. The result is a reflective account of how the music industry has channeled linguistic and cultural movements across eras, resulting in changes to the slur's meaning and spelling.
Download or read book Feel Your Way Through written by Kelsea Ballerini and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The personal and poignant debut poetry collection from the award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer revolves around the emotions, struggles, and experiences of finding your voice and confidence as a woman. “I’ve realized that some feelings can’t be turned into a song . . . so I’ve started writing poems. Just like my songs, they are personal and honest. Just like my songs, they have hooks and rhymes. Just like my songs, they talk about what it’s like to be twenty-something trying to navigate a wildly beautiful and broken world.” Deeply emotional and candid, Feel Your Way Through explores the challenges and celebrates the experiences faced by Kelsea Ballerini as she navigates the twists and turns of growing into a woman today. In this book of original poetry, Ballerini addresses themes of family, relationships, body image, self-love, sexuality, and the lessons of youth. Her poems speak to the often harsh, and sometimes beautiful, onset of womanhood. Honest, humble, and ultimately hopeful, this collection reveals a new dimension of Ballerini’s artistry and talent.
Download or read book The Case for Cancel Culture written by Ernest Owens and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2023-02-21 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Refinery 29's Most Anticipated Books By Black & Latine Authors in 2023! Philadelphia Inquirer's Best New Books for February! "A necessary discourse about power and control, and who ultimately has a voice versus whose is often stifled." —Preston D. Mitchum, LGBTQIA attorney, activist, and adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University The first major case for cancel culture as a fundamental means of democratic expression throughout history, and timely necessity aimed at combating systems of oppression. “___ is canceled.” Chances are, you’ve heard this a lot lately. What might’ve once been a niche digital term has been legitimized in the discourse of presidents, politicians, and lawmakers. But what really is cancel culture? Blacklisting celebrities? Censorship? Until now, this has been the general consensus in the media. But it’s time to raise the bar on our definition— to think of cancel culture less as scandal or suppression, and more as an essential means of democratic expression and accountability. The Case for Cancel Culture does just that. This cultural critique from 2023 Philly News Award-Winning journalist Ernest Owens offers a fresh progressive lens in favor of cancel culture as a tool for activism and change. Using examples from politics, pop culture, and his own personal experience, Owens helps readers reflect on and learn the long history of canceling (spoiler: the Boston Tea Party was cancel culture); how the left and right uniquely equip it as part of their political toolkits; how intersections of society wield it for justice; and ultimately how it levels the playing field for the everyday person’s voice to matter. Why should we care? Because in a world where protest and free speech are being challenged by the most powerful institutions, those without power deserve to understand the nuance and importance of this democratic tool available to them. Readers will walk away from this first-of-its-kind exploration not despising cancel culture but embracing it as a form of democratic expression that’s always been leading the charge in liberating us all. "Journalist Owens debuts with an incisive defense of cancel culture... his arguments are thought-provoking and well supported. The result is an invigorating survey of a hot-button political issue." —Publishers Weekly "An important tool for all times, and for anyone looking to learn how to have the difficult but necessary conversations about race, injustice, inequality, and oppression." —Dawn Ennis, award-winning journalist, advocate, and university professor
Download or read book The Silencing of the Lambs written by Michael L. Brown and published by Charisma Media. This book was released on 2022 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Conservative Christians in the United States today are feeling the fire thrown at them by liberal influencers who are pressuring Americans to pick up a left-wing agenda and abandon biblical values. Now is not the time for the church to stay quiet on the issues that will determine America's future. This is the moment for the church to reject the left's muzzle and turn the tide for this nation"--Dust jacket flap.
Download or read book Country Soul written by Charles L. Hughes and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2015-03-23 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the sound of the 1960s and 1970s, nothing symbolized the rift between black and white America better than the seemingly divided genres of country and soul. Yet the music emerged from the same songwriters, musicians, and producers in the recording studios of Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama--what Charles L. Hughes calls the "country-soul triangle." In legendary studios like Stax and FAME, integrated groups of musicians like Booker T. and the MGs and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section produced music that both challenged and reconfirmed racial divisions in the United States. Working with artists from Aretha Franklin to Willie Nelson, these musicians became crucial contributors to the era's popular music and internationally recognized symbols of American racial politics in the turbulent years of civil rights protests, Black Power, and white backlash. Hughes offers a provocative reinterpretation of this key moment in American popular music and challenges the conventional wisdom about the racial politics of southern studios and the music that emerged from them. Drawing on interviews and rarely used archives, Hughes brings to life the daily world of session musicians, producers, and songwriters at the heart of the country and soul scenes. In doing so, he shows how the country-soul triangle gave birth to new ways of thinking about music, race, labor, and the South in this pivotal period.
Download or read book Stanley the Dog The First Day of School written by Bobby Bones and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2022-06-14 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the award-winning radio and TV personality and beloved two-time New York Times bestselling author Bobby Bones, Stanley the Dog: The First Day of School is a hilarious and heartfelt new picture book about a bulldog pup named Stanley and his adventures on the first day of school. Today is Stanley’s first day of school—and he really doesn’t want to go. Stanley would rather dawdle in bed and dither over which collar to wear than get on the school bus. With his stomach turning into tighter knots by the minute, Stanley’s worried whether a bulldog like him will ever fit in with the other pups at school. For one thing, Stanley doesn’t know any of the school rules. He rolls when he’s supposed to sit. Barks when he’s supposed to stay. And worst of all, he doesn’t know how to make friends. But when disaster strikes, maybe all Stanley needs to do is be himself in order save the day? Illustrated with hilariously loving detail by Stephanie Laberis and inspired by Bobby Bones’s own real-life bulldog puppy, Stanley the Dog: The First Day of School will remind every reader about the challenges of trying new things and the value of staying true to yourself.
Download or read book The Revivalist Manifesto written by Scott McKay and published by Bombardier Books. This book was released on 2022-06-30 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On November 2nd, 2021, an earthquake hit American politics. A massive red wave materialized in Virginia and New Jersey—a pair of reliably Democratic states that had voted in the double digits to make Joe Biden president—and ultimately swept Democrats from power in the state house. Then, voters nearly removed New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, who was previously thought to be impregnable. What brought on this red wave? The American people are thirsty for something new in politics. They’ve rejected the establishments of both parties, but aren’t quite sure what the future of the nation should be. The Virginia and New Jersey upsets indicate a great opportunity for a redefined, and newly refined, center-right movement to seize the moment and forge a new American consensus. The Revivalist Manifesto defines that movement, which includes Donald Trump but is larger and longer lasting, and explores the moment we’re in.
Download or read book Hello Chattanooga written by David Carroll and published by Fresh Ink Group. This book was released on 2021-09-25 with total page 705 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hello Chattanooga! Famous People Who Have Visited the Tennessee Valley features photos, stories, and complete listings of the entertainers, athletes, political leaders, and others who have visited the area since 1900. Chattanooga has attracted some of the best-known celebrities in the world, thanks to the city’s historic venues, beautiful scenery, and powerful people. Take a trip back in time, enjoy great memories, and maybe even settle an argument as you learn the dates and places that your favorite star (or president) visited the Chattanooga area.
Download or read book The Revolution Will Be Spotified written by Triauna Carey and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2024-07-08 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Revolution Will Be Spotified investigates the rhetorical strategies present in mainstream popular music and how those strategies are implemented to empower resistance. Case studies across the genres of popular music in the West are surveyed throughout the book to consider the power of music as a rhetorical tool during cultural flashpoints and times of crisis. Carey analyzes songs such as “This is America” by Childish Gambino, “Alien Superstar” by Beyoncé, “Thought Contagion” by Muse, and more to consider the impact of contemporary music on culture and social justice movements. Scholars of rhetoric and composition, communication, cultural studies, and ethnomusicology will find this book particularly interesting.
Download or read book Don t Know Tough written by Eli Cranor and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2022-03-22 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD WINNER OF THE PETER LOVESEY FIRST CRIME NOVEL CONTEST Friday Night Lights gone dark with Southern Gothic; Eli Cranor delivers a powerful noir that will appeal to fans of Wiley Cash and Megan Abbott. In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension. Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy’s bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy—save him from his circumstances, and save his soul. Then Billy’s abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.
Download or read book Chase s Calendar of Events 2023 written by Editors of Chase's and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-11-21 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Find out what's going on any day of the year, anywhere across the globe! The world’s date book since 1957, Chase's is the definitive, authoritative, day-by-day resource of what the world is celebrating. From national days to celebrity birthdays, from historical milestones to astronomical phenomena, from award ceremonies and sporting events to religious festivals and carnivals, Chase's is the must-have reference used by experts and professionals—a one-stop shop with 12,500 entries for everything that is happening now or is worth remembering from the past. Completely updated for 2023, Chase's also features extensive appendices as well as a companion website that puts the power of Chase's at the user's fingertips. 2023 is packed with special events and observances, including National days and public holidays of every nation on Earth Scores of new special days, weeks and months Famous birthdays of new world leaders, lauded authors and breakout celebrities Info on milestone anniversaries, such as the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio, the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the 125th anniversary of the Curies' discovery of radium, the 100th birth anniversary of Hank Williams, the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan, the 50th anniversary of Skylab Information on such special sporting events as the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin, Germany And much more! All from the reference book that Publishers Weekly calls "one of the most impressive reference volumes in the world."
Download or read book Making It in Country Music written by Rich Redmond and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2023-05-15 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rich Redmond, drummer for superstar Jason Aldean, provides a shot of inspiration for those interested in jump-starting a music career. Filled with practical advice, stories of how Redmond did it himself, and insights from a chorus of other musicians, this is the ultimate behind-the-scenes and fun-to-read book looking at the country music industry.
Download or read book The Songwriter s Handbook written by Mark Winkler and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2024-08-06 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, and lyricist Mark Winkler provides a handbook on writing great lyrics, chock full of songwriting exercises and engaging personal vignettes. This book crosses a variety of genres andteaches the craft of modern commercial songwriting as practiced by the likes of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars. The book includes: Highlights of great songwriters and their songs Exercises that focus on storytelling and rhyming while adding specificity and color Practical tips for writing great lyrics with accompanying templates Annotated examples of songs to illustrate effective exercises Information about people you need on your creative and business team Next steps after you’ve written a great song Tips on being a successful live performer to make songs pop By using great songwriters and their songs as blueprints, Winkler reveals the tricks of the trade and shows how you can improve your songwriting skills.
Download or read book Wrestling Is My Gimmick written by Barry David Horowitz and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2024-10-24 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For someone whose career spanned nearly four decades, Barry Horowitz might have the lowest winning percentage in professional wrestling history. But there's a reason why his name reached household levels among fans of the sport. Wrestlers who put on a deliberate losing performance (known as "jobbers") provide the starting points for the game's top names, and Horowitz was always there to help every new generation of talent rise to the next level. He took all the moves. He made them all look good. He absorbed every pin and submission. And then he came back to do it for someone else. From the local federations in Florida to years in the World Wrestling Federation, Horowitz helped launch the careers of wrestlers from Ric Flair to the Ultimate Warrior to Kane to Bill Goldberg, and everyone in between. This book presents the life and career of Barry Horowitz. From his life outside the ring to his storied career in professional wrestling's most unsung role, this biography hopes to shed light on why Horowitz was so committed to an industry who sometimes failed to return the favor. From Horowitz comes a tale of defining one's own success and doing the best for the toughest of businesses--and about becoming a cornerstone in a part of pro wrestling that's commonly underrated, but an integral part of the trade!
Download or read book Rooted written by Lewellyn Melnyk and published by FriesenPress. This book was released on 2023-02-09 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Small towns are places where everyone knows each other’s names—and each other’s business, despite it being none of their own. Yet, folks in small towns never seem to want to talk about mental health. Rural living can be isolating with hours spent on the farm caring for the land, animals, the home, and everyone else first before yourself. Women especially know this struggle all too well. Author Lewellyn Melnyk has experienced this her whole life, suffering from depression in her early teens that left her with what felt like only one option: to take her own life. Rooted: How I Stay Small Town Strong When Life Gets Hard and How You Can Too: A Guide to Finding Joy, Learning from Struggle, and Coming Together One Season at a Time is a blend of self-help and memoir to get you through the tough times and show you how to live with compassion and joy while caring for yourself first. Through humour, vivacious attitude, and a soundtrack to match, this guide acknowledges and dispels the myths around rural living and shows that mental injuries are often rooted in the culture of these communities. Whether you live on a farm or in an apartment in the city, you’ll relate to these small town stories, and find these simple strategies achievable so you can improve your mental and physical health. Rooted is for anyone ready to take the next step and get their hands and heart dirty.
Download or read book Holding the Reins written by Paisley Hope and published by Dell. This book was released on 2024-02-09 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this steamy cowboy romance, a woman returns to her family's ranch after a broken engagement and finds herself falling for her brother's best friend—the first novel in the Silver Pines Ranch series. Take a deep breath and let go of the reins. Cecilia “CeCe” Ashby is finally escaping the toxic relationship that has consumed her entire adult life. She's returning to her hometown of Laurel Creek, Kentucky, and to her family’s equestrian ranch, unsure of what the future holds. Nash Carter, the newly retired superstar of the Dallas Stars, is Laurel Creek's hometown hero, local business owner, and notorious bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fourth sibling in the Ashby clan. It’s been years since his days of tormenting CeCe with her older brothers Wade and Cole. So, when CeCe needs a job, he feels drawn to help her. Nash can’t seem to take his eyes off of his best friend's sister, and it seems she’s been staring right back, not without animosity left over from his childish teasing back in the day. Despite their initial reluctance, the fire between them ignites and it isn't long before they jump into the flames.
