Best Music Writing 2007
VARIOUS AUTHORS
(Da Capo Press)
The latest edition of the Best Music Writing series again proves an essential read for pop geeks. Guest editor Robert Christgau, the self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics," is synonymous with the old guard but does a commendable job of including insightful selections from both medias: traditional (glossies, dailies, alt-weeklies) and new (blogs, webzines). The entries come courtesy of everything from The New York Times to the Montreal-based Mp3 blog Said the Gramophone. Among the numerous highlights: an intimate, 32-page profile of avant-garde folkie Joanna Newsom, an emotional account of New Orleans' vaunted music scene post-Katrina and a brilliantly pithy concert review by David Byrne.
This article appears in Feb 6-12, 2008.