Month: July 2009

I’ve just been watching a re-run of the Gangsta Rap episode of Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekend. Louis is infamous for craftily highlighting the abnormality of his subjects – usually religious fundamentalists, sex cults or celebrity eccentrics – by acting so Continue Reading …

I recently found this article in which Lindsay Waters (commissioning editor for Harvard University Press) bemoans the focus on books and gimmicks in academia. Instead he celebrates the essay and journal articles as part of the solid groundwork of academic Continue Reading …

I’ve just returned from the 2009 IASPM International conference in Liverpool and want to list a few sources mentioned by the many speakers. I will also categorize them… AUDIENCESSalgado-Correia, J. (2008) ‘Do Performer and Listener Share the Same Musical Meaning?,’ Continue Reading …

I’ve just been reading Benjamin’s classic essay and wish to summarize and comment on it here as a piece of critical historical research. The Paris essay is a summary of a vast collection of quotes called ‘The Arcades Project’ which Continue Reading …

Already a motion in the US Senate to declare Michael Jackson “an American legend and musical icon (and) a world humanitarian” has been blocked by Republican Peter King who said on Fox News and CNN that Jackson was an alleged Continue Reading …

Bros Fans Negotiate the Mass Culture Critique The Art of Being A Fan (Translation of Martin Nohms news story about fandom for Dutch paper Great bifuractions: Michael Jackson’s posthumous roles and remainders The “Mention Elvis” rule Ronnie James Dio – Continue Reading …

Anthony Neale, M. (2009) ‘Conjuring Michael,’ Blog post – available online: http://newblackman.blogspot.com/ (retrieved 6/7/09) Awkward, M. (1995) ‘“A Slave to the Rhythm”: Essential(ist) Transmutations; Or, the Curious Case of Michael Jackson,’ in Negotiating Difference: Race, Gender and the Politics of Continue Reading …

GENERAL REFERENCESome 2009 pop research books Global Culture (link to a USC course with a valuable reading list) IASPM book reviews Michael Jackson CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS / ABSTRACTSIASPM-US & Canada 2006 IASPM-US & Canada 2007 World Music Days (Hong Kong, 2007: Continue Reading …

On Thursday 2nd July my colleague David Pattie, my friend Jon and I descended on the Manchester Velodrome to see a set by the electro-pop legends, Kraftwerk. With only Ralf Hutter left from the original line-up, they still managed to Continue Reading …

Some recent sources found when looking for fan-related scholarship: Beebe, R. (2002) ‘Mourning Becomes…? Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, and the “Waning of Affect”,’ in Beebe, R. et al eds Rock Over the Edge: Transformations in Popular Music Cultures. London: Duke Continue Reading …