Exploring the Networked Worlds of Popular Music: Milieux Cultures (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

This book provides an `insider’ view of worlds of popular music. It shows the relationship between music, creativity, ideas and localities by looking at cities, independents, genre, globalization and musician’s relationships with each other. Webb examines groups of musicians, audiences and people involved in the music industry and shows the articulation of their position as well as how to understand this theoretically by looking at the city as a centre for music production; the industrial music inspired neo-folk genre; independence and its various meanings as a productive position in the music industry; the globalization of music; and musicians own narratives about working together and dealing with the industry. Utilizing case studies of a variety of different cities -- Bristol, London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin -- and genres -- Trip-hop, Hip-hop, Industrial, Neo-folk -- this volume is a landmark in popular music studies. Social Sciences Book Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 12 Section 1: Theories of Culture and Music 20 1 A Journey Through Theories of the Intersection of Music and Culture 22 2 Milieu Cultures—The Theoretical Development of the Milieu: From Subcultures, Scenes, and Neo-tribes to Milieu 40 Section 2: Journeys Through Networked Worlds of Popular Music 50 3 Interrogating the Production of Sound and Place: Bristol as a Site of Music Production, From Lunatic Fringe to Worldwide Massive 52 4 Neo-Folk or Postindustrial Music: The Development of an Esoteric Music Milieu 71 5 Hip-hop as a Global Cultural Phenomenon: The Export and Appropriation of Contradiction, Complexity, and Dialogue 121 6 The Great in the Small: The Changing Terrain of Independence 141 7 Musicians: (In) Security in the Trial and Error of the Recording Industry 213 Conclusion: Milieu Cultures 268 Bibliography 272 Index 280 Theories Of Culture And Music. A Journey Through Theories Of The Intersection Of Music And Culture ; Milieu Cultures : The Theoretical Development Of The Milieu : From Subcultures, Scenes, And Neo-tribes To Milieu -- Journeys Through Networked Worlds Of Popular Music : Milieu Cultures. Interrogating The Production Of Sound And Place : Bristol As A Site Of Music Production, From Lunatic Fringe To Worldwide Massive ; Neo-folk Or Postindustrial Music : The Development Of An Esoteric Music Milieu ; Hip-hop As A Global Cultural Phenomenon : The Export And Appropriation Of Contradiction, Complexity, And Dialogue ; The Great In The Small : The Changing Terrain Of Independence ; Musicians : (in) Security In The Trial And Error Of The Recording Industry. Peter Webb. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [261]-267) And Index. Theories of culture and music. A journey through theories of the intersection of music and culture ; Milieu cultures : the theoretical development of the milieu : from subcultures, scenes and neo-tribes to milieu Journeys through networked worlds of popular music : milieu cultures. Interrogating the production of sound and place : Bristol as a site of music production, from lunatic fringe to worldwide massive ; Neo-folk or post industrial music : the development of an esoteric music milieu ; Hip-hop as a global cultural phenomenon : the export and appropriation of contradiction, complexity and dialogue ; The great in the small : the changing terrain of independence ; Musicians : (in) security in the trial and error of the recording industry. This book assesses previous sociological and cultural studies attempts to analyse and theorise worlds of cultural production, and in particular, worlds of popular music production. It offers and develops a new theoretical matrix that can illuminate these trends in a more complex and instructive way. The concept of milieux cultures combines theoretical strands drawn from phenomenology, Bourdieu's reflexive sociology and globalisation theory with new and original case study work on a variety of cities and musical worlds (Bristol, London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin - Trip-hop, Hip-hop, Industrial, Neo-folk) to provide a multi-layered theory that operates by acknowledging a number of different experiential registers This book assesses sociological and cultural attempts to theorize the worlds of popular music production. It offers and develops a new theoretical matrix that can illuminate these trends in a more complex and instructive way.