Sellout

First and foremost: Dan Ozzi is an incredible writer. I recommend reading anything the guy touches.

For some, this book chronicles a small blip in music history. For others like myself, this book is life. Ozzi starts this book where they all start off: Green Day. From there, he hits up all the classics from the poppy and moody Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World to harder rocking The Distillers and Rise Against and concluding with Against Me and many more in between. There are 11 chapters in total and 11 bands.

So, what is the book about? For those in the know, the word "sellout" comes with a negative connotation that might be hard to explain to an outsider. Ozzi does it well here by chronicling each band's early years and growth from large independent stars and their stories of jumping to major labels. With many from the punk scene shunning the idea of moving from a small, independent music label to a corporate-run label, the bands all struggle with the crossroads they've encountered. Do they stick to their ideals and do everything themselves but limit exposure, or do they compromise a little (or a lot sometimes) and ask for help?

What's amazing with these stories is that every band's story is so different but so similar. Some bands cared more about their punk credentials than others. Some bands wanted to take over the world and others just maybe wanted to pay rent. Some bands exploded into mega stars while others imploded. The overall arc is clear though. Each one of these bands had to build their own following and major labels wanted to make money off of that. As opposed to manufactured vocalists and pop groups, these bands all had to work their asses off to get where they got. They had to make a choice: do they stay stagnant or do they see how far they can go?

Obviously, Ozzi couldn't fit every single band here but he does mention quite a few bands who fit the bill such as Bad Religion, The Offspring, Anti-Flag, The Muffs, and others. I would personally love to see a part 2.

A fascinating walk down memory lane, complete with as many revelations as reminders on why this era shaped so many lives.

Free advice: Pair your reading sessions with Ozzie's curated playlist to put you right in the front row.

More of a 3.5, would have enjoyed the narrative to weave between all the bands instead of one band per chapter.

Been feeling pretty Blergh, this was super zippy and well paced. Loved every page of it, informative and a must read for like every 2000s kid I know.

This book is about basically every album I loved growing up. It's perfect.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it super duper slowly because there was so much to open up and dive into. Not only did I learn a lot about the bands, but I also learned a ton about punk history. It *also* led me to have more (and less) respect for some of the bands that I knew less about. Overall big recommend.