Philadelphia Tribune, 12/24/10
“Da Capo’s ‘Best Music Writing 2010 has become one of the most eagerly awaited annuals out there with scribes of every imaginable sort—novelists, poets, journalists, musicians—are gathered to create a multi-voiced snapshot of the year in music writing that, like the music it illuminates, is every bit as thrilling as it is riveting…The accomplished writing found within these pages cover a wealth of mediums and presentations…[and] allows readers a chance to discover journalists who delve deep into the corners of music culture—from rock to hip-hop to pop and country—and place not only their knowledge of music, but also their undying love for it, front and center.”
Publishers Weekly, web-exclusive, starred review, 4/11/11
“In the 11th installment, guest editor Powers and series editor Carr offer what could be one of the most prescient compilations of all…The compilation's breadth is its real appeal. While it functions as a snapshot of the events, trends, and personalities that made up 2010, it also works as a portrait of an industry and an art form in transition.”
USA Today’s Pop Candy blog, 12/2/11
“It's by far the best ‘best of 2011’ book of the year.”
Village Voice’s music blog, October 2010
“Da Capo's annual Best Music Writing series is as close as rock scribes get to the Oscars.”
Vol 1 Brooklyn, 10/14/10
“Best Music Writing…Ever…quite impressive."
USA Today’s “Pop Candy” blog, 11/4/10
“My annual favorite.”
Mogo Music Network, 11/15/10
“A holy grail for music nerds and writers alike, Da Capo’s Best Music Writing anthologies aren’t just required rock-critic reading—they’re a pedestal to which we all aspire.”
New York Journal of Books, 12/1/10
“These essays make the reader want to explore the music of these artists if they have not been fans before. That is what good music writing should do—it should pull the reader into the music.”
New York Amsterdam News, 11/24/10
“This year’s entry into the ‘Best Music Writing’ series touches on some of the biggest and most compelling stories of the past year…what Best Music Writing 2010 proves is that music journalism, as an industry, may be on its last legs, but music criticism itself isn’t dead.”
Pasadena Weekly, 12/23/10
“As the blogosphere continues to tilt the proper music press in unknown directions, this annual collection of profiles, op-eds, interviews and good old-fashioned think pieces from myriad magazines, newspapers and Web sites reminds that there’s still a place, and need, for knowledgeable and professional music writing—not just thumbnail-sized reviews, but significant essays exploring politics, society, race, self-identification and -expression through artists and songs.”
FlavorWire.com
“This is one of the series’s best volumes. LA Times critic Powers’s wide taste and generous outlook means a collection that feels like a map while mostly reading like stories.”
Booklist, 12/9/10
“Wide ranging and incisive, this collection merits consideration.”
The Stranger, 12/23/10
“Of all the best-of collections published at the end of every year, Da Capo Press’s Best Music Writing series is, well, one of the best.”
Library Journal, 12/3/10
“Most [essays] transcend the trends of the moment and will be appreciated by listeners with a range of tastes looking for new musical avenues to explore.”
Oxford American, 12/1/10
“Every year, without fail, Da Capo’s Best Music Writing anthology impresses… The collection remains a must-read for open-minded music fans… This volume makes for great reading.”
Austin Chronicle, 12/8/10
“Editor Ann Powers' thoughtful eye on contemporary rock writers avoids…fancy stepping, and many of the chapters are notably good.”
PopMatters.com, 12/6/10
“Best Music Writing...continues to rebuke those academics and writerly peers who still question the legitimacy of pop music writing…What Best Music Writing 2010 does best is showcase the vast diversity of opinions, forms, styles and subjects at work in the music world.”
Slug, December 2010
“Beyond a collection of great articles about musicians, Best Music Writing has fantastic thoughts about how music reflects America’s changing cultural norms and vice versa.”
LA Weekly
One of the Top Ten Rock Books of 2010 (#6)
Mirroring the heterogeneous music landscape, this 11th annual collection, guest edited by Los Angeles Times chief pop critic Powers, ranges from rock, pop, indie, and hip-hop to classical and jazz. Powers collects pieces from print journalism (e.g., Rolling Stone, The New Yorker) and a wide array of quality online music writing (e.g., Pitchfork, Slate), creating a microcosm of the music world's varied styles, voices, and personalities. "You're music writing, too," writes Powers in her introduction, stressing the relationship between music and the listener. Jason King's appreciation of Michael Jackson, Jason Fine's in-depth profile of Merle Haggard, and Nitsuh Abebe's review of the decade in indie rock are some of the highlights; others write on well-known artists Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga as well as more esoteric subjects like Beth Ditto and a State Department-sponsored outreach tour by Ozomatli.Verdict While a few of the essays deal with the ephemera of music news of the past year, most transcend the trends of the moment and will be appreciated by listeners with a range of tastes looking for new musical avenues to explore.—Jim Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. Lib., NJ
