Dissonant Identities: The Rock'n'Roll Scene in Austin, Texas (Music Culture)
Regarding the abundance of local documentation on Austin music, the iconoclastic Michael "Corky" Corcoran says, "Jeez, fewer words were written about the Civil War." Formerly of the Austin band Black Spring, Shank (American studies, Univ. of Kansas) is brave to include such an insightful comment here, when one realizes that the implicit criticism is dead-on as regards his own book. Shank's doctoral dissertation-cum-academic treatise tries to set itself apart by bringing a template of "critical cultural studies ethnography" to the subject, and it does indeed reveal the conflicting social and economic forces inherent in the development of rock music in Austin. Unfortunately, his critical-anthropological intent often takes him on long-winded intellectual benders that will frustrate most general readers, but the numerous interviews with local musicians are excellent. For all Texas music collections and academic libraries collecting the critical analysis of popular music.Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., Tex.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.