Wish You Were Here

"e;The selection of indie music-centric cities is spot-on . . . knowledgeable . . . the book serves as a helpful jumping-off point for readers looking to learn more."e; -Publishers WeeklyThe American underground music scene is exploding everywhere not just in New York City and L.A. (although we've got those cities covered too!):In Washington, D.C. . . . Ian MacKaye and Fugazi inspired the straightedge culture, which had kids everywhere drawing black X's on their hands in magic marker. In Omaha, Nebraska . . . A young Conor Oberst, aka Bright Eyes, started writing and performing gut-wrenching love songs at the tender age of thirteen. On Long Island, New York . . . Taking Back Sunday and Brand New battled for emo supremacy and the fragile hearts of a million teenage girls. From the coauthor of Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture comes Wish You Were Here a combination travel guide and tortured history containing everything you ever wanted to know about your city's indie scene. "e;This book was really fun to read and I actually learned a lot. Wait a minute . . . Does giving a quote for this book mean people will know that I didn't actually already know this stuff? Lame."e; Hayley Williams, Paramore"e;Wish You Were Here knows way too much about the history, minute details, and inner-workings of these 11 punk and indie scenes. I don't know how Leslie figured out all this stuff, but I'm changing my locks and checking the phone for bugs."e; Tim McIlrath, Rise Against guitarist and lead singer"e;Rob Dobi's spot-on illustrations appear throughout the book as the perfect complement to [Simon's] enthusiastic and hilarious voice."e; Sacramento Book Review online