To sell out or not to sell out? A new book traces the punk boom of the ’90s and ’00s
Dan Ozzi's Sellout follows more than a decade of punk, emo, and hardcore bands that endured the last gasps of backlash against major-label signings
Books Reviews Punk
It might be difficult to explain to young people who this summer witnessed the universal praise received by The Linda Lindas—the adolescent punk band that went from playing a public library to Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the course of a month—that mainstream fame hasn’t always been a respectable career move. As music writer Dan Ozzi explains in his engaging new book, Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994–2007), “For more than a decade, punk’s second brush with mainstream interest bitterly divided the scene.” For some, turning your back on a band that embraced crossover success was actually a badge of honor.
Compromising artistic or ethical ideals in the name of profit is an issue far from limited to the alternative music scene of the ’90s and ’00s. But it sometimes feels—for those who lived through it—like the response to artists selling out was never as vindictive, before or since. When bands gambled on the chance for wider recognition by signing with major labels like Geffen and Warner Bros., it was almost assured that part of their fanbase would not only rebuke the move, but actively campaign against the musicians they used to love. For artists who just wanted to get their songs heard by the largest possible audience, it was hard not to take the metaphorical (and sometimes literal) beatings personally.
Ozzi’s book gathers some of the most noteworthy bands to have gone through that experience in order to assess all the ways it sucked—and, in some cases, the ways it didn’t. Beginning in 1994 with Green Day and ending in 2007 with Against Me!, Sellout tracks 11 bands from their humble inceptions to major-label debuts in order to get a deeper understanding of what it meant to make the leap from independent existences in alternative scenes to trying to become financially successful acts.
What might be most surprising for those who saw the punk ethos reflected in these group’s early efforts is that, regardless of the scene that birthed you, major-label travails don’t always look that different, whether you’re the DIY-birthed punks of The Distillers or the classic-rock party animals of The Black Crowes. The relentless touring, drugs and alcohol, and glamorization of the hedonistic rock-star lifestyle happened for most acts, even if they began a career with nothing but two chords and a desire to stick it to The Man.
But who was “The Man,” actually? And what was the value in flipping him off in the name of some vague anti-consumer stance that didn’t necessarily reflect an artist’s true feelings? These are the knottier issues Ozzi delves into in Sellout. And while it can be fun to hear stories of out-of-control parties and behind-the-scenes bad behavior, the book’s real value comes through far clearer when the writer and his subjects grapple with the strange admixture of success in a punk subculture that often thrived in opposition to such a notion, and the personal and political ethos that were maligned by those who saw the very idea of joining “the music industry” as a betrayal. Or, as Jawbreaker’s Blake Schwarzenbach sang on “Boxcar,” “You’re not punk, and I’m telling everyone.”
In some ways, it’s a little surprising Ozzi didn’t simply opt for an oral history, letting only the artists’ voices shape the narrative. His style is briskly efficient and workmanlike, more often than not filling in the details and tracking the step-by-step history of what was happening, rather than offering his own opinions on the events. (He does, amusingly, exhaust the metaphors readily available for “tearing up the Billboard charts.”) Whether describing how Capitol Records wined and dined Jimmy Eat World in the lead-up to the act signing to the company and releasing Static Prevails, or calling attention to the tidal wave of sexism that so often greeted The Donnas during the promotional blitz for 2002’s Spend The Night, in a book that could’ve easily found plenty of room for snarky digs or respectful praise, Ozzi wisely keeps himself out of it.
He does, however, know who his stars are, and he makes no secret of granting more time and attention to them. There’s a reason he traces Green Day well beyond the initial release of Dookie!, or lingers on Blink-182’s runaway success for pages longer than the “sellout” arc. It’s mainly to ladle in a few more fun anecdotes, not spend more time with his central thesis. In tracing those more famous acts’ enduring popularity, he sometimes lets his focus obscure a bigger picture. (It’s a bit inaccurate to say that Blink-182 was “the first band that truly paid off” the promise of Green Day’s initial success and led mainstream punk into the 21st century, not when The Offspring is right there selling five million copies of 1998’s Americana.)
But it does lend a rawer and more moving sense of melancholy to the almost-was stories of bands like Thursday, which could never quite translate its fierce fandom into commercial success. And the intense personal journeys of game-changing artists like Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace or My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way help to leaven the burn-too-bright antics of At The Drive-In. It may be a bit inside-baseball at times for people who don’t follow these various scenes and their histories (describing a band as made up of “ex-members of Braid” when that band has never been mentioned in the book doesn’t illuminate the reference much), but overall, it’s a compelling and sometimes hair-raising account of what it meant to throw in your future with a large corporation in hopes of translating that effort into units sold—and the promise of a career in rock.
Author photo: Anthony Dixon
50 Comments
“It’s a bit inaccurate to say that Blink-182 was “the first band that
truly paid off” the promise of Green Day’s initial success and led
mainstream punk into the 21st century”Not to mention ‘…and Out Come the Wolves’, as a teen in the ‘90s my punk album collection featured Offspring, Green Day, Blink and Rancid in about equal rotation, but Rancid is the only one that I will still listen to regularly these days because holy crap is that a quality album.
Also feels like Bad Religion laid the groundwork for the whole calipunk thing.
Yeah I’m not super into their stuff but they definitely did.
Black Flag may have invented the ad hoc indie touring model. By 1980, they were on the road doing cross-country tours without any real logistical support.
“…Out Come the Wolves” was the only album that ever felt like a real punk album to me compared to the cartoonish stuff from Green Day, Offspring et al.
Yeah Rancid was way closer to their Op Ivy roots than the more poppy albums of Green Day, Offspring, etc… And musically they blew all of those guys away. The bassline from Maxwell Murders is still one of my favorites.
Ha, that bass intro is the only thing I remember how to play on bass. Shit rules. Matt Freeman is a jazzy beast of a bassist. That record is timeless.
thank god my OPIV tattoo aged a LITTLE better than anyone who inked Dexter and the Offspring on their body.My Sublime sun, however, did not follow the same schedule.Luckily the Asian symbol on my back (which was supposed to say “writer” but when we got to closing time and the artist told me I’d have to come back to do the remaining 2 pieces- it was a 3-symbol word- we recast it as another word that was similar and could be tweaked to finish, so now I have the Asian symbol for “something I don’t recall” instead) cannot be seen by anyone unless I want them to, and I know no one with an understanding of the language or alphabet to tell me it actually says “Big dumb white kid appropriating our culture and also he’s ugly and fat”. Being young is so full of mistakes I cannot even get mad about it. I was, and still remain in many ways, a fool.
Blink 182 was pop punk, but IMO still under the umbrella. Meanwhile I always thought of Offspring as kindred (often silly) spirits but more in the general alt-rock category.And if you’re not categorizing when talking punk, you’re obviously doing it wrong.
Rancid was clearly paying attention to their Clash and Ruts albums, which is why they are probably the best melodic punk band of their generation. Not that there’s a ton of competition. Most of the Epitaph/Fat Wreck/Blink-and-copycats bands were extremely lightweight. (For what it’s worth, I listened to a great many of them at the time and still own a number of those CDs.)In response to Fleur-de-lit, Bad Religion definitely laid the groundwork. The peppy pop-punk thing was pretty much their corner; they were bigger than anyone else doing that style at the time of those early records (e.g. No Control), and half of the bands influenced by them were signed to Epitaph (their own label), or Fat Wreck (which was practically a spin-off label). Green Day was a bit different of a thing with their Buzzcocks influence and lack of interest in US hardcore, but I still feel like Bad Religion laid a good part of the bedrock on which Green Day built a career. I’d also say that BR is one of the few of those bands I have much use for anymore. Their albums at least up to Generator have aged reasonably well, probably because they weren’t just writing songs about farts and girls, or actively courting radio play a la Offspring.
Yeah. I discovered punk via the late ‘70s/early ‘80s classic stuff (The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Exploited, Ramones, DK, etc…) and wasn’t really aware of what was going on out West until the late ‘80s when bands like Dayglo Abortions and SNFU started getting some play back East.That’s when Bad Religion first popped on my radar, and I instantly fell in love with their combination of political lyrics and simply-structured, melodic songs — which is pretty much what pop-punk became, musically anyway, but with the lyrical content taking a decidedly suburban turn.Bad Religion was basically the prism through which I interpreted all the ‘90s bands that came after them — as you say, mostly on Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords. They set the stage for the decades that followed.Weird epilogue: I moved to the West Coast in 2000, and Jay Bentley happened to be my friend’s neighbour on Bowen Island. Really nice guy.
Are you me? I have the exact same experience. Actually I went, Misfits, BR, Social Distortion, NOFX, etc. but eerily similar. I grew up in Santa Cruz and saw them when they toured as a youth and learned about a lot of new bands through the opening acts.
Haha, awesome! Punks Not Dead! Being in Santa Cruz during that era must have been a trip — so much cool stuff going on .I love visiting that place. Always spend time at the boardwalk, and take surfing lessons if I’m staying for a few days.
“Rise Against’s Laura Jane Grace”Please correct this.
For a second I thought you were attempting to misgender or dead-name her, and I got really mad, but now I see it. Derp.
“Rise Against’s Laura Jane Grace”? Wrong punk band with Against in the title.
Agreed! It took me a while to tell Rise Against and Against Me! Apart and I don’t want to go back to those days!
I met a boy wearing vans, 501s, and a
Dope beastie t, nipple rings, and
New tattoos that claimed that he
Was ogt,
From ‘92,
The first epAnd in between
Sips of coke
He told me that
He thought
We were sellin’ out
Layin’ down,
Suckin’ up
To the manWell now I’ve got some
A-dvice for you, little buddy
Before you point the finger
You should know that
I’m the manAnd if I’m the manThen you’re the man, and
He’s the man as well so you can
Point that fuckin’ finger up your ass.All you know about me is what I’ve sold you
Dumb fuck
I sold out long before you ever heard my nameI sold my soul to make a record
Dip shit
And you bought oneSo I’ve got some
Advice for you, little buddy
Before you point your finger
You should know that
I’m the manIf I’m the fuckin’ man
Then you’re the fuckin’ man as well
So you can
Point that fuckin’ finger up your ass.All you know about me is what I’ve sold you
Dumb fuck
I sold out long before you ever heard my nameI sold my soul to make a record
Dip shit
And you bought oneAll you read and
Wear or see and
Hear on tv
Is a product
Begging for your
Fatass dirty
DollarSo, shut up andBuy my new record
Send more money
Fuck you, buddy
Fuck you, buddy
Fuck you, buddy
Fuck you, buddy
Books about punk rock are so not punk rock. Unless they are punk rock.
Buying a book about punk rock sellouts is a sellout. You’ve got to steal the book, man.
Unless you’re being TOLD to steal the book, in which case you’re just a conformist lemming.
until you use that book to knock someone out with- THATS PUNK
What if you get it from the library?
Laura Jane Grace fronts Against Me! White Crosses has always been one of my favorites.
The Linda Lindas = Here Today, gone TODAY. Anyhow, you’re in showbiz folks, don’t cha want to make moocho cash flow?
The Offspring has some good music but oh wow was “Americana” a bad album.
It’s definitely a huge step down from Smash and the wildly underrated Ixnay on the Hombre, but I still have a lot of affection for it, in a “it came out when I was a junior in high school, whaddya gonna do?” sense.
And then they had good music after. “Hammerhead” was a truly great song, perfect for the time. But Americana was gimmicky and bad.
I recommend watching Trash Theory on Youtube. He does a good job of laying out the punk scene from start to finish. There’s three videos total, but the two that will probably interest everyone I’ll post below.
I love this channel’s videos to the point where I’ll even toss on the ones about bands or scenes I have no interest in. Even when they’re 20+ minutes long. High, high praise.
It’s by far one of the best music history channels I’ve found.
I was in the scene. Big time. Big time was I in the scene. Anyway it makes me LOL to think about the bands we thought were selling out back then. Like Jimmy Eat World’s FIRST major label release and promise ring having a video air on 120 minutes like once at 1am. they were too huge at that point. what did we know. we were just kids. many of us died actually, and there was a kidnapping with an AK-47. luckily I said no to that scheme….LOL!!!
At least the name is accurate. The second half of that movie is going to be fucking terrible.
…and Reel Big Fish step briefly back into the spotlight!
Sounds like a continuation of Michael Azerrad’s work in ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’ in format and intent. That’s not a bad thing, as this sounds well executed.
That’s a fun book. The stories about the Butthole Surfers made it worth reading alone.
Ozzi is about 1/4 the writer Azzerrad is unfortunately.
There was no punk in the 90s. All this shit was pop. Maybe Sonic Youth but nothing mentioned here.
Yes! Thank you that slice of authentic 90’s gibberish! That was pretty much half of my conversations about music in the 90’s.Everyone’s just been a sell out since Nevermind came out
There was no punk in the 90s. All this shit was pop. Maybe Sonic Youth but nothing mentioned here.Bikini Kill, Pansy Division, Heavens to Betsy, Team Dresch, Bratmobile, Huggy Bear, Slant-6, The Gits, The Butchies, etc. would beg to differ.
Thew word “punk” is a marketing gimmick and anyone who takes it seriously is basically no better than Jeff Bezos.
Fugazi kept it DIY in the 90s, but I suppose they were post-hardcore.
That’s what puzzled me about that Iggy Pop Punk Documentary. Two episodes into the 4 episode run, and Punk was already dead.
Sonic Youth was not punk and was one of the most overrated bands in the grunge scene. There, I said it. It needed to be said. Tell me you know nothing about the 90’s punk scene, without saying “ I know nothing about the 90’s punk scene.”
I recently uncovered my old music journal (I guess I logged shows I went to or particularly interesting music developments) and found a very angrily scribbled note the day Green Day left Lookout! and “sold out.” I’m sure the dumb young me of then would be outraged (but detachedly so, somehow) about this book getting to exist.So yeah, I’ll read it.
this is what i was doing in 2001. anyone who frequented the Sidebar in Baltimore probably has painful memories of us playing there about 3 times a month.
Mostly interested in this for the chapter on The Donnas. They rocked so hard and it was a real shame to see them implode. Their last album Gold Medal is terrific.
This book is probably going to transport me back to caring waaaaaay too much and getting into far too many arguments held in the comments section of Punknews.org in the early-to-mid 2000’s about bands I didn’t actually like. What an awful website.
I’m curious so I’ll wait for the library to get copies.
Since I was like 14, so like (checks math) 30 years I have found the entire “punk scene” to be exhausting and overall, lame as fuck. I was in high school when Green Day hit and I remember the “backlash” from kids with stupid haircuts/hair colors and clothes that were also shitty and oversized, boohooing about how GD wasn’t “really” punk and blah blah blah. It was insufferable in 1993/94 and it look at that, it still is.In short, the punk scene is as compromised and generic as any other ”scene” in the history of mankind/music. Anyone that says otherwise is either in too deep to tell or is selling you something.In summation, shut up, play your songs, and take my money (unless you suck, then beat it loser).See also: Get off my lawn.
I always think about Jawbox and Shudder to Think leaving Dischord to go to Atlantic and Epic, respectively. They both got put through the major-label wringer, but there’s no way that For Your Own Special Sweetheart and Pony Express Record would be the masterpieces they are if they’d been recorded at Inner Ear for a few thousand bucks.