Where Are Your Boys Tonight?

Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008 by Chris Payne, 496 pages.

This book follows the rise of emo music and culture from its earliest days rising from the hardcore scene in New Jersey to the chart-topping phenomenon it eventually became. It explores not only the musical influences, but the way that the genre's explosion on a newly developing internet forced the music industry to address early issues of file sharing and internet virality. Payne interviews more than 150 people, from big names to people behind the scenes, to give an immersive picture of the whole history. 

I found this book engaging and informative, but there were also aspects I found challenging and confusing. One of which is that I listened to the audiobook (read by the author), thinking an oral history would be good in an oral format. However, 150 people is too many to keep straight, and Payne rarely takes time to identify who people are, which can make the rapid switching between interviewees confusing. That being said, I still definitely found it worth the read, and I think it would be even more interesting for people who were more involved in this scene.