Rock Dogs (Paperback)

Marcus Breen

ISBN 10: 0761834699 / ISBN 13: 9780761834694

Published by University Press of America, Lanham, MD, 2006

About this Item

Paperback. Can rock n' roll and politics mix? Rock Dogs looks at the impact of government music policies on the Australian music scene, youth culture, and national identity.In the 1980s to early 1990s, rock music in Australia became one of the unlikely targets of the Australian Labor Party's (ALP) cultural policies. Younger ALP politicians and activists were galvanized to create a series of unique initiatives, such as Ausmusic and the Victorian Rock Foundation, which targeted Australian youth through the music industry. The policies, which used techniques adapted from other cultural industries like television and film, were diverse and innovative, but unproven in the music industry. Despite the optimism fueling these cultural policies, various governmental inquiries, increased resistance from major studios, and a growing divide between the needs of the people and the music industry eventually dampened them.Rock Dogs is a candid, observant study of the legacy of these cultural policies and the larger debate over the creation and preservation of a national culture. Can rock n' roll and politics mix? This book looks at the impact of government music policies on the Australian music scene, youth culture, and national identity. It is a study of the legacy of the Australian Labor Party's cultural policies in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the debate over the creation and preservation of a national culture. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780761834694

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rock Dogs (Paperback)
• Publisher: University Press of America, Lanham, MD
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0761834699
• ISBN 13: 9780761834694
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Can rock n' roll and politics mix? Rock Dogs looks at the impact of government music policies on the Australian music scene, youth culture, and national identity.In the 1980s to early 1990s, rock music in Australia became one of the unlikely targets of the Australian Labor Party's (A.L.P.) cultural policies.Younger A.L.P. politicians and activists were galvanized to create a series of unique initiatives, such as Ausmusic and the Victorian Rock Foundation, which targeted Australian youth through the music industry. The policies, which used techniques adapted from other cultural industries like television and film, were diverse and innovative, but unproven in the music industry. Despite the optimism fueling these cultural policies, various governmental inquiries, increased resistance from major studios, and a growing divide between the needs of the people and the music industry eventually dampened them. Rock Dogs is a candid, observant study of the legacy of these cultural policies and the larger debate over the creation and preservation of a national culture.

About the Author

Marcus Breen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University in Boston. He was Chairman of the Victorian Rock Foundation and a prominent music writer for the Melbourne Herald, Sunday Herald, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard Magazine, and Business International. He also works as a consultant in the fields of communications and trade policy in the developing world.