Adam Schlesinger/Fountains of Wayne
“Power Pop For Slackers”—Full essay excerpt from Go All The Way: A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop (Rare Bird Books).
Adam Schlesinger, a talented musician and accomplished songwriter, died yesterday after contracting COVID-19. He was 52. I was fortunate to connect with Adam by email and phone last year for my power pop essay about his former band, Fountains of Wayne. Adam was extremely humble, gracious and open during our conversations, which comes as no surprise to anybody who knew him. After witnessing the huge outpouring of love and admiration following his tragic death, I wanted to share that essay with any fans who might want to read it.
Power Pop For Slackers
1996. A drinking buddy and I lived in El Segundo, California. Our apartment was in the Bermuda Triangle between a sewage treatment plant, oil refinery, and LAX. Jets rumbled by overhead every eight minutes around the clock, causing the putrid air to vibrate. We kept the beer flowing and the stereo cranked up in response to our toxic environment. At least we lived at the beach.
The rock world was in a similar situation mid-decade, groping for “the new Seattle” as the pendulum swung out of control. Record company A&R teams were deployed from the coasts to scour the country for “the next big thing.” It was an exciting time in some ways, with…
