ABSTRACT
Two approaches are endemic to the agoraphobic narrative. First, writers partake of a timeworn and ultimately hollow dichotomy between art and commerce, such that the twain can never meet, to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling. Second, the writers of agoraphobic narratives treat the music industry as a monolith, its various elements acting so much in unison as if they possessed a single consciousness. This kind of perspective not only appeals to the conspiratorial imperative but also tends to transform musicians who sign record deals into unconscious dupes, bereft of business acumen or autonomy. The agoraphobic narrative consequently routinely assigns venal motives to any commercial activity undertaken by cultural workers in the pursuit of disseminating popular music. The chapter illustrates this narrative through the work of Scott DeVeaux, Steve Chapple and Reebee Garofalo amongst others.
