Introduction / by Nick Hornby -- The rock snob's dictionary / Steven Daly, David Kamp, and Bob Mack -- Third spud from the sun : Cameron Crowe then and now / Richard Meltzer -- I like it warm and fuzzy / Mike Doughty -- Guarding the borders of the Hip-hop nation / N.R. Kleinfield -- In the jungle / Rian Malan -- This wreckage was no accident : the complete Fun house sessions / Monica Kendrick -- Neil Young on a good day / Steve Erickson -- West Bank hard core / Lorraine Ali -- Northern light / Robert Gordon -- Invisible man : Eminem / Eric Boehlert -- The tao of Esteban / Gilbert Garcia -- The heavenly jukebox, Part 3 : they're playing our song / Charles C. Mann -- Napster nation / Carly Carioli -- Golden oldies / Lori Robertson -- Singer gets an eye for an eye / Jim DeRogatis -- Delta nights : a singer's love affair with loss / Bill Buford -- Hipsters and hoodlums / Nick Tosches -- Not a Go-betweens piece : a letter from Jonathan Lethem, on his favorite band / Jonathan Lethem -- Singing lead / Sarah Vowell -- Barbra's farewell : a city Verklempt / David Rakoff -- If I said you had a beautiful gross adjusted income would you hold it against me? / Robbie Fulks -- Disney dreams up the best radio station in 30 years / Metal Mike Saunders -- Johnny Cash won't back down / Anthony DeCurtis -- Sitting on top of the world / William Gay -- Seeing music : Django Reinhardt / Whitney Balliett -- Our lady of sorrows : Billie Holliday / Francis Davis -- Raising the stakes in punk rock : Sleater-Kinney / Greil Marcus.