About Me

I am LA Weekly’s music editor, and a best-selling author. As a journalist and critic, I’ve written for Village Voice, XXL, Spin, Oxford American, New York Observer, Pitchfork, Creative Loafing, and the web editions of The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, NPR, and Complex. I have won awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, Missouri Press Association, and the Religion Newswriters Association. My work will be anthologized in the upcoming edition of The Best of Southern Food Writing and I have also won honorable mention in De Capo Press’ Best Music Writing anthology.

My best-selling book Dirty South is out on Chicago Review Press, and New York City’s Best Dive Bars was released by Ig Publishing.

Contact me at bwesthoff [at] laweekly [dot] com