Who are your Favourite Music Critics/Writers? - Page 2

demonrail666 · 04.11.2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

what is the exact point of saying that all journalists are cunts and then having a blog that is published on the internet and where you write about the same subject as the same journalists you say that you hate so much? Seems a little hypocritical.

That is an example of smugness, sure. But others can do it because they're paid in recognition of their expertise and insight. That can LEAD to smugness, and often does, but doesn't have to.

DJ Rick · 04.11.2007, 12:13 PM

Coley and Carducci are my all-time faves.

The best music writers of today, however, are busy here...

http://siltblog.blogspot.com/

http://blastitude.com/

04.11.2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demonrail666

That is an example of smugness, sure. But others can do it because they're paid in recognition of their expertise and insight. That can LEAD to smugness, and often does, but doesn't have to.

It works the same, paid or unpaid music scribe that you might be. If someone goes all the way to recommend or express opinions on what's good about a record, well, they are being smug because i'd assume that they're also convinced that what they write is correct. But, then, why is that particularly a bad thing?

Toilet & Bowels · 04.11.2007, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ Rick

http://siltblog.blogspot.com/

yeah, roland woodbe is superb

Toilet & Bowels · 04.11.2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

It works the same, paid or unpaid music scribe that you might be. If someone goes all the way to recommend or express opinions on what's good about a record, well, they are being smug because i'd assume that they're also convinced that what they write is correct. But, then, why is that particularly a bad thing?

whether music journalism is inherently smug is immaterial, i just found the tone of keenans newer writing to be particularly smug and as a result i don't like to read it.

NWRA · 04.11.2007, 12:58 PM

Nick Kent for me. I love The Dark Stuff anthology.

My favourite piece of music-writing is Lester Bang's 'Mass Liberation...' Stooges review though.

Cardinal Rob · 04.11.2007, 12:58 PM

I've barely read the words of any critics and writers at all. I'll have to go with the friends of mine who write reviews.

Pookie · 04.11.2007, 01:14 PM

Nick Tosches

fugazifan · 04.11.2007, 02:45 PM

i like byron coley, but my favorite music articles are by whoecver writes for the Perfect Sound Forever website.
they write the best music articles. Fact.

Savage Clone · 04.11.2007, 03:04 PM

Jim DeRogatis can suck it, by the way.
Keenan deserves a place in this thread simply for coming up with the brilliant phrase "cornucopia of humiliation" in his review of DeRogatis' (awful) book on psychedelia.

youthoftomorrow · 04.11.2007, 03:49 PM

Chuck Klosterman (even though i completely disagree with him 90% of the time).

Savage Clone · 04.11.2007, 04:19 PM

Criticism is about personal taste, for god's sake.
You just get to know someone whose tastes you respect and who can give an accurate description of the music as viewed through his or her individual prism, or on the flipside of that, someone whose tastes are so opposed to your own that you can almost be guaranteed to love everything they hate.

Reading good criticism requires some active participation on the part of the reader. People get down on critics, but some of the people I mentioned earlier in the thread are directly responsible for huge contributions to my musical life by pointing my head down several fascinating and very deep rabbitholes.

Iain · 04.11.2007, 04:21 PM

How on Gods earth are you supposed to put your personal tastes aside and judge something for what it is? Impossible. And when writers try and do that you usually end up with bland prose. All the best and most readable rock writers are/were opinionated as fuck on the whole.

Iain · 04.11.2007, 04:22 PM

Beat me to it!

Savage Clone · 04.11.2007, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swa(y)

all im saying...some dickhead getting PAID for his personal tastes.

i DO understand it...i do.

its just a shit job in my opinoin.

everyone gots an opinoin...and yes...sometimes im intersted in reading the opinions of others, but i sure as fuck wont pay for it.

Whatever.
You just wrote off a bunch of museum curators, festival organizers, restaurant critics, literary writers, on and on and on.
Without these people doing their "shit jobs," all you would have is copy written by publicists (essentially extended advertising) and music exposure dictated by radio politics and payola.

Yep, turning people on to art of merit and occasionally steering them clear of questionable material sure is a "shit job."

04.11.2007, 04:27 PM

The best music critics are also good at contexualizing the music , even when it's so hard because of the sheer amount of poor quality music that is produced. Not need to get all 'punk rock' about it. If it wasn't for some music journalists writing about certain atrocious bands, said bands wouldn't even have the start of a career.

Iain · 04.11.2007, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swa(y)

oh bullshit.....i totally disagree. just cause i dont like a particular piece of art (wether it be visual/musical/whatever) donest mean i cant appreciate it for what it is and weight its ups and downs.

any good critc (and i learned this from porky...course he more or less put it in different words) has a line that he considers PERFECT...and any thing he judges is measured by that line. if something hits the mark...say so, but also mention the shit that doesnt.

Not bullshit!

No matter how reasonable and balanced you try to be I don't think you can really just throw off all the critical baggage you bring to the table. You can try, I just don't think you can ignore all that stuff.

Savage Clone · 04.11.2007, 04:32 PM

I wouldn't ever have even heard of a huge chunk of the music that has been tremendously important to me if it wasn't for reading what "some dickhead" had to say about it.

You don't even have the choice to decide for yourself whether or not something is worth your time if you never know it exists.

04.11.2007, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swa(y)

any good critc (and i learned this from porky...course he more or less put it in different words) has a line that he considers PERFECT...and any thing he judges is measured by that line. if something hits the mark...say so, but also mention the shit that doesnt.

I never said that i'm perfect, and i'm ,in fact, easily lead as much as i buy records out of my own intuition. A great number of bands i've found out through reading the press or people tipping me off.

Savage Clone · 04.11.2007, 04:36 PM

Well, no one says you have to agree with a critic's assessment after you hear the music yourself. All I was saying is that the best ones are a valuable resource and can help steer you in the right direction more often than not, and I felt like you were being pretty dismissive of the positive role some of these people can play in the cultural landscape.

Edit:
I can't believe I used the phrase "cultural landscape." Fuckin' a.

04.11.2007, 12:13 PM	#22
DJ Rick 100% Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sacto (CA) Institute for Record Collection Scrutiny Posts: 817	Coley and Carducci are my all-time faves. The best music writers of today, however, are busy here... http://siltblog.blogspot.com/ http://blastitude.com/ __________________ http://artforspastics.blogspot.com/
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04.11.2007, 12:58 PM	#26
NWRA children of satan Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Leeds Posts: 367	Nick Kent for me. I love The Dark Stuff anthology. My favourite piece of music-writing is Lester Bang's 'Mass Liberation...' Stooges review though.
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04.11.2007, 12:58 PM	#27
Cardinal Rob the destroyed room Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: In the O.. O.. Organ Loft, West Yorkshire, UK Posts: 553	I've barely read the words of any critics and writers at all. I'll have to go with the friends of mine who write reviews. __________________ lastFM \| RYM \| MySpace
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04.11.2007, 01:14 PM	#28
Pookie invito al cielo Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 9,877	Nick Tosches
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04.11.2007, 02:45 PM	#29
fugazifan invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,816	i like byron coley, but my favorite music articles are by whoecver writes for the Perfect Sound Forever website. they write the best music articles. Fact. __________________ If there's been a way to build it, There'll be a way to destroy it, Things are not that out of control www.myspace.com/dellilahtheband www.myspace.com/lecirquedesvampiresmusic
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04.11.2007, 03:04 PM	#30
Savage Clone invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 11,286	Jim DeRogatis can suck it, by the way. Keenan deserves a place in this thread simply for coming up with the brilliant phrase "cornucopia of humiliation" in his review of DeRogatis' (awful) book on psychedelia.
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04.11.2007, 03:49 PM	#31
youthoftomorrow expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Idaho. Posts: 1,418	Chuck Klosterman (even though i completely disagree with him 90% of the time). __________________ avalanche.
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04.11.2007, 04:19 PM	#32
Savage Clone invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 11,286	Criticism is about personal taste, for god's sake. You just get to know someone whose tastes you respect and who can give an accurate description of the music as viewed through his or her individual prism, or on the flipside of that, someone whose tastes are so opposed to your own that you can almost be guaranteed to love everything they hate. Reading good criticism requires some active participation on the part of the reader. People get down on critics, but some of the people I mentioned earlier in the thread are directly responsible for huge contributions to my musical life by pointing my head down several fascinating and very deep rabbitholes.
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04.11.2007, 04:21 PM	#33
Iain invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,544	How on Gods earth are you supposed to put your personal tastes aside and judge something for what it is? Impossible. And when writers try and do that you usually end up with bland prose. All the best and most readable rock writers are/were opinionated as fuck on the whole.
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04.11.2007, 04:22 PM	#34
Iain invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,544	Beat me to it!
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04.11.2007, 04:27 PM	#36
sarramkrop Posts: n/a	The best music critics are also good at contexualizing the music , even when it's so hard because of the sheer amount of poor quality music that is produced. Not need to get all 'punk rock' about it. If it wasn't for some music journalists writing about certain atrocious bands, said bands wouldn't even have the start of a career.
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04.11.2007, 04:32 PM	#38
Savage Clone invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 11,286	I wouldn't ever have even heard of a huge chunk of the music that has been tremendously important to me if it wasn't for reading what "some dickhead" had to say about it. You don't even have the choice to decide for yourself whether or not something is worth your time if you never know it exists.
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04.11.2007, 04:36 PM	#40
Savage Clone invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 11,286	Well, no one says you have to agree with a critic's assessment after you hear the music yourself. All I was saying is that the best ones are a valuable resource and can help steer you in the right direction more often than not, and I felt like you were being pretty dismissive of the positive role some of these people can play in the cultural landscape. Edit: I can't believe I used the phrase "cultural landscape." Fuckin' a.
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