Leebo33 wrote:
I never heard of it either. I can understand why someone who used to work there would read it but I don't understand the appeal otherwise. At least I made it through this review before becoming totally lost and uninterested in what they have to say (as I have with a few other reviews that have been linked here), but a 46? That's f*cking ridiculous.
Plenty of critics like the album. Not that I really care what the critics say as I enjoy it, but since we have a link to a poor review I thought I'd post the metacritic link. "Universal acclaim" rating despite the idiotic 46 weighing the average down a bit. "Different strokes" I guess?
Like I said before, love or hate, pitchfork is the most powerful music site currently on the web. Labels esp will kill for a good review from pitchfork, as it can literally make bands. I don't think it can break bands (I think Kings of Leon, Jet, & Ryan Adams will be just fine without their love), but a good review can turn a young band's world upside down over night. Bands like Arcade Fire, Clap Your Hands-Say Yeah, and others have credited Pfork for their population explosion. Arcade Fire was a cool moment because even the indie snobs didn't know who they were when Pfork gave them the "Best New Music" stamp.
Some friends of mine have a band that got a 7.2 review of their new album on pfork, and that morning they went from about 20 song streams a day on myspace to 5,000+ a day for about two weeks. 4 weeks later they were touring all over north america with Tokyo Police Club.
So whatever that all means, but pitchfork is more powerful with the "coolness factor" then rolling stone or any other traditional magazine at the moment. Trust me, if you think pitchfork is full of sh*t and a bunch of music geek snobs, they're still doing their job (because they are geeks, snobs, and full of sh*t)...
It's funny because, I'd be willing to bet good money that none of the bands you mentioned (and apparently pitchfork loves) will even be around 9 albums from now (like Pearl Jam), let alone still making great music. Then again, even if they were, pitchfork would probably then be slamming them, too, in favor of praising the "next" big thing. What a f***in joke.
GT, your precious Pearl Jam was a "next big thing that no one knew about" at one point, yes (1991 to be exact)? So Pearl Jam was praised by Spin, Rolling Stone, and Alt Press when they broke. Other bands couldn't possibly be in the same position in 2009? If, say, Arcade Fire made the cover of Rolling Stone, it'd be different? Oh wait, they did...
If the sheer volumes of albums released equaled success or quality, Guided By Voices would the biggest band on the planet.
That wasn't the point of my post to compare Arcade Fire or CYHSY to Pearl Jam, BTW.
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For anyone who loves the fat, catchy American power pop of artists like Big Star, Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, and The Posies, check out My Old Familiar Friend by Brendan Benson (of Raconteurs fame). The first half has a few more mellow numbers, but from "Poised and Ready" until the end, the album really takes off.
"If the sheer volumes of albums released equaled success or quality, Guided By Voices would the biggest band on the planet."
Not the worst fate that could befall the world, if I'm honest...and I was introduced to them by someone on here.
"The players come from all over the world, the money from deep underneath the Persian Gulf, but, as another, older City poster campaign put it, this is their city. They may now exist in the global spotlight, but they intend to keep it that way."
XXXIV wrote:Does anyone on the planet actually decide what music they listened to based on what some worm youve never met wrote ?
Seriously? What a f***in joke ....
Why do you think people go these sites or buy magazines? People are always seeking new music. Maybe you're out polling the night clubs looking for the next big thing? I'd be curious to learn how you discover new music.
The easiest way is to download EVERYTHING. Then just go from there.
XXXIV wrote:Does anyone on the planet actually decide what music they listened to based on what some worm youve never met wrote ?
Seriously? What a f***in joke ....
Why do you think people go these sites or buy magazines? People are always seeking new music. Maybe you're out polling the night clubs looking for the next big thing? I'd be curious to learn how you discover new music.
While Pitchfork can be incredibly pretentious, I have discovered quite a few albums because of them. I also use Metacritic a lot because it's a good way to find new music I might otherwise overlook.
Critics are just like anyone else -- purveyors of opinion no more right or wrong than anyone's. However, over time I've found some sites and/or reviewers whose tastes mirror mine pretty closely. If they tend to like something, I am more inclined to check it out because I might as well. It's the same reason I've read Roger Ebert or Owen Glieberman (of Entertainment Weekly) over the years -- about 80% of the time, I have a very similar reaction to the movies they review.
Then there are people like Robert Christgau who I just find enjoyable to read, even when he skewers an album I may love.
I've got plenty of critically-disapproved albums in my collection, but I've also benefited quite a bit from reading reviews because there is so much music out there, it can be hard to find the good stuff.
Last edited by Brando70 on Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
It's an interesting debate becasue I, for one, have NEVER let music review keep me from listening and forming my own opinion about an album. In fact I don't think I ever have read a review (that i was interesed in) before at least sampling an album. But I do read lots of movie reviews before seeing a movie and they aid me in my decicions. Music just seems too personal to me to go off a review I guess. But after I have given a listen I do like to hear others opinions and find ones I agree with. Just like the Ptichfork Pearl Jam review. I was thinking almost the exact same thoughts as I was on a nice drive cranking the new album.
XXXIV wrote:Does anyone on the planet actually decide what music they listened to based on what some worm youve never met wrote ?
Seriously? What a f***in joke ....
Why do you think people go these sites or buy magazines? People are always seeking new music. Maybe you're out polling the night clubs looking for the next big thing? I'd be curious to learn how you discover new music.
The easiest way is to download EVERYTHING. Then just go from there.
Zune Pass is one way ..
Also there is talking to friends...Watching Palladia etc....Reading this thread...etc etc etc
*All Music Guide reviews
*All Music Guide weekly e-mail of new releases (GREAT asset)
*Metacritic
*Pitchfork
*All Songs Considered Web site and podcast from NPR
*Musicheads podcast from Minnesota Public Radio (can't recommend this enough -- SUPERB)
*Greg Kot at the Chicago Tribune
*Listening to a ton of radio online
*This thread
*Recommendations from friends, family
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
- All Music Guide
- Pitchfork
- Label Websites (Matador, Merge, and Drag City)
- KCRW (on occasion)
- the site
- friends
- clubs here in L.A.
- the occasional spin thru satellite radio
- TapeOp Magazine
other than TapeOp, I can't remember the last time a major print mag introduced me to something new I liked. It's usually "what the hell is a T-Pain, and why is he on the cover?"
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I only get Mojo now...it seems to suit my advancing years, but there's still too much Beatles crap in it and not enough of the mighty Fall.
"The players come from all over the world, the money from deep underneath the Persian Gulf, but, as another, older City poster campaign put it, this is their city. They may now exist in the global spotlight, but they intend to keep it that way."
eman wrote:I'm really digging Backspacer - every song. It's a different Pearl Jam IMO - a little slower, deeper, more meaningful.
Glad to hear it, eman...I'm also glad to see it sitting at #1 on this week's Billboard (their first #1 album since 1996). I can't think of very many American rock bands that have hit it this far out of the park with their 9th or 10th (if counting Lost Dogs) studio albums.
P.S. If you bought the album, don't forget to download the 2 free PJ concerts that come with your purchase. I downloaded Philly and the one from Mansfield, but the setlist from every show available is excellent.
Not really new music to share, but I'm so pumped up I had to share a story about my day.
I just found out today while reading the UI student paper online over lunch that my favorite band, Wilco, is playing the first show of their new US tour tonight 10 minutes from my house. It is a small 1,800 person capacity show being held in the Iowa student union building. I immediately called the box office and they said there were too few tickets left to do any ordering other than in person, so I literally ran to the union building and got tickets 1799 and 1800. I know this because the girl that sold them to me starting jumping up and down screaming "SOLD OUT, SOLD OUT" and they starting putting the sold out signs up on the windows as I was paying
This is just such an awesome surprise, I missed seeing them in Des Moines on their last tour, and to literally find out about the show and get tickets 6 hours before it starts is pretty much the coolest thing that has happened to me in a long time. Now I need a similar miracle in finding a babysitter.
Actually I need to thank you for this PK. I don't follow new music much at all, and get most of my information from this thread. I had never even heard of Wilco until you posted about A Ghost is Born and the song Handshake Drugs, which I then downloaded and loved. Now five years later, I have about everything they have done, and they are the only band that both my wife and I love. About half of the stuff I have of theirs is illegally obtained, so tonight is my chance to literally pay them back for the enjoyment their music has given me. I'll be coming home with plenty of merchandise tonight, that's for sure.
And I also just want to thank everyone else that posts in this thread. I don't take the time to follow music anymore, and the information you all post is invaluable to people like me. I bet 25% of my collection is due directly to recommendations people have given in here.
Anyone in the Manhattan area: I went to the John Lennon: The New York Years exhibit today (SoHo). Really great & some powerful stuff. The most striking was some home movies being shown of him in NY and the (still unopened) bundle of clothes in a paper bag returned by the hospital after the shooting. crazy...
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I picked up a couple of CD's that I am really enjoying. The new Weezer and the new Wolfmother.
Weezer is one of the few bands where I will go out on release day and buy. I loved the first song released and the rest of the CD does not disappoint. Nothing groundbreaking but just fun to listen to.
I really enjoyed Wolfmother's first CD and this one continues the great sound. Sort of a psychedelic stadium rock sound that really works for me.
Pete wrote:I really enjoyed Wolfmother's first CD and this one continues the great sound. Sort of a psychedelic stadium rock sound that really works for me.
Pete:
It's funny: I couldn't stand the first Wolfmother record. The new one isn't that much different in sound, but it's clicking with me, man. This one seems a bit more psychedelic, maybe?
Either way, I guess my musical mojo needs a bit of Zeppelin with a healthy dose of Sabbath and Deep Purple with Billy Squier's vocals right now, and that's what Wolfmother delivers. Derivative as hell, but still a very fun listen.
Within the current (and good) mix of alternative and beard bands, a blatant ode to 70s arena rock and metal isn't such a bad thing.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Glad to hear you guys are liking the new Wolfmother. I'd pretty much written them off after everyone in the band (except the singer) quit after the last album. I've been meaning to pick it up off ITunes...hopefully will get a chance to do just that over the weekend. In the meantime, speaking of retro, I can vouch for the new/old Nirvana: Live at Reading that was released this week. Good stuff.
If you haven't yet, check out the band 'Girls' (the album is called "Album"). Easily my favorite record of the year so far. Kind of Yo La Tengo, The Modern Lovers, Replacements (?). I don't know. Whatever it is, it's pretty awesome.
Also, saw The Pixies perform Doolittle Wednesday. It was sooo much better than I expected. If they come to your town, it's worth a look. "Slicing up eyeballs, ah, oh oh oh..."
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