As you can see (I hope!), the review is back now. Apologies to all who came here to read it and found a "zero" in its place (which was I presume a binary code thing and not at all a reflection of my feelings about the music!).
Burke, thanks for the kind words. My point was not that the Strokes should be held to some brand standard, it's that they can't not be. As I said in the piece, I sincerely believe the Strokes have made a greater impact on the world of fashion than they have on the world of music, however inadvertently. That's not meant as a slight. I'm awed by it, honestly. It's not a coincidence that Converse (not RCA Records) was the biggest sponsor at SXSW, nor is it a coincidence that most music journalism (print and online) is paired with ads for clothing. The two have been conflated in ways we've never before really seen, and I think the Strokes are more than a little bit responsible for that. Music isn't a viable commodity in this century; clothing is. Music can't sell, y'know, music anymore but music CAN sell an image; clothing is the simplest commodification of that image. Again, not a slight on the Strokes. In fact, I think a real dissection of pop culture in the first couple decades of the 21st century might even reveal that the Strokes are their generation's most significant cultural influence, or at least a prime mover. But separating their music from their greater public identity is impossible. I also wasn't suggesting they were the beneficiaries of nepotism, nor that they should have been scolded for signing that deal -- I was merely using those examples to illustrate that AT NO POINT has the public ever viewed the Strokes purely as purveyors of songs; their story has always, from before Day 1, been much bigger than that. So it's frankly impossible now to step back and analyze the songs-qua-songs as if this were a new Aimee Mann record. (Not a slight on Aimee Mann, either!)
There's no accounting for taste etc and I don't know how deep into the show you've gone but man it is really, REALLY special. Aside from Girls, which is simply on another level (and not even a comedy, really), Happy Endings is the best written, best acted, best edited comedy on TV. It's sacrilege to compare anything to Arrested Development but it's just a notch below that.
This has been amended in the text above, so that future civilizations will have no idea how my error led to Heath's correction. "But it says May 7 in the story," they will say. "What was that Heath person going on about?" Srsly thanks for the heads up -- I swear I puzzled over that for a good 10 minutes before publishing (with the incorrect date). Who releases an album on a Thursday? I wondered. No one, turns out.
The two bands have similarities -- and I like Jimmy Eat World -- but Biffy has a much bigger, heavier, more dynamic and diverse sound. (They're also a much better live band.) Calling them a Scottish Jimmy Eat World seems super-reductive, considering their respective career arcs, but if you like one, there's a chance you'll like the other. And I'll happily cover the new Jimmy Eat World record! Except I think Claire already called that one.
She's obviously talented and has made a deep personal connection with her fanbase, and that's why she's very successful. The reason people were upset about her soliciting unpaid musicians is because doing so devalues the work of professional musicians (this was sort of egregious when she specifically requested "professional-ish" musicians, who were to submit resumes and recordings prior to approval, and then sit in on rehearsals prior to performance). If every band came through town culling its own regional fanbase for free labor, that would put a lot of working musicians out of jobs (which aren't exactly easy to come by anyway). Furthermore, she plainly had the money to pay for these contributions. The argument was best made by Palmer fan and professional musician Amy Vaillancourt-Sals in an open letter to Amanda Palmer, which I recommend reading. That Palmer eventually decided to pay the musicians who worked with her suggests to me that she too saw this as unfair exploitation. That she had the courage to correct her errors is no small thing, though, and worthy of commendation.
I think the problem here is, she's presenting solutions based on incomplete information. Much of the connection she has made would not have been possible without the backing of a label, who backed her and brought her music to the attention of a wider audience than would have been possible otherwise.
When the great American black metal band Weakling released their first/only album Dead As Dreams, they joked that only a minuscule number (like single digits) would be printed, then buried around the country, and anyone who bought the album would get a map to its destination.
I should have linked back to this in the post, but yeah, the Staples Center has released two statements now saying there are no plans or agreements to go vegetarian for Morrissey. (Moz claims otherwise.) We'll find out for sure tonight, I guess. But there's also been no public report or rumor that McCartney was angry about this agreement/lack thereof. (Maybe Morrissey heard through friends? That McCartney was angry? About an agreement that was never made?) Finally his answer to the question is just disingenuous -- they asked, why did the Staples Center agree to do this for you and not McCartney? His reply evades the question altogether, letting one self-created rumor stand (the one about the agreement between him and the venue) while starting another (the one about McCartney being angry) that relies on the veracity of the first rumor to have any substance itself. I have no problem with him slamming McCartney, the monarchy, etc. -- in fact, I love it! -- but as it's presented here, it seems a little paranoid, if not manipulative.
That's debatable (although it's a debate I won't partake in!), but I absolutely do like his music, both with and post-Beatles. He just seems a little smarmy to me sometimes. I wasn't trying to denigrate his music, honestly, just stressing that my dubious reaction comes as a result of what Morrissey is saying, not the person he's saying it about.
I was indeed at that show; it was phenomenal. I was also at Bowery Ballroom in '99 when they toured for This Is My Truth. And I am PRETTY SURE those are the last two shows the Manics have played in NYC. Crazy.
Yeah, I think that's fair. I'm actually more ambivalent about his broader assertion regarding the value of online interaction. I read this wonderful story not long ago that reflects on the real human connections that can be made online (and in many cases wouldn't be possible in the physical world). My general issue with Record Store Day -- and this isn't a criticism of the event or its organizers, which I support enthusiastically, but it is a harsh truth they're not really addressing -- is that none of the virtues they're trumpeting really requires the store. Want physical product? You can buy it direct from the label. Want cool limited-edition product? Go to eBay, or find a fan community where this stuff is being traded. Want to talk about music and learn about new shit from enthusiastic snobs? Come to Stereogum or Pitchfork or AV Club or any one of a million great blogs out there, where we are talking about this stuff all the time. I've worked at a record store and I work on a music blog, and I don't feel like the former is somehow purer than the latter. If anything, the conversations I have (and see happening) here are more extensive, more intelligent, and mostly more enjoyable than the ones I had working the floor at the shop.
DJFreshie, that's even weirder and grayer because it brings up questions of moral relativism. In Socrates's time and place, men coupling with boys was a societal norm, an element of their educative, religious, and military structures. Abstractly, you could retroactively declare all works, ideas, and achievements of Greek philosophy to be null and void, because they were spawned by a culture that accepted and encouraged practices we today believe to be immoral. But to do so in practice, you'd basically have to dismantle all human society entirely.
Adddo, this is a great point (though I disagree with your assessment of Chris's conclusion as it pertains to the artists discussed in this piece). HOWEVER: With regard to Burzum (and to a greater degree, black metal in general), which Bryan Mack brought up in the first comment on this article, I sincerely feel that the artist's transgressions are central to the audience's curiosity, and are at very least inextricably tied to our recognition of the work. When people say, "I find Burzum's criminal actions and hate speech repugnant, but I put that aside because I love his music," there seems to me an implication that the listener would love the music as much or even more if Burzum didn't have a history of hate speech or criminal actions. And consciously he or she may believe that to be true. But I believe listeners are captivated by those grotesque qualities of Burzum's character -- qualities which are not totally separate from his music, BTW -- and are drawn to his art very frequently PRECISELY BECAUSE the artist himself has done things and espouses views that are truly, horrifyingly vile.
You know, I'm gonna write one of these when the next Burzum comes out because I actually think this issue gets 10x grayer and less comfortable when you put the focus on black metal (not limited to Burzum but he's obviously the poster boy for the genre's worst elements).
I've never connected with Foals in the past and have sorta written them off at this point, but I'm gonna listen to Holy Fire now, Robert, after reading your impassioned plea. If Foals happens on Stereogum -- at least if I'm the dude doing the writing -- the band will have you to thank.
Well he's stubborn as hell, but from what I've read, the acoustic albums and shows are a result of time/fiscal economics. Touring alone is a lot easier and cheaper than touring with a band; by eliminating drums from the studio, he's eliminated the time (and resultant cost) it takes to get the right drum sound. (I'm paraphrasing things he's said in recent interviews, not just making this up.) Although I do agree with you that he's doing this for himself. What's your reaction to the music?
This is as good a place as any to note that the Hard Rock/Metal category was filled with artists who peaked three decades ago (Iron Maiden, Anthrax) and won by an act I've never heard of (Halestorm?). Also: please buy me the blue Pallbearer shirt, size L. Thanks!
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