PhD research issue #2. The role of the music critic
I regard a critic as someone who values curiosity over cultural complacency, and knows how to enable this as a practice in others
PhD research issue #1. Trolling
Trolling is a rhetorical strategy that attempts to discredit the conversation or speaker as absurd/obvious or otherwise shift the topic towards some other element of an argument than the one being addressed.
Whitney Houston sings Robert Wyatt (a.k.a. the greatest Whitney cover never heard)
I just thought a few of you might be interested.
Another great band gone. No one notices. No one cares.
They knew the fuck the importance of editing.
There is a Whitney song I like …
Can it really come down to simple tribalism, familiarity? It could, you know. It could.
Song of the day – 441: The Sting-Rays (something wonderful from the 80s)
The aura of menace is palpable, all the better for being kept on a tight leash.
excerpted from an interview with Damon Albarn of Blur, March 1996
I was drunker than a barrelful of Graham Coxons
She led a troubled life, apparently. Doesn’t everyone?
If a woman is photographed drunk at any point, the narrative becomes one of inevitability
Song of the day – 439: Eleanor Friedberger*
Everett True hears an awesome song, makes it Song of the Day. Yes sometimes it’s really that simple
A plug for a show I will never see. You bastards.
It’s like they threw an Everett True party and deliberately didn’t invite me.
Song of the day – 438: Melody Dog
Whirligigs were whirled. Recorders were blown down. Hearts were melted.
Song of the day – 437: Prinzhorn Dance School (+ 5 wonderful obscure old school ‘awkward pop’ videos)
Love the silences between the vocals. Sure, we’re talking Gla*o Babies.
Everett True reacts to Ryan Schreiber’s article about M.I.A. pretty much exactly the way you’d expect him to
I shudder to think what he’ll make of Russian feminist punk rock collective Pussy Riot
R.I.P. Brendon Annesley (Negative Guest List)
I’d been well aware of Negative Guest List as a genius ‘zine with shitloads of enthusiasm and energy and attitude for quite a while now.
Fucking love punk rock sometimes. Fucking love feminism sometimes. Fucking love YouTube sometimes.
“Revolt in Russia – the charisma of protest/Revolt in Russia, Putin’s got scared!”
There’s been a mistake in the 2011 AMP shortlist
He won’t win, of course. He’s not third rate enough.
Song of the day – 435: The Hot Toddies (+ free mix tape!)
Bubblegum pop with a sharp tongue that tells of wet dreams and surf paradises
Song of the day – 434: TacocaT (and a shout-out to Bust magazine)
Bonus points for covering Huggy Bear’s ‘Her Jazz’.
how ‘influence’ works – Lana Del Rey vs Eleni Vitali
This is influence, not plagiarism: ridiculous to claim otherwise.
Song of the day – 433: Those Dancing Days
There’s melody and pace, and the sort of vicarious thrill that used to be had from boy rock all those years back
