decided to change the thread title so there can be one that just focuses on the positive

i like this thread. hope it stays up here

old, long read but still pretty good and relevant. nick southall was one of my favourite writers.

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/ ... orever.htm

never read that before, thanks. i think that would be the definitive article to read to explain to anyone why production matters.


i read this article on av club recently and i thought it sucked
http://www.avclub.com/articles/what-mak ... ing,65075/
i think the author thinks there is some kind of maturity and sophistication to being satisfied by bland indie rock

I fucking hate AV Club but I actually think that's a pretty good article, it addresses the problem with music criticism and music discussion pretty damn well, and people who wear their ignorance like a badge of honor really are a bane.

See: Bruce.

I suppose I agree with the general thesis, which is that music journalism/criticism suffers because the artists who lend themselves to being written about more are going to get more coverage, and in turn, better reviews. It's way easier to fill out an entire article if the band has an interesting back story, or pushes boundaries in some way, and the more "solid" bands don't lend themselves to lengthy, interesting articles. But I don't think I'm pretentious or need to apologize for being bored by Wilco's new music.

I guess not, but I find some of the music you and everyone here likes to be incredibly boring. I guess I'm just as bad at explaining why.

well, that's why they don't pay us the big bucks I guess

I think most if not all (probably all) music critics are terrible.

I mean just look at who wrote for Rolling Stone back in the 70s. Christgau? Bangs? Mendelsohn? UGH. And those are supposed to be the greats. Fuck music criticism.

I'm not gonna use the "critics should have the same opinions as everyday people" argument, I don't want to sound like Bruce. I just think they really suck at their job. Critics today really do have awful taste in music though. Just look at the results of the Pazz & Jop polls from the past decade.

If Work It and Hey Ya are among the best singles that the 00s had to offer then I have no qualms with saying it's my least favorite decade in the history of popular music.

news flash: they aren't

Work It absolutely is one of the best singles of the 00s. I'd include it in my personal top 250 singles of all time, easily. Maybe even top 100

Fuck that nonsense. Fuck that song. And fuck Timbaland's stupid fucking face. What a godawful producer, he never fails to make already terrible pop songs even more irritating with his awful synths and bland plastic drum beats.

I mean seriously. He has no talent whatsoever and that's the truth. Are people deaf?

just noting there's a fair amount of ground between "best of the decade" and "godawful with no talent whatsoever"

IMO the only good thing Timbaland has ever been involved in are those 3 songs from Volta, which is still the worst Bjork album excluding that one she made when she was 12 (yes I have it) though that album does have a charm to it.

At least that album didn't have Antony Hegarty on it.

hey boo boo, you're a lot like bruce when you whine like a little bitch. just saying.

anyways, a good article for those interested in electronic music

http://www.littlewhiteearbuds.com/featu ... atization/

The partnership of Timbaland and Missy Elliot is one of the best producer/MC pairings of the 00s. Her flow is so all over the place and so are Timbaland's beats. Although I do think in recent years he has become much less tasteful.

One of my favorite moments of 90s pop is in "Pony" by Ginuwine, the 2nd verse, which starts "If we're gonna get nasty babaaaaayyyy" and it just matches the beat so well there.

Anyway, back to critics, I'm usually more interested to hear what music journalists have to say in article format rather than reviews.