Lately, it seems that many of the pieces that get linked to around here are about how dismal are the prospects of music criticism. The equation regarding criticism that is more than “consumer advocacy” seems to be: readers don’t want to read it, publishers don’t want to publish it, writers thus slouch in their duties to provide it. But are there counter-examples to this mentality and to this assumption? (And if so, where are they?) Anyone out there thinking otherwise?
Archive for December 16th, 2007
EXTRA: Music Criticism Thriving!
Posted by s woods on December 16, 2007
Posted in Blabbin' | 3 Comments »
Death Becomes Us?
Posted by s woods on December 16, 2007
Clouds and Clocks, the brainchild of Italian correspondent Beppe Colli (and a great site for interviews with well known experimental artists as well as with various music critics) , recently celebrated its fifth year of existence with some interesting thoughts on the health of music criticism, etc. The comment that most caught my eye, of course, was this one:
“To repeat: preconditions don’t look too favourable. Francis Davis still writes lengthy pieces for the Village Voice, but how many writers today have to write, by necessity, ‘pills of wisdom’? And what about those movie reviews of ever-shrinking length where at the end of the piece one gets to see the trailer? Or those reviews of albums by ‘classic’ artists that offer a video off YouTube? And maybe it’s just me, but the moments when the website RockCritics appears to really come alive is when it deals with dead writers or dead magazines.”
That’s a totally fair comment, I think (as proven by our recent coverage of all matters Creem-related), and though we never specifically set out at any point to turn this site into www.deadrockcritics.com, things did sort of just evolve a little in that direction. Though not entirely: I/we like (and have covered–and will continue to cover) plenty of living, breathing things as well, but I do think part of our mission around here is to forge a bridge to the past (and keeping things thought to be dead alive, at least in my/our/your/whoever’s imagination).
Now excuse me while I go consult my Ouija Board to find out who our next interview subject should be…
Posted in Blabbin' | 2 Comments »
