Via maura

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2007/10/22/071022crmu_music_frerejones

- I would imagine there'll be lots of blogtalk about this one. It feels to me like he's fighting old battles, or maybe telling old war stories that aren't quite as tightly relevant to now as they should be. But the point about the shift from imitator to fan seems an interesting one.

Meanwhile there's still a couple of hours to vote in the Pop Open.

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

There's an article on the grau site today bemoaning the crapness of indie rock '07 as well. I have no patience with either that or this b/c for all that they are RIGHT about indie rock '07 being crap they both act as if indie rock is the centre of popular music, as if its crapness matters at all. yes it's crap, clap clap clap, it's always been crap, DON'T LISTEN TO INDIE ROCK FFS and then you won't have to hear crap music! and if it's so bad why are you taking the time to wring yr hands over it and pen long thinkpieces, why not focus on the tons of great music out there which ISN'T INDIE FUCKING ROCK AAAARGH

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes there's something to be said for this - though the problem is, as we've been discussing with the Radio 1 etc threads, that this stuff (the stuff in the Grau article, not the SFJ piece) isn't "indie" any more, it's mainstream pop or rock or whatever you want to call it.

[pot80.livejournal.com]

Indie rock is certainly the mainstream of music in terms of critical assessment, so it's easy to see how their perspective can get thrown off.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Why is this? I don't think there's any issue at play here other than "it really, really shouldn't be, and if it is then critics are divs".

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's easy to write about! This is an old chestnut really.

[pot80.livejournal.com]

It's because most of the people who are critics are white/middle class/educated/liberal, and no other music speaks to that experience like indie rock. And I don't think that's a bad thing at all! There should be music for everyone to identify with, you know?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of indie rock is very BAD at speaking to that experience - or speaking to more than a very stunted, limited part of it.

MEROVINGIAN POP

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

haha this all reminds me of the piece i wrote about FELT for MM back in the "golden era" so-called -- i ginned up a theory (based on HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL viz the book that the DA VINCI CODE nicked everything off) that there was a SECRET self-electing DYNASTY with rock which traced its like back to jesus and ruled the world but hardly anyone had heard of it and it was probably a bad thing

it was an attempt (in 1988) to explain why "indie is the critical centre" -- WHY AM I NOT A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE LIKE DAN BROWN?

(sadly the piece itself seems to be lost forever)

Re: MEROVINGIAN POP

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

like = line, tho it kinda works as is

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I'm three-and-a-half of those things and I don't identify with indie rock