February 26, 2008...6:15 pm
Shame On You: Music Critics
Wow! A couple recent reviews are really helping to reinforce the fact that music is purely subjective and that there is a huge difference between a good music critic and a bad one.
In a recent Village Voice review for Vampire Weekend’s debut album, Julianne Shepherd jumps on the backlash bandwagon and reaffirms her love for 80’s punk. Unfortunately, it seems that Julianne is airing out her own baggage with trust-fund boys she knew in college and overusing the term steez, whatever that may be. Take a read and see what you think?
Julianne Shepherd’s Vampire Weekend review in the Voice
I don’t work with or for Vampire Weekend and I couldn’t care less what direction their career goes, but it annoys me to see people who think they know all about music rip into bands for the wrong reasons. And why is Paul Simon (and even Peter Gabriel, as I’ve seen in other negative reviews) an originator of African music? Is it because he could actually afford to pay to fly out the whole Ladysmith Black Mambazo to Nashville and use them on his album? How punk rock is that!? There is lots of African music before Graceland, Julianne. Paul Simon stole another culture’s steez! And why are you talking about punk rock? It’s like talking about Big Band music when you’re reviewing a Radiohead album, or ‘dancing about architecture’, even. Oh yeah, and you’re so punk rock that you think these guys are stupid for reading sheet music!? Maybe if you read sheet music, you’d make a better music critic, Julianne. Hang up your hangups before you start trashing someone else’s art.
Another awful review comes to us from Maxim, and here it is…
*review photo courtesy of Scotty B at Hidden Track
Not inherently evil, but what we find out is that this reviewer, David Peisner, never even heard the record, as no advances were given out AT ALL! Meaning that he was probably only judging the album on the one single that has been released. The Black Crowes fought back.
So, a big NewmRadio SHAME ON YOU to David Peisner and Julianne Shepherd.
What do you guys think? Am I too hard on these two?
5 Comments
February 26, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Too hard? No way, newms! Critics damn well better have a thick skin, they need to be able to take it, if they’re dishin’ it! If we really want to dignify the world music question, then it was really Brian Jones who was responsible for world music’s alpha moment, by seeking out the master musicians of joujouka, and recording them in their mountain hideaway in the mid 60’s. the fruits of this only came out on record at the end of the decade, but Brian was the man, no question. the stones even used them on the track “continental drift” from steel wheels, after hearing that the musicians were almost skint. they went back there and recorded their parts in morrocco.
its so easy to slam the black crowes, but theyre just a part of an unbroken line that links the aforementioned stones, the faces, aerosmith, and then the crowes. the nature of boozy grizzled rock means that (with the exception of keef richards) most of these guys have a limited tie on this planet, so we need new guys re-interpreting the genre once in a while. These goddamn reviewers need to lighten up!
February 28, 2008 at 4:57 pm
And look what Hilary just found… http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272008/gossip/pagesix/jumping_the_gun_99439.htm
February 28, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Critics getting a bad press…there is a god, after all!
March 7, 2008 at 3:35 am
They did a bit on Vampire Weekend on NPR today. I kinda dig ‘em!
March 14, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Hell no, you weren’t too hard on them. I’m all for reviewers who actually use their ears. Check out my new review of Warpaint at http://artclecticacademic.wordpress.com/ and stay tuned for a probable upcoming review of Vampire Weekend. If she’s going to consciously ignore the sound and commenting on VW’s clothing, Julianne Shepherd can piss off, too.
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