Refused.

[D.o.S.]

Well, mission accomplished if you go and they play Ex-Lion Tamer.

[Inconuucl]

I'll be "down south" (you know, as opposed to Santa's Workshop) for one month, specifically, July.

I may be able to see Death Grips, mewithoutYou, Run The Jewels, or Motion City Soundtrack. No promises on any of these.

Define down south.

[DarkAxel]

But stay away from pseudo-academic lyric analyses and such, that's a paper thin ice, because, especially with their favourite bands, people often get in over their heads, over-analyse stuff and basically try to find greatness where there's none. With properly constructed vocabulary and argumentation, everyone can try do that. Don't.

This doesn't sit well with me. What is liking rock music, if not making pseudo-analytical analyses of it? So no one should ever attempt to defend the music they like, given that they are not a professional musicologist? I know I am willingly misinterpreting you on this but you have to admit, that could be seen as sounding very elitist. And, more, importantly, no fun at all. What's next? No Top 10 lists?

"top X anything" is the fucking plague of current music journalism in my opinion. I should know, I'm trying to be a musical journalist I hate that shit and I'm trying my best to stay away from it.

but I do get what you mean. I do admit you're right and I do admit it was very elitist. And it was also very harsh on the down-low, because my main message was "don't sugarcoat your fanboyism in pseudo-academic bullshit"

however, it was morning for me and I was in a really bad mood. So kind of sorry, dude. But still. A part of the message still stays valid I think.

[jrmy]

"top X anything" is the fucking plague.

I hate Top X lists.

And yet, so often, I participate. And feel dirty afterwards.

[D.o.S.]

I think it's an easy thing to hate when you don't have to articulate your reasoning (behind hating the list, not the list).

For example: The Top 5 Records You Should Probably Ignore In Favor of Graceland would be a great piece if it was 2008 and everyone was listening to those shitty 'pseudo-African' bands. Y'all just gotta think outside the box.

[DarkAxel]

I hate how they're just random, disconnected blurbs. That doesn't constitute journalism to me, but there are websites that are trying to focus on it

I'm probably too naive and yeah, I suppose with a bit of intelligence and effort, they can be interesting as well I've just yet to see it

[D.o.S.]

The thing is, list-y content is the name of the game right now, because people overwhelmingly prefer (i.e. click on) those sorts of stories. Clickbait is a pejorative, but it's also a signifier of what people want to read.

[jrmy]

The thing is, list-y content is the name of the game right now, because people overwhelmingly prefer (i.e. click on) those sorts of stories. Clickbait is a pejorative, but it's also a signifier of what people want to read.

This is totally true, but I think there's something about lists and rankings that have always fascinated people. I remember when one of my freshman year roommates asked myself and our other roommate to rank the women on our floor in order of attractiveness, and badgered us for twenty minutes when we refused. When we gave in, he proclaimed that we were both wrong, and reiterated his list as the only objectively correct list of attractiveness.

He also loved the Spin Doctors. Funny world.

[Inconuucl]

The thing is, list-y content is the name of the game right now, because people overwhelmingly prefer (i.e. click on) those sorts of stories. Clickbait is a pejorative, but it's also a signifier of what people want to read.

This is totally true, but I think there's something about lists and rankings that have always fascinated people. I remember when one of my freshman year roommates asked myself and our other roommate to rank the women on our floor in order of attractiveness, and badgered us for twenty minutes when we refused. When we gave in, he proclaimed that we were both wrong, and reiterated his list as the only objectively correct list of attractiveness.

He also loved the Spin Doctors. Funny world.

Lists also allow a website to spread their content to more pages, therefore making sure you get more ads rained on you, and thus making sure the websites get more money. It's a grey area almost bordering on fraud, but that's how a lot of businesses run nowadays.

[lordgalvar]

It's also an excuse to not hire writers and editors worth a damn. Totally agree with you that it is borderline fraud.

[D.o.S.]

Actually a lot of the measurements are moving away from raw page views towards time on site for precisely that reason.

[kbit]

Refused is sold out tomorrow in Williamsburg; Wire isn't sold out tonight. One of you in bound to be mad about that im sure

[Inconuucl]

Actually a lot of the measurements are moving away from raw page views towards time on site for precisely that reason.

Oh god, jus thinking of the ways that's going to be exploited is going to make me cry.

[D.o.S.]

Refused is sold out tomorrow in Williamsburg; Wire isn't sold out tonight. One of you in bound to be mad about that im sure

DO IT

[casecandy]

So many thoughts.

Here are a few short ones.

First, I live for lists. My favourite issue of SPIN... you know, when it Chuck Klosterman was the editor and it was a good magazine, was always the lists issue. My favourite part of Kurt Cobain's Journals is his Personal Top 100 Albums list. I make lists in my sleep. I think if you haven't made your own Top 100 Albums list, you are missing out.

Cracked.com does good lists because they're not opinion-based. They're like "Five movies heroes who totally would have died in real life" or similar.

D.o.S., we just hit common ground. I thought I was the only one who really noticed the totally real trend of pseudo-African bands circa 2008. That was a real thing. I love Graceland so much. It would be on my Top 100 list LOL. I would marry Graceland and have its babies if I wasn't already married. Fuck it. I'll move to Utah. I'm crazy like that. Anyway, examples: Volcano!, Vampire Weekend, and The Very Best... wait a second. TVB are actually African. But they sampled Vampire Weekend!

The best pseudo-African band by leaps and bounds is tUnE-yArDs. They have made some of the best pseudo-African music of all time. OF ALL TIME



Finally, yes, go see Wire. Just saw this glowing review in my FB feed:

http://www.laweekly.com/music/post-punk ... ge-5639515

I'll be "down south" (you know, as opposed to Santa's Workshop) for one month, specifically, July.

I may be able to see Death Grips, mewithoutYou, Run The Jewels, or Motion City Soundtrack. No promises on any of these.

Define down south.

A HANDY PRIMER



Ooh I forgot the really big liquor store in New Hampshire just before Mass. Be still my heart