If you ever read the Opinions page, you may have noticed that both myself and fellow music critic Kevin Doran get a lot of negative Letters to the Editor addressed to us. And, while I certainly appreciate the feedback, I've noticed that some of you don't really understand the proper way to address a music critic via letter, so I'm going to give some basic guidelines.
1.) Be sure to complain when a critic criticizes.
I often get letters calling me "biased," claiming I'm inserting my own opinion into my reviews and failing to be objective. I often get mixed-up when I'm called upon to review an album or concert and oftentimes even insert my own opinion on the work of art. It's easy for me to forget that I get sent to concerts with the job of being a parrot for public opinion and to give the fanboy with the band's posters all over his room a few inches in which I echo his sentiments. I get a little confused now and then and work under the impression that I'm supposed to be "reviewing" or "criticizing" a band when I write a "review" or act as a "critic." So, the first step of any successful hate mail is calling me out for inserting my own evaluation.
2.) Make sure to point out that we don't have record deals.
It's true, I am not the member of a famous rock band, so clearly I have no room to criticize other musicians if I can't do what they do. Now, you might be asking "But Dustin, why can Angels and Airwaves sing about world affairs and politics? Did Tom DeLonge get a degree in political science? Does Toby Keith have an automotive background that gives him a valid reason to support Ford trucks on-stage?" To which I reply: don't be silly. Artists don't need to have first-hand experience in whatever they give their opinion on. That's just music critics.
3.) If the fans liked it, it was quality work.
If a crowd cheers a lot or a lot of people buy a record, a critic should ignore all other factors and give it a glowing review. Under this new policy, my revised review of the Fergie album (Grade: A+) will debut in Friday's Arts in Review. Next semester, film and music reviews will be replaced by box office figures and Billboard charts, which are better barometers of quality than critics.
These are just a few tips to help you in your quest to write hate mail and keep critics like me on our toes. I'm looking forward to reading next semester's crop of letters, and let me know if there are any techniques I left out. Happy reading!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
A Promising Weekend
Some interesting shows this past weekend. We'll go in reverse order this time, to bring up the highlight first.
Saturday, 12/2 - Psychedelic/Zaireeka Roustabout! at Tall Shiva Hookah Lounge
Headlining a Roustabout! show with a listening party for an album instead of a band wouldn't normally fly, but Zaireeka is an exception. The four-disc Flaming Lips album is meant to be played on four sets of speakers, with the idea that the tracks will never start at the same time and always synchronize differently. And you get a different experience depending on your relation to the speakers, so every listen will be different.
So, after a warm-up from some psychedelic bands (quick props to Goldenball for a great set,) the show was on. It took a few false starts to get the rhythm of four people working CD players down, but it was always funny to hear "Track one... track two... track four..." followed by a chorus of sighs and another go.
Describing the album is difficult and kind of beside the point. But it was a unique show, and showed the kind of creativity lacking in the arts scene in general. And people seemed to have a good time, though it would have been nice to see a few more people walk around and take advantage of the multiple sound sources that were set up.
Friday, 12/1 - SOMA Pop Art/Music Extravaganza at Dragon Chaser's Emporium
It's been a weak year for SOMA shows, both in terms of quality and failure to match the original aesthetic set last year. Friday's show, though not up to last year's standards, was still a step in the right direction. The club remembered that the "MA" stands for "Multiple Arts," and made an attempt to integrate art with the music. Unfortunately, the art was limited to a small selection and a few pieces of paper for the audience to draw on with Crayons, hidden in the corner.
The music faired a bit better. This Place is Haunted delivered a solid set, and out-of-towners Endless Mike and the Beagle Club stole the show. The band, which included tenish members, featured simple, pounding indie-pop with about five guys just bouncing around, banging tambourines and shouting along. It was loose, sloppy, fun, and unlike anything else I saw this year, which used to be something you could rely on from a SOMA show. The next band scared me off by butchering a Neutral Milk Hotel song and then launching into pop-punk, but it's still a step back in the right direction.
Saturday, 12/2 - Psychedelic/Zaireeka Roustabout! at Tall Shiva Hookah Lounge
Headlining a Roustabout! show with a listening party for an album instead of a band wouldn't normally fly, but Zaireeka is an exception. The four-disc Flaming Lips album is meant to be played on four sets of speakers, with the idea that the tracks will never start at the same time and always synchronize differently. And you get a different experience depending on your relation to the speakers, so every listen will be different.
So, after a warm-up from some psychedelic bands (quick props to Goldenball for a great set,) the show was on. It took a few false starts to get the rhythm of four people working CD players down, but it was always funny to hear "Track one... track two... track four..." followed by a chorus of sighs and another go.
Describing the album is difficult and kind of beside the point. But it was a unique show, and showed the kind of creativity lacking in the arts scene in general. And people seemed to have a good time, though it would have been nice to see a few more people walk around and take advantage of the multiple sound sources that were set up.
Friday, 12/1 - SOMA Pop Art/Music Extravaganza at Dragon Chaser's Emporium
It's been a weak year for SOMA shows, both in terms of quality and failure to match the original aesthetic set last year. Friday's show, though not up to last year's standards, was still a step in the right direction. The club remembered that the "MA" stands for "Multiple Arts," and made an attempt to integrate art with the music. Unfortunately, the art was limited to a small selection and a few pieces of paper for the audience to draw on with Crayons, hidden in the corner.
The music faired a bit better. This Place is Haunted delivered a solid set, and out-of-towners Endless Mike and the Beagle Club stole the show. The band, which included tenish members, featured simple, pounding indie-pop with about five guys just bouncing around, banging tambourines and shouting along. It was loose, sloppy, fun, and unlike anything else I saw this year, which used to be something you could rely on from a SOMA show. The next band scared me off by butchering a Neutral Milk Hotel song and then launching into pop-punk, but it's still a step back in the right direction.
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