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Today, I found out that there’s a Web site trying to bring the clunky brevity of the microblogging service Twitter to criticism: Behold Blippr, another vowelless Web 2.0 entry that lets users grade on a one-of-four-emoticon scales (it ranges from “:D” to “:(”) and “write” 160-character reviews of movies, music, games, and (sigh) books. Because, as they put it, long reviews suck! After the jump, 10 reviews by blippr members about albums they love–posted in their entirety, because hey, we’ve got the room!
First song; the bass line will change your life. Listen. The album; epic… thunderous… life changing.
One of the best albums I’ve ever heard.
Good songs, good new direction for the band.
had to listen to it a couple of times like a few other people.
This album will forever remind me of the first year of my relationship with my boyfriend.
Deep meaning full songs, some better than others however it deserves all the prizes it can get.
a return to form.
One of those few albums that I can enjoy from start to finish. Great brit-pop filled with catchy melodies and music that you want to sing along with.
Are you kidding me!
for good or bad, it’s the sound of 2007/08!
What albums are each of those users talking about? You can go ahead and try to guess, but hey, does it even matter? I, personally, can’t wait for one of the Big Three music magazines to adopt the Blippr approach tout de suite–think about how great those 160-character writeups will look on those pullquote-adorned stickers attached to CDs!
music – blippr [blippr via MSN]
Finally.
souljaboytellem.com?
this has actually been around since 1969, but it used to be called Robert Christgau
What? No “gay lollo!!11″?
Shouldn’t it be called “Blurbr”?
In regards to Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga album:
“Brillent – intelligent and cool.”
@dippinkind: Now that was a zing.
Maura, you did your readers a great disservice by not highlighting this insightful review (one with which I must disagree):
Also, lots of fans of Coldplay, Radiohead, and The Killers over there.
Brevity is wit.
@Rob Murphy: Well, it is the Internet.
@NoOneCaresAboutYourFuckingBlog: Maybe.
I love the cat who talks about a “meaning full” album. Can one grasp the conceptual implications of “meaning fullness” without having ever seen the word in print?
@Rob Murphy: @Maura Johnston: At least until their reviews start getting deleted so someone can look cool.
blippr could only afford one vowel.
@dippinkind: hahahahaha you just made my monday.
Wait, wait, wait. So you’re saying is, you’re mad that someone who would write “had to listen to it a couple of times like a few other people.” is limited to 160 characters? You really think these mouth-breathers are stifled by the limit? Seems like a good thing, to me…
Yet another reason to start drinking early on a monday…
can’t wait for da capo ’09’s special section of these
A much, much better spin on this theme: [www.areyoucrappingme.com]
Every song on every album reviewed is either CRAP, jam, or MONSTER JAM. Percentages are assigned accordingly.
How come there’s no “Their best since Exile on Main St.”?
So it’s kind of like reading Vice record reviews, except not nearly as funny and/or insulting to your ethnicity or religion.
“another vowelless Web 2.0 entry that lets users grade on a one-of-four-emoticon scales”
Just to nitpick: ‘i’ is a vowel. Maybe ‘vowel-deficient’ or ‘vowel-challenged’ would be better.
@revmatty: one might argue that ‘i,’ being the most important pronoun of the present era, transcends its vowel status when it comes to web 2.0 names. but your point stands.
Maura, thank you so much for the writeup. We agree that the brevity of blips actually can make reading reviews more fun, and far more succinct. Moreover, we believe the real value comes when it’s your friends’ reviews. While we believe there is some value in long-form reviews for bigger purchases, we have tried to build blippr upon the trust of people whom you already know. We feel that, while one long review from a friend or critic may indeed have value, five short reviews are that much more valuable.
Thanks again for the writeup!
Best,
JC
CEO of blippr
P.S. @revmatty rather than “vowel-challenged”, we prefer “vowel conservationists” ;)
@Maura Johnston: That’s a good point as well, I hadn’t been thinking of it as a pronoun in that context. And I’d really hate to see everyone move to iblppr and iflkr and itmblr naming to emphasize the centrality of the specific user in each web 2.0.3.9.7.alpha application.
This reminds me of writing for Londonist, except without an “editor” pushing me to chuck in more superlatives and undeserved praise.
@DavidWatts: Nice, but that ain’t no Rock, Rot and Rule.