HomefrontRadio commented on "Pitchfork" Bows Out Of The Black Kids Debate With The Help Of Some Adorable Pugs,
at 2:46 AM on Jul 23
Believe it or not Jessica, Pitchfork is just another in a long line of reviewers that have supplied unreliable music recommendations in my life, which is why i always rely on the tried and true method of forming my own opinions about what I hear, and hunting down common influences named by bands I admired.
This is logically what is best for everyone, because no two people on earth will have the same taste in music, so it's pointless me recommending anything for you and vice-versa, so why people put any faith in record reviews is beyond me, especially when most good albums take 8-10 spins to appreciate and reviews are often written after 1 or 2.
If I've long ago dismissed sources like the NME and Rolling Stone, then Pitchfork never stood a chance, especially with a truly obnoxious combination of an excessive pump 'n' dump hype cycle; pretentious wanna-be 'gonzo' reviews by reviewers with little life experience; and a depressingly narrow worldview of what constitutes good music:
1) A couple of college students play basic triad chords on guitar over rock beat whilst namedropping the same influences everyone else names, and just sound a bit like an inferior version of a band you heard in 1981, without the hooks.
2) Same thing, but with added accordion, toy piano and tape distortion to be a little 'weird' and 'old timey' like 'the Basement Tapes', with bonus 'Ironic' amateurish playing that co-incidentally also disguises actual amateurish playing.
3) Some collective with 8-10 superfluous members all playing constantly en masse with no sense of dynamics and vanishing into an overcompressed mix.
4) 'Ironic' 80's Electro with Casiotones - this was tired when Regurgitator put out 'Unit' in 1996.
5) Lo-fi art noise stuff people claim to like to prove they're smart enough to appreciate it.
you totally free of entitlement and have never once been guilty of underachieving.
I never said I haven't - i just am not arrogant enough to expect people to pay money to hear me mumble into my four track tape recorder, signing off on a shakey take as 'good enough'.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on "Pitchfork" Bows Out Of The Black Kids Debate With The Help Of Some Adorable Pugs,
at 4:49 PM on Jul 22
The link to the review on the main page explains all:
"After a well-received EP, Jacksonville's Black Kids release a Bernard Butler-produced debut that surprisingly hit the Top 5 in the UK"
As all elitist music twat knows, any sign of mainstream popularity means it's time to hide a band's records.
Pitchfork's recommendations are the sound of entitled american college students underachieving.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on A Long Listmaking Exercise For A Long Weekend,
at 5:55 PM on Jul 3
1971 - David Bowie - Hunky Dory1972 - Big Star - #1 Record1973 - John Cale - Paris 19191974 - Here Come The Warm Jets - Brian Eno1975 - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years Of Our Lives1976 - Abba - Arrival1977 - Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True1978 - Blondie - Parallel Lines1979 - Talking Heads - Fear Of Music1980 - The B-52's - Wild Planet1981 - Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk1982 - Kate Bush - The Dreaming1983 - REM - Murmur1984 - Go-Betweens - Spring Hill Fair1985 - Prince and the Revolution - Around The World In A Day1986 - XTC - Skylarking1987 - Pet Shop Boys - Actually1988 - Voice Of The Beehive - Let It Be1989 - Jane Siberry - Bound By The Beauty1990 - Jellyfish - Bellybutton1991 - Crowded House - Woodface1992 - Suzanne Vega - 99.9 F Degrees1993 - Jellyfish - Split Milk1994 - Velvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies To God1995 - Pulp - Different Class1996 - Divine Comedy - Casanova1997 - Michael Penn - Resigned1998 - Elliott Smith - XO1999 - the Auteurs - How I Learned To Love The Bootboys2000 - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No.22001 - Rufus Wainwright - Poses2002 - Mull Historical Society - Loss2003 - the Decemberists - Her Majesty2004 - Timothy Monger - Summer Cherry Ghosts2005 - Son Of A Plumber - Son Of A Plumber2006 - Scritti Politti - White Bread, Black Beer2007 - Great Lakes Myth Society - Compass Rose Bouquet
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on The Cure Are Still In Love With You,
at 8:37 AM on May 16
@Chris: i prefer the 3 minute candyfloss too, but after 'Friday I'm In Love' they seemed to become increasingly more desperate as the effortless hooks of those sort of songs vanished.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on The Cure Are Still In Love With You,
at 5:22 PM on May 15
I'd still be grateful that he bothered to revisit this mode, which might be my favorite of his many moods.
I thought he only had two: the 3 minute breezy pop confections that all 'true' Cure fans sneer at, or the 9+ minute tuneless doomy dirges that send all the casual listeners running the other way?
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on New Weezer Song Showcases Rivers Cuomo's Medley-Writing Ambitions (Or Something Like That),
at 7:55 PM on May 8
Weezer are basically the Duran Duran of the grunge years - more releases people passionately hate than actually like, and what was liked was shockingly average in the first place, but for some reason people can't give up on them.
If a band consistently disappoints you and you keep buying their records anyway, then is it their fault for sucking, or your fault for being a undemanding consumer?
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on Those Two Dudes From TV Finally Score,
at 4:53 PM on Apr 30
@Chris Molanphy: Look again, R.E.M.'s being outsold by 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'.
That means 25,000 people heard this, and thought it was something they conciouslessly wanted to hear again in a recreational context, of their own free will:
HomefrontRadio commented on Australian MTV Awards Make Me Feel Better About America,
at 8:36 PM on Apr 28
When I was a kid, i wondered why our bands here sounded like they were in b&w compared to the rest of the world, especially the dull meathead world of 'pub rock'.
Anything that gets a big push by the record companies here is stuff they consider commercial enough to be played overseas, which means less polished imitations of American (never English) acts.
more »
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HomefrontRadio's Activity
HomefrontRadio commented on "Pitchfork" Bows Out Of The Black Kids Debate With The Help Of Some Adorable Pugs, at 2:46 AM on Jul 23
Believe it or not Jessica, Pitchfork is just another in a long line of reviewers that have supplied unreliable music recommendations in my life, which is why i always rely on the tried and true method of forming my own opinions about what I hear, and hunting down common influences named by bands I admired.
This is logically what is best for everyone, because no two people on earth will have the same taste in music, so it's pointless me recommending anything for you and vice-versa, so why people put any faith in record reviews is beyond me, especially when most good albums take 8-10 spins to appreciate and reviews are often written after 1 or 2.
If I've long ago dismissed sources like the NME and Rolling Stone, then Pitchfork never stood a chance, especially with a truly obnoxious combination of an excessive pump 'n' dump hype cycle; pretentious wanna-be 'gonzo' reviews by reviewers with little life experience; and a depressingly narrow worldview of what constitutes good music:
1) A couple of college students play basic triad chords on guitar over rock beat whilst namedropping the same influences everyone else names, and just sound a bit like an inferior version of a band you heard in 1981, without the hooks.
2) Same thing, but with added accordion, toy piano and tape distortion to be a little 'weird' and 'old timey' like 'the Basement Tapes', with bonus 'Ironic' amateurish playing that co-incidentally also disguises actual amateurish playing.
3) Some collective with 8-10 superfluous members all playing constantly en masse with no sense of dynamics and vanishing into an overcompressed mix.
4) 'Ironic' 80's Electro with Casiotones - this was tired when Regurgitator put out 'Unit' in 1996.
5) Lo-fi art noise stuff people claim to like to prove they're smart enough to appreciate it.
you totally free of entitlement and have never once been guilty of underachieving.
I never said I haven't - i just am not arrogant enough to expect people to pay money to hear me mumble into my four track tape recorder, signing off on a shakey take as 'good enough'.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on "Pitchfork" Bows Out Of The Black Kids Debate With The Help Of Some Adorable Pugs, at 4:49 PM on Jul 22
The link to the review on the main page explains all:
"After a well-received EP, Jacksonville's Black Kids release a Bernard Butler-produced debut that surprisingly hit the Top 5 in the UK"
As all elitist music twat knows, any sign of mainstream popularity means it's time to hide a band's records.
Pitchfork's recommendations are the sound of entitled american college students underachieving.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on A Long Listmaking Exercise For A Long Weekend, at 4:29 PM on Jul 4
I found everyone's lists interesting.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on A Long Listmaking Exercise For A Long Weekend, at 5:55 PM on Jul 3
1971 - David Bowie - Hunky Dory1972 - Big Star - #1 Record1973 - John Cale - Paris 19191974 - Here Come The Warm Jets - Brian Eno1975 - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years Of Our Lives1976 - Abba - Arrival1977 - Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True1978 - Blondie - Parallel Lines1979 - Talking Heads - Fear Of Music1980 - The B-52's - Wild Planet1981 - Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk1982 - Kate Bush - The Dreaming1983 - REM - Murmur1984 - Go-Betweens - Spring Hill Fair1985 - Prince and the Revolution - Around The World In A Day1986 - XTC - Skylarking1987 - Pet Shop Boys - Actually1988 - Voice Of The Beehive - Let It Be1989 - Jane Siberry - Bound By The Beauty1990 - Jellyfish - Bellybutton1991 - Crowded House - Woodface1992 - Suzanne Vega - 99.9 F Degrees1993 - Jellyfish - Split Milk1994 - Velvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies To God1995 - Pulp - Different Class1996 - Divine Comedy - Casanova1997 - Michael Penn - Resigned1998 - Elliott Smith - XO1999 - the Auteurs - How I Learned To Love The Bootboys2000 - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No.22001 - Rufus Wainwright - Poses2002 - Mull Historical Society - Loss2003 - the Decemberists - Her Majesty2004 - Timothy Monger - Summer Cherry Ghosts2005 - Son Of A Plumber - Son Of A Plumber2006 - Scritti Politti - White Bread, Black Beer2007 - Great Lakes Myth Society - Compass Rose Bouquet
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on Liz Phair Reissue Is Leaving Me In Exile In Think-Pieceville, at 7:11 PM on Jun 22
If 'Guyville' has been forgotten, it's because Phair made herself irrelevant with everything that came after, not helped by the slow release pace of her material.
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HomefrontRadio commented on Liz Phair To Perform Exile In Guyville In Its Entirety, at 4:16 PM on May 19
'Solo and acoustic'?
That should strike the fear of god into anyone who saw her shows around the time of the original release, if they even still care.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on The Cure Are Still In Love With You, at 8:37 AM on May 16
@Chris: i prefer the 3 minute candyfloss too, but after 'Friday I'm In Love' they seemed to become increasingly more desperate as the effortless hooks of those sort of songs vanished.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on The Cure Are Still In Love With You, at 5:22 PM on May 15
I'd still be grateful that he bothered to revisit this mode, which might be my favorite of his many moods.
I thought he only had two: the 3 minute breezy pop confections that all 'true' Cure fans sneer at, or the 9+ minute tuneless doomy dirges that send all the casual listeners running the other way?
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on Is "Heart Songs" The Worst Weezer Song Yet?, at 5:14 PM on May 15
There has been zero lyrical growth with this fella since Clinton was in office.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on New Weezer Song Showcases Rivers Cuomo's Medley-Writing Ambitions (Or Something Like That), at 7:55 PM on May 8
Weezer are basically the Duran Duran of the grunge years - more releases people passionately hate than actually like, and what was liked was shockingly average in the first place, but for some reason people can't give up on them.
If a band consistently disappoints you and you keep buying their records anyway, then is it their fault for sucking, or your fault for being a undemanding consumer?
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on Panic At The Disco Play With Dolls, at 5:53 PM on May 5
'Baroque' is a term that gets thrown about a lot by rock reviewers.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on Those Two Dudes From TV Finally Score, at 4:53 PM on Apr 30
@Chris Molanphy: Look again, R.E.M.'s being outsold by 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'.
That means 25,000 people heard this, and thought it was something they conciouslessly wanted to hear again in a recreational context, of their own free will:
HomefrontRadio commented on "Grand Theft Auto IV" Possibly The Music Story Of The Day, Too, at 8:33 AM on Apr 30
I've been playing the game for a few hours, and have barely registered *one* song under all the screams, gunshots, engine revving, crashing and thick ethnic dialogue.
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HomefrontRadio commented on Critics Sample The Product Of Madonna's Last Day Of Work At Warner, at 8:51 PM on Apr 28
I dislike Madonna simply because i've had her shoved down my throat the entire life, and have constantly been told by critics and cultural commentators that what she is doing is somehow amazingly brave and empowering.
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HomefrontRadio commented on Australian MTV Awards Make Me Feel Better About America, at 8:36 PM on Apr 28
When I was a kid, i wondered why our bands here sounded like they were in b&w compared to the rest of the world, especially the dull meathead world of 'pub rock'.
Anything that gets a big push by the record companies here is stuff they consider commercial enough to be played overseas, which means less polished imitations of American (never English) acts.
more »
HomefrontRadio commented on Weezer Is Now Just Messing With Everyone, at 4:57 PM on Apr 22
Great...
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HomefrontRadio commented on Madonna Doesn't Know When To Quit, at 4:40 PM on Apr 21
"Other cities always make me madOther places always make me sadNo other city ever made me gladexcept New York"
Ugh.
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HomefrontRadio commented on 50 Cent Befuddled By Alicia Keys' 'Classical Music Shit', at 4:36 PM on Apr 21
And obviously, if you don't relate to it, you dismiss it, because expanding your horizons and taking in new knowledge is too much work and it's better to take pride being ignorant.
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