these people are the enemy

They talk a fine talk (albeit one that has its roots in - yawn - 'classic' contemporary criticism). They walk a fine walk (articles on the 'death' of the small town gig poster and why Grazia is better than the NME).

Here is part of their manifesto (and it's GREAT to have a manifesto):

We do not believe in a linear history of rock and pop music, or the idea of progress followed by decline. The best music has not been made already. There was no ‘golden age’ of music to mourn. Art reflects its time, and survives or fails to have relevance for reasons that change with time. The tag of ‘post modern’ allows today’s music media off the hook too easily. A blind alley if ever there was one, ‘post modern’ is used in the main to merely justify an approach to music and culture by which music criticism acts as a consumer guide rather than actually telling you anything about music. The music media have become a corporate media for a corporate age. The increasingly small number of dominant music companies are bigger and further removed from their audience than at any time since the dawn of recording but in greater control of the tools of audience persuasion than ever. In the same way car manufacturers divide the market into different target audiences so do music magazines and radio stations. From 'oldies' magazines Uncut and Mojo and Classic Rock, which serve up hoary tales of bands and drugs/girls/outrageous behaviour in what amounts to this generation’s equivalent of war memoirs, to young trendies such as NME. Ditto TV, radio, you name it, markets, markets, markets. A cynical approach to music produces cynical thinking on music. Irony tells us nothing about the band but everything about the critic.

(It goes on much longer than this, and I agree with most of what they're saying.)

But... Bangs alive! Their musical taste...!


Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel 3 (1980), The High Llamas: Gideon Gaye (1994), The Week That Was: The Week That Was (2008) The Associates: Sulk (1982), My Bloody Valentine: Loveless (1991), TV On The Radio: Return To Cookie Mountain (2006) PIL: Flowers of Romance (1981), John Adams: A Short Ride In A Fast Machine (1986), Four Tet: Rounds (2003) Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988), Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995), Mars Volta: Bedlam in Goliath (2007) Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (1978), Primal Scream: Screamadelica (1991), Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009), Cut Copy In Ghost Colours (2008), D'Angelo Voodoo (2000), Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009) Scritti Politti: Songs To Remember (1982), Penguin Cafe Orchestra: Signs of Life (1987), The Boo Radleys: Giant Steps (1993), Aphex Twin: Drugks (2001), Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity (2007), British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music? (2008), Radiohead: In Rainbows (2007), Bill Evans: The Bill Evans Album (1971). Alicia Keys: As I Am (2007), The Smiths: The Smiths (1984), r.e.m: Accelerate (2008)

Make no mistake.

These people are the enemy.