Yearly Archives: 2004

My hope has always been that music websites and personal blogs would be a new, challenging and unique voice in the world of music. These would be sites that could work outside the traditional rules of “journalism,” bringing new insights and criticisms to people who are begging to find something different.

But I don’t think that’s happening.

How many times have you come across the same news items about Radiohead, Morrissey or the Pixies? What new slant are you getting on these things? What’s the point?

This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile now, and hope to process my thoughts in a clear and concise fashion over the next few days. This will be an ongoing, sporadic series of texts written until I can come to terms with my ideas. Maybe we can figure out ways to make things better. Maybe I’m part of the problem. Maybe there isn’t a problem.

Or maybe everyone started out with the right intentions but they let things go bad, letting marketings companies and publicists co-op their souls, transforming them into the very same thing they started out to fight: mainstream media posturing as alternative press.

Discuss with me here if you’d like. To be continued . . .

Columbus Alive interviews RJD2 on the release of his new album. A highlight:

Q. Do you feel like you?re moving away from hip-hop?

A. I don?t know. I just wanted to make good music and good songs that didn?t have to fall into the parameters of hip-hop. To me, the drums are loud, the bass is present?there?s approaches that were used that you would use with rap music. Whether they?re masked now?as opposed to before they were out in the open?I don?t know. We could get into this ?what is hip-hop? discussion, but at the end of the day, I don?t care. (full interview)

I’ve only listened to the album once in its entirety, and I didn’t like it as much as Deadringer. I’ll give it a few more spins, though…

Donewaiting.com JC writer Stephen Mejias wrote up a great recap of his flirtations with the blues, with special appearances by Jon Spencer, Thee Shams, Sonic Youth and many more people. Read it here. It’s one of my favorite things Stephen has written in awhile, and I urge you to give it a read.

This is something we’re all really really excited about. DW is sponsoring a benefit for Ladyfest Ohio. This is an amazing organization that is hard at work for the first OH Ladyfest, and they need all the help they can get. I offered to work with them to put together a show to raise funds, and that is going to happen tomorrow night:

This is a really great cause that we’re proud to be a part of, so if you can make it out, if just for a little bit, we’d really appreciate it.

Donewaiting.com writer Chip Midnight interviews Dig and gets the scoop about a new album in the works.

We’ll interview every band before it’s over, I swear to God.

A highlight, for your morning pleasure:

Q: After the success of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” which was your biggest-selling and arguably most challenging listen, do you feel that no matter what you do, the fans will follow?

A: There’s a certain number of people who will listen and follow and stick with you and give you a chance and then I think each time there’s a fair turnover of new people and people who lose interest. I think I’ve just gotten it into my head over the years that I can’t do anything to change that, and I make the records I want to make. I think there’s a difference between confirming an audience and challenging an audience and if you decide to challenge an audience I don’t think half-measures will do you any good. (full interview)

Newsweek has a big ol’ article about the return of rock.

Glad they decided to join the party. Snazzy pic of Wayne Coyne included with purchase of three fat riffs and a synth.

(Man, does this topic have our message board a-buzzin’ or what?!)

yawn.

?Noel Gallagher has announced Ringo Starr?s son, Zac Starkey, has joined Oasis as their new drummer.

“We’ve known Zac for a while and we asked him if he’d play on a few songs and he said ‘yeah,’ and he has done and it’s been absolutely fantastic,” he said. (full story)

For the record, I?ve seen this kid drum in The Who and he is a monster. This could just be the kick in the pants Los Bros. Gallagher have needed to revitalize their flagging little musical combo.

OutKast? ?Innocuous.? Justin Timberlake? ?Sort of outstanding.? Get the whole interview here.

[credz stereogum]