Topic: Are you interested in writing about music on the interweb? (Read 12881 times)

jeph · « **on:** 06 Jul 2007, 16:13 »

I'm thinking of turning my Recommended Listening page into a group blog. What I am looking for is two or three dudes or ladies who know enough about bands they like to write intelligent things about them on a regular basis. Also I cannot afford to pay anybody.

If you are interested, post here. This may or may not happen, I am still considering it, but if it does it could be pretty fun.

Luke C · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 16:24 »

I am. I seriously have nothing to do till September when I go to uni.

StaedlerMars · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 17:10 »

I am. although my knowledge of music is more along the lines of the rock of the 60/70's. I'm not that up to date with new waves of music except for what I hear on the radio.

Plus, I'm kind of new here...

Thrillho · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 17:13 »

I have an obsessive knowledge about most of my favourite bands - they number around 22 at this point, some defunct, some not, some old, some not - and, FWIW, I currently regularly write both feature articles and reviews for www.rockmidgets.com if that helps you out.

When you say write intelligent things about these bands on a regular basis, what would you be looking for?

(Wouldn't the most logical way to do this to audition everyone with a piece of writing, or is that too much of a time investment?)

Hat · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 17:41 »

I would be interested, I already wrote three or four reviews for another site but never got around to submitting them, so *POW* straight off the bat, I am ahead of the game.

E. Spaceman · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 17:56 »

I'd be quite interested in this, writing and talking about music is one of my favourite things to do and i have a decent knowledge of them indie, electronic and metal musics.

jeph · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 18:34 »

Quote from: StaedlerMars on 06 Jul 2007, 17:10

Plus, I'm kind of new here...

Absolutely no offense intended, but I am really looking for people who have been posting here long enough that I feel like I have a decent idea of what their internet personality and writing style is like.

Quote from: DynamiteKid on 06 Jul 2007, 17:13

Wouldn't the most logical way to do this to audition everyone with a piece of writing, or is that too much of a time investment?

Everything written on this board can be considered an audition.

jeph · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 18:35 »

Quote from: Hat on 06 Jul 2007, 17:41

I would be interested, I already wrote three or four reviews for another site but never got around to submitting them, so *POW* straight off the bat, I am ahead of the game.

Make a thread and post 'em. I'm sure everyone would be happy to read them at the very least!

tomselleck69 · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 19:52 »

My Credentials:
-Vigilantly prevents self from using the words "meta," "irony," "post-" and "pseudo-" so as not to be one of those guys.
-Only cultural stepping stone is pitchfork media, but would rather do something like this than a straight review.
-Good speller.
-Willing to touch on "divisive" genres such as hip-hop, grindcore and grindhop.

(I'm sure this will attract a ton of people better suited to the job, so if a line for the second string begins to form, let me know.)

Excelsior!

Skibas_clavicle · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 21:06 »

I'd definitely enjoy repping the ladies. I'll be good as long as I can get some kind of insurance that Emilio and Tommy won't pick on me. Plus, you can already get a feel for my music taste by looking at my constantly amended "What I'm Listening To This Week" signature.

ALSO: I get "cool" points for dating the Makeout Hobo.

Ernest · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 21:08 »

I would do it, but I have terrible work ethic. I dunno, I'll consider it. I want to, but I'm not sure how motivated I'd be.

StaedlerMars · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 21:58 »

Quote

Absolutely no offense intended, but I am really looking for people who have been posting here long enough that I feel like I have a decent idea of what their internet personality and writing style is like.

I completely understand, I just thought I might show my interest. Never hurt anyone I figured.

Dimmukane · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 22:47 »

I write short reviews of the albums, usually a ten-sentence paragraph or so. When I write them...but I do listen to a lot of metal/'accessible' avant-garde type things/prog-rock minus the wankery/psychedelic kinda stuff. But I figure Khar would be better at it than me.

Dimmukane · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 22:54 »

Now that I think about it, you could make a review section on the forum, have stickied threads tailored to a large genre (indie, pop, metal, punk/ska/hardcore, techno, etc.), in which people write their reviews. Then go through them and select the best ones to copy and paste (while also including the author's name). I think asking for a small dedicated team of reviewers is a bit much, as schedules by definition change at the blink of an eye. It seems easier (at least the way I see it) to have the whole of the forums post their reviews (with guidelines, of course) and just check the threads every day or two, pick one out of each section, and publish those.

Hat · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 Jul 2007, 23:05 »

Quote from: jeph on 06 Jul 2007, 18:35

Make a thread and post 'em. I'm sure everyone would be happy to read them at the very least!

Done and done

I didn't really bother to do any editing or attempt to develop a coherent argument with any of those, but if it sounds vaguely like something you'd want on a blog, I can probably do better, but if it just reads like dog shit to you Jeph, that is cool, no harm, no foul. I also have a few more pieces like that last one kicking around somewhere but I would have to track down archived copies of the zine they were published in to get them.

Caspian · « **Reply #15 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 01:14 »

I'd like to do this. I know I haven't been on here for all that long, but I've written somewhere around 200 reviews for Metal Archives. Most are somewhat short and concise, some are fairly long (my longest one is around 1200 words, I think.) There's lots of music description and not too much of anything else, which may be suitable for your blog.. or may not.

Anyway, I get a lot of new, out there music fairly often, and I think I'd be able to show people bands that they'd never heard of before. I'd review heaps of metal (generally the more out-there varieties), ambient, post-rock, and some folk and jazz.

http://metal-archives.com/userreviews.php?id=23414&nickname=caspian

Here is my metal archives review section, most of them are somewhat good quality reviews. Pick one at random and read them, if you want, you may discover a new band, who knows?

Gridgm · « **Reply #16 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 05:47 »

i'd be willing to do it i think but alot of my music taste dosn't seem to coinicde with the rest of the forums so it's entirely your choice

...i think i'm better at arguing about music than actually writing about it come to think of it

Inlander · « **Reply #17 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 06:47 »

I'm already doing (very) occasional reviews for my own bloggy thing, No Ratings. If you're not too worried about exclusivity I'd be happy to cross-post them to your page. 'Cause, you know, there's not a writer in the world who doesn't want more readers.

EDIT: here's rather a long ramble about the Decemberists, if you're interested: http://www.virb.com/noratings/blog/17266. Sometimes I write shorter things, too!

Misereatur · « **Reply #18 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 07:23 »

I'm into this. I think I can write decent reviews on avant grade, free jazz and maybe some noise. I've also written two reviews but never posted them or published them.

Now that I think of it, though, a few people here are probably more qualified then I am.

Hat · « **Reply #19 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 07:28 »

Man, Inlander, as much as that piece on the Decemberists rambled on and took its sweet time getting to its point, that was a goddamned fine piece of writing. I mean, considered as a coherent work. I guess if you looked at individual paragraphs, nothing would particularly stand out.

Inlander · « **Reply #20 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 07:45 »

Heh, thanks. That's why the subheading of the site is "discursive reviews . . ."

Hat · « **Reply #21 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 08:28 »

Ok, so I'm not ashamed to admit I looked up "Discursive" to be certain you meant what I thought you meant, and it had the most spectacularly contradictory definitions I have ever seen.

1. passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling.
2. proceeding by reasoning or argument rather than intuition.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=discursive

I mean, its obvious from context what you mean, but damn. Way to have poor semantic division, English language.

Spinless · « **Reply #22 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 11:50 »

Kieffer has something to say.
"I'm in."
So I guess the standards have been upped. Now you need a personality too.

Thrillho · « **Reply #23 on:** 07 Jul 2007, 13:27 »

Well, if we're posting examples, here's some of what I think is my better stuff. I'll give examples of both positive and negative reviews.

Animal Collective live album - http://www.rockmidgets.com/releases.php?page=3&id=1571

Dan Bern - Breathe - http://www.rockmidgets.com/releases.php?page=3&id=1754

Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque - http://www.rockmidgets.com/releases.php?page=3&id=1829

Grant-Lee Philips - Strangelet - http://www.rockmidgets.com/releases.php?page=3&id=1911

Barenaked Ladies - Are Me - http://www.rockmidgets.com/releases.php?&id=1477

And just for the hell of it, some shameless lazy journalism for ya - http://www.rockmidgets.com/features.php?page=4&id=744

Ã¶de · « **Reply #24 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 05:41 »

I would love to but there are clearly more qualified people hanging about.

IronOxide · « **Reply #25 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 07:27 »

I am in. I will tell you that I am a better long form writer than I am in posting, and I think I could help a little in that I am not quite as old as all of the other people, and I think that a little bit of a fresher perspective can be helpful at times. That's not at all to say that I don't know anything about the music, I would still call myself competent, but still growing.

EDITED to be less self-deprecating and to make a case for myself.

Ã¶de · « **Reply #26 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 07:41 »

I've written like, 30 goddamn reviews. They were all better than all other reviews ever.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #27 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 16:41 »

In terms of technical writing ability and musical knowledge I think I'm probably one of the five most qualified people on this forum.

I'm not trying to sound conceited, honest. I'm just old and have had too much time on my hands in my lfie.

Thrillho · « **Reply #28 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 17:04 »

How and when do we find out who got these gigs, anyway?

Ã¶de · « **Reply #29 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 17:10 »

When Jeph feels like it, duh.

jeph · « **Reply #30 on:** 08 Jul 2007, 17:11 »

I have a preliminary 3 or 4 people picked out now. All that remains is to let them know, get them all access to the blogger page (which will happen this week probably) and set out a basic style guide and mission statement.

CmonMiracle · « **Reply #31 on:** 09 Jul 2007, 00:41 »

Quote from: tommydski on 08 Jul 2007, 05:49

Dan, just do what I do.

Lie through your teeth.

Really!

Hmm.

Johnny C · « **Reply #32 on:** 09 Jul 2007, 21:44 »

oh god damn why do I have to go away for one weekend where this happens

i could have been somebody

i could have been a contender

Inlander · « **Reply #33 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 04:23 »

You've been gone so long you've been demoted to Johnny D.

Johnny C · « **Reply #34 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 09:24 »

Quote from: tommydski on 10 Jul 2007, 00:49

Since this thread began I have been all "Where is Person X?", "Where is Person Y"?

I'm not being cryptic, you were gone for so long I forgot your name.

Man when I was at the CD store in Winnipeg after the Folk Fest I bought a Joan Of Arc record.

I thought you would be proud.

Johnny C · « **Reply #35 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 11:25 »

I bought one vinyl record this weekend man, cut me some slack.

Misereatur · « **Reply #36 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 13:44 »

What vinyl record is the question.

IronOxide · « **Reply #37 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 13:49 »

And if it's not Night At The Opera, then you lose

Johnny C · « **Reply #38 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 15:56 »

It was He Poos Clouds, by Final Fantasy. The cover is signed by Owen Pallett.

CmonMiracle · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 16:03 »

Quote from: tommydski on 09 Jul 2007, 06:54

I would never lie to you Jen.

Unless I was advised to by my Lawyers.

You have LAWYERS?

CmonMiracle · « **Reply #40 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 16:14 »

Rape and Sodomy?

*Crosses Tommy's name out*

NEXT!

Misereatur · « **Reply #41 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 16:35 »

Hey Jen, you don't happen to like your men with short hair and in an olive drab uniform, right?

pilsner · « **Reply #42 on:** 10 Jul 2007, 16:45 »

It's a good thing new forum members aren't eligible. I would have just taken Chris Ott's collected works and resubmitted them with every fourth word changed to "cock".

est · « **Reply #43 on:** 11 Jul 2007, 19:53 »

I am kind of interested in this, but I am pretty sure that at first I'd update things with stuff like "MAN, I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE CLUB AND AJAX PLAYED THIS SUPER-LONG MIX OF K.I.M'S WET N' WILD MIXING IT WITH BLONDIE'S HEART OF GLASS FUCK IT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME YOU GUYS" and then after a couple of weeks I'd forget about it and post sporadic bullet-point updates. Not really the style and content you're looking for, I suspect.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Are you interested in writing about music on the interweb? (Read 12881 times)

Spinless

CmonMiracle

CmonMiracle

CmonMiracle