I guess that's my critique of the criticism game. Either you're telling people something they already know, or you're feeding them an opinion they don't care to hear. Either you like what they like or you don't. There's a lot of crappy pop music that people buy despite what the critics are saying about it. There's a lot of great music that doesn't get heard despite (sometimes even because of) critical praise. Worst is when a nice little indie act pours their heart and soul into a record only to get brushed off as derivative or bland or uninspired or a hundred other useless stock critical phrases. A lot of critics don't seem to like any music, or seem to like it for the wrong reasons.
Personally, I find music-writing a bit of an absurd proposal. Mostly you just have to listen and make up your own mind, then get people to do the same. So I want to make it absolutely clear a the top of this blog that I am no objective voice of critical response. I am not the cut-and-dried arbiter of cool. I'm just a guy who knows what he likes.
But what keeps us talking about music is the challenge: to be able to put into words a feeling evoked by the music. To share it with another through your own filter. That's why I insist on keeping up the musical discourse, and why I keep reading the music review websites I hate, because yeah, sometimes they get it right. Most often they get up their ass in pretension (and I can't promise I won't either) and lose sight of why people are supposed to dig tunes. Just to pop your headphones on and say "Fuck, that's a good song," feels like the ultimate distillation of the experience.
So let me tell you exactly, hopefully in less words than I've already used, what I'm doing here. I'm writing about music.
I work in a CD store -- that is, a well-known (outside the States) seller of CDs, DVDs, books, video games, keychains, etc, etc, but mostly held together by a common love for music, particularly amongst the staff. I've been here for over a year and yet in 2010 I bought fewer than a dozen CDs. I'm discerning as all hell, but fuck, I ought to really dig in! I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be here!
So my plan for 2011 is to buy a shitload of music: at least one CD per week, hopefully more. And to keep true to this plan, I decided I was going to write about it. Online, for six or seven people to see. And hopefully you'll read this blog, and I'll say something great about a CD you like, or inspire you to pick up something you'd never heard of. It's not always going to be new stuff, but the key is I have to hear the CD in its entirety for the first time in preparation for writing about it.
I can't promise I will always be positive. Sometimes I'll have to be snarky and dismissive and yeah, pretentious like all music critics. Sometimes I'll be snobby, and sometimes I'll probably do something I hate, which is use a positive review to put down something I dislike. But since this is the stuff I'm choosing to hear, I'll always be starting from the position that this was something I stood a chance of liking.
They won't always be real reviews: I'll try to offer my perspective and tell you what the CD makes me think, and most often but maybe not always, it'll involve a recommendation, but sometimes it'll be helpful to think of them as little essays or blurbs or ramblings as the case may be, rather than reviews. In between my weekly posts, I might post a quick link to a song I've just discovered, or some thoughts on an old favourite, but they won't count toward my weekly post goal.
Sometimes I might get behind schedule with the writing, but as long as I stay on top with the listening, it should even out.
And the last thing, the biggest thing: requests and recommendations. I'm entering into this adventure with my own tastes in mind, but I can't know everything. If there's something you think I'd like (you'll get more of an idea later) don't be shy to ask about it. I'll probably have to check it out on the internet to be sure I would want to spend my money and time on it (my first music review gig, they only sent me stuff I would never have bought myself) but I'm very, very encouraging of suggestions.
My first post will be up soonish. Hopefully I can keep this up as long as I intend to.
Keep on rockin'
-Scotto
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