Has The NME Got Good?

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On the cover recently - Popstars, Missy Elliot, the Miami Dance Conference, and a big non-music theme issue.....isn't this pretty much what we've all been saying the NME *should* be doing (Gorillaz aside)?

The question I suppose is - has anyone actually read it?

Tom, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

One still gets the feeling that this is the usual stage in the NME cycle when nothing much is happening in whiteboy guitar land and black music and non-music issues get reasonably good cover until the next Roses/Mondays/Oasis comes along. As an ancient relic of a human being, I remember all this happening in the mid-'80s when the likes of Stuart Cosgrove and James Brown loudly proclaimed hip-hop and house (and, ahem, "sonic theft merchants," i.e. M/A/R/R/S sampling three seconds of the Last Poets) the future, and sad C86 indie in its deserved grave. Then the ABC figures came in and the Shop Assistants replaced Schoolly-D on the cover once again. I sadly suspect that this will remain the case, as Gavin and Emma in their halls of residence will remain listening to the pelvis-dead likes of StarKloot and Turin Convenience when it all boils down. The other problem is that NME lacks the visionary writer to bolt everything together - there is certainly no Burchill, Morley or even Baker on the current payroll, and one has to rely on old rep reliables like SWells and Stubbs for insight and interest. Still, no argument that Eve's "Scorpion" is a knockout masterpiece of an album, and looking forward to the new Avalanches and Mogwai LPs as well as the forthcoming Shuggie Otis reissue. Life trundles on (P.S.: memo to Danny out of Hear'Say - lose the losers and do a cover of "Make The Woman Love Me" with Kevin Shields as producer. Guaranteed number one).

Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Eve's still not close to Aalyiah or Rah Digga really, though.

The patronage of Eve by a Cure-loving (for the record, behind the Smith as the 2nd worse band of the 80s for me, and I was only about seven at the time) OLD and BALD Grandad is the most patronisingly reader-chasing and insulting thing NME have ever done in my memory.

NME's crap right now. They're not taking any real risks despite (as always) proclaiming to: if they were to really devour the zeigeist, they'd swap the four page LP section with the half-page dance section.

NME's sad populism-chasing (as opposed to, say Musik and 7's populism facing) is as embarrassing as it can get for a 20 year old pop freak weaned on the UK inkies. Perhaps for some of the older readers of this forum it's different, but for me, it's a stab in the dark with a 1/2 knife.

For people really in tune with "The Kids", NME should cover: Zed Bias, DJ Dee Kline, Stanton Warriors, Life Without Buildings, Timbaland, Swizz Beats, Leaf and Strut Records, and Ty and the whole Big Dada stable in greater depth.

Izzie, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I meant Smiths and 1/2", sorry.

Izzie, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I don't know what 'kids' you know, but none I know would be interested in any of that.

DG, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Where do you hang out?

Izzie, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Not the same places as you, evidently.

DG, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Perhaps. But that's what people want round my way.

Izzie, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Well, its not Romford then.

DG, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

But that's your problem, not mine.

Izzie, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Well, obviously.

DG, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

SO ABOUT THE NME, THEN.

*ahem*

Sounds like they're just trendchasing to me. I wouldn't worry either way.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

A preface: my sister has a subscription to the NME -- I don't want anyone to get the idea that I actually buy the rag. But I do browse it every now and again, and lately I've noticed that they've been namechecking a lot of the artists that get talked about on FT: the Avalanches, Missy, a lot of pro-pop talk, etc. The difference though, is that the NME doesn't really have anything interesting to say about anything. For the most part (barring Stubbs, maybe) the writing is so poor that it really doesn't matter what artists or subjects they cover. And judging by the letters page, the readers are for the most part so dull I'm sure they will be writing letters of outrage over the lack of OCS coverage and things will be back to normal in no time.

Oh, and btw the recent rap issue was laughable. Isn't this the same magazine that condemned rap for years and years for sexism and homophobia, but now is praising it to the skies because a white rapper has made it palatable? Aside from Missy, when was the last time a black artist was on the cover?

Nicole, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

My view is a pragmatic one. There's currently only one weekly paper on the market, which is the NME. Its influence is now very minor but still probably greater than the influence of anything comparable on or offline.

The NME should front-cover Life Without Buildings and Zed Bias, maybe. But to leap from a Stereophonics diet to that kind of stuff would be too much too soon, and minor artists need a context in which to be understood anyhow. The current trend - to cover exciting, young music and to not assume that said music has to be a) rock, b) unrelated to everything else people do - is a positive one. You still get the feeling that everything's being seen in a rock light - look, look, it's drugs, dance music is hedonistic like rock! But even so it's a step up.

Yes, it's cyclical. But the NME in the mid-80s was good, and it would be nice for the NME in the early-00s to be good too, for however long it lasts. The big danger as Nicole rightly suggests is that it will hardly last at all as people drop it immediately. (Sales of the NME notoriously drop when black artists get on the cover).

The other thing Nicole says which I totally agree with is the writing quality thing. I bought the Missy issue and while it was refreshing to read the interview there didn't seem to be much meat otherwise, Peter Robinson's entertaining singles column aside.

From a personal POV, though obviously FT is nothing to do with any of this it's satisfying to feel like I backed the 'right horse' as it were, though the pro-pop bit is only a bit of what we're about.

Tom, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I don't think a Life Without Buildings feature would make the NME any better. To me thier just about as good as all that Star Sailor/Turin Breaks crap. Life Without Buildings = Turret's syndrome sufferer shouting over banal indie rock instrumentals. I find Chicks on Speed satisfy any of my needs for slighly edgy pop punk.

I think it's nice that the NME comes out weekly, and so it's got that over american music mags, but the NME (and the rest of the british media) seem only to listen when there's a loud record promoter on the other end of the phone, whereas underground buzz/excitement is enough to get a review into spin or magnet.

marianna maclean, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Read the NME today - Swells bit on stalking was readable, good to see Ludacris + co - but next week it's 'BRITAIN'S MOST EXCITING NEW BAND - STARSAILOR'(The band that made Alfie look good on the NME tour).The Miami feature was poor but I must admit that the live and albums selections are getting better.I want a weekly music paper to concentrate more on the ephermeral one-offs, singles and stuff that monthly mags can't do. Why no regular in-depth articles on British Hip-hop outside London - we have North Starz,P-Dog,Just Us - a decent scene has grown up around local talent.I refuse to pin my hopes on the fuckin' Strokes - VU live at Max's worshippin' guitar fascists - aargh pass the sedative!

Geordie Racer, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

playlouder report Mogwai attack the NME April 5th

Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite has hit out at UK music weekly NME, branding them "pompous, disgusting and patronising".

"No, nothing shocks me anymore and that paper's just got really bad."

DJ Martian, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

That article "2fkd 2care" was stupid, I mean the results had zero validity. They didn't talk to kids who don't go out! And they also have a feature about people and their mobile phones. It's good sometimes, they cover alot of different things. So, 6.4 out of 10.

jel, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

What was that "2fkd" article about, jel ?

Patrick, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Glad to see you here, Marcello! Your letters in the MM were so good that you really should have actually written for them, full-time ...

Of course, the NME has *always* aimed at students, ever since about 1970 when it very nearly went under after the arrival of new magazines aiming at the pop market which it had covered in the 60s, and oriented itself towards what was then laughingly called "progressive music". Since then it has reflected the narrowest and most up-its-own-arse aspect of university common-room prejudices (all those 70s ELP fans' letters sneering at The Sweet and calling Kraftwerk obscure bollocks were echoed in the anti-dance kneejerkery of some Smiths fans, the anti-intellectualism of the Roses / Mondays worshippers, the smug cawing over the worthlessness of hip-hop integrated into Oasism, and now everything about the whole Starsailor / Alfie / Turin Brakes axis), but sporadically come into its own and run free. The last couple of months have indeed seen a minor revival - the hip-hop issue *was* pathetically "let's get with the trend", but better that than pretending that dying British indie is the only way forward. And the stuff on Missy Elliot and the Miami Dance Conference *has* been refreshing; it's good to see the NME taking a pro-pop line for once. The "state of Britain's youth" issue was mildly alarmist sensation / event-seeking, but had a few good points.

However I share Tom and Marcello's fears that commercial pressures and the vestiges of indie-kid narrow-mindedness will work against these signs of life.

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The "2fkd" article was about Britain's Youth Today. With emphasis on the capital letters.

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I've been reading the NME and MM since I was a boy (alright, since I was 13 then and I'm 31 now so...) and as others have said, the paper always goes through phases just like the music it covers does. Unfortunately, the writers at the moment are as cackhanded as the pretty non-descript music they are having to write about. If I see one more fawning article on friggin Starsailor I'll scream (see forthcoming article I'm writing for FT, I WILL finish it, I WILL finish it - I promised Tom...). I have to admit I've read the NME through thick and thin but over the last year I've just given up on it and I've stopped buying it altogether. I still read it avidly (the chap next to me in work buys it anyway) but nothing INSPIRES me, there's no writers there who make you want to rush out and hear something new. They don't have the wit and style of older writers (whether it be Morley or Reynolds - I know, he wrote for MM, I'm just proving my point, OK?) Music is now seen as such a peripheral thing that lazy and sloppy writing is excused because 'well, the music isn't important anyway'. It IS important, and the writing should be good and inspiring, but writing about Muse taking magic mushrooms and the Miami dance conference in such a boring way does not inspire.

Anyway, enough moaning.

Rob M, Thursday, 5 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The NME covering pop is just stupid, like Smash Hits running articles on Belle & Sebastian.

The NME feels very pleased with having outlasted Sounds and the Maker, but a gut feeling tells me it will no longer be with us in five years time.

Pihkalboy, Tuesday, 10 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Tom E said: 'isn't this pretty much what we've all been saying the NME *should* be doing?'.

Who is 'we' here? A very select group, perhaps. I have most certainly never, ever said that anyone or anything anywhere should have anything to do with 'Popstars', 'Missy Elliot' or 'the Miami Dance Conference'. I have a feeling that all of them are probably atrocious.

the pinefox, Sunday, 15 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

No real opinion on the first or third, but you are indescribably wrong with your suspicions about Missy Elliot.

Robin Carmody, Sunday, 15 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

pinefox makes a point. if by 'we' you mean 'this forum', it's pretty much not what 'we' think the NME should be, because all 'we' ever talk about is obscure 80s UK indie bands, much like the NME does. bleh.

ethan, Sunday, 15 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

"We" as a whole talk about far more than obscure 80s UK indie bands. It's only the Pinefox who doesn't :).

Robin Carmody, Sunday, 15 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

RC is right, in that the many people on ILM talk about all kinds of things all the time, across great swathes of musical history and geography in large part unfamiliar to me. But whatever they're discussing, they don't *agree* about most of it most of the time; and to say 'we think x' / 'we have been saying y' seems to imply a consensus which I don't think exists on ILM, though it may, for all I know, exist among some other, perhaps smaller group of people somewhere or other.

the pinefox, Monday, 16 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Tom was using the Royal We, as well he might. (Or is that 'they' might?)

mark s, Monday, 16 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Disregarding the absolute pre-eminence of I Love Music, I think it's clear that the NYLPM/Freaky Trigger axis has long advocated a less hidebound indie-focused sense of diversity among the inklies, along the lines of what they *apparently* used to be like in the late eighties and early nineties (I really wouldn't know). So in that sense "we" equals more than just Tom but less than ILM... and anyway check the first couple of ILM entries.

Tim, Monday, 16 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

What Tim said (ILM is an affiliate of the FT empire though it surely has its own life and topic consensus, which - Ethan's grumblings aside - shifts around. Last week it was Post-Modernism. Currently we seem to be on 70s singer-songwriters, god help us. People wanting more discussion of other things should START THREADS AND SAY INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THEM.)

Plus! I was responding to previous threads about the NME which broadly seemed to be concluding - well the NME is crap because all it covers is indie music, where are the hip-hop and dance and indeed pop features? Or that was the - biased - impression I was left with. Clearly there are dissenters, prominently DJ Martian who is no doubt as unhappy with Missy Elliott coverage as he is with more Terris, and the Pinefox, whose vision for the NME, if he has one, eludes me.

Plus plus! It was rhetorical - I could have said "some of you" but it would have got less people involved in the thread I judged.

Tom, Tuesday, 17 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I could write my parody of the Pinefox's vision of the NME. But I think I've been too hard on him already. I might share it privately with Tom, though.

Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 17 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

A minor point, Tom, but are we actually "on" 70s singer / songwriters? Robert Wyatt, maybe, but you like him. Simon and Garfunkel are 60s. The Joni Mitchell thread, yes, but that style from that era is hardly dominating ILM.

Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 17 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Back to the original question. These days I only read the reviews at nme.com and I must say they can still be very good (Daft Punk, Avalanches getting good marks, Tim Finn getting a 2 out of 10 and getting called a cunt). Probably the old "we put shite indie bands on the cover but in the review section we tell where are our hearts really lie." (The reason you had to buy MM regardless of who was on the cover).

Omar, Wednesday, 18 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The Pinefox's Vision Of The NME

Editor: Steady 'Steady' Mike Chief Feature Writer: Stevie 'Edna' T Think Pieces: Tom 'It's Elusive' Ewing Roving Reporter: Tim 'Reality' Hopkins Letters Editor: David 'Incredible' Moore

Once every five years, Steady M takes pity on me and commissions a major retrospective on Harriet Wheeler. I dig out the last retrospective and add 200 words based on HW's activities, as known to me, over the previous five years. I struggle to reach 200. No-one notices that I am repeating previous retrospective.

the pinefox, Wednesday, 18 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Do you think, somewhere in the OMNIVERSE, there is a parallel world where people complain bitterly about Mixmag being crap because it doesn't cover enough Teenage Fanclub?

MJ Hibbett, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Not sure if you were being serious or not, but actually I've been involved in that discussion. My take on it is that Mixmag don't pretend to be anything other than a dance magazine (although seeing as the dance mags tend to cover hip hop and post-rock as well they're probably about as diverse as the NME - doesn't mean they're doing what they do particularly well though). NME on the other hand has pretensions of universality that it just does not on the whole live up to.

Tim, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Great - so now I know all about NYC - it's changed my life.

tha ill presidente, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

NYC - it was rather pointless exercise - like some free holiday advertising for New York City /State overseas marketing department. An advertorial.

Next week its Destiny's Child - another useless front cover.

DJ Martian, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Look, DJ M, the NME are not going to put Ulver on the front cover. EVER. And what is more that is the RIGHT DECISION. A feature, maybe, but not the cover.

Destiny's Child - and the NYC issue for that matter - pretty much confirm my original qn, i.e. the NME is on the right track currently. Themed issues = good. Putting the people making exciting pop records on the cover = good. The records Destiny's Child are making at the moment are terrific - there shouldn't even be a question about them being on the NME front cover.

Tom, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

As regards ABC-figures, as Marcello mentioned, the best-selling NME of the 80s (by about 300%) had CILLA BLACK on the cover.

We didn't know where to put ourselves.

mark s, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Actually I don't have any plans for Ulver - to be front cover status on my weekly weblog feature. I have mapped out in my head the next 4 weeks in advance.

However the NME should at least have a 1 page feature of Ulver.

and a significant album review - in the old MM circa late 80s- a band released a significant and exceptional album then they would be rewarded with a large review (column inches) regardless of size profile.

I will be surprised if the NME review the Ulver album - as the NME are ignorant bastards when it comes to non US/British bands.

For the curious Ulver - Perdition City

Ulver - Perdition City - is released April 23th on Jester Records through Shellshock/Pinnancle in the UK.

There are also a number of important points on the NME current music coverage - that I want to expand on. Later.

DJ Martian, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

No, it still hasn't got good.

the pinefox, Thursday, 26 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

last night, on the bus home, someone was reading thee latest NME. When he got off, he left it on the seat. Despite there being another 1/2 hour to go before I got home, I didn't bother picking it up. I suppose that's my answer right there.

x0x0

norman fay, Thursday, 26 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...
Kids! Read the NME this week! There's this cool city called New York! It's happening like London isn't! We say you should be there! Cool bands with guitars! That's the future! The Strokes! The apex of popular culture! The most important group ever to emerge from music! We're not at all desperate! We've started slagging off Missy Elliott already! What? Still listening to hip-hop? That was two months ago! Keep up!

Marcello Carlin, Friday, 8 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Death to the NME! The future of thinking and writing about pop should be left to us, we've totally-by-accident formed our little Leninist core of revolutionaries, now we just need to storm King's Reach Tower and dispose of all the counter-revolutionary journos, preferably by drowning them in a big vat of Marmite.

DG, Friday, 8 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

But they have this really exciting feature where they ask people what was the last text message they sent! How could I give up such insight into the human mind?

Nicole, Friday, 8 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Shit, forgot about that. Such value for £1.20! I've said it before and I'll say it again, the future of music writing will probably be online and fan-based.

DG, Saturday, 9 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I do believe we are standing waist-deep in the future as we speak/type.

David Raposa, Saturday, 9 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

The NME? wasn't that something to do with the 90s?

gareth, Saturday, 9 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

No.

the pinefox, Saturday, 9 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Travis are on the front of this weeks issue, with a coption that proves all the Missy/DC/etc stuff was only temporary until the "real" music returned: "THE BIGGEST BAND IN BRITAIN JUST GOT BIGGER".

In what way are Travis the biggest band in Britain? Hear'say? Westlife? Destiny's Child? Atomic Kitten? How many number ones have Travis had? Their definition of "band" seems to still be confined to a) Not manufactured (Whatever that means) b) Play guitars (and only guitars - none of this electronic nonsense) c) Male. It's the equivalent of Fruit and Veg Magazine putting Greengrocer Of The Year on the cover and describing them as "THE GREATEST PERSON WHO EVER LIVED", provided by "person" they mean "greengrocer".

Graham, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Graham, I love you.

Nick, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

...well Travis have just had the biggest first week sales for any number one album this year and is predicted to be the biggest selling album of the year in the UK. They might have a point.

But to get back to the subject...I think NME has changed for the better this year, but basically there just isn't enough to read in it that's interesting.

Maybe it's trying to be all things to all people, when it will always be synonymous with indie/leftfield music. Personally I don't mind reading about Destiny's Child or Outkast as long as it's interesting. But people are going to read Mix Mag, Hip Hop Connection whatever, if they are really into the dance, hip-hop or R'n'B scenes.

What was it that Matt from Sarah Records once said..."if you're a fan of jangley guitars then you're narrow minded. If you're a hip-hop fan then you are a specialist." or something like that.

GD, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

that's a stupid thing to say, typical of such insular minds. hip-hop is a genre in which it's impossible to be deeply into whilst still being "specialist" simply because its foundations are in turning parasitism into innovation (n.b., i'm not saying this is a bad thing at all).

to be heavily into hip-hop, understand the push/pull it enacts, you can't be fascistic about it, which is why the holier than thou attitude taken on by much of the uk hip-hop underground (trying to put pop in a cage where it can be looked at but not touched) - and, i suppose, that of our transatlantic counterparts as well - irks so much.

Izzie, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

that didn't come out quite right: was saying matt sarah was insular not anyone else.

Izzie, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Izzie - I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, but I do know that there isn't one musical genre out there that doesn't have its share of closed-minded tunnel-vision purist ayatollahs, hip hop definitely included.

Patrick, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

"Some of the freelances approached NME's brand director, Steve Sutherland, asking to renegotiate the clauses. But after an initial meeting with Mr Sutherland, they claim to have heard nothing further." MediaGuardian, June 20
What on Earth is a 'brand director', eh?

DG, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I'm Freaky Trigger's Brand Director. So there.

Tom, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Steve Sutherland is eee-vil and has been the recipient of an IPC pay packet for about 20 years now. 'Director' is what editors become when they get kicked upstairs, and rather than commission writing their job is to think of all sorts of reasons not to, while wearing a suit. Anyway, I'm not buying the NME or hitting their site until the followinbg is resolved:

NME freelancers are being told to sign these horrible new agreements. Say, for example, someone gets to do a feature with Destiny's Child. The writer turns in a pretty good interview but has some material left over. The LA Weekly or someone asks for that writer to file a piece on same. Under the terms of the NME's new agreement, they wouldn't be able to because the NME would own, forever, the TAPE of the interview and any other out-takes.

Any freelance who doesn't sign does not get any more work from the paper/website. They are paid something like 15p a word for work they do, which is a lot less than you can get for selling interviews to the American market or a British newspaper, and they have none of the benefits of being on staff, usually no retainer even. It's patently unfair to ask those without job security to agree to such terms, and 20 writers are looking into a potential case against IPC for restraint of trade/intellectual property rights etc. If you want to know more, Tom, ask Angus Batey to fill you in. I think he was the one who went to the Guardian in the first place.

The best part of the story DG's quoting? 'Mr Sutherland was unavailable for comment.' Now there's a great big fuckin' first!

suzy, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

"to sutherland": to take downmarket, to reduce journalistic quality, to sensationalise, to tabloidise ("the sutherlanded Melody Maker").

Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

That shit will really help them, won't it? I give the NME till the end of the year before it goes the same way as the Melody Maker.

DG, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

NME The veteran title recorded an 8.2% period-on-period decline to 70,003, with 8% of that drop taking place in the past six months.

Source Media Guardian Feb 2001

I would think that if the NME dropped below 50,000 a week then questions would be asked about its future.

Sounds closed at around around 39,000 sales in 1991, Melody Maker closed at 32,500 sales in Dec 2000.

However much I dislike NME's music direction in 2001 To lose 20,000 sales from Feb 2001 to the end of the year, is unlikely.

DJ Martian, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

They will if I genectically engineer some form of paper-eating louse that is attracted to the bad journalism of the NME. Or they keep printing obviously made-up letters in the letters page that say "We love you NME", only elaborate a bit more. Or they persist in this Strokes nonsense.

DG, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Isn't the NME coming up to its 50th anniversary fairly soon? Don't think IPC will close it before they celebrate this 'milestone'...

Andrew L, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

To clarify: until recently, freelance journalists enjoyed 'one use' rights, meaning, they have the right to sell on their copy etc. once the issue containing their writing is no longer current. I sometimes sell on interviews to an online syndication agency after they've appeared in mags that don't have sites. Obviously, the long-life nature of online journalism complicates matters and many magazines and newspapers have upped their freelance rates a smidgen in recognition of this.

When the Guardian went online it sent around a fait accompli letter to anyone submitting freelance work that said The Guardian owned the reprint rights on each piece submitted; notification of this fact equalled an expectation of compliance. A lot of people stopped dealing with them afterward because the freelance rate did not rise one jot. What's going on at the NME is about a million times worse, and might be one reason the thing appears to be written by monkeys and Muppets these days - good writers often have annoying characteristics like principles and the tendency to disagree with the logic of their 'superiors' at work.

I don't think the NME will go down the pan because the site gets a gazillion hits every week. Brand manager is the perfect job for an Oxbridge, sexist skinhead Muppet like Sutherland, the job can do itself.

suzy, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Sutherland is a scummer too - he supports Southamp[scum]ton FC.

Do the freelancers laugh at the Travis, Stereophonics, The Strokes and Linkin Park front covers ..like the rest of us?

Who decides on the NME front covers Sutherland or Knowles or 16 year old work experience kids on a focus market research panel? I want to identify blame.

DJ Martian, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Keith Cameron left the NME to go to rival publishers EMAP to work on Mojo. Why did he leave? As he one was one of the few decent writers at the NME [he started out at Sounds in the 80s.]

Also I noticed that Mojo are seeking a new editor at the mo Advert

DJ Martian, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

They also want a website editor... could this be my new career? mwah hah hah! Oh wait... deep understanding of Mojo. No, I don't understand Mojo, so never mind.

masonic boom, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Well, Mark Sutherland supports Portsmouth, if that makes you feel any better.

But did you see the piece Keith Cameron wrote on Travis for the Guardian Weekend? I found it frighteningly ambivalent, as though he was just *describing* the situation where they have got so big, and he just didn't seem motivated to speak out against it. Maybe age has hit him where it hurts, but his pro-Oasis rhetoric wasn't what I wanted to read from the NME *at all* in 1995.

Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

No missed that Travis article and can't remember Keith Cameron on Oasis. Anything page/article with Oasis on I use to skip it as their music did not interest me one bit in 1995 or now.

Mark Sutherland - a pompey fan - well that is suprising.

DJ Martian, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Martian: who decides?

Definitely the editor, after feedback in editorial meetings, with pressure from upstairs. Yes, the freelancers do often laugh themselves sick at the choices made by the above. I actually don't think they're focus groupies at the NME (and anyway, no focus group I've ever been privy to asks for specifics about content, more general areas or should the spine be book-bound rather than stapled, yada yada). That's Emap's department: a pal of mine who once edited one of their music mags was rung on Boxing Day by the big cheese to be told if his cover choice didn't pan out, heads would roll.

Also, access is controlled by PR's who grant exclusives based on the promise of A Cover ('my client will not get out of bed for less than 5000 words') and how arsey the paper's tone has been to the other artists they represent. NME will generally be in the same queue for coverage as Mixmag, The Face, Q, Mojo. Dazed and Confused. i-D and Sleazenation choose who to cover based on sneakier means; getting early access to photographs because one of their people, say Wolfgang Tillmans or Juergen Teller or Corinne Day, has done a shoot (photographers have much, much better phone books than most editors). If style mags have the photos, then they have a powerful bargaining tool with the PRs who represent the artiste. No PR company would get angry at a 'cool' photographer for this kind of scoop, as they lend the artiste cred and in many cases get commissions from the record company direct.

Hate to be all insider/media ho' about this, but I think it's my duty, after 10 years' experience of these matters, to put that to use demystifying the media's methods.

suzy, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

More insider/meeja hoar info, please Suzy! I am utterly fascinated by the way it all works. My former friends at NME and MM have by this time become so disgusted with the entire process, that they have fled to other occupations and can no longer dish the dirt. I love to be horrified by the behind the scenes mechanations, even as they make me start to even loathe music.

That was the eye-opening thing inside books like _Powder_ - not the "Oh my god, rock stars are perverted, and singer/songwriters are ego-ridden gits" bit of it, but the insider (manager) information on how things like "cover articles" get handed out.

Then again, I suppose knowing too much can really leave a distaste in the mouth. If someone chose to do a Popstars style expose on how even the "indie"s are completely mechanised, I think I would move to Alaska with ProTools and never leave the house again.

masonic boom, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Kate: totally. It does make me cynical about the process knowing how it works, but on the other hand it could never make me hate music. If I had 50p for every sneering comment I've had off the recording artists I know re. The Press I'd be very wealthy indeed. The best is when they insinuate you're less intellectual than them or some kind of whore for doing journalism, or think they're too high up the ladder to treat you with the civility you always show to them. PR's can be worse: they always moan that we ask for 'free' records and tickets to things but are the first people to moan if you're out of touch with what's happening. As if freelancers could ever afford to buy them; usually we're one step ahead of the bailiffs because some twunt hasn't paid us on time.

BTW my first job in London was, you guessed it, NME freelancer. I ran away to join the Riot Grrrls, as any sensible female would.

suzy, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

the same clan as Anjali?

Anjali

DJ Martian, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, she's a friend of mine. We used to be near neighbours, but she moved about 18 months ago so I only see her from time to time. London, eh?

suzy, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

i did read the travis piece in the guardian. i thought the ambivalence of the piece was appropriate. i didn't think it needed cameron to *speak out*, the 'just describing' thing allowed travis to paint themselves as they wanted to be, and as they are.

gareth, Wednesday, 27 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Suzy- I guess it does not make me hate *music* per se, but it certainly does make me hate the *music biz* (including but not limited to The Music Press, record companies, PR and pluggers, etc.) and that suspicion can spill over into everything else. It can turn mere dislike that would previously mean ignoring into a bitter crusade of loathing (see The Strokes) and I have experienced a certain loss of the ability to "fall in love with" a band. You know, that feeling when you see a band live or hear a record for the first time, and listen utterly freely. I always find myself wondering what the angle is, what the catch is. Or perhaps that is just called growing up.

I would be interested in hearing your experiences of Riot Grrl, and whether you think it and its daughters have accomplished anything, but that's probably another thread.

Funny thing about "The Press" is... most musicians are unable to separate "The Press" (a faceless, corporate entity controlled by Brand Directors in IPC Towers) from the individual, badly paid, often cynical freelancers that are sent to review and/or interview them. Remember that musicians have been as badly burned by the Suits Upstairs as the freelancers have been, they just don't know it. (And vice versa)

masonic boom, Wednesday, 27 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

At Wire in 1992, we ran a policy of NO PEOPLE ON THE COVER for c.ten months — among other things we had a cardboard skull, a record, a toy robot, an opium poppy, an armchair, and, er , Brian Eno... Across the country millions failed to buy it each month, which was part of our Wire-Branes-Up strategy. I changed the policy when Thurston Moore told me to.

mark s, Wednesday, 27 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Those were the best issues of the Wire ever, too. One of your disgruntled ex-subscribers gave a load of them to Bookworm Books in Leatherhead and I got them for 20p each. "Blimey what is all this strange music" I asked myself, and bought none of it.

Tom, Wednesday, 27 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

cross-posted from a mailing list that some of us are on, I thought this was an interesting commentary on "what the heck is going on here?" times at the NME right now:

ht tp://news.independent.co.uk/uk/media/story.jsp?story=80594

Upmarket? Rolling Stone? What the blinkin' 'eck?

masonic boom, Thursday, 28 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Thanks Kate - you beat me to it. Saw it last night to looking for schnews on the freelancer crisis. Agggghhhhh...

suzy, Thursday, 28 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Doesn't mean they actually intend to ape the Stone: just means they want to shape a raison d'etre for an audience positional shift which ADVERTISERS (who don't read editorial, just ABCs and ad pages) understand. Stone sells = grate, to the adman. NME changes, fins a niche, sells = grate also. and adman doesn't give a fuck - or even notice - how utterly unlike RS it is.

It's all games.

Anyone got anything on David Lister? Name = familiar. Every time I read that Zappa quote (always quoted by eeevil sold-out pea- brains like Simon Hoggart) I find I despise FZ more.

mark s, Thursday, 28 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Check the Grauniad's version:

suzy, Thursday, 28 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

it's

http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/presspublishing/story/ 0,7495,513257,00.html

suzy, Thursday, 28 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Gosh, is that the NME's way of basically saying "we have dumbed down our lowest common denominator approach to Chart Pop to the point where even we can't stand it any more..."?

Circulation is dropping, but the website is increasing... so why the heck don't they take advantage of the nature of the internet to increase it even further beyond just a print version of the reviews, and a live news feed? Oh, I'm going to start ranting again, see remarks on the "what do you want from the press" thread.

masonic boom, Thursday, 28 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...
Breaking news AOL Time Warner Inc acquisition of IPC Media soon if this happens NME will become even worse, the likes of Linkin Park (on Warners) would become typical front cover fodder.

DJ Martian, Friday, 13 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Just received a NME email newsletter:

NME's editor Ben Knowles will be online to answer your questions from 4pm next Thursday. Should be interesting. So if you want to know why Elbow haven't been on the cover yet or why he persists with a bobbed hairdo log on and all will be revealed!

thats Thursday 19h July @ 4pm - if you want to grill Ben Knowles.

DJ Martian, Saturday, 14 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Oh, like any interesting questions will be answered. They appear to be making up their letters page now, so I doubt they'll let any dissent be broadcast on the interweb.

DG, Sunday, 15 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...
I see that No Mental Exertion continues to be up-to-date and on the cutting edge. This week's album reviews include: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (out for a month), Jim O'Rourke "Insignificance" - "unarguably the first classic album of 2002" (out since November 2001) and Soundtrack of Our Lives "Behind the Music" which has been clogging up record shops (albeit on import) since about last March and is a Record & Tape Exchange/Reckless staple. 9/10 it gets so it must be on a par with, ooh "Drukqs" and the first Witness album.

Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

5 years pass...

One still gets the feeling that this is the usual stage in the NME cycle when nothing much is happening in whiteboy guitar land and black music and non-music issues get reasonably good cover until the next Roses/Mondays/Oasis comes along.
-- Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (6 years ago) Bookmark Link

This dude knows what's popping

Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm still wondering why he persisted with a bobbed hair log on!

Mark G, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

(Ben Knowles, that is, not Marcello)

Mark G, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

If I had 50p for every sneering comment I've had off the recording artists I know re. The Press I'd be very wealthy indeed.

Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

Suzy gives good wealthy.

Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

I love how Dom is now grinding Suzy's axe six years on.

Matt DC, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

guys, how do i meet "cougars"?

Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

I AM NOT DOM'S SOCK-PUPPET

Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

right

electricsound, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

I love how Dom is now grinding Suzy's axe six years on.

-- Matt DC, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:58 (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

guys, how do i meet "cougars"?

-- Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 11:58 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

^^^this is the funniest ilm post in a while

Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

I love how Dom is now grinding Suzy's axe six years on.

DJ Mencap, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

NME doesn't get good until it gives up trying to appeal to the kids and instead starts writing about the same kind of stuff that Mojo does.

Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

The Beano doesn't get good until it gives up trying to appeal to the kids and instead starts writing about the same kind of stuff that Angling Times does.

Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

Hey, "Dingbod"!

Pashmina, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:57 (5 years ago) Permalink

Hey, "Norm"!

This just in from the NME EOY poll compilers:
"Kylie doesn't get good until it gives up trying to appeal to the kids and instead starts writing about the same kind of stuff that Biffy Clyro does."

Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 13:18 (5 years ago) Permalink

^^^Marcy, right?

Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 13:20 (5 years ago) Permalink

He was a martyr, you know. Gave his life so that Biffy Clyro might live.

Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 13:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

For people really in tune with "The Kids", NME should cover: Zed Bias, DJ Dee Kline, Stanton Warriors, Life Without Buildings, Timbaland, Swizz Beats, Leaf and Strut Records, and Ty and the whole Big Dada stable in greater depth.

-- Izzie, Wednesday, 4 April 2001 00:00 (6 years ago) Bookmark Link

Man, it's a shame she doesn't post anymore, she has some awesome taste in music.

Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 13:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

Any freelance who doesn't sign does not get any more work from the paper/website. They are paid something like 15p a word for work they do, which is a lot less than you can get for selling interviews to the American market or a British newspaper, and they have none of the benefits of being on staff, usually no retainer even. It's patently unfair to ask those without job security to agree to such terms, and 20 writers are looking into a potential case against IPC for restraint of trade/intellectual property rights etc. If you want to know more, Tom, ask Angus Batey to fill you in. I think he was the one who went to the Guardian in the first place.

does this still apply?

s.rose, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 13:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

When I (was) stopped (from) writing for Uncut in 2004 it had gone up to 25p a word and if you didn't sign you didn't necessarily stop getting work - you just didn't get paid for it until you had signed. It isn't necessarily beneficial to IPC since freelancers are naturally encouraged just to write any old hack rubbish rather than give away their best stuff. From scanning of recent issues this appears to have been the preferred path for writers to take. Oh yes, and the first person singular was ruthlessly excluded from any IPC writing but not for socialist reasons.

Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 13:57 (5 years ago) Permalink

Oh that's something that always hated. "Kele bought the NME a drink", "Beth gave the NME a lift home" all that.

Mind you, it did lead to "the NME wrote this article from an interview by Tim Jonze" etc...

Mark G, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 14:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

Ha ha ha yes.

Pashmina, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 14:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

Don't forget "your reporter" for when you're really writing from the heart

DJ Mencap, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 14:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

So, do NME reporters go on to greater things thesedays?

(Greater being: better paid and/or more prestige within the journalism genre, or media careers in general)

(Thesedays = since 2004)

You know all those who went on to Nationals, Word, Mojo, Wire, TV/Comedy and the like, back in the day, but have any notable NME 'name' writers from circa 2004 ever been seen since?

Mark G, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 15:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

as morrissey said, no.

That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 15:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

<i>does this still apply?</i>

The per-word rate's about half that now, isn't it?

James Mitchell, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 18:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

They had notable writers in 2004?

Herman G. Neuname, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 18:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

it was a random year choice.

Mark G, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 19:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Oh, the NME has had a redesign.

It's much better, mmm... (shrugs)

Mark G, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 10:11 (3 years ago) Permalink

The design is a vast improvement though not perfect (the typography is all over the place at times). However, the quality of writing is still pretty weak. I hadn't read it in years before the relaunch and was disappointed to see that they still use that "overanalyse one arbitrary line from a song and run run run with it" writing style.

unpredictable johnny rodz, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 10:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

Not judging from this Steve Reid obit (c&p'd because they will presumably change it):

James Brown, Miles Davies drummer Steve Reid dies

Reid had been battling cancer

James Brown and Miles Davies collaborator Steve Reid has died aged 66.

The American drummer, who was battling cancer, passed away in his sleep earlier today (April 13).

Davies began playing professionally at the age of 16 and had his first recorded work with Martha And The Vandellas, working in the Apollo Theatre House band, under the direction of Quincy Jones.

Also working with the likes of Miles Davies, Fela Kuti, James Brown and Sun Ra, Davies' last studio album came in the form of 2008's 'NYC', where he worked with Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet.

"Steve was one of my great friends and the most wonderful musician I have ever encountered," Hebden said in a statement. "The music and adventures we shared have been some of the most happy and meaningful experiences I've ever had - a true inspiration."

He added: "He lived a great life and gave us incredible music. I'll miss him forever."

http://www.nme.com/news/james-brown/50650

Position Position, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 20:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

um, what's wrong with that one?

Over-reliance on someone they had the phone number of, as opposed to friends and close family members who presumably want some quiet time right now?

Mark G, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 20:33 (3 years ago) Permalink

What's wrong with it? Seriously? Well, for starters, they appear to think that Steve Reid's name is "Davies" throughout.

Position Position, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 20:54 (3 years ago) Permalink

There is no one relevant to that story with the surname Davies that I can tell. Not Miles, and certainly not the guy who died.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 21:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

oh right.

The moral is: Type in haste, proofread at leisure.

Mark G, Wednesday, 14 April 2010 07:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

Steve Davies, victim of terminal snooker loopiness.

James Mitchell, Wednesday, 14 April 2010 08:09 (3 years ago) Permalink

We'll show you what we can do with a load of balls...

Convenience Fish (snoball), Wednesday, 14 April 2010 09:08 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Still, no argument that Eve's "Scorpion" is a knockout masterpiece of an album"

haha

titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 14 April 2010 11:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

I have most certainly never, ever said that anyone or anything anywhere should have anything to do with 'Popstars', 'Missy Elliot' or 'the Miami Dance Conference'. I have a feeling that all of them are probably atrocious.

― the pinefox, Sunday, 15 April 2001 00:00 (8 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

neden magnet (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 14 April 2010 11:22 (3 years ago) Permalink

NME magazine has hooked up with Oxfam to urge music fans to donate unwanted albums to the charity.

Donors will receive a free copy of the magazine in return.

"We want to get the mag out to as many people as we can - Oxfam is a great way to do that but it's a great cause as well," editor Krissi Murison said.

The music swap marks the first time a major publication has been given away in a charity shop and is expected to bring in more than 12,000 donations.

Artists such as Jarvis Cocker and DJ Norman Cook have previously backed Oxfam campaigns and are self confessed lovers of the charity store, discovering rare gems for their own music collections.

One treasure recently discovered in an Oxfam shop in Glasgow was a signed Michael Jackson signed record.

"Whoever it was haggled with the person at Oxfam and got it for £73," Murison told BBC 6 Music. "I would have put my hand over the signature and passed it off as a normal one."

According to Oxfam, around 1.8 million CDs and records are sold every year, all donated by the public with money being used to fund projects across the world.

The swap begins on Friday at more than 150 Oxfam stores nationwide.

It also coincides with the recent launch of the magazine.

Murison, who became editor in September, claims it has been well received so far. She said: "It's really shocked me, the biggest cynics out there have Twittered me to say they really like it."

OXFAM'S MOST DONATED ARTISTS
Beatles
The Cure
New Order
The Smiths
Led Zeppelin

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 15 April 2010 19:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

the biggest cynics out there have Twittered me to say they really like it.

God, the modern internet. What happened? D:

dead flower :( (Pashmina), Thursday, 15 April 2010 20:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

NME got fed up with british music?


wtf are The Drums?

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 29 May 2010 02:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

what, you haven't heard? 10-night stand at the Meadowlands just last month, biggest act since REO

henceforth we eat truffle fries (underrated aerosmith albums I have loved), Saturday, 29 May 2010 03:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

From the looks of them I would only listen if they were called the Murds.

dud rock (crüt), Saturday, 29 May 2010 03:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

if you go to their show & provide me with visual evidence that you spent at least some of the time down front yelling "the murds! the murrrrrrrrrds!" between songs, I'll reimburse you for your ticket

henceforth we eat truffle fries (underrated aerosmith albums I have loved), Saturday, 29 May 2010 03:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

MUSE + JACK WHITE: HOW TWILIGHT SCORED THE COOLEST SOUNDTRACK EVER

dud rock (crüt), Saturday, 29 May 2010 03:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

I love that even in 2010 the NME cover still features both the Stone Roses and Liam Gallagher

dud rock (crüt), Saturday, 29 May 2010 03:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

they have to cover themselves incase this new american invasion doesnt work out obviously.

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 29 May 2010 10:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Drums are an American band from Brooklyn, New York,[1] with members stemming from the shortlived band Elkland (formerly Goat Explosion)

Now there's a name.

atoms breaking heart (a passing spacecadet), Saturday, 29 May 2010 12:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

OH MY GOD NME HAS AN AMERICAN BAND ON THE COVER

I GUESS IT MUST BE FED UP WITH BRITISH MUSIC

English: The Money Woman (history mayne), Saturday, 29 May 2010 12:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Drums are seriously fucking terrible

Michael B, Saturday, 29 May 2010 12:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

The issue still on the stands at Borders is a Joy Division tribute. How long ago did it shrink in size and get a glossy cover? I haven't paid much attention in a long time. Flipping through it reminded me of late 70s Creem. If they would offer an actually affordable subscription in the U.S. I would read it.

Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 29 May 2010 15:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

The most recent issue with all the American stuff was done by a stand-in editor while KM was on holiday. The others are markedly different in the sort of music they cover. I think it's improved massively since the redesign, but I would say that I guess.

Duran (Doran), Saturday, 29 May 2010 15:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

It doesn't make me cringe quite so much when I see it in Sainsburys.

djh, Saturday, 29 May 2010 19:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Strange Boys are dope though real talk

ᵒ always toasted, never fried (crüt), Monday, 31 May 2010 19:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

I do wonder if "young people" really do want an Ian Curtis tribute issue, though?

djh, Monday, 31 May 2010 21:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

Lots of "young people" listen to Joy Division.

billstevejim, Monday, 31 May 2010 21:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ian Curtis' 'stock' is probably as high now as it was in the early 80s. Just count the number of people you see wearing JD T-shirts at gigs.

Duran (Doran), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

didn't they run a cover not even 18 months ago with vampire weekend on the cover that was all AMERICA IS COOL AGAIN & then listed 20 american bands

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think Hermann still thinks it's 1995.

The Men Who Stare At Goatse (Matt DC), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

lolling at animal collective being buried there in b/w avi buffalo & the dum dum girls

cover is kinda cool visually tho -- whole redesign has gone a long way towards making the magazine look less like a music tabloid & instead like an actual journalistic endeavor

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

ok so it was about 18 mons ago - lol @ lil wayne

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah that old cover style was appalling, I think a lot of the recent covers have been a lot better.

The Men Who Stare At Goatse (Matt DC), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

'how twilight scored the coolest soundtrack ever' is a bold claim!

but it does seem (from the covers n e way) to be better than under conor mack.

transient truff (history mayne), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

has nme forgot that someone made a famous movie about ian curtis

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

'Joe Lean - Why I canned my debut album'

A nation holds it's breath while we await it's appearance.

State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 11:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

I do wonder if "young people" really do want an Ian Curtis tribute issue, though?

― djh, Monday, May 31, 2010 9:10 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Lots of "young people" listen to Joy Division.

― billstevejim, Monday, May 31, 2010 9:20 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Ian Curtis' 'stock' is probably as high now as it was in the early 80s. Just count the number of people you see wearing JD T-shirts at gigs.

― Duran (Doran), Tuesday, June 1, 2010 11:01 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^ truth

the thing about young people is that Joy Division is still a novel thing to them

ᵒ always toasted, never fried (crüt), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 12:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

the Miami Dance Conference

is this still a thing?

transient truff (history mayne), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 12:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^ I like that they picked Colorado to fill in the west

ᵒ always toasted, never fried (crüt), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 12:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

I can't read what any of those are (except possible The National in New York?). Is there a link?

kkvgz, Tuesday, 1 June 2010 13:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

IN FACTS WE TRUST

tart w/ a heart (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 13:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME is logical positivists now, u c.

You've changed, Pacific Northwest. You used to be cool.

Hippocrates or wat!! (Merdeyeux), Tuesday, 1 June 2010 13:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

http://altreport.hipsterrunoff.com/2010/06/avey-tare-escalates-personal-brand-named-alt-american-icon-by-nme.html

I guess those ass holes across the ocean are trying to ‘take over’ the indie brand. Guess they can have it since it is irrelevant/dead n e ways. USA is rlly conceptcore/chillwave/bleep bloopy these days, so I am not sure if we are into ‘ghey bands’ like The Muse of The Kings of Leon [via the Lion Kings]. h8 u NME for trying to act like the USA doesn’t produce the best music in the world. AnCo is gonna take yall down in the World Cup of post-indie bands.

truff sqwad (history mayne), Thursday, 3 June 2010 13:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

WORST WORLD CUP EVER.

Matt DC, Thursday, 3 June 2010 13:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

I love that even in 2010 the NME cover still features both the Stone Roses and Liam Gallagher

Don't forget the Beatles!

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Thursday, 3 June 2010 13:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir will never let you forget, don't worry ilxor!

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 3 June 2010 13:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Was going to be snarky and post this in the worst NME cover ever, but I'm feeling charitable and think that on balance it's a good thing that NME are looking at acts that try to push the envelope rather than the usual Oasis/Pete Doherty/Arctic Monkeys stuff.

State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

KELE

BOLDLY GOING WHERE BLOC PARTY NEVER DARED

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Cover still features Oasis = yep, it's still the NME.

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

Baby steps.

State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

On first glance, I thought that the cover above listing the American bands said "Warrant" instead of "Warpaint."

X-Wing fighter in hand, "Godzilla" cranked on the stereo (J3ff T.), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

I dunno if it's a good thing or not that a 50+ Paul Weller is making more risky and interesting music than most NME approved "indie bands" have been doing in recent years. Hopefully things will improve in UK indie though. I did think his days of NME coverage was gone though.

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

j3ff I thought the exact same as you when I first saw it!

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

what a weird cover

gonjasufi smacker (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 20:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

KELE

BEATING BLOC PARTY AT A GAME THEY WEREN'T EVEN BOLD ENOUGH TO PLAY

on some kinda serial killer ish (sic), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 23:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol

doop snobby snobb (history mayne), Tuesday, 8 June 2010 23:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

it looks terrific, which is a huge step up from the past couple years. all they need to do now is... cover decent acts?

tart w/ a heart (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 9 June 2010 01:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

terrific is not etc.

Mark G, Wednesday, 9 June 2010 07:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

That Kele single would be pretty good if it wasn't for his direction-free vocal.

Matt DC, Wednesday, 9 June 2010 09:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

for a second i thought it was Lethal Bizzle on the cover

mdskltr (blueski), Wednesday, 9 June 2010 11:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

Grindie Revival

mdskltr (blueski), Wednesday, 9 June 2010 11:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh for the halcyon days of grindie

Neil S, Wednesday, 9 June 2010 11:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Today I saw the NME with a whole issue on THE 100 BEST ALBUMS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD.

I looked through it. I had heard some of them, heard of others, didn't want to hear of some.

But the whole exercise seems to be admirable. Yes, I really think that the NME has improved. In a virtually impossible media climate, they are trying, in their way, to be more serious about pop and its history, than they have been in the past decade, even though probably none of what's left of their demographic cares much about it.

They even had a para on The Bodines and 'Therese'!

the pinefox, Friday, 31 December 2010 15:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME aiming for the "not old enough to read Mojo, not rockist enough to read Q" demographic?

Les centimètres énigmatiques (snoball), Friday, 31 December 2010 15:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost I agree. For the first time since 2002, I have found the NME to be worth reading again, if only from time to time. Broader scope, sharper reviews, noticeably higher number of female writers (perhaps not surprisingly), more sincere in its enthusiasms, less desperate in its flogging of worthless dead horses, and generally more trustworthy. Although I'm not in its intended demographic, I no longer feel alienated by its ethos.

mike t-diva, Friday, 31 December 2010 15:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

I've not picked up a physical copy yet since the new editor took over, but everything I've seen suggests I will agree with Mike when I eventually do.

Captain Ostensible (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 31 December 2010 15:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

some discussion of that nme list on this thread — I agree that it's p.cool (reminds me of the sort of weird eclectic lists pitchfork used to do, like, a decade ago), but maybe a bit too... easy? hard to explain exactly what I mean, but it sorta feels like tokenism stretched out over an entire list — like, yeah okay, you guys are professional music critics, I certainly hope there are 2 or 3 obscure cool jazz/psychrock/country/whatever albums that you know and love! but that doesn't mean you should slap them all on a list and pretend it means something!!
(related concern: who exactly is the audience for this piece?)

Egyptian Raps Crew (bernard snowy), Friday, 31 December 2010 16:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

(I am basing this assessment totally on that one piece — and not even the actual writing, just the list of albums — so grain of salt, of course)

Egyptian Raps Crew (bernard snowy), Friday, 31 December 2010 16:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

I actually bought this issue today. I bought the Albums Of Year issue (the only one I buy each year)and I was disappointed with it. But I figured this issue looked interesting enough to pick up and read. I just hope it is worth reading.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Friday, 31 December 2010 16:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Most of the list was chosen by 'celebs', Mark Ronson chose 5 hiphop albums, Friendly Fires picked some electronica, James Dean Bradfield picked Thomas Dolby and ABC! Hence the rather ramshackle nature of it, but in spite of that it looked more interesting than I expected.

State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Friday, 31 December 2010 16:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

I bet paul weller chose the zombies. He's been banging on about it for a good few years now every chance he gets.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Friday, 31 December 2010 17:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes he did. And even I heard most of that LP 10 years ago.

My take on this list etc would be: yes it's daft, flawed, shallow etc from all kinds of angles. But attacking a worthy NME piece for that would be breaking a butterfly on a wheel. It's just remarkable that they've done it at all - for the kids, not seasoned pop listeners like ILM; after the drastic, radical decline of the magazine; and in a world where it must be nigh impossible to make a quality print magazine, or maybe any print magazine, anymore. It's in that very limited context that I find it such an admirable swim against the tide.

the pinefox, Friday, 31 December 2010 18:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

But the whole exercise seems to be admirable. Yes, I really think that the NME has improved. In a virtually impossible media climate, they are trying, in their way, to be more serious about pop and its history, than they have been in the past decade, even though probably none of what's left of their demographic cares much about it.

NME doesn't need to write about pop as long as its demographic isn't interested. Or, if it does, it should write about pop that its demographic may be interested in hearing about. That is, male guitar pop from the UK.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Friday, 31 December 2010 18:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

No geir, the NME should write about good music.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Friday, 31 December 2010 18:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

Which it did not do under connor mac.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Friday, 31 December 2010 18:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'd really like to know who picked the Corea then: Jamie Callum?

sonofstan, Friday, 31 December 2010 18:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

Someone called Joe Mount of Metronomy

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Friday, 31 December 2010 18:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

No geir, the NME should write about good music.

The NME should help their readers discover some new stuff that they may like.

And, you know, they don't need to discover mainstream pop. They already know it, regardless of whether they like or not. Everyone knows mainstream pop.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Friday, 31 December 2010 20:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Friday, 31 December 2010 21:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't know contemporary mainstream pop. I know a lot of old mainstream pop.

But pop is a big little word, and the NME is a pop music magazine and I am a pop music fan.

the pinefox, Saturday, 1 January 2011 00:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

You know, some people think it isn't pop if it's by a band, if that band plays guitars, if they are all male, and if their skin colour appears to be white.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 1 January 2011 04:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

"appears"

geir you give bands the while paper bag test?

in my world of Hmong ppl (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 1 January 2011 04:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

er white paper bag test

in my world of Hmong ppl (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 1 January 2011 04:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

What does it matter anyway? If they are white, they are white, if they are black, they are black. What matters is what the music sound like. And if it sounds anything like Beatles or Beach Boys, then pop it is.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 1 January 2011 11:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

I looked at the cover, since I can get NME at home now (I don't feel like going downtown to get it)...looking at an NME would be just a nostalgia thing for me. Until their covers are more appealing, I'm not actually going to buy it.

In any case, I'm wondering what the 100 albums are?

Christina and the Fags (u s steel), Saturday, 1 January 2011 12:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, I missed the link to the list that was posted upthread. It is interesting, could still be more global. I mean, I understand young consumers' need to catch up. But do they really need the Electric Prunes?

Christina and the Fags (u s steel), Saturday, 1 January 2011 12:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Milton Nascimento / Lo Borges – Club De Esquina Vol. 1
Brazil isn’t just about samba and Tropicalia; it can be about awesome, awesome, classic pop too. The melodies, tunes, and arrangements here are something else – even if the words are Brazilian Portuguese.

this is great yeah

/\/\/\Y/\ Amchill Rothschild (nakhchivan), Saturday, 1 January 2011 12:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

the hiphop picks are what finally make me hate mark ronson. seriously, this guy needs to die. mecca and the soul brother! smif n wesson! etc. sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo obscure you guys.

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Monday, 3 January 2011 00:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

infamous!!! lmao

ich bin ein ilxor (deej), Monday, 3 January 2011 00:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

Isn't the idea to recommend some records that yr average 17yr old NME reader hasn't heard? perfectly possible that someone of that age wouldn't have heard records recorded at about the time they were born.

Neil S, Monday, 3 January 2011 00:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

not sure if a hoy hoy is being a sarcastic dick or not. smif n wessun are, to most people, pretty obscure. and as neil says, to nme readers, so is a mobb deep album from 15 years ago.

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 00:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah but whatever bullshit is on the typical nme list is, to most people, 'pretty obscure'

ich bin ein ilxor (deej), Monday, 3 January 2011 01:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

i dunno seems silly to me to play dumb w/ your audience about given subgenres

ich bin ein ilxor (deej), Monday, 3 January 2011 01:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

nme isn't typically read by rap nerds, so even to nme readers, those are obscure acts -- but i mean, they have xtc on the list, so it isn't meant to be the most obscure records of all time, just stuff that college-age kids won't know about

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 01:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

also the go-betweens, felt and, um, black rebel motorcycle club...

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 01:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

Wot no Terris

Morcheeba, simply happening. (PaulTMA), Monday, 3 January 2011 01:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

I suppose the 100 albums you've never heard also means that you are supposed to like them, i.e. that they are not too unlike the stuff you already like.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 3 January 2011 11:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

No, you take your pick.

Mark G, Monday, 3 January 2011 11:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

These were all recommended by (mostly) artists that NME readers probably already appreciate, as well as a few choices by NME journalists. The 5 Kurt Cobain choices were made nearly 20 years ago.

Feels more like one of the 'Originals' run than an actual issue. Still, features more good records than the NME normally would in a month or two.

Craigo Boingo, Monday, 3 January 2011 12:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

These were all recommended by (mostly) artists that NME readers probably already appreciate, as well as a few choices by NME journalists

Artist are known to be much, much, much more openminded towards other genres than their fans are though.

Btw. I think this is the big mistake that Mojo are doing regarding present music too. They seem to try to open their readership's eyes towards new music but instead of finding new stuff that is stylistically related to what their readers already love, they tend to recommend stuff from completely different genres. Putting John Grant at the top of their list this year was an exception though - obviously if Mojo readers are likely to get into new, young acts, they are much more likely to get into John Grant than some hip-hop or R&B act. Because John Grant is much closer to the kind of music they have already known and loved for 40 years.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

dunno why the fuck you'd wanna introduce the youth to XTC via White Music tho - it might tick the post-Strokes spiky guitars box but it's pretty fucken weak.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

That is true. But if the youth are into rather tough sounding rock'n'roll, XTC's best work may feel too pastoral for them.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Artist are known to be much, much, much more openminded towards other genres than their fans are though.

Psychological projection or projection bias is a psychological defense mechanism where a person unconsciously denies their own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world, such as to the weather, or to other people. Thus, it involves imagining or projecting that others have those feelings.[1]

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

i wd have gone drums n wires but ehh

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir with all respect even the god-knows-whats that read Mojo have a bit broader range of interests than "all shit that sounds like the Kinks, all the time".

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

the c...the cu...the oh forget it, in 2k11 that term will have to be rationed

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

sort of admirable that the nme are giving this list to 15yr old proto-ilx types for whom it will only hasten the end of their nme buying days

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

The proto-ILX types have never started buying NME in the first place. They are content with hit magazines and hitlists.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

how did you get into proper music?

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

if that story doesn't involve some kind of traumatic brain injury then I don't wanna hear it

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Having never read the NME - why would they have a "non-music" issue as mentioned in the OP? They're a music magazine, right? What kind of content would a "non-music" NME have?

jodeci & oracle (kkvgz), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

They are content with hit magazines and hitlists.

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost

dunno what issue the OP was refering to but in the 80s the NME wd run occasional non-music cover stories about Youth Issues like drugs or suicide or voting for Neil Kinnock. any sense of this being a bold move was mitigated by yr suspicion that they couldn't face putting the Smiths on the cover because J. Marr hadn't farted in public that week.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 12:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

aye, it'd have music shit in there too

at one point there was a big internal war over "that sort of thing" (cf. covering hip-hop) but the main player's name escapes me. stuart something, perhaps, who was styled "media editor" maybe.

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Stuart Cosgrove. Ian Pye was the editor at the time IIRC

ban this sick stunt (anagram), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

xxp I always thought those non-musical cover stories were a serious engagement with key issues. they didn't strike me as being tokenistic or whatever. nevertheless I remember reading somewhere (may even have been ILM) that the youth suicide issue was the lowest selling ever.

ban this sick stunt (anagram), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

In reply, fuck that shit. When I was 17 me and my friends all read the NME and didn't have the awesome broadband every 17 year old has now. We all knew and loved TROY and Shook Ones Pt. 2. I remember getting drunk with a couple other friends jamming to Black Moon (about as close to Smif N Wesson as a group can get). Kids know how to download things, they aren't fucking ignorant of these super obscure records. No-one would have a problem with him putting in Da Dirty 30 or Bl_ck B_st_rds

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

The indie equiv of The Infamous is what, a Weezer record or Dookie or something? NME wouldn't dare stick something like that in this list but instead they and Mark Ronson are fucking stupid and ignorant.

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

When I was 17 me and my friends all read the NME and didn't have the awesome broadband every 17 year old has now. We all knew and loved TROY and Shook Ones Pt. 2. I remember getting drunk with a couple other friends jamming to Black Moon (about as close to Smif N Wesson as a group can get).

well you're an exceptional individual, clearly. i was a 17-y-o nme reader, Before The Internet, and knew plenty. and in my world of young nme readers, very, very few were familiar with hip-hop beyond stuff that got in the charts.

The indie equiv of The Infamous is what, a Weezer record or Dookie or something? NME wouldn't dare stick something like that in this list but instead they and Mark Ronson are fucking stupid and ignorant.

― irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Monday, January 3, 2011 2:32 PM (34 seconds ago) Bookmark

that's because the nme is an indie mag not a rap mag derp

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

nah smif n wesson is a good pick for this sort of thing. black moon wld be too. the infamous and pete rock debut are too close to canon picks even for a teen rock mag tho

zvookster, Monday, 3 January 2011 14:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

though as it goes mid-late 90s nme wasn't that big on weezer. from what i can tell neither the debut nor 'pinkerton' made its EOY so, yeah, brilliant example.

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Kids know how to download things, they aren't fucking ignorant of these super obscure records. No-one would have a problem with him putting in Da Dirty 30 or Bl_ck B_st_rds

― irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:30 (55 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

you realise this post makes you look insane, right?

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

like if you can look over that entire list and the one thing you conclude is "Smif N Wessun are way to well known to be in this"... I don't know how to finish that sentence tbh

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

fwiw the Mobb Deep was one of I think three things in there I thought were maybe a bit 'canon' even for this readership, the other two being Love and The Zombies, but (a) I don't actually own any of those myself and (b) the fuck does it matter *really*

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

In reply, fuck that shit. When I was 17 me and my friends all read the NME and didn't have the awesome broadband every 17 year old has now. We all knew and loved TROY and Shook Ones Pt. 2. I remember getting drunk with a couple other friends jamming to Black Moon (about as close to Smif N Wesson as a group can get). Kids know how to download things, they aren't fucking ignorant of these super obscure records. No-one would have a problem with him putting in Da Dirty 30 or Bl_ck B_st_rds

― irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Monday, 3 January 2011 14:30 (59 minutes ago)

every1 had dsl when i was 17 and i'm older than u iirc

and every1 has access to internet music journalism but some still buy nme, not just about 'access' to records/content, ppl like familiarity/recommendations

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

Maybe the problem is some people just cannot cope with the fact that many are actually still into white guys with guitars because they happen to like that kind of music best?

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

The perspective on US Hip Hop from the UK has always been weird and getting weirder I think. Most of the kids I know - who are admittedly not in the NME's demographic really - don't know about any of the 90s acts that were a huge fucking deal at the time. Broadband is one thing but having a map of the musical universe is another - most of the teenagers I talk to that give a shit about Hip Hop don't have much interest in history.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

u still haven't told us how u got into music geir

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir please give it a rest with white guys with guitars.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

Maybe the problem is some people just cannot cope with the fact that many are actually still into white guys with guitars because they happen to like that kind of music best?

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:38 (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lol is this even a response to anyone's actual post

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

most of the teenagers I talk to that give a shit about Hip Hop don't have much interest in history.

― Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:40 (13 seconds ago)

don't necessarily think this is a problem, i mean i'm not sure if the east riding ukhh scene is going to be the atlanta of the 2k10s, but a little less record-collector piety might be worth a try

like i'd guess those odd future etc reets are only selectively schooled in the lore -- a partial, misinformed history is maybe better than encyclopedism or ~eclecticism~

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

his own
xp

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

xp

oh nakh yeah I wasn't saying this was in any way a problem, just that I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised at kids not having heard of The Infamous. Plus reiterating the stuff about it being a list for NME readers i.e. who gives a fuck about them anyway?

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

if anything the scene kids are a bawhair away from being corny undie mfers anyway, the mainstream guys just seem to randomly dig whatever's vaguely crossed over plus odd stuff from god knows where. any yes Hull is high on the list of Least Urban cities in the Yoo Kay too.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah i wouldn't be surprised xp....i mean some of these names don't mean a lot to me

a hoy hoy is clearly through the looking glass itt

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 15:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol I think we've got an EP of theirs lying somewhere round the house

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

these are like standard "100 best hip hop records ever" records btw, so let's not act like ahoy is totally crazy. nme kids prob haven't heard any queensbridge hip hop but u still don't put illmatic in the issue u present as secret sounds.

zvookster, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

they didn't put illmatic in iirc

also (i've said this elsewhere) the list has 'the marble index' and xtc and the go-betweens and felt so it isn't *that* obscure

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

the argument "nme kids haven't hear this" mayne

zvookster, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

nah that's quibbling. "secret sounds" to their readership is a different thing. moaning about the NME's choice of music coverage is like getting radge cos X Factor doesn't have enough chillwave acts on it.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

and yeah it's uk-centric and honestly in the mid-90s queensbridge rap, it wasn't a thing a whole lot of nme readers or writers read or wrote about

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

the problem itt appears to be that it's an nme list full of music ilx people actually like

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

nas has had chart hits in the uk, mobb deep didn't. that's just how it was.

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

also they'd purged all the journos that gave a shit about Hip Hop by '91

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

these are like standard "100 best hip hop records ever" records btw

apart from all the 00s lost-in-the-landfill indie on there a majority of the list is pretty standard "100 best [genre] records ever" records - doesn't mean most of the world knows or cares about them

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Is this list linked anywhere so that I don't have to buy the NME to know what you're talking about?

Matt DC, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

01.Clor <Clor>2005
02.Performance <(we are) Performance>2007
03.Jenny Wilson <love and youth >2005
04.Leadbelly <last session>1948
05.the shaggs <philosophy of the world > 1969
06.the wipers < is this real > 1980
07.young marble giants <colossal youth>1980
08.shonen knife <burning farm > 1983
09.jad fair <great expectations >1989
10.Felt <forever breathes the lonely word >1986
11.john phillips<john , the wolfking of LA >1970
12.bad brains <roir >1982
13.atlas strategic <that's familiar >2002
14.jonathan richman and the modern lovers <modern lovers 88> 1988
15.the electric prunes <underground >1967
16.the television personalities <they could have been bigger than the beatles >1982
17.the red crayola <the parable of arable land > 1967
18.love <da capo>1967
19.euphoria <a gift from euphoria > 1969
20.the field mice < skywriting >1990
21.satisfact <the unwanted sounds of satisfact >1996
22.eliane radigue <adnos 1-3>1975-1983
23.the zombies <odessey and oracle >1968
24.the associates <sulk >1982
25.magazine <real life > 1978
26.pop levi <the return to form black majick party > 2007
27.jay farrar / benjamin gibbard <one fast move or im gone :kerouac's big sur >2009
28.floraline <floraline > 1999
29.arthur russell <calling out of context > 2004
30.mccarthy <i am a wallet >1987
31.cluster < zuckerzeit >1974
32.the prisoners < thewisermiserdemelza>1983
33.the cardigans <long gone before daylight >2003
34.60ft dolls <the big 3>1996
35.thomas dolby <the flat earth >1984
36.jeffrey lee pierce <wildweed >1985
37.simple minds <reel to real cacophony >1979
38.ABC<beauty stab >1983
39.the bodines <played >1987
40.john cale <fear >1974
41.cocteau twins < heaven or las vegas>1990
42.crass <the feeding of the 5000>1978
43.eater <the album >1977
44.the dancing did <and did those feet >1982
45.organisation < tone float >1970
46.LFO <frequencies>1991
47.boards of canada < twoism>1995
48.motorbass <pansoul >1996
49.position normal <goodly time >2000
50.freestyle fellowship < innercity griots >1993
51. all night radio < spirit stereo frequency >2004
52.chick corea <my spanish heart >1976
53.nico < the marble index>1969
54.queen <queen >debut album
55.the kossoy sisters <bowling green >1956
56.the germs < GI >1979
57.orphan boy < shop local >2008
58.the pretty things < sf sorrow >1968
59.cardinal < cardinal >1994
60.the red devils < king king >1992
61.michael hurley< have moicy > 1976
62.jens lekman < night falls over kortedala >2007
63.curtis mayfield < curtis live !>1971
64.lizzy mercier descloux< mambo nassau >2003
65.XTC <white music >1978
66.serge gainsbourg < you're under arrest >1987
67.the for carnation <the for carnation >2000
68.jarcrew <jarcrew >2003
69.studio < west coast >2007
70.huggy bear < our troubled youth >1992
71.this heat <deceit >1981
72.superstar <palm tree>1997
73.skinnyman <council estate of mind >2004
74.jeffrey foucault <ghost repeater>2006
75.mclusky < mclusky do dallas >2002
76.suicide 1977
77.suicide 1980
78.the prids < chronosynclastic >2010
79.moebius and plank <rastakraut pasta >1980
80.fleetwood mac < mirage >1982
81.howlin' wolf < this howling wolf's new ablum , he doesn's like it . he didn'g lke his electric guitar at first either >1969
82.edgar 'jones' jones < soothing music for stray cats >2005
83.smif -n-wessun <dah shinin ' >1995
84.PETE ROCK AND CL SMOOTH < MECCA AND THE SOUL BROTHER >1992
85.DIAMOND D <STUNTS BLUNTS AND HIP HOP>1992
86.MOBB DEEP <THE INFAMOUS >1995
87.BRAND NUBIAN < ONE FOR ALL >1990
88.SHIT AND SHINE< JEALOUS OF SHIT AND SHINE >2006
89.90 DAY MEN < CRITICAL BAND >2000
90.SANDY DENNY AND THE STRAWBS < ALL OUR OWN WORK>1973
91.FANNY <MOTHER 'S PRIDE >1973
92.THE GO-BETWEENS <16 LOVERS LANE >1988
93.THE WALKMEN <YOU AND ME >2008
94.JUNIOR BOYS < SO THIS IS GOODBYE >2006
95.FIGHT CLUB < CAT FARM FABOO >1984
96.BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB < HOWL >2005
97.SUN RA < THE HELIOCENTRIC WORLDS OF SUN DA >1965
98.JACKIE MCLEAN AND MACHAEL CARVIN < ANTIQUITY >1974
99.morrissey < bona drag >1990
100. the buff medways < steady the buff >2002

― BIG HOOTY aka the Sapperticker (electricsound),

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh for god's sake. Anyone seriously arguing that this list is too obvious or not obscure enough is an idiot.

Matt DC, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Clor record at #1 is, Love & Pain aside, pretty awful though.

Matt DC, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

I might actually go and buy the NME this week to reward them for putting West Coast in there though.

Matt DC, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

you'd have to be a beast not to like The Shaggs but I rilly don't think we need any more shmindie bands being influenced by them.

Anyway fuck polling this but I think the Black Rebel Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club made me laugh longest and hardest.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Monday, 3 January 2011 16:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

Don't think the list was really ranked- when I flicked through, it was presented as "Mark Ronson's hip hop 5", "MGMT are a bit psychedelic, so here's their 10" sort of idea.

Neil S, Monday, 3 January 2011 16:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Why should the NME readers need to check out some of the weakest albums by XTC, ABC and Queen?

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Odessey & Oracle" is the only classic in that list btw, with "The Flat Earth" probably the closest otherwise (Thomas Dolby's classic was his debut album though).

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

what don't you like about young marble giants?

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

Worst album by Simple Minds up there too. This is really pointless, really. Why couldn't they have recommended "The Lexicon Of Love" and "New Gold Dream Instead". Or "Alphabet City", for that matter, which is a much better album than "Beauty Stab" and yet not at all in the "canon"?

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

lexicon of love was given away as a free .flac download to suicidegirls subscribers so most nme readers have already heard it

max bro'd (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

Then, "Alphabet City" would be the one. Or "How To Be a Zillionaire". Both really good and underrated pop albums, unlike the horrible "Beaty Stab", on which "SOS" was the only decent song.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir, why do you care what NME does? It's not like it will influence anyone in Norway.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

Actually a lot of Norwegians read NME. We hardly have music mags here at all (market for rock specialist mags just not big enough) so we are stuck with the English and American ones. And NME/Q/Mojo/Select sell considerably better here than Rolling Stone/Spin.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 01:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

Was giving a lift in my car to a couple of 22-year-old students from Manchester over Christmas, both of whom were pretty cool, highly web-literate ect. One asked "is this the Smiths?" when Bigmouth came on the stereo and the other thought the intro to It's My Life heralded a Gwen Stefanu tune. I guess the romantic in me loves the potential effect this list could have on them, especially given that it can be accessed without needing to risk precious ££ as would have been the case when I was a nipper.

Madchen, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 08:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

the intro to It's My Life heralded a Gwen Stefanu tune

i only realised the no doubt version of this wasn't the original a few months ago! (i have never heard the original.)

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 08:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

it's funny, in this thread, seeing how people are still holding a candle for the nme (or their idea of what the nme should be)

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 08:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

i think it ties into a need that some fans have for a canonical "paper of record", plus nostalgia for being 17? bollocks to it all tho.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 08:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah both that need and that nostalgia are basically super lol to me

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 08:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Having the Prisoners on there almost redeems the rest of the list.

Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 08:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

btw 17 year olds have seen 8 Mile, they know what fucking Shook Ones is.

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

these are like standard "100 best hip hop records ever" records btw

apart from all the 00s lost-in-the-landfill indie on there a majority of the list is pretty standard "100 best [genre] records ever" records - doesn't mean most of the world knows or cares about them

― Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, January 3, 2011 4:13 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

so why even fucking bother?

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah, everyone who saw that movie from 2002 looked up the names of the songs

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

i think it ties into a need that some fans have for a canonical "paper of record", plus nostalgia for being 17? bollocks to it all tho.

― Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, January 4, 2011 8:15 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

idk some people want to read informed opinion about pop music? that's the idea. same way that people still read newspapers when they could just read "citizen journalists". or when their boiler's broken they call in a plumber. otherwise you're left with, well, uninformed opinion.

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

and bought the soundtrack iirc

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

the intro to It's My Life heralded a Gwen Stefanu tune

It's not that 'lol', they are virtually identical.

Mark G, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

think she meant "they thought the song was by gwen stefani"

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Poor Dr Alban.

O Permaban (NickB), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

some people want to read informed opinion about pop music?

yeah sure but was talking more about why people care about the NME as a "we cover everything equally well" icon rather than letting a thousand specialist comics bloom. valuing the NME in 2010 is a bit like thinking it's still 1975 in terms of how pop works and is consumed? obv the Free Market is evil but if there was that much call for well-written analysis of all strands of contemporary pop in one digestible weekly then there'd be a paper full of brilliant professional journos supplying that need?

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

can't claim to know everything on that list, but these are impeccable:

04. leadbelly < last session> 1948
05. the shaggs < philosophy of the world > 1969
06. the wipers < is this real > 1980
07. young marble giants < colossal youth > 1980
08. shonen knife < burning farm > 1983
12. bad brains < bad brains (roir cassette) > 1982
17. the red crayola < the parable of arable land > 1967
18. love < da capo > 1967
23. the zombies < odessey and oracle > 1968
29. arthur russell < calling out of context > 2004
31. cluster < zuckerzeit > 1974
35. thomas dolby < the flat earth > 1984
40. john cale < fear > 1974
42. crass < the feeding of the 5000 > 1978
45. organisation < tone float > 1970
53. nico < the marble index > 1969
54. queen < queen > 1973
56. the germs < GI > 1979
58. the pretty things < sf sorrow > 1968
61. michael hurley < have moicy > 1976
63. curtis mayfield < curtis live! > 1971
64. lizzy mercier descloux < mambo nassau > 2003
65. XTC < white music > 1978
66. serge gainsbourg < you're under arrest > 1987
69. studio < west coast > 2007
71. this heat < deceit > 1981
75. mclusky < mclusky do dallas > 2002
76. suicide < suicide > 1977
79. moebius and plank < rastakraut pasta > 1980
80. fleetwood mac < mirage > 1982
81. howlin' wolf < this howling wolf's new album, he doesn't like it. he didn't like his electric guitar at first either. > 1969
86. mobb deep < the infamous > 1995
88. shit and shine < jealous of shit and shine > 2006
97. sun ra < the heliocentric worlds of sun ra > 1965

good list

carles marx (contenderizer), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

i.e. in terms of "paper of record" I'm not playing the "bloggers can do everything paid journos can do" game but I am suggesting that somebody dropped the canon down the stairs and now it's all in bits and the NME in the Tweenties represents a slightly Quixotic effort at sellotaping all those bits back together.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

better than nothing imo. sorry i mean 'better than pitchfork'.

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

It is a good list, and the fact that they would even approach this sort of thing means that the Conor Mc era is well over and thank god. (It's clearly an issue made up at their leisure to be produced during the office closure over christmas)

A couple years ago, they asked for 'readers' to make up a 'focus group', I couldn't go but I do have to say they've done all the things I would have suggested.

To be fair though, there was a long period where loads of Music mags closed, so even managing to keep the paper existing is something that gives credit to McNic, but if the product is lame it's not worth saving.

Now, the product is not lame. OK, I don't need a Pulp retrospective, but someone does. And they had better have a wonderful Beefheart tribute issue now, they've had plenty of time (due to the guy dying just after the christmas issue went to press)

Mark G, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

apart from all the 00s lost-in-the-landfill indie on there a majority of the list is pretty standard "100 best [genre] records ever" records - doesn't mean most of the world knows or cares about them

― Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Monday, January 3, 2011 4:13 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

so why even fucking bother?

― irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 09:40 (42 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

because most of the world doesn't know or care about them, but they should, because they are good. I'm not sure if I can break down the basic premise of this feature any more than that

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

i agree with that and i am enjoying flicking through new nme while bored on my work break. my problem was always with mark ronson than the nme btw. i remember him back when he'd go on about kool g rap records, now he seems to be almost shunning his hiphop background as if its beneath him. even his blurbs were just like 'couldn't you ask a black person, i cover smiths songs now fyi'.

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mark Ronson OTM on that last bit to be fair.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh, it's like anyone asked about "specialist" genres being cautious, ending up on a "you think XXXXX was Groundbreaking? YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT..." snob journo's lance.

Mark G, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol. props on having diamond d tho, that record is my jam.

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Actually I'd say that in many of the ways that matter (y'know, like, the writing) the NME is still pretty poor. The fact that they're now repping for the Red Krayola is neither here nor there really. In those terms, NME is usually "better" in fallow periods for guitar music, and we're certainly in one now.

On Conor McNicholas, I'd say he was a very very good brand-builder and a not very good magazine editor, and he was lucky that his tenure coincided with a huge commercial boom for guitar music. Now, no one seemingly knows what to rep for to keep the kids interested, and a result they're deserting the mag even more than they were in the past.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 10:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Most quibbling about the list misses the point that it's selected by musicians, not critics, and you have to give musicians a little leeway if you want them in your mag, hence not going back to Weller to ask him to choose something other than O&O, and not having a go at Ronson for including Mobb Deep. It doesn't even make sense to discuss this as a list when it's just a precis of a long feature, and there's no objective way of deciding which albums should or should not be on there, unless NME keeps a test-case 17-year-old in a broom cupboard and every now and again they pop their heads in and say, "Have you heard of Pete Rock & CL Smooth?"

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 11:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well, those kids do need to check out "Odessey & Oracle", but the rest of the list may be put to rest (unless they have the rest of Queen's catalogue and are Queen completists)

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 12:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

surely you've got time for McCarthy's jingly jangly melodicness G?

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 12:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir in not liking BUCKTOWN shockah

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 12:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ugh, that typo coming back to haunt me in your quotes :(

Madchen, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 12:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol i've never heard 'odessey & oracle', but then i've never a paul weller album either

(not really sure why he got the call tbqh)

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

revered by dudes revered by dudes who are current NME faves

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah i was going to say, i doubt twenty-something musicians spend a lot of time on weller... unless the style council's house phase is 'in' again i suppose

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol i've never heard 'odessey & oracle', but then i've never a paul weller album either

Not that they have much in common, mind you. The former were an absolutely classy psych pop band, the latter is an old guy who used to be brilliant with his original 60s pop influenced band in the late 70s/early 80s, then discvoered R&B and has never quite managed to return to former glories.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

always sad to see a successful act lose its way thru hackneyed repetition

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir was successful?

Mark G, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hey toots, Weller has always liked R&B. Isn't he like a mod or something? I mean, there's a cover of 'In the Midnight Hour' on This Is The Modern World from 1977 right?

O Permaban (NickB), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes, he has liked R&B, but it didn't completely dominate his style until the Style Council years. There's a huge amount of Beatles/Kinks/Small Faces in The Jam that didn't follow him through to Style Council and his solo work.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

And, I mean, basically the songwriting style and vocal style on his solo work is the same as on the Style Council work, even though there are less synths and the drums and bass are less funky. There was a certain Beatles-factor to his songwriting that was lost somewhere around "The Gift" and he has never really found it back.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

okay, i think i finally need to killfile geir now

this guy ☜ (stevie), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

He moved on. progressed His latest 2 albums are the best things he's done in the past 20 odd years, after being in a dadrock rut in the mid-late 90s. And all credit to him for that, even if his vox aren't that great.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 14:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

Discussing the merits or lack of them of Paul Weller is a bit like discussing the merits of a table. He's just there, just a bit dull.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

96.BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB < HOWL >2005

loooooooooooool

slouching, unshaven, thick-necked, unstylish, pig-eyed (ilxor), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

His latest 2 albums may have been more interesting in a way, but he is still standing still in terms of songwriting. Plus I cannot stand the overcompressed sound he seems to like these days. The songs may be better on the last two albums, but the production was much better on "Stanley Road" with its clear sound and extreme Ocean Colour Scene-like stereo separatation.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

the further ocean colour scene are separated from my stereo the better

we could play games, idk (ledge), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

damn right, so glad he moved away from that shite

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ledge, I am totally putting a pint in the post for you right now.

O Permaban (NickB), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well, the best thing about OCS is their production, although they too have become more compressed and less stereo-friendly lately.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Can I get a coke?
xp

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm not buying a fucking round here.

O Permaban (NickB), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

Can a mod maybe linkify that picture please? Don't think anybody at work wants to see a bottle of Coke being pissed on.

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 15:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

I thought it was an erect penis made of ice but fair do's.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 16:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

Don't think anybody at work wants to see a bottle of Coke being pissed on.

If they work for Pepsi, they do. :)

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 16:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

LOL

slouching, unshaven, thick-necked, unstylish, pig-eyed (ilxor), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 17:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Compare the "100 albums you never heard" with Q Mag's "100 albums voted for by our readers, i.e. 100 albums you have heard"...

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 09:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

ronsons page was good. yeah mobb deep isnt exactly non canonical but its not exactly talked about much in the nme is it? and though i do get that hes trying to 'move on' past his hip hop background, its not like hes ever totally abandoned it. hes just playing the media/industry game. plus him selecting hip hop is more likely to get nme readers (whoever they may be these days) to check brand nubian, smif n wessun etc out than say, dizzee or someone (though dizzee would never have picked those groups).

weller for my money started getting really dull and worthy in the early/mid 90s. when he started getting treated like an elder statesmen/national treasure, that just made it worse. that aside, i like hearing what he has to say, esp in that julian temple documentary last year, even if it is a bit 'we need a revolution maaaan' though at least that has a bit of optimism to it, whereas a lot of modern musicians are too cynical to say something like that.

titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 10:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Is The Blueprint, Life After Death, All Eyez On Me or Raising Hell talked about more in NME? NO BECAUSE THEY DON'T COVER ANY HIP-HOP.

I can't even remember what I was really pissed off about anymore. Everything I guess.

17 year olds are more interested in Tinie Tempah than Mumford & Sons. Cover some black people, yo.

irish xmas caek, get that marzipan inta ya (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 10:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

life and times of shawn carter, ready to die, and me against the world are all better though. :P

they shouldnt cover tinie tempah, but they should cover tempa t. cover some black people is a good policy, just not crap ones.

titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 10:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

ok yes but you know what i mean

"jobs" (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 10:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost

Has The NME Got Game?

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 10:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

17 year olds are more interested in Tinie Tempah than Mumford & Sons.

Maybe in London.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, we now have something to say NO!! to the thread question but will warm the norwegian cockles of Geir's heart.

There must be 10 different covers as the one I saw in the supermarket had a different cover.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Only Two different.

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 covers I mean

We’re beginning 2011 in style with our legendary New Music Issue, the essential guide to the 10 brightest and best bands to get on before anyone else this year. One of the big stories already developing is, The Welcome Return of British Guitar Bands, and as such we’ve got two different covers featuring the two leading lights of that: The Vaccines and Brother.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Welcome Return of British Guitar Bands

did they have a weekend off?

nanoflymo (ledge), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

was going to use the other thread but this one will do.

DIE.

fndgo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

the other cover is a lot worse. The most punchable band I've seen in a long long time. And i bet the music is just as shit.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh wtf, when did this section start?
http://www.nme.com/metal

Do they have a metal section in the actual mag now?

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

got a strong 'second coming of Northern Uproar' vibe from the NME's interview with that Brother band a few weeks back (not heard their music) which I'm down w/ for amusement value as long as it doesn't actually involve them being successful

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:38 (2 years ago) Permalink


Brother

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh good grief, Brother look like the worst band ever. "Brother! You know what else had brothers... Oasis. Do you see????"

Matt DC, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

The lead singer is called Lee um

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

Gig U Missed:

Meanwhile, the Slough-based newcomers are playing the This Feeling club night at the Vibe Bar in London tonight (December 31).

Also on the bill are Life In Film, former Seahorses frontman Chris Helme and a string quartet playing songs by the likes of Oasis, Kasabian and The Verve.

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

Haha if those guys showed up at your party you'd be like *sigh*

progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh my god they're REAL?

hahahahahahahahaha I somehow stumbled across them already but thought it was parody, may have been festively merry...

fndgo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

omg chris helme? the worst singer in the history of music LOLOLOLOL

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes Brother seem unusually dire from what I somewhere read on them, somewhere that took them and the Vaccines seriously - I know, it was the Friday Guardian! I was a bit shocked.

the pinefox, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

not shocked (now)

fndgo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Chris Helme basically turns up on the top floors of various London pubs to busk for money now doesn't he?

Matt DC, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

that brother photo is used (bigger version) on the other NME cover btw. Hopefully someone will find the actual cover so you can all see it in its full horror

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anyway it seems pretty obvious that the NME are hoping that 2011=2001 and The Vaccines are the new Strokes that will usher in a new era of stuff that might actually sell magazines, but the general climate doesn't feel right for that just now.

Matt DC, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 12:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Compare the "100 albums you never heard" with Q Mag's "100 albums voted for by our readers, i.e. 100 albums you have heard"...

The NME and Q readership is not strictly the same. Q readers are probably more familiar with older stuff from the 60s-80s whereas, on the other hand, they are considerably more sceptical towards whatever NME tout as the "next big thing" (and also more faithful to it if they like it, i.e. not hating the "next big thing" half a year later when it has actually become big).

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

No, but upthread the point was made that NME's list was fulfilling a similar need for people too young for Q. I dispute that point, Q is just doing the comfortable "yes, we all like these records don't we?"

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

h8 the vaccines just because their name makes me think of the vaselines who i love and i dunno that makes me hold them to an even higher standard of contempt than the one i am already holding them to.

don't think i'm ever going to actively listen to another new british indie band again in my life.*

*most probably a lie, unfortunately. or the scene decides that the cocteau twins are the only influence worth having and i go :D

"jobs" (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost The Friday Guardian piece didn't take Brother seriously, but did the Vaccines.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

No, but upthread the point was made that NME's list was fulfilling a similar need for people too young for Q

I'd say it partly does. Not least because it contains hardly no recent albums at all. But sure, rebellious youngsters may not want to have a lot of Beatles albums recommended to them. Not now.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

Um, does the Q list have loads of Beatles albums in it?

Actually I can answer that: The list is only of albums issued since Q first started...

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 13:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

just popping in to lol at butthurt rap nerds itt

dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 14:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

and the anti-metal posts by nme readers are predictable and lazy too

Bolshie [Visitor] //December 20 2010 at 19:06
Metal is all about the macho and the ignorant. BNP supporters and Mel Gibson fans. Is it really a surprise that they have a problem with homosexuality, as well?

Jordan [Visitor] //December 20 2010 at 16:54
It's not just the terrible grunts and ridiculous unlistenable noise that gives Metal the name "Caveman music"

Jack [Visitor] //December 20 2010 at 19:25
well think about it mate. Liking metal in itself is such an inhertently childish thing that what do you expect? If the way you like to spend your time is listening to the fucking nasty noise that is metal, then having stupid views on other things isn't a big leap is it? When a significant scene of the genre is 'white-power' or 'church bombing' then saying a band is gay is not the biggest issue about. Also, in a lot of cases, when people say something is gay, or an american says something is faggy, they don't always mean it's homosexual, just that it's lame, and why that isn't right, at least it isn't homophobic.

Who said metal was hip in indie circles? It certainly isn't in the UK

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 18:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

TBF, literally everything on NME.com attracts both vicious and stupid commentary.

Cosby You! Black Emperor (Doran), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 19:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah I think they're 'NME readers' like the libertarian swivelheads on CiF are 'Guardian readers' (ie they might be, but it's such a nutbar magnet it's impossible to tell)

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 19:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

I cant see metal fans being any worse than fans of other genres or people in general tbh. Im sure metal has come a long way since the days of sebastian bach & axl rose. That sort of behaviour wouldn't be tolerated anymore. Over on forever doomed, if anyone says something is "gay" or is "a fag" they get angry responses and a ban if they continue. Not every metal messageboard is like a pantera or ozzy/zakk wyle board. Those type of boards are always mocked by a lot of metal boards.
I doubt lairy indie gigs are a great place to go to. Oasis concerts aren't exactly full of enlightened punters. I used to go see oasis in the 90s and by the time of loch lomond every beer monster in scotland was into them, and with all the bottle fights etc it was certainly no fun. I doubt Knebworth was much better. Since Britpop, Indie has attracted a lot of assholes. NME should be dealing with that before having a go at metal or hip hop etc

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 19:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

And your kerrang reader might like a lot of shite bands, but i dont think they could be accused of homophobia now.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 19:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

I dunno who is worse - the NME or the readers of NME on the message board.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 22:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

Even Pitchfork gets metal more than the NME does.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 22:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME writes about metal and hip-hop much more often than Kerrang or The Source write about indie though.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 23:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'll wager that's untrue.

Mark G, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 23:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

In the 90s Kerrang covered a lot of alt-rock and they covered white stripes and the hives etc too in the 00s. So Geir, you're wrong.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 23:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol metal is shit

moholy-nagl (history mayne), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 23:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

I thought metal had lots of gay or bisexual fans. I mean "metal" as opposed to "I just like to rock the fuck out" dinosaur types. Go to a metal show and you see leather and tattoos and piercings, not the kind of people to judge someone else's lifestyle.

Mass market "indie" has, IME, loads of straight people who just don't feel "comfortable" with homosexuality, not that they are prejudiced or anything because that would be illiberal and bad.

Cubby Wubby Nubby Hubby Dubby (u s steel), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 23:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Metal has a lot of gay and bisexual fans. Not as much as like, industrial, but... well, I know a lot of metal dudes who like them some cock.

no pop, no style -- all simply (Viceroy), Thursday, 6 January 2011 00:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Go to a metal show and you see leather and tattoos and piercings, not the kind of people to judge someone else's lifestyle.

haven't really found that the first thing is that likely to preclude the second thing, tbh, but maybe my experience isn't the norm

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 6 January 2011 00:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

In the 90s Kerrang covered a lot of alt-rock and they covered white stripes and the hives etc too in the 00s. So Geir, you're wrong.

Grunge = metal. I am speaking of proper indie, you know, Britpop!

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

I mean, stuff that doesn't "rock" at all in any possible way.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

geir has never heard of indie rock?

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well, yep, indie rock exists. But if seems so important for some of you to open indie pop fans' ears to hip-hop and metal, why wouldn't it be equally important to open hip-hop-fans and metal-fans to highly melodic classic and smooth POP?

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

My point here. At least NME (although Q are probably better at it) review a lot of metal and hip-hop. Yes, maybe just the biggest acts, but at least they review them.

How many reviews of Crowded House or Blur were there in Kerrang or Source or Mixmag?

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and NME review mainstream chart pop too. Do Kerrang review mainstream chart pop (and I am not speaking of typical albums acts like AC/DC or Iron Maiden here=?

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

Kerrang in the 80s covered U2, Prince, Kate Bush, Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton. + a whole bunch of crappy glam pop-metal acts. It's always covered pop metal bands.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anyway Geir, NME, Q are general music magazines, they are supposed to cover all kinds of music. Mixmag, Source,Kerrang are specialist magazines.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Pop metal=metal.

But sure, Kerrang is probably a bit more openminded than specialist mags for harder metal genres, whose fans don't even consider Iron Maiden or Guns'n'Roses to be hard rock, but rather just "rock".

Not to mention magazines like The Source or Mixmag, who would never even dream of covering something that doesn't contain rap/does not work on the dancefloors of the clubs.

NME and Q cover the biggest names from metal, hard rock, hip-hop and techno/dance. Surely, it is probably a waste of space, just like it would be if Mixmag had done a powerpop special. But at least they do, and then I think it's a bit unfair to claim that NME and Q need to be more openminded when actually they are more openminded towards hip-hop, dance and metal than hip-hop, dance or metal mags will ever be towards indie rock/indie pop.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME and Q's readers are into indie and various kinds of (non metal) "rock". And that is really what they want to read about too.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

And if you are speaking of the fans I think they are on an equal level.

Rock/pop fans are not openminded towards anything else than rock and perhaps classic pop
Hip-hip fans are not openminded towards anything else than hip-hop and perhaps R&B
Dance fans are not openminded towards anything else than dance and maybe a bit of R&B or hip-hop as long as they can dance to it
Metal fans are not openminded towards anything else than metal and maybe some of the hardest non-metal rock.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir, I know ilx metal fans aren't atypical metal fans, but even outside of ilx i know loads who like many forms of dance music but especially IDM. Neurosis fans especially tend to be Aphex Twin fans. Many love hip hop. Many love indie rock esp 80s & 90s stuff. On metal boards ive discussed pfunk (surprise surprise) ,krautrock,classic pop & rock of the kind you love, avant garde,prog rock, the list is endless.
Possibly if you are talking about the fans of the most mainstream acts in those genres you might be right, but then, a lot of people do like basically anything that gets in the charts, whether its indie pop, pop rap, pop dance, pop rnb,popmetal etc.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Now, ILX posters are mostly openminded towards anything except for traditionally structure melodic songs written and performed by white guys with guitars after 1990.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 03:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well, yep, indie rock exists. But if seems so important for some of you to open indie pop fans' ears to hip-hop and metal, why wouldn't it be equally important to open hip-hop-fans and metal-fans to highly melodic classic and smooth POP?

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, January 5, 2011 7:18 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

For the record, some of my favorite bands include Electric Wizard, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath AND The New Pornographers, Mates of State, Yo La Tengo, and The Eels... so its quite possible to be a fan of both metal and indie pop.

Also, I know a few dudes who listen to only hip-hop, r&b, and stoner rock/metal.

So, this dichotomy of pop vs. metal, I believe, is a false one.

no pop, no style -- all simply (Viceroy), Thursday, 6 January 2011 04:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

And I love a lot of indie pop too. Plus my favourite album ever is Forever Changes. A lot of the 60s pop geir likes, I do too.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 04:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

Does Geir like Forever Changes?

Urban Coochie Collective (sic), Thursday, 6 January 2011 05:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Algerian Goalkeeper: I agree with a lot of what you're saying but generally speaking NME is an indie magazine not a general magazine and has been since I've been reading it. (i.e. Since the early 80s.)

Cosby You! Black Emperor (Doran), Thursday, 6 January 2011 09:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

How many reviews of Crowded House were there in Kerrang or Source or Mixmag?

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 02:20 (7 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Same number as in NME over the past 10.

Mark G, Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Algerian Goalkeeper: I agree with a lot of what you're saying but generally speaking NME is an indie magazine not a general magazine and has been since I've been reading it. (i.e. Since the early 80s.)

Yeah but the thing is that the NME pretends to be a generalist music magazine. Kerrang or Mixmag or Classic Rock magazine don't.

Matt DC, Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm not sure that it does really but as I'm not going to start arguing devil's advocate for NME, I'll leave this here.

Cosby You! Black Emperor (Doran), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah but the thing is that the NME pretends to be a generalist music magazine

only in the sense that pitchfork does. this is what's long irked me, it's trying to have your cake and eat it - they lay claim to generalism, but as soon as anyone criticises either for not actually being very generalist at all, it's all "we're an indie publication! we have to cater to our readers!"

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't think that the NME has ever explicitly laid claim to being either "indie" or "generalist". It's never hemmed itself in with definitions, has it?

mike t-diva, Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Pitchfork is about as generalist as a generalist music magazine can get btw. Stylus and Plan B were maybe better but rip.

When I used to read it btw the Source used to cover indie. It was at the rise of lol pharrell is wearing skinny jeans and holding a skateboard tho.

"jobs" (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

well yeah that's the having cake/eating it thing isn't it?

"we are ~beyond categorisation~ but it just happens that 90% of what we cover is indie"

xp

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

i mean no one ever explicitly states that generalism is their raison d'être - it's more implied through, yes, not specifically categorising oneself

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

The NME certainly laid claim to generalism in the 90s, "we cover what we consider to be good regardless of genre" was its line. And while they did cover most things they were still heavily weighted towards indie.

Matt DC, Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

The NME exists to make money, so it's whatever kind of publications the editors think will do that.

Madchen, Thursday, 6 January 2011 12:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Editors/owners, I mean.

Madchen, Thursday, 6 January 2011 12:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Reinvention as a softcore porn and gadgets weekly coming up in 2 weeks then

Shanty! Shanti! Shanté! (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 6 January 2011 12:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

Don't be stupid. No one pays for porn any more.

Matt DC, Thursday, 6 January 2011 12:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

haha ot but I love how geir's example of extreme stereo "separatation" is Ocean Colour Scene. never change, man

missingNO, Thursday, 6 January 2011 13:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir discovers audiophilia is sure to be a goldmine in the future.

Matt DC, Thursday, 6 January 2011 13:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

When I started reading NME in the very early 90s they insisted they were a pop magazine (and in one of those bands review songs things Thom Yorke claimed Radiohead were a pop band).
They definitely liked to give the impression that they were a general music magazine not just indie.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 14:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

Did NME cover a lot of hip-hop in the late 80s?

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 17:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

Rap makes the front cover, 1988

onimo, Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think the Beasties made the cover a couple of times in the 80s, maybe Public Enemy (I remember them on cover of Melody Maker, not sure about NME). Then not much else until Wu-Tang about 5 years later.

They always had a couple of non indie record reviews and the occasional feature but it was never really a as broad a publication as it professed to be imo (I read MM and NME from around 84-90).

onimo, Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME May 30 1981.

Madchen, Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Stevie T, Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

'Hip-hop' covers, 85-90 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NME_covers. Definitely was a change in coverage around 89/90 and by 92 it was pretty much entirely indie.

* 09/03/85 Run-D.M.C.
* 15/03/86 Mantronix
* 19/07/86 Run-D.M.C.
* 13/09/86 The Yo Boys (article about hip hop by Paolo Hewitt)
* 27/09/86 Trouble Funk
* 17/01/87 Beastie Boys
* 04/04/87 Salt-n-Pepa
* 09/05/87 Def Jam
* 27/06/87 Trouble Funk
* 10/10/87 Chuck D and Eric B
* 23/01/88 Sweet Tee
* 07/05/88 Derek B
* 08/10/88 Public Enemy
* 24/06/89 Tone Loc
* 21/10/89 De La Soul
* 03/11/90 Public Enemy

State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mid-80s there was plenty of non-indie, because it had a big soul boy contingent - Cosgrove, Simon Witter, Danny Kelly, Don Watson (I think) - who also wanted to get plenty of hip-hop in. There wasn't all that much hip-hop in the actual mag, but there wasn't all that much hip-hop around and accessible in the UK in those days. They went big on acid house, with writers like Jack Barron and Helen Mead, but once that phase passed, the indie supremacy - which had been coming through from the rise of the Smiths, and expanded with C86 - was all but complete.

Certainly, as an indie teenager reading NME in the mid-80s, I used to get up with issues where there were no features, or just small ones, on indie guitar bands (even if they dominated the reviews). Those issues weren't infrequent.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

"get fed up" not "get up"

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

There was also a notable jazz/avant clique at the time (Richard Cook/Biba Kopf/Don Watson/Mr Sinker late of this parish) who mostly decamped to the Wire later, this was ditched even faster than the coverage of hip-hop/r&b.

State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Thursday, 6 January 2011 18:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mind you, UK indie was largely nonexistant in the late 80s/early 90s. OK, so it existed, but it was very much underground and would only occasionally produce a chart hit. The indie charts, by the late 80s, were dominated by the likes of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, who were both on the independent PWL label.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 20:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mind you, UK indie was largely nonexistant in the late 80s/early 90s.

lol

henri grenouille (Frogman Henry), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mind you, funk was largely nonexistant in the late 60s/early 70s

henri grenouille (Frogman Henry), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Pitchfork is about as generalist as a generalist music magazine can get btw

Pardon me while I laugh till I spit up a lung.

that's not funny. (unperson), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mind you, UK indie was largely nonexistant in the late 80s/early 90s. OK, so it existed, but it was very much underground

I think you might be forgetting the Stone Roses, the Charlatans, Primal Scream, Ride, My Bloody Valentine...

O Permaban (NickB), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost Geir, who knows where to start with that statement? First, indie really started hitting the charts properly from 1988/89, which was when the majors really started looking to sign previously indie bands, or band who sounded indie, on a widespread basis. Second, the NME wasn't a chart publication. It didn't matter if the bands it covered weren't in the charts. That what Smash Hits was for.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes, but they were still not as huge as the new wave bands were in the late 70s/early 80s or the Britpop bands would be in the mid 90s. Even Stone Roses or The Smiths never had anything close to a number one single. The Smiths didn't even hit top 10 with any of their singles.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Even Stone Roses or The Smiths never had anything close to a number one single

True, 'One Love' only got to number 2.

O Permaban (NickB), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Whoops no, I'm thinking of 'Love Spreads'. 'One Love' got to number four.

O Permaban (NickB), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

Also the Smiths had two number one albums and five number two's in the UK.

O Permaban (NickB), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir, you didn't say "Indie bands weren't reaching No 1 in the singles charts". You said "UK indie was largely nonexistent." And that's rubbish. The edition of Top of the Pops in November 1989 which featured the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays was one of the defining moments for UK indie - the point at which indie bands had finally seemed to make it among all the Michael Bolton and Richrd Marx.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

thanks for the link Billy Dods - 16 hip-hop covers in 6 years really isn't a lot is it (especially considering those were peak years for NWA & Public Enemy)? They had 5 Jesus and Mary Chain covers in the same period.

Just did a ctrl-f "oasis" and got 55 hits on that page.

onimo, Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Smiths didn't even hit top 10 with any of their singles.

Three top ten ten singles, toots:

10 Smiths Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now Jun 1984
10 Smiths Sheila Take A Bow Apr 1987
8 Smiths This Charming Man (re-issue) Aug 1992

O Permaban (NickB), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

70s/early 80s new wave number one's:
The Boomtown Rats: Rat Trap
Ian Dury: Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
The Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
The Police: Message In a Bottle
The Police: Walking On The Moon
The Specials: The Special AKA Live
The Jam: Going Underground/Dreams Of Children
The Jam: Start
The Police: Don't Stand So Close To Me
The Specials: Ghost Town
The Police: Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
The Jam: A Town Called Malice
Madness: House Of Fun
The Jam: Beat Surrender
The Police: Every Breath You Take

Then, unless you count Housemartins, The Beautiful South and a novelty one-off from Vic Reeves and The Wonderstuff (and even the last couple from The Police are arguable), it would take twelve years until the next number one that might pass as indie, starting another rush of indie #1s in the 90s and 00s:

Oasis: Some Might Say
Blur: Country House
Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger
Blur: Beetlebum
Oasis: D'You Know What I Mean
The Verve: The Drugs Don't Work
Oasis: All Around The World
Manic Street Preachers: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Manic Street Preachers: The Masses Against The Classes
Oasis: Go Let It Out

The point being: Indie type music was not close to as commercially huge in the UK in the late 80s/early 90s as it was in the new wave era or during the Britpop era.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

The list of hip-hop covers is a bit misleading, cos it suggests every other cover was indie. Look instead at how few covers were indie during 1986, the year indie became associated with jangling guitars and the highwatermark year of the definitive NME indie band, the Smiths:

* 04/01/86 The Cramps
* 11/01/86 Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry
* 18/01/86 Billy Bragg and Junior (Red Wedge issue)
* 25/01/86 Easterhouse
* 01/02/86 Punk - Ten Years On
* 08/02/86 John Lydon
* 15/02/86 Big Audio Dynamite
* 22/02/86 Keith Richards
* 01/03/86 Comics
* 08/03/86 Sigue Sigue Sputnik
* 15/03/86 Mantronix
* 22/03/86 Absolute Beginners
* 29/03/86 The Shop Assistants
* 05/04/86 Hipsway
* 12/04/86 Samantha Fox
* 19/04/86 Test Dept
* 26/04/86 Prince (blurred image)
* 03/05/86 Sade
* 10/05/86 Barry McGuigan
* 17/05/86 Boy George
* 24/05/86 Janet Jackson
* 31/05/86 The Mighty Lemon Drops
* 07/06/86 Morrissey
* 14/06/86 Why British black music has no chance - polemical piece by Paolo Hewitt
* 21/06/86 Sonic Youth
* 28/06/86 George Michael
* 05/07/86 The Jesus and Mary Chain
* 12/07/86 Matt Johnson of The The
* 19/07/86 Run-D.M.C.
* 26/07/86 Zodiac Mindwarp
* 02/08/86 Jam and Lewis
* 09/08/86 Chicago house
* 16/08/86 Mick Hucknall of Simply Red
* 23/08/86 David Sylvian
* 30/08/86 Daley Thompson
* 06/09/86 Dwight Yoakam
* 13/09/86 The Yo Boys (article about hip hop by Paolo Hewitt)
* 20/09/86 Sex (themed issue), also a free EP - Phil Oakey of The Human League
* 27/09/86 Trouble Funk
* 04/10/86 Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P.
* 11/10/86 Big Audio Dynamite
* 18/10/86 Courtney Pine
* 25/10/86 Voting (themed issue)
* 01/11/86 Shinehead
* 08/11/86 Youth suicide (almost all-black cover, later voted the worst cover in its history by the NME itself)
* 15/11/86 Cilla Black
* 22/11/86 Swing Out Sister
* 29/11/86 Sly and Robbie
* 06/12/86 Elvis Presley (though the cover story in this issue, written by Stuart Cosgrove, was actually a criticism of the US military presence in Britain using Presley's image as symbolic, not an article about Presley himself)
* 13/12/86 Madonna
* 20/12/86 Pet Shop Boys

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

"One Love" is the biggest here, as re-released Smiths singles and Stone Roses' comeback singles from a time when indie was starting to become more commercially popular again doesn't really count. The Smiths didn't become really huge as a singles act until the bad had long since broken up and bands like Suede caused new generations to become interested in their influences.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

X-Post: They certainly got a lot of shit from their readers after that Sam Fox cover though. :)

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir. none of those "new wave" No 1s can be compared to the indie bands of the mid 80s. You've got a mod band, a pub rocker, some R&B chancers from Dublin who got on the back of punk, a ska band and a corporate behemoth of a band. It's like listing a load of apples and then saying orange trees didn't produce any apples like that.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

Btw. upthread I am using a rather narrow definition of new wave. Using the US definition would mean most early 80s number ones were new wave, but it would also make it meaningless to see new wave as a forerunner of indie.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

Those were all bands that became popular on the back of punk, which is surely where "indie" started.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes, cos the Police were definitely forerunners of the Mary Chain, eh?

And every Smiths single from This Charming Man went into the proper charts Geir, with repeated Top of the Pops appearances.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Early Police was definitely rather punky. It is disputable whether "Every Breath You Take" is, but that would just make the gap even larger.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

And, yes, they went into the charts, but they never managed to compete with the likes of Wham!, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Pet Shop Boys.

The Jam, Oasis, Blur and even Arctic Monkeys were all among the most popular bands in the UK based upon singles charts dominance. The Smiths were never close to that.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm willing to bet that the Smiths have sold a shit-ton more singles than the Arctic Monkeys.

O Permaban (NickB), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir, you weren't talking about charts you said this

Mind you, UK indie was largely nonexistant in the late 80s/early 90s. OK, so it existed, but it was very much underground

And because you were proved wrong you have tried to move the goalposts.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir will never ever admit he's wrong, surely you all know this by now?

Matt DC, Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

The list of hip-hop covers is a bit misleading, cos it suggests every other cover was indie. Look instead at how few covers were indie during 1986, the year indie became associated with jangling guitars and the highwatermark year of the definitive NME indie band, the Smiths:

Also here's the NME's Top 20 albums from the same year, a fairly varied list:

1. Parade - Prince & The Revolution
2. Rapture - Anita Baker
3. Control - Janet Jackson
4. Evol - Sonic Youth
5. Word Up - Cameo
6. Graceland - Paul Simon
7. Bend Sinister - The Fall
8. Rasin' Hell - Run-DMC
9. The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
10. The Album - Mantronix
11. Nelson Mandela - Youssou N'dour
12. Life's Rich Pageant - R.E.M.
13. Blood And Chocolate - Elvis Costello
14. King Of America - Elvis Costello
15. Your Funeral... My Trial - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
16. Schoolly D - Schoolly D
17. Rough & Rugged - Shinehead
18. Tutu - Miles Davis
19. Say What! - Trouble Funk
20. Liberty Belle & The Black Diamond Express - The Go-Betweens

I mean I only started reading the NME in 1995 when it was pretty much regarded as an indie magazine by everyone I knew but I realised this can't always have been the case (most obviously because it'd been around far longer than indie music had).

Gavin in Leeds, Thursday, 6 January 2011 21:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think cover artists are important in identifying who they were trying to sell to (see 55 x Oasis and more than 20 x Stone Roses even years after they split).

onimo, Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

That's true. But through the mid-80s they were trying to sell an awful lot more than just indie. That list of 86 covers has only five by acts of the kind codified as "indie music"- Easterhouse, Lemon Drops, Morrissey, Mary Chain, Shop Assistants. You could add to that Test Dept, Sonic Youth, the Cramps and Billy Bragg - but that's still less than a fifth of the year's covers, which is astounding by the standards of the past 20 years.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME's top albums of the 80s pretty much ignores 1986 - much more of an indie/post-punk slant.

1. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses ‘89
2. The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths ‘85
3. Three Feet High And Rising - De La Soul ‘89
4. Sign ‘O’ The Times - Prince ‘87
5. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy ‘88
6. Psychocandy - Jesus And Mary Chain ‘85
7. Hatful Of Hollow - The Smiths ‘84
8. Closer - Joy Division ‘80
9. Sound Affects - The Jam ‘80
10. Low-Life - New Order ‘85
11. Remain In Light - Talking Heads ‘80
12. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexy’s Midnight Runners ‘80
13. Bummed - Happy Mondays ‘89
14. Surfer Rosa - Pixies ‘88
15. The Lexicon Of Love - ABC ‘82
16. Swordfishtrombones - Tom Waits ‘83
17. Kilimanjaro - The Teardrop Explodes ‘80
18. Dare - The Human League ‘81
19. Parade - Prince ‘86
20. 16 Lovers Lane - The Go-Betweens ‘88
21. Rain Dogs - Tom Waits ‘85
22. This Nation’s Saving Grace - The Fall ‘85
23. Rum, Sodomy And The Lash - The Pogues ‘85
24. The Smiths - The Smiths ‘84
25. Blood & Chocolate - Elvis Costello ‘86
26. Don’t Stand Me Down - Dexy’s Midnight Runners ‘85
27. The Eight Legged Groove Machine - The Wonder Stuff ‘88
28. Crocodiles - Echo And The Bunnymen ‘80
29. Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen ‘82
30. The Nightfly - Donald Fagen ‘82
31. Talking With The Taxman About Poetry - Billy Bragg ‘86
32. Miss America - Mary Margaret O’Hara ‘88
33. Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions ‘84
34. George Best - The Wedding Present ‘87
35. Atomiser - Big Black ‘87
36. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts - David Byrne & Brian Eno ‘81
37. Sister - Sonic Youth ‘87
38. Straight Out Of The Jungle - The Jungle Brothers ‘88
39. Heaven Up Here - Echo And The Bunnymen ‘81
40. Green - REM ‘88
41. Imperial Bedroom - Elvis Costello ‘82
42. You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever - Orange Juice ‘82
43. Midnight Love - Marvin Gaye ‘82
44. Like A Prayer - Madonna ‘89
45. Beautiful Vision - Van Morrison ‘82
46. Infected - The The ‘86
47. Meat Is Murder - The Smiths ‘85
48. New York - Lou Reed ‘89
49. Yo! Bum Rush The Show - Public Enemy ‘87
50. Warehouse: Songs And Stories - Husker Du ‘87

from http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/607080.html

onimo, Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

I mean I only started reading the NME in 1995 when it was pretty much regarded as an indie magazine by everyone I knew but I realised this can't always have been the case (most obviously because it'd been around far longer than indie music had).

I'd argue it has had a "punk" edge to its general writing policy since, well, since punk. Which has also naturally caused it to be very pro-indie, since indie has basically the same roots as punk.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

NME's top albums of the 80s pretty much ignores 1986

While I personally consider 1986 to have been a good music vintage (IMO it got much, much worse later in the decade), it can be argued that 1986 was sort of a no-man's-land between two phases in the 80s. The new romantics/synthpop age was pretty much coming to and end. Surely, you had Pet Shop Boys and Erasure and a-ha who were building on the heritage from that era but the arrival of sampling and FM synths meant that they still sounded very different from what the new romantic/synth bands in the early 80s had sounded like. And many of the biggest new romantic/synth names struggled commercially in 1986 compared to earlier (Human League did sort of a comeback, but with a single that was closer to R&B than synthpop).

On the other hand, hip-hop and hair metal, save for the occasional appearance in the charts (Run DMC, Europe, Bon Jovi) were still largely US phenomenons while house music had still to cross over from the Chicago club scene. So the dominant trends of the late 80s had yet to really settle.

So it is no wonder that 1986 may fall outside what is usually considered "representative" of the 80s, and as such, maybe no wonder it performs badly. Surprised not to see "Graceland" in there though.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

("The Queen Is Dead" is 1986 not 1985 though)

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

20. 16 Lovers Lane - The Go-Betweens ‘88

interesting, i was wondering what kind of alltime lists go-betweens, felt & "the marble index" -- three acts singled out as not obscure upthread -- appeared on.

zvookster, Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

I want to see Geir interviewed by Paxman.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Tho even paxman would get fed up after 2 hours of geir refusing to admit what he said was wrong.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anybody know what happened to these plans?
http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1553295,00.html

much as I despise the brit-edition of the mag (incessant covers for oasis) I'd love for this to happen. Rolling Stone and Spin are the worst magazines in existence.

heh (kelpolaris), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'd assume pitchfork has made sure it wont happen.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

Surprised NME haven't tried to develop their website into a UK equivalent tbh. I cant see the mag surviving more than another few years, but maybe it would be too late. Then again, outside of ilx, I'm not sure many in the UK care or even know about pitchfork at least compared to the NME.

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'd argue it has had a "punk" edge to its general writing policy since, well, since punk. Which has also naturally caused it to be very pro-indie, since indie has basically the same roots as punk.

Sure, that makes sense but there was that time in the mid '80s with a big indie/soul divide in the writers - no idea how big either faction was but I guess there was a chance the magazine could have gone the other way (I could be wrong but supposedly it was Steve Sutherland becoming editor that led to indie winning out)?

Gavin in Leeds, Thursday, 6 January 2011 22:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

The mid 80s was around the time when soul music was finally starting to come out of the "disco" stigma that caused all indie fans (and rock fans in general) to hate it. In the early 80s there was very much this soul=disco thing, which meant that soul music wasn't taken seriously (which, of course, disco never was)

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

can you point out some examples of the punk edge in features from the last eight years?

basically just a 2/47 freak out (sic), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir when did you first start reading NME?

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir when did you first start reading NME?

I have never been a permanent reader (besides the now defunct Select, Q and Mojo have been my favourite mags), but have been reading some NME editions since the 80s.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

can you point out some examples of the punk edge in features from the last eight years?

The punk edge is in preferring indie, which follows from punk.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

Do you realise you're using your original assertion as your only citation of evidence, there?

basically just a 2/47 freak out (sic), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

I hope we've all learned something today

assorted curses (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

So, inverting the logic, you prefer punk because it presaged and pre-defined indie?

Mark G, Thursday, 6 January 2011 23:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

I prefer classic, melodic pop, which has more in common with indie than with most other genres that were really popular in the 90s. But I still prefer classic, melodic pop to indie.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Friday, 7 January 2011 01:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

The punk edge is in preferring indie, which follows from punk.

surely indie follows from earlier indie labels, like Motown, amirite

basically just a 2/47 freak out (sic), Friday, 7 January 2011 01:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Indie in this case does not mean "independent". PWL was also independent. Indie is a musical genre, founded especially in the 80s as a protest against the synth dominated pop music of the time, but also rooted in punk.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Friday, 7 January 2011 09:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, the protest was lead by Daniel Miller and Thomas Leer...

Mark G, Friday, 7 January 2011 09:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

Indie was not formed as a protest against anything. It really did mean independent. It was only the rise of labels like PWL "contaminating" the indie chart that made people start writing "what does Indie mean?" articles and start to (re)define it as a genre that could ignore Kylie and all those other nasty manufactured pop acts.

onimo, Friday, 7 January 2011 10:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

New Order were a protest against synth music, stop being dumb guys.

O Permaban (NickB), Friday, 7 January 2011 10:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think you'll find New Order was a synth based pop protest against moody post punk like Joy Division.

onimo, Friday, 7 January 2011 10:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Actually, many of those who hated seeing Kylie Minogue in the indie charts were not too pleased with seeing Erasure up there either. They hated synth based music with a passion.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Friday, 7 January 2011 10:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Projectin'

Mark G, Friday, 7 January 2011 10:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

If only they could have turned back the clock to the time when Depeche Mode used to be number one.

O Permaban (NickB), Friday, 7 January 2011 10:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't know a single indie fan that even likes Kraftwerk.

O Permaban (NickB), Friday, 7 January 2011 10:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

You know me? I'm not single tho.

Mark G, Friday, 7 January 2011 10:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

Stop trying to undermine this rock-solid theory on which Geir is building his mad castle.

O Permaban (NickB), Friday, 7 January 2011 10:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

There should be a band called The Disco Stigma.

Geir's history of indie:
In 1977 punk gave us The Police and the Boomtown Rats. The Police were new wave until Every Breath You Take. After the Police split up, all the indies fled underground, never showing their faces again. Although the Smiths and many other indie bands were very popular, that didn't count, because none of them had No 1 singles. And then Blur and Oasis found all the indies underground and led them back to the light in 1995.

Is that right, Geir?

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Friday, 7 January 2011 12:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

You forgot the bit about the PWL ringwraiths riding through the shires on their flying synths.

O Permaban (NickB), Friday, 7 January 2011 12:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

And, I mean, basically the argument style and posting style on his ILM work is the same as on the alt.music work, even though there is less overt racism and the drums and bass are hardly mentioned . There was a certain Beatles-factor to his posts that was thankfully lost somewhere around "2001" but he has never really found a way to stop having the same fucking conversations for the past 20 years.

sometimes all it takes is a healthy dose of continental indiepop (tomofthenest), Friday, 7 January 2011 12:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

Harold and Kumar Go To Geir's Mad Castle

Cracker Flocka Flame (Doran), Friday, 7 January 2011 13:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir's history of indie:
In 1977 punk gave us The Police and the Boomtown Rats. The Police were new wave until Every Breath You Take. After the Police split up, all the indies fled underground, never showing their faces again. Although the Smiths and many other indie bands were very popular, that didn't count, because none of them had No 1 singles. And then Blur and Oasis found all the indies underground and led them back to the light in 1995.

Is that right, Geir?

Indie existed in the meantime as well, but it was a very narrow genre with a somewhat narrow following, so the NME had to have a broader musical scope if they were to survive.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 8 January 2011 00:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Point being, Indie singles sold loads, they didn't chart highly because a lot of the sales weren't in chart return shops.

Mark G, Saturday, 8 January 2011 00:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, basically, the main reason why the likes of The Smiths, R.E.M. and Waterboys got popular in the 80s, not with the masses but with a certain kind of audience, is they were guitar fundamentalists. They were known as "guitar bands", and were popular with people who hated how the synth had become the most important instrument in pop music.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 8 January 2011 00:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

X-Post: Very doubtful. Indie in the 80s subscribed to a certain low-fi thinking that made it unable to appeal to the masses. I think that was also a key element in bringing Britpop to the top of the charts, that the Britpop acts actually found production values to be important, as opposed to late 80s indie acts.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 8 January 2011 00:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

much as I despise the brit-edition of the mag (incessant covers for oasis)

Oasis have broken up and are thus now more likely to end up on the cover of Mojo than the cover of NME.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 8 January 2011 01:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

We'll see.

Mark G, Saturday, 8 January 2011 22:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I write for NME and I don't mind confirming that Geir is unfortunately wrong on this count. Oasis were on the cover at least twice last year.

Cracker Flocka Flame (Doran), Saturday, 8 January 2011 22:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

Surely now they're split up, they wont be anymore as Beady Eye & Noel will get their own covers? (until they inevitably reform for a massive amount of money)

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Saturday, 8 January 2011 23:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Brother getting a NME cover is unbelievably LOL.

Also LOL is someone using a false name to write criticism of them on The Quietus... presumably they're an NME staffer who doesn't want to get in trouble?

Craigo Boingo, Saturday, 8 January 2011 23:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

And an ilxor because whiney g is mentioned!

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Saturday, 8 January 2011 23:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

Noel Gallagher may end up on the cover once or twice. Liam is a has-been now that he doesn't have his brother to write those brilliant songs for him anymore.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 8 January 2011 23:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

I didn't realise Paul wrote Liam some songs. Why did he stop?

Chewshabadoo, Sunday, 9 January 2011 00:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

basically just a 2/47 freak out (sic), Sunday, 9 January 2011 00:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

andy bell looks like a christmas ornament, liam looks like patsy kensit

basically just a 2/47 freak out (sic), Sunday, 9 January 2011 00:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost straw man in that Quietus piece is that the conventional establishment isn't actually going gaga for Brother. NME is, but most of the coverage I've seen so far has taken a studiedly offhand tone, as if to say, "This is what they say about themselves. You're capable of deciding for yourself that they are deluded." You might say that if they're that shit, they shouldn't be covered at all.

I've heard more people say more bad things about Brother than any other group in years. I think they're forgetting that in that "you either love us or hate us" cliche, some people need to love you, too.

Alan Partridge Project (ithappens), Sunday, 9 January 2011 02:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well, he has Andy Bell. But Andy Bell wrote cirka two good songs for Ride and two good songs for Hurricane #1, so it still doesn't quite hold up.

Noel Gallagher is the one songwriting genius and the act worth following. Hopefully he will become even more Beatlesque in his songwriting now that he is rid of his screaming/punky brother.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 9 January 2011 03:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

still find that NME top 3 albums from 86 amazing!

piscesx, Sunday, 9 January 2011 03:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

so it still doesn't quite hold up.

..........uhh so are you saying that cover [1]doesn't[/1] exist?

basically just a 2/47 freak out (sic), Sunday, 9 January 2011 03:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well... It does. Now... But Liam will be forgotten in a short time, except for his part in Oasis. Noel is the one and only genius from that band and even though Liam may have more of a rock'n'roll attitude, that isn't enough alone.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 9 January 2011 14:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

I bet liam sells more papers though with his bullshit

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Sunday, 9 January 2011 14:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

I actually think that is still the reason why Dodgy and Travis never quite became critics darlings. Not arrogant enough, not enough bullshit, too boring and nice personalities.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 9 January 2011 15:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

& mostly shite

Prince wouldn't ‘woa’ (onimo), Sunday, 9 January 2011 16:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

I guess that's why Radiohead have been getting blanket critical slatings for the past 15 years as well

cup of tea & an orange.xls (DJ Mencap), Sunday, 9 January 2011 16:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thom Yorke is apparently quite high maintenance though isn't he? I mean, the guy from Travis seems like a lovely guy... worst mistake you can make I reckon. I bet him and Terrorvision are a great laugh down the pub.

Cracker Flocka Flame (Doran), Sunday, 9 January 2011 16:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thom Yorke is paranoid and at times rather arrogant in his unwillingness to be a pop star. Those guys from Dodgy and Travis are just fairly cool guys, and less interesting to write about than, say, Oasis. Chris Martin has started to act a bit more like a pop star after he became one, and this may be the reason why the press hasn't tired of Coldplay to the same extent.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 10 January 2011 09:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

that nme cover is next level

deejeuner sur l'herb (nakhchivan), Monday, 10 January 2011 09:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thom Yorke has, famously, wanted to be a pop star ever since he was born.

At the point where you achieve your *ambition*, you had better have some more reason or raison'detre than when you were three.

So, by then his "popstarness" is firmly established, and the ability to walk through walls is implicit, hey he can look as 'disinterested' and he knows it won't matter.

When he sang that song about "oh such a lovely garden, oh such a lovely house", i suspected he was a hypocrite as it would be fairly certain he'd have a huge house someplace, and fair enough. Eventually some article showed he did have a huge place, but it was fairly castle-crumbly and the garden hadn't been mowed for decades. Still, though.

Mark G, Monday, 10 January 2011 09:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

^exterior life of Thom Yorke

Prince wouldn't ‘woa’ (onimo), Monday, 10 January 2011 13:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

mark g prefers songwriters who have no idea what they're talking abt

zvookster, Monday, 10 January 2011 15:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

blimey, I do!

Mark G, Monday, 10 January 2011 15:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

It is so odd how Geir writes like he has stolen every line from an old copy of Q on whatever subject is bought up, like he is *schoolin'* us. No more, no less.

"jobs" (a hoy hoy), Monday, 10 January 2011 15:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

Schooly G

Shakey Moe Szyslak (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 10 January 2011 15:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

The Music 1999 - 2011: Why They'll Be Missed

It came as a cruel irony today that midway through our first listen to the godforsaken new Brother record, news landed that The Music were splitting up.

oppet, Friday, 1 April 2011 21:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

RIP guys, heaven needed a ropey Verve knock-off.

Neil S, Friday, 1 April 2011 21:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ropey Verve probably the worst era to knock off.

death, taxes and (onimo), Saturday, 2 April 2011 00:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

Has anyone read this:

Briefly skimmed through it at Waterstones to see if Mr S1nk3r late of this parish was in it and he wasn't or any mention of his U2 review being spiked. So if it's missing something as key as that, I wonder how thorough it is with the rest of the history.

fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 17:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

That's this book btw.

fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 17:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

I did suggest to mr S that there could be a fascinating book about the 'tribes' that inhabited NMEworld back in the day, and how they evolved/mutated. He seemed to srsly consider the idea, laffed even.

Mark G, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 00:00 (1 year ago) Permalink

for those who, like me, didn't know the story:

U2/NME versus Sinker

is the full review anywhere online?

ban this sick stunt (anagram), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 08:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

Pat Long was assistant editor at NME during the 2000s.

yyyyeeah, this doesn't sound more promising than re-reading the reminiscences in the 40th anniversary issue

Θ ̨Θƪ (sic), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 13:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

Pat is a cool dude and a good writer iircimho

I also only skimmed it in aforementioned book chain but unless I totally missed it there was next to no coverage of the last 10-15 years

Sylv_ebanks (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 14:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

Don't think anyone cares or wants to read anecdotes from The Killers about the Conor McNicholas era, even taking into account declining relevance of print media etc etc. My guess is it ends post-Britpop?

Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 14:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

I did suggest to mr S that there could be a fascinating book about the 'tribes' that inhabited NMEworld back in the day, and how they evolved/mutated. He seemed to srsly consider the idea, laffed even

I would definitely read that book.

I don't the NME has been relevant for a long time, so it makes sense that coverage would end about 10-15 years ago.

Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

Pat's a sound guy, a great writer and I think it's reasonable to end the book at the start of the internet age.

There are severe problems with proofing, subbing though...

Conan The Asshander (Doran), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 19:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

shame.

despite the fact i am no longer target audience, every time i have flicked through the nme recently have been impressed with the changes krissi has brought in :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/12/nme-krissi-murison-sunday-times?CMP=twt_fd

of course, if an ilm'r steps up ..

mark e, Thursday, 12 April 2012 11:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

Yeah she made a decent job of it, it seemed a much less blinkered and, well, condescending publication over the last few years. Conor McNicholas tended to treat his readership like idiots who could only focus on three bands at once.

Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Thursday, 12 April 2012 11:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

Co-signed. Sadly McNicholas had already wrecked that ship by the time she took over.

Scary Move 4 (dog latin), Thursday, 12 April 2012 11:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

I'd be perfectly happy to send in my CV but unfortunately I am at least twice the age of whoever they're looking for.

Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 12 April 2012 12:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

It's a decent paper once again, even if not for me thesedays, yes.

Mark G, Friday, 13 April 2012 00:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

oh well looks like marcello, didn't get the job.

from CMJ mailout :

IPC yesterday announced the promotion of NME's Deputy Editor Mike Williams to the role of Editor. Williams, of course, replaces Krissi Murrison, who announced this year that she was moving on to become Features Editor of The Sunday Times Magazine.

Williams joined NME in 2010, prior to which he founded and was editor of Kruger magazine for six years. Initially freelancing for the music weekly, he then took on the role of Features Editor before moving up to become Murison's deputy.

Upon the announcement, Williams told CMU: "I'm super excited to be the new editor of NME. As far as dream positions go, it really doesn't get any better than this. Krissi Murison has done an amazing job as my predecessor, and I'm totally honoured to pick up the baton from her. My challenge is to make NME magazine and the wider NME brand even sharper, our message more coherent and to engage even more with NME's audience of passionate music fans. With the brilliant team we've got in place, I can't wait to get started!"

Meanwhile IPC's Publishing Director Emily Hutchings added: "After an extensive recruitment process, I am absolutely thrilled to announce Mike Williams as the next editor of NME. He brings with him a wealth of editorial experience as well as knowledge in managing multiplatform brand extensions. Mike demonstrated a clear strategic vision and passion for NME that will help take the brand on to even greater success".

The NME print publication, of course, is in terminal decline despite gallant efforts by Murison to overhaul the magazine, though the wider NME brand remains as strong as ever, with future potential almost certainly locked to online and digital innovations

mark e, Friday, 1 June 2012 10:39 (11 months ago) Permalink

I've known the dude for years - nice guy - no real idea what he'll be like editing the NME but it's cool by me

cissémanwhore (DJ Mencap), Friday, 1 June 2012 10:45 (11 months ago) Permalink

I didn't apply.

Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 7 June 2012 11:29 (11 months ago) Permalink


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