Hey, No Offense, But All Your Blogs Bite It

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** they reinforced the worst cliches about music writers: that they're this uber-insular, elitist sect that's more interested in impressing one another than trying to think**

And this was a surprise? You've read the Pazz & Jop poll comments section before, right? Anyway, most of the political blogs I've scrolled through seem to fit the same pattern as the music ones.

lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Friday, 11 February 2005 11:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Very few blogs pull you right in on the first visit; it's like stumbling in on a conversation that is already in progress. It can take time to get to know the blogger, and his/her crowd/references/in-jokes etc. Almost by definition, a large number will look petty and parochial from the outside.

I used to take great pains in always thinking of the first-time reader when writing each post, always trying to explain references etc. Then I decided that I actually liked in-jokes and self-referentialism and being part of a blog-gang, so I eased up on all of that. I fully expect 95% of casual readers to walk away scratching their heads and thinking WTF is he blathering on about. It's a blog, not a magazine. Horses for courses...

mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 11 February 2005 12:05 (nineteen years ago) link

Indeed, it's a community (just like ilx is).

stevie nixed (stevie nixed), Friday, 11 February 2005 12:09 (nineteen years ago) link

Personally I find it healthier to keep a careful distance from that particular community. Acknowledge it but don't allow yourself to be drawn in too closely to it.

Marcello Carlin, Friday, 11 February 2005 12:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Indeed, it's a community (just like ilx is).

i disagree. ILX is designed for two-way communication, for rapid response. blogs are online journals; the text is offered up to be read as an entity in itself, rather than as part of a discussion. that crappy little "comments: 0" at the bottom of thousands of blogspot posts says it all.

there are some excellent, awe-inspiring, life-affirming blogs out there. there are many, many more that are frankly knuckle-bitingly embarrassing; a good proportion of these are obviously written entirely for other members of the - cough - "blogosphere" to read. a good blog exists because it has something worthwhile to say and says it beautifully. a bad blog exists purely to affirm the writer's existence, which is ultimately rather pathetic.

it's like forming a band: for the sake of the rest of us, only do it if you actually have a driving need to do so.

grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 11 February 2005 13:26 (nineteen years ago) link

of course, you could just not read blogs if they bother you so much rather than instruct people not to write them. i'm not really a fan of the format, but at the same time i don't think they're bringing down my (or anyone else's) quality of life.

lauren (laurenp), Friday, 11 February 2005 13:31 (nineteen years ago) link

the whole thing bores me a bit, to be honest - apart from nathalie's blog, obviously, coz she's all fabulous and nice to me and stuff.

stelfox, Friday, 11 February 2005 13:34 (nineteen years ago) link

this post is fucking great.

um, Friday, 11 February 2005 13:35 (nineteen years ago) link

xx-post: but, er, like i said: there are some great ones out there, and i'd like to discover more gems. unfortunately, i have to wade through mountains of crap in order to do so.

grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 11 February 2005 13:36 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't read any other blogs, particularly, and never have. I barely even keep mine going now. I'm not sure why.

Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 11 February 2005 13:57 (nineteen years ago) link

My blog is great! I'm gonna post something on it TODAY! It will be fun.

scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 11 February 2005 14:00 (nineteen years ago) link

There are some that are very good, there are some that are mediocre or horrible. Blanket generalizations are never a good or smart thing to make.

Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Friday, 11 February 2005 14:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Mine hans't really been about music for ages though.

Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 11 February 2005 14:09 (nineteen years ago) link

the whole thing bores me a bit, to be honest - apart from nathalie's blog, obviously, coz she's all fabulous and nice to me and stuff.

Didn't you know, I keep it going just to promote yours. ;-)


that crappy little "comments: 0" at the bottom of thousands of blogspot posts says it all.

I have a lot of fans. I especially like the VEeAgra one.

stevie nixed (stevie nixed), Friday, 11 February 2005 14:18 (nineteen years ago) link

There are a bunch of music blogs which, while ocassionally too insular, offer me lots of provocative and fascinating takes on music:

I found Jess Harvell's year-end take on music on his blog very interesting even if I don't always agree with him. Jessica Hopper writes wonderfully. Dj Rupture/Jace Clayton's take on grime, life in Spain, and various others...There a Canadien guy who lives in Senegal and post about African music who's been mention elsewhere by me and others on ILM who's great. How about Julianne Shepherd, and Phil Sherburne,Christopher Porter and numerous others(I just learned from Sasha Frere-Jones blog about the jazz covers of pavement cd)...

steve-k, Friday, 11 February 2005 14:51 (nineteen years ago) link

The only blogs I find I read are by journalists or professional writers. The quality difference between those and the others is generally huge - not in terms of having interesting things to say, but in sheer readability. It's the experience of having to shape your writing to an audience, of editing your work and having your work edited, and all the other stylistic constraints involved in writing for the media. Eventually, professional writers develop their inner editor. This is the main problem with blogs. There's no editing. It's all just a loghorreic stream. Even if there's something interesting going on I can't be bothered to wade through all the crap to get there.

genevieve rt, Friday, 11 February 2005 15:04 (nineteen years ago) link

That's funny, cos a lot of the music blogs written by pro journalists usually seem really sloppy, obscure, and super-insular to me (probably because they can't get away with that stuff in print and like having an outlet for that sort of writing.)

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:11 (nineteen years ago) link

When I saw them say "Blogosphere" on CNN I was embarassed for the entire country.

David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Why? It's a silly word, but it refers to a very real thing. People need to get over this bullshit irrational embarassment about blogs. Enough with the selfloathing nerd shtick, okay?

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:15 (nineteen years ago) link

Eventually, professional writers develop their inner editor

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... urgh [chokes with laughter]

grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:19 (nineteen years ago) link

"I have a lot of fans. I especially like the VEeAgra one. "

whats your blog?

um, Friday, 11 February 2005 15:27 (nineteen years ago) link

i like the blogosphere term

Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:30 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm still waiting for "bloggo" to catch on.

David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:40 (nineteen years ago) link

looks like naive teen idol hasn't checked out this sweet blog interview with the ying yang twins-- http://riffcentral.blogspot.com

Nick Sylvester, Friday, 11 February 2005 15:42 (nineteen years ago) link

Bloggiverse.

Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:43 (nineteen years ago) link

People need to get over this bullshit irrational embarassment about blogs.

Is there such a thing? I must live in an insular world.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:43 (nineteen years ago) link

Why? It's a silly word, but it refers to a very real thing. People need to get over this bullshit irrational embarassment about blogs. Enough with the selfloathing nerd shtick, okay?
-- Matthew C Perpetua (perpetu...), February 11th, 2005.

No, it was just the word.

David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:44 (nineteen years ago) link

People need to get over this bullshit irrational embarassment about blogs.

No they don't, it IS embarrassing. There is a reason diaries used to have locks.

mcd (mcd), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:45 (nineteen years ago) link

The most successful blogs are very rarely diaries.

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:47 (nineteen years ago) link

Can a mod modify every post to this thread so there's a recursive link to Leon's post re: the dangers of generalizing and/or shooting yr mouth off?

"OMG look at what those people are doing in my periphery! I don't want to see that! Get out of my field of vision as I am rooted to the ground and am unable to turn my fucking neck!"

David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:48 (nineteen years ago) link

Can a mod modify every post to this thread so there's a recursive link to Leon's post re: the dangers of generalizing and/or shooting yr mouth off?

WHY YOU TAR EVERY POST TO THREAD WITH SAME BRUSH?!?

*hides*

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:50 (nineteen years ago) link

The most successful blogs are very rarely diaries.

All the ones I read are. And I think they're successful.

Well, "online diaries"/blogs have a different motivation now since there seems to be this collective need to make yourself seen and heard, whether you have something interesting to say or not, with several important exceptions of course. I pretty much agree with the sentiment that grimly fiendish promotes upthread re: starting a band.

mcd (mcd), Friday, 11 February 2005 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Which ones are you reading, mcd?

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 16:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Shit, I'll read anything as along as it's updated frequently.

Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 11 February 2005 22:05 (nineteen years ago) link

There are a bunch of music blogs which, while ocassionally too insular, offer me lots of provocative and fascinating takes on music:
I found Jess Harvell's year-end take on music on his blog very interesting even if I don't always agree with him. Jessica Hopper writes wonderfully. Dj Rupture/Jace Clayton's take on grime, life in Spain, and various others...There a Canadien guy who lives in Senegal and post about African music who's been mention elsewhere by me and others on ILM who's great. How about Julianne Shepherd, and Phil Sherburne,Christopher Porter and numerous others(I just learned from Sasha Frere-Jones blog about the jazz covers of pavement cd)...

Links, please!

Pete Scholtes, Friday, 11 February 2005 22:06 (nineteen years ago) link

People need to get over this bullshit irrational embarassment about blogs.

For instance, if you refer to your own blog in a post, please link it. I get frustrated by this at ILM...

Pete Scholtes, Friday, 11 February 2005 22:07 (nineteen years ago) link

I think ppl are afraid of seeming too self-aggrandizing.

djdee2005 (djdee2005), Friday, 11 February 2005 22:14 (nineteen years ago) link

I have a blog which is over 100 pages long, is updated about once a week, has taken about 3 years to write, and which has been visited once, in all that time, for a total of zero seconds. And yet, I continue to write. WHY? Because the pointless vanity of it appeals to my sense of humour.

thee music mole, Friday, 11 February 2005 22:18 (nineteen years ago) link

Link!

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 11 February 2005 22:45 (nineteen years ago) link

mole, yoo r my main man!

scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 11 February 2005 22:50 (nineteen years ago) link

mole, here iz yer nu favorite band:

http://www.archive.org/audio/audio-details-db.php?collectionid=lf038mp3&collection=lostfrog

scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 11 February 2005 22:52 (nineteen years ago) link

There are a bunch of music blogs which, while ocassionally too insular, offer me lots of provocative and fascinating takes on music:
I found Jess Harvell's year-end take on music on his blog very interesting even if I don't always agree with him. Jessica Hopper writes wonderfully. Dj Rupture/Jace Clayton's take on grime, life in Spain, and various others...There a Canadian guy who lives in Senegal and post about African music who's been mention elsewhere by me and others on ILM who's great. How about Julianne Shepherd, and Phil Sherburne, Christopher Porter and numerous others (I just learned from Sasha Frere-Jones blog about the jazz covers of pavement cd)...

Better now?

(My blog is called Fluxblog.)

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:01 (nineteen years ago) link

matt, seriously, everybody knows what your blog is.

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:04 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, yeah, I know, that's why I rarely link to it here unless I'm letting people know about a specific track. I was just responding to that guy who was complaining about people never linking to their sites.

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:05 (nineteen years ago) link

dude, matt, you plug it at every opportunity! which is your right, i guess, but don't say you "rarely" link it!

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:07 (nineteen years ago) link

music blogs updated 24/7
http://blo.gs/3600/favorites.html

DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:14 (nineteen years ago) link

I guess it's a matter of perspective - to me, I really do my best not to go around "plugging" it because I do think that's a bit tacky. I only link to it on message boards if it's relevant to the thread in some way. But yeah, I see what you mean.

Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Find threads from I Love Music, containing matthew perpetua fluxblog.

35 results found:

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:19 (nineteen years ago) link

jesus h what the fuck do you care

miccio (miccio), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:20 (nineteen years ago) link

i read the grime blogs

adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:21 (nineteen years ago) link


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