OK, is this the worst piece of music writing ever?

Write well and relatively fast

N.B.: Writing fast and relatively well is not an acceptable substitute.

shorter postcard:

1. don't fuck up
2. don't be a fuckup
3. if you're worried about whether you are, in a field that demands 24/7 sociability and a bottomless chalice of self-confidence in the face of all evidence, you are probably a fuckup

How many times can #1 happen before I move into phase 2?

in all seriousness though I actually have had quite a few high school or college students email me for advice (why they emailed *me*, instead of any number of other writers, suggests they probably genuinely do need the advice) and I've never known what to say, because I don't have any pat palatable advice that I can endorse with a clear conscience

Then tell them what it's like and how things generally work rather than what they should do.

Tell them to post on ILX and one day their job can be tasting pineapples and fig newtons on Gawker

in all seriousness though I actually have had quite a few high school or college students email me for advice (why they emailed *me*, instead of any number of other writers, suggests they probably genuinely do need the advice) and I've never known what to say, because I don't have any pat palatable advice that I can endorse with a clear conscience

― a self-reinforcing downward spiral of male-centric indie (katherine), Thursday, March 17, 2016 5:05 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't write any crit yourself.

this old anvil laughs at many broken hammers
there are men who can't be bought
the fireborn are at home in fire.
the stars make no noise,
you can't hinder the wind from blowing.
time is a great teacher.
who can live without hope?

Carl Sandberg in a music thread has to be a tribute to something or other.

Didn't think this week could gobble it;'s own dick any more, but Stereogum is straight up running WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE WHITE MEN stormfront propaganda

http://www.stereogum.com/1866209/sorority-noise-and-pinegrove-save-indie-rock-at-sxsw/franchises/sounding-board/

Emo has become the best refuge for those turned off by indie’s longstanding flight from guitar-driven rock music toward synthesized pop.

On a purely musical level, the way they fused DIY and arena rock elements was glorious; they wielded power chords and vocal harmonies and cleverly self-deprecating lyrics with such profound force that for the first time in 15 years it didn’t matter that Weezer fell off.

indie rock saved at brooklyn vegan afterparty presented by gretsch

i love a lot of the music he describes, what an awful way to frame it

Emo, country, mid-’90s VH1 pop-rock: I realize none of these are particularly reputable styles among an indie rock audience

lol this sentence appears right after 9 paragraphs talking about "emo’s creative renaissance" and right before comparing the band to Wilco

also I've played Cheer Up Charlies indoor stage it does not hold "more than a couple hundred people" it's about the size of a Dunkin' Donuts.

possibly i have "emo is back!!!! in pog form" thinkpiece fatigue

Like Sorority Noise’s Boucher, Evan Stephens Hall is one of the great lyricists of our time

obviously

too bad this wasn't the time or place to ask an all-male band about why they named themselves Sorority Noise. it's not like a context for that discussion was set up in the first paragraph

i've never listened to them for that reason lol

This was a party, a religious experience, and a workout routine all at once.

ok i mean i hate to pile on but can we end live reviews now

I honestly find Sorority Noise a less offensive name than A Great Big Pile Of Leaves. Whoever came up with that should be force-fed leaves until they fucking die.

hahahahaha

i'm enjoying this new snark-free whiney persona

has he given up Subway?

i'm enjoying this new snark-free whiney persona

― k3vin k., Friday, March 18, 2016 4:11 PM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Swore off it on Twitter, never said anything about ILX

lol fair

zing fresh my friends

http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/03/justin-bieber-continues-his-assault-on-kurt-cobains-legacy-by-performing-inside-a-heart-shaped-box/

The name "Sorority Noise" is good cause to once again trot out this Ian Svenonius quote:

The powerful associative effect of names is often misunderstood. While fondly thought of, mammalian names are a mistake--unless one chooses a mythical beast. A wild animal is a graceful creature that needs no clothes or grooming to look spectacular, and your onlookers--their expectations heightened--will inevitably be disappointed by the oafish onstage display of whatever crew of humanoids you've managed to muster. "Oh dear," they will say, "they are nothing like wolves/foxes/etc." If one hangs sucha name on one's group, one is raising the bar too high.

Male groups with "Girls" in their name have a similar problem. In literature and film, the "girl" represents the reader's/viewer's pure self-image. The audience is supposed to identify with the "girl," who is innocent, brave, artless, attractive, and clever (e.g., Chihiro of Spirited Away, Pippi Longstocking, and Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz). Film noir is predicated on the opposite idea--that audiences like to identify with cynical, morally bankrupt, been-there done-thats. These roles are typically played by middle-aged men with five o'clock shadows (Humphry Bogart, Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum). Most groups now resemble the stars of the noir genre, physically if not sartorially. Bands with "Girl" in their name are almost invariably these kinds of hairy and less attractive men. As a rule, then, males should avoid group names with "Girl."

> As a rule, then, males should avoid group names with "Girl."

attn https://soundcloud.com/girlband

Girl Band are so completely fucking awesome I barely even consider their name, but fair point Ian.

assumed 'Girl Band' as a name was a commentary of sorts on the vapidity of the term 'girl band' as used in rock writing or w/e, which is a little different to what Svenonius is talking about there I guess

Really giving four white guys who cover techno songs a lot of credit there

don't feel strongly about their music either way but they seem bright enough guys

if you're implying that covering a Blawan track is racially problematic I'd suggest that's a bit of a reach

I was just saying they're dorks

Sun City Girls >>>> most bands

I was just saying they're dorks

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, March 21, 2016 1:22 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

pvmic

xp did you know there is an all-girl Sun City Girls cover band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcJuLm9CJiQ

that svenonius argument about male bands not calling themselves "girls" is such bullshit! it boils down to "girls are pretty and boys are hairy and can never live up to the sexy implications of femininity"

obviously male bands should still not call themselves "girls" for plenty of other reasons

To be fair, a band name that includes the word girls doesn't necessarily mean they're calling "themselves" girls if that makes any sense. Splitting hairs a bit but still.

no need to "be fair" with misappropriated yoni power imo

Sorry, just meant "in some cases, perhaps" and worded badly.

there are enough words and/or morphemes to choose from that a choice of "girls" (or "women") is a deliberate and stupid one imo
and yes, svenonius' reasoning is lame

imo

what about if the band is called "Urgh, Girls"??

lame

exactly

can't read that svevnonius paragraph in anything but his voice, which is very sardonic

how about "Girl Germs"?