So much good stuff about...
...it's almost impossible to keep up
with it all.
Debbie Harry, in the Guardian (The
Soundtrack of My Life):
says:
“When I
run into people who complain that there's no good music today, or go,
uggggh, the old music was so much better, I have to laugh.
There's so much good stuff now, it's almost impossible to keep track
of it.”
When you have to tick the “Frankly,
knocking on a bit” box when a form requires your age, it's always
refreshing to hear anyone in the same age bracket enthusing about new
music. One of the last things Lou Reed did was to write about how
much he was enjoying Kanye West's Yeezus album.
What can you do to keep up as best you
can, with all that other stuff that needs doing?
Word of mouth
That's an odd phrase, isn't it? Word of
mouth? Personal recommendation. That's more like it. Personal
recommendation. AD and MM are among the best sources.
Pitchfork
I have a Pitchfork weekend policy. As
far as possible, anything that gets a 8+ star review over the last
week, I give at least one listen, if it's available. There are some
exceptions. If the review says 'death metal' for example, I may give
it a miss, but reluctantly, because one listen don't kill you, and
there's always the pleasant surprise lurking.
The NME
Increasingly less as it becomes more
and more accepting of middle of the road mediocrity.
The Guardian
For the classical reviews. Often they
don't point me directly to anything, they're too specific: this
conductor, this orchestra, this recording; but rather used as a guide
and to inspire some new composers to listen to.
The London Jazz Review
A free online magazine, and a good one.
The Internet
For reggae, for various 'must listen
to' lists, for Listmania and the never-ending tangents and obscure
branches that can offer up.
The impossibility
It isn't a losing battle, because it
isn't any sort of battle, it's an absolute joy. Just enjoy the
cornucopia, and don't fret about what you may be missing.
No comments:
Post a Comment