Irish music 2012: the lay of the land
Jim Carroll
There’s something quite invigorating about the start of a new year and all that the changing of the calendar on the wall brings with it. Time to start anew. Time to try out well-known Gucci model Sam Beckett’s great line all over again. Time to go back up the hill again with renewed vigour. Out with the old, in with the new and all of that. Your man Pope Gregory XIII knew what he was doing, you know.
There are naturally some traditions which go hand in hand with this changing of the guard and, for the music-writing classes, this is the time of year to attempt to predict the acts who are going to do great things in the coming year. You’ll find my list of 10 Irish acts who I think are going to make an impression in the next 12 months here, all of whom will be familiar to visitors to this neck of the web. You will also find my list of get-out-of-jail-free cards, caveats and conditions at the start of the piece. Ain’t going to be that solider, bud. Anyone who still thinks that those who compile these lists are infalliable and really know what is going to happen in the next 12 months is living on another planet smoking a pipe with Stephen Ireland.
Let’s be honest, it probably won’t be a brand new act who’ll end up being the Irish sound of 2012. There will be plenty of brand new acts who’ll make a splash next year and who will be featured on this blog and others as the year spins out but, in terms of going beyond the small constituency of new band watchers and blog readers, you need to look further afield at acts who’ve already done their developmental work. It used to be called “paying you dues” but “developmental work” sounds swankier. Going forward.
Because it’s a long-term game. The meme of our time, after all, is time. It takes time for an act to sort out their heads, it takes time for an act to realise what they’re doing. You don’t become the sound of 2012 by suddenly appearing in 2011 and making like you’re cock of the walk. Every act who will make a splash in the coming 12 months, from Lana Del Rey and Emile Sande on the international front to Little Green Cars and This Club at home, have been working their butts off for years to get to this stage. The best overnight success stories are the ones which take five years because these usually lead to sustainable careers. And isn’t that goal?
Speaking of sustainability, it’s also worth looking at what’s going on offstage as well, starting with a spot of omphaloskepsis. For the size of it and the volume of music produced, the Irish music scene generates a lot of introspection and analysis. It’s fair to say that media coverage, by and large, breaks down along predictable lines. Most of the mainsteam outlets concentrate on the big hitters, the acts who can sell a couple of thousand downloads of a new song or sell out a big room because that’s what mainstream media outlets do. The non-mainstream media, by contrast, concentrate on the acts who either haven’t yet hit those goals or who never will or who are very happy to make music for themselves. The non-mainstream media usually slags off the acts which the mainstream media covers because that’s the default setting (The Coronas will rarely bother the Hype Machine and both are perfectly happy with that state of affairs) and the mainstream media usually doesn’t bother going near the darlings of the non-mainstream media (not that some of those darlings want to have any truck with the showbiz pages). Two parallel lines rocking off into the distance.
Of course, both sides can up their game. I’m with Handsome Young Stranger when it comes to the current trend for music blogs to cover their asses with the term “curation”. When you stick up YouTube videos and Soundcloud clips – especially videos and clips which everyone else is pimping at the same time – with just a scrap of explanation or review or critical slant, please note that this is just softcore PR and nothing more. Less curation and more criticism please, especially criticism of some of the non-mainstream’s most sacred cows who’ve gone fat and lazy. We know you think it – now write it.
Also, it’s never really a good thing when cosy relationships exist between artists and those writing about said acts. It’s sadly inevitable in a country as small as this, but it amazes me that it still goes on and that it’s somehow seen by both sides as a positive. Where’s the critical remove, the distance required to serve your readers? And don’t give me that aul’ shite about blogs being different and being there to act as a cheerleaders. If you want to be a cheerleader for the act, spellcheck the press release. But, thankfully because it’s a small country, we can recognise the ties that bind and hence why some writers are probably not quite as highly regarded as they think they are. More declarations of interests please – or, better still, find someone else to cover because there’s no shortage of acts.
Still offstage, it will be an interesting year for the domestic scene’s infrastructure and influence. The entire industry is still in that fascinating state of flux when anything can happen, which is good news for anyone keen to get involved in the barter between act and audience. The more things change, the more opportunities present themselves. For example, remember the handwringing and obituaries when Road Records closed down and how many stressed the problems Irish acts would now have flogging their new albums? But since then, there’s been both an explosion of new releases and a number of new retail stores entering the scene in the capital. Just because something changes doesn’t mean it’s the end of days. Scenes morph and adopt to new realities. Life goes on. Life has to go on. And the domestic scene also adopts to these changes because that’s the natural order of things.
In terms of influence, I’m eager to see how the focus on Irish acts at next week’s Eurosonic festival in Groningen is going to play out. These are acts who’ve come through the mill here at home over the last few years and it will be interesting to find out what Eurosonic’s battery of booking agents, festival promoters and media folks make of them. The proof of the pudding will be in the festival bookings they receive as a result of their 30 minutes onstage in the Netherlands and where things go from there. It’s all very well to bang on about the health of the domestic indie, alternative and electronic scenes but, unless we’re looking to tip the hat to Éamon de Valera’s call for economic self-sufficiency, the acts need to make an impression abroad too. A gig in a room in Groningen is one place to start that dance.
Happy New Yeat Jim ! Good to have you back…..there was actually a ( small ) bit of work done here the 2 days I was in last week….lol
RE: Eurosonic.
I was doing a bit of Googling about this recently and i couldnt believe my eyes when i read that this year’s festival sold out in 10 mins flat ! Do you know what the capacity is just out of interest ?
I cant see the full list of Irish acts playing ( firewall ) but i do know God Is An Astronaut are going to be there. I have massive respect for these boys . Surely a prime example of what you are talking about in relation to the hard slog . The following they have built up in mainland Europe and especially the former Eastern Bloc / Russia is a testament to all that hard word. Like Primordial they are far better known abroad than at home.
I reckon more bands could do with following their lead in tapping into the other markets closer to them rather than just concentrating on the UK and the USA . GIAA have toured the US too, but its not their bread and butter .
They know which side their croissiants & Belgian waffles are buttered on…………..!
Yep – God is an Astronaut are quality. Solid back catalogue and excellent live.
Scarecrows – Happy new year to you too. I can’t remember off the top of my head what the capacity is – it’s a multi-venue festival like HWCH – but I will find out. I’m not surprised at all – Groningen is a big student town with some fabulous venue and a real culture of live music and Eurosonic is a fecking big deal. And yes, GIAA have done things the right way – to hell with getting any sort of attention at home and instead full steam ahead into Europe, which has paid off superbly in terms of a sustainable long-term career. There are a few Irish acts who’ve taken that route and more power to them because it shows there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
JC – yep, I also reckon they’ll be one of the Irish acts who will benefit most from an Eurosonic berth.
For the record, the 21 Irish acts playing Eurosonic next week are:
Lisa Hannigan
James Vincent McMorrow
Jape
God Is An Astronaut
The Cast Of Cheers
Squarehead
We Cut Corners
Cashier No 9
Funeral Suits
Lafaro
Toby Kaar
Bitches With Wolves
Foy Vance
Ram’s Pocket Radio
Hello Moon
Fionn Regan
Emmett Tinley
The Minutes
Thread Pulls
Mojo Fury
Wallis Bird
@ 3 Cheers for the list . I can see Tieranniesaur & Le Galaxie playing next years festival too. Saw both of them New years eve in the Workmans Club ( along with Last Days Of 1984 & Adult Rock, both excellent ) and they were outstanding . Funny enough the only other time i was in the Workmans , Tieranniesaur, Le Galaxie & Last Days of 1984 were playing too.
Must make a point of going there more often actually…..
Great piece Jim. Great to see Cashier no.9 up there and Emmet Tinely. Happy NY.
Great post. More discussion of this please.
“When you stick up YouTube videos and Soundcloud clips – especially videos and clips which everyone else is pimping at the same time – with just a scrap of explanation or review or critical slant, please note that this is just softcore PR and nothing more. ”
- well said, and it’s not just in music blogs but in entertainment/culture blogs as a whole. I see so many rehashed press releases now that it’s very difficult to find what’s discovered and what’s “curated” which seems to be a catch all for copy-and-paste. There is, of course, nothing wrong with the latter IF you’re honest about it, but many, as you say, think they’re more highly regarded than they are.
” But, thankfully because it’s a small country, we can recognise the ties that bind and hence why some writers are probably not quite as highly regarded as they think they are. More declarations of interests please”
I’m curious – are you aiming this at anyone in particular or are there a number of examples you could cite? It just seems like quite a pointed comment.
Daragh – your reply has widened out why I didn’t name anyone in particular because it’s clearly something which is endemic online. I suppose a lot of it has to do with having done a big cull over the Xmas of my Google Reader feeds (and blogroll here) and seen how so many blogs are now just “curators” (which is an insult to the people who’ve traded as curators as years before this came along – might also be worth reading Fintan O’Toole this morning on how words and meanings can be hijacked – http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0103/1224309734610.html). It’s so annoying to see everyone pick up on the same thing – musically, if P4K or GvB post something, everyone else has rehashed it by dinnertime. I’ve no problem with people covering the same thing – that’s what journalism is about – but give it some welly, come with some different angles, get something no-one else has, put some effort in to differentiate what you’re about from everyone else. After all, the artists we love and admire most do it, so why shouldn’t the commentators do the same? Did people really start a blog, website or Tumblr to do some cutting and pasting? Is this really all we want to do with this great technology and our own instinctive wish to share, communicate and discuss the things which excite, inspire and influence us? Put up a YouTube clip which you saw on another site?
As for the “small country” and “declarations of interet” comment, that’s aimed at a multitude of commentators, both on and offline!
linda – cheers! Happy 2012 to you
totally agree with that – while I can be guilty of it myself at times it’s kinda annoying to see my Twitter feed being clogged up by the same accounts retweeting each other and posting the same video etc.
Jim, cheers for the reply. Makes a lot of sense and it’s something I’ve been thinking about a while now. Fair play for discussing it so openly – hope it leads to more chatter around it.
I don’t know why most of the PR people who send out the releases to bloggers don’t blog this stuff themselves. Is it actually just down to sending the client a list of the blogs that featured it and saying “there now, that’s 12 blogs. Here’s my invoice?”
It’d be great to see what constitutes a good post these days – whether music, entertainment, culture, film, food or whatever. Without blowing smoke, most of the quality stuff I read now is from journalists – is this, I wonder, down to discipline, passion or just being paid for putting the work in? Not reigniting the bloggers vs journos debate (yes, they’re different etc) but is there a platform for quality writing other than a site like this one? Food for thought etc
As someone whose site falls neatly into the remit of this and the HYS post, I’ve been mulling this over for about a week now. I absolutely agree that there should be a greater degree of criticism regarding the quality of the music on offer. That’s the ideal and it should be in proportion to the level of attention the music is receiving. Some people are very good at doing this, others are not.
Which leads me to the next point; I do not believe that criticism should ever be forced, that any music writer should sit down listening for reasons to dis/like something, assessing it solely for the purpose of providing ‘better’ content on a blog or article, waiting for the parts that can be translated into words and given a critical rating. To me, that seems at odds with the essence of enjoying music on a basic level of being open. We don’t waste time doing things we dislike, by listening to ska, going to jazz gigs or freeform dance interpretations or whatever things other people don’t enjoy themselves, and if someone is not a critical writer by nature, they should give it a try but not strive to fulfill this role.
One other thing is that criticising things with the level of attention that befits such a task takes time. Sometimes reviews take days to write, sometimes there are things that irk or confuse the listener which simply don’t make sense when put into words and cannot be properly justified as criticism. I know a lot of bloggers maintain their sites as hobbies and are usually juggling other commitments as well, often day jobs, and so when turning their hands to their own area of interest in music, the last thing they want to do is treat it like a job. Also, while certain sites all feature the same thing they think deserves attention, a lot of these have their own readership that does not cross over to other music sites who have the same content, so there’s a necessary degree of tailoring the featured music to an audience who may appreciate it, not having heard it elsewhere.
There are quite a few other things that come to mind but this comment would end up being longer than your post! I’ll simply leave it with this: there are far too many bad writers out there who are more highly regarded than they should be. If it was up to me, I’d say in 2012 I’d love to see more great writers – critical or not – with enthusiasm and wit coming along and giving us new food for thought.
Nice piece and interesting points about rehashing press releases, I know there have been times I’ve done that, based on the thinking that ‘if I don’t then other (sites) will’ which is just part of the learning curve for anyone blogging or managing a site. Not something I’d do anymore. But can see the thinking of sites/bloggers that do it; that if they have a handful of original posts each day/week AND the copy-and-pasted news that ‘X are launching an album in Workmans’ they they’ll get more hits. Not arguing it’s a good thing just that it’s understandable why it’s done, as long as it’s not replacing the original opinion piece that are going up on a blog I wouldn’t hold it against anyone.
I don’t know why most of the PR people who send out the releases to bloggers don’t blog this stuff themselves. Is it actually just down to sending the client a list of the blogs that featured it and saying “there now, that’s 12 blogs. Here’s my invoice?”
Darragh – yes, what you said. Clients want to see that the PR has done the work so they just bang it out, get the clippings and send in the invoice. As much down to the old-fashioned mindset of the client as anything else.
most of the quality stuff I read now is from journalists – is this, I wonder, down to discipline, passion or just being paid for putting the work in?
Again, I’m an interested party in this so, of course, I’d agree with you! But those qualities are important and it’s why you do see the most insightful stuff coming from people who’ve learned their trade. Not that every journalist is worth reading, mind you, but those who are, I think, are the ones who’ve brought that skillset to bear on the online world.
What I’ve learned most in the nearly five years I’ve spent doing OTR is that it’s often your readers who will find the good stuff first and bring it to your attention. The trick is to know when the stuff is worth running with and when you’re being used by someone (easy enough to spot, I find). This can be invaluable – look at this post http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2011/12/22/details-on-mcds-phoenix-park-concerts/ from before Xmas where OTR reader Brian talked about MCD’s licence application for shows in the Phoenix Park next summer. A brilliant find which no-one else had because no-one else (including myself, to be honest) thought to go look for it.
I absolutely agree that there should be a greater degree of criticism regarding the quality of the music on offer. That’s the ideal and it should be in proportion to the level of attention the music is receiving. Some people are very good at doing this, others are not.
Naomi – I’m a little confused by this. What exactly do you mean? I may be wrong but I read this that if a band are not “big” enough and not getting a lot of attention then that they shouldn’t get much criticism. Is this what you mean?
I do not believe that criticism should ever be forced, that any music writer should sit down listening for reasons to dis/like something, assessing it solely for the purpose of providing ‘better’ content on a blog or article, waiting for the parts that can be translated into words and given a critical rating.
Agree 100% that this is how many blogs and websites operate BUT I’m also arguing that those websites who seek and strive to be more than that need to add some critical muscle. Not everything is brilliant and to me, the last few years have seen a worrying decease in proper critical attention to new Irish acts which has been replaced by a cheerleader mentality which does no-one – act or audience, blogger or writer – any favours in the long run.
I know a lot of bloggers maintain their sites as hobbies and are usually juggling other commitments as well, often day jobs, and so when turning their hands to their own area of interest in music, the last thing they want to do is treat it like a job
Is this difference always obvious to the reader, though, I wonder?
Also, while certain sites all feature the same thing they think deserves attention, a lot of these have their own readership that does not cross over to other music sites who have the same content, so there’s a necessary degree of tailoring the featured music to an audience who may appreciate it, not having heard it elsewhere.
Hmm, let’s agree to disagree on this one! The number of sites covering Irish music is small and so is the readership so I’d argue that Blog A covering new Irish music has the same readers as Blog B covering the same ground. Also, as I said above, there is nothing wrong with covering the same thing but cover it differently, cover it better, cover it in a way which makes your reader go “holy shit, that’s really good, I never though of that”.
I’ll simply leave it with this: there are far too many bad writers out there who are more highly regarded than they should be. If it was up to me, I’d say in 2012 I’d love to see more great writers – critical or not – with enthusiasm and wit coming along and giving us new food for thought.
I’ll second that and hope they’ll also turn their laptops to balancing enthusiasm and energy with criticism and context. Happy new year!
Kevind04 – the problem occurs when rehashing press releases – or writing news stories, if you will – is the ONLY thing on the site. Don’t under-estimate the wisdom of your readers – they’re a smart bunch. I think they can deal with, to quote Naomi above, “great writers – critical or not – with enthusiasm and wit coming along and giving us new food for thought”. But as you say, you need the original opinion pieces too to give any site its oomph and USP.
Completely agree, if there isn’t any original writing up on site then it’s a little pointless and just another form of churnalism.
@ 5 Linda
I’m a huge Emmett Tinley fan myself. I used to go and see The Prayerboat play in Roisin’s in Galway all the time many moons ago . Also caught him the last time he played Whelans on the 10 year ( ?) anniversary of the release of ” Polinchinelle ” . He’s currently based in Aarhus, Denmark .
“Also, it’s never really a good thing when cosy relationships exist between artists and those writing about said acts. It’s sadly inevitable in a country as small as this, but it amazes me that it still goes on and that it’s somehow seen by both sides as a positive. Where’s the critical remove, the distance required to serve your readers?”
Jim, that’s a very interesting and relevant point and something that I’ve often mused over in the quieter recesses of my time. We’re a peculiar old species here in Ireland when it comes to criticism and I think, in particular, that when we do read reviews, opinion pieces etc. that it’s always tempered with a bit of distance and the fuller context applied – “Ah sure they’re only giving it 4 stars because it’s Irish” and so on and so forth. I’d always, always prefer to come away from reading a blog or piece on any aspect of culture agreeing or disagreeing with someone or having been provided with some food for thought instead of a bland PR-esque piece. Life is much easier when you know where you stand with someone and something they proffer online, in print or in person. I do think that most discerning readers can see through the inane and banal. Those cheerleading pieces are the equivalent of tabloids waving their pom-poms and getting behind The X Factor or whatever shit-fest is a la mode as these behemoths feed on themselves. Anyway OTR can never be accused of towing the party line so hat’s off to you there sir. I think part of the reason why I enjoy reading OTR is because of its tendency to polarise views on occasion which in my book is always a fine thing.
That said, Happy New Year Jim and thanks for a blogtastic 2011. I eagerly look forward to 2012 and so far it’s already off to a good start!
Can I speak up for the blogger as curator? I enjoy reading this blog, but in general I have no interest in music journalism – what I want is a list of stuff the blogger likes that I can listen to. Over time it’ll become obvious if what the blogger likes is interesting to me, if not then they get dropped from my reader. Simple!
Fergal – happy new year to you as well
Conflicts of interest are inevitable – even when you try to dodge them – so I always believe that writers should declare any such things at the outset and let the reader judge. Regular readers will recognise the occasional DOI which I always put in here if I feel that a line might be crossed. But I continue to be amazed when I read stuff elsewhere – offline and online – where there is a big bleedin’ conflict of interest which is not declared. I think it links in to what you say about people regarding some 4 star reviews as getting an extra star because they’re Irish – there are some writers I just don’t bother with anymore because the links between them and the act’s PR company are so glaring that I can’t understand why the commissioning editor has published the piece. I’ve found that it’s best for my head to ignore the writer (and the act). Much better to be straight up and honest with the reader, because he or she are the ones that count.
Cormac – RT’d
- “if a band are not “big” enough and not getting a lot of attention then that they shouldn’t get much criticism”?
Nope, I mean that if 10 music writers all profess a liking for an artist, there should be that many examples of critical appraisal explaining why they’re worth the hype. Sometimes there’s a knock-on effect when someone posts something and everyone else follows suit – when that happens, I think criticism is very valuable to keep things in proportion and to avoid the music being treated as disposable fodder that will be dropped again quickly when something else comes along.
- “Not everything is brilliant and to me, the last few years have seen a worrying decease in proper critical attention”
I’m not sure that everything is presented as brilliant. Some things are just good, interesting or different. Of course I can only speak for myself but I try to reserve gushing adulation and explain why I have chosen to post anything that comes up on the site. However. a lot of music is just given some space for the sake of it because it’s been featured elsewhere and when brilliance or other plaudits are given, well, my comment above should apply to that, brilliance should be balanced with proper reasons.
-”The number of sites covering Irish music is small and so is the readership”.
I wouldn’t agree with the shared readership, some music blogs only get 100 hits a day, others get 10x that, but the readers of site A may well be from personal recruitment so they don’t usually frequent the blogosphere (arggh, bad word!). So if a blogger really likes James Vincent McMorrow’s song and wants to share it, they shouldn’t be put off by the fact that several others already have it. When it comes to very popular stuff like that, I personally find I often choose not to cover it because I know plenty of others out there will have the same news. That depends however: I made that mistake with a rush job on the new Cast Of Cheers video/single and immediately regretted it because I knew that I could have done better and the band deserved better too. Sometimes it just happens that way.
In terms of those traffic hits mentioned above, I’d say your advice in the last line would be crucial to making a difference to the small blogs’ statistics. A distinctive voice is the first step to a committed readership that spreads word and helps it grow, which will never happen on the back of copy and pasted press releases.
Naomi – thanks for the clarification. Just for the record, when I say “criticism” or “critical”, I don’t necessarily imply a negative review – I mean a more robust review and analysis than a simple line of text linking to a YouTube video.
I’m not sure that everything is presented as brilliant. Some things are just good, interesting or different.
I’m sure that’s the case but I often feel from reading Irish blogs covering Irish music that the overwhelming reaction is thumbs up all round when the act are in no way deserving of such flowery accolades. It goes back to Fergal’s point above about four star for Irish acts. And “Just good”, “interesting” and “different” can also be seen as negative!
I made that mistake with a rush job on the new Cast Of Cheers video/single and immediately regretted it because I knew that I could have done better and the band deserved better too. Sometimes it just happens that way.
Sadly too many others don’t think that and I really feel readers can see through that group-think at this stage, especially with the advent of Twitter and RTs.
A distinctive voice is the first step to a committed readership that spreads word and helps it grow, which will never happen on the back of copy and pasted press releases.
So true. More of the former and less of the latter in 2012, please.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for my first proud moment of 2012 where I found out [thanks to your link] that I’m the only Irish blogger to have posted mp3s of The Coronas in the pre-IMROgate days! Have a good 2012!
P
“After all, the artists we love and admire most do it, so why shouldn’t the commentators do the same?”
I’m right behind you on this point. And without wanting to get overly personal it’s something that occurred to me over the Xmas period whilst listening to a print journalist on the promo circuit for his book release. If, rather than contribute something unique and original you piggyback on a formula as generic, hackneyed and bland as ‘101 blanks to blank before you blank’ then, in my opinion, you really are an odd position when critiquing the mediocre creative output of others.
Another odd late 2011 occurrence was the band who turned into a creative arts magazine. Sorry, I just don’t get that.
On the more general issue – all readers have their criteria. I don’t really follow the new music/blog trail – and music reviews/recommendations is certainly not why I come to OTR, myself and Jim don’t seem to share much common ground musically. But music industry wise Jim is where it’s at – OTR does the industry legwork so I don’t have to – and the randomiser is my no.1 music business gateway portal. Also you really don’t get the comment field shouting and roaring elsewhere – sure it can occasionally get overly petty and what not – but it goes hand in hand with the general editorial being more robust and is all the better for it. I’d take that over the cosy flattery tennis you get elsewhere, same reason I check out Vincent Browne panel discussion over a Tom Dunne one…
Happy New Year.
Re: LaFaro
There’s a funny video of them from SXSW doing the song ” Chopper is a Fucking Tout “……..which i double dare them to play if they ever do a gig in Melbourne ( !! ) , and the guitarist leans down to hear what some girl in the front row is saying . She tells them to finish up as its too loud and the singer says ” I’ll finish you ” ……..lol
dont have the link here but its easy find on youtube………….!
happy new year to all you folk..
hmm, you’re hanging out bait jim and i’m taking it..
“When you stick up YouTube videos and Soundcloud clips – especially videos and clips which everyone else is pimping at the same time – with just a scrap of explanation or review or critical slant, please note that this is just softcore PR and nothing more.”
i find your three new music selections every week invariably dull and pointless, and i’ve stopped listening to them altogether.. the quest for newest of the new is great and all that, but underdeveloped music is a waste of everyone’s time. perhaps narrow it to one act to improve quality? i’m sure it’s great encouragement for those bands and singers receiving the attention, but i’ve yet to find something truly great through it. perhaps said bands and singers would be better spoken of but not heard, to build up expectation for the time when their tunes are fully blooded and ready to go. just a thought. then again, it’s not your problem if they have stuff up online to be heard and you link to it..
honestly.. i wish more bloggers would look backwards as well as forwards.. there’s so much recorded music from all around the globe from the past 60 or more years that still lies relatively buried.. but practically all irish bloggers focus only on raking up anything they think people mightn’t have heard before. again just a thought.
colly – happy new year! Just wait until you hear the album that Delorentos your creative magazine band (I think that’s who you are talking about) have recorded – it will blow your socks off (I assume your mind is open enough to let in new music or new chances from old bands). And thanks for the compliments on OTR’s music biz stuff (and comparisons to VB…I should be thanking you for that, right?). I have to say I’m kind of hoping that the old days of over the top shouting and roaring in the comments are over – and not just over the top shouting and roaring by me. When the comments go over 50, you know it’s just pointless trying to keep on top of it and regular readers will know that I just take the piss out of it then (sorry everyone). I see this happening again and again on various blogs from time to time, but always prefer when it calms down and you can get reasoned, serious, smart debate and recommendations instead. That said, Choice Music prize shortlist next week….
halandor – happy 2012s to you too. One man’s New Music picks is another man’s “dull and pointless” selections. If you chose 3 new or old acts every week, I doubt I’d agree with everything you’d pick. Regarding underdeveloped music, see http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2011/12/13/the-moral-of-2012-for-bands-acts-and-musicians-it-takes-time/ As for old music, it’s an idea to consider – The Guardian do it at http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/series/old-music – though I do cover a fair share of old stuff as well as new stuff on the weekly radio show (tonight, Phantom 105.2 FM, wireless fans).
“I assume your mind is open enough to let in new music or new chances from old bands”
Jim – Absolutely. Nothing personal against em at all – just musing on the theme of Irish music scene as cosy cottage industry, bit of a pet topic n’all. Everyone who’s had dealings with that band in the past (myself included) will tell you that you won’t meet a nicer bunch etc etc… Which is irrelevant really. I give my favourite bands a healthy slating when they lose the plot too so I don’t have qualms about doing so to acts im ambivalent about.
It’s not that i don’t listen to new stuff i just generally ignore pre/post/release hype and give it a few months to die down… If folk are still recommending the new Delorentos album in September i may just check it out, it’s not a race. I’ll be steering well clear of their little ‘our mates in the media’ pull out supplement though.
Good post, get someone at Phantom to sort of the podcast situation!
@24 yeah i’d already read that link about the development of music, thanks. i completely agree with everything in there. i’ve also gone a little further on it, to the idea that perhaps bands artistes etc are better off holding back putting anything anywhere for listenership until it’s fully cooked. look at for example the weeknd last year. that act arrived pretty much fully formed, out of nowhere, and went pretty much viral immediately.. if the internet is flooded with shite demos from a band (even if said demos exicte some people about the ‘potential’ on display), is anyone likely to pay attention if/when they strike gold with a good album/ep/song? look at odd future too.. they went stratospheric overnight but as the dust settled everyone realised they’re perhaps not bringing the substance (barring the excellent ‘goblin’ from tyler, most other tunes i’ve heard from that camp are not really happening). just a thought for young bands out there, would it be a novel idea to stay off the internet altogether?! people want what they can’t have..
and yeah kudos for the old stuff on your show, i’ve noticed it before, i have a particular affinity for your taste in old-school hip-hop that pops up from time to time. thanks a mil for the guardian link, had no idea that was in existence, i see it’s only started since last september. excellent idea, more of this please. genres like for example hip-hop have a wealth of amazing tunes that for one reason or another didn’t enter the popular canon and are now lost to younger folk like myself (no offence, oldie hawn..
).
oh and for the craic i just had a listen to delorentos’ lead single from their ‘little sparks’ EP.. i dunno if that’s the new stuff you’re talking about jim but it seriously lacks personality. sure, the pop energy is there and it all sounds lovely and hooky and chorusy and all but where’s the character? it’s identikit pop, sounding like it could be any scottish indie band from the last twenty years.. and by that i mean no offence to the dudes in that band, i’m sure they work their nuts off and good luck to ‘em and all that but.. it’s not for me i guess..
colly @ 25 – I have to say that it was the magazine which piqued my interest again in the band – a superb idea and a way to think outside the box. When you see “their little ‘our mates in the media’ pull out supplement”, I saw a really interesting way of doing something different to accompany a new release. If only more acts were more innovative…. And the new albums rocks IMHO – I think when you get around to listening to it in Sep, you’ll agree (if you approach it with open ears)
halandor @ 27 – that’s a point I’ve made again and again in the last few months – bands should wait until they’re ready to release the tunes because the minute you put up something online, you’re in the game and fair game for the snarks and reviews. You mention The Weeknd – dude release THREE fantastic mix albums last year. Boom, boom, boom. All of them were gems and he was immediately catapulted to the top of the class because fans do recognise when something is superb as opposed to just having potential. You also mention Odd Future – have you checked out OF member Frank Ocean’s album “Nostalgia, Ultra”? Again, a set of tunes which are bang on and ready.
As for the old stuff, I think there’s more than enough of a mix here as it is (see post going up later this morning, for instance or, as you said, the old music which pops on the weekly radio show playlist or Now Playing posts) without doing a specific old music section, but you never know. That said, don’t expect us to do a 180 and move away from the state of affairs where new music is the main focus. That ain’t going to change.
Happy new year & welcome back Mr C.
In the absence of a randomiser (and midst a slow news week)…Prince @ The O2, March 3 & 4.
James D – happy new year! Just saw that rumour too – http://prince.org/msg/12/373629 – hope to hell it’s true – missed Malahide Castle. Doing some enquiring now about the shows.
Bit late on this, but the lack of any opinion or original slant on a huge number of blogs these days is part of the reason I stopped reading so many, It irritates the fuck out of me when I see someone post a great song with a release date and nothing else. If it doesn’t move you to write about it, you’re not doing it for the right reason.
Naomi’s right though, that it really takes time to write things up the way they deserve. But I’d much rather read a blog that updates with great stuff once a week, though they may not be going anywhere fast as a result.
shane – see, this is where the whole quality vs quantity thing comes sharply into focus. I always feel sad when I look at my Google Reader feeds and don’t see any update from The Torture Garden. You were one of my big sources for tunes and fascinating blog posts about those tunes and I really wish you were still writing. You were someone who NEVER did what everyone else did and that made your site a must-read for me and many others. That’s what I miss because what we have instead is so unpalatable and bland and nondescript. Worse, I’m sure there are many who now see blogging simply, as you put it, as posting “a great song with a release date and nothing else”. For anyone who thinks that, here are some blog posts which are much (much) more than that – and apologies if I make you blush here
http://thetorturegarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/bring-arcade-fire-to-work-day.html
http://thetorturegarden.blogspot.com/2009/12/dm-stith-interview.html
http://thetorturegarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/cathy-davey-dm-stith-playing-in-our.html
Ah thanks Jim, I’m blushing a bit now. I do plan to find more time to write this year, there’s still plenty of songs that I want to ramble on about.
Thanks for your kind words.
Less curation and more criticism please, especially criticism of some of the non-mainstream’s most sacred cows who’ve gone fat and lazy. We know you think it – now write it.
Most bloggers do not want to be journalists. That is why this will not happen.
The majority of bloggers start because they want to share and recommend the music they like to others as I’m sure you’re aware, not because they want to make grand critical statements about a song they like. The idea also doesn’t really take into account that most blogs cover things which they like, not what they don’t, which is why you don’t get any major criticism in what they cover.
That expectation or desire for bloggers to more critical also negates to take into account that the majority of music bloggers are not great writers and have no interest in being so. People like Darragh Compost Heap and Shane Torture Garden are those kind of writers and are exceptions.
I often think that people with a background in writing are the only ones who get annoyed by a lack of criticism on blogs. I would imagine most people don’t care if you say something or write nothing to accompany a video. It’s something that regularly annoys me anyway but only because as a music blogger myself. I understand that blogs generally don’t cover things in a negative fashion so what I do like is contextual information. If I want proper criticism i’ll read a review or a think piece in a web magazine or traditional publication for the most part. Blogs are for getting music recommendations for me not for commentary on what’s going on in music.
At the same time, I think it’s fair game for anyone who writes a blog to not say anything. That’s their prerogative. They have no obligation. I won’t be reading but loads of others will.
Niall – there are no hard or fast rules on what a blog is or isn’t (if there is, can someone link me to them?), just as there are no hard or fast rules on what a reader wants from a blog. I’m expressing an opinion on what I want from blogs and why I favour some blogs over others – is this a crime?
Yes, as someone from a journalism background, of course I favour the blogs with more depth and heft. But what gets on my goat is when blogs simply copy what someone else has done or found or reported in a “me too” way. You may believe that this points to a need to “share and recommend” but I see it as a blogger wanting to be part of the cool school. I see it every day in my blog feed – P4K or Gorilla vs Bear will premiere something and within hours, every blog has picked up on it. Yes, it’s new and notable but there are also dozens of other releases which deserve that coverage too. Why aren’t they getting picked up? Why the safety of crowds? Blog champions always go on about how blogs mean acts get coverage who never could have got coverage from the old media – yet what I see time and time again is rampant “me too”-ism which the old media was rightly criticised for.
There are no rules about blogs and Tumblr, but it is the ones who differ from the pack, who take their own steer, who are leaders not followers, who realise and relish the power of their own voices, who are enthustiastic about what they cover and why, who are unique, which will last the test of time.
Niall – there are no hard or fast rules on what a blog is or isn’t (if there is, can someone link me to them?), just as there are no hard or fast rules on what a reader wants from a blog. I’m expressing an opinion on what I want from blogs and why I favour some blogs over others – is this a crime?
Of course there’s no rules but I’m going by the majority of what people do.
The current trend for firsties has got on my goat big time myself. It’s making reading some of the most referenced music blogs very tiring. It’s something I’m personally trying to be actively aware of and tackle directly by not rushing to post things and maybe avoiding things that are absolutely everywhere else. But sometimes, you just really want to cover something that everyone else is hearing for the first time too. It’s a rush of excitement that you just don’t want to ignore or is of interest to those that read your blog. That’s OK too as long as you’re offering something else I think. There are enough blogs that I follow offering up music I haven’t seen anywhere else or that don’t follow the new music nowness idea.
I’ve talked before how there’s room for a slow music digestion movement to happen. It’s bound to. The gap between new music hitting the web and it being covered by hundreds of blogs has gotten really predictable and jaded. I’ve definitely been consuming things a bit more carefully these days. You have to. We live in a time where there’s an abundance of good music. I want to be sure that everything I post falls in the GREAT music category – the kind of music which splits your insides, makes you well up or moves you in some way. And that still sounds great after a year, two years, five years or ten years.
I feel a think piece coming on…
Niall – interesting that you mention music “that still sounds great after a year, two years, five years or ten years”. I spent most of Saturday in the attic chucking out promo CDs from the last couple of years featuring tons of acts who were given a lot of blog love (and mainstream press love) and who have just faded from view. But the problem is that it’s not our job to ensure bands have long-terms stayability. It would be nice to think that we had that power but we don’t because it’s down to the band to do the spadework and heavy lifting. Our job – as far as I can see – is convey our excitement or irritation or enthusiasm about a release or band. We’re not A&R men or record label execs so we can’t manipulate a band’s career. I always find it interesting to look back 2 years in OTR’s archives to see what acts I was talking about then and how they’re performing now and I’m always happy to see that the act are still in the making music business.
Can’t wait to read that think piece…..