Monday, December 8, 2008
ASTHMATIC KITTY ADOPTS CRITIC-BASED PRICING STRUCTURE FOR GRAMPALL JOOKABOXMusic label Asthmatic Kitty Records is experimenting with a new post-In Rainbows
method of determining the price of an album. Instead of allowing the consumer to dictate price, Asthmatic Kitty looked to the next obvious choice to determine the value of an album: the music critic.Today, renowned and respected indie rock critics Pitchfork Media released a review of Ropechain, the second full length album from Indianapolis-based Grampall Jookabox. Employing their 10-point system, Pitchfork scored the album at a 5.4.
Asthmatic Kitty will therefore sell Ropechain for $5.40 for 54 hours from 9am, December 8th.
“Pitchfork’s ten point scoring system, along with their infamous one decimal point makes them the ideal choice for a dry run with this experimental pricing structure. It just makes dollars and sense,” said Michael Kaufmann, A&R.
Moose, frontman for Grampall Jookabox, commented, “I know that it has been a long and difficult road for music critics everywhere. It’s 2008, but until now their point systems had absolutely no effect on the value of music. Today, they rightly take their place as determiners of the value of music. “
Both Moose and Kaufmann are so excited about this new move for the label and band that they quickly collaborated in a music video of “Let’s Get Mad Together” from Ropechain to commemorate the new pricing structure. Moose dons a dollar bill costume and dances while Kaufmann stands on his head. The video is here:
http://vimeo.com/2446399Whether this pricing structure will proliferate through the entire record industry depends both on the experiment’s success at Asthmatic Kitty Records, and the willingness of music critics to adjust their reviews to fit currency valuation. Just as Radiohead’s album sale did, this move may send shock waves through the industry. It is expected that those publications using grade levels, percentage points, or “stars” may have to quickly adjust. Some have purportedly already started converting their scores straight into U.S. dollars.
Consumers wishing to participate in the experiment can buy the album from this news item:http://asthmatickitty.com/
news.php?newsID=372
NB: I’ve met Michael from AK on (I believe) two occasions, and can vouch for the fact that he’s an incredibly nice, very bright guy who by all accounts runs a great label.
Reviewing this record was a no-brainer to me from a purely critical perspective: Not only was I familiar with Adamson from seeing him all over Bloomington and Indianapolis through his various incarnations, but coming from Indiana as well, I felt that I had insight into the ways he represented himself in that regard. I think Adamson’s got a lot of potential, as I mention in the review, but I also think Ropechain stops short of being anything more than mediocre.
Reviewing this record was, on the other hand, quite challenging for me from a local perspective: Not only was I familiar with Adamson from seeing him all over Bloomington and Indianapolis through his various incarnations, but coming from Indiana as well, I have a deep-seated desire to see my fellow Hoosiers succeed, and give us something to brag about to those who would call us a “flyover state.” Indianapolis, despite a population well over a million, has struggled for as long as I can remember to establish itself culturally, after decades of its mayors working in the other direction: vanilla, cookie-cutter gentrification in the interest of attracting temporary out-of-town visitors (conventions and the like), and no semblance of feasible public transit to link what is an amazingly spread-out city. The main cultural areas in the city–the “Mass. Ave” section of downtown and the near-Northside area called Broad Ripple–are fine, but they (smartly, of course) cater to (upper) middle-class suburban commuters and Butler undergrads. Shows at the Vogue–one of the best places to see a show in the Midwest–have become few and far between, and have to end at 10 in order for those who drink watery liquor from test tubes (a much more lucrative venture than 2 buck PBRs, to be sure) to enter the venue.
There are plenty of wonderful independently-owned outlets in Indianapolis to acquire music (the wonderful Luna Music, Indy CD and Vinyl, Missing Link Records). Radio Radio and Locals Only are great venues that deserve better patronage. There are also three great labels: AK of course, but also Joyful Noise and Standard Recordings, which issued this great thing a month or so ago. And plenty of people are doing their dead best to promote Indy’s cultural/musical history (the stalwart Jeb Banner at Musical Family Tree) and getting touring bands to the city (Dodge at MOKB/LaundroMatinee). NUVO is a wonderful free alt-ish weekly (complete with pages and pages of porn in the back!). Indy’s Marmoset is one of the best unrecognized indie bands to ever emerge from the Midwest, and the Zero Boys (whose bassist owns the above Radio Radio) are one of first-wave punk’s Midwestern standard-bearers (soon to be reissued!).
All this said, in the case of Ropechain, and my work for Pitchfork, my critical side has to overwhelm my civic-mindedness. I’m expected to provide insight there, but not flat-out patronage, as much as I’d like to. Furthermore, I think that any scene worth its salt needs dissenting critical voices to arise occasionally, lest the whole thing grow static with back-pats and creative wheel-spinning. Re-read the above email–it’s a pretty ingenious way to sell records, and I honestly hope it works for him (believe it or not, critics don’t want artists and labels to fail)–and share with me the conflicted notion that, unbeknownst to myself, I’m at least “helping” in some way.
You’re a self righteous douchebag. Terrible review, but what can you expect from a wide eyed corn husker, happy as a pig in shit to get to write a review for pitchfork? Good work. You did a fine job wallowing around on their level.
Sometimes I feel that comments like this come from the same sort of spam-generators that clog my inbox with fake penis-enhancement ads. Way to raise the level of discourse while telling me I’m lowering it, anonymous.
Calling you a self righteous douchebag is just as articulate as the bulk of your jookabox review. You have no problem being nasty to that band in your review, but you seem to be awful defensive when your own shitty work is challenged.
My mistake on the “cornhusker reference”. I give you a 6.3 for that catching me on that.
as a fellow hoosier, I share your sentiment in regards to wanting, so badly, for a relevant “scene” to develop. We’ve got the population, the venues, the record stores. Everytime I vacation in another city, I make it a point to visit the local record shops, and try to see a concert. I’m always a tad bit dissapointed. I’m talking about Reckless in chicago, or Grimey’s in Nashville… They’re great, but I always leave thinking, man, Luna destroys this place. Or wondering why there aren’t more touring acts coming by Radio Radio, the absolute BEST small bar to see a band.
Anyway, back to your point, I can’t help but feel like this pricing scheme is yet another attempt at the “me too” idea of unique pricing. It just seems a little too gimmicky to me. I guess I hope it gets them sales, because I so desparately want Hoosier related indie music to succeed, but why can’t the music just sell itself based on it’s own merits?
Also, just to stir the pot a bit, in regards to wanting local music to succeed, in spite of whether you love it or hate it… I’d like to go on the record and say how much I dislike Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. This seems like the undeserved band that gets all the back patting to me. They seem to hate the fact that they are from here, so why are they loved so much? I will admit, I did smile a tiny smile when Conan introduced a them on his show as “hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana.”
Oops, typos in my last sentence. Yikes. My name is Tim Hunter. I’m anonymous, because I don’t want to to sign up on google blogger. You can find me at Radio Radio almost every weekend.
I think Jookabox, Margot, and Marmoset are all underrated bands. Most of them hang out at the local spots and I just saw a bulletin with margot asking people to support mass ave video, a great local movie joint that desperately needs the business. Seems like a nice way to support indy. Didn’t they have marmoset’s name on their guitar on the late night show?
In my mind Marmoset is Indy’s best “indie” band, but Jookabox’s record is one of the best bedroom pop albums I’ve heard all year.
And come on, my fellow anonymous, of course the pricing structure bit is a gimmick. It’s a funny way to spin an absurd rating system in the artist’s favor.
Missing Link is gone and good riddance. They haven’t been much worth the trip since moving off the main strip in Broad Ripple. Also, the comment above about Margo is dead on. Mediocre band at best plus the fact that Ritchie seems so uncomfortable with being from Indy has always made me wonder why people here are on the dick so much. As much as I’d love to see a local make good, I wish it could be someone a little more interesting and a little less selfconsious about being from here.
“You have no problem being nasty to that band in your review, but you seem to be awful defensive when your own shitty work is challenged.”
–Hey, idiot: I’m not being defensive in the slightest, I’m searching for something specific to respond to, instead of generic, dunderheaded, anonymous snark.
“Also, just to stir the pot a bit, in regards to wanting local music to succeed, in spite of whether you love it or hate it… I’d like to go on the record and say how much I dislike Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. This seems like the undeserved band that gets all the back patting to me. They seem to hate the fact that they are from here, so why are they loved so much? I will admit, I did smile a tiny smile when Conan introduced a them on his show as ‘hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana.’”
Me, too! I just wish that it wasn’t because Margot is feeding into the same infantilized Wes Anderson precious-fest that makes a label like Epic take notice. I’ve talked to more people around Indy and Bloomington that resent them than like them, that’s for sure.
Hello,
This is Michael from Asthmatic Kitty Records. While I try and avoid chiming in on stuff like this, I felt a bit of an obligation to do so in this case. Let me just say that first and foremost I am grateful to Pitchfork and Eric for taking the time to listen and review Ropechain for their site. I don’t know the exact number, but I can only guess the number of albums Pitchfork receives every day is so ridiculously large that being reviewed at all is an honor and a validation that our music is worth considering for review. Of course I am bummed about the review. I love the album, Asthmatic Kitty wouldn’t have released it otherwise. And I do take some issues with Eric on his review, but I think I will take those up with him personally. But we didn’t run our press release or pricing scheme as a counter-attack on pitchfork or Eric.
Okay, I will be honest, it is being ironic and having fun with the situation. But I repeat, fun. The point was to have fun with it. It is a joke. Yes, it is part publicity stunt, but that is our job! It is our job to get people to find about our records. And I would rather do this in creative and nontraditional ways than just stickering the hell out of some rock club bathroom stall. We saw an opportunity to show that we can take the bad review in good sport while also having the opportunity to add a little social and economic commentary on what determines the value of music.
Indianapolis is a strange city. I have only lived here for a few years, so I am no authority on the matter…but in the short time I have lived here I have fallen in love with this city. And Ropechain is a personification of what I love about this city. It is a complex story of race, sense of place, and paints the post-apocalyptic vibe of the city for what it is…a place for strange and wonderful creativity sneaking around between the cracks. It also uses humor in a way that I find as sophisticated as Vonnegut, another Nap Town native.
But if there is anything lacking about this city is its ability to look critically at itself. I have noticed this not only about its artists, but its residents as well. I sense that a lot of folks feel self-conscious about Indianapolis instead of embracing it. Look at Philadelphia for instance, now there is a working class city that isn’t even marked by highway signs as you drive 95 South. It goes NYC, Baltimore, DC. But Philadelphia has it figured out. They have embraced their identity as the kid brother to the more “sophisticated” neighbor siblings and made it their own. Indianapolis has the opportunity to do the same.
So, anonymous et al, I encourage you, let’s invite the constructive criticism, whether we agree with it or not, and fight the destructive criticism with a degree of restraint.
Thanks for your ears and your time.
I’m anonymous 2:01 from earlier. I made the mistake of posting as “anonymous” and didn’t mean to earlier.
Anyhow, Thanks for posting Michael. Very good of you to do so. Good point in your reference to Marketing being your job, and this is definitely better than stickering bathrooms, but at the same time, I feel like the Jookabox record might come to be known as “the album that did that weird pitchfork pricing scheme,” as opposed to being known as that cool, interesting “bedroom” pop record from Indy.”
Your idea is obviously well thought out, and now that you mention it, I’m glad you’re taking this opportunity to make a sort of tongue-in-cheek jab at pitchfork’s review system, which in my mind has become so big it almost avoids description.
By the way, Mr. Harvey, this is my first time (well, technically second) commenting on your site, and I just want to tell you how much I love it. I knew you were a sure pick to add to my news reader when I found out that:
1. You write a smart music blog
2. You’re a Hoosier
3. You like Steely Dan
Thanks for creating some awesome discourse today.
Perhaps, because of this sorta conflict of interest, you shouldn’t have reviewed the album at all? Maybe this calls to question how reviews are doled out by (or pitched to) Pitchfork?
(Word verification: aiseless)
Kevin,
Nope, not in the slightest. Secretly Canadian/Jag/D.O., as of the last year, sure. I don’t review that stuff anymore because I don’t feel like I can make a fair judgment. But there’s no conflict in, um, living in the same state as a guy, or having met the label owner twice! To me, that’s having specific knowledge about the product I’m reviewing.
Hey “Other Eric” – thanks!
thanks for the thoughtful post Eric. Although I strongly disagreed with your review, which I’m sure you may know from reading my MFT review of your review, I respect your opinion. One thing I would mention is that why not let someone that isn’t local (and potentially biased one way or another) review local releases? It seems like that might make more sense.
Maybe I don’t know how assignments are handed out at Pitchfork but it seems to me that I wouldn’t want to review local releases if I were in your position.
As a reader I’m going to assume bias from a reviewer that knows the artist and is from the same town. Normally this would be a positive bias but regardless I assume some kind of bias.
it seems to me that I wouldn’t want to review local releases if I were in your position.
I strongly disagree with this. I had something to say about this record specifically because I come from the same geographic vicinity as the artist! Why otherwise is it important for, say, a newspaper’s music critic to cover a local scene? The idea is that they have some insight into what goes on due to proximity. Pitchfork being a national/international publication (like so many newspapers now that they’re online) doesn’t have any bearing on that. I personally prefer a writer who knows something about the culture the artist comes from.
Grampall Jookabox, as Michael mentioned above, is very much an Indiana record. I’ve lived in Indiana my entire life. I don’t know him personally, nor do I know Michael in a way that would effect my take on the record. Honestly, I don’t get this critique at all. Maybe explain it a bit more?
It’s funny how no one kvetched about this stuff when I gave Marmoset a high-7 a year or so ago.
Who the hell is Marmoset?
Anyway, to expand on what I was saying (not so eloquently, as it turns out) … I think if you’re internally conflicted about criticizing a local band, then perhaps it’s better to say nothing at all. (And I say “you” in general, not you specifically, Eric.)
I also think you’d find that newspapers (and I’ve worked at a few) treat local bands with kid gloves. There’s more general coverage (”Hey, Such and Such Band has an album out!”) than there is critiquing (”Hey, Such and Such Band’s album blows!”). I’d venture to guess that a majority of newspaper music critics worry to some extent about treating local bands too harshly. Right or not, there’s a different standard in leveling criticism at, say, Coldplay than there is a local band trying to make ends meet on $3 covers.
I already drew this comparison with you on instant messenger, but it’s pretty similar to how newspaper sports departments cover high school athletes as opposed to pro (or even college) athletes. It’s less judgmental, no matter how shitty the Podunk Panthers were this season.
Part of the reason, I think, critics are a little soft on local bands is the fear of backlash that is a little more real/tangible. Obviously, Kanye West ain’t callin’ me if I rip on his album. But certainly a local band has a lot more access and that threat becomes real.
So Eric should be commended for putting himself out there and braving whatever backlash comes his way, from the label and/or artist.
Either way, thanks for the intriguing discourse here.
(Word verification: “saudef”
I can see your argument on reviewing local material but I still think it would make more sense for an objective outsider to review these “local” releases. Now, if you are writing an article on a band I think you can provide a unique perspective as an insider to the scene. But a album review is best done when the reviewer is walking into it without as little bias as possible. In my opinion.
On a personal note Eric, I want to encourage you to keep up the good work even if it means people like me give you occasional heat. I appreciate your engagement on this particular topic and as always you are very open and willing to share your thoughts which I think is commendable. Thanks, Jeb
Jeb–I’m of the opinion that there’s no such thing as “objective” when it comes to offering my opinion on something. I’ve said it above, but I feel like being from the same place as an artist (whom i’ve never met), and incorporating local knowledge into a review, gives it much more critical weight.
Just out of curiosity, what is it that makes people think Margot are ashamed of being from Indy? Was it the Melody Inn shirt clearly visible during the Conan O’Brien appearance, or the fact that MARMOSET was spelled out on the guitar during the same telecast?
TJ — you’ve hit it on the head. These people don’t really think they’re ashamed. They’re just trying to pick out something to hate them for.
Personally, I thought it was childish and uncalled for for Eric to take a shot at them in the review for Jookabox. He knows it was, too, but clearly he has his agenda. Nothing cooler than letting everyone know that you DON’T like Margot, that’s for sure. Make sure everyone knows, man!
Just wanted to chime in and say that living in Columbus, OH. I couldn’t help noticing how similar your descriptions of Indy sound to the way things are here.
As to the other debate taking place in this comments section, not being from Indy I don’t have any strong feelings one way or the other. Though I would say that I think that as a critic your job is to give an honest assessment of your opinion of the album you have been assigned to review. In this case it seems that you’ve done this. So, I’m not sure what everybody is all worked up about. Sometimes you like something that other people think is shit, and vice versa.
Additionally, the same people that seem to think it a conflict of interest for you to review this album seem to be the ones jumping down your throat about giving it a lukewarm review. Would they be taking that tact had you given the album a glowing assessment?
Pitchfork and labels like the now tweenie catering Sub par are just one big circle jerk. Like everything in the internet age, the 15 minutes (going on 30) of fame for Pitchfork is about up. These people spend more time in a thesauruses than listening to albums. Anyhow who ever lets words get in the way of their ears and make a real decision aren’t worth a shit anyhow. All a stupid site like Pitchfork does is raise awareness but then again, you could ignore them and be much the wiser and more informed by your own mind than being one of the flock following the retarded indie herd. Screw Pitchfork. They are one of the arrows that has helped kill everything that is pure about the enjoyment of really finding and enjoying music.
As someone who has admired Eric’s writing for awhile now, I have to say that i was saddened to read some of his posts on this comments section. Whether he hates margot’s music or not, it came across as extremely childish and petty to say he’s “met far more people who resent them than like them”. This goes beyond criticism, even good ole’ brutal criticism, and makes him look like a bully, gleefully waiting for the popular kid to trip on his shoelaces. People always resent success from those that they don’t think “deserve” it (whatever that means) and it says alot about the kind of people he talks about margot with. Very bitter and angry. At least that’s how it seems to me. I hope to read some quality reviews, and less of this mean spirited bullshit.
re: the last comment. it’s easiest to understand where i’m coming from if you’re from indianapolis, have been attending shows in the area for about half your life, have seen hundreds of great bands come and go, and still, the only band ever mentioned is the one which gets popular because they sound like arcade fire and cop a wes anderson reference. it’s frustrating, and a lot of people i talk to admit it. i don’t hate that band, and i don’t want to bully them out of existence. i’m just expressing frustration, again from an “insider” perspective, that it’s got to be *them.* point granted, though. i know it seems shitty.
http://asthmatickitty.com/news.php?newsID=375
Eric: I believe you dropped out of the Musical Family Tree discussion, so I’m going to post here what I posted there (to, at very least, advance the cause of correcting the error published at Pitchfork):
“I hate to say that arts criticism is a sham, but …
Any characteristic of a recording can be argued to the positive or the negative.
Who, for instance, is emotionally and creatively frozen as a 19-year old?
Dave Adamson when he sings the song “You Will Love My Boom”? (Not “You Will Love My Room,” as reported in the Pitchfork review. That _would_ be kind of a dopey title, and this published mistake is an additional disservice to Dave, no?)
Or would it be Jorma Whittaker when he performs “Eat Me Out”?
Our Pitchfork writer loved one of these (”Florist Fired” is a “twisted amalgam of psychedelia, sexuality, and off-kilter melodicism”) and hated the other (without as much as grazing the dominant themes of “Ropechain”: sex, psychosis and claustrophobia).
Anyway, I have to navigate the slippery slope of arts criticism on a fairly regular basis. If I deliver honesty and consistency, I feel OK about the whole thing.”
Not sure how that mistake happened, Dave, but thanks for the correction. I’ve sent it to my editor.
And as a critic yourself, I’m sure you’re aware that the same themes can be explored in different ways by different artists, and that critics can appreciate one take on a thing as cleverly creepy and another as emotionally stunted and silly. Which is my point here. I don’t see anything dishonest or inconsistent about it.
This Ropechain album is so so terrible. GJ is far too self aware and too much of a composed crazy to be anything but a cornball schlockster and people have to call bullshit on him. No one outside of Indiana gives a shit about his songs. There are better crazies making better music with regard to history’s lesser known and deeper cuts. His contrived madness is rolling on such a tired cliche that is on par with the drug addicted rock swagger that is infinitely promoted by fashion. Maybe if GJ dug a bit deeper than Suicide and Beck his flat white boy soul cum digital psych horseshit would impact more than just the droll and flaccid Indianapolis bald-dude rock scene. And while I’m at it, fuck Margot – those kids are boring twats with terrible taste. Oh and fuck Radio Radio, what is this the 90s? I’ve witnessed Tufty ruin so many bands’ sound with his sausage fingers on the controls.