Comments on: http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/ someone warn the plains! Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:00:01 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2278 Anonymous Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:02:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2278 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. 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.

]]> By: marathonpacks http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2253 marathonpacks Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:16:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2253 Not sure how that mistake happened, Dave, but thanks for the correction. I've sent it to my editor. <br/><br/>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. 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.

]]> By: Dave Lindquist http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2252 Dave Lindquist Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:59:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2252 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): <br/><br/>"I hate to say that arts criticism is a sham, but ...<br/><br/>Any characteristic of a recording can be argued to the positive or the negative.<br/><br/>Who, for instance, is emotionally and creatively frozen as a 19-year old?<br/><br/>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?)<br/><br/>Or would it be Jorma Whittaker when he performs "Eat Me Out"?<br/><br/>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).<br/><br/>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." 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.”

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2229 Anonymous Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:45:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2229 http://asthmatickitty.com/news.php?newsID=375 http://asthmatickitty.com/news.php?newsID=375

]]> By: marathonpacks http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2226 marathonpacks Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:51:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2226 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. 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.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2225 Anonymous Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:32:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2225 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. 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.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2224 Anonymous Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:36:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2224 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. 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.

]]> By: ChrisD http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2223 ChrisD Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:53:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2223 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.<br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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? 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?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2222 Anonymous Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:03:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2222 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.<br/><br/>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! 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!

]]> By: TJ http://www.marathonpacks.com/2008/12/as-someone-who-is-keenly-aware-of-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-2221 TJ Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:37:00 +0000 http://174.132.200.226/~marathon/mpax/2008/12/698.html#comment-2221 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? 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?

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