Acapulco Presents... Delightful Missives from the World of Music "Criticism"

[Whet Bull]

I gotta start writing those guys!  Is there even one female writer at that magazine, btw?  Could be wrong, but I don't think so.  

My favorite "Best / Worst of 2009" list was David Keenan's of course, where he bemoans the longevity of "the smartass / tough-guy school of criticism, blathering on mindlessly"!  That was the best.  I hope he read my review of his wife's shitty record in Termbo last year.  How big of a waste of time would it be to start corresponding with Keens (under an assumed name), and how big would the payoff be, y'think?  If that ratio were anything better than 2/1, I know what I'd be doing right now.  

Also, humor us, will ya?  You big lady.

Meshkalina, what's your favorite song to listen to when you're taking a poop?  Mine is the same as my favorite song to listen to while jerkin' it: "Telstar," by The Tornadoes.

[HIV Playground]

I a MAN, am in love with Whet Bull. I don't have the time, patience or creativity to form thoughts as good as his, but I (yes, I!), a degenerate homo, LOVES THE MAN.

[HIV Playground]

By the way, yes, they had the woman from Electralane writing for them, at one point. Till they bombed.

[Whet Bull]

Sir, you're a gentleman and a scholar.  And you're embarrassing us both with the gratuitous ballz massage of two posts ago!
Toodles,
W. Bull

[Indoorsman]

So 'Pulco, will you name some music writers you admire? 

  I think Mia Clarke (Electrelane gal?) still writes for The Wire here and there, and there's some newer chick but I'm at work and don't keep a pile of Wire mags at my desk.  But sure, overall it's a big sausagefest.

[Damn]

So 'Pulco, will you name some music writers you admire? 

OFF TOPIC!!!

[meshkalina]

So 'Pulco, will you name some music writers you admire? 

OFF TOPIC!!!

Back on topic. Chuck Eddy. Discuss.

[erickelric]

Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman need to die in a rollercoaster accident. Or a fishing boat
mishap.

[meshkalina]

Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman need to die in a rollercoaster accident. Or a fishing boat
mishap.

Eddy >> Colostomyman but both totally suck. I met Eddy in Ann Arbor rec store many years ago. He had a Can album in one hand and a Sheena Easton 7" in the other. He thought he was hip b/c  he had a foot in both worlds, never realizing that he should try to explain the polarity of taste. In fact, he's never felt the need to do that and thinks it's enough to do things like make Little Big Town (contemp. country) #1 on his Village Voice year end ballot. It's not, but by now who cares. I've already written way too much.

[Slack]

Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman need to die in a rollercoaster accident. Or a fishing boat
mishap.

Jim Derogatis can suck a dick too. Also Marcus, Matos, Robert Palmer, Keenan (as mentioned earlier), etc, etc.... is there anyone out there even comparable to Meltzer (i.e. fun to read, knowledgeable, not pretentious)?

edit: I guess "Roland Woodbe" is always fun, Tony Rettman (but he doesn't seem to write anymore), Metal Mike from what I've read... who else?

[meshkalina]

Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman need to die in a rollercoaster accident. Or a fishing boat
mishap.

Jim Derogatis can suck a dick too. Also Marcus, Matos, Robert Palmer, Keenan (as mentioned earlier), etc, etc.... is there anyone out there even comparable to Meltzer (i.e. fun to read, knowledgeable, not pretentious)?

Jim Derogatis' book about "psychedelic music" achieved a perfect null state since it revealed, after 250+ pages, that he knew absolutely nothing about the subject.

Later he posted on his website a private reminiscense about Lester Bangs of mine w/out my permission.

If they ever made a movie about him like "Almost Famous" they'd have to get one of those 900 pound people who hasn't been out of bed for two years to play him.

[meshkalina]

Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman need to die in a rollercoaster accident. Or a fishing boat
mishap.

Jim Derogatis can suck a dick too. Also Marcus, Matos, Robert Palmer, Keenan (as mentioned earlier), etc, etc.... is there anyone out there even comparable to Meltzer (i.e. fun to read, knowledgeable, not pretentious)?

edit: I guess "Roland Woodbe" is always fun, Tony Rettman (but he doesn't seem to write anymore), Metal Mike from what I've read... who else?

Meltzer could be very pretentious. Palmer--RIP--was a good writer with some questionable taste. I liked Jay Hinman's blogs--not the political one--and the guys/gals here and at ZGun do a nice job. Negative Guest List is getting a good buzz. Lindsey Hutton at Next Big Thing has had the same nice p ersonal style since he was doing NBT print zine. I'm not into a lot of the same music but find something of interest there now and then. But it's mostly a big ocean of shit, not NBT just rock criticism at large. Look at the Village Voice Pazz and Jop year end poll. It used to be all the heavy hitters waying in w/ completely unknown bands winning and good essays about for example The Mekons turn to apocalypse country but now they have a thousand people voting, most of them who got the rock critic job at a mid-size city paper b/c no one else wanted it. The result is ANIMAL COLLECTIVE hooray.

[Slack]

Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman need to die in a rollercoaster accident. Or a fishing boat
mishap.

Jim Derogatis can suck a dick too. Also Marcus, Matos, Robert Palmer, Keenan (as mentioned earlier), etc, etc.... is there anyone out there even comparable to Meltzer (i.e. fun to read, knowledgeable, not pretentious)?

edit: I guess "Roland Woodbe" is always fun, Tony Rettman (but he doesn't seem to write anymore), Metal Mike from what I've read... who else?

Meltzer could be very pretentious. Palmer--RIP--was a good writer with some questionable taste.

Yeah, I see what you're saying re. Meltzer, what with the occasional pseudo-philosophical babble, and the guy had a pretty obvious chip on his shoulder, but I feel like a lot of his "pretension" comes off as tongue-in-cheek (to me at least). I even find the nigh-unreadable "Aesthetics of Rock" funny in an absurd sort of way.

Palmer seemed to have his heart in the right place, but dude's writing is dry as mummified toast. zzzzzzzz

I read and enjoy Z Gun... smart reviewers, although I think they could stand to call stuff out more often for being shitty. I'll have to track down the other stuff you mentioned.

[meshkalina]

You might have Palmer mixed up w/ someone. His style is pretty lively.

[Slack]

You might have Palmer mixed up w/ someone. His style is pretty lively.

No, I don't. Although I'll admit that my knowledge of his writing doesn't run very deep. I just picked up that new anthology of his stuff at the library, read about 10 of the pieces, went "fuck this" and returned it.