If he went to the show I bet he' change his tune:
By Jay Hardwig
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/01_04/01_14_04/art_gordos.html
My Morning Jacket
Orange Peel, Tuesday, 1/20
I'm going to have to take one of my periodic swims against the critical tide here. Yes, folks, My Morning Jacket is one of those bands everyone else thinks you should see — famous rock critics, the guy at the record store, our own Hunter Pope — but I don't.
Oh, I know that their latest release, It Still Moves, littered Top 10 lists across the land this year. Yes, I saw that The Oxford American called them "the greatest band in the world." I've read that the modest media stalwart Maxim gave their album five fat stars and labeled it a "Must Buy!"
It seems that being a My Morning Jacket fan has become one of those semi-obscure cultural calling cards, signifying a knowing, hip, and indie-minded vibe... but as badly as I want that vibe as my own, I just can't take a shine to It Still Moves. (Does that title remind anyone else of a George Costanza line? Just checking.)
The album is a collection of dreamy, drawn-out evanescent emo-country-pop excursions, chock full of glammy art-rock pretensions and hewing close to the central tenets of the Neil Young School of Flaccid Ballads. They're mournful, fuzzy, sprawling things, they all sound alike, and none of them stick with you two minutes after they're done.
While I rarely find myself in the position of defending pop, I find that the songs on It Still Moves could stand to have a little more of a pop sensibility, in the best sense of that phrase: a distinct sound, a cleaner vocal mix, a little more attention to melody, perhaps a hook or two you could hang your hat on. Instead we get a series of long, wandering songs that smack of self-indulgence.
I know that music albums are by nature self-indulgent; without that dirty little mix of self-indulgence and ambition, there would be no records in the stores and we would all be sitting on our couches wondering why it was so quiet. But to my ears, My Morning Jacket smacks of the wrong kind of self-indulgence, where misty artistic whims outweigh the needs of the song. (Granted: I myself smack of self-indulgence, and have been known to traffic in misty artistic whims, but at least you're not paying $12 to read this.)
Perhaps I'm being too harsh; perhaps I need to give it a few more listens; perhaps this will be a great show. But after 12 songs, I can honestly report that frontman Jim James' voice sent shudders up my spine ... just not the good kind.
The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $12. Asheville's own Wayne Robbins and the Hellsayers open. Call 828.225.5851 for more info.
Quotechock full of glammy art-rock pretensions
Wow. What a near-deaf, Creed-listenin' tool this dude is.
Pretensions?!? Whatever.
QuoteThey're mournful, fuzzy, sprawling things, they all sound alike, and none of them stick with you two minutes after they're done.
Riiiiiiiiiight. Golden and Master Plan, oh yeah...exactly the same thing. One and the Same and One Big Holiday, same song, different lyrics. Get a hearing aid!
I want this guy's job. Obviously, he gets paid to not know shit about good music, AND he's virtually deaf in the process.
I'd be more pissed off about this, but opinions are like assholes...everyone's got one, and some just stink worse than others...this one stinks like rotten kiwi baked in a catcher's mitt.
Boo! >:(
Hey John don't mind this noob. It's just somebody with a different taste, maybe bad taste, but nevertheless taste.
If that's his opinion well, let it be, but that doesn't mean that we guys shouldn't have an opinion regarding his job as a journalist. And I believe that our opinion is.....
Yes indeed, he sucks big time!
Blah, blah, blah... Well, the people, they're just too dumb to hear, right? Next!
Dude-
I'm really having trouble fighting the urge to send this guy some hate mail. If he actually listened to "It Still Moves"(which I doubt), he conveniently made no specific illusions to any of the songs on the album. No surprise that this review focuses on ranting about hipsters, critics, the writer's distaste of dreamy soundscapes and everything else that's peripheral, if not irrelevant, to MMJ's music. It's obvious that this guy is too hip and too wankerish to listen to a band that has been miraculously discovered and has abundent talent.
Nevermind the fact that the boys in MMJ don't have a pretentious bone in their body...The Dipshit's comment about their need to focus more on melody couldn't be more outrageous and unfounded. I get the impression that he's the kind of Dipshit who thinks that melody must be some kind of magical "radio-friendly" sound. Ugggghhhh!!!
Suffice to say, my ultimate conclusion is that the Dipshit is a weiner.
Love.
I wish I could have had your restraint, Dani... :)
As in, I sent somethin'...that's all I'm sayin!
why would you send a guy hate mail for not likeing a band that you DO like. what would you send him a letter bomb if he talked shit about your religion.
jesus fuck, they get one bad review out of every 10 and people freak out about it. its just rock n roll, lighten the fuck up.
(Does that title remind anyone else of a George Costanza line? Just checking.)
Once you reference someone from a sitcom in your rock review, you lose. George was the bald guy on Seinfeild? Is that right? It helps me to know that Christina Aguileria sells millions of CDs every year. All music is not for everyone, we all have different tastes.
See you in Knoxville on my 40th Birthday!! ;D ;D
Quotewhy would you send a guy hate mail for not likeing a band that you DO like. what would you send him a letter bomb if he talked shit about your religion.
jesus fuck, they get one bad review out of every 10 and people freak out about it. its just rock n roll, lighten the fuck up.
yo, i wouldn't talk shit unless i thought he deserved it. was it HATE mail...hardly. if he can't hack a few pings here and there, he's in the wrong business. shit, i take a few pings and i'm NOT in the business.
am i "freakin' out"? no way! if he's talking shit, i'm talking shit back. that's all i'm sayin'. :)
Pop sensibility? Do any of us want MMJ to do the records with pop sensibilty in mind?
He's entitled to his opinion, but with writing like that he might want to re-think his job.
Sounds like this guy comes from the "listen to the album once and write a review" school of music journalism.
I personally think that MMJ is one of the poppiest bands around. They´re all fabulous pophits that could easily be on the radio. Now I know my opinions about music often don´t fit with the rest of the world, but I haven´t a clue what this guy means when he says they´re not pop or melodic...
Oh, and John, do you have a copy of that mail? Could you post it here? Oh, and has he answered yet? ;D
wasn't even an email. on their site, they have a "feedback" section, and I sent them some "feedback", to be sure!
Hey, maybe he just needs a new cd-player or some new spreakers?? Could that be the problmen ;D
I for one think that there are way too many music critics out there anyways. These guys get paid to tell US what we should think of an album or band. Who the fuck do these people think they are?! I mean, do any of us really care if a critic hate our new favorite album? If their opinion matters to anyone at all, I feel for ya. Anyways, I find that a very fair music review can usually be found on Pitchfork.com. I have been looking up albums on this site for the past 4 years, and I have to say that they are usually right on. Well, all I can say is that I strongly disagree with this person's weak analysis of a great album.
SOUNDS LIKE SUMBODY JUST GOT BUMPED TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE TO MEET MY ROTOTILLER!!
YEEEEEE-HAW!!!
It's on tomorrow night, bitches! MMJ in tha hizzy!
(http://jes-trading.hoops.ne.jp/rototiller.jpg)
To quote High Fidelity: "How can it be bullshit to state a preference?"
Don't sweat bad reviews, it's a Pepsi or Coke debate ultimately, not worth arguing over...
Everyone knows that Mojo writes the only worthwhile reviews! :)
Just in case, if anyone wants to have a debate on Coke or Pepsi. I'm in. Pepsi rules.
I'm with Otter, Pepsi over Coke. (esp. Vanilla Pepsi)
As for not sweating one bad review, my comments were not necessarily based on the MMJ review; rather, they were based upon the writer's ability/inability to express themselves properly, the writer's nonfactual take on what he implied that he listened to, and various other philosophical banter that I could bore y'all with to tears...but, again, they were my comments, and if I wanted to tell him to take a freakin' leap, well....
That's my perogative! Muwhahahaaaa!
Your mom! Coke is way better :)
You're right, the article was very poorly written, regardless of his negative opinions, it was just not good journalism. Poor research will cause that though.
my friend saw that show last ngiht in Asheville and said it totally smoked. F U reporter jerk :)
Y'all cannot POSSIBLY be standing up for the vileness that is Pepsi. (where's the vomiting smiley when you need it?) come now. we all know that colas were largely developed as a complement to and/or vehicle for bourbon, and no respectable being would dare order a bourbon and Pepsi. That is an egregious foul.
Jezebel is right on! Woodford's Reserve and Pepsi would not mix well.
What are you pussies all talking about fucking coke and pepsi? BEER! :)
QuoteWhat are you pussies all talking about fucking coke and pepsi? BEER! :)
Hey, sure can't run all day on beer?!? (well, you COULD...but, it wouldn't be good)
Besides, I'm holding down my flank in the drinking department...so I'm entitled to a bit of caffeine during the day!
Like the rest of you, I think this guy was way off, but I can understand how he came up w/such a bad review.
The first album I got was AD and I was looking forward to sitting down and giving it a listen. When I did, I was on the couch w/the headphones, the old lady kept interupting to point out something on one of her WB programs and the dog wanted to be played with. Needless to say, I only gave the album half of my attention and none of the songs really stuck w/me. I sat it down thinking it was ok and would give it a try later.
The following weekend I popped it in again. In my neighbor's back yard, about 45 degrees, fire going in the pit, w/my mind right - the album easily secured a spot in my top five of all time.
So here's this guy - journalist who has no interest in the band and is assigned to review the new album, probably listened to the album while getting ready to go out and have Chardonnay w/the boys and bitching cause he's low on hair gel. To cap it off, he probably didn't get any butt that night so he associated that with the album.
As my good friend Homer once said, "It's not easy being a film cricket."
QuoteSo here's this guy - journalist who has no interest in the band and is assigned to review the new album, probably listened to the album while getting ready to go out and have Chardonnay w/the boys and bitching cause he's low on hair gel.
I just spit coffee all over my screen at that one...
QuoteTo cap it off, he probably didn't get any butt that night so he associated that with the album.
That part got me
The hair gel part is genious indeed. ;D
And I also agree a bit that MMJ is something you really have to sit down and listen to.
I'd like to see a list of what this guy thinks is good....
What a fucking idiot!
And by the way... Coke is it!
But the Pepsi Company did invent the mother of all softdrinks....MOUNTAIN DEW!