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OT needs to start a Music Magazine.
- Thread starter MrAngryFace
- Start date
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Semjaza Azazel
Member
Well, I'm interested in helping to some degree. So I'll just keep checking in on here... but sign me up.
The chat format sounds good. I'm also not a fan of scored reviews. I think people should read them and form their own opinions. If anything, GAF has shown us what scored reviews can do... and it's not good lol.
The chat format sounds good. I'm also not a fan of scored reviews. I think people should read them and form their own opinions. If anything, GAF has shown us what scored reviews can do... and it's not good lol.
Get things organized, get some content, and if it's done well it can be hosted as a ga-forum.com subdomain (music.ga-forum.com, for example). No fees, no bandwidth concerns, and if it keeps going regularly a link can be put up on the main interface.
If you people really *are* serious about it, then get some official nomations going.
-EIC
-Writers
-Site Designers / Webmaster
etc.
Don't say "yes" unless you really do mean to put some time in, and contact me when some aspects are solidified and we can go from there.
If you people really *are* serious about it, then get some official nomations going.
-EIC
-Writers
-Site Designers / Webmaster
etc.
Don't say "yes" unless you really do mean to put some time in, and contact me when some aspects are solidified and we can go from there.
Tommie Hu$tle
Member
I would say stay away from number scores as far as a final verdict. I say let the readers interpert the meaning through reading. It's a novel concept.
Agent Dormer
Dirty Drinking Smoker
Those who have expressed interest in writing:
AgentDormer
Sirpopopop
White Man
AlphaSnake
Coen
Raoul Duke
tt_deeb
Star Power
ElyrionX
fart
Suerte
There are those who thought the idea was cool, but I couldn't tell if they wanted in or not. Let's try and figure that out so we can go along in terms of nominations with people for specific positions.
AgentDormer
Sirpopopop
White Man
AlphaSnake
Coen
Raoul Duke
tt_deeb
Star Power
ElyrionX
fart
Suerte
There are those who thought the idea was cool, but I couldn't tell if they wanted in or not. Let's try and figure that out so we can go along in terms of nominations with people for specific positions.
Agent Dormer
Dirty Drinking Smoker
Added fart and Suerte to the list.
Tommie Hu$tle
Member
etiolate said:
It shoud. I would suspect it would reflect the same types of discussions that exist in the Gaming forum about new games to try.
Agent Dormer
Dirty Drinking Smoker
Tommie Hu$tle said:
I see it as being as something like: 5-Alarm Fire: Music-Age's Band of the Month/Week/Half-Month. Something like that to show off our particular tastes and help to promote bands the site believes to be proponents of the advancement in music... or just sounding fucking brilliant.
Error Macro
Member
Add me to the interested in writing/creating content list. I also think the idea of having a "roundtable discussion" of the albums in question is a pretty damn good idea.
I go to an awful lot of shows. I'd be up for this, too.
Has anything else been decided? I'm willing to dedicate a chunk of my writing time to this. Events of the next 2 weeks or so will make clear exactly how much time this means. I have 2 manuscripts out right now, and if I get a thumbs up from either, I'm going to have to do some work on them.
Also, I'd be all for covering unsigned underground acts in my area. Maybe, if it doesn't geek up the joint, we could pay some service to game music, too.
The reason graded reviews are no good: People go gay for Tool. People go gay for Corgan. People go gay for noise. . .how would we resolve what gets reviewed by whom? Draw names out of a hat? I mean, I don't think I'd be the best choice to review the next Xiu Xiu album, since I'll likely have to keep my ass glued to a seat for the entirety of their show tomorrow. Issues like this have to be resolved by policy before even day one. This could break up the joint in a matter of days.
And is anyone working on designs? I think the question with design, much like the question with music is: Who do we rip off? Not that I doubt anyone's skills here, but coming up with an interface that's easy to use, eye-catching, and fast-loading would be a trifecta of design that many strive for and few achieve. Personally, I think we give the designers here a shot (alone or in tandem, whatever they want) and if the majority isn't pleased, we start ripping off.
And people that want to do columns on a regular basis, how about some concepts and titles?
Personally, as a homework assignment, I think everyone interested should go to the following sites and take everything in. See the spectrum of good music sites.
www.fakejazz.com
www.nudeasthenews.com
www.pitchforkmedia.com (check out those features)
www.stylusmagazine.com (the best as of right now)
www.popmatters.com (sporadically great)
Those are the ones I hit up on a regular basis. If anyone else has any sites to suggest, toss 'em down. Also, everybody had better be versed in the patron saint of music journalism, Lester Bangs.
I have to go eat and stuff. Maybe I'll write more stuff up later. I know several people that used to do this, and I got to be around them during the time that it turned from a fansite into the type of legit place that has to deal with labels' PR people. There's a lot of commitment that needs to go into this if people seriously expect it to work.
Also, consider me out if the writing quality is going to be questionable or sloppy, let alone outright juvenile. Fuck weak construction, fuck weak verbs. This is part of the reason I'd like to be proofreader, so I could get an angle on everything we put up and see if it meets my standards. As someone that's spending an increasing amount of time trying to get his own work published, I don't want a potential publisher or agent typing my name into google and seeing it associated with a potentially embarassing music site.
k-
Semjaza Azazel
Member
Agent Dormer said:
I'd like to be added to that list.
I'm seeing the Pixies in Chicago this November, so I can write about that at the least. Most of what I see otherwise is just local Chicago stuff.
Star Power
Member
Hmm... yeah the roundtable discussion stuff sounds cool.
Your disapproval of Black Dice saddens me. They are not noise rock, they are noisiscians. Take my advice and skip out on Wolf Eyes if you ever get a chance to see them. The fat metal dude banging a gong with a mace while headbanging to chaotic sine waves and sludged-up repetetive noise guitar riffs might go crackers if he senses your disapproval.
Star Power
Member
Heh. I don't know, maybe going into it I was expecting something far different than what I got, and thus was shocked when I heard these formless drone pieces. Maybe I should give them another shot?
It depends whether you're a noise head or not. Black Dice have been on the hipster train for a while now, and I don't think that's a good thing when it comes to building a fanbase. People are going to see them at YYYs shows and be completely turned off. Meanwhile, the noise niche is sort of oblivious to them. . . "Black Dice? Oh, yeah, that band that's playing with YYYs. What, they do NOISE?"
But should you give them another shot? I can't say. Noise is, bar none, the most divisive music out there. It's like playing chicken with music.
But should you give them another shot? I can't say. Noise is, bar none, the most divisive music out there. It's like playing chicken with music.
Semjaza Azazel
Member
I am not big on the idea of sound clips. If people can't bother to hunt out them on their own, I don't know what to tell them. Between everything on the internet and nearly every band in existance (especially smaller bands) having downloads on their site (many even stream full albums... Beck comes to mind), I think it's rather redundant for the review site to do the same.
I kind of like Pfork putting up full mp3s of little known bands. That's the only way I'd endorse the idea. I think unless you're a big popular site, it's not really a worthwhile endeavor. Hearing a 30 second clip, a portion of a song, isn't really enticing. If it were a full song, it'd be different.
eh, i'm willing to host this (i'll even fork over the $6 for the domain name) and the bandwidth would be covered as well.. i'd also be willing to work on the backend of setting up the site and making it really slick for all of the writers to work with. if we want to get a team together on this and work out the design aspects (features, implementation, etc) for this and the site, that'd be pretty swank too.
I could help write, I guess.
I work at my college's radio station, so I check out tons and tons of promos. I keep up with tour dates quite regularly. Stuff like that.
Tinymixtapes.com is also a good resource, and hasn't been mentioned. That's probably my favorite of the indie sites. They're usually a day or 2 ahead of PFM, and everything is short and sweet.
I work at my college's radio station, so I check out tons and tons of promos. I keep up with tour dates quite regularly. Stuff like that.
Tinymixtapes.com is also a good resource, and hasn't been mentioned. That's probably my favorite of the indie sites. They're usually a day or 2 ahead of PFM, and everything is short and sweet.
Litigation Manuel
Member
Add me to that list, I'm already doing an obscure music article for my school newspaper. I like writing about music and have a pretty diverse taste in music. Plus: no real job, no homework, constant supply of money for cd purchases; so you can be sure I have the time to do whatever.
For the format, I like the idea of getting a group of people to discuss the album. I would also considering having it a group of people with very different tastes in music, one person mainly rock, one mainly rap, so on and so forth. That way you could show if an album is appealing from different perspectives, and why. Whatever format you choose though I am definately interested.
For the format, I like the idea of getting a group of people to discuss the album. I would also considering having it a group of people with very different tastes in music, one person mainly rock, one mainly rap, so on and so forth. That way you could show if an album is appealing from different perspectives, and why. Whatever format you choose though I am definately interested.
Wow, I've been watching this thread grow from the OT index but had no idea it had taken off like this! Just wanted to chime in and give my support for the idea. Sounds like some exciting stuff and I look forward to seeing what comes out of it. Wish I could throw my name onto the list for contributors, but I'd be lying if I said I had the time to squeeze more shit like this onto my plate. Don't skimp on site design and devlopment!
Star Power
Member
hXc_thugg said:
Wouldn't that be a bit too chaotic?
I think the 'rountable album discussion' thing would be good, but not for EVERY album. Only for certain, special albums... maybe big albums by artists like Radiohead, Beck, and the ilk.. you know, major bands. We should still have some standard reviews, or we run the risk of becomming a gimmick site, I think.Cool avatar, BTW. I <3 Devendra. Can't wait for Nino Rojo.
Star Power
Member
Yeah I saw it. He's definitely a character. I hope it was just the acid talking when he said Nino Rojo will be his last album.
I agree. Written reviews. Maybe the roundtable thing like once a week or something. It's good to get the bite-sized opinions of several people, but it's another to have a nice, complete written break down of the record from one person. And I think there's more potential for blatant childishness with roundtable discussion reviews; i.e. One person says something, another says something completely contrary just to troll, casual language is used. It'd just get lame if that were our only amusing trick, and the more we got into the rut, the more comforatble, laid back, and lazy we'd get with it, as well.
Litigation Manuel
Member
I still like the idea of multiple people reviewing an album, maybe not necessarily as a roundtable, but multiple reviews. Also, for the reviewers, it would be a good idea to have a viewable profile for each person showing their music tastes, favorite bands and such, so you know whether or not you'd agree with this person's opinion or not.
Sirpopopop
Member
Yeah, I'm still up for it.
Basically you give me an album to listen to, and I'll write you up a review. It won't be track by track, but it'll be a good review I think. I could even write up the news blotters if you want me to do that. (e.g rewrite press releases)
Basically you give me an album to listen to, and I'll write you up a review. It won't be track by track, but it'll be a good review I think. I could even write up the news blotters if you want me to do that. (e.g rewrite press releases)
I just want to say once more then I do support this idea still and I'm excited that it might work out. We need a few people to step up and begin site-design and where we are going to host it though. I really don't know how much I could do with this type of stuff I'm more focused on writing and content.
We're going to have to get an IRC or some other sort of chat going to hand out duties and pick out things like EIC. Sitting around in a message board thread isn't going to get anything done.
First of all, and most importantly, is there anyone that would want to take the duty of EIC? It could end up being quite a commitment.
First of all, and most importantly, is there anyone that would want to take the duty of EIC? It could end up being quite a commitment.
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