Female Music Critics

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who are your favorites?

― geeta (geeta), Sunday, 3 November 2002 23:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Amy Phillips.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 3 November 2002 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Jody Beth Rosen

― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 3 November 2002 23:54 (twenty-three years ago)

But I'm an inarticulate ass!

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 3 November 2002 23:55 (twenty-three years ago)

What do you mean by that, Jody, I can't quite make out what you're trying to say....?

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 4 November 2002 00:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Yup, Jody, but she knew that. I remember kinda liking that Ann chick who wrote for Revolver too, before that magazine turned into the dull Nu-Metal rag it is now...and Birgit Fuss, who is so wonderfully unpretentious.

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 4 November 2002 00:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Monica Kendrick. Monica Kendrick. Monica Kendrick.

― Douglas, Monday, 4 November 2002 01:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Jane Dark hahahaha

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 4 November 2002 01:02 (twenty-three years ago)

cynthia fuchs...and the lady who wrote for pitchfork sometimes, kristen sage rockerman.

― mike (ro)bott, Monday, 4 November 2002 01:05 (twenty-three years ago)

That NME one who described Life Without Building's Sue Tompkins as having all of Prolapse in her head.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 4 November 2002 01:12 (twenty-three years ago)

that bitch jess

― ep, Monday, 4 November 2002 02:16 (twenty-three years ago)

jess cuts her way through, girl... don't fuck it up

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 4 November 2002 02:19 (twenty-three years ago)

cynthia fuchs

A horrible writer. And a real twat, too.

― xx, Monday, 4 November 2002 02:30 (twenty-three years ago)

argh.

i forgot to say, "explain why" - write about why you like these writers

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 4 November 2002 02:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Heather Phares

― Tim D, Monday, 4 November 2002 02:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I like Kate Sullivan; she's girlie but refreshing without being cloying.

Ann Powers is solid but I found her work at the NYT a little dry.

I always liked Elizabeth Gilbert's take on stuff, although her music writing is pretty much non existent these days.

― Don Weiner, Monday, 4 November 2002 03:05 (twenty-three years ago)

jess has big tits without being girly

― ep, Monday, 4 November 2002 03:27 (twenty-three years ago)

my breasts are pert and pearly white, just like my fucking teeth

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 03:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Cunts.

― David Allen, Monday, 4 November 2002 04:16 (twenty-three years ago)

serious answers pls

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 4 November 2002 04:59 (twenty-three years ago)

My response:

Cunts.

― David Allen, Monday, 4 November 2002 05:08 (twenty-three years ago)

well said.

geeta, what intelligent woman would want to write about music?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 05:12 (twenty-three years ago)

What intelligent person would want to write about music?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 4 November 2002 05:18 (twenty-three years ago)

i think that was sort of implied, chucklehead.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 05:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't give you enough credit to be that subtle, Jess.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 4 November 2002 05:39 (twenty-three years ago)

anyway, alex, the answer is "those who like money for doing little."

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 05:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Good answer.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 4 November 2002 05:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay: Monica Kendrick because she knows her facts cold, and she's great at describing how stuff sounds and what it means in the world, but what she's actually in love with is using language. The Stooges' "Fun House," for instance, is "the pure, uncut zenith of cocky, hairy, sticky Stoogeness, the product of extraordinary Detroit delinquents under the influence of Chicago blues, free jazz, Antonin Artaud, ultraviolent cartoons, horny women, and the kind of drugs they just don't make anymore." I mean, "cocky, hairy, sticky Stoogeness"--the two -cky endings separated by a -y ending and then switching up to the st/St alliteration that wouldn't work without the earlier assonance--great move! The list at the end, too: it starts like a "musical reference points" list and then goes into the category-shift section, with each thing funnier than the one before it. This is detail-work of the kind that matters: it's a blast to read even if you don't care about the music it concerns, which is a good trick for music criticism.

Does that help?

― Douglas, Monday, 4 November 2002 06:00 (twenty-three years ago)

douglas, no offense, but that doesn't sound any different than any other rock writer of that vein i've ever read, male or female.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Absolutely Lisa Crystal Carver, even though I have problems with her writing - I have much less problem with it than I do with other music critics who pile up adjectives, who all sound like the same person - too much brevitas delectat in 'good' music criticism! Too much Strunk and White! Too little use of passive clauses! I don't like it - it's like turning the handle of a machine - a cruel machine, that grinds over the top of the reader feelinglessly (if I was a certain kind of music critic I would have written 'sic' after that) ... in 'good' male music critics there's such a competitive voice, I like Lisa Crystal Carver's wandering voice, I like it that she writes things she can't really fight with you about and prove ... she's a real music lover, like most girls I know.

It might sound like I'm really against the 'Monica Kendrick' style - not at all - but it's wearying reading such a ferocious voice, almost disabling. I guess there has to be criticism for both types of person: the timid and the strong: and so many girls are timid.

― maryann, Monday, 4 November 2002 06:16 (twenty-three years ago)

unless it's "rockcrit parody" in which case, bravo!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:25 (twenty-three years ago)

it looks funny posting it now but earlier I was thinking to post and say that maryann is my favorite female music critic. this is the sort of reason why.

― Josh (Josh), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Cathi Unsworth circa 1990-1993.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:34 (twenty-three years ago)

as for a "serious" answer to this thread: i don't really read much "music writing" outside of the voice every week and the ilx millieu, so i couldn't possibly name names i don't know. so yes, my favorite female music critics are from ilx: maura, maryann, di, etc. why? because they've made me think about music in a different way. period.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:44 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll second Kendrick; she's one of the best essayists around, can write first-person w/o sounding like an ass (not easy), ties everything together without being too neat and consistently makes me wanna hear shit I would never care about otherwise (or after hearing it, in some cases).

I know a lot of women I'm about to name and work with/for some frequently (my preemptive n.b.) but here goes: Elisabeth Vincentelli doesn't write enough anymore--she's music editor at Time Out New York--but when she does she's very funny and astute. Laura Sinagra (currently a staff ed at Village Voice) gets way too convoluted sometimes (her EMP Conference piece in the Voice earlier this year is a good example) but she's very good at getting inside mainstream pop's pleasures without sounding like she's kowtowing to anyone. Kate Sullivan's tastes and mine don't line up all that often, but she's extremely funny and shoot-from-the-hip; her J.Lo piece (reprinted in the Da Capo 2002 book and available online at http://citypages.com/databank/22/1053/article9353.asp) and modern-rock 2000 roundup (http://citypages.com/databank/21/1034/article9014.asp) are two of my favorite recent pieces by anyone. Mim Udovich seems misused by Rolling Stone; I'd love to see her with a column like Tom Carson's in Esquire--her talent and temperament seem very similar. (If you don't know Tom Carson, you should: he's the "Screen" columnist for Esq and is possibly the best single critic working right now in any field.) Melissa Maerz, my editor at City Pages, gets better all the time: a recent column (http://citypages.com/databank/23/1140/article10778.asp) is my favorite thing she's done so far. I'll try to think of some others.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:44 (twenty-three years ago)

That's something I just thought of too: I really love reading the girls who write on these threads - everyone I can think of, including Nathalie, Di, Kate, Suzy, Ally, JB Rosen, Maura, Mary, and everyone else ... It's always fantastic to read what they have to say about music, and I even thought, you know, if there was some kind of magazine with their writing in it it would be good. Can I just say about myself though, my musical knowledge is very inadequate and I shouldn't really be here!

― maryann, Monday, 4 November 2002 07:58 (twenty-three years ago)

musical knowledge = highly overrated.

i forgot nathalie too, which is a major oversight on my part. i like everyone else maryann mentions, but they've never really changed my thinking in any major way.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 08:04 (twenty-three years ago)

also, geeta, obv. but i'm not sure if that's really fair since it's more through personal conversation than her ilm posts.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 08:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey and Starry!

This relates vaguely to something else, which is that the roller rinks piece is a) one of my favourite FT pieces in ages and b) the first FOR ages to not be written by a man. I don't know if a) and b) are related; I do know that I'd like more writing by women in FT. I'm just not quite sure how to achieve this. (Ans: "Ask some", duh) (I've got Kate's dronerock piece coming up too hooray!)

A professional critic I actually really enjoyed was Helen Mead, from the turn-of-the-90s NME. She was writing about house music and E culture and while all the blokes were writing "here are twenty more house imports you MUST OWN NOW oh and by the way feel the love" she was writing bouncy dispatches from the M25 orbital and surrounding areas which did loads more to convey what total fun the early days of 'dance culture' in Britain must have been. Her style has now become a primary mode of dance reporting and it doesn't seem quite so much fun any more but that's not her fault, she seems to have given it up years ago.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 4 November 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

...plus she has huge dreamy eyes which can melt you across the dinner table. Who needs ecstasy?

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 4 November 2002 11:30 (twenty-three years ago)

It's sad we need to have this thread. It's painfully obvious we have so few female critics. I like every girl who posts on ILM. Professional (female) critics? I can't think of ANY to be honest. But these days I only like Simon Reynolds, Sage (@ Pitchfork) Josh, Ethan Marcello, Jess (and some other ILM-ers but they don't stick out like Jess, Ethan, Josh and Marcello) and most of all Simon Frith. They seem to address the things that interest me most about music: punctum and message. (This means I don't mind it so much when some of the facts are wrong.) Actually I don't trust any critic, least of all myself. hah. (But then I never considered myself a critic - hence the reason I quit: this way everyone sees it like I do.)

― nathalie (nathalie), Monday, 4 November 2002 11:56 (twenty-three years ago)

I grew up on Suzanne Colon (sp?). I can still quote her review of the Jesus and Mary Chain in Smash Hits almost word for word.

Overtly sexist answer: I *prefer* female rock critics because they are less likely to attempt to be "objective" and muso, and more likely to talk about the things I am interested in: emotional effects of music, mood, tone, emotional dynamics. etc. Oh yes, and are less likely to praise laughable tripe "because the chick is hot" and more likely to notice if DDB's are cute. ;-)

Tom, I never heard back from you re: dronerock piece, so I assumed you didn't want it!

― kate, Monday, 4 November 2002 12:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Of the current crop (not that I know much about them any more) the female whose writing I have actually been most impressed with is actually Miss AMP. Totally outrageous and over the top, which is where good rock criticism belongs. And even when I don't agree with her opinions (which is quite frequently given how much she loves Electro) I still read her articles because her writing is so engaging.

― kate, Monday, 4 November 2002 12:09 (twenty-three years ago)

women who write on music on ILX are very good at it.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 4 November 2002 12:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Sylvia Patterson owns this thread.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 4 November 2002 12:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate sorry! I said yeah i want it in that thread - sorry for not acknowledging that I'd received it! (This is why I dont get more people of any gender writing for FT, sigh)

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 4 November 2002 12:35 (twenty-three years ago)

(But see also: Caroline Coon, Cath Carrol, Lucy O'Brien, Betty Clarke)

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 4 November 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh. I missed that. In the end, Drowned in Sound finally did actually approve it, at the length it was. (Though it took actually going to a staff meeting to actually accomplish this.)

― kate, Monday, 4 November 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought long and hard about naming Mim Udovitch as well, but the reason I didn't is because I think her work at Rolling Stone isn't representative of her talent; in other words, thanks for pointing that out, Matos. And Carson's work in Esquire is essential--he as much as anyone else is behind that book's revival in the past couple of years.

― Don Weiner, Monday, 4 November 2002 12:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone remember the preposterously-named, insufferably sychophantic Dream Hampton?

She should be set on fire.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 November 2002 14:09 (twenty-three years ago)

this is how nazi germany started.

― Godwin Slaw, Monday, 4 November 2002 14:15 (twenty-three years ago)

With female music critics and the Shangri-Las? I'm starting to like the Nazis more and more...

(Warning: this is a JOKE before you all start accusing me of being a right wing judgementalist Nazi)

― kate, Monday, 4 November 2002 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

caroline coon wz pretty awful, jerry

maryann r u back for good?

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 4 November 2002 15:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Sylvie Simmons has written some great things. And, yeah, Sylvia Patterson has an ability to get utterly strange quotes out of people.

And Kate, yes! Miss AMP, I love her.

― Anna (Anna), Monday, 4 November 2002 16:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Before the NME commenced Full Suck Ahead, I remember a Sylvia Patterson interview where she took on ... oh god, one of the squeaky clean Irish boybands (can't remember if it was Boyzone or Wetslime) and totally FAILED to get anything interesting out of them at all, and made this whole terrifically funny thing out of how utterly mindnumbingly boring they were, even as pop idol archetypes. Can't remember the details, but it was one of the most wonderful articles I've ever read.

― kate, Monday, 4 November 2002 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i used to love to read natasha stovall; she had (has?) a real gift for describing even the most familiar things in new and, well, better ways. it's been years since i've seen a byline for her, though.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Monday, 4 November 2002 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Claire Allfree from London Metro - sharp, informed, fair, observant, honest...i dont need anything else from a music critic at this point in time, more power to her

― blueski, Monday, 4 November 2002 17:28 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to really like Sarah Vowell but she's moved out of the crit-biz nearly entirely. I will even go to the wall for "Radio On" and damn I loved how she praised Sleater-Kinney as music for shopping to.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 4 November 2002 18:20 (twenty-three years ago)

''oh god, one of the squeaky clean Irish boybands (can't remember if it was Boyzone or Wetslime) and totally FAILED to get anything interesting out of them at all''

it was westlime, and yes it was funny.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 4 November 2002 19:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Problem: most American writers - m or f - are stylesheeted, fact-checked and idiot-proofed into submission.

Nice to see some props for Helen Mead. I thought you'd have known that she went to work at Volume in the rest of the '90s and did the Trance Europe Express series. And yes, she still looks like Vanessa Paradis with freckles.

Sylvia Patterson's okay, she's part of a posse of Smash Hits people (Miranda Sawyer, Sian Pattenden) from the late 80s/early '90s who hung out on the Blur/St Etienne/Pulp/early Britpop scene and I guess are still friends.

I liked Sally Margaret J*y when she was writing for Melody Maker but she disappeared. And Joy Press, now married to Mr. S. Reynolds.

But Bethan Cole who wrote for i-D for ages is amazing. And came from Sinkah!ville. Must be something in the water supply.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I would say Mim Udovitch too, but her excellent writing (anyone remember her Village Voice column in the early '90s? Awesome) and her music writing are... not the same thing.

― Douglas, Monday, 4 November 2002 23:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha: I keep wanting to love Monica Kendrick but her penchant for all things drunk and grunty makes it hard for me to really hop on board. But yes, I flip through section 3 of the reader looking specifically for her and Matos.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 00:02 (twenty-three years ago)

is victoria segal that bad? or not a woman? or both?

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 01:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I appreciate a lot of things Melissa writes. It's hard for me to explain what I like about music writing but she seems like she listens carefully and sensitively and tries to honestly and thoughtfully unearth and articulate her individual responses to it. I remember a short bit she did on her blog about why the rhythm of "Frankly Mr Shankly" bugs her even though she likes the song. I found that really interesting. I'd never seen anyone take that approach to the song before.

I just read Jody Beth's piece about Murray Street a day or two ago and liked it. The 'internal dialogue' structure gave it a strong sense of flow. She managed to use that to clearly explain fine and subtle points re what she liked about the album and the band.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 01:26 (twenty-three years ago)

What's wrong with Caroline Coon? I really enjoyed her book, called 'The Punk Rock Explosion' or something similar. On a personal note, I hated her unprofessional attitude.

― Viv, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 03:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Stephanie Zacharek, but more filmwise than musicwise. Musicwise? hmm...jeepers. I guess I like how Ann Powers writes. Even if I don't always agree with her logic.

― anthony miccio, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 04:32 (twenty-three years ago)

not exactly worth a poop...

yet noone's mentioned rache1 fe1der nor (the aroma of) g1na arno1d

― gygax!, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 04:49 (twenty-three years ago)

When did Lisa Carver start calling herself Lisa Crystal Carver? When did she become a rock critic?

Whatever, she's the best writer there is.

As for rock critics, my most influential:

Laura Sinagra (most daring formal experimentalist going)
http://citypages.com/databank/23/1125/article10516.asp

Melissa Maerz (floats and stings like the greatest)
http://www.citypages.com/databank/22/1071/article9634.asp

Kate Sullivan (I love her "this space for rent" freedom)
http://citypages.com/databank/21/1034/article9014.asp

Terri Sutton (one of the reasons I do this, though she doesn't anymore)
http://citypages.com/databank/19/923/article5727.asp

Also: Jen Boyles's reporting, Elizabeth Vincentelli in Puncture, Sally Jacob when she surfaces, Jessica Hopper's zine writing, Hap Mansfield, Britt Lindsay's first reviews. I didn't know Jess was female. Otherwise, I haven't kept track of names the way I should...

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 06:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Suzy I did know Helen Mead went to Volume and did TEE but the last TEE and Volume came out years ago so I'd taken that into account cos I've not seen her name on anything snce. (not that I pay much attention).

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 13:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, well for the past few years she's been working on a record label of her own, wound that down, and has written recently for Seven. She still writes loads of biogs for old-school dance folks since they trust her, plus you can make more dosh doing that than placing freelance copy just about anywhere. She also has short stories in Sarah Champion's Disco 2000 and my own Typical Girls anthology.

Really she ought to be editing Mixmag or something but is a bit of a suit-hater so I imagine the office culture of magazines nowadays would annoy her fiercely.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

'...Elizabeth Vincentelli in Puncture...'

i miss puncture.

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Suzy, I had no idea you did Typical Girls. I've just gone and looked and you've used Susan, which I guess is why I didn't make the connection. Bidisha's 'Leaving' and Josie Kimber's 'Having Myself A Time' are two stories I always go back to. (Sorry total thread derailment).

Really she ought to be editing Mixmag or something but is a bit of a suit-hater so I imagine the office culture of magazines nowadays would annoy her fiercely.

As a suit hater she would be throwing herself off the top of Mappin House.

― Anna (Anna), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Pete: Jess isn't female

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Suzy, I had no idea you did Typical Girls.

If I had royalties from every time someone said that I'd be rolling in it, grumble grumble.

Josie will be very pleased about the compliment, she needs to write more.

The other story you mention is in another book, a freebie condensation of three anthologies called Wild Girls welded to the front of Minx or something where they also chose to run Josie's story.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Where is Hap Mansfield?

that Cake online thingy didn't last too long.

The world needs more Haps.

― Don Weiner, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 16:46 (twenty-three years ago)

does it really?

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 19:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Hap's in the Utne Reader sometimes.

Sorry, Jess. You're the man.

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 23:14 (twenty-three years ago)

the mystery of my gender is one of the great archetypal confusions of ilx.

("what's her problem??")

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 23:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Add my voice to the growing "yay Melissa Maerz" throng. She's awesome - I'm presenting her work for my Practical Criticism class next week, which a great excuse to read fun stuff and pretend it's work. My faves are the Ike Reilly piece and the "Sea Change" review.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 23:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Really? That's funny, 'cause Greil Marcus uses her stuff for classes, too.

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 01:56 (twenty-three years ago)

got me - I'm in Greil's class

― Dave M. (rotten03), Wednesday, 6 November 2002 01:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I was reading "Typical Girls" the other day, actually. The Georgina Starr story is my favourite.

I second Lucy O'Brien for the Dusty book and "She-Bop".

― Dickon Edwards (Dickon Edwards), Wednesday, 6 November 2002 02:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I, too, am wildly enthusiastic about Sally Jacob, but getting her to write about music is like pulling hen's teeth. I run into her every few months and always try to encourage her. I'll also add to the chorus for Melissa Maerz. Elisabeth Vincentelli is very good too when she gets to stretch out, which she never does any more now that she's the music editor at Time Out New York.

― Douglas, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 02:09 (twenty-three years ago)

After impulsive reconsideration, it is best there is only one Hap.

The Utne Reader? Do they let her write about candy there?

― Dapper Don Weiner, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 04:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Can I just add my voice to the Sally Jacob chorus? Can NY editors please get Sal doing some more writing? She's the tops: http://www.villagevoice.com/search_bidness.php3?keyword=sally+jacob.

― Brian Dillon, Thursday, 7 November 2002 16:42 (twenty-three years ago)

How can we possibly have got so far in this thread without mentioning the magnificent Jane Suck???

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 10 November 2002 14:05 (twenty-three years ago)

How could I forget Cecile Cloutier? One of my absolute favorite rock writers. Maybe her enthusiasm for Megadeth and Blue Oyster Cult genderblinded me slightly...

Her classic piece on Dillinger Four:
http://64.106.149.201/databank/21/1020/article8764.asp

As with many of those I mentioned, she's a friend of mine. In her case, reading her reminds me of our record-shopping trips to the Salvation Army. Opinions galore, and always funny...

― Pete Scholtes, Monday, 18 November 2002 22:05 (twenty-three years ago)

yes of course Cecile! duh!

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 18 November 2002 22:11 (twenty-three years ago)

seven months pass...

I take back liking how Ann Powers writes. She's a real coddler of crap. I'm having a hard time thinking of non-ILX female music critics I'm particularly fond of. Especially since Stephanie Zacharek's a way better movie critic than music critic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 12 July 2003 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always liked Jenny Eliscu's writing in Rolling Stone, and I think Laura Sinagra is consistently engaging...and Yanc3y, when I thought he was a woman. I guess he's my "Jess".

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Saturday, 12 July 2003 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Heather Phares, mos def.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Saturday, 12 July 2003 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Cyclone Wehner is one of the most unappreciated dance music journalists out there. Melissa Giannini has also written some great pieces for Metro Times in Detroit.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Saturday, 12 July 2003 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Mos Def isn't a woman! You silly.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 12 July 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that where Mos Def took the name from? *Most Definitely*? Tangent...

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Saturday, 12 July 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Ann Powers is undoubtedly my favorite. Her piece on Polly Harvey's "Rid of Me" is one of the most brilliant think-pieces I've ever read in my life. And she's an extremely encouraging mentor-figure to spazzy young writers. And the fifth Ramone, Dr. Donna Gaines -- not a critic, but no one loves it or gets it more than she does.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Saturday, 12 July 2003 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Elisabeth Vincentelli - she bothered to root out and champion the little-knowns while they were still the best thing going. More than that, I believed her.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Sunday, 13 July 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

two women not mentioned yet:

Charlotte Robinson (popmatters, salon, now venuszine)

Mary Eisenhart (lately of neumu)

― bflaska, Sunday, 13 July 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

mavis bayton and marcia citron, tho they are more "music scholar" than "music critic" so i'm not sure they really count (the distinction is purely pragmatic, not theoretical). thank you geeta for starting this thread, there are so many women listed here who i need to find out about! its weird i got mentioned on here, seeing as i don't really post.

― di smith (lucylurex), Sunday, 13 July 2003 01:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Me ... what about me?

― bflaska, Sunday, 13 July 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Ann Marlowe was easily the best writer on aggro Lower East Side rock in the 90s, and was, in general, fierce and smart and pithy. (She also gave me my first writing gig.) I also hold big candles for dream hampton and Joan Morgan, two 80s/90s Voice writers. They confroted hip-hop's sexism head-on, without becoming haters, folded in personal history and were funny as shit. Emblematic of that sweet-spot era where theory and passion were all the fashion, and nobody got their pants in a bunch because of it. And they had some prose. They also discussed the material feel of hip-hop without being all pretentious about it.

I'll see any Udovitch love and raise you. She is a stone cold genius.

― Sasha Frere-Jones (Sasha Frere-Jones), Sunday, 13 July 2003 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

big ditto to dream hampton

― James Blount (James Blount), Sunday, 13 July 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone have any other links they'd care to share?

― bflaska, Sunday, 13 July 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Does Gail O'Hara deserve to be at least mentioned? She's not a good writer, but she's been influental in some positive ways.

― dlp, Sunday, 13 July 2003 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I second Mike's championing of Melissa Giannini's work for the Metro Times. Unfortunately she stepped down as the music editor and they replaced her with boring rockist Brian Smith.

― Jeff Sumner (Jeff Sumner), Sunday, 13 July 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

where did Melissa go, anyway?

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Sunday, 13 July 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Holly Hernandez deserves to write for a real magazine

― dave q, Sunday, 13 July 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like Ann Powers more if her thinkpieces actually connected to the music I'm hearing more than to the archetype the singer represents.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 13 July 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I second Mike's championing of Melissa Giannini's work for the Metro Times. Unfortunately she stepped down as the music editor and they replaced her with boring rockist Brian Smith.

One of the reasons I almost never pick up a Metro Times anymore.

― Lars (Nicole), Sunday, 13 July 2003 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

i really like Gail O'Hara's style, even if it is a little excitable-school-studenty.. those Chickfactor mags were always a fun read.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 13 July 2003 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Cyclone Wehner is both a good writer and a really nice person, but Mike how do you square her obsession with Detroit Techno with her even bigger obsession with chart-R&B? And also I need to take her to task for being wrong about UK Garage.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Interesting insider's view on women music critics from last year:

HREF="http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=17223">Anne Midgette: A Critical Difference)

― bflaska, Monday, 14 July 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry for the junk code

― bflaska, Monday, 14 July 2003 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Cyclone Wehner is one of the most unappreciated dance music journalists out there. -- Mike Taylor (current31...), July 12th, 2003.

Thirded.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 15 July 2003 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

Jane Solanas was always a good laugh, in the most tragic way. I just discovered this review of a Cardiacs gig she did in 1988 which will jog older reader's memory of how idiotic the NME was back then ("Tell that to MENCAP you jerks! - lol)":

"I THOUGHT the bloke standing next to me best summed it up: he was sick all over his feet! The Cardiacs are the worst band in the world, and I HATE them. This is a critical response of such negativity, that I’m sure The Cardiacs will revel in it.
They are the band that punk forgot to invent: a grotesque marriage between the Sex Pistols, XTC and Devo. If anyone needs persuading that reviving the tacky theatrics of the ’70s is a redundant exercise, then they should take themselves to a Cardiacs gig and be appalled. Frontman, vocalist, and most obnoxious member of The Cardiacs, Tim Smith congratulated us for coming out of our "shitty little houses" to see him. I wish Smith had stayed in his shitty little house, because I don’t find insane people entertaining. The entire band ponces about as if they have had frontal lobotomies. Ha ha ha, mental illness! Tell that to MENCAP, you jerks.
The Cardiacs have to rely heavily on the visual element of their act as their music sucks: a repetitious and pretentious mess of a diet of watching children’s television programmes. All the best riffs from Watch With Mother have been well and truly nicked.
One can call The Cardiacs every name under the sun, and it doesn’t hurt them. They won’t go away, for, they have cult following worthy of Psychic TV. Except, Cardiacs devotees are the types who lap up Tim Smith’s verbal abuse and leer at saxophonist Sarah Smith’s cleavage.
Lambs to the slaughter of live entertainment.

Jane Solanas
NME"

― everything, Friday, 30 December 2005 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

Amy Phillips, Jessica Hopper, Julianne Shepherd, Geeta Dayal, Hillary Brown

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 30 December 2005 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

Susan Douglas! and Geeta for feeding my berlin cravings (I

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 30 December 2005 23:50 (nineteen years ago)

taggs!

looved it & want to go back! & that art show writeup was awesomeness).

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 30 December 2005 23:54 (nineteen years ago)

who are your favorites?
-- geeta (geeta@) (webmail), November 3rd, 2002 11:43 PM.
Answers
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my breasts are pert and pearly white, just like my fucking teeth
-- jess (dubplatestyle@) (webmail), November 4th, 2002 3:34 AM.

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Cunts.
-- David Allen (Hippiedestroyer@) (webmail), November 4th, 2002 4:16 AM.

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serious answers pls
-- geeta (geeta) (webmail), November 4th, 2002 4:59 AM.

Nice thread.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 31 December 2005 00:04 (nineteen years ago)

xpost - thx fandango! but i'm not a music critic! i'm only here to pray for jody beth rosen's soul!!!!!!!

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 31 December 2005 04:23 (nineteen years ago)

i just had a bizarre very convincing microsecond dream that i wrote 'pay' instead of 'pray'. phew. scary

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 31 December 2005 04:25 (nineteen years ago)

who are you and what do you want?

― is this an institution of learning or a teenage brothel? (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 31 December 2005 04:29 (nineteen years ago)

Patty Stirling and Charlotte Pressler (whose writing I won't describe because I'm friends with them and that would be conflict of interest) (actually, that has nothing to do with it; I'm too busy with year-end stuff).

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Saturday, 31 December 2005 04:57 (nineteen years ago)

a fan of your writing

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 31 December 2005 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

"Yeah, like when you 'do it'...what kind of music do you play? ooh, and what kind of music 'turns you on'? Female music critics...OH YEAH!"

That is the kind of thread I expected when I clicked and was ~~disappointed~~glad to not see.

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, 31 December 2005 05:29 (nineteen years ago)

i like women AND music!

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 08:36 (nineteen years ago)

pls rate us on a scale any scale

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 31 December 2005 08:53 (nineteen years ago)

you get a 10!

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:02 (nineteen years ago)

or like whatever

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

is music criticism male-dominated? (i am not a music critic)

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:04 (nineteen years ago)

you're doing 0 for my ego just like a misogynist what did i expect. yes, i think mostly male-dominated.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:10 (nineteen years ago)

why is music criticism male-dominated?

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:15 (nineteen years ago)

sorry, i wasn't trying to be or anything.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:15 (nineteen years ago)

rude, that is.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:16 (nineteen years ago)

This thread seems kinda retro in that there appears to be a lot more "successful" writers who are chicks/ broads/ dames/ women than ever before. I'm suddenly reinded of the era of *Women! Who! Rock!* ghetto cover stories ca. Liz Phair's early '90s breakout. Maybe I'm wrong about that though, or wishful thinking at least?

Ellen Willis is one of my favorite first generation music writers, though she seems pretty forgotten by now. Her piece responding to the Stones' "Black & Blue" billboard is most classic. I always likedd her work far better than that of her ex-husband.

Glad to see so much love for Monica Kendrick -- her writing on the Nihilist Spasm Band is fricking brilliant, and yeah I'm reminded to read her more often now. I wonder if she blogs? Hmmmm.

And I know there is love here for Elizabeth Mendez Berry, isn't there? I've not been in touch with her since she did that big piece on hip hop icons and domestic violence... Where is she at? Anone know?

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

Shit I should spell check before posting.

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:40 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I haven't talked to EMB since she left Seattle. . . . And Susan D. is really thoughtful; if she's got time in her 24 hours, it'd be great if she wrote.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 31 December 2005 11:09 (nineteen years ago)

Robin Edgerton should be writing more these days. And I liked Elisabeth Vincentelli's writing all the way back to the Option days when I first started reading her.

― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Saturday, 31 December 2005 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

not familiar with Mike's suggestions. any links to these articles on Black & Blue or Nihilist Spasm Band?

― imbidimts, Saturday, 31 December 2005 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

Dominque Leone ;-)

― fandango (fandango), Saturday, 31 December 2005 17:55 (nineteen years ago)

i forgot nathalie too, which is a major oversight on my part.

Oh no, it isn't an oversight. It's being able to look into the future. ;-)

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

amy phillips is the worst. her tastes blow, enough decemberists fawning.

i like the maerz sisters and julianne shepherd

― worst, Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

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