dumbest music journalist term

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so many bad ones, but "Natch"? ... what does it even mean?

― ken taylrr, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 21:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

naturally.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 21:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

hardly started with music journalists either

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 21:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

pomo

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"overrated"

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

cred

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

"the radio", "Top 40"

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

the streets (not The Streets, natch).

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

"manufactured"!!

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

roots music

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

velvets-esque

― Evan (Evan), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

ohhh, naturally. fuck, i thought it was some onomatopoeia for a really bad laugh or something... and just never bothered to ask, til now. well, it still looks dumb.

― ken taylrr, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

post-punk.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

It's like [band x] meets [band y].

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

post-rock

pretentious

emo

― Callum (Callum), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

It's like [band x] meets [band y] while [activity takes place] in [location].

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

ethereal

cinematic

experimental

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

avant-garde.

avant-anything, for that matter.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

"nu"

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

return-to-form

singer/songwriter

IDM

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

[x]-on-acid, followed closely by [x]-on-[other drug]

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

I still think [x]-on-e has some life left in it.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

"filler"

― maria b (maria b), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:26 (twenty-one years ago) link

"pretentious" can be ok when qualified a bit and then read as a compliment.

(hstencil so otm - "singer/songwriter" has been lazy nonsense for years)

― jones (actual), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

"pop sensibility"

"[artist] was one of the most unlikely stars of [decade]"

― Curtis Stephens, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

soundscape

― gygax!, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

"plaintive" to describe young white males who can't really sing

― ben sterling (frozen in time), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

calling new albums "latest outings"

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

"effort" as a synonym for an album.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

stellar

― bflaska, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

"singer/songwriter" has been lazy nonsense for years

I'm a I'm a hunter-gatherer I kill what I eat
I'm a I'm a singer-songwriter I write what I sing

(Geewhiz I haven't quoted Big Black lyrics in like 12 yrs)

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

"the [40s/50s/60s/70s/80s/90s] are back"

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

LUSCIOUS POUTING!!!

up there with "cathedrals of sound"

― kate, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

adenoidal.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

old-school

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

splenetic

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

splenetic? What the hell does that mean?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

i think its mu-jo shorthand for 'angry' or 'shouty' music..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

of the spleen?

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

underrated

― bflaska, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

I prefer music that comes from the liver. The spleen is so last millenium.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

frenetic?
i think splenetic is that red website with all those reviews every day...

― ben sterling (frozen in time), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

"compelling"

― Nick Mirov (nick), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

"felching"

― Jerry (Jerry), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

(I don't think anyone who uses the term actually knows the word's rather unappetising origin in gay San Francisco slang)

― Jerry (Jerry), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

"aw, bless" (or variations thereof)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

ILX

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

everything that Mark Beaumont writes

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think I've used just about all of these at one point or another (except maybe felching).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:35 (twenty-one years ago) link

off-kilter dynamics

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

There's nothing wrong with "post-punk." It describes a rather specific sound and period....

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

Someone should text search all these on robertchristgau.com and tally up the results.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

cultural tourism

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Ear Candy" and "SEMINAL"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

ew seminal ear candy

come to think of it "singer/songwriter" might become useful again eventually, it just isn't right now (heh except as in "nah, [x*] sucks; i'm into introspective singer/songwriters like eminem etc")

(*makes most sense if [x] = eg.destiny's child, but has greater potential if [x] = eg.wilco)

actually if it's meant derisively "s/s" is useful for exactly the reasons it sticks in my craw

― jones (actual), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

what about "the seminal 'is it all over my face'" from the disco not disco sleeve?

― zemko (bob), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm with Ned on this one, guilty as charged.

Jerry, felching involves shit & clingfilm, right? I've never used that in a review! Got fairly close when writing about Simian once though..."I'd rather take a shit than hear any more of this. So that's what I did".

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

oh oh!

"...and X is no exception"

― zemko (bob), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

ok that's not music but it's still terrible. my pet hate is still prob 'sonic'

― zemko (bob), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

charlie you sound like a really good music journalist

― zemko (bob), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

Who uses 'felching'?!

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

haha i wanted googlism to say "felching is safe" so i could say "tomas!!", but it didn't

― jones (actual), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

It's used when people mean "farting"... similar (well, in the same area) but rather fundamentally different usage of air. God, we editors are pedants.

― Jerry (Jerry), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

Or not. Thinking about it, farting isn't usually a sexual act

― Jerry (Jerry), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

Jones, Tomas stopped doing CD reviews! I was gutted when I found out.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

― jones (actual), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't know what you're eating, Jerry, but ...

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

"life affirming"

― james devon, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

New Rock Revolution.

End of thread.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 00:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

"the new wave of new wave" (nice one NME)
"the scene that celebrates itself" - what in fucks name was that even meant to mean? I know it was bands like Lush and Moose... but it was so dumb.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 01:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

there was a bit of a ruckus caused in ireland when an irish times writer described the irish "underground" scene as "the scene that celebrates itself"
so where does the expression come from?
who are lush and moose?

― robin (robin), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 01:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

Like Ned, I'm guilty on a whole pile of 'em. Oh well.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 01:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

any review that models itself after a culinary recipe.

strawmen of all kinds, but especially those that begin, "All electronic music is cold/boring/austere/etc., but [artist X] isn't." believe it or not, you still see this trope disturbingly often, at least in the US.

the very idea of "electronic music," though i've failed to come up with any better umbrella concept.

"genre-defying." though you see that more often in press-releases than actual rockcrit, thank god.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 01:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Boy-Howdy"

― Dave Loewenstein (Davlo), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 03:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

"anthemic" - is this even a word? It gets red-lined every time I use it (which is way too often).

I also cringe & sieze up whenever I see "[X]pop" used, especially when the writer's trying to avoid the old [X]pop cliches.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 03:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

In a compelling return to form, Radiohead's latest outing was recorded in only 8 splenetic weeks. The nu effort promises an etheral soundscape, velvets-esque in scope. It would appear that the band has absorbed a large dose of roots music as the old school pop sensibility exhibited is like Bob Marley meets Muslimgauze while listening to top 40 in a post-punk cathedral of sound. Its a pomo dose of sonic ear candy whose luscious pouting is genre-defying cultural tourism at its best. Natch it may seem surprising that Radiohead have eschewed the new rock revolution that their seminal OK Computer helped spawn (which I thought was pretentious and overrated); furthermore, the new record may dissapoint fans familiar with the cinematic experimental quasi-IDM of Kid A. Instead these adenoidal avant-garde heroes have manufactured a stellar and sure to be underrated document that proves that even after the felching terrorist attacks, the 00's are back and here to stay. Thom Yorke's signature plaintative yowl dwarfs the current crop of singer-songwriters, and even the off-kilter dynamics of his brief forrays into yodeling are nothing if not life-affirming. Lacking the padding used as filler by most other albums, the spontenaity of this new record is sure to satisfy those who require emo-cred with the price of admission. Boy-howdy, we can only hope that programmers are open-minded enough to play the anthemic new single on the radio!

[encompassing as many of your pet-peeves as possible as well as mine, this should prove to be the perfect review]

― Ryan McKay (Ryan McKay), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 03:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

sometimes though, shorthand

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 03:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ryan, you forgot "bucolic".

charlie you sound like a really good music journalist

dammit, where's that sarcasm font when you need it eh?

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 04:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

The sarcastic font is: Wingdings

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 04:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ryan, the only problem is with "tone" and placement of natch. It's a rhetorical and snotty way of saying naturally. Like, "Kenny Lay got out of the SEC hearings with a warning, natch."

― bflaska, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 04:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ryan, you forgot "authentic." But the only word that ever got me feedback was using "deliquiscent" in a GVSB preview.

― j.lu (j.lu), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 04:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

Kudos to Philip's statements..there seems to be complete lack of fair and intelligent criticism of electronic music.

― --fook (Hayden), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 09:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

Felching is only acceptible when it is used in the phrase "bass-felching bombshell" and then it is the Best! Thing! Ever!

More gay slang should work its way into music journalism. "Give the microphone the dirty sanchez" surely has resonance and meaning...

― kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 09:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

"complete with"

"everything from ___ to ___"

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 10:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

"let's face it"
"admit it"
"___should break up" (except as applied to Bruce Springsteen)

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 10:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

when i usedta write music reviews my most overused phrase was "i dunno".

― duane, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 10:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

Isnt "felching" when they suck shit up though a straw? i'm being literal. or is it a type of fisting?

okay, u guys have left out these self-indulgent adjectives: "self-indulgent," "hooky," "crisp," "jangly," "ballsy," "fresh," "summery," "smooth," "silky"

even worse, as I've read reviews of so many vastly disparate albums with these same adjectives or phrases used to describe them: "off-kilter arrangements," "eclectic rhthyms" "genre-defying", "irresistable" ("irresistable grooves" aargh) and the most overused, even though i know its necessary sometimes: "melodic" - it's just so err..generic!! Don't ask me what you can use in its place, just find more than one subtitute, if you do.

also STOP all the food adjectives please: "sugar-coated," "delicious," "tangy," "tasty," "sugary confection," "sweet melodies," "spicy beats," I DON'T WANT A MENU AND PLEASE STOP MAKING ME HUNGRY

― Vic (Vic), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

nice work ryan

― charlie va (charlie va), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 13:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Trip-hop", surely.

― Orange, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

"outfit" to describe a band.

i always picture a bright orange department of corrections jumpsuit.

― otto midnight, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

let's not forget angular or angularity.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

"stylee"
"blissed-out"
"undie rap" (esp. as applied to anyone on a major or well-known minor label; should only be applied to rappers wearing actual undies onstage) (or juiceboxxx)
"Bizkitesque"
"obviously"

― Neudonym, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

"trout sniffingly bad"

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Ryan Adams"

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

i like "outfit" --> it makes me think of horse-traders in the wild west, or Billy the Kid, or something

Spiky (for hstencil)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

"of course"

grrrr.

― MikeB, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Whoever said 'Aw, bless' was OTM.

Related: 'But still' and equivalents. That's just vagueness. As in 'They don't set my world on fire, but still'. But still -- what?

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

'this record licks balls' is overused.

― rog, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

god, it's a monster! kinda wish i hadn't started the thread since i'm totally guilty of all of these, in journalism and PR work.

― ken taylrr, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 19:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

especially the 'licks balls' one. i ALWAYS say that and i gotta stop

― ken taylrr, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 19:17 (twenty-one years ago) link

"material breach"

― kevin brady (groeuvre), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 19:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

"I'm on the list"

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 19:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

'Popular beat combo', used ironically, generally in reference to The Strokes or some band the reviewer doesn't really know of, but wishes they did.

'Popular beat combo' is an OK phrase when used seriously, though, like by people such as my Grandfather.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

TS: Kicky vs punchy

(oh and what is the difference?)

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

Kate's right about the need for more gay slang: could someone please find a use for "snarf". It always was a particular favourite of mine. I guess one could say that "Chris Martin sings like he's just entered an Oedipal Snarfing Championship"

― Jerry (Jerry), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

Snarf actually means something? Heavens, what?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

"well-crafted songs"

― Johnboy, Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm happy to report I've never used "felching." otherwise, uh, yeah, most of 'em at one point or another. oops

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

"he"

"she"

"they"

― dan fitz (danfitz), Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

Certainly, Lucky Pierre isn't used nearly enough.

― Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 13 February 2003 02:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

If this thread continues, pretty soon we won't be able to use any words at all, Matos! (Maybe there's a sinister implication here that no one should actually say anything about music at all!)

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 13 February 2003 02:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Agreed. I understand the slight pretention and desperation for words implied in using "offering" instead of "album," but "off-kilter dynamics" seems perfectly fine to me. I mean, how many record reviews does that really appear in? Too goddamn many? I think not.

― Kenan Hebert, Thursday, 13 February 2003 06:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yeah I think lots of these words are useful, esp. Vic's

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 13 February 2003 06:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

I do wonder, though, about the use of the word "pretentious," not because it's undescriptive, but because anyone who uses it runs a high risk of unwittingly describing himself. After all, we all pretend to something. As Grant Morrison once put it, "It your 'I-got-your-number-pal' act any less pretentious than what I said?" It's something to seriously consider before using the word.

― Kenan Hebert, Thursday, 13 February 2003 06:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

"off-kilter dynamics" seems perfectly fine to me. I mean, how many record reviews does that really appear in? Too goddamn many?

Here in CHicago, Peter Margasak uses it about once a month. He may be the only writer using it but it's too much (btw I'm not exaggerating, it's something that my friends picked up on and noticed). It's just kinda clunky and tautological. What are kilter dynamics?

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 13 February 2003 07:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Punctum"

― wiseblood, Thursday, 13 February 2003 07:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

I should just stop reading reviews (for fun), since that's what I spend a considerable portion of my free time doing (well it's changing now). When the volume of reviews you read reaches mine, then even usefully descriptive phrases start coming across as reptitive and redundant. I've read "off-kilter dynamics" or "arrangements" too many times, used to describe quite dissimilar albums. I guess there's only a limited way to express such sentiments.

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 13 February 2003 07:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

Vic, you know I love you, but again I must say: huh? "Arrangements" is an overused word? You do know that "arrangements" is a real word, right? And that it has an actual meaning? Did you ever think, perhaps, that people are using the word not to annoy you, but because it describes something specific?

― Kenan Hebert, Thursday, 13 February 2003 07:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh, wait. I retract that. "off kilter arrangements." I get it.

Never mind. I drink too much.

― Kenan Hebert, Thursday, 13 February 2003 07:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

Let me guess, Kenan Hebert is a writer? One perhaps guilty of a few of these transgressions?

I think what Vic meant was "off-kilter (dynamics/arrangements)".

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 13 February 2003 08:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ha! Good eye. Just like a writer to be so picky about words that he can't read them properly in context. Hence this thread.

― Kenan Hebert, Thursday, 13 February 2003 08:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

Mr Diamond is correct, sorry for the unclarity.

This is why I read reviews instead of aspiring to write them!

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 13 February 2003 08:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

Snarfing is "the act of sniffing a bicycle seat after a lady has just been seated upon it"

― Jerry (Jerry), Thursday, 13 February 2003 09:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

referring to a string section as "lush" or "majestic"

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 13 February 2003 10:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

(actually that's not dumb, it's just cliched)

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 13 February 2003 10:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

i always thought snarfing was when you laugh when you're in the middle of drinking and it comes out your nose,no?

― robin (robin), Thursday, 13 February 2003 11:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm sure there are snarfing e-groups on Yahoo.

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 13 February 2003 11:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

two months pass...

I've just re-read this thread and come to the sad conclusion that, were ILM to have its way, nothing would ever be written about music, ever, except perhaps in wingdings. Which kinda makes sense in a way.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 21:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

"derivative" and "innovation"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 21:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

"trope"

― your null fame (yournullfame), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 22:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Best (song,album,band) of all time"

― Sami (Sami), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 22:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

All words. Also punctuation.

― wl (wl), Thursday, 1 May 2003 05:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Things are better for me now, cause I found that I love music.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 1 May 2003 05:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

good to hear.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 1 May 2003 05:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

jim can apparently read that. This was not my intention, as the font specifies webdings.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 1 May 2003 05:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

no i c&p'd it into word & changed the font

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

you people have too much time on your hands (mr pot, kettle on line two etc)

― Dave M. (rotten03), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Now, I'm as _____ as the next guy..."

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

(or ANY folksy, conversational tone)

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

Opening a review with "Have you ever..."

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Is there anything we're actually allowed to say?!!! I've used tons on these and a lot of them a perfectly good words/terms! I now aspire to use felching, dirty sanchez and lucky pierre all in one review, though...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 1 May 2003 10:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

someone i know often refers to Peter Margasak as "Peter Poopypants," although i forget why. shall have to ask. XD

as for me, many of my least favourites have already been covered. however, i'll add:

proto-
powerhouse
-laden

― janni (janni), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Plangent."

― Brandon Gentry (Brandon Gentry), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

Just don't mention Eminem ever and I'm good to go.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

god, I saw the best wrong use of Proto the other by a guy who just walked behind me.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

'Beatlesesque,' 'Beatlesque,' 'Beatles-esque'

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

he called the new Jayhawks album "proto-acoustic"

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Classic" for something that is obviously not classic in any way
[name]-[describer] used as in-joke stereotype referencer: "blah blah may seem at first glance to be music for basement-dwelling Billy-No-Mates types, but..."
references to living in basements/tenements/council estates as though this constitutes a sub-genre

― Poppy (poppy), Sunday, 4 May 2003 02:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Fractal".

"Classic" - that would be every dance track to have come out of Detroit, Chicago, Berlin or Sheffield before 1991.

Hey, are there any words left? Or have we covered the whole dictionary?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Sunday, 4 May 2003 02:11 (twenty-one years ago) link

'Beatlesesque,' 'Beatlesque,' 'Beatles-esque'

I like that terms. Although, of course, it might as well have been replaced with the word "good" or "pisses on all other music because it is so much better than anything else".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 May 2003 12:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh my God. Ken Taylor, get out of my head. I thought the exact same thing. Holy crap.

― David Allen, Monday, 5 May 2003 16:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

I can't believe nobody said "sophomore."

― Ben Williams, Monday, 5 May 2003 16:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

Dave (Stelfox), this is a better take on this idea, replete with mark s imploding outwards as he encounters, one after the other, untapped anxiety locked within the form of misplaced words.

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 5 May 2003 16:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

"relevant"

― mike a (mike a), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

[X*] is the band that will save rock!

[Anything written on Pitchfork]

*: Esp. in reference to any "The [noun/verb/etc.]" band.

― Stiv (Stiv), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Also I find that anything Greil Marcus writes annoys the living fuck out of me. How exactly did that guy become an important rock critic?

― Stiv (Stiv), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

By writing well and insightfully?

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yes, he's a very poor writer on formal grounds alone, let alone his poor style and general poor taste, as is Christgau. I put it down to the wide-open employment opportunities available to the mediocre during the period 1960-1975. Hey, at least all they became were music critics. How do you explain the likes of Billy Joel?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

(ducks for cover)

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 04:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

"face it," "'fess up," "hands down," "'nuff said"

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 07:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

"it goes without saying"
"well, I don't have to tell you..."

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 07:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

"we" (when the author assumes the readership agrees with him or is unilaterally guilty of doing/thinking something the author has done -- don't implicate me in this, asshole.)

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 07:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...

uber
any fule know
pastoral
proto
rockist
baroque
psych
notwithstanding
caveat

― greg, Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:02 (twenty years ago) link

what's wrong with psych? it's shorthand for a genre of music. unless you mean: "I was really PSYCHED to hear the new wilco album".

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:18 (twenty years ago) link

Any fule knows that Wilco's recent uber-baroque art-pop songs lean heavily toward the sound of the Byrds' post-66 proto-pastoral psych throwaways, and that they are, notwithstanding a tasty guitar lick or two, just as boring. Caveat emptor: Wilco suck even harder than the Byrds. And that's saying something.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:30 (twenty years ago) link

Maybe he means psych as in, "Man, this new Wilco record is incredible! ..PSYCH!!"

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:30 (twenty years ago) link

don't hate on the byrds!

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:36 (twenty years ago) link

Scott is weird that way.

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:38 (twenty years ago) link

Scott, do you like "Why" on Younger than Yesterday?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:49 (twenty years ago) link

I think that referring to something "dated" as being "...ooooh soooo last week." is, quite frankly, ooooh soooo last tuesday.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:50 (twenty years ago) link

also using "quite frankly" (like I just did) to fake being diplomatic about something you don't like.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:51 (twenty years ago) link

I can't remember. Maybe. You know, I'm not a Byrds fan, and yet, I listen to the Byrds. So, I can't hate them that much. I like some of those early b-sides.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:51 (twenty years ago) link

I still want to know who invented the, um, "um" thing in rockcrit. I have done it as a homage to rockcrits past. and i do it on ilx too cuz, um, it seems like the thing to do sometimes.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 29 August 2004 19:52 (twenty years ago) link

um, why?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:15 (twenty years ago) link

It gives the illusion of real time and real time gives the illusion of honesty.

― Huck, Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:34 (twenty years ago) link

Soundscape.

Extra points if proceeded by an arsey word such as 'etherial'.

Also, when they (whisper it) write 'whisper it' in brackets. I fuckin hate that.

― Wooden (Wooden), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:38 (twenty years ago) link

oh. [incredibly long, pregnant pause] okay.
(xpost)

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:38 (twenty years ago) link

(thats the problem with real time. someone thinks yer done talking and butts in.)

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:39 (twenty years ago) link

"Dropped" as a synonym for "released". Maybe it's more of a music business term, but Pitchfork uses it a lot. AND I HATE IT.

― frankE (frankE), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:41 (twenty years ago) link

Regarding the use of "drops" as a synonym for "will be released", my instinct is to hate the term, but instead am merely ambivalent. After all, there's a distinct need for an ACTIVE verb to replace the passive "be released" or "was released" etc., and "drop" is the best we have at present, though it certainly is kinda dumb. It'll take a coupla years to know whether regular folks (non-bizzers) will take to the term, the way regular folks eventually started using the word "dis".

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:42 (twenty years ago) link

I like "drop" because it likens albums to babies, turds and balls.

― Huck, Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:44 (twenty years ago) link

and obviously it's primarily associated with hip-hop, maybe Pfork coopted it for indie-rock, but you're still much more likely to hear that the new Young Buck dropped than the new Yo La Tengo dropped.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:44 (twenty years ago) link

[Incidentally, frankE, I started composing my post before reading yours, so the timing is kinda coincidental, that's all. Essentially, I agree with you.]

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:46 (twenty years ago) link

"Her new album is about to drop on...."

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:51 (twenty years ago) link

The story of "new album will drop" is homologous to why slang is needed in the first place.

― Huck, Sunday, 29 August 2004 20:58 (twenty years ago) link

"sun drenched"

... as in the sun-drenched harmonies of.......
thppppt

― Angus Von Santana, Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:32 (twenty years ago) link

"drums like Animal from the Muppets" (guilty as charged)

― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:35 (twenty years ago) link

Haha guys "dropped" is definitely in the mainstream if nerdy rock crit on Pfork is using it. It didn't originate in music journalism folks.

Old school: "the album drops on ..."
New School: "His album was pushed up cuz the streets couldn't wait!"

I like the new school version.

― djdee2005, Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:36 (twenty years ago) link

Using "cuz the streets couldn't wait!" in new contexts is fun too, i.e. your reasoning for why you deserve a raise, your excuse for being caught shoplifting, etc.

― djdee2005, Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:37 (twenty years ago) link

IDM

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:37 (twenty years ago) link

'electronica'

― djdee2005, Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:38 (twenty years ago) link

organic

― grapeshine (grapeshine), Monday, 30 August 2004 00:26 (twenty years ago) link

I've heard IDM used a couple of times round here. What does it mean?

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 30 August 2004 00:29 (twenty years ago) link

Incomprehensible Danish Muck

― Huck, Monday, 30 August 2004 00:52 (twenty years ago) link

What, like a Lars Ulrich interview?

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 30 August 2004 00:54 (twenty years ago) link

IDM

― PETER $., Monday, 30 August 2004 04:27 (twenty years ago) link

anything that "tells it like it is"

felching is where one drives a hollow cylinder up one's anus and allows (forces?) a small creature (usually a hamster or such) to crawl up said cylinder.

or so i gather.

according to the 'lemmywinks' episode of south park anyway.

― Daz, Monday, 30 August 2004 04:53 (twenty years ago) link

"sophmore"
"brian wilson"

― reo, Monday, 30 August 2004 05:06 (twenty years ago) link

ack "sophomore"

― reo, Monday, 30 August 2004 05:07 (twenty years ago) link

"Sophomoric", however, is sorely underused.

― Huck, Monday, 30 August 2004 05:12 (twenty years ago) link

"dance music"

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Monday, 30 August 2004 05:15 (twenty years ago) link

anything that refers disparagingly to "bling bling" rap.

― djdee2005, Monday, 30 August 2004 05:21 (twenty years ago) link

reading them is so 2002 but i needed some material to work with: pitchfork calling "get on dis motorcycle" a "dirty-ass Southern bounce track"

felching is connected to the following things
felching is connected to because
felching is to ingest your semen from the ass you just deposited it into
felching is brought up
felching is?" "felching
felching is unhealthy no

― [eter $$, Monday, 30 August 2004 05:37 (twenty years ago) link

[...] if he sounded any grimier he'd be asking you for change. [...] Swoosh! [Tom Breihan; August 27th, 2004] (in ref to p. pablo)

― asfd@adf.oxom, Monday, 30 August 2004 05:41 (twenty years ago) link

A reviewer of a Half Man Half Biscuit gig I organised 2 weeks ago commented that the band had been around since the early eighties. He then went on to review the support band, all 18 year olds. Finally, commenting on Half Man Half Biscuit, he expressed his surprise that the band were considerably older than the support act.

Tosser!

― chris trew, Monday, 30 August 2004 06:27 (twenty years ago) link

"country-ass" bubba sparxx

lol

I guess we can safely put "-ass" on this thread, then

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Monday, 30 August 2004 06:33 (twenty years ago) link

"funky vibe"
"up-and-coming"
"undeservedly overlooked"

― Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZT!! BZZZZZT!! (Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZ), Monday, 30 August 2004 08:45 (twenty years ago) link

My two favorite editors would periodically ban the use of certain dumbass descriptive terms in reviews. Two "classics" haven't been mentioned yet: "affair" for album and the infamous "eponymous" for self-titled. Of course I'm guilty too, but at least I never called a guitar solo "muscular."
When I was (briefly) a reviews editor I tried to ban mentions of competing reviews: "Everybody else says Smashing Pumpkins are X, but I say Y..." Don't know if this self-serving idiocy still appears as often as it did in the mid-90s.
"Trout-sniffingly bad" is horrible writing, but it made me laugh.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 30 August 2004 10:09 (twenty years ago) link

An editor of mine recently banned quoting lyrics from reviews.

― Huck, Monday, 30 August 2004 13:49 (twenty years ago) link

When I was (briefly) a reviews editor I tried to ban mentions of competing reviews: "Everybody else says Smashing Pumpkins are X, but I say Y..." Don't know if this self-serving idiocy still appears as often as it did in the mid-90s

that rule would put the NY Press out of business. not only would it kill whatever semblance of a music section it still has, it would also kill its movies section, its politics section, and possibly even its letters-to-the-editor section.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 30 August 2004 14:03 (twenty years ago) link

Gumbo!

Socially conscious!

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Monday, 30 August 2004 14:05 (twenty years ago) link

"like being ass-raped by X" appears quite often in metal reviews, and usually it carries a positive connotation. Head bangers like it up the butt, I guess.

― Huck, Monday, 30 August 2004 14:10 (twenty years ago) link

"An editor of mine recently banned quoting lyrics from reviews."
A man (woman) after my own heart (sigh). I wanted to do this too but couldn't get away w/it.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 30 August 2004 23:24 (twenty years ago) link

"accessible"

― pinder (pinder), Monday, 30 August 2004 23:42 (twenty years ago) link

criminally underrated

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 05:45 (twenty years ago) link

Uncutesque

― Not David Peschek, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 05:54 (twenty years ago) link

"Unutterable sadness"

― Huck, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 13:47 (twenty years ago) link

haha that's it, there are no more words! all music critique from now on will consist of clicks, whistles and the sound of someone pressing play on the CD player containing the record being reviewed. Can we go home now?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 15:46 (twenty years ago) link

though surely debated to death in the past, I can't believe iI got all the way down this thread without someone mentioning "intelligent jungle." a classic dumb journalism expression...

― martin (martin), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 17:23 (twenty years ago) link

"Shimmering" always bugged me, as it seems overused.

― Thea (Thea), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 17:33 (twenty years ago) link

Ah yes. I hate "shimmering"; I understand its use when it means "trebly and reverbed/delayed" but then people talk about "shimmering vocal harmonies", which is insane.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 17:37 (twenty years ago) link

But what if the vocal harmonies glisten and shimmer like the reflection of early morning light on the surface of a placid body of water like a lake or a pond or a lagoon? What then?

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 18:17 (twenty years ago) link

they can't really be perfectly harmonious if they do that, though - that's just your basic polyphony.

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 18:51 (twenty years ago) link

On a previous thread like this, Frank Kogan issued fatwa vs."we" (as in "when we hear them do this, we know it's as good as it gets"), and I agree with him on that, but when he also tried to ban "angular," he went too far! Some things *are* angular dammit (some things are also we, but not so's the reviewer can hide behind with his stupid claims.) Speaking of the latter, Christgau and Marcus are not bad writers, except when they trash something in passing, without presenting evidence, cos oops time to go on to next item (Real Life Top Ten can be especially irritating, in fact, that's mainly what I'm thinking of, more than Christgau's passing poo).What about "feels": it;s meant to be x, but it feels like y"; why not "seems," are you so snesitive, are your feelinggs so sacrosanct I won't dare challenge your judgement if you get invoke the sensitive sincerity of your sensibilty?Sanctuary! Also, "think": "He was a protege, but now he's an ungrateful lil bastard.(Think Chingy." No, I think I got it, I think I don't need to be told when and what to think, thank you. Mostly (?) in his 70s Guide, Christgau used "Skewed" and "sprung' to mean what(I think) Peter M. means by "off-kilter dynamics." Felching, as expalined to me back in the 70s, does indeed consist of Mr. 22's third line of credit (above). I never thought of applying it to music, h'mmm

― Don, Wednesday, 1 September 2004 01:57 (twenty years ago) link

Forward looking.

(= has sythesizers)

― Curt (cgould), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 02:07 (twenty years ago) link

i just found randomly found this pitchfork article. similar approach as were taking but i dont think the resulting piece is very successful. its kind of annoying actually.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/s/shipping-news/very-soon-and-in-pleasant-company.shtml

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Thursday, 2 September 2004 03:26 (twenty years ago) link

(Typos are bad too, sorry). Arguably."They are arguably the best band of the moment." Aguably not, too. Also, the bigger the hype, the more noticable the "discreet" qualifier: "They may be the best fucking band in the universe." However, for some reason,"they just may be" is for some reason more acceptible! Like the writer is truly eyeing a fixation, but trying to maintain sense of balance (one shiny little "just" and I'm distracted from the kill)

― Don, Thursday, 2 September 2004 04:18 (twenty years ago) link

'songsmith'

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:38 (twenty years ago) link

'tuneage'

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:38 (twenty years ago) link

'off-kilter'

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:41 (twenty years ago) link

'jangly guitar'

I mean, WTF does that _mean_?

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:42 (twenty years ago) link

Well, that one actually means something. "Jangly guitar" traditionally refers to a Fender or Rickenbacker, most likely at the neck-pickup setting, played through a tube. When talking about jangle, people usually mean a guitar that sounds like the Byrds or R.E.M. (on the higher-fi end of the spectrum) or like the Velvets' quieter stuff (on the lower-fi end). In this case, I believe, it's not the term that's overused but the actual sound.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:50 (twenty years ago) link

Ta!

:-)

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:53 (twenty years ago) link

"Fucked up"

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:53 (twenty years ago) link

"Shit hot"

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:53 (twenty years ago) link

"Eclecticism"

― mei (mei), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:53 (twenty years ago) link

"influenced"