sanneh makes good

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i've always enjoyed his playlists in the sunday times and other write ups. liked this piece--short, but ambitious. first time i've seen "rockism" defined in any major newspaper! last paragraph was cool though. could have come off as sappy, but he struck a good balance...

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/arts/music/23SANN.html

― marcg (marcg), Sunday, 23 November 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

he doesn't define rockism at all well though.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Sunday, 23 November 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I must admit I'm more fascinated by his giving the new Kid Rock album four stars actually.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 24 November 2003 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

sterl's gotta point. Does rockism necessarily mean louder these days?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 24 November 2003 00:40 (twenty-two years ago)

what does he mean by louder--could he mean louder in terms of an albums / artists role within the "canon." "louder" as in more populist, having a greater voice within a time period? not a volume issue? or is that what you are disputing anthony?

― marcg (marcg), Monday, 24 November 2003 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm just saying I don't get what Sanneh means when he says rockism is a search for something louder. That hasn't been the case at the very least since Korn.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 24 November 2003 00:48 (twenty-two years ago)

also his complaints about the worthlessness of the Zagat guide seem like they'd also hold for things like Rolling Stone's new Top 500 albums of all Time, so I'm surprised he didn't broaden his complaints beyond that one book.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 24 November 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

probably because the RS issue will be on stands for two weeks and the Zagat guide will be there a lot longer.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 24 November 2003 01:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"older, louder, more authentic" is NOT rockism!

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 24 November 2003 03:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean it may be the language of rockism, but to understand rockism you need to step outside and interrogate its discourse to begin with.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 24 November 2003 03:03 (twenty-two years ago)

whoa, if that is the language of rockism, but you can't use that language to describe it then how can it even be touched?

i have to admit now that what i must have thought was "rockism" must have only been its shadow.

what i am trying to get at is that he is probably introducing this concept to people who might not have heard of it (i certainly had not before i started reading ilm) and opens up the debate neatly and thoughtfully. it would seem that music criticism (as in non-theoretical, non-conservatory-based inquiry) is a relatively new discipline and he takes something that everyone can understand (top 1000 list) to put things in perspective. i think that's why i liked the last paragraph because it was a direct and tangible example of non-rockist (uhh, is that right?) thinking.

― marcg (marcg), Monday, 24 November 2003 03:17 (twenty-two years ago)

we've had some good "what is rockism" threads but I can't find the best of them right now.

i mean rockism isn't a preference for a time period or a volume per. se but rather the POSITING of a canon of "authenticity" (what constitutes it can be debated by rockists among others) tied to ideas of "influence" the idea of "progressive development" in music and a sort of teleological triumphalism towards certain canonical acts. Also, more narrowly the idea of craft, authorial intention, technique as meters of "quality".

Rockism is your high school english teacher explaining why Dylan was the greatest. Rockism is The Guardian comparing Eminem to Donne.

Sanneh isn't much of a rockist I think, but neither does he strike me as an anti-rockist. His tastes run fairly conventional as do his quips, but he avoids overt rockist judgements mainly by virtue of acting more as a strict journalist. What people actually listen to, he says, would be a more interesting guide but probably a WORSE one. (i.e. he sez the "rockist" canon of the guide is better at appreciating quality than what ppl. actually listen to. this is a funny line of argument -- "rockism isn't very interesting, but its sorta right")

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 24 November 2003 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

W/o getting into it too much: Sanneh's tastes are very broad, but I wouldn't say "fairly conventional," either...

― douglas in exile, Monday, 24 November 2003 05:19 (twenty-two years ago)

i think i have absurd standards for "not conventional"

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 24 November 2003 05:37 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/03/kelefa-sanneh-leaves-nyt.php

Item!

― deej, Monday, 3 March 2008 00:08 (eighteen years ago)

Weird eyebrows

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 3 March 2008 00:13 (eighteen years ago)

who will do exceedingly well-written trend pieces on grime for nebraskan debate coaches now

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 3 March 2008 00:35 (eighteen years ago)

it would be better if radar said something like: 'sasha frere-jones was expected be moved to finalize the trade, along with a 2nd round draft pick and cash considerations.'

― fukasaku tollbooth, Monday, 3 March 2008 00:39 (eighteen years ago)

omg i wonder if an ilxor will snatch that open critic at the NYT!

― Wrinklepaws, Monday, 3 March 2008 12:43 (eighteen years ago)

open critic job..

― Wrinklepaws, Monday, 3 March 2008 12:43 (eighteen years ago)

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