Toronto ILMers: NOW magazine music reviewers in annoying, lazy journalism shocka!

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From the "Ms. Sarah Liss Reviews Your New Favourite Releases While On The Toilet" files:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-04-21/music_discs6.php

"Miss the days when a fanzine was a photocopied work of art, not a URL? When grrrl punk was all about Daisy Chainsaw and skateboards, not Avril and Sk8R Boi?"

Wow. So edgy. So angsty. So goddamned lazy.

Me, I miss the days when a discussion of punk rock didn't require knee-jerk potshots at Top 40 artists who have fuck-all to do with punk rock. And I REALLY miss the days when NOW featured music writers whose reviews didn't rely on Livejournal-style rehashings of beaten-to-death memes.

Keep it up, Sarah. One day, you'll be good enough to write for Pitchfork.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

Is there a lot of coverage in Toronto dailies of the nu-ragga jungle scene?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

Not really, no. There are nu-skool jungle parties, but they're largely ignored by the local press. They tend to lump jungle in with the (mostly now defunct) local rave scene, which got covered to the point of complete overexposure in the mid-90s.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:48 (twenty years ago)

Do you really think Pitchfork writers are THAT bad? That is pretty bad writing. I tend to like most of the reviews on there. D. Leone, Mark Richardson and Nick Sylvester are all good IMO.

― jmeister (jmeister), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

Pitchfork isn't even the indie stalwart it used to be. No more strawman. :(

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

i'm sorry, but i fail to see how bad this little blurb really is. in sarah's defense, these things often get fired off in a couple minutes, and while that's kind of a sad excuse for getting one's work done, it's not THAT bad, is it? YOU try coming up with a lede for a million fucking dumbshit indie bands that your editors want you to intro for a CD release party... it's not like she kicked off a 2000 word feature that way. it's like, what, a hundred words?

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

I want to go back to talking about jungle in Toronto since I am visiting over the summer.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

I'm fairly hypersensitive to NOW's crappy writing (music or otherwise), but I didn't think this was that bad. Sure enough, it's a lazy review because she's not writing, instead, she's merely namedropping. But as Ken said, for a 100 word piece, I can forgive it.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

i'm in toronto right now!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:40 (twenty years ago)

For a film festival?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

for a visiting my relatives and eating chopped liver festival!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

CHOPPED LIVER FESTIVAL!?!?! Are you serious? Oh shit I wish I was there.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

well, if me and my parents eating chopped liver counts as a festival! and hell i say it DOES!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

Hahaha

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

how to completely undercut a rant on knee-jerk potshots and lazy writing in one fell swoop = end it by saying "one day, you'll be good enough to write for pitchfork"

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

how to completely undercut a thread about knee-jerk potshots and lazy writing in one fell swoop = end it by bringing up eating chopped liver with your parents

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Yeah but that's a very welcome undercutting. What do you guys put the chopped liver on, slocki, rye bread or crackers?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:59 (twenty years ago)

Alright, I have to admit that the Pitchfork reference was a little weak, but I was in dire need of a parting shot. No, Pitchfork are not completely horrifying, but they've set my Twee-O-Meter off a few too many times for my liking, so I wouldn't call myself a fan.

Sarah Liss' writing is something of a pet peeve of mine, as she seems hellbent on projecting an indie-er-than-thou ego wank onto 99% of the records she reviews. Nearly everything she writes is this awful combination
of campus newspaper columnist and 18-year-old blogger.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

we're rocking breton crackers right now. but i predict the matzo will be out before the weekend's through! (xp)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

My aunt has these little mini-rye things which work perfectly. Really nice. Matzo is always good, of course.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

'tis the season!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:06 (twenty years ago)

Y'know, some pate would be good right now.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

Heathen.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

Heathen.

Liverist!

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

Actually, I'm more of a "fry it up with some onions" kinda guy.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:16 (twenty years ago)

I heard this band has "sludgy guitars" and "pulsating drums".

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

(x-post)Thas good too.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

I heard this band has "sludgy guitars" and "pulsating drums".

Yes, with an original approach to songwriting that is both eclectic and organic.
They're really taking it to the next level.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

oh dear.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 22 April 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

OK. It's been pointed out to me that I may be stepping on someone's toes here. For the record, I've never met Sarah personally and wish her no ill will. I just don't care for much of her writing.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 23 April 2005 01:32 (twenty years ago)

The "Eye Weekly" was always better reading than NOW, anyways.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Saturday, 23 April 2005 03:35 (twenty years ago)

Ughhhh. I gave up reading both Eye and Now some time ago.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Saturday, 23 April 2005 04:14 (twenty years ago)

only the free subway dailies for tokyo ghost stories!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 23 April 2005 04:23 (twenty years ago)

huh? I'm just not a fan of either publication. I'm not trying to be "above" them, I can see how It would sound like that.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Saturday, 23 April 2005 04:47 (twenty years ago)

i was just playin'.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 23 April 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

Eye at least has earshot. Or did.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Saturday, 23 April 2005 14:27 (twenty years ago)

Oh wait, that's Exclaim. Eye has the bar chart.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Saturday, 23 April 2005 14:28 (twenty years ago)

exclaim is the only decent free music weekly/monthly whatever in toronto.

― aaron fenwick (aaron ef.), Saturday, 23 April 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

Exclaim is national -- even better! -- and more often than I'd like I find the writing to be a bit uncreative, cookie-cutter stuff. However, the writing may be bland, but it is hardly ever lazy, and rarely do they write anything that makes me think "OMG, are they stupid" (which is my almost-weekly reaction to the music writing in NOW).

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 24 April 2005 01:52 (twenty years ago)

Exclaim is fraking awesome! They have real reviewers writing real articles.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Sunday, 24 April 2005 01:54 (twenty years ago)

I don't know about their holding 'real reviewers' over eye. Their online contributers can be really astoundingly bad.

BUT:
Sean/Sundar, we have Slutsky's movies. You two should figure out who gets them back.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Sunday, 24 April 2005 05:07 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure what you're asking...if you have a DVD that you can't identify ownership of, it's probably Sundar's, as I still have mine.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 24 April 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

Things become clearer. It would be Sundar's.
Sundar, we have your dvd.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Sunday, 24 April 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

"Nearly everything she writes is this awful combination
of campus newspaper columnist and 18-year-old blogger."

Um ... since when wasn't this the standard for music journalism?

― phil jones (interstar), Monday, 25 April 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

"Nearly everything she writes is this awful combination
of campus newspaper columnist and 18-year-old blogger."

Um ... since when wasn't this the standard for music journalism?

I've read plenty of stuff over the years that didn't fall under this description.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:29 (twenty years ago)

I think she pretty accurately sums up the various reasons that "Cougar Party" are eminently avoidable, for those not nostalgic for Daisy Chainsaw anyway.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 25 April 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

Oh, Toronto.

― Huk-L, Monday, 25 April 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

Nu-school jungle scene!!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 25 April 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

Nu-school jungle scene!!

Damn my raving youth! But yeah, jungle / d'n'b is still kicking along here, albeit on a smaller scale than a decade ago.

Gravel, are you still coming to Toronto?

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 25 April 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

While it appear they didn't print Sean's letter.

Not to drag up Sarah Liss coughuniquecough writing style, but the part about Mother Teresa is pure gold.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-04-28/music_feature4.php

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

Too bad about Sean's letter not getting in. Maybe next week?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

In a wierd twist of fate, the new board mentioned in the article has had it's account 'suspended'.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

i just noticed that!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

It's their version of Poxy Fule apparently.

I like our message better.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

I was wondering what that was about - "account suspended" sounds rather concerning!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

The Globe and Mail's take on it. Who the hell wears orange parachute pants in this day and age anyways?

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Monday, 2 May 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

Did I mention that I really regret starting this thread?

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 2 May 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

seven years pass...

Can't believe I'm doing this--God should strike me dead--but I'm going to link to a NOW piece, their "50 Best Toronto Albums Ever" piece in this week's issue:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/50torontoalbums/

I certainly love songs here and there, and most everyone I'd want to see on there (primarily pre-'90s names) is. Probably 15-20 artists I've never heard.

― clemenza, Saturday, 5 January 2013 04:07 (thirteen years ago)

I dunno why everybody got so negative about it-- aside from the aesthetic grossness of lists-as-content-- and that "ooh an arts competition!" is kind of antithetical to Toronto's co-operative mindset. That aside, those are mostly a slew of great albums, the write-ups are fine, and I listened to Lowest of the Low and The Viletones again yesterday and it ruled.

― friday goodness thank it's (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 5 January 2013 04:34 (thirteen years ago)

The cult of "David comes to life" continues to mystify me, in all honesty, that is not even in my top ten FU releases although it still gets some heavy rotation round here

― friday goodness thank it's (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 5 January 2013 04:36 (thirteen years ago)

I've had a long-standing antipathy to NOW's music coverage that's primarily rooted in the '80s and '90s, and primarily tied in with Tim Perlich's tenure. The stuff on that list that I'm familiar with is fine. I did notice one (to me) glaring omission from the dance list: Kon Kan's "I Beg Your Pardon." Saw many Viletones shows circa 1980...

― clemenza, Saturday, 5 January 2013 04:45 (thirteen years ago)

I had a problem reconciling the magazine's editorial tendencies toward Fair Business Practice Fingerpointing and their own abrupt firing of, well, several of their former writers, incl. Tim, who I liked. But I don't have that problem any more, I don't care.

Anyway here's a Youth Youth Youth video to make us all feel good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTJZlFni1Q

― friday goodness thank it's (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 5 January 2013 05:17 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTJZlFni1Q

― friday goodness thank it's (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 5 January 2013 05:17 (thirteen years ago)

Oops...I guess I ought to be grateful that you at least aren't Tim.

― clemenza, Saturday, 5 January 2013 05:47 (thirteen years ago)

eight years pass...

Can any downtown Torontonians tell me if NOW is still producing paper issues? I know their website is still going, but the boxes around here have been empty since March 2020, and their Wikipedia page hasn't been updated since 2019.

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:21 (four years ago)

Where is "around here"? If you're in Toronto yourself, I would think that would mean a definitive no. As a long-standing NOW hater (took a while, but I did in time like John Harkness), I don't mourn.

― clemenza, Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:46 (four years ago)

Weston, but I could never count on finding copies much north of Bloor St. in any one dependable location.
Their website claims they still distribute it throughout the GTA, and you can apparently still subscribe.
I always thought the film writing was more dependable than the music writing, with eye weekly it was the reverse.

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:53 (four years ago)

I can't actually check rn as I'm with family in Calgary till Sunday but they've looked empty from the outside (haven't actually opened it up to check but you can kinda see inside and tell from the outside, right) for awhile now and they're not on the designated stands in subway stations either

― Murgatroid, Thursday, 16 December 2021 21:41 (four years ago)

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