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In reference to this:

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 00:07:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sterling Clover < s_clover@capfab.unpopular.com>
To: Ron..@aol.com
Subject: Re: Crap playroom

> I'm glad you're writing for Stylus now. After talking crazy shit about
> my writing in both the Pitchfork mailbag and in online message threads,
> it's great to see you do your own I'm-so-not-cliched-that-I'm-a-cliche,
> incoherent pop music writing.

Oooh... I'm a cliche... scary. You still like the Gorillaz. Haha.

Also I've written numerous thangs for freakytrigger.

Also, this goes to show that you a) don't check facts in reviews *and* in
the rest of your life and b) hold a long grudge.

> Keep up the good work! And thanks for the heads up on Naughty by Nature
> and Tweet!

Also, I hope you're serious about this because man could those two give
your taste a kick in the pants.

Also, c'mon -- the singles have been all over the radio. Like where have
you been?

Also, if the writing was too incoherent that's probably because you don't
have a clue about what people actually *listen to* Mr. Indypants.

> An essay of mine on electroclash is to appear on Stylus soon. I hope
> you have your red pen out.
>
> Lovingly,
> Rich JuzWACK

Haha. JuzWACK.

--sterl.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:08 (twenty-three years ago)

I called someone "Mr. Indypants"!

Also, this is the dude who panned Le Tigre for not being angry enough and misspelled the name of a black man murdered by racist police in the same review. I think I talked shit about him like a year and a half ago or something.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:11 (twenty-three years ago)

oh no! a misspelling like that means he hates black people!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Dorismund to "Doorsman" fer chrissake. Like he'd never read the name and didn't care too much. The dude was recently shot. Respect for the dead and all. Not to mention that if he wants political anger, he should have a basic grasp of the issues at hand.

Also, a funny story: I sent the draft into Todd & he writes back saying that actually he liked "Down 4 U". I replied explaining I didn't think calling it possibly this generation's "Sail Away" was an insult.

eh, simon? eh, eh?

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:55 (twenty-three years ago)

as j blount said once, whatta editor!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Thursday, 29 August 2002 03:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Look out for Rich's take on electroclash on the site in a month or two. And I don't like "Sail Away"...so pffft. ;)

― Todd Burns, Thursday, 29 August 2002 06:13 (twenty-three years ago)

As they say, whatta an editor. I don't think I can read, which severely hampers my editing skillz.

― Todd Burns, Thursday, 29 August 2002 06:30 (twenty-three years ago)

i don't understand sterl, it seems you are sending the hate mail, not receiving it, i'm all confused now.

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 29 August 2002 06:55 (twenty-three years ago)

This is tangential, but:

Also, c'mon -- the singles have been all over the radio. Like where have you been?

I'm assuming from the exchange above that we're talking about American radio. I heart pop music, especially brainless good-time bubblegum stuff (Ace of Base, Backstreet Boys, Britney's records if not her irritating attempt at "sultry"), but American radio is so incredibly poor right now that I can't imagine a person's not having heard something thereon being a valid swipe at his/her critical credential. Seriously, isn't it the case that if somebody doesn't listen to pop radio in its present condition it no longer means they're a snob: it just means they don't want to have to hear some guy dragging out an obscene shaggy dog story for fifteen minutes just in order to get hear that "You're my butterfly/sugar/baby" song?

And what does liking pop music in such a radio environment mean, anyway? Infinity Broadcasting's methods of determining playlist having nothing whatsoever to do with public taste and everything to do with who got paid what. Just wonderin'.

― J0hn Darn1elle, Thursday, 29 August 2002 09:48 (twenty-three years ago)

John: don't forget that radio commercials are the most irritating thing EVER. I believe there is a direct meth-lab pipeline that runs through voice-over studios across America.

Radio in general is so bad (for me at least) that I think the process nowadays might have to come down to looking at what's on the charts, finding the lyrics online to find out if they're any good, going to barnesandnoble.com to listen to a thirty-second snippet of the song for a brief appraisal, and then if all impressions are good go to Soulseek to download it. It's stupid and convoluted and probably takes away all of the magic of discovering great songs on the radio but when it's three songs (at least one of which is shit) followed by 15 minutes of commercials then fuck it.

― Nate Patrin, Thursday, 29 August 2002 12:42 (twenty-three years ago)

And not to totally talk shit, but why are you so proud about writing for Stylus?

― wl, Thursday, 29 August 2002 12:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Christ. I have a feeling no matter what I say now I'm gonna come off offending someone I don't want to. I was in a snippy mood yesterday. I'm still in a snippy mood today. & some of you foax aren't helping anything. But then give snippy, get snippy I guess.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay, one more thing. Who cares what magazine publishes what & etc. The point is what is published. Otherwise its like reverse journo-rockism or something.

Also, I think Nate's story about looking for the lyrics first and THEN getting the single is k-foriegn to my experience.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:25 (twenty-three years ago)

It's mostly a hip-hop thing actually -- lyrics are the #1 thing that I listen for in a rap song. Then again I might miss some instances where okayish lyrics are completely redeemed by a mind-boggling delivery, and you know I think it's actually kind of a stupid way of going about things now that you mention it.

― Nate Patrin, Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Which "Sail Away" are you guys talking about? Enya? Randy Newman? Christopher Cross?

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

All "Sail Away"s are created equal

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:46 (twenty-three years ago)

John is correct about radio being pretty bad in some markets...this probably really belongs over on the chart rap thread, but Seattle seems to have a dearth of good rap stations. Everytime I turn on KUBE, I end up turning it off in less than an hour in frustration. Three songs followed by 10 minutes of commercials is not worth listening to, even without going into the fact that their DJs pretty much come off as rather misogynistic (this bit is based on their morning show from a few months ago, which might have changed since then).

― lyra (lyra), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Which "Sail Away" are you guys talking about?

The 'sail away' song in the Beck's ads.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay, one more thing. Who cares what magazine publishes what & etc. The point is what is published. Otherwise its like reverse journo-rockism or something.

You're right of course. I guess I was mostly trying to stir up some trouble. Personally I really don't like Stylus, other than maybe the thing dleone did on Abba (he's a Pitchfork writer, and copying Pitchfork seems to be their main goal). I don't read Stylus much or ever nowadays, so I shouldn't pretend like it bothers me that much. You know, just one man's opinion.

― wl, Thursday, 29 August 2002 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh Sterl thanks for your S-K article. I'll be running it as soon as I do the next FT update, which hopefully will be this weekend but everything's up in the air with me right now :(

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 29 August 2002 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

I like that Stylus has these names who I usta think "whatever happened to" -- like Deen Freelorn for example.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 August 2002 14:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Which "Sail Away" are you guys talking about?

The 'sail away' song in the Beck's ads.

What generation's "Sail Away" is that -- and who sings it?

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 29 August 2002 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

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