Originally posted by lithups: I like that Wolf Parade's on there, too, but ugh. Some of the CMG writers are incredibly pretentious and arrogant. Dom Sinacola, especially.
Personally, I love their attitudes over there at CMG; the gorier the better. I hate the strictly journalistic approach to album reviews that so many people seem to want these days. Pitchfork's gotten a little soft in recent years, actually, and CMG along with Stereogum are fast becoming the rare glimmer of real personality and gut-check realism amidst all the wannabes and bed-wetters.
Personally, I love their attitudes over there at CMG; the gorier the better. I hate the strictly journalistic approach to album reviews that so many people seem to want these days. Pitchfork's gotten a little soft in recent years, actually, and CMG along with Stereogum are fast becoming the rare glimmer of real personality and gut-check realism amidst all the wannabes and bed-wetters.
(No offense to wannabes or bed-wetters.)
Ha! They are giving P-fork a run for their money.
I can't really criticize the website as a whole, though. They've introduced me to quite a few good things this year.
Personally, I love their attitudes over there at CMG; the gorier the better. I hate the strictly journalistic approach to album reviews that so many people seem to want these days.
I usually like the reviews at CMG quite a bit. I can't think of one that made me laugh harder than the review of Britney Spears' Circus.
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Posts: 946 | Location: Boston, MA | Registered: 14 May 2004
I too prefer reading their reviews, which are often fairly irrelevant and not really reviews, but much more amusing than the "sensible" type reviews at other places.
Check out their reviews of Fleet Foxes Sun Giant EP and Weezer's Red Album. Trust me.
That review of Sun Giant wasn't funny at all, just....useless. I almost feel bad for the person who wasted their precious time writing it, but then again I just wasted my precious time reading it. And my time is clearly more valuable.
"You're the shit and I'm knee-deep in it."
Posts: 545 | Location: Portland, OR | Registered: 28 August 2008
CMG promote good music, but their writing on the whole is awful. That Red album review is just fucking drivel, and anyone who knows anything about good writing could not possibly mistake it for anything resembling quality.
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.
Posts: 2759 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
CMG did a great job covering hip hop this year: Danny!, Invincible, and especially Badu were inspired picks. I'm glad they stuck by My Morning Jacket (really, that's a strong pop record) and The Breeders, and they lead me to the Hilotrons, which was an excellent pick. They've also forever earned my respect by consistently snubbing The Hold Steady.
It's true though that their writing style adopts traits from the worst of old-school pitchfork. Their review of School of Seven Bells is particularly graiting. And f that f'in Wolf Parade album in its f'in f. "Kissing the Beehive" is unlistenable.
"They've also forever earned my respect by consistently snubbing The Hold Steady."
^ Thank god someone else doesnt like them. I see nothing good about their music at all, yet they are consistently praised for being one of the best indie bands this decade. I call bullshit.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Posts: 220 | Location: Boulder, CO | Registered: 18 July 2007
Originally posted by Ninny Gooptz: CMG promote good music, but their writing on the whole is awful. That Red album review is just fucking drivel, and anyone who knows anything about good writing could not possibly mistake it for anything resembling quality.
Agreed. Almost every review I read over there is drivel. It comes off like they're severely abusing thesaurus.com. Too glib. Too smug.
They did turn me on to that Black Milk record though...
God I love CMG. They blow PF out of the water imo in every way. PF are clearly becoming way too influenced by record companies and hype, and I'd almost say that money is behind a lot of Pitchfork's decisions. The 'honorable metion' section was a joke. Not including albums because of not enough hype? Nice Pitchfork, real nice.
CMG can get slightly pretentious at times, but the overall intelligence level of the reviewers is quite impeccable. They know what they're talking about, and they're all about good music.
CMG > PF imo. They introduce me to so much more anyway. Fleet Foxes the number one album of the year? What a joke. While I'm not wild over the Erykah Badu album, it's something new. Love the high placement of Gang Gang Dance + Lau Nau + Paavoharju.
I have to say I like this list and I am generally a fan of CMG. The list sort of mirrors the site in general. Interesting, different, a bit of a mess (in a good way) but narrowly avoiding being too up it's arse. It's also nice to see a list where you don't already have over half.
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