RE: tumblr post on MPLS scene was how scenes evolve & grow and I agree. But how can a critic ignore bad music in critiques? Personal attacks are never right, but everything can’t all be sunshine, which is what was insinuated with ignoring bad.
Agreed. And if Rolling Stone wants to rip apart me and other Minneapolis musicians that’s fine and 100% acceptable and encouraged because that’s what national publications are supposed to do - give honest reviews. If the Chicago tribune wants to destroy me in a preview when I pass through Chicago fine (luckily neither has happened). If the City Pages wants to trash Avett Brothers when they pass through, ok. But my main point was the local media should be supportive of their local scene - not bring it down.
If a band is bad and the media ignores them, the band will go away. Let the fans decide who sucks. If a band sucks then people will stop attending their concerts and the band will eventually stop performing, change course, break up, form a new band, etc etc. But reviewing them negatively does nobody (locally) any good. It just brings negativity into our small music community. What’s the good in that? Especially because local reviewers are typically negatively reviewing bands that are on the up and up but then get crushed by local media. We musicians are fragile and if we get crushed by our hometown then how can we feel we’re good enough to go anywhere else. Even though the fans have decided certain bands don’t suck because they are supporting them enough to be a “hot” band on the up and up that local media feels they need to trash.
I mentioned in my other post that we can’t let the media get to us, but this is not what I’m talking about. I’m making commentary on our ‘scene’ not about how I’m upset because I was trashed (or ignored) by a local publication. That’s not what this is about. It’s about how to bring positivity or negativity into our music community.
Like I said, musicians get enough shit on the road that it’s nice to come back to a supportive community at home.
you feel me?
