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Best Writing About Music You Read in 2010

sean [Edit] [Delete] 77 replies 16:07 December 6th, 2010

Inspired by this http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/134211-best-music-writing-2010-ed.-by-ann-powers/

What were your favourite things you read this year on DiS or elsewhere?

I'm gonna add some my picks to this list over the course of the week, from DiS and elsewhere. First up, Dom Gourlay's selection of one-liners http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15727/reviews/4141229

View NestedLinear

Relevant artist taggings:
None

This one really nailed the reasons that I love this band.

http://thequietus.com/articles/05111-british-sea-power-hebden-bridge-live-review

deadwrong | 6 Dec '10, 16:11 | X | ^ This | Reply
- thank you, hadn't read that
  
  although i've never been their biggest fan, the stuff they did for us was pretty exceptional in terms of content, one of my highlights of the year, for sure http://drownedinsound.com/lists/british-sea-power-takeover
  
  sean @deadwrong | 6 Dec '10, 16:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - It sure was.
    
    Get them again, just for kicks!
    
    TJ-Dizzle @sean | 7 Dec '10, 01:41 | X | ^ This | Reply
- This is so, so
  
  true.
  Great choice!!
  
  adamagogobaby @deadwrong | 6 Dec '10, 17:45 | X | ^ This | Reply
re: Sleigh Bells

"Every hipster douche is tripping balls over this album and now, some songs are even in car commercials."

http://stuffandsuch.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/best-and-worst-of-2010/

Gorkys_Forever | 6 Dec '10, 16:12 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I like that he's written about "Every hipster douche ... tripping balls"
  
  in an article where he's named the Wavves album as the best of 2010.
  
  Zapsta @Gorkys_Forever | 6 Dec '10, 17:48 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - one man's hipster douche is another man's.....er not a hipster douche I guess
    
    Gorkys_Forever @Zapsta | 6 Dec '10, 18:32 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - Dude
      
      c'mon, Wavves is WAY less full of hipster bullshit than Sleigh Bells. And the albums aren't in order to begin with. Ranking albums just kind of gets redundant and hard at points.
      Gorkys_Forever, thanks man. I appreciate the shout out.
      
      jordancanio @Gorkys_Forever | 6 Dec '10, 23:24 | X | ^ This | Reply
      - Sleigh Bells? hipster bullshit?
        
        They've been called allsorts, I guess. Can a "metal Ting Tings" be hipster?
        
        Whatever. Treats is boss. And I don't mind the Ting Tings either.
        
        TheWza @jordancanio | 7 Dec '10, 09:30 | X | ^ This | Reply
        
        j0hn this'd this
        
        describes them perfectly
        
        perfectly.
        
        Fans cant like them for musical reasons, as the LP contains none.
        
        Gorkys_Forever @TheWza | 7 Dec '10, 10:32 | X | ^ This | Reply
big fan of the piece michael wheeler did on the demise of 6music

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4139255

witty, massively readable and it really highlighted what we'd be missing if 6 was cut.

talskar | 6 Dec '10, 16:44 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I missed this 6 music piece first time round
  
  just read it - really really great. Not the first time I've been impressed with Michael Wheeler
  
  beautiful_balloon @talskar | 6 Dec '10, 17:50 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - if you'd like to browse all his contributions, look here http://drownedinsound.com/users/michael_w/articles
    
    sean @beautiful_balloon | 6 Dec '10, 17:54 | X | ^ This | Reply
i love the single of the week column on this website

Wendy Roby has quite a way with words.

Also this article on why the National are so brilliant is good, from the NME of all places
http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=146&p=9465&more=1&c=1

kilgore-trout | 6 Dec '10, 16:46 | X | ^ This | Reply

whatisthewhat this'd this
- wendy is superb, you can find all her columns compiled here btw http://drownedinsound.com/lists/singles
  
  sean @kilgore-trout | 6 Dec '10, 17:36 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  KevinEGPerry this'd this
My own writing of course!

Not to be conceited...but it's a treat to get to bring rather huge interviews to a mind-boggled group of readers, to be a small part of people's discovery of music they haven't been listening to much, or to find that detail that says it all one way or the other.
I'm a really "nice" writer. I very rarely write something negative about an act actively myself. I don't take up a lot of space in my own writing, with my own thoughts and descriptions of things. I'm not in the band, and when I write it's about them, not about me (which is rare in Swedish music journalism today -- where the writer is often left, right and centre in every piece -- and usually in a large picture next to it). I give the focus to the act that is in the article. But there are usually some things that writes themselves if you do an interview right. I'm pleased with most of it, from... Well, exemplifying, from quoting The Baseball's Digger saying that he loves the blues -- without being able to mention a single blues act, in January (you don't have to add anything to that, you just let people say what they will most of the time, asking a few good questions, and they will describe themselves), to following that piece up with an interview with fiery rockabilly music-lover Imelda May shortly after. And all else.
I'm afraid that I can't give a link as this is in printed media, but for those of you who are ambitious enough to tackle a foreign language AND get a hold of copies it's all in a Swedish newspaper called Tranås-Posten.

MariaA | 6 Dec '10, 17:28 | X | ^ This | Reply
Best of DiS

I've started compiling some highlights of the year here, will certainly consider suggestions of stuff to add http://drownedinsound.com/lists/bestof2010

sean | 6 Dec '10, 17:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
I've enjoyed a few things this year

Michael W's writing has been very good. As has some of the other forum users cum writers.

I loved that Quietus factory Floor live review too. I think it was them anyhow? Basically it totally 'got' the experience.

Of my own stuff, I genuinely think that my Rihanna album review was the one which got under the skin of the record best. But the ones I wrote about Arab Strap's 'Philophobia' and Phantom Band's 'The Wants' were by far the ones I laboured over most. I am quite pleased with the former still:

http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15620/reviews/4140852

And I've interviewed some great people this year; The Chap, The National, Nedry... but the best one was definitely Karl Hyde. Got to totally geek out with an utter hero of mine and ask him about stuff I doubt he's ever been asked before. A real gent.

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4141161-dis-meets-karl-hyde-of-underworld

This is very 'me me me'. Oh well...

vamos | 6 Dec '10, 17:52 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I liked your Arab Strap review too, which is a nice link to...
  
  what I think my best article was, being my Favourite 50 article on Monday At the Hug and Pint http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4140831-favourite-50--arab-strap-monday-at-the-hug-and-pint-chosen-by-neil-ashman?relevant-artist
  
  I was also pretty pleased with my Dexys reissue review: http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15753/reviews/4141359
  
  I thought Andrzej's Manics review was bang on: http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15682/reviews/4141092
  
  I like William Grant's review of Villagers too: http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15398/reviews/4140012
  
  Elsewhere, Resonant Frequency on Pitchfork is pretty consistently interesting and I loved this Guardian Blog article on 'The Day Before You Came' by ABBA: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/sep/30/abba-day-before-you-came
  
  NeillyNeil @vamos | 7 Dec '10, 00:55 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - I liked your piece on that Arab Strap record too
    
    Such an under rated record that. Should be in so many more lists about records of the decade.
    
    And you're right about that Manics review, really got under the skin of the issue.
    
    vamos @NeillyNeil | 7 Dec '10, 09:30 | X | ^ This | Reply
Most things written by Jon Savage, as usual.

brokenchairs | 6 Dec '10, 17:54 | X | ^ This | Reply
off the top of my head...

the one bit of music writing that really hit me to the extent that i saved it on my memeory stick so i could have it on my laptop, is the factory floor piece by john doran that vamos mentions above..

http://thequietus.com/articles/04531-factory-floor

michael_w | 6 Dec '10, 18:00 | X | ^ This | Reply

innisj this'd this
- actually, i think it might be a different piece to the one vamos mentions...
  
  anyway
  
  michael_w @michael_w | 6 Dec '10, 18:05 | X | ^ This | Reply
I should visit The Quietus more often

http://thequietus.com/articles/04889-janelle-mon-e-the-archandroid-afrofuturism

Bethany_E | 6 Dec '10, 18:02 | X | ^ This | Reply
don't spose there is a link for this?

michael_w @grouchland | 6 Dec '10, 21:22 | X | ^ This | Reply
- your best bet is someone scanning in it. i would do but i don't have that copy with me at uni, alas.
  
  oneforghost @michael_w | 7 Dec '10, 01:06 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I'll do a scan if I can find it.
  
  Anyone know which issue it was in?
  
  whatisthewhat @michael_w | 7 Dec '10, 02:33 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - It's issue 314, from April.
    
    In the meantime, and as everyone else seems to be posting links to their own stuff (and The Quietus)... I've been to Kinshasa and interviewed Konono No. 1, but sadly not at the same time.
    
    My piece is here: http://thequietus.com/articles/04393-konono-no-1-vincent-kenis-congotronics-interview
    
    KevinEGPerry @whatisthewhat | 7 Dec '10, 19:07 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Bit wonky, but the best I could do.
  
  file:///Users/jazzmonroe/Desktop/Konono%20No%201%20Wire.pdf
  
  Let me know if you can view this alright, never uploaded .pdf before.
  
  whatisthewhat @michael_w | 8 Dec '10, 16:43 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - you need to put it on dropbox or yousendit or something like that, the link you posted just went to your desktop, sadly.
    
    sean @whatisthewhat | 8 Dec '10, 20:01 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - OK, this should work
      
      http://www.mediafire.com/?d68554hdhbnzv91
      
      whatisthewhat @sean | 9 Dec '10, 00:36 | X | ^ This | Reply
-

HTTP://DONTMAKELISTS.COM

SIGH

Nestor | 6 Dec '10, 18:49 | X | ^ This | Reply

GoatmeatMF this'd this
The funnies things to happen in 00s hip hop article

was easily my favourite thing I've read on DiS this year.
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4140980-the-funniest-things-that-happened-in-hip-hop-in-the-00-s

I noticed that quite a few people on the boards seemed to be getting excited about Company Flow reforming to play the ATP London event in July, so with that in mind, I'll grab this opportunity to link to my favourite 50 article about Black Mamba Serums by Bigg Jus. Its my favourite thing I have written on DiS or anywhere else in 2010 so if any Co Flow fans didn't catch it first time around please read to see why I think Bigg Jus is a better rapper than El-P!

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4140984-favourite-50--bigg-jus-black-mamba-serums-chosen-by-robert-ferguson

The other thing that has tickled my fancy this year has been Everett True's ongoing twitter war against Vampire Weekend...

http://twitter.com/everetttrue

cherry_ghost | 6 Dec '10, 19:14 | X | ^ This | Reply
Two mentioned above: Wire visiting Konono and Quietus' Factory Floor love-in

Also, there was a really good interview in Wire this month with Scientist which was really interesting.

There's probably loads more great stuff but I can't remember off the top of my head.

innisj | 6 Dec '10, 19:44 | X | ^ This | Reply
'Why We Fight' on Pitchfork

is hard to admit to, but very, very good

http://pitchfork.com/features/why-we-fight/7773-why-we-fight-1/

Kettledrum | 6 Dec '10, 19:55 | X | ^ This | Reply
Cokemachineglow review of The-Dream's Love King

http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/5555/thedream-loveking-2010

Seriously, read that.

theShipment | 6 Dec '10, 21:24 | X | ^ This | Reply

lemonbrickcombo this'd this
- came here to say this
  
  still amazing
  
  lemonbrickcombo @theShipment | 29 Dec '10, 20:06 | X | ^ This | Reply
I can't think off-hand of a specific example...

...but The Quietus continuously has high quality features and interviews.

If I'd kept up doing the music writing (who know I may return to it yet) it would've been quite high goal of mine to write for them... Was never good across of course.

It's just a cut above, really, for mature and bold music journalism.

AndrewRHill | 6 Dec '10, 22:16 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I guess my point was
  
  that, without a specific example, it will without a doubt have been on the Quietus.
  
  I'm tired, what can I say.
  
  Honourable mention to DiS' very own Wendy Roby and her continually charming, enjoyable and surreal singles column.
  
  AndrewRHill @AndrewRHill | 6 Dec '10, 22:22 | X | ^ This | Reply
- still glad i used Murdoched money to launch the Quietus, pretty close to what DiS would be if we could have srarted much later, knowing more than a few folk off messageboards, etc. glad we birthed our older brother.
  
  sean @AndrewRHill | 7 Dec '10, 01:01 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I thought this was a great review
  
  http://thequietus.com/articles/05394-the-who-live-at-leeds-40th-anniversary-review
  
  TJ-Dizzle @AndrewRHill | 7 Dec '10, 01:40 | X | ^ This | Reply
Has anyone read

Listen to This, by Alex Ross. I've heard good things.

skoldpumpkins | 6 Dec '10, 23:26 | X | ^ This | Reply
- yeah, it's good
  
  maybe a bit unfocussed compared to The Rest Is Noise (what you;d expect from an articles compendium) but excellent, really. He's maybe a little too much like a teacher and less like an entertainer for my personal tastes (he's still bloody entertaining) but certainly the most important music writer of our times, I should say.
  
  lukowski @skoldpumpkins | 7 Dec '10, 09:12 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - a piece he wrote about pavement always sticks out in my mind.
    
    originally for the new yorker, i think it was included in the liner notes to one of the deluxe editions....anyway...he sums them up absoutely perfectly.
    
    michael_w @lukowski | 7 Dec '10, 11:01 | X | ^ This | Reply
This

http://pitchfork.com/features/poptimist/

in particular, this

http://pitchfork.com/features/poptimist/7836-poptimist-31/

this

http://pitchfork.com/features/poptimist/7760-poptimist-25/

and this

http://pitchfork.com/features/poptimist/7783-poptimist-27/

Tom Ewing: best music writer around.

robluvsnic | 7 Dec '10, 02:34 | X | ^ This | Reply

belated and WhiteLightWhiteCity this'd this
- feel I should also point out that aside from the Poptimist column, I've got very little time for Pitchfork
  
  robluvsnic @robluvsnic | 7 Dec '10, 02:36 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - really like Mr Ewing's writing too. He's often posting very insightful pieces on http://tomewing.tumblr.com/ and I like his Guardian columns too http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/tom-ewing
    
    sean @robluvsnic | 7 Dec '10, 09:09 | X | ^ This | Reply
    
    belated this'd this
Don't mean to drag it up and derail, sean, but

http://drownedinsound.com/lists/ oughtta lead somewhere. I know about the developer issue, but all that's needed is one single page of text - a list of links to Topic pages.

bestof2010, album covers, glasgow, hallowe'en, NYC, ...come to mind off the top of my head, but there have been other great ones. Pages and pages of 'Topic' 'contents pages' floating out there somewhere.

Do you have a 'list of list-pages' somewhere? To browse through and jog our memories, and bookmark for future reference?

Such a resource of writing, but only findable via search (if you can vaguely remember what you're after, after reading it first time around), or by paging through the history of the In Depth tab.

TheWza | 7 Dec '10, 09:43 | X | ^ This | Reply
- frustratingly, the lists were tacked onto the site and are one of the things i've most wanted to find a way to add to the site but sadly, without a developer, this isn't possible. there's a page with them all on in the staff area and when i get chance i'll do an article with them all in and sling it in the sidebar. for now, i hope this mess is ok
  
  http://drownedinsound.comlists/greatest-hits Greatest Hits greatest-hits
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/recent-recommended-reading Recent Recommended Reading recent-recommended-reading
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/2009-preview 2009 Preview 2009-preview
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/rough-trade-people-s-choice-relevant Rough Trade People's Choice Relevant rough-trade-people-s-choice-relevant
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/loves Loves loves
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/dis-albums-of-2009 DiS' Albums of 2009 dis-albums-of-2009
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/best-of-2008 Best of 2008 best-of-2008
  
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/discover DiScover discover
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/slowcore-week Slowcore Week slowcore-week
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/singles Singles singles
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/festivals Festivals festivals
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/mixtapes Mixtapes mixtapes
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/in-photos In Photos in-photos
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/dissection DiSsection dissection
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/label-profiles Label Profiles label-profiles
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/festivals-2009 Festivals Guide 2009 festivals-2009
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/radiohead Radiohead radiohead
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/sxsw SXSW sxsw
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/shoegaze Shoegaze shoegaze
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/metric-week Metric Week metric-week
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/greatescape The Great Escape preview greatescape
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/grizzlybear Grizzly Bear Week grizzlybear
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/glastonbury Glastonbury glastonbury
  
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/spotify Spotify Playlists spotify
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/armchairdancefloor Armchair Dancefloor armchairdancefloor
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/altcountry Alt Country Week altcountry
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/ismusicjournalismdead Music Journalism R.I.P? ismusicjournalismdead
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/mercury Mercury Music Prize 2009 mercury
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/neptune-music-prize-relevant Neptune Music Prize Relevant neptune-music-prize-relevant
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/mum Múm week mum
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/reading2009 Reading & Leeds '09 reading2009
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/kraftwerk Kraftwerk Re-Issues Reviewed kraftwerk
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/best-of-2009 Best of 2009 best-of-2009
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/albums-of-2009 Albums of 2009 albums-of-2009
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/2009 2009 Year-End Coverage 2009
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/lost8of08 Lost 8 of '08 lost8of08
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/lost9of09 Lost 9 of '09 lost9of09
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/2010 2010 Preview 2010
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/nordic Nordic Day nordic
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/lostprophets Lostprophets Weekend lostprophets
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/loscampesinos Los Campesinos! Takeover! Week! loscampesinos
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/recommended-records Recommended Records recommended-records
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/albums-of-the-year Drowned in Sounds Albums of the Year albums-of-the-year
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/liars Liars Week liars
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/local DiS Local local
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/columns Regular Columns columns
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/ambient Articulate Silences, Ambient Sound ambient
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/emo My Name is Emo emo
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/rufus Rufus Day rufus
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/65daysofstatic 65daysofstatic Week 65daysofstatic
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/greatescape2010 Great Escape 2010 greatescape2010
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/sky-larkin-takeover Sky Larkin Takeover sky-larkin-takeover
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/10-years-of-dubstep 10 years of... Dubstep 10-years-of-dubstep
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/dis-is-10-favourite-50 DiS is 10: Favourite 50 dis-is-10-favourite-50
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/arab-strap-day Arab Strap Day arab-strap-day
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/everything-everything-day Everything Everything Day everything-everything-day
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/beats-week 10 years in... Beats beats-week
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/solo DiS is 10: Ten years of... "Solo" Artists solo
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/british-sea-power-takeover British Sea Power Takeover british-sea-power-takeover
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/no-age-takeover No Age Takeover no-age-takeover
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/10-years-of-nordic 10 Years Of...Nordic 10-years-of-nordic
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/subliminal-transmissions Subliminal Transmissions subliminal-transmissions
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/glasgow-day Glasgow Day glasgow-day
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/ninjatune Ninja Tune ninjatune
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/new-york-week New York Week new-york-week
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/the-phantom-band-halloween-takeover The Phantom Band Halloween Takeover the-phantom-band-halloween-takeover
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/artwork-day Artwork Day artwork-day
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/leedsleedsleeds Leeds Day leedsleedsleeds
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/lost10of10 Lost 10 of '10 lost10of10
  http://drownedinsound.com/lists/bestof2010 Best of DiS 2010 bestof2010
  
  sean @TheWza | 7 Dec '10, 10:42 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - Woot.
    
    Thanks muchly, sean! Genuinely appreciate ^this. Consider it Delicious'd.
    
    TheWza @sean | 9 Dec '10, 01:57 | X | ^ This | Reply
Loads of stuff:

Another shout for the always hilarious Adam Johns. I'd go for his 'Crunk and Not So Disorderly' piece. Has there been a better line on the site this year than: "Not saying we condone Chris Brown either, but, like many awful human beings, he happens to have made some great R&B songs."?
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4140940-crunk-and-not-so-disorderly-when-sultry-melodics-met-rap-histrionics

Grinderman gave tons of ace interviews, but none more so than to Sam Kinchin-Smith of this very site: http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4141143-dis-meets-grinderman--we-re-just-perverse-old-guys-really

Further back, there was Daniel Yates' stunning deconstrution of Broadcast at Queen Elizabeth Hall: http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4139791

Also, Mark Ward on Bonnie Prince Billy was very, very good:
http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15316/reviews/4139761

Elsewhere, I'm a big fan of Dorian Lynskey at The Guardian, especially doing more political stuff. This piece on the Last Poets and the Black Panthers is great: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/02/black-panthers-last-poets-pop-politics

As for the seemingly obligatory Quietus mentions, I'd go for Lewis Parker on why Eminem is the new Edgar Allan Poe: http://thequietus.com/articles/04918-the-curious-similarities-betwixt-edgar-allan-poe-the-rapper-eminem

And, while not writing, an honourable mention to Simon Price getting Nicky Wire and Tony Benn in the same room: http://thequietus.com/articles/04946-tony-benn-and-nicky-wire-of-the-manic-street-preachers-in-conversation

KevinEGPerry | 7 Dec '10, 19:22 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Excellent choices
  
  A lot of these I missed. Although Simon Price is, for me, an unquestionable bell-end, this is a great opening line "One of them is Britain's most outspoken Socialist in pop, the other is Britain's most popular outspoken Socialist". Great stuff thanks.
  
  johnwiddop @KevinEGPerry | 18 Dec '10, 11:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/features/rapp.htm

shrewbie | 7 Dec '10, 19:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
The comments to that KoL review are mind-numbingly stupid

"Your opinion isn't what I want to hear- this review is really shit and you can't write."

still_here | 7 Dec '10, 20:24 | X | ^ This | Reply
- ^This post
  
  could use a few laughs
  
  ARI_recorder @still_here | 7 Dec '10, 21:28 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  sean and Alex_b this'd this
There’s no excuse for not having this landmark review in your collection.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/b8zb
I love this review so so much, not only did it inspire me to go and buy "The Shape Of Punk To Come" the next day on vinyl but I also quoted it when I was making that 'Heavier Music genres' thread which turned out to be an utter beast and I've since added a whole bunch of masterpieces to my music collection.

J-Ham | 7 Dec '10, 20:27 | X | ^ This | Reply
arbobo review of Sufjan (but it's in french) :

http://www.danslemurduson.com/archive/2010/11/12/album222-sufjan-stevens-the-age-of-adz.html

Don't read my part in this please, this is probably the worst writing about music in 2010...

lyle | 7 Dec '10, 20:51 | X | ^ This | Reply
The DIS review of the Lightning Bolt LP

So evocative of the music plus very amusing

ditch_easter | 7 Dec '10, 22:15 | X | ^ This | Reply
- this one...
  
  http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14764/reviews/4138200
  
  sean @ditch_easter | 8 Dec '10, 19:58 | X | ^ This | Reply
I loved this article about people's favourite Mogwai gigs

http://thequietus.com/articles/04954-hunted-by-a-freak-noise-mogwai-war-stories

Ohnoherewego | 8 Dec '10, 17:48 | X | ^ This | Reply
This is brilliant from Dorrian Lynskey.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/nov/23/kanye-west-fantasy-critics-hype

doggod202003 | 9 Dec '10, 17:10 | X | ^ This | Reply
Quietus piece on British Sea Power

is brilliant; summed up the band perfectly for me! They are one of those bands where the essence of the band isn't just built from the music they make. The articles they put out on DiS when they ran thow show were superb as well.

Dill | 9 Dec '10, 17:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
Comparison of Eminem and Edgar Allen Poe

http://thequietus.com/articles/04918-the-curious-similarities-betwixt-edgar-allan-poe-the-rapper-eminem

or

http://thequietus.com/articles/04877-the-libertines-reunion-forum-review

Yes I'm throwing my own hat into the ring. B O N G !

LGParker | 18 Dec '10, 16:03 | X | ^ This | Reply
Ha ha

I came here to give Lewis the nod but seeing as he's beaten me to it.

I loved KP's piece on Konono no.1 for us but the WIRE's cover feature was a joy to read. Some great old school new journalism right there.

John_Doran | 18 Dec '10, 18:46 | X | ^ This | Reply
- "The nod"
  
  Cheers man. I see none of us made it into the Da Capo book of music criticism this year, which is pretty much universally dominated by American writers. Not that America doesn't have way better writers than the UK--it always has--but for it to be so homogenous is a little annoying. Not that anything from the mainstream UK press would get a look in, but the likes of the Quietus and a few bloggers in the UK are well worth an inclusion I'd say.
  
  LGParker @John_Doran | 18 Dec '10, 19:05 | X | ^ This | Reply
And DiS's

Funniest things that happened in hip hop... And Dorian Lynskey's blog on Common People by Pulp...

John_Doran | 18 Dec '10, 18:49 | X | ^ This | Reply
And

Kev Kharas on Salem in Stook Pigeon; Jamie Thompson on Municipal Waste in the Guardian (was that this year?) Frances Morgan on Red Square in Loops; Joe Stannard on horror movie aesthetics in the latest WIRE and anything at all by Taylor Parkes.

John_Doran | 18 Dec '10, 19:10 | X | ^ This | Reply
late entry... enjoyed this

http://www.theawl.com/2010/12/at-the-end-of-the-world-with-gauntlet-hair
like Mr Perpetua's Tumblr too. He's like the American Tom Ewing.

sean | 29 Dec '10, 19:56 | X | ^ This | Reply
So much love for this

http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/music2/

lemonbrickcombo | 29 Dec '10, 20:08 | X | ^ This | Reply
i liked this piece on salem

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2010/12/the_20_worst_so_14.php

theres even a link to a 79 minute anti-salem mixtape

kilgore-trout | 29 Dec '10, 20:08 | X | ^ This | Reply
- thats great
  
  they really are terrible, and when you hear the sped up version, it is just very bad hip-hop slowed down.
  
  Alex_b @kilgore-trout | 30 Dec '10, 02:23 | X | ^ This | Reply
As much about the world and where we're at in it

as it as about music, it's good sharp writing by someone who knows and loves his pop stuff.
http://misterchristrout.com/i/#posts_2010_10_paid-cluelessness

(Includes a long and hilarious account of touring around Europe in the nineties:
http://misterchristrout.com/pages/europa-intro/)

LucyCage | 29 Dec '10, 22:41 | X | ^ This | Reply
- derek warmsley's interview with mark ernestus
  
  in the wire, february.
  
  furryfan @LucyCage | 30 Dec '10, 23:17 | X | ^ This | Reply

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