GOD DAMN THERE IS SO MUCH MUSIC OUT THERE

Zastanawiacie się czasem, czemu niektóre zespoły są medialnie eksploatowane do granic możliwości, a inne zupełnie pomijane? Skąd dziennikarze dowiadują się o nowych artystach i nurtach? Czy internetowa sensacja jest dla mediów tak samo ważna jak artysta wydający płytę w dużej wytwórni?

O tych kwestiach, i wielu innych, Eric Drucker rozmawia z krytykiem muzycznym Johnem Carmanicą.

"ED: What channels or methods to find out new music do you think writers or editors are unjustly ignoring right now?

JC: It’s less channels of access than genres or styles. Everyone knows they’re supposed to look on the Internet now. They understand mixtapes are often as relevant as albums. But they don’t want to learn about K-pop, or merengue, or dance music. (I’m not using “EDM” because, really, what is that?) BUT! If we’re going to talk about channels of access, have you heard of the radio? Not satellite radio, which I’m sure is fine for AOR deep cuts and bluegrass or whatever. I mean terrestrial radio. Switch the dials past the stations you’re comfortable with and you’ll be shocked by how much good stuff is out there. I mean, do you live in a town with a Christian pop/rock station? Get in on it. Part of why I love travel is because of rental car radio. I find all sorts of stuff there.

ED: It’s tough with the genre stuff. I’m not sure how much people “don’t want to learn” about different genres, so much as it’s a matter of limited listening time. Yes, I think it’s a music writer’s job in 2012 to be well versed in a broad range of genres and to listen a ton of music, but GOD DAMN THERE IS SO MUCH MUSIC OUT THERE. I’d rather have a writer be deeply knowledgeable about a subject than skim the surface of many. What I do think is the that music editors need to be more open minded and curious about the type of stuff they cover in their publications. And that they should cover the subjects – whether it’s pop country or merengue – with integrity.

JC: Sure, fine, dig deep. I think the answer is to dig deep on a lot of things, but yes, that takes an inordinate amount of time, and I certainly don’t always live up to my own bar. But you have to try. I think to be a true pop critic, you should listen widely, and with curiosity, and with dedication. That’s not saying I don’t appreciate someone who’s extremely knowledgeable about one thing and not others; it’s just that I don’t think that’s what this job is about."

"A Rational Conversation: NY Times Critic Jon Caramanica On What Gets Covered (And Why) In 2012's Music Journalism..." na thedailyswarm.com