When the world is the reviewer

By David
March 27th, 2008

An executive at a big widget, ACME-like corporation recently said “the consumer is the new marketer”. In a time when a random person in Iowa could make or break a sale on Amazon.com in the product review area, it could not be more true. But what happens to the real critics, the real marketers, the people who dished the words before we all received access to write in the biggest magazine in the world… the web?

Ann Powers, a renowned music critic for the NY Times, Rolling Stone, USA Today recently ranted a bit during her review of The Raconteurs album for the LA Times. There must have been some frustration for her given that the album was made available to critics and the new marketing consumer at the same time. If your job is to review, and you no longer have the advantage of time, and your vehicle is not as hip as a cutting-edge music blog, what do you do?

Ann Powers:

Besides, the flow of new music is so daunting that critics find themselves buried beneath piles of “important” new stuff. The channels that help determine which artists “matter” have multiplied as well. There’s no consensus. Established critics need to be knocked from their pedestals. (Go ahead, push me!) But the serious ones, whether they write for Stereogum or the Los Angeles Times, must also consider exactly what power games seduce us, and how hype may be affecting our reactions.

Even as I write this column centered around the Raconteurs, my attention is distracted by an e-mail about new British soul sensation Duffy—I should be writing about her now, she’s the flavor of the moment. She’s good, too, I’ve even seen her live, I’d better not miss my chance. . . . Wait. Take a breath. Where is my mind, amid such a barrage of anxieties and impulses?

The need to be first, felt so acutely now, is further complicated by the crisis of access. For years, publicists promoting bestselling artists (as well as “prestige” acts like the Raconteurs) have been required to put up walls between journalists and new releases, holding back advance copies or staging those notorious listening sessions in executive suites.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-raconteurs26mar26,1,1714679.story?track=rss

Embrace the Age of the Amateur or let the seasoned professionals have a pedestal?

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donmothra said:

I think in the age of instant access and digital distribution the concept of pre-releases and reviewers are antiquated. Consumers have so many music-sampling channels at their finger tips from the 30 second clips on Amazon to artist’s websites, consumers can judge for themselves whether or not an album has legs. Before when the process of getting physical product into retail was an expensive investment, pre-releases and music reviewers provided two major services; one providing a gauge for the music company to see how much should be invested into the marketing/distribution of an album and second to build “hype” around a release. The value of those services are some what lessened in the digital distribution age. Instead as a music fan I would much rather see playlists from “taste-makers” and real music journalism (not just the cursory thumbs up or down reviews) … provide real music discovery tools and give fans a reason to be excited about music again.

When the world is the reviewer

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