Sunday, March 28, 2010

HIPSTER RUNOFF

HIPSTER RUNOFF

Disney Makes Show about Tween Bloggers

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 06:09 PM PDT


I remember when I was a tween, there wasn’t much 2 do. We didn’t really have ’social media’, so I couldn’t connect with other tweens on facebook, myspace, twitter, and chat roulette. We were lucky of other tweens had high speed internet/AOL Instant Messenger.

This new Disney movie called HARRIET THE SPY: BLOG WARS is about blogs and tweens. It seems like they are ‘glorifying’ blogs to tweens, letting them know that blogging is a viable form of self-expression, and possibly a realistic career path. It seems to portray bloggers as people who ‘go out and get a scoop’ as opposed to the traditional blogger who ’sits on his ass’ and ‘blurbs about content in a tired voice, like a robot who is enslaved by a large group of readers.’

I feel like this show really appeals 2 me. As an mp3/music blogger, I feel like I am in direct competition with a lot of ‘heavy hitters.’ Pitchfork, Stereogum, Gorilla Vs. Bear, hype machine bloggers, lil bros on twitter who yell at u all the time. Every1 has a voice, and every1 is competing to get the ‘best story’ and the ‘largest tribe’ so that we can make the most ‘internet dollars.’ So many stories to cover. So many decisions to make on a daily basis. How far is 2 far? Are you supposed to blog about musicians/alt celebs like they are ‘real people’ or do u just have to treat them like commodities/meme machines?

Being a blogger is difficult, and I wish Disney didn’t make this show seem so light-hearted. Blogging is serious. A lot of people get hurt. A lot of peoples’ lives’ are ruined because of blogs. Not sure if I will let my son/daughter blog, even if they want to follow in my footsteps. Feel like they might get hurt, or they might fail, and think I’m not proud of them.

Feels weird that they rebranded Harriet the Spy. It makes sense, though. But I just sort of remember her as some sort of ‘lost lil cunt with an imagination.’ Can’t believe she is a blogger now.

Does the new Harriet the Spy appeal 2 u?
Have u ever been in a blog war?
What is the greatest blog war in the history of the alternative internet?
Is this movie based on Perez Hilton’s perception of the world?
Are gossip bloggers going 2 lead some1 to commit suicide?
Should teens be banned from the internet?
Do u wish they had macbooks /twitters when you were a tween?
Is Disney ‘relevant’ or is it ‘fucking garbage’?

Village Voice blogger writes post ‘In Defense of Chillwave.’

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 03:51 PM PDT

Link: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2010/03/in_defense_of_c.php


Chillwave has evolved into a controversial genre, and internet music critics are taking sides in a war–either u can validate the genre, or fight to discredit it. Being ‘down’ with chillwave means that you are ‘young’ and ‘down with the fun, modern scene.’ H8ing chillwave means that you are older, and more about ‘rock n roll’ and h8 what ‘indie internet music has evolved in2.’ Many older music critics are using anti-chillwave pieces to subconsciously voice their frustration with the death of the music critic / paying music journalism positions.

After the New York Times wrote a ’scathing’ blog post about chillwave, some Village Voice blog writer wrote a piece ‘in defense’ of chillwave.

He ‘asserts’ that old people h8 every new trend:

In short, chillwave sucks because it retrofits older, better music for younger, more ignorant, stuck-up weirdos and nerds. Sounds like the critique lobbed at every indie trend of the past decade.

Wonder if critics even care about ‘the scene’ / ‘art’, or if they are just trying to get blog hits with the google search term ‘chillwave.’

It seems like most anti chillwave pieces are just trying to ‘hate on hipsters’ where hipster is defined as ‘modern internet consumer of indie music’:

Chillwave contrives a revaluation of the past and present. It gathers the still too-loaded sounds and emotions of the ’80s and confronts a contemporary audience (generation, maybe?) with them, raw and uncooked. The slivers of beachy ambience in, say, Animal Collective or MGMT actually sound like a “hedged hipster imitation” of the go-for-broke cheez chillwave’s fully embraced. This is why Pareles’ comment that the music is “non-commital” is so baffling. Chillwave really goes there.

Is chillwave going 2 be around 4evr?

That chillwave is now a bonafide scene, including not just a few stragglers here and there, but small labels full of them, suggests a tiny but significant shift in sensibility. As in: ‘Hey, let’s cut the bullshit. New age, on its own terms even, can be pretty good.’ And though chillwave’s nostalgic for new age and other unthinkably “bad” aspects of the ’80s, it doesn’t necessarily revere them

Is chillwave here 2 stay, whether we like it or not?

What side r u on in ?
Are anti-chillwavers sort of like people who ‘didn’t like rock n roll’?
Does chillwave represent everything that is wrong with music?
Will chillwave become the new ‘indie’ in 2k15?
Is chillwave bashing the new ‘hipster bashing’?
Will ‘old people’ and ‘traditional music journalists’ h8 everything that the internet breeds?

NBC News Anchor tries to ‘bro down’ with Julian Casablancas

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 10:15 AM PDT


News Anchor Brian Williams is starting to cover ‘indie’/'mainstream alt’ music. In an effort to make his personal blog / web content more relevant, he interviewed the lead singer of the Strokes named Julian Casablancas. It seems like he really wanted to ‘bro down’ and get ‘the scoop’ on ‘what’s goin down’ with the Strokes on behalf of authentic Strokes fans.

It seems like he is ‘trying to hardball’ with Julian Casablancas, trying to get some Strokes gossip out of him. Like report some sort of ‘huge rift’ in the group. Based on Casablancas’ answers, it seems like he doesn’t really like the Strokes, but is sort of ‘forced’ into the band in order to make tons of money. They are recording without him, and he is scheduled to go sing over their tracks later this year. Wonder if AnCo would ever work that way. Seems like there might be some sort of agreement that they just have to keep making sweet songs and making more bank now that they have one of the strongest band brands in the world. Apparently they ‘pushed back’ their album from September 2010 to January 2011.

Wonder if it is more difficult to interview the President of Iran / the USA or a relevant alt musician with some sort of Indian feather in his ear.

In video 2, the anchor man Brian Williams goes to a relevant club in New York City called The Fillmore in order to ‘cover’ a Julian Casablancas live show. Basically, he just ‘checks in’ vlog style, then shows some sort of clip, trying to give Middle Americans a taste of what’s going down at relevant New York City venues.

Is Brian Williams the most authentically alt anchor man?

Dan Rather?

Anderson ‘Post-Twink’ Cooper?

Katie Couric?

The zany

Are music blogs obsolete now that indie musicians get ‘mad coverage’ from the Nightly News?
Will the next Strokes album ‘tank’?
Are the Strokes making the right decision by sitting out the Music Cycle in 2k10?
Does Julian Casablancas solo ’suck’ or ‘rule’?
Should Julian Casablancas go solo?
Should Katie Couric ‘bro down’ with chillwave in order to win bloggers over?
Are the Strokes still relevant, or did they just capitalize on a weak decade of music (the 2k0s) + representing post-9-11 buzzband hope?

The Chillwave Robberies: Toro Y Moi latest in string of artist robberies.

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 09:29 AM PDT


Sometime yesterday, ’s gear was stolen out of his locked car somewhere in Brooklyn. We can only assume that the person who stole his laptop, passport, and miscellaneous gear wanted to start a relevant buzzband. Previously, Neon Indian’s gear was stolen in Sacramento California in 2009. It seems like this might be some sort of string of incidents targeted at artists/buzzbands.

As a modern band, ’s laptop is essential to his live set.  He will be on hiatus from his tour until he revisits the Apple Store and repopulates his hard drive utilizing some sort of external hard drive.

Posted via facebook wall status flyer:

hey this is todd from carpark records…someone stole chaz’s passport and some of his gear last night out of their car after the brooklyn show, so sadly we’re gonna have to cancel the next few shows. the next date is tentatively march 31st at schubas. we’re totally bummed. will retur…n to New England and Canada with Caribou next month though!

Also twitpiked was a flyer of a picked lock:

It is a dark day for . They are after us. They hate our freedom. Our freedom to enjoy progressive buzzbands. The freedom to exist in the modern world, watching our fave bros get their ‘live set’ on. They don’t want to go mainstream. They are afraid.

Should go ‘raw’ and play everything on electric guitar as opposed to with laptop? Should he go ‘unplugged’ [via plugged]?

Or do you like ‘heavy layers’ + ‘dancing’?

Are the Robberies related, or were they just a few unrelated bicoastal events?
Is Washed Out next?
Will these robbers stop focusing on artists and start to come after fans?
Is the ‘LeBron James’ of ? Is Washed Out the Peyton Manning of ? Is Neon Indian the Tiger Woods of ?
Is Brooklyn an unsafe place for cars / buzzbands?

Who is the Robber?
Please use the comments to speculate who might be responsible for the robberies.