Swag, Free Shows, and Feeling Slimy

5 Responses

  1. Reed Fischer says:

    “I wish I didn’t have these occasional bouts of existential angst.”

    What’s the point of being a writer if you don’t? I hope that you have a lot MORE bouts. Who cares if a person can form an opinion with no external pressure? The finest critics in the land have to deal with everyone jockeying for their approval, and the ones who survive don’t lose sight of what they believe is the truth.

    You can always mail back the record and turn down the guest list slots, but publicly bemoaning them isn’t going to garner a lot of sympathy from the average person who has never gotten a perk from their job. If the ultimate perk is getting to love what you write, then that will always be more appetizing than the “delicious roasted chicken.” Now you made me hungry, dude.

  2. Josh says:

    What are “ethics” and why isn’t this article about the brick?

  3. Will Wlizlo says:

    Reed, welcome to the semi-occasional “Dear Diary” post on Reviler. All good points. This was especially nice to read: “the ones who survive don’t lose sight of what they believe is the truth.” My main problem (what spurred me to write this post) is that lately it seems increasingly hard (for me) to sort out what is an acceptable offering from a label/promo/distro/band from an unacceptable one. Also, you wouldn’t believe how many existential crises I have. I’m surprised I can even function.

    Josh, ethics are not something innate to a spambot like you. This article is not about the Brick because the Brick is also a spambot.

    Clarifications: I should mention that members of the local press (besides yours truly) WERE NOT treated to the same wining and dining from Sande’s publicist. Also, as Reed mentions in his comment, my post was slightly tone-deaf to those outside the music industry who may be jealous of the swag. I’m sorry if I sound like a mopey, petulant brat.

  4. jonbehm says:

    Great piece Will – I think that in the case of bloggers this issue is exacerbated by the fact that one feels as if the label/PR/whomever is doing you MORE of a favor than when they give similar treatment to a bigger media outlet. I.E. If Pitchfork writes something negative about the new complimentary limited edition boxset they just got, chances are there will be no repercussions because the bands/labels/PR companies need media outlets like Pitchfork. However the lowly blog that does the same thing is more likely to be cut off. I think its helpful to continually ask yourself if you would feel a certain way about an album regardless of whatever the circumstances are surrounding it. And if your honest opinion gets you “cut off” from whatever source of “swag,” then that source wasn’t interested in your opinion in the first place and probably doesn’t respect your views.
    Where I (and I think a lot of local music coverage) struggle the most with this is in locals bands – I think in order to truly commit to being unbiased one has to prevent oneself from forming firenships, relationships with the local musicians you are supposed to be impartial about. Or at least make sure that those relationships have an understanding that they do not guarantee postive coverage. Of course I think it would be a bit ridiculous for us to take ourselves QUITE this seriously – but at the same time I think we (and the rest of local music media) should try and keep it in mind

  5. jon davis says:

    4 minutes 33 seconds wasn’t a piece of silence, it was the ambient sounds of everything else going on around the venue and audience.

    Of course I wouldn’t expect anything more from you, hack

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