Kung's letter to Exclaim!

[zero]

Here's something I've been wanting to write to Exclaim! for awhile about this dude Chives2 whose letters they print.

I could not disagree more whole heartedly with regards to Exclaim! printing the probing insights in Chives2's letters. I am disappointed to hear that the editorial staff thinks he's a joke because I would say he is far and away one of the best things about the rag. He has Exclaim's ticket that much is certain. I naively thought that when the cover read 'Civic Vanguard or Self-Indulgent Wank' and Chives letter was included that the editors were actually trying to demonstrate a modicum of self reflection.

Why is Chives2 great? Certainly I find him great, and Exclaim's decision to print him, in part due to narcissism - sometimes I think I've invented him myself so sympatico do I find his sentiments. Here's the thing Exclaim! is getting better and better all the time, the last issue was near perfect but moreso due to Chives undercutting letter. The features, timelines, insight, new categories (what about the uncategorizable? the truly exceptional) and music school are all great steps.

The problem is likely the profile, social insecurity, over academification of your at times 'writers'. I don't think Exclaim! writers on the whole go to a ton of live shows, see bands that aren't ordained previously by Pitchfork, engage and dialogue with musicians beyond band leaders in stilted twenty minute advance phone interviews. It's partly the access game, partly the Almost Famous 'just make us look cool' trip and largely a lack of balls.

Here's a big problem write off the bat. Most of these indy twits don't dance. Even if they stole a coveted ticket to Broken Social Scene right out from under a true passionate fan, even when their heroes in their hometown implore them to throw down they just stand like lemmings going over a cliff. Who's more self-conscious or self-involved the guy in the front row losing his shit or the shoegazer? Emily Haines has a song about all of this called Combat Baby- 'easy living crowd so flat, seen it all before, try to kick it their feet fall asleep'. Every time I hear Metric play that song it blows my mind with irony that people just stand at attention (and I think of Exclaim!).

Have the confidence to print writers like Chives2 and myself. Have the strength of your convictions that a diverse and thorough range of voices will always be superior. There are countless musical and cultural operators in this country with years of show going experience and a deep tapestry of musician contacts- plug into that. Collectives are dead or don't last, psych folk was a bit of a blip, I highly doubt most of you heard of Gang of Four until two years ago so just get off it. The problem more than anything is that you're glorifying form over content- collective chic for instance over an actually booming or passionate live show (a lot of those bands really do suck if you're not wearing fashion frames). Most true virtuosos are poor at organization or those qualities can be mutually exclusive (just ask Al Tuck). Look forward. Go see Shout Out Out Out, Holy Fuck and watch for new artists like Green Go. And most importantly just throw down and don't worry about it. If Emily Haines says it's cool and we know there's some crumpled kleenexs beside your bed for that one then what's the problem?

sincerely,

Luke Bowden

[zero]

And most importantly The Slip

I deeply regret I did not also add The Slip to that list of bands to see. They are at the top of any list. The fact that Exclaim! has never featured this group speaks to precisely the chinks in their armour. They thought it was some noodly jamband (noodling is a word they love to use- limp is a word I love to use) and threw the baby out with the bathwater. Now one of their pantheon (Jim James of My Morning Jacket) has gone to bat in Spin, Rolling Stone and the NYTimes (which they apparently don't read) and secured their meteoric success where the music press community. The live improvisational show going community has supported the Slip in Canada for years so much so that two thirds of the group - the Barr brothers (Brad and Andrew)- moved to Montreal. Their friends with members of Do Make Say Think, The Stills and the Holy Fuck guys have partied and jammed at Marc Friedman the bassist's house in Boston (although he was not there!). In short they've infiltrated the Canadian music community with no support from the mainstream press because musicians especially improvising musicians have a deep kinship with one another on the basis of facility and more importantly intuition.

Print my Points piece on the Slip before it's too late or I guess you can just steal my intellectual property and have someone write a piece of crap that doesn't know them or their music whatsoever.

sincerely,

Luke Bowden

[zero]

Come on this is hilarious.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I liked the "If Emily Haines says it's cool and we know there's some crumpled kleenexs beside your bed for that one then what's the problem?" part but I'm not sure it's gonig to land you any gigs (although it should)

[zero]

It's sort of the point though isn't it. I'm in the same boat as Chives2 - we're superior writers with a superior knowledge of the music scene but it doesn't jive with their sanitized shit. I mean they have great great writers who are far superior in many ways but they're just twits as people and not likely that passionate about music or life.

I've had a beef with Exclaim! ever since they wouldn't run something on Rick Danko's death which was like whenever. If they really want the magazine to be better they'll look at pitches on a pitch by pitch basis. It's not a fucking popularity contest, a clique or whatever - it's a music magazine. Music. Magazine.

[Deeps]

Staggering levels of arrogance coupled with borderline distasteful insults.....impressive?

Do you want the magazine to improve via this letter or are you just happy to be able to say fuck off?

[Davey Boy 2.0]

yeah and that's the problem i have with hipsters, reading that kinda shite and strutting around thinking they're hip to everything happening on the musical scene

in an ideal world this little community of ours would have some sorta publication of its own but i don't think the numbers would support it, and anyway there are enough good articles written hereabouts to replace something in print, but there could be more. and i suppose it's kinda too much to ask for some people to do an extra click to check out the articles, some of which are very good

that said, if we could improve that standard perhaps we could use it as leverage to gets guys like you to crossover into something like Exclaim!

i'm rambling

[zero]

I'm not sure we're on the same page here Deeps. Are you the guy in that prog rock jamband that showed up a couple years ago?

If I'm going to write for Exclaim! (which clearly isn't likely but should be) it has to be on my terms just as it has to be on Chives. It is hurtful to think you don't get this point. Staggering levels of arrogance, maybe. Staggering levels of hyperbole, definitely. What is staggeringly arrogant is a limp dick like James Keast and Michael Barclay forwarding their internet dating strategies in the guise of music journalism. It's a tyranny of sound and requires a tyrannical response. Stick with the bass and I'll stick with the words, dig.

[Deeps]

Just trying to get a rise out of Zero.

Worked a little...nice.

If you word your letter the way you have people will just get pissed off but I guess that's the point...rage on brother and good luck in your fight.

Cheers.

[zero]

As far as the hipsters thinking they're hip to everything remark let's think about this one.

If I spent as much time playing guitar as I do reading, writing, dialoging with musicians, researching new artists, doing deep background, conducting interviews, transcribing interviews, writing, liaising with editors etc. - I would slay.

At what point am I entitled to the fact that I have a thoroughgoing understanding of a diverse range of music scenes in Canada. I know this comes off like arrogance but it's sort of like dignity too. I guess I don't need uniform support from the community. I guess I'm getting a dose of my own medecine. I also know that I'm one of the few legitimate (and I use that term very loosely) ambassadors this scene has- AND IT'S A PAIN IN THE ASS (loving something that hates you). Fuck off already, in a good way.

[Jaimoe]

My friend works as a reviewer for Exclaim!. He's a moody one, but unless he's currently in a jaded and cynical mindset, I'll try to get him to bring The Slip to Exclaim!

[zero]

No I want to bring the Slip to Exclaim. I'm the Canadian authority.

[Booche]

"He's a moody one"

Fug yeah. Exclaim is obviously going after the niche they have carved.

And yes, Luke should do that article. Buddy (who's name escapes me) knows very little on the subject matter if anything at all. I talked to him at your wedding Thumper.

I still say he dyes his hair grey.

[Jaimoe]

"He's a moody one"

Fug yeah. Exclaim is obviously going after the niche they have carved.

And yes, Luke should do that article. Buddy (who's name escapes me) knows very little on the subject matter if anything at all. I talked to him at your wedding Thumper.

I still say he dyes his hair grey.

The grey started to set in when he graduated from Ryerson and had no job prospects. His snow on the roof hasn't done much to light the employment fire either, unless he's going for a Wayne Coyne look - something I've accused him of. However, I do agree that Matt isn't the one to write anything about The Slip - the dude doesn't even like My Morning Jacket for Christ's sake. I guess what I meant was that he'd offer some insider insight and perhaps had some suggestions to ensure future Slip articles.

Edited September 18, 2006 by Guest

[zero]

Yeah I appreciate that 'moe. It's just such a bummer that music snobbery and the glorification of form over content, album over live is so engrained in the music press. That is to say nothing of social insecurity, awkwardness and pretension.

[Booche]

Yeah Jaimoe, at one point Matt told me that he has always hated alt-country. Lynn had to remove the 2 bottles of beer I was holding or he was about to REALLY look like Wayne Coyne performing War Pigs on Austin City Limits.

That is to say nothing of social insecurity, awkwardness and pretension.

Seriously, I do like him but that comment strikes a chord. We get along well if our tastes are quite different although I always feel under the microscope whenever we (Matt and I) are in the same room and he is grilling me on "favorite gigs of the last 4 months". I dont know if that is his fault or mine for feeling the way I do. One time I turned into the inarticulate hippie-stank, just to throw a wrench into his plans but that backfired in the worst possible way.

It wasnt all good brah.

[Booche]

Getting back to the letter, I love and more importantly respect that zero has always tried to get rags (lesson learned here many years ago from this site, even if I cant quite get a handle on how to do it) to push the envelope so writing isnt always a bunch of lemmings and they should be comfortable to be able to say what they feel and express it in differing manners.

Kudos Kung.

[bONES]

[color:purple]ya, kung is freakin' amazing

wow..what a superior writer

[Booche]

Well, that's a separate topic now, isnt it? Not that he would care.......

[exclaim]

write off the bat

Their friends with members of Do Make Say Think, The Stills and the Holy fuÇk guys

we're superior writers

If you're going to proclaim yourself a superior writer, you should know the difference between "write" and "right" and "Their" and "They're".

Just a thought.

[bouche]

Shazzam!

[AcidNintendoOrgan]

I'll see the shazzaam and raise a kapowie for the fact that dude signed up for the board just to make zero look like a douce bag

[Davey Boy 2.0]

If you're going to proclaim yourself a superior writer, you should know the difference between "write" and "right" and "Their" and "They're".

Just a thought.

is that all you've got, son? seems awfully petty

(Scott Fitzgerald was a crappy speller...)

Edited September 18, 2006 by Guest
jello shooters & porn

[deranger]

hahahahahahahah

[deranger]

I'll see the shazzaam and raise a kapowie for the fact that dude signed up for the board just to make zero look like a douce bag

hahahahahahaha

ahh thats better.