Comments on: The Best Local Albums of the Year (So Far) http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far Minneapolis + St. Paul Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:23:37 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: cmc http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223977 cmc Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:09:12 +0000 #comment-223977 I like the 757s' Freeway Surrender. I dig the bar band-garage rock thing. I like the 757s’ Freeway Surrender. I dig the bar band-garage rock thing.

]]> By: g rote http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223828 g rote Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:57:28 +0000 #comment-223828 mommy, what's an album? mommy, what’s an album?

]]> By: mnblrmkr http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223818 mnblrmkr Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:35:58 +0000 #comment-223818 Nothing wrong with picking favorites. If a person can make a reasonable guess whehtehr they might like something or not based on a reviewer whose tastes their familiar with (even if you don't share the same taste), that's a plus. Nothing wrong with picking favorites. If a person can make a reasonable guess whehtehr they might like something or not based on a reviewer whose tastes their familiar with (even if you don’t share the same taste), that’s a plus.

]]> By: jeffk http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223817 jeffk Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:28:21 +0000 #comment-223817 Yes, this is a good observation. One theory I've used in the past is choosing a couple of favorite venues (in my case, Turf Club and 331) and looking up online whoever happens to be playing there each week. This works pretty well, but to be honest, sometimes weeks will go by without anything I find very appealing. This sort of list is a quick heads-up on local people that are getting a fair amount of attention, which at least correlates (admittedly not perfectly) to being good, interesting, and somewhat accessible. Yes, this is a good observation. One theory I’ve used in the past is choosing a couple of favorite venues (in my case, Turf Club and 331) and looking up online whoever happens to be playing there each week. This works pretty well, but to be honest, sometimes weeks will go by without anything I find very appealing. This sort of list is a quick heads-up on local people that are getting a fair amount of attention, which at least correlates (admittedly not perfectly) to being good, interesting, and somewhat accessible.

]]> By: borang http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223815 borang Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:58:13 +0000 #comment-223815 @ jeffk Fair enough. Yet I'd like to point out that the calendars for the Uptown Bar, Turf Club, and 7th Street Entry (among others) are also really good for finding a local band you might like, and they're updated more often than every six months! The Uptown Bar calendar even links directly to each artists myspace page. Could it be any easier? As someone who makes it their business to know about the good stuff that all the local critics aren't talking about, I've found these sites/calendars invaluable. They also don't pick favorites. ;) @ jeffk

Fair enough. Yet I’d like to point out that the calendars for the Uptown Bar, Turf Club, and 7th Street Entry (among others) are also really good for finding a local band you might like, and they’re updated more often than every six months!

The Uptown Bar calendar even links directly to each artists myspace page. Could it be any easier? As someone who makes it their business to know about the good stuff that all the local critics aren’t talking about, I’ve found these sites/calendars invaluable. They also don’t pick favorites. ;)

]]> By: jeffk http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223814 jeffk Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:47:59 +0000 #comment-223814 I like a list like that because it's a quick way to discover a few new local bands I might like. I like a list like that because it’s a quick way to discover a few new local bands I might like.

]]> By: andyst http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223799 andyst Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:05:15 +0000 #comment-223799 Clout's a funny thing, isn't it? That's a really good question borang is asking. I'm not sure tastemaking in the arts is a centralized process anymore (and maybe it never was). I'm guessing there's a few dozen blogs, actually, that have as much or more clout than a daily paper critic. I do know that there are a few critics in my field, the visual arts, whose superlatives I generally trust. They don't write for the dailies, though, so I'm not sure if they have clout with the "general public" or not. Clout’s a funny thing, isn’t it? That’s a really good question borang is asking. I’m not sure tastemaking in the arts is a centralized process anymore (and maybe it never was). I’m guessing there’s a few dozen blogs, actually, that have as much or more clout than a daily paper critic.

I do know that there are a few critics in my field, the visual arts, whose superlatives I generally trust. They don’t write for the dailies, though, so I’m not sure if they have clout with the “general public” or not.

]]> By: Max Sparber http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223793 Max Sparber Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:38:03 +0000 #comment-223793 Hey, ask whatever question you like. Don't bother me none. Hey, ask whatever question you like. Don’t bother me none.

]]> By: borang http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/the-best-local-albums-of-the-year-so-far#comment-223786 borang Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:21:39 +0000 #comment-223786 Does anyone really care what anyone else's favorite top X local albums are? Does anyone in the Twin Cities actually possess enough clout with the general public to a point where the superlatives they apply to music matter? Sorry to intrude on your question Max, but these are the questions that matter to me, and I'd be interested to know what people think. The local album I've spun the most is The Overhead Left by The Alarmists, and if that's a good indicator of favoritism, then I suppose that's my favorite. ;) Does anyone really care what anyone else’s favorite top X local albums are?

Does anyone in the Twin Cities actually possess enough clout with the general public to a point where the superlatives they apply to music matter?

Sorry to intrude on your question Max, but these are the questions that matter to me, and I’d be interested to know what people think.

The local album I’ve spun the most is The Overhead Left by The Alarmists, and if that’s a good indicator of favoritism, then I suppose that’s my favorite. ;)

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