On Tue, 23 Nov 1999, eric hill wrote:
quoted 8 lines that there are hundreds of small labels out there who can't get a look in
> >that there are hundreds of small labels out there who can't get a look in
> >when it comes to the music press (for a multitude of reasons) who are
> >desperate to find sympathetic journalists and publications.
>
> this desperation is caused by the high price of admission to the promo
> model of label business. this is supported by reviewers and magazines who
> create a stereotype of themselves writing only about music that they get
> for free.
And what exactly is wrong with only (or, in my case, mainly) writing about
music that they get for free?
Most reviewers are generally given a finite number of slots to fill on the
review pages each month. If I'm asked to write 10 reviews, I'll go to the
stack of promos first and if I find 10 discs that deserve the press, I
will write about them. If I come up short, I'll turn to recent purchases
to fill the gap.
Why? Well, those labels that sent me discs for free did so for a reason -
to get them reviewed. They ate the expense of postage and the cost of a
CD, and in my eyes, that makes them slightly more deserving of review
consideration since they've actually made an investment in hopes of
something in return.
It's not a case of playing favourites or expecting more promos in the
future if I review something now. It's simply showing courtesy to the
labels and artists that take the trouble to send me their material. If I
had the time, I'd try and review *every* item that I receive for free -
and since I run my own website, I can review more stuff than if I was only
contributing to print mags (assuming I have the time to do so, which I
haven't really lately, but I'm trying to catch up).
In the past, I *have* reviewed material I've purchased. For example, a
couple of things I wrote for the upcoming issue of Grooves are coverage of
discs and records I bought. If I buy something and it totally blows me
away, I'll definately try and let people know about it. But if forced to
choose, the promos will win out almost every time.
Greg
--
Greg Clow - greg@stainedproductions.com -
http://www.stainedproductions.com
- feedback monitor - electronic & experimental radio/reviews/interviews -
-
http://www.stainedproductions.com/feedback/ -
- Dead Voices On Air & Not Breathing - December 22nd - Reverb - Toronto -
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org
For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org