Music Monday - PopWreckoning Talks The Books and Tchaikovsky

Up-to-date music news, live reviews, interviews and album reviews, PopWreckoning does it all and more. By the way, our own Shawn Fogel (Golden Bloom/Neutral Uke Hotel) is quoted on the site saying, "PopWreckoning is better than Pitchfork." Love it. Managing editor Bethany Smith took time out of her hectic schedule (just look at how much information is on PopWreckoning) to answer our MM questions.

Music Monday Q&A with PopWreckoning

1. How long has PopWreckoning been operating?
PopWreckoning began in 2007 as PopWreck: a creative outlet for founders Joshua Hammond and Jessica McGinley to discuss their views on pop culture.

2. What makes PopWreckoning different from other websites?
We're not gimmicky and we don't say things just to sound cool or elite. We are honest and earnest in our love of music and the arts.

3. Do you think PopWreckoning has a specific musical niche?
We cover a wide scope of artists, but we do lean toward the indie side. We really just want to help the little musicians succeed by helping spread the word about them. Mainstream pop artists don't really need our help in the same way, although we'll still give them love.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
I think everyone is pretty excited about the new Arcade Fire. I'm also pretty excited to finally have some more stuff from The Books. And though I really just want more Rilo Kiley music, I must admit I'm curious to hear the Jenny and Johnny album. Finally, we're psyched for the Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra collaboration: Bad Books. Those are some of our favorite bands and I'm surprised it has taken this long for them to work together on a project like this. We got to hear a few of the songs already and the world had better be ready to be blown away.

5. How does PopWreckoning support independent music and what is important about doing so?
All of our staff has deep ties to our own local music scenes. We do what we can in our communities to help those bands get national exposure and shows. Another one of the things we do to support independent music is sometimes we take a step back from the PR pitches being tossed at us and take the time to just browse MySpace or last.fm on our own until we discover something we like. It's important to support independent music because everyone deserves a chance to be heard and they need to be heard because they bring variety to music. Without variety, this isn't a culture as much as it is a machine. We need the independents, if that makes sense.

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
Online is definitely important. I don't know if I'd say it takes precedence over print. Rolling Stone has such a rich heritage; I don't think you can discard something like that. But the print publications have all needed to add some sort of online component. Which I think is great. I think the effect that the Internet has had on the bands has been great. I mean, this is music we're talking about and now, at your finger tips you can just click a link to hear the song for yourself to see what a reviewer is talking about rather than set down your pages and just have to take a writer's word for it.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
As far as music blogs, BrooklynVegan has consistently been great in its coverage, especially photography-wise. We also like to venture outside of music.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started at PopWreckoning?
I think it would have to be the first festival we covered. You become so isolated sometimes working online, but at a festival you're surrounded by people who do the same thing that you do and love the same thing that you do. It’s a big awakening to realize you're shooting in a pit next to someone from one of your favorite publications and you can finally put a face to bloggers.

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
I'm not sure if this counts because he is a composer, but I'd love to talk to Tchaikovsky. I think people forget how much the classics influence the music we listen to now and Tchaikovsky is one of those composers who has had a song that has marked almost every significant event in my life.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
That's a hard question. You almost want to say something like the Beatles, but really I'd be content with just any band that's just happy to be performing - someone whose happiness is contagious like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros...

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Music Monday - Medleyville.us Talks Spoon, The Gaslight Anthem, Arcade Fire and More

With the endless amount of music websites and blogs popping up, it’s hard to keep on top of them all. Medleyville.us might not currently be on your radar, but we hope to change that. Chris M. Junior, founder and editor of Medleyville, is not just a blogger, critic and editor; he is a massive music fan. Yes, we all are, but after talking with Chris, it was nice to hear that while he’s up to date on indie and underground bands, he’s also got a firm familiarity in music from past eras. He can use those music roots to connect artists he loves like Tom Petty, Sam Cooke and Carole King to My Morning Jacket and Neko Case, etc. He gets extra points for pulling out Buck Owens and Sam Phillips. Chris not only has a lot to say about the state of music criticism, he has a lot to say in general. We dig that; we’re talkers.

Music Monday Q&A with Medleyville

1. How long has Medleyville been operating?
Medleyville.us was launched March 1, 2004. I came up with the idea for the site a few months prior and had a friend handle the technical side of things. I decided to launch my own site in order to keep myself busy between full-time journalism gigs. I also thought it would be a productive way to keep my name out there as I tried to hustle up some paying freelance writing opportunities.

From the start, I’ve had a handful of music-savvy friends with writing backgrounds contribute to the site as well. I never wanted Medleyville to be a one-man show, and it’s safe to say the site wouldn’t exist without their input.



2. What makes Medleyville different from other websites?
…It focuses on both emerging and established artists from various genres and eras. It’s more like an online version of a general-interest music magazine, hence the motto “music coverage for eclectic tastes.”

Another thing that’s a little different about my site is I prefer to run interviews and features. These days, anybody can write a CD review and post it online, but not everyone can conduct a good interview with an artist or write an interesting narrative feature.

Something else that’s a little unconventional about the site is the way we do CD reviews. There are three formats: a traditional review that’s a few hundred words, a collection of one-paragraph reviews known as Quick Spins and a multi-author, conversational-style review of a single release called Disc Discussion. No matter what, we try to be fair in our criticism and commentary and not resort to pontificating or taking cheap shots.

3. Do you think Medleyville has a specific musical niche?
Not really, and I think that’s what makes the site different from most others. Rock tends to dominate Medleyville, but I don’t discriminate against any style. My personal musical collection runs the gamut, and I see nothing wrong with a website covering a wide musical range. I know the tendency these days is to serve a niche audience, but writing about one musical style all the time would bore the crap out of me.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
A lot of the albums I was looking forward to this year have already been released. They include the new ones by Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Gaslight Anthem and Justin Currie. As for what’s on the horizon, I’m looking forward to Tin Can Trust, the new Los Lobos. I’ve been a fan of the band for more than 25 years. I recently heard a cool new song by The Arcade Fire that now has me interested in the rest of The Suburbs.

5. How does Medleyville support independent music and what is important about doing so?
The term “independent music” means different things to different people. To me, it has nothing to do with a specific sound. Indie music means any act – new or veteran, regardless of genre – that’s not with one of the remaining major record labels/music corporations and has a strong DIY ethic. That said Medleyville.us does support indie music. But one important qualifier for all artists looking for coverage on my site – and exceptions are very rare -- is that they must be touring acts. Anybody can sit at home, record a song, post it on MySpace or wherever and claim to be a musician or an artist, thinking an online presence is a way around playing gigs. I hear from people like that from time to time.

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
Yes, I think there are a few online publications that are very much on par with print magazines. Pitchfork, for one, is probably as important today as Rolling Stone or Spin in terms of having its finger on the pulse of what’s new, good, different and important. There’s no doubt that the impact of online publications on bands has been tremendous. On the positive side, bands have plenty of outlets they can pitch for coverage.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
I read the online and print versions of Billboard, Rolling Stone, Spin and Time Out New York on a regular basis. I’ll pick up Paste, Magnet and Alternative Press now and then.

As for blogs, I check out Pitchfork, BrooklynVegan and Time Out New York’s The Volume. Also, I often listen to the online streams of radio stations from around the country, such as Austin’s KGSR, San Francisco’s KFOG and Philadelphia’s WXPN, and their respective sites have good, useful news and information. I also read Jim DeRogatis’ Pop N’ Stuff blog. Jim is one of the best music writers today, and he also is a co-host of the radio show “Sound Opinions” with fellow Chicago music journalist Greg Kot.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started Medleyville?
There have been a few. Recently, John Mellencamp’s website posted my short review of his box set On the Rural Route 7609 on his news page. For a little site like mine to get a mention on a major artist’s site, that was a surprise and a thrill. Generally speaking, the past year or so has been important and satisfying for Medleyville. In that time, I’ve had more artists, publicists and labels contact me about being featured on the site. That tells me we must be doing something right. We’ve come a long way…

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
Of artists who are still alive, I’d have to say Keith Richards, Paul Westerberg, Tom Petty, Elton John and Elvis Costello. I’ve never read an interview where any one of them just phoned it in. After those guys, the list would include Carole King, Steve Cropper, Neko Case, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Allen Toussaint, Steve Earle, Todd Rundgren, Stevie Wonder and George Jones.

As for deceased artists, at the top would be Buddy Holly, followed by Sam Cooke, Rick Nelson, Marvin Gaye, Buck Owens and producer Sam Phillips.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
I’d say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Booker T. and the MG’s and The Byrds. Those three epitomize what I value most in bands: great chops, instincts, restraint and taste – and, of course, great songs. And in the end, it always comes down to great songs.

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Music Monday - Consequence of Sound Talks Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend and More...

Music Monday Q&A

Running a music blog/website ca be a 24-hour job. People like Consequence of Sound's Alex Young don't have regular set hours because if you want to break the latest news, and beat others to the punch, you need to be ready to do so at the drop of a hat. That means a lot of work, late hours and scanning the Internet for new music. Based in New York and Chicago, one of CoS' coolest sections is Festival Outlook; a database that keeps track of all the newest lineup and rumors running around for music festivals all over the world. They must have spies on the inside. Considering how busy he is, we truly appreciate Young answering our questions.

1. How long has CoS been operating?
We have been up and running since September 2007. Ironically enough, however, it was never meant to be one... it eventually evolved into. Initially, it was just a hobby, but after meeting Michael Roffman – who is now the President & Editor-in-Chief – it sort of quickly evolved into a full-time profession.

2. What makes CoS different from other websites?
I think the thing that separates us from a lot of other websites is our passion. It’s not like we’re making a living off this – at least so far – but we’re still completely obsessed with making sure we are first to report a story, review an album, etc. We don’t have necessarily have hours. Instead, we often find ourselves posting at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week. I’m not sure many other websites can say that.


3. Do you think CoS has a specific musical niche?
We pride ourselves on covering all genres, ranging from indie rock and hip-hop to alt-country and electronica. So I don’t think we have a specific niche per say.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
Arcade Fire, Ra Ra Riot, The Thermals, Beastie Boys, and Kanye West.

5. How does CoS support independent music and what is important about doing so?
I think it goes without saying that no one buys music anymore. So the best ways to support artists are to do things like buy merch, attend a concert, and telling a friend. So make sure you do that. On CoS, we do things like post tour announcements and provide links to buy tickets and post spotlights about up-and-coming bands. We are also really trying to get into the events business, which would serve as another vehicle to showcase independent artists.

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazines? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
In some respects, yes, but I do think both can co-exist. A magazine is a better outlet for feature stories since it’s a more engaging activity to read print on a page than it is on a website. (People on the web have short attention spans.). But I think when it comes to news and learning about new artists, online publications take precedence. After all, a magazine cannot publish breaking news or include an mp3.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
My favorite websites are twentyfourbit.com (most unique info out there), rockitoutblog.com (only music blog that is also a video blog), stereogum.com (they are some of the most clever writers out there), and brooklynvegan.com (since I live in New York).

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started at CoS?
Standing on stage during Vampire Weekend’s set at Lollapalooza last year and staring out at the 60,000 people watching.

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
Jack White. By far the most interesting musician alive. I would love to write a book about him one day.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
The Clash? The Raconteurs? The Thermals? Couldn’t choose just one.

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