About music criticism

In the New Yorker, interesting thoughts from Kelefa Sanneh about how music criticism got too nice. I find two particular takeaways. One I really should have known already: that in 1970, Robert Christgau classified some of his favourite bands (in his case the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Stooges) as “semipopular music”. I take this to mean acts that are neither (or no longer) in the underground, but nor are they selling out arenas; credible but more or less profitable; perhaps a bit more known about than known. And I wonder who from my own collection might occupy the same space. Perhaps Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, Stereolab, Magnetic Fields... and then I recall that two of the Magnetic Fields aren’t coming on their next European jaunt because of “work commitments” which suggests they have real, dull jobs and the Mags are perhaps a bit less than “semipopular”. And then in turn I recall that Field Music (nine albums and counting) have to moonlight as a Doors cover act to make ends meet. And I wonder whether the blanding of music criticism really matters, because it looks as if music sure as hell doesn’t.

And then something I wish I hadn’t known: one reason critics are wary of giving a proper early-80s-NME-style kicking to music is for fear of giving offence. Not necessarily to the artists themselves, but to anybody who happens to like those artists. And not just because some of the more devoted fans (Sanneh notes the behaviour of Nicki Minaj’s acolytes among others) might take forceful exception to anyone pointing out flaws in their idols. No, apparently it’s rude simply to dislike something that others might like, and the exhortation to refrain from this has its own emetic label: “don’t yuck my yum”. Which I don’t like, but maybe I’m not allowed to say that.