Even Reviewers have bad days…
This will be a short one today, mainly because I’m still kind of depressed. No one likes to be flamed, even me, yet that is what happened. It was also disheartening because it meant that the artist that did it really didn't get that 1) I only do positive reviews and 2) that I’m always talking about the dangers of stereotyping and image. This person apparently didn’t like my review of his stuff, even though I liked it. He didn’t like the review because it didn’t fit with his personal image of himself. He didn’t get that others perceptions of you will vary according to their own backgrounds and tastes. The sad part was that he seemed to think it was OK for him to dictate what he thought I should and shouldn’t like—BECAUSE I’M A WOMAN. He seemed to think that because of my sex I should like a song—no other reason, just my sex. I didn’t like that song particularly—but for many reasons—and therefore left it out of my review. Other people might like it, I’m fine with that, but apparently he wasn’t. So I got passive-aggressively flamed, and he made sure that his friends did the same.
Considering all the time and energy it takes to do these reviews, and done on my own time simply because I love media, art and music, it makes me wonder if it’s worth it. His stereotyping of me based on my sex really got to me and his assumption that he had the right to dictate how I’m supposed to react and dictate what I’m supposed to like. Is anyone out there actually reading my stuff and getting what I’m talking about? I always emphasis that what I say is my own opinion and that opinions will vary widely, as will perceptions—but is that message not getting through? Is it just being twisted and turned into what people want to hear or to attack? It just makes me feel very sad and very tired. Maybe it’s not worth it to do this review; perhaps it’s not doing any good at all in bringing new talents to light. (And especially with my SendMessage and AddFriends ability still busted on MySpace with no ETA on when or if I’ll ever get that back. With 125million people, fixing one account is pretty low priority.)
Sorry, it just gets to me sometimes. Even reviewers need a little love now and then.
Westcott & Rodway: Two very talented gentlemen with smooth jazz and classical compositions expertly crafted and performed. The pieces build and recede like ocean waves, easy to listen to and definitely a good way to beat road rage or to relax after a long tiring, maddening day at work (or being flamed.) Their work is brilliant and mesmerizing with classical, jazz, flamenco and world music influences. They even note that they were influenced by Radiohead! What I Kept Lost and Reassurance and especially Overcome were my favorites, but I liked all the compositions, by the way. Check them out; they deserve some respect and admiration.
Low In The Sky: They do electronica, ambient, experimental music and you can definitely tell that from the weird and wonderful combinations that always produce such lovely sounds. The music makes you drift and float with no destination in sight and no particular desire to get to one either. The music is complex to the extreme in construction but gentle and refreshing as a fall breeze. Both Snow and Faraway Places are exotic and wonderful, magical pieces—especially with the latter’s playful and delicately jarring pans and fades. This is Electronica and Experimental done perfect.
This Space For Rent: At first, I thought this was a Web TV show, but it’s not. It a comedy series out of Canada and shown on the CBC. However, it’s pretty funny with an excellent selection of music (which you can play from the site) and with video snippets of the show available for viewing as well. Pretty fun. If you’ve got the bandwidth, check it out (both videos and music.)
Artist Owen Maigret: He’s a visual artist out of San Francisco, California. His stuff is superb, both troubling at times and always beautiful. You can definitely see Hawaiian themed influences in some of his pieces and graphic design with a techie theme in others. One of his pictures bears his comment that he is a sellout. I disagree. His work is wonderful and compelling. It both disturbs and fascinates me. It’s beautiful yet jarring. Industrial, yet organic and art deco—all at the same time. If by sellout, he means that he’s commercialized his work, then I’m happy about it. It means that it’s available to the rest of us—those that can’t afford to buy original masterpieces. (I couldn't get some copy-pictures-thumbnails to upload successfully--I'll try again later--check back or just go to his site and check them ALL out in their full beauty.)Artist Owen Maigret is at www.myspace.com/owenart (look in the Pics area.)
This Space For Rent is at www.myspace.com/thisspaceforrenttv
Low In The Sky is at www.myspace.com/lowinthesky
Westcott & Rodway is at www.myspace.com/westcottandrodway
Take a look. In my opinion, these folks are worth your time.
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CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!
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URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/
2 comments:
I can only agree with the previous comment, these are gifted musicians with an exquisite and new harmonious mingling of sounds.Westcott and Rodway are destined to bring much pleasure to the world.
well, i thank you for your review of my work, i guess it's been up for a while tho i have just seen it, and i am sure th eartist who dissed you will get theirs...
owen
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