Oh screw you, Stereogum.

Not because the album’s great — it isn’t, it’s too long and same-y; ‘passable’ at best with a few singles and a lot of filler — but because Stereogum comes across as deeply, worryingly calculating and cynical here. If you follow the site you might have noticed they were clearly among the very worst and obnoxious buzz offenders, prominently reporting each and every new LDR remix and live appearance.

But of course, “talked-about singer releases forgettable debut” doesn’t lend itself to a narrative that can be milked much further, does it? I really don’t see how you could possibly claim this album is shockingly and, most of all, unexpectedly bad other than intending to extend the buzz cycle by somehow framing this a disastrous failure and joyously kick in the n-th backlash wave.

Ultimately, in Stereogum’s case this pretty much serves as a textbook example of “they build ‘em up to kick ‘em down” and I don’t think this kind of disingenuous schadenfreude is a good thing to have in the landscape of musical criticism.

(via hndrk)

126 - Based on past relationships or crushes, describe your perfect boyfriend/girlfriend

oh gosh it is quite apropos that you are asking me this. tonight after the Tastemakers meeting, somebody who was doing some documentary project thing was taking short video clips asking people to describe their perfect/dream girl

and of course I don’t perform well under pressure and immediately after doing mine I regretted it! the guy right before me said “red hair and an Irish accent” so I basically just thought ‘oh hair’ and said “a girl with short hair who I can talk to about anything” and I’m not happy at all with that! because A) I don’t think I should have said any physical traits whatsoever because I don’t really have a “type” appearance-wise, B) man if I find the perfect girl I am not gonna tell her what to do with her hair jeez C) if I do meet hypothetical perfect short-haired girl, it’s not like she’d stop being ‘perfect’ if she grew it out. and that’s all about the first thing I said, the second thing was just sorta bland and I dunno, important but it’s not really saying anything? so here is my chance to give a revised answer in my typically overthought style and redeem myself.

okay first off I’m not really sure where to go with the ‘based on past relationships or crushes’ part since I look at my “real” past relationships in a rather poor light these days? not that there is anything wrong with either of those exes but I am not the same person I was then (that is, I feel I don’t share as much in common with them as I used to) and neither relationship was really a ‘good’ one? I feel like this question should be answered in terms of what a perfect partner IS, not what they are NOT. as for crushes… hmm. Maybe I’m overthinking this a little too much.

• for the easy answer: at least a moderate interest in music (you don’t have to be crazy about it but if we are going to be talking/hanging a lot it’d be nice if we can find some common musical ground to listen to and talk about)
• I feel like with some people whose company I enjoy, I’m not really able to spend extended periods of time just talking to them (i.e. without partaking in other activities besides just conversation, and without any uncomfortable silences (comfortable ones are just fine)) and being able to do that is a must. But, I mean, that’s always a difficult one because I’m never IMMEDIATELY able to do that with anyone I meet.
• and I guess this is just a combination of the previous two but I feel like being able to connect on an intellectual level would be nice? like, looking back on the people I’ve dated/crushed on, I think that there were a few where we didn’t really “get” one another
• oh being somewhat nonjudgmental would be cool
• and I mean obviously I’d be attracted to them but like I said, no real ‘type’

man, I suck at this. I dunno. I wish I had a better example of a relationship in my past to compare this to.