IGN's Top 10 Albums That Every Music Snob Name Checks.

[krazed]

Aesop annoys me. His beats, samples and his delivery fails for me, he tries to create this surrealist swirling world filled with hyper literate stylings that comes off as more annoying than brilliant. He falls into what many indie rappers fall into; dude just tries too hard. I don't buy his style. I don't doubt that he's an intelligent guy, I just don't think he should try to wear it on his sleeve as much as he does. Plus, his flow just sounds like he's trying to make himself sound oh so different from everyone else, and again, I don't buy it.

Lil' Wayne: I'm not his biggest fan, but I think he's one of the most important rappers in the genre right now. He pulls off the stream of consciousness flow better than any working rapper and he's able to jump from style to style with ease. Sure, his lyrics may not always make sense, but the way he delivers them is like none other. I said that about "Feel Like Dying" because it has a very similar disorientation that can be found on a lot of Aesop's stuff, but Wayne doesn't sound like he's trying too hard; he's just buying into his own material, writing what he wants to write and spitting it with ease. Successful disorienting rap music, if you will. I don't know. I like it.

Didn't mean to piss you off earlier. Haha. I'd like to read the rant, actually.

[DSNT]

Wow. That might have been the worst piece of music "journalism" I've ever read.

Mars Volta, Wilco, WTF? Even Slanted & Enchanted isn't all that snobby.

[number8]

I wonder if the article title was chosen to partially cover the fact that choices are really.... odd?

[Acapelli]

I wonder if the article title was chosen to partially cover the fact that choices are really.... odd?

But some of them aren't even odd. They're awful.

[ledfloyd]

Is there any part of IGN that's remotely readable anymore?

the comics section is pretty good, that's about it.

[number8]

But some of them aren't even odd. They're awful.

I was being nice.

[number8]

the comics section is pretty good, that's about it.

No. No it's not. They get early pages because they're a big corporation and has massive readership, but I don't think any of them know shit about comics. I don't know why anyone would read their comics section over Newsarama.com or CBR.

[ledfloyd]

No. No it's not. They get early pages because they're a big corporation and has massive readership, but I don't think any of them know shit about comics. I don't know why anyone would read their comics section over Newsarama.com or CBR.

well, newsarama and cbr are better for news. but ign has more comprehensive reviews, and their scores seem to be on the money most of the time.

[krazed]

Ruh-roh. They're back.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyl...ms%20That%20M/

And it's just as bad.

[D_Davis]

I don't even know what this guy is trying to say. It's almost as if he hates people that listen to a lot of music.

[D_Davis]

Maybe he'll reply to me this time...


Dear Mr. Bayer,

Regarding your “10 Even Snobbier Albums That Every Music Snob Name Checks,” I would like to make the following suggestions:

1. I didn't get upset because the last bunch wasn't obscure enough, I got upset because your writing was amateurish; it was trash. I would hope that IGN's editorial team would have higher standards, but I guess not. Your previous article reminded me of something I might read in a Fisher Price publication titled, “My First Stab at Music Journalism.” I simply expected more from an established, money-making web site.

2. I think you need to define exactly what a “music snob” is. Your argument is weak because this is a vapid term. You use the term as if it actually stands for something beyond your own imagined definition. You make disgusting, sweeping generalizations about an imagined group of music fans that exists only so people such as yourself have someone to poke fun at.

Never mind, generalizations are fun!

3. “Here’s hoping that for ten seconds you can experience music the same way a middle-aged couple at a Journey reunion show experience it—unironically, whole-heartedly, and in love, with tears streaming down your cheeks and your lighters raised. Don’t stop believing. “

What are you saying here? I am having trouble parsing through your failed attempt at wit and anti-irony. You've ironically become unironic to make an ironic point, irony, irony, irony. (I used a variation of the word “iron” in one sentence more times than you did in your entire article!)

4. “In fact, statistics prove that almost as many people don’t own a copy of the ’66 Dylan classic than have never ironically played “Calling Dr. Love” on the jukebox at the Greenpoint Tavern. And if you can’t figure that sentence out, ask your roommate to ask his professor at Sarah Lawrence the next time he runs into him at an Open City reading. “

Please site the source of this statistic. Oh, and turn down the douchebaggery, you've got it cranked up to eleven (thats a reference to a “rockumentary,” a fake documentary about a fake rock band, called “This is Spinal Tap.” In it, they mention that their amps go up to eleven, because eleven is one louder than ten. Check it out, its out on DVD (Digital Video/Versatile Disc). This is the preferred method of content delivery that replaced the VCR in the mid to late 1990s).

Oh never mind, being a douchebag is fun!

5. “You can hear echoes of Wire in the amazing Minutemen SST records of the early and mid-80s. “

I see what you did here. In an attempt to illuminate the snobbery of music hipsters, you name check an obscure mid-80s jazz-punk band and the landmark, underground label they were on. Very clever! Here's your cake, you can eat it, too!

6. “Sure, this album rocks, but most music snobs reference the disc only to show how much they think Steve Albini sold out afterward by producing albums for major-label acts such as Bush and the Breeders. “

You again speak only in generalizations. Who, and what, are these music snobs? We need names, man! Give us examples. You can't just say “music snobs do this,” or “music snobs think this,” without some concrete examples. Quote some (real) music journalism, perhaps you should check out a “web site” called Pitch Fork Media.

7. “They make the Undertones sound like Pet Sounds. “

See number 5 above.

8. “Here’s another thing that music snobs do: They champion a record by a great artist that is not nearly as good as the records that are commonly lauded as better...Pick up Love and Hate or Songs of Leonard Cohen instead .”

One thing that big douchebags do is tell other people what they should and shouldn't listen to while at the same time belittling them by making sweeping generalizations about an imaginary group they belong to (re: Music Snobs, Hipsters).

9. “To date, the album has never been rereleased, but that doesn’t stop indie snobs from trying to track down a copy that they can listen to ironically. “

I believe that the whole irony-hipster-music-snob movement ended a few years ago. I think they've (whoever they are, and whatever it is they do) moved onto a more post-modern, “meta” approach.

I hope these suggestions help. Hey, at least this article was written better than your last one. However, it is also full of snide remarks and spite. It sounds as if you let the feedback get to you a little too much and tried to play it off like you didn't care. That's cool though.

Rock on,

Daniel Davis.

[Wryan]

"wit," Davis.

[Wryan]

none of these albums are remotely obscure

I like music plenty, but some of those were pretty obscure to me. I didn't know who the fuck Captain Beefheart was until I read an article about Robert Plant boo-hissing Radiohead off the airwaves of a bar and insisting on hearing Mr. Beefheart instead.

[Wryan]

Basically, here are some problems with writing an article like that. You can never, EVER, EVER know just how hip your audience is. Are they hip enough to not know just enough about what you're writing about to be able to join in the [ironic?] gag-reel directed at hipster music snobs? Are they hip enough to know exactly what you are talking about and be somewhat offended that your inclusion of the words "hip" and "snob" seem, perchance, too broadly inclusive? Are they hip enough to know [far?] more about what you are talking about and take great offense at the [ironic?] attempt at a quasi-meta irony made by lumping "all" music snobs into one congealed group? Should such articles ever be written at all?

Basically, all this shit makes my head hurt thinking about it, both the eyebrow-raising stones required to think you should/could write such an article AND the hellion furor raised afterward on every conceivable level of meta-licious irony.

Essentially, it doesn't bother me much at all, because I'm not nearly hip enough on music to know who Captain Beefheart was, which sits ok with me cause...seriously...Beefheart!?

/races away before anyone can start spotting the irony...if it's there.

[number8]

Ten bucks says there'll be a third, and midway through writing it he'll start calling his friends saying "Hey, name me an album I don't know."

[D_Davis]

"wit," Davis.

Thanks! I included a silent aich.

[Dukefrukem]

Aesop Rock suck ass.

fuck you they do!

[/not really mad]

[Sycophant]

I can only imagine what a dreadful bore he'd be at a party.

[MadMan]

Davis that letter is freakin' awesome. Bravo.