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Lazy Rock-Critic Mashups, Part 1 (A Recurring Entertainment)

Posted at 11:54 AM on August 10, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis (2 Comments)

Speaking of Austin, Texas, we were also reminded of a delightful new discovery: The Black Angels, a homegrown group that will also be playing the Austin City Limits Festival.

Everyone knows that when you can't describe what a band sounds like, you resort to silly comparisons like this:

"Like Neal Young singing for the Doors in a handball court. Or maybe Grace Slick." --Actual quote from anonymous "buddy."

Now you try it:

[Band name] sounds like [older, better known band] and [another older, better known band] meeting in [an evocative location or activity, usually involving cats].


Comments (2)

Okay, but you tell me, how do you describe something like a sound or a smell without comparing it with something the reader is familiar with? How would YOU describe the Black Angels? I like it when reviewers give me a frame of reference like that, whether it's a genre or band or song. As long as I can understand what they're getting at, that is.

Posted by Tib | August 31, 2006 1:21 PM

See, that's where the REAL art of criticism comes in. It separates the pros from the bros, as it were. A writer like, say, Kahleef Sanneh or Sasha Frere Jones or Will Hermes can spin words that capture sound WITHOUT doing the LRC mashup.

I have to laugh, because the Black Angels description--well, I was half-guilty in co-creating that comparison with my buddy Dave. It IS a fun game to play, absolutely. I'll see if I can come up with great exaples form the pros, tho

Posted by Hans | September 1, 2006 3:40 PM

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