stelfox said:MIA has been hailed as the greatest album in a decade and even on one forum (by a very prominent critic, no less) as having totally clowned everything jamaica has produced since the sleng teng riddim (which is, of course, grounds to cu sounds of locks turning, keys being thrown), but if that aint hyperbole, what is?
not to restart the MIA debate, and not to suggest that it's the greatest album in a decade (can't say as i haven't bought a copy, though i've heard all kinds of tracks off it), but i think she's much better received in the USA and outside of grime circles than in the UK and w/in grime circles = djs in ny play a lot of mia and the crowd response is usually very enthusiastic
stelfox said:but is that really all there is to aspire to - constant reinvention, continual change etc?
it's a very fine line
i'd rather have a committed scene, love, vibe, etc, than a club filled w/ trendies who are there merely because they feel compelled to check out the latest sounds -- i.e., the latest sounds that they read about somewhere -- even though i'm precisely such a person on the occasions that i am so motivated
stelfox said:even in a fairly settled musical environment such as we are enjoying now (well, i'm enjoying it anyway, dunno about the rest of yers), there's still plenty to get excited about - subtle shifts, virtuoso performances, new artists slowly breaking into established areas, small scenes maturing and really getting ready to blow up huge.
i agree in part -- just so long as we don't forget the difference b/w the peak times and the times we have now
stelfox said:so, maybe we should be looking at the ways we're thinking about music and discourse as much as what's "wrong" with the contemporary landscape.
any suggestions for a new table of values?