Music Journalists

run_time

Well-known member
Looking for suggestions on who are the most frequerntly read music journalists currently among youth audiences...not necessarily looking for the ones who are the most interesting (Reynolds, Frere-Jones etc), just the ones that are likely to have the greatest reach.

Problem I'm finding is that there's less and less in the way of universal media channels (declining readership of NME and newspapers) with journalists generally only reaching a niche channel (eg Wire) or alternatively a more mature audience through traditional outlets (Alex Petridis).

Guess there's blog world but it gets pretty hard to judge who is popular and who is simply sounding off to a crowd of one.

Any suggestions for names gratefully received
 

mms

sometimes
Looking for suggestions on who are the most frequerntly read music journalists currently among youth audiences...not necessarily looking for the ones who are the most interesting (Reynolds, Frere-Jones etc), just the ones that are likely to have the greatest reach.

Problem I'm finding is that there's less and less in the way of universal media channels (declining readership of NME and newspapers) with journalists generally only reaching a niche channel (eg Wire) or alternatively a more mature audience through traditional outlets (Alex Petridis).

Guess there's blog world but it gets pretty hard to judge who is popular and who is simply sounding off to a crowd of one.

Any suggestions for names gratefully received

there are hubs on the net pitchfuck and drowned in sound spring to mind
 

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Am I right in thinking that Kerrang has overtaken NME in sales now and has become the most popular youth magazine since the whole nu-metal/emo/pop punk stuff started taking over?
I doubt there's any decent writers in there, but thats probably the most influential. Sorry, this isn't very helpful for you though is it? :eek:

I get the impression that yoofs don't really follow particular music journalists that closely any more, and this obviously goes hand in hand with a general decline in quality writing and risk taking in writing about music.

What about Radio hosts?
 

Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
Am I right in thinking that Kerrang has overtaken NME in sales now and has become the most popular youth magazine since the whole nu-metal/emo/pop punk stuff started taking over?

You mean when it took over in like 1999 for about half an hour?
 

muser

Well-known member
Spannered.org is the most professional covering of the particular areas of electronic music I've seen, I wouldn't say the site or the journos are widely known about among people who are into the music it covers at all however. Perhaps the internet has killed any chance of any mainstream music journalism that isn't based around scenes that are highly produced (as in kept/molded to a specific format) and publicized genres of music; indie etc. Not really answering your question at all sorry..
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Jonathan Selzer is post Terrorizer and now Metal Hammer I think.
Chris Campion is on the Observer MMM.
Cathi Unsworth is a novel perspective from a writer post-90s MM now doing fiction.

I'd personally look out for anything any one of this lot had written. I'm not sure about the greatest reach.
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
But I think Simon Price really reached more than any, certainly he's the only music writer I know who's hated by people I've met, which means something.
 

mos dan

fact music
Looking for suggestions on who are the most frequerntly read music journalists currently among youth audiences...not necessarily looking for the ones who are the most interesting (Reynolds, Frere-Jones etc), just the ones that are likely to have the greatest reach.

why? this all sounds slightly sinister. you don't work in pr do you?
 

don_quixote

Trent End
ur, i swear kerrang doubles the sales of nme nowadays. nme doesnt have significant sales whatsoever, kept alive as a husk because of the weight the name carries amongst dinosaurs innit
 

UFO over easy

online mahjong
benny b said:
I get the impression that yoofs don't really follow particular music journalists that closely any more

yeah definitely, and people didn't really when I was at school either. which wasn't that long ago but a significant time difference when considering changes in and influence of media.

i think it ties in with everyone being a wiki-expert on everything now.
 

comelately

Wild Horses
But I think Simon Price really reached more than any, certainly he's the only music writer I know who's hated by people I've met, which means something.

Pricey irritated people and that was a lot of fun (his chastising of supergroupie Samantha "Pearl" Lowe is particuarly memorable), but almost all of the bands he championed flopped. Romo anyone? Kenickie? Yes obviously the Manics were a lot more successful, but they were universally loved by music journos and ultimately they became big through hanging onto the coat-tails of the Noel-Rock scene Simon Price was battling against.

As I say, the baiting was fun but I actually think it reached the point where Simon Price championing a band could actually be damaging to that band's chances of breaking through. So his reach is debatable.
 

Gabba Flamenco Crossover

High Sierra Skullfuck
Am I right in thinking that Kerrang has overtaken NME in sales now and has become the most popular youth magazine since the whole nu-metal/emo/pop punk stuff started taking over?

Kerrang and NME pretty much tie for sales. Kerrang overtook it in 2006 but I think NME has drawn level since then. Do a google search for 'kerrang ABC figures'.

I think because metal has such a strong visual style, it doesn't come across as well on-line - the fans want glossy photos and high design values, so magazines are still popular.

I doubt there's any decent writers in there.

That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it? Although, admittedly, I'm not going to rush out and buy a copy myself to find out. But all the metal fans I know are very thoughtful about the music, and appreciate good writing on it (not that they necessarily buy Kerrang).
 

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it? Although, admittedly, I'm not going to rush out and buy a copy myself to find out. But all the metal fans I know are very thoughtful about the music, and appreciate good writing on it (not that they necessarily buy Kerrang).

Wasn't suggesting metal fans aren't thoughtful about the music. I was just saying that I doubt there's any decent writing in the Kerrang. Its not even really a metal mag any more, they've always got stuff like Green Day and Blink 182 on the front. Its like a teeny bopper smash hits for emo kids.
 

mos dan

fact music
Pricey irritated people and that was a lot of fun (his chastising of supergroupie Samantha "Pearl" Lowe is particuarly memorable), but almost all of the bands he championed flopped. Romo anyone? Kenickie? Yes obviously the Manics were a lot more successful, but they were universally loved by music journos and ultimately they became big through hanging onto the coat-tails of the Noel-Rock scene Simon Price was battling against.

As I say, the baiting was fun but I actually think it reached the point where Simon Price championing a band could actually be damaging to that band's chances of breaking through. So his reach is debatable.

simon price is a great writer, i grew up on his stuff. romo and kenickie were both fantastic things as well (though admittedly never likely to be huge), and spawned some terrific writing, by both price and also taylor parkes. for a good few years there in the mid-90s the melody maker was leagues ahead of the nme.

price's book on the manics is a great read too - doesn't pull any punches in confronting their flaws (musically and otherwise), and indulges in/explores all the intellectuals that the manics referenced (in doing so the manics introduced scores of m/c teenagers like myself to the likes of guy debord, which i still think is pretty cool for a mainstream rock band).
 

CHAOTROPIC

on account
Loved the Manics book when I was a kid ... bit cringey now with all the clumsy straight-boy attempts at romanticised homoerotic dribbling, particularly over Richey's "beauty beyond lust" & James's "coveted body", although I guess it's in context given the Manic's own clumsy straight-boy attempts at romanticised homoerotic dribbling.

(Simon's really a sweet guy though.)
 

mos dan

fact music
(Simon's really a sweet guy though.)

innit. i saw him at the press night of damon albarn's monkey opera last year, and approached him and said 'you won't remember this, but you gave me some advice about music journalism when i was 15, and now i'm here reviewing this for the new statesman. so, erm, cheers.' he looked really pleased. so that was nice. :D
 

comelately

Wild Horses
Personal real-life encounters with Simon have always been positive yes, he's a good egg if ever there was.

I don't know about that Manics book not pulling any punches though - it seems to me that admitting SYMM was really shit yet stating that "This is My Truth..." (on release of the book, the latest LP) was the second-best Manics album (come on) seems a lot like a pullled punch to me.

I always thought Taylor Parkes was too self-indulgent - I remember him making three boys two years below me at school "Single of the Week" for sending out a "big fat fuck off" to my GCSE English Teacher. I've actually enjoyed his occasional post-depression writings a lot more.

But I honestly don't think either of those guys had any "reach" of significance - beyond their extended social circle.
 
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