#179: Don’t Read Crazy Articles
Don’t Read Crazy Articles
I’m Todd L. Burns, and welcome to Music Journalism Insider, a newsletter about music journalism. I highlight some of the best stuff I hear, read, and watch every week; publish news about the industry; and interview writers, scholars, and editors about their work. My goal is to share knowledge, celebrate great work, and expand the idea of what music journalism is—and where it happens. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime at music.journalism.insider@gmail.com. And if you're not already subscribed to the newsletter, you can do so at musicjournalisminsider.com.
Today in the newsletter: Interviews with BBC Radiophonic Workshop expert William L. Weir, opera scholar Dr. Charlotte Bentley, and freelance writer Edward Pomykaj. Plus! Reading and podcast recommendations! And more! But first…
Don’t Stop Bel… Taking That Left Turn Down Main Street In Point Two Miles
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Reading List
- Doug Mack unwinds the Van Halen M&M myth
- Annie Zaleski looks back at 1993
- Miranda Reinert chats with Jay Papandreas
- Max Alper writes a letter to an experimental musician
- Mixmag is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Windrush with an editorial series
- Dee Barnes talks with Janell Hobson about being a woman in hip-hop
- Water & Music has posted its latest “starter pack” on streaming platforms
- Jon Tanners offers some lessons from ten years of being in the industry
- Kate Solomon says that being a pop fan is becoming miserable
- Jonathan Bernstein wonders why people keep dying at Faster Horses Festival
Lede Of The Week
When Ray Johnson finally woke up, he had no idea why he was in the ICU. - Jonathan Bernstein
Q&A: William L. Weir
William L. Weir is a freelance writer for The Atlantic, Slate, and more. His new book is a 33 1/3 volume on BBC Radiophonic Workshop. In this excerpt from our interview, William remembers the mentorship he got in a newsroom.
No one specifically, but working in a newsroom, listening to how others interview their subjects was invaluable. The newsroom is the rare place where you can find experts on practically any topic all within shouting distance, and being able to tap into that knowledge daily helped me a lot. As more newspapers (the ones that are still around, that is) are doing away with their newsrooms, it’s unfortunate that younger reporters won’t have that environment and the guidance that comes with it.
Anything you want to plug?
My new book in the 33 ⅓ series is about the folks who introduced England to electronic music through sound effects, theme tunes, and incidental music. Most famously, they made the music for Doctor Who, but also the music for news programs, radio dramas, and educational programs used in schools. The Workshop started in the 1950s, long before there were any common instruments designed for electronic music. They instead used oscillators, reel-to-reel tape machines, and various other electronics, much of which was decommissioned from World War II. As a result of their work, generations of people grew up on these sounds and created their own pioneering electronic music. Why are all the best synthpop bands from England? Thank the Radiophonic Workshop.
Read the full interview with William here.
You Know When You Hear It, Maaaaan
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Q&A: Dr. Charlotte Bentley
Dr. Charlotte Bentley is a lecturer in music at Newcastle University, where her research focuses on operatic mobility in the 19th century. Her book New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819-1859 was published in 2022. In this excerpt from our interview, Charlotte explains more about her research.
The theme that links my research interests is the idea of mobility: how musical works and materials, musicians, and ideas about music moved. I’m particularly interested in the 19th century, and I’m particularly interested in musical stage works, ranging from operas to small-scale melodramas and works for domestic performance.
We perhaps have a tendency to think that peripatetic, portfolio careers are unique to musicians in the present day, but that’s far from the case. I’ve found it fascinating to discover just how much of their lives many 19th-century musicians spent on the road, sometimes moving only small distances, but in other cases travelling thousands of miles for a contract. Some of my most exciting research moments have involved confronting the scale of their mobility when, for instance, coming across a passport for an opera singer to travel from France to the USA in the 1840s or finding the legal documents giving recruiters for a theatre troupe a blank cheque book to allow them to engage the best performers overseas.
While uncovering the details of who and what moved where and when has proved exciting in its own right, what I try to do in my work is to use that information to try to answer larger questions, such as what mobility meant both to musicians on the move and their audiences, how music was involved in formulating intertwined local, national and international identities, and how works originally written for the stage were transformed and/or reinterpreted to meet the needs of diverse audiences.
Read the full interview with Charlotte here.
Podcasts!
- Charles Hughes joins ImmaLetYouFinish… to talk country and soul
- Ian Chainey explains how to conduct an interview on Heavy Business
- Name 3 Songs explores music criticism
- Rock Writ talks with Pleasant Gehman of Lobotomy fanzine
- BBC has launched The Rise and Fall of Britpop
Stuff You Gotta Watch
Stuff You Gotta Watch celebrates music journalism in video form. This week’s column is by Ana Leorne.
There have been plenty of documentaries about hip-hop, but few that focus on the actual art behind it. That changed with Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap, a 2012 documentary that celebrates the essence, skill, and mastery of hip-hop in a respectful and reverential manner. Conducting the entire operation is Ice-T, who serves as director, executive producer, and interviewer in this insightful journey through the idiosyncrasies of writing and performing rap verses.
As he discusses the particularities of the creative process with some of the heavyweights of the genre (Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mos Def, Ice Cube, Raekwon, Snoop Dogg, Nas, and many more), Ice-T travels "from the South Bronx all the way to the West Coast" on a quest for a better understanding of the craft. The result is a series of informal talks and impromptu performances set everywhere from home studios to restaurants, street corners, record stores, and even poolsides.
Pivoting To Video
- Teddy Abrams chats about his work as a conductor
- ItstheReal discusses their latest podcast, The Blog Era
- Black Music Archive explains the connection between gay culture and gospel music
- Nardwuar welcomes Jazzy to his channel
- The Punk Rock MBA wonders why musicians sell out
Trivia Time
What was the name of the Liz Phair album that was famously given a 0.0 score by Pitchfork?
How Do You Do, Fellow TikTokers?
- @pablothedon has some thoughts about Pitchfork
- @sonnybabie takes a look at UK rap
- @abigyesandasmallno explains the history of troubadours
- @thechrismichael breaks down some drum & bass subgenres
- @gee_derrick has some help from a special guest in describing what makes a great DJ mix
Every Editor Ever
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Q&A: Edward Pomykaj
Edward Pomykaj is a freelance writer and multi-disciplinary artist. He’s written for Pitchfork, Fast Company, Editor X, and many others. His creative work, meanwhile, encompasses poetry, fiction, photography, film, illustration, music, and recording. In this excerpt from our interview, Edward explains where he sees music journalism headed.
I think that there is a pretty big desire for music journalism and discourse right now, but whether or not people want it from major publications anymore is a different story. People really seem to love music-based TikTokers and influencers, probably because of the exciting personalities behind the camera and the parasocial aspect of it. When an influencer shares the music that they have been listening to with their audience, people feel as if they are discovering music with someone, far more than if they just read a review. And there are some folks doing really amazing work like this!
On the other end of things, I can see it getting more localized, meaning through things like zines or community-based publications or sites, or boutique print mags. I think that people are scrambling for some semblance of identity and community right now, and the aesthetics and stories that are told in these places can provide that, at times.
What's one tip that you'd give a music journalist starting out right now?
I feel like I’m just starting out right now to be entirely honest, so it is a bit difficult for me to answer this question. But maybe the tip I would give—especially if you’re as anxious as I am—is that artists, editors, etc. aren’t scary to talk to. Just reach out, and you’d be surprised how friendly and responsive some folks are. Not everyone is, of course, but you never know when someone might be a whole lot nicer than you expected. Also, don’t read crazy articles that have titles like “How I Made $200,000 in My First Year of Freelance Writing” because it's probably bullshit.
Read the full interview with Edward here.
A Cause Worth Supporting
From Edward Pomykaj:
People should support The National Network of Abortion Funds. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a right. People need access, and that’s what they try their very best to provide.
Check out all of the causes highlighted by folks I’ve interviewed.
Bits, Bobs
- The new Louis Armstrong archive has opened its doors
- Van published a highly entertaining “classical music word jail”
- Norman Brannon has launched a newsletter
- JD Nash, Robert Barry Francos and Sarah Bryan Miller have passed away [h/t Cary Baker]
- Lazy Headphone, a database for band content, is now ready for beta testers
The Closing Credits
Thanks for reading! In case you’ve missed any special features, I’ve published a number of them in the newsletter, including articles about music journalism history, what music journalism will be like in 2221, and much more. You can check out all of that here.
I also do a recurring column in the newsletter called Notes On Process. The premise is simple: I share a Google Doc with a music journalist where we go into depth on one of their pieces. It hopefully provides an insight into how music writers do their work. You can check out all editions of Notes On Process here.
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Trivia Time Answer
It was a self-titled album.
A Final Note
Thanks for reading! I make playlists every single week. Check them here! And full disclosure: my day job is at uDiscover Music, a branded content online magazine owned by Universal Music. This newsletter is not affiliated or sponsored in any way by Universal, and any links that relate to the work of my department will be clearly marked.
Feel free to reach out to me via email at music.journalism.insider@gmail.com. On Twitter, it’s @JournalismMusic. Until next time...