Confessions of a Vancouver Music Snob

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Filed in Music
February 19, 2008

Yeah, so I'm a music snob I guess. Whatever. I come from a long line of music snobs. My dad was listening to The Incredible String Band, Pentagram, and Fairport Convention when everybody else was listening to The Beatles. My brother was listening to punk when everyone in Surrey was listening to Guns and Roses, he was listening to underground Detroit Techno when everyone was listening to Nirvana, and he started Vancouver's first Brit Pop night, Sorted. It actually takes a lot of work. I spend hours scouring the blogs in search of new and exciting music- Raven Sings the Blues, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, Awesome Tapes From Africa, Undomondo and Blastitude. While I'm certainly self aware of such name dropping, which is apparently step one in how to be a music snob, I'm also acutely aware those who detract from my cynical view of Vancouver culture.

Take for example an email I received earlier this month. Now keep in mind I do get a few "check out my friend's Myspace page" solicits, but I usually just ignore them. I just felt that this one was so bad that there is no way the sender could have read anything on Beyond Robson. I simply replied, "Sorry but this isn't really our cup of tea here at BR. Suffice to say I checked out your friend's music and I just don't think its very good". I thought this was at least better than publishing my opinion. Did I go too far? Should I have just left it alone? Was I secretly hoping for a fierce rebuttal? Either way, this was the reply:

"It's cool everyone is entitled to their own snotty art school opinion. You could have said,

"wrong venue pushy bitch"

or

"Try a rock zine you crazy ho"

You had to take a jab, with that rapier wit.

I saw your photos, joke band, and your articles. Your pretty fucking average too buddy. The dif between you and everyone else who "isn't very good" is the fact most people don't phrase things in the most pretentious way possible.

Enjoy life as a pseudointellectual".

Nevertheless, "I just don't think its very good" is not me at my most pretentious. I could have said, "This is the most uninspired attempt at non threatening adult contemporary radio rock I've ever heard. Rock/Acoustic/Alternative/Shite. I want back the time I spent listening to this drivel", but I didn't. This is not an art school opinion. If it was I'd be employing grandiose metaphors a la Hi Fidelity, but this is just a bad impression of Theory of a Deadman/Creed/Nickleback. "Sounds like Oasis, U2, Day of the New, Filter, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode". Man, its just too easy to mock. Also, if you had really read my articles, then you should've known that I'd hate this with a fierce passion. Suffice to say, if you don't want my opinion, don't ask for it.

Do I think my music is better than yours? I don't know, but I'm a connoisseur. Its like anything else. I try hard. I'm a geek. I'm not cool.

P.S.
Send me your CDS!

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You're right. That music WAS NOT very good at all. I could only take about 30 seconds of it.

Posted by: M at February 20, 2008 8:46 AM | Quote Comment

One thing you couldn't find fault in are those beautiful locks. What type of shampoo does that guy use?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2008 9:32 AM | Quote Comment

I really thought that was a girl untill i clicked into the myspace. Very pretty.

Posted by: Lindsay at February 20, 2008 9:43 AM | Quote Comment

Regardless of whether you're good or bad, any artist who spends their time and energy burning bridges, bitching at anyone who gives them a negative review, is not helping their career. You've got to learn not to take everything personally or you'll get bogged down.

Posted by: Kirsten at February 20, 2008 11:22 AM | Quote Comment

blogged down.

Posted by: J at February 20, 2008 12:13 PM | Quote Comment

Too funny. I thought that was a chick singer as well until I heard the music. Quite the feminine face and hair!

Posted by: M at February 20, 2008 12:19 PM | Quote Comment

wow, you actually told them they weren't your cup of tea? HARSH!

Posted by: robb at February 20, 2008 1:07 PM | Quote Comment

"While I'm certainly self aware of such name dropping, which is apparently step one in how to be a music snob, I'm also acutely aware those who detract from my cynical view of Vancouver culture."

Perhaps one should spend less time scouring music blogs for obscure crap and more time ensuring his sentences are coherent. That shit make no sense.

Posted by: Jeremy at February 20, 2008 1:24 PM | Quote Comment

I think it was the artist's friend who sent the email, not the artist, is that right? If that's the case the artist isn't burning any bridges (that we know of). I think it's not really fair to drag the private e-mail out here for everyone to see. You didn't go too far with the response to the friend but you sure as hell did with this post.

Posted by: Paul at February 20, 2008 2:22 PM | Quote Comment

Are people (and their friends) really so thin skinned? If you're going to be a performer - kinda like a blogger - you better steel yourself for criticism.

Posted by: Sage at February 20, 2008 3:06 PM | Quote Comment

She is absolutely stunning!

Posted by: Chris at February 20, 2008 3:49 PM | Quote Comment

"I think it's not really fair to drag the private e-mail out here for everyone to see".

I didn't publish the author's name. I thought that was anonymous enough.

Posted by: Sean Orr at February 20, 2008 5:47 PM | Quote Comment

I'm a music snob, and have been since 1993. And let me tell you, snobbery in the '90s was a hell of a lot harder back then as it was now.

First, there was no internet, or at least not as widely used as it is now, back then. Nope, I had to read Exclaim or Discorder or the Stranger and pick out key words (I was especially keen on the words "post-", "math" and "dub") from the review, then write the band's name down, and then go into an actual record store, with my list of band's names, find the CDs, take them up to the front and check them out. If I liked them, I'd shell out my twenty bucks for the CD and see how it fared long term.

Now, you just click and download, and you've got every Arthur Russell/Kan Kick/Chevreuil/Free Kitten track ever recorded. No risk, no need to dedicate yourself to finding what you really like - nothing. it's all just there.

Kids these days... consider yourselves lucky, you don't know how easy it is to be cool nowadays.

Posted by: Sam at March 3, 2008 5:03 PM | Quote Comment

How very High Fidelity.

But you're right. And I was there too. I remember when HMV opened it was like the saving grace b/c they had "listening stations". So I would write them all down, go to HMV to listen to these bands I heard from the mags you mentioned, and then buy them at A and B sound.

Posted by: Sean Orr at March 3, 2008 6:20 PM | Quote Comment