The magic [! - Ed.] of Parker’s music -- what makes his records so restless, dithery, dynamic -— hinges on the minuscule yet crucial difference between perfectionism (endlessly boring) and obsession (endlessly interesting). “Everyone thinks I’m a perfectionist,” Parker said. “That’s the assumed narrative when someone orchestrates a whole album -— the Brian Wilson idea. But if people actually saw me in the studio, and saw how little I cared about so many things...” He paused. “On the backs of my albums, you’ll see a photo of a microphone meant for singing pointing at the kick drum, held up with a wine rack. I’ve just never really given a shit about that. I would love for it to sound better, because I respect a lot of big pop producers.” He added, “You always worship what you don’t feel you are.”
Yeah, right -- magic. And I'm Marie of Romania.
I should add that elsewhere in the piece Petrusich informs us that Parker's music is "shaped in part by the spirit of bush doofs, all-night dance parties thrown in rural, off-the-grid locales," and that the term "doof" started "as a derogatory word to describe club music, because from a distance all you hear is doof, doof, doof."
Apparently, it never occured to her that Parker's music might be characterized in that way because Parker is, in fact, a doofus. 😎
10 comments:
"Yeah, right -- magic. And I'm Marie of Romania."
Hahaha!
You nailed it, her and him. Bravo.
And may I also say, and for the record, that "And speaking of rock critics performing fellatio..." may be the best lede of anything I've written in my entire life? 😎
Well, it doesn't blow. Or suck.
Steve:
Yes it may very well be the very best line you've ever written, sexist but extremely accurate!
BUT I do remember back in the 1960's when you were a peace loving hippie!
You've become such a hater!!! Welcome to the club!!!
Hateful Captain Al
:-) :-) :-)
The only thing that makes me pause re-upping my New Yorker subscription is the ever-plummeting quality of its pop music writing. Thanks for calling out Tame Impala. It's what i like to characterize with the subtly-nuanced moniker of BAS (Boring-Ass Shit). That clip from SNL is most notable for the light show; the music is Kenny G without the sax.
I'm glad I don't read the NY'er for its pop criticism. I read this article then listened to the Tame Impala record. I didn't hear anything of inspiration of the music in the songs. I simply listened to music that didn't strike me as dynamic. At what point shall we review the product and not the backstory leading up to said product? It's like how American television covers the Olympics - the backstory gets more focus than the actual events...
Let's just say that -- even forgetting its assembly line manufactured quality -- it's conspicuously lacking in, er, glands. 😎
It may be elevator muzak, but it is still less annoying than a lot of acts on SNL the last few years.
Good piece! I suppose it's too easy to call them "Lame Impala", but that'll do for now.
Bravo, Steve. First heard of TI a few years back. Another *glowing* review, so I was expecting semi-greatness. Listened to a few tracks, and decided that TI is the aural equivalent of a crappy 2005 FWD Impala travel appliance, and not, in fact, a 1996 Impala SS with a tire-burning V8 motor. To put it in "car guy" terms, for no particular reason.
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