WE'RE NOT INVOKING GODWIN'S LAW YET, BUT...
A few weeks ago I
excitedly noted that the new Rilo Kiley album will be out soon -- July 27th, I can now report. Also of note, it turns out a few harsh comments I made about the semi-co-lead singer earned me a few harsh comments from a LiveJournal user named
"Charisma":
This guy seriously needs his ass kicked Jersey-style for talking shit like this about Blake. Here's someone that's obviously never listened to the wonder that is The Elected. I know, opinions are like assholes everyone has one... but this guy is just uncalled for ignorant.
I do? How charismatic! "Charisma" then goes on to quote my entire post (which reads funny in places derived of links like
this would). If you need to be refreshed on the details, the link is the first hyper-texted phrase above.
Before I found the post (thanks,
Technorati!) somebody named "Herogrrl" had commented:
Grrrf... While I do like Jenny's voice on Spectacular Views a bit better, the dissing of Blake is just... just... grr. Jersey-style is right!
I'm not sure what "Jersey-style" means. Sounds like another LiveJournal user to me. At this point I felt compelled to weigh in:
Hey, hey, I have listened to The Elected a bit. Not bad, certainly better than Blake Sennett's songs with RK. And I should say his RK songs on Execution of All Things are much improved from what he did on Takeoffs and Landings, or the Initial Friend EP. Kicking him out of the band is too harsh, of course. I just don't see why he needs to sing for RK. Jenny Lewis is a far more interesting vocalist. But when he does, my first thought is always: Elliott Smith was a much better songwriter.
Now "Charisma" herself weighs in again with the following carefully-edited comment, verbatim:
No matter how good you are, there's always going to be someone better than you. Blake isn't an 'Eliott Smith wannabe', he's a singer/aongwriter/musican in his own right and should be treated as such. Especially since he was actually friends with Elliott, and recorded Me First in Elliott's studio. I mean.. it's just mean-spirited to go off on someone like that, talking about how someone should be kicked out of their band then saying they're not as good as their dead friend to boot.
I hope you were just having a bad day or some such when you wrote that, and that you are usually a less hateful/insensitive person.
Wait a minute, didn't she compare my opinion to an asshole? Didn't she recommend I get a beat-down for my Sennett-slamming? I hope she was just having a bad day when she wrote that, and that she is usually a less hateful/insensitive person. Anyway, my reply:
Hateful? No. Insensitive? Well, maybe. But considering you follow indie rock (as do I) I'm sure you've heard far worse criticisms than me suggesting that Sennett doesn't belong in the band. And while I can't actually attest that Sennett is a "wannabe" anything, I think it's indisputable that his vocals and acoustic guitar are highly derivative of the late Mr. Smith, whom I was not trying to disrespect in the least. He is dead, you are right -- that means I can't mention him?
P.S. Biggie was eons better than P. Diddy ... oops! I guess I'm just being meanspirited again.
That's it so far. But if this lukewarm flame war flares up even a bit more, I'll let you know.
P.S. You know what else I hate? Live Journal! Just look at those pages -- they're a mess of icons, avatars, smiley faces and extraneous lines. And when you want to post a comment, you can't identify yourself in a separate box unless you're a LiveJournal user. And if you are one, apparently you can't design your own page unless you're paying them. Or get your own e-mail. Meanwhile, non-paying Blogger got early dibs on Gmail accounts.
P.P.S. In my first RK post, I lamented the band's habit of playing the closer, "Spectacular Views," as an acoustic song with Sennett singing. In the comments to that post is someone from
rilokiley.net pointing out those tracks came from a few acoustic-only shows they played. Well, that's partial relief. I still say he should cede all vocal duties to Jenny Lewis post haste.
UPDATE: Well, that was short-lived. "Charisma has already replied thusly:
Actually, what you've said is actually the worst thing I've heard anyone say about Mr. Sennett. I don't really follow indie rock- I just happen to enjoy Blake Sennett's singing/songwriting/guitar playing.
Meantion all the dead people you wanna- let's bring Hendrix into this if you've a mind to, speaking of dead guitar players.
That'd just be silly though.
Derivitive is a nicer term to state your opinion with, incidentally.
Yes, silly. I suppose I've had my fun here -- but that's no reason for
you not to
keep it going.
posted by WWB at 7:45 PM |
