Philip Sherburne’s techno year-end review in Pitchfork: because he’s writing for a potentially non-clubbing audience, Sherburne keeps things simple and top-level. Because he’s an fine and perceptive writer, he’s able to do this convincingly: I felt I’d learned something, I got a few good tips, and I didn’t feel like I was being talked down to.
Marathonpacks on “Paper Planes” – MIA as “global protest music”, which at first made me think “hnh?” but reading the comments Eric knows what he’s saying. Captures MIA’s impishness though has less to say on the song’s keening melancholy, which is what made it such compulsive listening for me this summer/autumn.
Carlin on Britney – stayed away from this until I’d written my piece on it (having already been way too swayed by Frank, Alex, Dave etc!)