A gang of girls called Yas, Rowan, Eleanor, Liz and Beccatron. They do a collective blog: http://fffap.blogspot.com/ but they never seem to update it, but the thing is, their best writing is often NOT on that blog at all (where they seem to become all formal) but in individual, sometimes even private livejournal entries.

They have adventures, they chase around the country following bands they love, having these personal experiences with the music – as well as sometimes personal interactions with the musicians that create it. I don’t fetishise youth at all – quite the reverse – but they’re just so bright and energetic and open to things. ROWAN in particular just has this distinctive individual voice – and then she has this double act she does with Eleanor which is just so whip-sharp.

They really make me see music in different ways – you know, I’m old and cynical, and I often don’t see the point of certain artists. Listening to them enthuse about – even something I’m not keen on like The Horrors – it makes me understand what people see in it. I really do feel like I’m listening with fresh ears when I read their stuff.

A whippersnapper he. And a damn good one. And a great dance critic, especially when describing how critics dance. :-D

I reiterate my point re: I thought Rodney Greene was well old. Sorry Rodney! It’s weird how the internets (particularly the Jukebox) distort age; there are probably loads and loads of bloggers/writers out there under twenty five but I tend to assume everyone’s older than me unless they explicitly state otherwise. This is partly because I have forgotten that I am no longer eighteen.

Tom, if I’d known we were allowed to cheat on age I’d have nominated Dave Moore and Erika Villani. (Actually, I’m not positive that Erika isn’t younger than 25, but her MySpace says she’s 101.)

yes, the problem really with my valorisation of the nme was that you only had to step back a couple of steps, and look from a broader perspective, and the thing that i’m saying was awesome was just the jargony chatter of the cognoscenti, that no one else seemed to understand or care about

(ps i keep hearing that the “critical space” is closing: is this true though? what is happening that people are saying it? obviously there are stances and ideologies that have gone out of fashion — and magazines that have gone out of business — but i’d say there was far more crit than there was when i was a teenager: is it a “bad money drives out good” argument? that more crit has meant lamer crit?)

And this is a central problem, especially as space for criticism as it has existed up until now gradually disappears. Conversation is usually more fruitful, interesting and revelatory than individual pieces. However, even the creation of a network of continuous conversation between ‘critics’/commentators/etc. will be vaguely insular by its very nature (Hello, ILX). How does one create a public conversation about music that is informative, engaging, not too insular for public consumption and rewarding to participants…No answers, but this seems to be the utopian ideal. Which, honestly, sounds like something resembling Stylus and I’m not sure how successful that model was in the end.

Frank (Kogan) has written some v. good pieces on this dilemma without coming to a real conclusion yet.

P.S. Thanks for the mention, Tom. Flabbergasted, honestly, as I’m not sure if I’ve done anything of note. But it’s much appreciated nonetheless.

I’m also filled with a warm glow that so many of these names are Stylus alumni. I hoe Todd is reading.