Software Blogging As Music Critique

I’ve noticed when software bloggers write about music software, be it players, cd rippers or burners, or any gadget that displays album art or whatever, there’s a kind of drive to use the review to tell people what cool music the blogger or software developer is into. It’s a bit like nosing through someones MP3 player, or looking at their record collection, head on one side as you peruse the shelf for some choice vinyl. Glass of red wine in hand, waiting for your date to emerge from her bedroom looking fantastic, wondering what the evening will bring. Yes, just like that.

Examples below from Lifehacker, a favourite site of mine.

DockArt reviewed on Lifehacker

This person likes Daniel Johnston. I have not heard of this person, therefore the creator of the screenshot scores a point for being cool, then loses it for being smug.

Windows Media Player 11

The Beatles, Van Halen, Foreigner, Stryper, and Enrique Iglesias. Oh dear, oh dear. No points.

foobar2000

Much more to play with here. Straight away we see The Streets, whose star has fallen in the UK, but is perhaps holding on in the US, where this article was written. Ziggy Stardust! Nice one. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire’s second album, pops up in the first screenshot as well – we’ll be seeing more of that, I’m sure.

The second screenshot has The Streets again, a couple of odd tracks by AC/DC, A Flock Of Seagulls and Ace of Base (yeesh), and then Adam Green, who again I don’t know. A point for slotting him in so subtly.

Screenshot three – Travis. No Points. In fact, NO-MARKS. See what I did there?

Overall, an interesting selection.

iTunes 7.1

The B52s, but the old stuff before they went shit like on the Flintstones soundtrack and with the cool-at-the-time-but-now-annoyingly-ubiquitous-at-weddings-and-always-paired-with-Groove-Is-In-The-Heart Love Shack.

General article about album art

Beatles, yawn.

Another general article about album art

Steely Dan – the Audi of rock. Louis Prima – The Italian Sonny Bono, and the voice of King Louie.

Tunesleeves album art downloader

The entire Green Day discography. A fan! And there I was thinking they only had one album, indeed, one song. (I don’t really think that, neither do I care much for Green Day)

Avvenu Music Player, Lifehacker.

“He’s got a record by Billy Joel. He’s got a record by Billy Joel.” And it’s the one with the awesome My Life, so ten points to you.

Who am I to judge, anyway?