From P4k's story Newsom Takes on Gaga, Madonna:
Like M.I.A., Joanna Newsom isn't buying into the Lady Gaga hype. In a recent article in The Guardian, the indie singer-songwriter-harpist had some choice words for the world's most fashion-forward pop star: "I'm mystified by the laziness of people looking at how she presents herself, and somehow assuming that implies there's a high level of intelligence in the songwriting. Her approach to image is really interesting, but you listen to the music, and you just hear glow sticks. Smart outlets for musical journalism give her all this credit, like she's the new Madonna [...] Although I'm coming from a perspective of also thinking Madonna is not great at all. I'm like, fair enough: she is the new Madonna, but Madonna's a dumb-ass!"
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1333/facepalmrs.jpg
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 17:52 (fourteen years ago) link
woops
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 17:53 (fourteen years ago) link
Dan, Newsom's on Drag City
I don't like Newsom, Gaga, or Madonna (well, Madonna's got some okay stuff)do I win a prize?
― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 10 May 2010 17:54 (fourteen years ago) link
http://gossipcandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/184375-crazy-for-lady-gaga.jpg
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Monday, 10 May 2010 17:55 (fourteen years ago) link
lol this was on the XL website and I assumed they only bothered because she was one of their artists
― it means "EMOTIONAL"! (HI DERE), Monday, 10 May 2010 17:55 (fourteen years ago) link
hahahaha, anything for page views!
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 17:56 (fourteen years ago) link
is everyone on XL required to release a scathing soundbyte about Lady Gaga now
― it means "EMOTIONAL"! (HI DERE), Monday, May 10, 2010 6:52 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark
i really find it embarrassing
― i fake it so real, i am beyonce (surm), Monday, 10 May 2010 17:57 (fourteen years ago) link
it's like, if it's so stupid, then why are you talking about it?? shutup already.
damn!
(sorry, I am addicted to "Housequake" and must always finish that phrase)
― it means "EMOTIONAL"! (HI DERE), Monday, 10 May 2010 17:58 (fourteen years ago) link
it's like, if it's so stupid, then why are you talking about it??
women be catty
― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 10 May 2010 17:58 (fourteen years ago) link
here's the actual interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/may/09/joanna-newsom-interview
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:01 (fourteen years ago) link
I hope this was just a case of her being a bit kooky and not a calculated attempt to get attention/press by starting some kind of beef with Lady G.
― Moodles, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:02 (fourteen years ago) link
but you listen to the music, and you just hear glow sticks
\(o_O)/
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:04 (fourteen years ago) link
other glossy, formulaic pop.
Don't sweat it guys. She's just shy.
― Mordy, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:06 (fourteen years ago) link
xp why do you give a shit what joanna newsom thinks of pop music?
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:06 (fourteen years ago) link
she's a fucking northern california hippie not an ilx poster
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:07 (fourteen years ago) link
cad, everybody!
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:07 (fourteen years ago) link
i'm genuinely curious
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:08 (fourteen years ago) link
My guess: no-effort way to grossly inflate post count
― it means "EMOTIONAL"! (HI DERE), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:09 (fourteen years ago) link
pretty sure she posts her as MumblestheRevelator
― is it really that hard to spot all these fake british dudes? (velko), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:10 (fourteen years ago) link
i'm really interested in her music & have been a fan since 2005, and i'm just super surprised to hear statements like this coming from her. she usually comes off as really intelligent and open-minded, so it's just super weird to hear her say such reductive bullshit
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:11 (fourteen years ago) link
I can't really speak for everyone, but it's more interesting for me when you write things like ^^^ than when you just copy/paste stories from other sites (especially when they've been posted already).
― it means "EMOTIONAL"! (HI DERE), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:13 (fourteen years ago) link
it wasn't already posted when i first started to compose my message, but i sincerely appreciate the feedback & will try to up my game
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:14 (fourteen years ago) link
she usually comes off as really intelligent and open-minded, so it's just super weird to hear her say such reductive bullshit
lol what about her persona would give you any indication that she would be "open" to pop crap like Lady Gaga?!? her whole schtick is antithetical to that stuff
― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:14 (fourteen years ago) link
ksh clearly has a weird relationship with Newsom.
― Mordy, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:16 (fourteen years ago) link
lol "Arty Spice"
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:19 (fourteen years ago) link
I've read a lot of articles on her, and I don't recall ever reading anything where she criticizes pop music, although it's possible she has before. I'm sure part of my reaction comes from liking pop music a lot myself and being on ILX, where liking pop music is the norm, but I just find it really surprising that someone who's so smart and seemingly open-minded can be so dismissive about an entire genre of music. Of course, people are all the time, so I probably shouldn't be surprised, but I just am.
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:20 (fourteen years ago) link
btw newsom otm imo
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:21 (fourteen years ago) link
*dismisses entire genre of music*
― is it really that hard to spot all these fake british dudes? (velko), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:21 (fourteen years ago) link
xp lol i should say not in dismissing an entire genre of music (which she doesn't do in the quote ksh pulled) but specifically re: gaga
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:23 (fourteen years ago) link
fwiw pop music fucking sucks
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Her approach to image is really interesting, but you listen to the music, and you just hear glow sticks.
I'm probably painting with too broad a brush here, but I feel like her calling Gaga's music "just . . . glow sticks" is sort of dismissive of the music just because it's pop.
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:25 (fourteen years ago) link
I have been posting here for over a fucking decade and I don't understand this pop music love bullshit
What does "just . . . glow sticks" even mean? It's a reductive "criticism" that isn't even interesting.
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:26 (fourteen years ago) link
it means it sounds like the music you hear at a rave
― i fake it so real, i am beyonce (surm), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:27 (fourteen years ago) link
i just think going there in a public forum makes you seem petty and renders your opinions in general less valuable
I don't understand this pop music love bullshit
old men enjoy pretending they're teenage girls
― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:28 (fourteen years ago) link
this is OTM tho
tbf we are talking about the same person who described a beer as tasting like unicorn tears right?
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:28 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm not surprised that she dismisses this stuff, more surprised that she felt it necessary to voice this opinion.
― Moodles, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:29 (fourteen years ago) link
I hear that. but gaga sux and I would say somethin like that if someone asked.
― original bgm, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:30 (fourteen years ago) link
I farted yesterday and the room smelled for like an hour
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:30 (fourteen years ago) link
Fair enough, but by saying Gaga's music is "just . . . glow sticks," you're being dismissive of her work without actually engaging with it at all, which is boring and says more about your own prejudices than the music itself.
It's not too far off from the people who call her own stuff "just some crazy lady singing pseudo-poetically about unicorns & making weird facial expressions while playing polyrhythms on a pedal harp."
― ksh, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:31 (fourteen years ago) link
article says she's a big fan of jay-z and kanye, so she isn't hating on all pop music
― original bgm, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:31 (fourteen years ago) link
xpost -- Rolls off the tip of the tongue, that comment.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:32 (fourteen years ago) link
yea i totally agree with you ksh.
― i fake it so real, i am beyonce (surm), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:33 (fourteen years ago) link
i fully support this and want more musicians to call each other out
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 May 2010 18:33 (fourteen years ago) link
esp. if it ends up in a confrontation decided by dance-off
― it means "EMOTIONAL"! (HI DERE), Monday, 10 May 2010 18:34 (fourteen years ago) link