What's this ReviewYou.com crap?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

There was an article in J.R. Taylor's column at http://www.nypress.com about this.

what are your thoughts about this business plan?

some stuff from the site:

FAQ's

Who are you and how can you guarantee reviews?
Review You was founded by music publicists who have has been getting press for both major label and independent bands for over 15 years. So, we have established relationships with music journalists who cover all genres from coast to coast.

Over the years, we have frequently asked writers why they couldn't review more of the CDs we sent them and they all said the same thing:

Most publications barely pay writers enough money to make CD reviews worth their time. And, more and more newspapers use reviews that are syndicated (in other words one writer's review gets published in 400+ newspapers).

This has decreased the chances of ever getting reviewed by a legitimate writer and frustrates both band trying to get their new CD reviewed and writer who would love to review more CDs but can't.

So we put our heads together with some of our favorite writers to bring you, the musician, a solution - one where we all win

$19.99 -Why So Inexpensive ?
We promise our writers several CD reviews per month (unlike some of the publications they freelance for where there is never a monthly guarantee) so it greatly benefits the writer (and you)

Can You Guarantee a Great Review ?
Please note we can't guarantee that your CD review will be 5 stars but we will make sure the writer that receives your CD is well versed in your musical genre and is willing to write a constructive review.

Our CD is just an EP - Is that OK?
Yep, it sure is.

Our CD is a Double Disc - Is That OK?
Yep, It will still cost the same $19.99

Can We Get More Than One CD Review for The Same Album?
Yes you can - we invite you to send your CD to as many writers as you want.

I Have More Questions - How Do I Contact You?
Please direct all e-mails to: [email protected]

About The Review You Writers

Joann Ball
Since 2000, music and entertainment journalist Joann D. Ball has been the primary music and entertainment feature writer for the San Diego Community Newspaper Group and a contributor to San Diego City Beat/SLAMM Magazine. She was Senior Correspondent for ConsumableOnline.com, the Internet's first music reviews website, from 1995 until it folded in August 2000.

Will be reviewing adult alternative, rock, acoustic/folk rock and folk pop, neo-soul, reggae and jazz/smooth jazz, and probably some others as well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derek Beres
Derek is a freelance music writer who is currently a staff writer for Trace, music editor of Rattapallax, and contributes to The Village Voice, Urb, Relix, Blue and YRB. He served as managing editor of Global Rhythm for 2 1/2 years, and is also a global electronica DJ with two regular parties in New York City. He is a widely published music photographer, web and graphic designer, certified yoga instructor and Thai massage therapist.

Will be reviewing any international/ world music as well as hip-hop, and rock.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shaun Dale
Shaun Dale is the Associate Editor of Cosmik Debris Magazine and a Senior Staff Writer for JazzReview.com. When he's not occupied with those tasks, he does freelance music and political journalism and public relations work from his base in Seattle. His work has appeared in JazzUSA, Street Tech and a variety of other print and internet publications.

Will be reviewing contemporary folk, roots rock, R&B and straight ahead jazz Shaun's tastes are eclectic, so he may be reviewing some other genres as well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aaron Kayce
Aaron Kayce, or The Kaycman has been involved with music since he could hear and became serious about writing in college. Aaron has been paying the bills with music journalism for the past three years and is currently the Editor and Senior Writer for JamBase.com, contributes to Relix, Signal To Noise and An Honest Tune magazines amongst various other publications. Aaron conducts at least one interview a month and has recently interviewed George McConell of Widespread Panic, Les Claypool, Robert Randolph, Stanton Moore, Madlib and Skerik to name a few. When not staring at the computer and manipulating the English language he is often seeing music, traveling, or surfing.

Will be reviewing rock, jam, prog-rock, indie, jazz, hip-hop, electronica, bluegrass, singer/songwriter, world and reggae. Kayceman believes that there is great music being made in all genres (sometimes you just gotta dig).s

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave Kirby
Dave has a BA in Writing and 25 years as a published music critic; 1000+ bylines include High Fidelity Magazine, Village Voice, Audience Magazine, Colorado Daily, Boulder Weekly, Radiospy.com, Choler.com. Former radio and club disc jockey, former guitar instructor. The Boulder Weekly is his current affiliation.

Will be reviewing Indie rock/pop, No Depression, Ambient Electronica, Progressive electronica (experimental ok, no disco, no dj's), Spacerock, Jamband, Blues, Instrumental, Bluegrass

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

J. Poet
J. Poet is a long time music journalist, veteran of publications that include Creem, Berkeley Barb and Pulse (20 years as contributing editor in the World, Americana and country genres.) He currently writes for Paste, Harp, Drum, Grammy.com and freelances for Country Music Weekly, Discoveries, Drum, East Bay Express, Grammy.com, Harp, Miami New Times, Native Artist, No Depression, Paste, Red Flag Media, Texas Music Magazine, and many other other publications and websites. He is older than rock'n'roll but younger than Bob Dylan (and in better health than both.)

Will be reviewing country, alt.country, folk, singer/songwriter, blues, Americana, retro-style rock (swing, jive, jump blues, doo wop) world and world fusion, some electronica, jazz and indie pop.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matt Rogers
Matt lives in Harlem with a little garden. Due to his left-handedness he appreciates off-kilter music. He has a graduate degree in writing and has survived teaching some years in the New York City public school system. Publications he has written for include: The Village Voice, New York Amsterdam News, Grand Slam, WaxPoetics, and Popmatters.

Will be reviewing funk, hip hop, jazz, blues, Latin, world and rock (if it's amazing).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seth Rogovoy
Seth's career as a music critic began when he gave a bad review to "Frampton Comes Alive!" in his high school newspaper and repeatedly got the shit kicked out of him in the school's hallways as a result. He picked himself up off the floor, brushed himself off, and since that time he has written about all kinds of music for a variety of newspapers and magazines, including Newsday, the Boston Phoenix, Sing Out, the Woodstock (N.Y.) Times, the Forward, the Black and White City Paper of Birmingham, Ala., and the Berkshire (Mass.) Eagle, where he has been the resident pop, jazz, folk and rock critic since 1987. He is a weekly commentator on the WAMC Northeast Public Radio Network and the author of "The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover's Guide to Jewish Roots and Soul Music," the best-selling guidebook to klezmer music.

Will be reviewing Anything Jewish, klezmer, Yiddish, Sephardic, Eastern
European, Gypsy, Balkan. Also, avant-jazz, avant-garde, contemporary
classical, classical crossover.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian Sauer
Brian Sauer is the former co-founder of Soundboard Magazine (a music mag that broke hearts), was the Entertainment Editor and music columnist for the Boulder Planet newspaper (a rag that broke backs), manager of Ego Ramp (a band that broke themselves up), and worked at the inimitable Fox Theatre as Head of Promotions & Marketing. He lives and works in Colorado as a writer, web designer, and band manager. His favorite planet is the sun.

Will be reviewing all things rock and roll - indie, alt-country, pop, funk, jam, alternative, eclectic.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kristi Singer
Kristi may be one of the youngest female music journalists out there. She began her professional career after just turning 20. Now, almost four years later she has provided her young, hip perspective on music, the music industry and its artists to publications like the Wilmington Star-News (a division of the New York Times), Singer Magazine, Syndimusic.com and Country Grapevine. She's interviewed noteworthy artists including Brian Wilson, Ray Charles, Kenny Chesney, Puddle of Mudd, Gregg Allman, 3 Doors Down, Jewel, Matchbox Twenty, The Blackeyed Peas, R.E.M. and many more.

Will be reviewing rock, modern rock, soft rock, pop-rock, country, country-pop, pop and singer-songwriters

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben Varkentine
Ben is based in Seattle and was at one time the editor of the Seattle Liberal Arts review (no longer extant). He currently writes music, film and book reviews for Ink19 and used to write for Popmatters. He's been quoted on CD Baby, JazzRadio.net, in Amazon.com's editorial review sections, and OpenHere.com, among others, as well as on many artist, label and publicists' websites. He's also an upstart playwright whose first play was produced in 2003.

Will be reviewing synthpop, pop, new and old wave, dance (and anything reminiscent of Joe Jackson).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenn Young
Jenn is currently the Arts & Entertainment editor of The Daily Athenaeum. When she's not designing pages she is seeking out music that pushes the envelope and tries to get a step beyond status quo. In the past she has penned pieces for Pasquino, and The Exponent-Telegram and she has worked as a poetry editor for Calliope Literary Journal.

Will be reviewing singer-songwriters, downtempo techno, indie rock, and hip-hop (not "I want to smack my bitch up hip-hop," but pure hip-hop that falls into the vein of The Roots or Mos Def)

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

is this less or more specious than I think it is?

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Huckleberry Mann
Huck is a music reviewer in Canada. He hates you and hopes you choke on a turkey bone at Thanksgiving dinner. However, as much as he hates you, he loves the money we pay him and will promptly write 150 positive words about your shitty album.

Will be reviewing your lame CD sooner or later.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Nicholas Crowe
Nick was the drummer with Gay Dad.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

constructive reviews?

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.reviewyou.com/images/reviewyou_star.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Sick Nouthall
Sick Nouthall lives in Devon and would rather be out on the beach than listening to your shitty Finnish soundart, and, seeing as he doens't get paid for it properly, that's what he's going to do.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

FINNISH SOUNDART!

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

St. Thomas is Swedish, I thought.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

If someone would Photoshop out the price tag, the star graphic would make a great on-demand T-shirt to sell on Cafeexpress.com.

"Your CD reviewed by someone unprofessional!" would be my first choice, though.

― George Smith, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

some of these people actually write for the Voice, are they regular contributors?

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Will be reviewing singer-songwriters, downtempo techno, indie rock, and hip-hop (not "I want to smack my bitch up hip-hop," but pure hip-hop that falls into the vein of The Roots or Mos Def)

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Finnish soundart, Swedish techno, Norwegian drone, German IDM; you wanna see the shit that comes through my letter box.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"pure hip-hop"

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, that made me peel a layer off my eyeballs too.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuck knows what Jess has done to himself because of it.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Jess responds to the "pure hip hop" label:

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Ultramagnetic MCs are not "pure hip hop"?

*scratches head*

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Ned Raggett
I write reviews as they happen.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Who needs Guns n Roses when pure rock like Dave Matthews is out there?"

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"Who needs Dave Matthews when pure rock like Daniel O'Donnell is out there?"

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"Who needs Daniel O'Donnell when pure rock like The Singing Nun is out there?"

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"You wanna rhyme like that?
You won't get signed like that
Ya'll need the R&B track
Or call some sister sluts"

― Jurassic 5. (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

a music critic using a term like 'pure hip hop' is like a fifteen year old using the word 'literally' when he/she is exaggerating.

― cramedog, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

>some of these people actually write for the Voice, are they regular contributors?<

I think Derek Beres did a music sidebar (maybe even two!) a couple years ago. I never heard of the other two guys who claim to be Voice contributors, but who knows, maybe they published something before I got here. Or maybe we ran a 20-word pazz and jop comment by them once. Or maybe they wrote something for one of the other sections of the paper. Or maybe they took out a personal ad....

― chuck, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe they appeared on the letters page.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe they have a subscription.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe they are ILM Lurkers.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

This will be as big as "dirt cakes." I learned about "dirt cakes" in one of the big Sunday dailies. "Dirt cakes," I read, are big in Haiti, where they eat dirt because they have nothing else to eat. To bake a "dirt cake," you mix dirt with butter, salt and water, after which you bake it in an oven to remove the water.

It seems to me, such an operation is similar to the baking and peddling of "dirt cakes," no?

― George Smith, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I might pay these people to review my CD when (if) I finish it. I mean, I was just gonna spend that money on Miller High Life and marijuana, why not?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

You could always send it to me, Nickalicious, and I can burn it for fuel and write about Finnish soundart instead.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

i know someone who paid an associate professor at some division ii school to review his "paintings". didn't get him any gallery shows and cost more than $19.99.

― frankE (frankE), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

You put butter on anything, I'll eat it.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Some people make "furniture soup," too. When there is nothing to eat, the furniture is easily bagged livestock. The leather is stripped, soaked in water for a few days so the bad-tasting tannins are leached out. It is then dried and eaten like jerky or made into a soup by addition of salt and fresh water.

― George Smith, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Doesn't Splendid Ezine already do this for FREE????

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Did anyone else see this on reviewyou.com!!!

MARISSA
THE ACOUSTIC EXPERIENCE

Marissa Manzino isn't one to shy away from the bold achievement. Striking out as the first blind student
to earn a New York Regents Diploma in a quarter century, she found herself studying psychology and
music at Marymount Women's College when an encounter with the songs of Sarah McLachlan led her
to the conclusion "I can do that too!"

So she did. Expanding on her background in choral music, she began studying guitar and piano and
writing songs. When she had no more than a couple dozen compositions to her credit, she booked some
studio time and produced The Acoustic Experience. In all honest, this is a vanity recording. In all
fairness, it's much better than that designation implies.

Although her catalog is brief, Marissa has clearly paid attention to the rudiments of songcraft, and
while she hasn't mastered the knack of the strong pop hook, her tunes are thoughtfully structured.
Lyrically, she writes straight from the heart, which allows her to invest her performances with passion,
although she falls prey to the typical novice tendency to operate at the edge of her vocal range. At
least, though, she does have a range, and a comfort zone within it that shows promise for strong
performance. While her guitar work is generally uncomplicated, she's an effective self-accompanist.

Creating a listenable album, though, from a third of your first couple dozen songwriting efforts, is quite
an achievement - bold, even. She's in grad school at Fordham now, studying social work, looking
forward to a doctorate and the chance to use her music as, she says "?a tool of healing." That's a bold
ambition, but given the quality of her achievements thus far, including this recording debut, an
ambition that sounds quite plausible.

- Shaun Dale Writes for Cosmik Debris Magazine

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

whoops, wrong Marissa.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

$19.99 is way too much.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

when an encounter with the songs of Sarah McLachlan led her
to the conclusion "I can do that too!"

We've all felt like that at some point.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

an encounter with the songs of Sarah McLachlan
She caught them in bed with her lover.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)

>To bake a "dirt cake," you mix dirt with butter, salt and water, after which you bake it in an oven to remove the water.<

Wait, if they have butter, why don't they just eat the cow (or goat, or lemming, or whatever the milk came from) instead???

― chuck, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE CRUEL, CHUCK.

ReviewYou.com sounds lame.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait, if they have butter, why don't they just eat the cow (or goat, or lemming, or whatever the milk came from) instead???

I said nothink about it being logical. Nothink! It was in the New York Times, so naturally it must be true.

There must be another explanation, left out by the New York Times writer. Like, "It was the last of the foodstuffs, so they hoarded
butter for the making of dirt cake, sort of like an extender."

Or, "The only food that could get by the blockade was a small dhow filled with crates of butter, which was subsequently passed to the
populace, one stick per family, enough to act as binder in dirt cake."

Or, "The cow was taken away by the rich oppressive ruler American-toady ruler now in exile, leaving us only a bit of milk which was used to churn butter. The butter was all we had, so it was used to make dirt cake."

― George Smith, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

****INTRODUCTORY OFFER****

Fed up of bad review? Can't understand why no one likes or reviews you music? Well we have the offer for you! For one month only, for only $99.99, you the musician can write your own review of your own CD and have it accredited to one of our carelfully selected music writing professionals! Meaning they can carry on as normal! but... get paid for it! And you get yourself one great review!

While stocks last. Terms and conditions apply. Ask about our finance.

― myke boomnoise (myke boomnoise), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Derek Beres

certified yoga instructor and Thai massage therapist.

Yep, he's qualified!

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.