Ann Powers, music critic for the Los Angeles Times, has an interesting piece on the way the buzz generated mainly by indie rock blogs and web sites has impacted the music scene at large. For every success story like TV on the Radio and the Hold Steady, there is an ever-growing list of artists and bands that see amazing hype and then seemingly vanish. In the past, earning a rave review in Rolling Stone or Spin could earn enough buzz to sell a few albums; now, a timely mention on an influential blog or two or 10 can set the buzz machine in motion. Powers doesn't really come to any conclusions here, though in her defense it may be too soon to do so.

Speaking of sometimes unsubstantiated hype, Pitchfork has released its list of the top 50 albums of the year. I've heard a bit more than half of the discs, and agree with some of the picks but certainly not all. The site has always tried to straddle the line between over-hyping obscure artists and offering valuable analysis of under-exposed music, and this list is no different. There are plenty of head-scratchers and several notable omissions, but I'll let the posters at Stereogum keep that debate alive.

Labels: lists, music