Hope everyone is enjoying a productive semester - mine has been utterly chaotic and I apologize that I'm playing catch up to so many people's work. But I saw this and thought I should share it, as the subject - how criticism is responding to a changing world - is a major part of this sumjmer's conversation in my seminar.
Ann Powers had a little piece in the LA Times (Music industry rules are shifting under feet of artists, fans and critics) about the new Raconteurs album and how it will be released to the public without any advance release to critics. The article is short and readable, and notable because Powers is thinking through a good many of the constituencies affected by the shifting landscape of art/critic/audience relations. I'd encourage everyone to read it, and post comment (but, sorry, I can't give any advice about the Raconteurs album yet).
Best,
gerard
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I've never thought that reviews were either early or irrelevant. A month ago I bought Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" which was originally released in 1997. After I realized how amazing it was, I scouted the internet for reviews, articles, and blogs about it (Even though it was released way before "internet 2.0," I found a wealth of information).
So (the act of finding) criticism, for me, is simply (searching for) other opinions regardless of temporal sensitivity (though critics whose jobs depend on immediate traffic may feel different). Of course, I value experienced professional opinions more than "anyone." I'm more likely to contemplate a review from Pitchfork (www.pitchforkmedia.com) than an anonymous comment on Rateyourmusic.com. I find Metacritic.com an invaluable resource (for pop entertainment) because it gathers links to almost every professional review online in one place which makes my life a lot easier.
Of course, this is all in the personal context. But I feel I must take this road because I can't make any general statements. I know people who never pay attention to criticism, so, to say "the function of criticism at the present time is..." seems impossible to me. For some (like me), it's a fun and important game of exchanging close analysis, for others, it might as well not exist.
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