Format change

When I first started this blog, I didn’t have as much experience really paying attention to the nuances of music Now I’ve trained my ears and really learned to listen to the music. So here’s my new scale of assessment, roughly, and subject to whims.

1-10 With a breakdown as follows:
1- reserved for the worst of the worst. Something hopefully you will never see.
2-3: Not worth buying the CD, but tolerable
3-5: Alright, might be worth the CD if its a 5-10$ concert CD certainly not worth shipping price
5-7 Worth buying, very good stuff. This is where I expect the majority of bands I’m not actively seeking out will fall.
7-9 stuff a step above the average that really, really sands out. This is the stuff I actively seek out.
10- reserved for the crème de la crème. Run and get this music: it will turn heads and blow minds.

New Criterion for Venues (I will re-review some) :
1) Promised amenities-- How are the bathrooms? Is there actually a coat check? How are the bars?
2) the floor: Is it properly ventilated? Cramped? Too flat? Too full of pillars?
3) Pricing
4) Atmosphere: does the place generally creep you out? Is it cozy? Boisterous?
5) Sound Quality/ audio balance-- this is partly the bands responsibility, but the venue can often play a critical role

The crowd:
1)participation: you are at a rock show, not the symphony, it says something if you can’t at least give a golf clap.
2) Turn out.
3) vibe: the general energy of the crowd.

The band(s):
1) the attitude: Part of the point of going to a live show is to interact with the artist in a way, if their a jerk it really detracts from the show. How do they comport themselves to their fans? to each other?
2) sound balance
3) (on albums) Speed balance: too many slow tracks? fast ones?
4) Vocal sound:
5) overall sound
6)Instrumentation/ use of electronics: I find some bands use electronics to cover for their lack of talent, but electronics can be highly effective.