Magnet Hack Job on Cat Power

[philipsmog]

Anyone else read the cover story on Cat Power in Magnet magazine? It's a callow, gutless piece of trash. Matthew Fritch is the name of the interviewer. He puts into question Chan's sincerity in her speech and action at nearly every turn, but only after the fact, in the cobbling together of this poor article, never seemingly during his time with her. There's no real delving into her work, which stands as some of the most intriguing songwriting in recent times. He works overtime to fabricate contradictions with quotes clearly taken out of their original context. He grossly misrepresents her fans. Rumours, old and new are strewn about like garbage. He is so fascinated by the detritus that orbits her, that no attempt whatsoever is made to get at the heart of the matter; that although a soul ravaged may find its voice, it's clearest channel to the world through art beguiling and empathetic, it is in the transcendent presence of friendship and love that it can be restored.
Cat Power is living proof.

[Moon Pix]

The point is that most journalists are jackoff merchants and we shouldnt trust what they say.

50% of music history is written by critics unfortunately.

[olives]

sounds nearly as bad as the everett true interview with her in Plan B magazine a while back, i hate that guy and his brighton loving cronies.

Some ego centric people feel the need to bring down a female muscian or involve her in trivial rubbish that there lives are dominated by.

Everett True and Alan Yentob are two people i can't stand, they are classic examples of interviewers who talk more about themselves than the person their interviewing, e.g. Alan Yentobs imagine programme about John Coltrane, you found out more about Alan Yentob than you did about John Coltrane. Makes me sick.

[dola]

I haven't read the Magnet article. It reminds me of why I give Dylan a pass for being such a beguiling prick to journalists "just doing their job" in things like Don't Look Back. Besides the inane questions, an artist dealing with the media has no way of knowing what that writer's conception of their 'job' really entails. Professionalism, careerism, sadism; it's a crap shoot. It seems like Cat Power's p.r. work does itself at this point, but maybe in the future she'll choose more carefully. A lot of this last press push seemed to downplay that erratic/fragile persona that had grown up around her. If Fritch, True, et al. have something to say about it being calculated by Chan, well that's their opinion and it shouldn't and i'm sure won't affect yours.

p.s. Philipsmog, I know you're not soliciting criticism here but because that post was so articulate and poetic up till the end I have to say that the last line reminded me of movies that force feed their own title into the dialogue. I'm trying to think of examples but all I can remember is Face Off, every Bond movie ever and...that's it. Admittedly not a strong sample but you may have cringed at this to others as well.

[philipsmog]

Haha Dola! Ya, I got a litle righteous near the end there! Cheeseball, smoked gooda. Anyway, I scrounged up that magazine and reread the article, still feel the same way, That Fritch clown should get canned. Oh one more thing,
Sujfan Stevens and Devendra Banhart are ruining indie music.

[Elijah]

Sujfan Stevens and Devendra Banhart are ruining indie music.They're actually ruining other people's records? Wow.
.

[Futureman]

Sujfan Stevens and Devendra Banhart are ruining indie music.

That's one of the dumbest posts to have appeared on this site.

[olives]

no one who is actually making music can be ruining it, only cynics and people who can't be bothered with music listening or making it are ruining it.

[philipsmog]

Call it dumb if you like, it was an unqualified statement, but it's basically how I feel. Was unrelated to this thread, just popped into my sometime silly head.

Which artist would any of you suggest might be the male counter part to Cat Power? I guess early CP you could say Smog or Palace, U R Free era I would say Elliot Smith, now maybe Jon Spencer/Nick Cave? What do you all think?

[Moon Pix]

Which artist would any of you suggest might be the male counter part to Cat Power? I guess early CP you could say Smog or Palace, U R Free era I would say Elliot Smith, now maybe Jon Spencer/Nick Cave? What do you all think?

Thats a very music journalist type question to ask. There isnt one as far as Im concerned. Its like saying Courtney Love is the female equivelant of Lou Reed. Nobodys the equivelant of anybody, they're just themselves. I think its silly really cause I remember some journalist describing Chan as a female Alex Chilton. I thought a stupid thing to say then and and a stupid thing to say now. She's Chan Marshall.

And nobody can be ruining indie music because everybody who's making music is only speaking for themselves, theyre not speaking for whole demographics of people.

[philipsmog]

I wrote counter part, not equivalent, the point I was raising was how much Chan has continually transformed over the years, and how that that transforms Cat Power in interesting ways. Kind of like a more sincere, less glossy version of Madonna...I mentioned male artists as potential counterparts
cause Chan, especially early on, seemed to me more like a boy, a peter pan.

Happy Birthday Chan, many, many, many returns!

[Elijah]

I wrote counter part, not equivalent...This is no less absurd. Why should any female artist have a male counterpart, or vice versa?
the point I was raising was how much Chan has continually transformed over the years, and how that that transforms Cat Power in interesting ways.She is Cat Power. What's your point, exactly?
Kind of like a more sincere, less glossy version of Madonna...I mentioned male artists as potential counterparts cause Chan, especially early on, seemed to me more like a boy, a peter pan.Do you write for Blender?

[philipsmog]

I never said any artist SHOULD have a counter part, I only suggested it as a possibility, to describe more easily how I think she has evolved as an artist.
What's with the third degree treatment? You labeled your misinterpretation
of what I wrote as absurd, so that's fine by me. And Chan Marshall is NOT
Cat Power. Chan has been forthright concerning the details of her life over the years and it is a parallel evolution, that of Chan and Cat Power, not one-in-the-same. Lighten Up!

[Moon Pix]

And Chan Marshall is NOT Cat Power. Chan has been forthright concerning the details of her life over the years and it is a parallel evolution, that of Chan and Cat Power, not one-in-the-same. Lighten Up!

Huh.

Cat Power is not a persona or alter ego or anything like that, its just a name she chose cause she needed a band name. Its not like a Ziggy Stardust thing where its somebody playing a role. Her music to me reflects what was going on in her life and mind at the time it was made so obviously its going to change. I hate the phrase evolution when it comes to music because it suggests that somebody has become more than they were before. Its change for sure but not evolution so to speak.

[dola]

I hate the phrase evolution when it comes to music because it suggests that somebody has become more than they were before. Its change for sure but not evolution so to speak.


I think you're right in a sense. I'm not an expert but I always thought that if used correctly, the word shouldn't necessarily connote a positive value judgement, just an adaptation to suit changing external conditions. In biology, species being selected through what turn out to be beneficial mutations may very well thrive in emerging environments that are toxic to others. Maturation or experimentation is one thing, "evolution" is another. It's a stretch, but maybe stuff like this is a portentous sign for the future of the Intelligent Design movement specifically and forces who wish to replace science as the primary way of knowing about the world more generally.

[philipsmog]

I completely agree, evolution is adaptive, and I never implied that her artistic
evolution was for better or for worse.