Hype Hype Hooray is a biweekly “critique” of the music scene and the blogosphere that feeds it, told through the lens of Jamie Hale, a journalist who likes music about as much as he likes scotch and a firm leather chair. Please enjoy with a grain of salt.

Previously, on Hype Hype Hooray: “I have been penning this column as some sort of knowledge on the present music scene, but for the last year … I haven’t been following anything at all … I had lost everything … I wandered the streets of music like a bum.”

No, it wasn’t all just a dream. Last week I admitted to the treacherous act of ignoring the entire music scene for a solid year. (Look away from me! Look away from my shameful deeds!)

As much as it pains me to suddenly be what can best be described as a “hack,” I’ve come to terms with my reality. Now the question on my lips is: What is the current music scene like anyway?

To answer that question, allow me to welcome you to: A Snap Judgment of Modern Music. (Some of you might be comparing this to Laura Jane’s wonderful post, “The Ten Most Beloved Songs I Hate,” but the similarity is coincidental, I promise.)

The rules here are simple. I will listen to five songs on Pitchfork I’ve never heard before, then make snap judgments about them. It’s pretty self-explanatory, I guess. Ready? Let’s go.

Continue reading [Hype Hype Hooray] A Snap Judgment of Modern Music →