OK, here's the deal. I'm going to use my veteran rock critic wiles to comb through StarPolish and find the best music files I can locate. Since the best-known of the artists I'm looking for aren't famous by any means, expect the reviews to be enthusiastic. But in keeping with the StarPolish mission, there will also be some constructive criticism. Mainly, though, I want to immerse myself in this great field of new, comparatively undiscovered music and use what I find to first, get others to listen to what I think is worthwhile, and second, get readers to think about them in ways that might not have otherwise.
The reviews are apt to lean toward genres that match either my taste or my experience - which means performances that are song-oriented, come out of mainstream rock'n'roll, R&B and hip-hop have an advantage. I plan to listen to all sorts of things, and hope to find at least one interesting item in an entirely unexpected genre. I may also sometimes find items that have connections to me and StarPolish about which I knew nothing before I listened. I plan to acknowledge those in the reviews. If that keeps happening, you'd be well-advised to stop trusting me. I'm fairly confident that it won't, and that when it does, that I'll value my reputation over advancing friends.
If you want to participate in getting things reviewed, you can e-mail me marsh6@optonline.net with suggestions. The file MUST be available for download from StarPolish and while I promise to listen to at least some of everything anyone recommends, I don't plan to write about things just because lots of people encourage me to.
Who knows the StarPolish Artist Community better than the StarPolish employees? "No one, that's who!" says StarPolish employee extraordinaire Jonathan Leeder. Drawing from their expert knowledge of pop culture and always delivering the critical word with precise wit, a StarPolish employee may take a turn at Critics Corner from time to time to give our hardworking critics a much needed breather. If you would like to solicit a review from the next StarPolish employee in the rotation, send your plea to reviews@starpolish.com - any genres accepted.
Being a music critic is fun. Some critics think it’s fun because they can pull out the ol’ axe and swing with impunity. Not I -- I think it’s fun because music is best when shared, and since I don’t play any instruments myself, words are the way I can share a musical experience with others. It’s a wonderful feeling when someone has heard what you have heard, experienced what you have experienced in a song -- and an equally wonderful feeling when someone hasn’t experienced what you’ve experienced, as the resulting conversations never fail to educate both parties.
It’s with great pleasure, then, that I take part in reviewing work from the artists represented here at StarPolish. I get the benefit of hearing far more diverse material than contemporary radio currently allows me, and if I’m doing my job well, I get the further benefit of helping artists move forward in their quests to share their ideas with others.
Though I’m undoubtedly less-known than most if not all of the artists here, I bring to the table many years of listening obsessively and devotedly to music across the entire spectrum of rock and soul. I have a particular fondness for the psychedelic rock of the ‘60s, the soul-funk of the ‘70s, and any singer-songwriter who can tell an old truth in a new way; however, I take great pride in a music collection that runs from ABBA to Wilco with stops at De La Soul, Electronic, Jefferson Airplane and Nina Simone. So I’m particularly eager to hear work in the pop, alternative and singer-songwriter genres, but always with an open ear for the unexpected.
If you have comments and suggestions for reviews, send your emails to jmccombs@earthlink.net. Please have files ready for download at StarPolish.com (don’t send me files, thanks) and include any links, press, etc. that may be of use. Thanks!
I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with StarPolish as a music critic, reviewing new songs by as-yet undiscovered artists.
My personal tastes mostly fall in the rock and roll domain, branching out to various genres such as classic hard rock, heavy metal, melodic industrial, power pop and singer/songwriters. So I'll be looking for and listening to artists whose music excites me and about which I feel inspired to write. Any criticism will be constructive in nature; meant to shine a light on an area where the performance could be improved. I have never been one to review a song I didn't care for, just for the purpose of ripping on it, and I don't plan to start now. Hopefully, my reviews will be fun to read and will turn people on to some cool new bands. You can email me at Rezpect@earthlink.net.
