Rock Journalism, Kaufman etc.

Though Web 2.0 is feeding us with more reviews and star ratings of arts and entertainment than ever before, you have to look in the right places to find a good piece of journalism. Well, Journalism- as I heard in a movie last night- is literature in a hurry!

For music reviews, I have now narrowed down to just three sources: AV Club, Pitchfork and All Music Guide.

The AV Club review of Synecdoche, New York, drawing parallels between the protagonist of the movie and the life of Axl making the Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy album, is perhaps one of the best reviews/appreciation I've read in recent times.

Not to mention the comments section which has some gems like these:

Kaufmann can write a script about you writing an article about watching his movie and listening to an analogous hard rock album. Add some crazy time-bending thing with Axl writing the album based on a movie he thinks is going to be made in 2008...

If you think there is great music and great reviews to look forward to, read this sattire-at-its-best piece by The Onion: Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8.

"Music used to be great, but let's be honest, it's a 6.8 now at best," said Los Angeles resident Lowell Radler, 23, who admitted that he just looked at the rating rather than reading the whole review. "I seriously might never listen to music again."

Related: Roger Ebert on giving out too many stars.