Contingent Press Coverage
A couple sleeps from now, indie fans across Canada will wake up, wipe away the gunk from their eyes, scratch various places, hopefully shower, and make their way down to the nearest record store to joyfully acquire their copy of March’s EXCLAIM magazine. Inside they will find the usual fence-sitting journalist-y reviews, quality culture critique, and everything in between. The main focus, of course, will be on this month’s cover story. An exciting new band that Exclaim has come to tell the nation about.
Besides the odd American bands that make it on the cover, there seems to be some easily recognizable criteria of how to make it on the cover as a Canadian band:
1) Gain acclaim outside of Canada
2) Be from the east coast
This criteria is already flawed but there is no need to dispute it now. It’s not completely fair to say that all the bands that Exclaim put on the cover are from the east coast. I’m sure the New Pornographers, the Organ, and Black/Pink Mountain(tops) have been on the cover. I’m sure of this because they are a few of the only Vancouver bands that have met at least one of the criteria. Until now.
I think everyone in Vancouver has long suspected that You Say Party! We Say Die! could potentially make a run for the coveted cover position, and holy shit we were right. The day is nigh! Our little Abbostfordian transplants are going to be the darlings of the Canadian indie scene for a month. Well sort of. But yes, its very exciting indeed.
Here are the issues: You Say Party! are, in all respects, deserving of the cover. They have worked incredibly hard and are beginning to see their labour-fruiting. Unfortunately, it’s suspect that they are getting the cover the month that they will be playing a cross Canada, Exclaim-sponsored tour. So you wonder, is Exclaim giving the cover to a band that deserves the attention, or to a band that needs the attention so the tour they are sponsoring will get appropriate coverage? Well maybe this next piece of information will better serve to answer this question. YSP will be on the cover of Exclaim only in BC and Alberta while Chromeo and Malajube will be on the cover everywhere else.
What is the fucking point of that? As a musician and music lover, I am fucking aghast at this contingent press coverage. Only if you are playing their sponsored tour and only to be seen by your own Province +1?? It’s already hard enough touring and trying to gain notoriety dealing with the west coast geography but YSP! did it. They succeeded and deserve a tad more than only to be seen by those that have already seen them. West coast bands look to do nothing more than to break out on the other side of the continent. This is especially true for YSP! who were recently banned from entering the U.S. So why the fuck would Exclaim think that this would be a reasonable thing to do? Well, they don’t. They don’t think, do they?
This is not to sully the great step that YSP have taken by any means. We are friends and are incredibly proud of them. We were the first press to ever cover them, for Christ sakes. This is simply the same lament that the cultural and political scenes on the west coast have had for years. When we do get a bone thrown at us, it’s a small pittance from bigger bag.
But I suppose we are to take what we are given and be grateful for it. Aren’t we?
Quinn
You’d think that if they were going to do multiple covers, they’d at least put the Central Canadian bands on the cover in the West (where they’re probably less known) and vice versa.
It’s awesome to see YSP on the cover regardless, but I’d imagine it would help the band way more to get the exposure somewhere else.
- Feb 28, 06:35 PMsean orr
Yeah, well, thats why we have the Only.
- Mar 1, 01:36 AMJames Keast
Hey. Thanks a lot for the attention to our latest issue!
Aside from your questionnable geography (what “coast” is Toronto or Montreal on exactly?), I just wanted to clarify a couple of points.
First off, You Say Party! We Say Die! actually gets four provinces, east to Manitoba (not just BC and Alberta). Chromeo is on the cover in Ontario, while Malajube spreads from Quebec through the Maritimes.
Is it ideal? No. Is it kinda cool? I’d like to think so. And I fully recognize the all-too-fair criticism that we’re giving the bands short shrift with this kind of coverage, but I’m hoping to drum up a lot of interest across the country for the bands we’ve gathered for this tour.
Just wanted to address one final point – selecting the geography. Yes, it might seem more favourable to have the covers appear away from the bands’ home territories, but we have to balance the pick-up value of being hometown heroes. You may pick up Exclaim! automatically (and thank you for that), but not everyone will. If a Montrealer sees Malajube on the cover, they will likely pick it up out of some geographical loyalty (as might Vancouver readers for YSP!). However, if YSP! was on the cover in Quebec, many readers may just walk on by.
It wasn’t an easy decision, but we stand behind it. There’s obviously a case to be made for the “other” way, and I want you to know we considered it.
One final note. (Pink)Black Mountain(tops) have never been on the cover. However, since the Organ cover in June 2004, other “west coast” bands on the cover have included Choke (March 2005), Corb Lund (September 2005), Cadence Weapon (Feb 2006) and Destroyer (March 2006).
Thanks for your continued support.
James Keast, Editor In Chief, Exclaim!
- Mar 1, 11:13 AMCameron Reed
Thanks for responding, James.
I didn’t really think that anyone would bother questioning my loose usage of the word “coast”. But it’s true, I wasn’t completely lucid about what was meant by “coast”. I did not mean just coastal Provinces, or just the cities on the east coast of Canada. I mean “Eastern Canada”. I hope that’s a bit clearer.
I’m glad that YSP! got the cover no matter what and I’m glad you “considered” an other way. But I wish you had considered it a bit more. At least to the point of realizing it was a poor decision.
In consideration of how the final decision was made (ie. the pick-up rate being increased by the appearance of “hometown heroes” on the cover), I’d just regard that as “Canada’s Music Authority” pandering to its readers and regarding them as short sighted. Which we both know, they are not.
I think that the most responsible thing to do would have been to not use your magazine as a promotional tool at the expense of a Canadian artists deserved exposure, an exposure that even your publication feels that they are worth. Sort of.
I’ll continue to read Exclaim because it’s great at what it does. Sometimes it just makes poor decisions.
Best,
Cameron
- Mar 1, 01:20 PMMarko
Yeah, that’s bullshit.
- Mar 1, 11:04 PMjesse
exclaim tour = no danger/industry safe
- Mar 2, 12:32 PMI CALLED IT!
“We are friends and are incredibly proud of them. We were the first press to ever cover them, for Christ sakes.” WOW! You guys called it! You are so fucking cool for covering them first! And they’re your friends? Can I have your autograph because journalists that cover their friends’ bands are so fucking cool? There are so many bands out there who obviously don’t deserve a lick of ink because they don’t know someone in the media. Obviously, bands that don’t know someone at Only should just call it quits. Music journalism is so cool because it’s so limited to the (poor) tastes of individual writers and editors. Or the pop charts. That’s why it’s so important to read hipster magazines like only to tell me what to like and what not to like. YSP surely doesn’t get enough press eh? I only have to read their name fucking everywhere every goddamn week like they’re the only ones making good music in this city. Exclaim is an eastern-centric publication, whereas Only, in all its “subversive” hipness is a pretentious-centric rag that’s self congratulation for covering local bands (wow, a local magazine covering local bands, have you come up for a pulitzer yet?) and for shit that happened 13 years ago is a pathetic attempt at reminding readers of just how cool and underground you guys are. Give me a fucking break! How are the google ads working out? Maybe with the money, you can buy some clout and go to a shrink to find out how not to be so fucking smug.
- Mar 9, 11:33 AMsarah
I’m really sorry that your band hasn’t been getting much media coverage, pumpkin.
- Mar 9, 02:23 PMI really hope that nobody takes our magazine as telling them what to like and what to not like. I think you underestimate our readers.
when we interviewd YSP, they were so cute and little and wanting to figure out how to make it big. we became friends with them because we did the interview. we didn’t interview them because they were our friends, silly.
how can you expect people who go out for drinks and have nice (taperecorded) chats with local musicians to not become friends with them. i mean we’re jerks, but we’re fun jerks.
and as far as the percieved hippness, have you ever seen our magazine staff? we’re seriously not that hip.
and we don’t have any google ads or money or clout. at least let us have our smugness.
I CALLED IT!
I could give a fuck about media coverage of my band, if I even have one, for all you know. Music journalism is a useless waste of space. I have to read about so many “indie” fucking bands that know one fucking chord, but their fashion sense is enough for them to get press. Read the cover of Rolling Stone this month? Apparently Jack White is a guitar god. I rest my case. And you do have google ads on your little riot clock site. Good luck with that by the way. Maybe you can follow up by telling us how cool brian salmi was some 15 years ago. Those were the days I guess.
- Mar 9, 03:00 PMCameron Reed
Well, I even agree with that. Music journalism is a waste of space.
But we already put on two music festivals (that I’m sure you have plenty to say about as well), promote smaller local shows, play music ourselves, and watch local bands all the time…so other than that we don’t really see another way to promote the amazing music coming out of the city than to write about it.
That’s what this is about. We do it for the love of the music. Or at least I do.
If we’ve missed some bands over the years I’m sure that the Nerve, Discorder, or at the very least the Georgia Straight covered them. We have our lean, they have theirs.
But then again. You can always work your ass off for free (and very little scene points) to do everything that we do but better. Or help us. We always need an extra hand.
Or you can just be an anonymous grump. Which is what you come across as.
-Cameron Reed
Music Editor – Only Magazine
...And this blog was about how bullshit it is that YSP aren’t getting the coverage they deserve. Read: supporting Vancouver music.
- Mar 9, 03:45 PMsarah
well i’m glad you read our magazine so thoroughly even though seem to hate it so much. we think music journalism is a useless waste of space too. that’s why we just ask bands where to get the best burritos.
- Mar 9, 03:46 PMI CALLED IT!
I read only for the same reason I read the National Post, the Western Standard, and Swank. Occassionally, they’re interesting, sometimes funny, and sometimes, they have pictures of tits. Well, just Swank, and it always has pictures of tits. Just because I disagree with something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worth reading. As for the “helping hand,” sorry can’t help you. My hands are all tied up with typing and jerking off. What’s with that? Somebody who can put a sentence together rips the shit out your coverage and you offer him a job? That’s kind of fucked up. And I’m not surprised you “just ask bands where to get the best burritos,” because you’re too busy shoving them up your ass along with your heads and thumbs to ask where to find the best bands.
- Mar 10, 11:39 AMChuck
Lady, your argument fell apart when you complained about Rolling Stone magazine not being what she used to be. And did you seriously complain about a website having ads on it? Knit yourself some gloves you commie fuck. It’s time to move on.
- Mar 10, 01:32 PMI CALLED IT!
Whoa Chucky, you’d be well advised to get a refill on your prescription to take care of that anger of yours. And complaining about google ads on a website advocating for a riot is surely fair game. Why would you have a comment section if you don’t want honest comments? I’ll move on, but not for your sake. I wouldn’t want to take any more of your time away from writing about yourselves and thinking people give a shit.
- Mar 10, 06:33 PM