Rolling Stone, quite frankly, is the biggest pop culture magazine of our time. It determines what is hot and what is not. With former staff like Hunter S. Thompson, Lester Bangs, and Kurt Loder, its’ no wonder Rolling Stone possesses such a distinguishable reputation. But the journal isn’t always on top of its game. For example, in the third section of the 1986 book, Rock of Ages: The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll, the author, Ken Tucker, mistook the entire 1977 punk scene by claiming ludicrous facts about the genre (i.e. the “UG” at the end of “CBGB & UMFUG” stood for “Urban Gourmets”- in reality, it means “Uplifting Gormandizers”). The cause for these multiple mistakes would be, to put it nicely, unseasoned writers ignorant of rock n’ roll’s history and a band’s evolution. Such a writer decided to place his pen on paper without educating himself on the history of the folk-punk band, Against Me!, thus resulting in an awful “4 out of 5 stars” review.
2007 saw the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith, Ike Turner, and Lady Bird Johnson, the $370 million lottery, and the major label debut by Against Me!, entitled “New Wave”. This album brought something new for the band- music videos on MTV, magazine covers, a tour with the Foo Fighters, and the loss of integrity. The group that once spoke out against the government, big business, and the music industry with lyrics like “They’d strike chords that cut like a knife, It would mean so much more than t-shirts or a ticket stub”, suddenly disappeared behind the mask of conformity. With Against Me!’s soul now on a sheet of paper owned by Sire Records, Rolling Stone finally decided to take notice. Instead of condemning their bad move, the author Robert Christgau applauds them.
Clearly without a prior knowledge of Against Me!’s history, he labels the band as “emo-hardcore” and states that on the new album “Tempos are up half a notch.” Any devoted fan of the Gainesville natives would know this guy is full of shit. With acoustics similar to Woodie Guthrie, screaming political vocals like Joe Strummer, and a heavy, yet melodic chord structure comparable to no one, Against Me! is nothing close to what is considered “emo-hardcore”. As for “Tempos … up half a notch”, the imbecile of a journalist has undoubtedly never listened to “Reinventing Axl Rose” nor “As The Eternal Cowboy”, Against Me!’s first two full length releases. For if Mr. Christgau had, his ears would have bled from the speed of Warren’s galloping drums and the insanely intense music that follows his rhythm. To make matters worse, the magazine’s website doesn’t supply reviews for “Reinventing…“ or “…Cowboy”, all while providing incorrect dates for the two albums’ releases.
Although Rolling Stone missed Against Me! at their prime, the monthly journal was able to catch Tennessee’s Kings Of Leon just in time. With a review written days after the band’s second release “Aha Shake Heartbreak”, author David Fricke gave K.O.L. the credit they deserved. The timing of the article was impeccable; giving the Leon boys the spotlight they needed in order for the world to hear their charming southern groans and creatively catchy guitar riffs. Fricke supplied the reader with a background of the band and a fascinating take on their sound- “it is a fuzz-encrusted rocket of controlled violence: the first Clash LP with AC/DC brawn and American Gothic backbone.” He continues his review by digging deep into each song individually, explaining it’s influences and impact. The album marked a pivotal turning point in Kings Of Leon’s career and the essay proves its righteousness. With a rating of “3.5 stars” and a poetic critic alongside, Fricke proves that not everyone who works for Rolling Stone is a bumbling idiot.
*Rolling Stone review of "New Wave": http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/15342783/review/15605533/newwave
*Rolling Stone's "copy" of AM!'s discography:
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/againstme/discography
*Rolling Stone review of "Aha Shake Heartbreak":
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/6962455/review/6982485?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview
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