Which other music review sites do you use?

I frequently visit Metal-Archives for the work of several eminent reviewers: Abominatrix, ANationalAcrobat, Cheeses_Priced, droneriot, iamntbatman and especially NausikaDalazBlindaz. She writes very frequently, reviews often obscure and unusual records in a very lengthy and in-depth manner even if her writing can be a bit on the stuffy academic side.

Which reminds me that I've recently become quite fond of the webzine Black Ivory Tower, whose editor used to write for M-A as "Panflute" but stopped writing once his reviews became too long for the site. Their hallmark is exhausting analysis of mostly obscure black metal and (occasionally) neofolk, from the angle of how the music fits into a greater cultural and historical context.

A similar site to BIT is Heathen Harvest, who display the same ethos but are way more professional a publication that's been around for much longer. They're also an industrial/noise and neofolk webzine that occasionally dips into metal rather than the other way around, so it's been pretty useful when I need to expand my horizons.

Though he no longer updates, I am also a huge fan of Mark Prindle. He wrote often humourous and sometimes insightful reviews of artists' entire discographies in many different genres. His main metier was 1980s indie rock, punk and noise-rock though... to the point he's like a walking encyclopedia of those genres. Certain people here might not like his opinions on jazz, however!


For other genres than avant/prog/psych and those described by the above mentioned websites, I use AllMusicGuide and RateYourMusic. Their lack of genre specialization save for certain users on the latter site I find something of a liability, however.


Edited by Toaster Mantis - September 01 2013 at 03:06

Pretty much just PA, JMA, and Allmusic.

Jazz music archives.

I use PA, RYM, and whatever comes up on google when I research new music.

No specific websites as far as new/not heard before albums go.  I read more reviews of classics to see how different reviewers approach it and bring out is special qualities or offer dissenting views to criticise it.   But for new albums, I just browse these forums and the interwebs in general to collect opinions.  I then decide to check out an album.  This might mean I don't really end up going for a really obscure album as I don't rely on a single reviewer's opinions.  But that is ok for me because if I really like an album, I am going to listen to it over and over and over.  A handful of such in a year and revisiting old favourites is enough to occupy my leisure time as it is.  

Hi,

Allmusic quite often, especially for non-prog.

Guldbamsen wrote: I frequent RYM, Julian Cope's Head Heritage, Allmusic, JMA and recently I've watched a few YouTube reviews with that guy from the needledrop whatshisname (He did one on Scott Walker's Bisch Bosch which I thought was pretty cool). Anyway, I tend to stick with PA most of the time. Some terrific writers up in this mo'.

Anthony Fantano is a huge dork but I generally like watching his reviews. Cal is cool though.

By the way, I forgot to mention that I'm somewhat surprised by the many mentions of AllMusic. Their generalist approach means they can't go in as much depth as a genre-specialist site like this one. It's two very different ways to go about reviewing.

Their "Related Artists" tab is rather useful for seeing who's influenced who when you're too lazy to look up artist interviews however. (which I am often! )

I only frequent PA as far as prog music ideas online ...but I read Mojo, Rolling Stone , and Progressive Rock Mag on a regular basis.

Edited by jude111 - September 07 2013 at 21:21