I have received enough response from this article that I am going to cross out what I have written. I spoke to the artist herself and she was very upset that I had blasted her band and her music. I think her band is good, but I think I didn’t make my point with this article. I am not taking it down, but I am showing goodwill by admitting I may have pushed the button onto someone’s feelings who didn’t deserve it. Nonetheless, I will continue to write as I have done in the past. I got work so there won’t be too much going on for a lil’ bit.
Titties. Tame Music. You want a better Review? Give me better Music.
Never. Ever. Ever. Never. Please. No. Fucking. Way. You would call yourself the anti-thesis to bubblegum pop music and then show me this type of music. It is this type of hyping, to reason that somehow this band stands above the rest on the edge, only to fall into a pit of monotony & soft-core guitar work & vocals that has now run rampant in every Americana/ Hipster bar in the Northeast. Also, she showcases a great deal of “bosom” exposure in her fan introductory page on Facebook. She has an amazing body, but I think both the advertising and the photo permits an aura that her music may only be catchy enough only with a supplement of boobies to stand alongside her musical talents.
Things Bands Should Not Do Case #37: Do not pose as something against the mainstream marketing & production of music ( “Tired of the Bubblegum Crap”, was the gracious 1st line of the advertising to introduce this band), and then unveil yourself with partially covered bosoms and a Myspace introduction song with these intense once-in-a-lifetime lyrics:
“Maybe I should change the way I look… Maybe I should feel like everyone else”
Really bad lyrics. How many songs have started off with “Maybe” or “What if” or something about a woman following the crowd but with the essence that the singer is somehow independent and against the crowd. I am not trying to shoot down her talent, but this is the pure example of bands who are trying to stem the tide of the mainstream sweetness that gets bombarded from my drive home from work ( when I ever get a car) and replaces it with the underground tastes that is familiar with the same type of pop music they strive disassociate from their “vibe”.
Leslie Gore: I put this in because she says maybe; and its a good song:)
Her sound and production is really good. It does remind me of Dave Matthews a little bit. But it is so tame that if mainstream music needed more members for its Casey Kasem Club, Yvette will probably get a handwritten letter and a lunch date with Avril Levine.
The song “Promise” sounds like a compromise between Kansas and Jewel. When I listened to Zombie Party, I thought it was pretty good, but at points it could’ve hit me in the face, the song promptly stands rigid as a decent bar song. But if I had a dime for every song I heard from a live bar band I thought was decent, my bank would close my account because I would then be an asshole for depositing so much change.
This music is good, but how is this isn’t better than bubblegum music I have no clue. Acoustic instruments, piano interludes, Americana vocals and violins CAN a mediocre song make!
I really don’t see her music as bad. But this is NOT better than bubblegum music. It might have an edge here or there, but like a papercut, it’ll get you riled up for a minute, then you remember bands who are actually playing something different:
Esthero in 1998, when she was probably only 17-18
If anything, it only justifies that most genres, regardless of their appeal, talent pool, and marketing, presents a great deal of people who pose themselves against other genres claiming to be superior. The sad fact is a lot bands are hitting the neo-Americana and hipster music scenes to produce music that is different from mainstream. Yet these new sonic pioneers have failed to witness the deterioration of music in GENERAL is the essence that both mainstream and non-mainstream music have a lot of horrible music. A lot: I’ll go on to say that my band sucks ( but I will weep in my pillow once the post is written).
But in addendum and conclusion to all of this, my hypothesis to the bad music that has risen and permeated throughout the industry is due to too many people pretend to bend the envelope into a territory of greatness by comparing themselves to the simplicity and cookie-cutter designs of corporate music structures. For every band that goes against the grain of the 50 Cents, or invokes disdain of Jack Johnson in their ballads, or re-invents sexuality in contrast to the submissiveness of MTV Video vixens, fails to compare themselves to their own limits, their own styles, and their visions of what they can offer to music. When they pay more attention to how different they are, in some fucked up ironic way, they end up becoming just a tame & and unrecognizable as the other millions of bands that now exist in the new Myspace arena. And as I finish writing this post, I am slowly forgetting the band I was even reviewing. Whether they become famous, they are just another blip on the radar of bands trying to make a name for themselves, falling short of even writing the first letter on the wall, falling short of doing something better than what has already been done.
Shots in the Dark: Music & Musings from The Underground 
I appreciate your honesty, but I abhore your obvious lack of research.
A) if you’re going to reference people, perhaps you could least spell their names correctly…it’s Avril Lavigne
B) if you’re going to review an artist, then you should at least have the respectfulness to listen to every song. Not the only ones that are being sampled on their myspace player…just three inches further down that page, and you could’ve listened to several more songs.
C) Don’t you know that all hipsters have bangs and combover? and wear potato sacks with leggings? and haven’t seen a gym in a thousand years?
…of course you already knew that…I bet you’re flat ironing your perfect bangs right now, crying listening to the new catpower drinking coffee and smoking your cancerdeath sticks.
Your writing is hard enough to decipher that I can be fairly sure no one’s taking you seriously. Your probably typing with one hand and jerking off to her picture with the other. perv
First off make up your mind. You say that you think that she is bubblegum or whatever but yet you say that her music is good? That makes no sense whatsoever. Also, yes she has some provacative clothing but let’s face it sex sells and although her music and charisma soar over all of that thats the way it goes in this world and that is the way she likes to put herself out there. Rather than be boring and not make a difference in someone’s life. Granted, she may not have to do this but that is who she is and if people think that is offensive than so be it. Everyone is a critic in their own right but to write her off because of it is ludacris.
Maybe if you listened to the lyrics more you would realize that they are not towards herself but towards people that may be thinking a certain way and in turn she is trying to let them know that they are not alone. It’s called interacting with your audience that is what true artists do they try and connect with their fans because just like the rest of us they are people too. They have feelings and go through hardship. And yes I believe that Anna Yvette is a true artist unlike anyone else out there. She has great stage prescence and sings songs from her heart that many can relate to. You can’t find that out there anymore with all the rap and shit that is out on the radio that has no point and is a waste of time and money. I believe that you should reevaluate the way you see things because obviously you have no idea what you are talking about. Yvette and the band has my undying support and support of many others and there is no way that anyone will “shoot her down”.
Who pissed in your cornflakes?
Allow me to apologize for the piss poor night or day you had before lashing out in this excuse of music criticism. If a genre attack was what you were aiming for, then keep it that way. Do not lash out at an artist that possesses such obvious talent and drive just because of some promotional element you thought you were mislead by. When it comes to talent and performance, Anna Yvette stands out as more than memorable and her lyrics repeat through your head like you have heard the song on the radio 10 times that day.
What is an Americana/Hipster bar? Please define. I asked many peers and colleagues, they could not assist. I am a well educated man, and have seen her perform at many establishments. But peers, colleagues, nor I, could put forth a definition.
Are you arguing that this dame dresses inappropriately or not to your liking? Can you see an artist you listen to on the radio? When I see a live performance, specifically from a woman who has something to flaunt, damn right I want to see it. Appearance and sound do not overlap at all except for appeal.
Are you arguing that the 1977 Tony Award winning score from Annie contained bad music, more specifically including the song ‘Maybe’? How is a reader supposed to take you seriously when you bad mouth an amazing classic tale about the adventures of little Orphan Annie and her dog Sandy? Please introduce more pertinent arguments than the first word of one of an artists’ track.
You admit you like her music and compare her stage to production to that of one of the highest grossing live performing artists in Dave Matthews. Yet you still attack. Now I do not know if was a poor attempt at humor or just plain ignorance, but when you misspell an artists name it degrades your credibility. Avril Levine? Try typing that name into your Google or Wikipedia and see what you come up with. All it did was suggest to the reader that while you critique the style at which you thought you were advertised you are not that close to the music scene.
Such a lash out because you feel you were lied to or misled about what you intended to see. Yet throughout your piece you discuss her talent and how you actually liked certain specific tracks or elements of the show. Why downplay what you like and scream about how this is not the antithesis of pop? Why not mention your disappointment at not hearing what you thought you would be the delight it was once you opened your narrow mind?
Take for example the somber tone I use in my retort to your position. No expletives or capital words necessary. Just peacefully explain your opinion and underline that while not originally what you expected, you surprisingly enjoyed the show and what Anna Yvette had to offer in talent, production, sound and presence.
You have misquoted the lyrics in my song. Either correct it, or take it down before I get my lawyers on you.
Thank you
I listened to her music. It wasn’t bad, just not spectacular. She’s got a pretty voice and some of the songs start out pretty or interesting then just deteriorate into something from the mid 90’s. I get what you mean. It would have been fine if she didn’t proclaim to be something different or alternative. She’s not. She should have just said I’m a chick who plays guitar and shows my tits for attention. Listen to me. There’s a lot more to admire about that than saying you’re an alternative to something and just not showing proof of that in your music/image at all.
But while she needs to stand behind her music more instead of unleashing her lawyers on anyone who gives her a shit review, you need to stand behind your reviews more. Though I don’t really know why you’d review her anyway since you seem to be more interested in innovative/odd/obscure music. Maybe you should spotlight bands you feel embody that instead of ripping a new one for bands who obviously don’t represent that at all. I’d rather you show me something great that I am missing rather than show me something lame that I would’ve never even listened to in the first place. Just some input.
Both this article and her music are not worth ANYONES TIME!!!!
You (the writer) should get back to playing in your shitty band and stop trying to make yourself feel better by judging other peoples music. Like stated in the article above your band is probably ” just another blip on the radar”.
Yvette should just stop doing what she is doing and start over. Anyone can see the potential but seriously stop trying to imitate every semi – poppy thing you list as an influence. The music you once thought was “underground” has now emerged and you are not part of it and most likely never will be unless you’re in the crowd. The music sounds outdated and is no way shape or form pushing any kind of fucking envelope. On another note why the fuck did you even bring up your lawyers?! Does it make you feel big? Go talk to the writer of this article, Yvette, you guyz might make some thing “fresh” in the industry together.
PEACE!!!!