HOUGLAND. critical view

What follows is a study of the promotional and critical press
surrounding the release of the album Debt Dept by the colourful
performance electronics group Excepter this past week, on March 25
and courtesy of the label Paw Tracks. It includes, for the purpose
of argument, the revealing 'comments' portions that have, to date,
been typically crafted in direct response to, and often feature just
below, the strictly internet-based texts themselves. Sometimes you
do have to click a link, however.
It is intended as curiosity and assumes, as such, that the reader may
be familiar with most of the previous releases of the band's, and
perhaps an inkling as to their predilections in general. Anything
more than that, it cannot promise, nor does it intend to.
Written by a founding figure, long well within the power structure
of the outfit, the author could be considered to be on the implied
receiving end of the criticism covered. . . whether his surname (or
in fact the band's name) has been spelled correctly, or not.

So, let's begin.

Audiversity
http://audiversity.com/2008/03/excepter-debt-dept.html

I had not heard of this particular website before, though they
appear to be interested in operating strictly above board and, in
keeping, the appraisal of our work proves to be in the capable hands
of one Patrick Masterson. I enjoyed this what can only be described
as flattering writeup, which deftly maneuvers through both objective
and subjective points of view.

Hip Hop Quotable:
"Seriously, "Brooklyn band"? Do you think of Excepter when you hear
Blood on the Wall?"

Surely well into the subjective mode at this stage, Masterson
dutifully brings up that I live in Manhattan, and have done so for
the duration of the band, but then seems to imply an aesthetic rift
between it and another outfit. Or at least some kind of moral
caesura.
Brad Shanks, of this other group, recently told me about an
encounter he had outside of a venue in Dallas, Texas with a fan of
ours. The extremely affable Mr. Shanks was re-entering this
establishment when he spotted an Excepter t-shirt on a future
patron of the presumably sold out performance which his band was
soon to undertake. He expressed to me a bemused concern over our
fates, based on his experiencing of this fellow's whole trip, and
in such a manner as to make me believe it. I related to this to
JF Ryan within the band, who in fact immediately had an idea as to
this man's identity, and politely ignored the fact (for the sake of
brevity?) that I had met this person too.
It's a small world.
I have another story* from our one American tour that could drive
that very point home ever more powerfully, but it involves others,
thus raising both temporal and legal concerns. Temporal as we are
going to be concerned with brevity here, and there remains a lot
more ground to be covered etc....

tinymixtapes
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Excepter,5780

The presentation over at this website has long confused me. It
could be considered the willful red-headed stepchild of the
Publicity Circuit. The attraction to reviewing a band such as
ours for it, beyond the cursory if dutiful assistance in power of
suggestion from external and paid parties, is perhaps obvious.
Here a "Chizzly St. Claw" navigates for us (or for you, rather)
the dilemmas, for one, in assessing from the radicalist mindset
our (well, my, or not your) merits.

The pyramid presspage which we released is mentioned. I would
say designed, but that is an appropriated image, which had been
discovered as easteregg on the DVD of some movie I forget, and
was already making some rounds on the internet. Some text was
changed. A metaphor for making music with samples, that. This
study we are embarking now is rather more like creating from the
ground up. Well, not exactly, as it's based on others' writing.
Let's move on.

Drowned in Sound
http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2856473

Much as in the case of timymixtapes, a proposed review of our music
by the writer has left the mind in question only precariously
tethered to anything like everyday experience or consciousness.
There was more talk of radicalism over there, but here we have an
ongoing pileup of imagistic commentary. I would have to say it's
another positive one. The comments are not particularly not
negligible, sorry.

The Music Magazine
(British, if you couldn't have guessed)
http://www.themusicmagazine.co.uk/page.php?al=Excepter_Debt_Dept

A Matthew Oakley plays both ends of the putative consciousness-shred
on our part, conversely and to his own great effect. Along the lines
at least continentally of the review over there, in the print
magazine The Wire (which is sadly unable to be linked-to so far as I
know), it does too share an affinity with the coming sagacious works
of several other top shelf scribes stateside.
This informal retinue would seem to assert, collectively, a query
regarding essentially the algebra of Excepter's ambition. Artistic
and commercial contingencies, et al.

Hip Hop Quotable:
"It’s no masterpiece..."

xlr8r
http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/excepter/debt-dept

Apparently these guys have moved on from covering (not so say
anything other than " moved on" from covering, mind) such fare as
West Coast Progressive House, turning into a print version of
something like a Pitchfork or a, uh, I don't know. We did a fashion
spread for them. They appear to be in the camp which sees the logic
in promoting the track "Kill People" from the Debt Dept album in an
especial manner.

Paper Thin Walls
(a mild digression, though not exactly, as it explores the perils of
being, however briefly, a singles-act)
http://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1364

Here we encounter our first conspicuously negative review. In it,
Christopher Weingarten augurs his excoriation by invoking many
others' writing. Not just any others', but those who have in fact
written about Excepter before, and on other sites. These leads him
to something of a confused state later, in the context of the
accompanying comments section, where he attempts to elucidate the
point that his selection of pullquotes is intended to "SHOW instead
of TELL."
We are going to much the same in invoking his wobbly exposition
there, which extends unfortunately to the construction of argument
in the prior review, itself. He is a fan of Throne and less so
Alternation, but (at this point) takes the somewhat unlikely tack of
pillorying KA. I only bring this up because that sort of
scorekeeping will come in handy later in the study. Does he get a
Hip Hop Quotable? Let's see.

All Music Guide
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f9ftxztjldfe

Ned Raggett compares "Kill People" to early Bauhaus.

30music
http://www.30music.com/rev.php?rev=2387

Robert Cantero pushes the very limits of brevity with an opening
assault on the sartorial habits of Excepter. One which lasts nearly
as long as, in proportion, Saving Private Ryan's initial, torturous
battle scene. I mean it's something like a solid third of the total
word count.
An about face is achieved, however, and "Walking Through the Night"
makes its first appearance. Not really appearing again later until
Other Music's rather sanguine citation, this time by the intern.
Wherein he recommends against a writing off of the group altogether
as well, but waxes infinitely more poetic on "Walking..." than might
Cantero, referring to it on the email update there as both "gripping"
and "unstoppable."
Here all we can manage for "Walking.." is "dark soundscape," though
"quality." This might illustrate the difference between the nature
of both reviews, journalistically

We have explored thus far, just to recap quickly, references not
only to the commercially fraught landscape which Excepter inhabits,
but also a fearsome promise of betrayal by those inclined to the
non-commercial as well. The indications are varied, but one thing
remains clear: suspicion by all parties.

stereogum
http://stereogum.com/archives/video/new-excepter-video-kill-people_008550.html

My own suspicions are raised when I encounter any sort of mention of
us at all on Stereogum. While a fine, popular site, the fit seems
inexact at best. With this, I am in league with some of the
illustrious commenters. The explanation perhaps lies with the
curious case of Brandon Stosuy. For once, the band cannot be accused
of subversive acts so much as can the fine writer responsible.

(Let's Get The) Hip Hop Quotable (Out of the Way):
"OK, to be fair to Porkchop, there are plenty of things to give
shivers in this one: Like a bleeding and duct-taped Dan Hougland,
the bloody tears, that ancient computer animation, the song itself."

So far as I know, the computer animation was generated like last week
in a tucked-away corner of Bushwick, but that's no the salient point.
The point is the direct mention of me, unadorned by sobriquet as in
'Chops' case, nonetheless correctly spelled. Well, that was the
point for me, at least. The point of the first commenter is much
sharper:

"This crap would never see the light of day if they didn't know all
the right people."

Salient enough, I think. The next devolves into confused art-crit,
but commenter #3 gets us back on track, reiterating my point before
regarding exposure here. Then comes a "gimme," who suggests a "music
world" heretofore improperly interrogated by all and sundry. A twist
arrives via the perspicacious "hohoho," who argues:

"um, bands that know the right people (ie. people who know about
music, write about music, put out music) tend to know them because
said right people like what those bands are doing. you may disagree
with them (excepter is not everyone's thing) but, uh, what makes your
band so interesting? probably not much. please feel free to post a
myspace site, or whathaveyou, and we'll be sure to check it out."

As elegant a gauntlet has as ever been thrown, though there is
something like a 5 hour time differential to take into account
between, and by this time in the hothouse of the internet, a post
like this has all but been left for dead. But NO! "gimme" reappears
the next morning, rabid:

"i'm not in a band right now, in the middle of forming one, it would
definitely be better than excepter, i will let you know
no matter what you say excepter still sucks, period - it's a vortex of
suckitude
the right people (are you a right person, friend?) need to get a life and
some taste
(yeah yeah i know, taste is relative) thought yes SG does post some good
stuff for the most part"

Somewhat soft and tautological at the close there, we needn't
overlook at the start possibly one of the scrappiest retorts ever.
He, I assume he, has not started to make music with a band, but one
is in the works, and either way can guarantee the end result(s) will
surpass Excepter, will simply sidestep any vortex.
Before becoming too amused by this I remember, "this is close to the
frame of mind I was in when I wrote "Vacation.""
Best of (beginner's) luck.

dustedmagazine
http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4194

The exquisite dusted offers, as always, high caliber criticism,
though Alternation takes a little bit of a drubbing. Debt Dept
however is "tight, it’s dramatic, and it’s cathartic in its
unrelenting gloom," and that will function as Quotable as well.
Later this would be countered by journeyman Marc Masters' review
over on Pitchfork, for whom Debt is "neither sharp nor tight, but
simply another solid addition to the band's oeuvre."
We probably should have played that show with Fuck Buttons after all,
but that would have been tonight, and I wouldn't have written this.
Yes, alright, we should have played it.
But the thing is, as Emerson Dameron unwittingly pronounces on
dusted, the future of the band releasing things at anywhere near
this clip is in fact coming to a close. The talk of chapters
closing pervades the text. I mean we only have two more records
coming out this year, after this one. Maybe only like five more
streams, another video, probably a DVD-r of something or other.

pitchfork
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/49455-debt-dept

The days of Best New Music and 8.0+ ratings are clearly behind us,
but "less consistent efforts like KA and Alternation"?
Throne is becoming like the guileless, less interesting sibling who
perseveres by keeping things eternally simple, and the rest of us
ending up borrowing money from.

Village Voice
http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0813,bewildering-noisemakers-somewhat-human-after-all,389105,22.html

No one even knows where Self Destruction is, these days.

 

* said story is available at any time in person for the price of one
drink. limited time only.

 

 

THE MGMT.