steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review faq
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For us, the emphasis is on unearthing inventive and exciting new music. That's it. And for that reason, we try our very best to listen to as much music as possible. There's a lot of sound out there, and we work our darndest to cover everything we deem original and worthwhile. We encourage you to submit your music to us. We do our best to listen to as much review material as possible, and we really love, love, love discovering new music that blows us away or challenges our musical schemata. For pragmatic reasons, we only accept physical submissions at this point. The address is:

INDIEVILLE
PO BOX 91017
2901 Bayview Ave.
Toronto ON M2K 1H0
CANADA

In terms of genres, we embrace a wide palette of styles and approaches. The genre of the music itself isn't important; the quality of the ideas and the execution are what matter. So please feel welcome to send us your best work, no matter how experimental or avant. We're here to fish out and promulgate inventive and unconventional music, and in that sense we want to encourage, rather than deflect, the spirit of sonic experimentation. For reals.

A bit about our review philosophy. We prefer description and constructive criticism over evaluation. Nobody benefits from a jaded bashfest. In general, we post more positive reviews than mediocre or negative ones, but this is mainly because we prefer to write about music that stimulates and excites us. From the reader's perspective, positive reviews serve as gateways to new discoveries, whereas negative and blasé reviews serve as gateways to cheap chortles and disinterest, respectively. If you're a band, label, or PR firm, this is good news for you.

 

THE OLD REVIEW FAQ

Stumped as to whether or not to send us your music for review? Here are some answers to questions you may have.

What genres of music do you review?
Well, to put it simply: everything. We love all types of music, and hence we will review anything. If you've got an indie rock masterpiece, send it over. If you have 80 minutes of unadulterated noise, send it over. If you've got a country-rap hybrid, send it over. If you've got thirty cassettes of the sounds of you scratching yourself, send it over. In fact, thirty cassettes of you scratching yourself will earn you both thirty reviews and an entry in the Oddities section.

Okay, but I don't want to send something unless it will definitely get reviewed.
First of all, that isn't a question. Second of all, everything we receive will be considered for review. If you send us multiple things in one package, each of the releases will be reviewed separately. The main reasons a record won't be reviewed: a) it was lost in the mail, or b) it arrived damaged to the point of not being playable.

Are there any ways to get my music reviewed faster?
Well, e-mailing us twenty times about the "status" of your release won't help any. Generally, records (of any size or shape) get reviewed faster than other releases, and picture discs and other novelty vinyl make it straight to the top of the list. Putting stickers and other fun gadgets and gizmos in your review package may also warm our hearts a bit, too. And we love t-shirts... in fact, if you send us a t-shirt, we'll move your music to the top of the pile (size medium, please!)

What's this MP3 stuff on the review?
As of recently, we've begun linking to mp3s (from band and label websites) on our review pages. This is to make things easier for the reader - if they like what they read, they can go get a sample of the music to hear what it's like. A perfect marketing strategy (as long as your music doesn't suck balls)... If you specifically don't want us to link to your mp3s, dart an email our way.

What formats can you review?
The list is growing day by day. At this point, we'll review CDs, any type of vinyl, cassettes, microcassettes, 3-inch CDs. DVDs, and VHS. We also review zines, films, and books. Otherwise, ask us first.

What's this "Neat Picks" section on your front page?  Can I get onto that?
Every album we review (and some we buy ourselves) gets considered for the "Neat Picks" section on the front page. Inclusion on the "Records We Can't Stop Listening To" list occurs when we find ourselves listening to a certain record frequently after we've already reviewed it. Songs are put on the "Top Tracks" list if we find them particularly enjoyable. So if you send something we really like, it may end up showcased in the "Neat Picks" section for a number of weeks!

Okay, great, great! I'll send it along post-haste! But what's that address again?
Our mailing address is:

Indieville
PO Box 91017
2901 Bayview Ave.
Toronto ON M2K 1H0
Canada

Send review stuff there.  You need not email me and ask whether or not that address still works, because it does. 

I have another question; who should I direct it to?
Send all additional questions to mattshimmer@gmail.com and I'll reply as soon as humanly possible! 

all content copyright 2005 indieville.com