I've just finished reading an article on Pitchfork regarding Wavves' performance at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona.  It seems Wavves were performing last night (on the Pitchfork Stage, of course) and "self-destructed" on stage. 

http://pitchfork.com/news/35459-wavves-self-destruct-in-barcelona/

Here are my problems with the article and the whole situation in general.

First of all, Pitchfork complains that Wavves have never been a tremendous live band.  And the writer is surprised by this?  Pitchfork plucked these dudes from bedroom obscurity.  The triteness of their "lo-fi" sound should have given anyone the correct assumption that they sucked live.  Furthermore, what the shit do you expect a band to sound like live when they've never really toured before? 

And herein lays the primary dilemma. Pitchfork makes kings of these slack-jawed numb nuts.  And it's sad.  Wavves, just like Clap Your Hands before them, are one band out of the dozens that websites like Pitchfork hail as Gods.  Activating the sheep who read these websites like it's God's written word, the masses ultimately are let down by the hype by performances like Wavves' last night.  And I sort of feel bad for them, actually.  Even though I think their music is complete bullshit, I have to feel bad for two guys who maybe weren't all-together prepared for the attention.

Pitchfork and the internet era have effectively cut out a very important part of what used to be common place in the music world...building an audience through touring.  Sonic Youth sucked for many years before Day Dream Nation came out.  It takes time to become a great band.  And when you just listen to a shittily recorded record that you think sounds cool and then hail it as the second-coming of Christ, don't be alarmed that when you hear that band live, they're going to suck. 

Ultimately, it's sad because it's what ends up killing a band.  Again, look at Clap Your Hands...they, too, were hailed as musical geniuses but reprimanded in press for being bad live.  And it ultimately squandered the praise they received from their record.  Anyway, so...Pitchfork...stop giving bullshit records great reviews and then act let down when your new favorite bands sucks ass live when you go see their first Chicago show.  It's really your fault.  You cut out the vital incubation period that takes places in every band's hometown--playing local shows and amassing a following through live performances.

That shit aside, I have one other big problem with that article.  I played Primavera last year and I enjoyed it very much.  Though I'm a bit let down bc this years line-up seems to rule much more ass than last years...but anyway.  My real point is this: what the fuck did you expect a band of two kids, wet behind the ears, playing one of their first large festivals, to sound like at TWO FUCKING THIRTY IN THE MORNING!?  They had all day to drink and do drugs and watch other bands kick ass before them.  What the fuck did you expect to happen? Really? Honestly?  That they wouldn't get fucked up?  Have you seen how much beer and liquor resides behind those stages?  And they just replenish the supplies.  It's endless.  Most of my friends were either passed out or naked by 2:30am at least year's festival. It's hardly the appropriate time-slot to nurture a great set.

In conclusion, I leave you with this...I think Wavves are a really bad band. I think their "lo-fi" sound is a bunch of bullshit.  There's no excuse for records to sound like shit.  And bands who want to sound "lo-fi" need to understand that "lo-fi" doesn't give you carte blanche to sound like dog shit.  Neutral Milk Hotel sounds amazing.  He used a 4-track but he wasn't a fucking fool about it.  You might only have meager tools to record a record, but it's no excuse to record music that sounds like shit.

Pitchfork...you never cease to amaze me in your complete lack of understanding.  For a bunch of twats who, unfortunately, act as this world's most potent taste-makers, it constantly amazes me how ignorant you are of how things work.  You guys are just a bunch of dorks who were too untalented and nervous to get on stage yourselves...so you get off on manipulating the careers of hard-working musicians.  It's really your fault Wavves sucked last night.  You've helped delude their audience into thinking that they're something very special (when they're really just a couple of dudes who have no idea what they're doing).  It was YOU'RE misguided decision to put them on at 2:30 am.  You guys need to cash in your comparitive literature degrees from Oberlin for a fucking brain. 

Unbelievable.