The NonCOMM Music Meeting | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
NonCOMM Recap: Hot takes from The Music Meeting with Sean Coakley
Radio industry pros, XPN listeners, and music nerds alike packed together this afternoon for NonCOMM’s annual Music Meeting. Hosted by Sean Coakley of Songlines, this exciting yearly tradition resembles a type of new music auction — where each crowd member becomes a judge armed with score cards, and votes on new or generally unknown songs presented by Coakley. Immediately after voting, members voice their opinions on their score choices, which results in unbarred, honest, and overall, incredibly entertaining responses.
Here at The Key, we’ve compiled a list of the artists featured at the meeting and some of the best anonymous quotes heard. Read on for comments ranging from completely ecstatic to scathingly brutal, and judge for yourself.
Deer Tick “Jumpstarting”
“I gave it a 7. Would’ve given it an 8 if the guitar solo had been better.”
“Would make Paul Westerberg blush — or he would hate it.”
“They’re a great live band, but not for stereo play.”
“I feel like we probably would’ve voted higher if we knew it was Deer Tick.”
Seramic ft. Bootsy Collins “Greg’s Love”
“Perfect for summer, but I don’t think I’d listen to it during the winter.”
“Wasn’t integrated enough…dissonant.”
“If this was dissonant, then I love dissonance.”
Josh Ritter “Showboat”
“I love Josh Ritter, but it felt like I was listening to the next soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy.”
“I just think that bongos would’ve been a better choice.”
Iron and Wine “Dreaming”
“I don’t think it’s one of his greatest works…it took too long to get to the chorus.”
“I knew it was Iron and Wine before he sang — it’s the Sam Beam strum!”
“I love Iron and Wine, but I think I’ve heard that song in every single Grey’s Anatomy montage.”
Elise LeGrow covering Chuck Barry’s “Never Can Tell”
“She comes across to me as the shy girl who sits in the back of the classroom who gets up to perform at the school talent show.”
“Why?” *sighs* “Just why.”
“It almost sounds like the Kidz Bop version [of Chuck Barry’s original.]”
The War on Drugs “Holding On”
Even before the song was over, the crowd was lining up their 10 scorecards. Some even got savvy as they combined two cards to vote for a 109, or a whopping 910. There was a single 1 card, which Coakley jokingly called out:
“I’d like to talk to you outside.”
Meg Mac “Don’t Need Permission”
“Lyrically, it’s like an 8th grade girl’s diary.”
“As soon as I heard her voice, I was hooked.”
“That Honda rattle? That’s f***ing genius.”
This Is The Kit “Moonshine Freeze”
“Did other people flip their numbers over as the song progressed?”
“I gave it a higher score as the rhythm came through — some sort of funky, African thing — that did it for me.”
“Put her on World Cafe.”
Macy Gray “White Man”
“This is the kind of song I listen to XPN to get away from.”
“This is the song XPN should be playing to bring new listeners in.”
“I don’t know what she was saying, but it sounded like gospel to me!”
“That’s going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day — in a good way.”
Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer “Not Dark Yet”
“Captured me at the harmonies.”
“I liked it because I grew up listening to Bonnie Raitt.”
“I need more tempo, in general, but specifically with that song. I need more energy.”
Aldous Harding “Blend”
“Thinking as a radio programmer, I don’t think the listeners will stick with it.”
“I love this song. It might not do her total justice, but she’s an amazing artist.”
“[on seeing her live] I’m a complete cynic, but I was completely blown away by her performance.”