There's a reason "industry plant" discourse exists; but sexism ain't that reason.
The way opportunities are given in the music business seems more opaque and inscrutable than ever before; + when people who have worked + fought for those opportunities for decades are not given even a glance while others are just served them like winning lottery tickets without any signs of having struggled, that gets many people wondering where + how those 'tickets' were bought.
Those 'tickets' do go to women more often, but that's only correlative, not causative; fact is, women get better treatment on every level of music these days. Better professional management is one key to that; also, there are more women in powerful non-performer positions now (like venue owners, bookers, writers, and label execs) than ever.
But even other women working in music often resent the easy 'visibility' granted to a favored few, while so many others of every gender are kept "invisible".
Contrary to conventional opinion, it IS a zero-sum game; it has been since the late-1990s. The allowable cultural "bandwidth" for new music has shrunk; thanks to the massive amount of nostalgia-based content eating the available airtime and print-space. So who gets what's left and how is gonna be a lot more scrutinized, more contested subject.
To dismiss that scrutiny and controversy by merely ascribing it to bigotry (sexism, racism, etc.) to defend one's favorites won't make it go away. Folks already know this business ain't a "meritocracy", + never has been. And when they get passed over for the 1,055th time, in favor of someone sprung fully grown from the head of Zeus, they're gonna talk sharp about it.
So, we saw LDP in a smallish (yet not rammed) tent at last year's Y Not festival, and they were innovative, fun, exciting and, more importantly, very good.
Some of the 'anti' media reaction that you reference definitely prompted a question of, "am I right to like this?", and I think you're correct this is heightened by their obvious 'poshness' (as clearly only those from the slums can make good music and, even then, only after 'paying their dues'!)
In the end, I simply decided this was b****ks; LDP are just a brilliant new band, with great songs, who put on a fantastic show. What else matters?
There's a reason "industry plant" discourse exists; but sexism ain't that reason.
The way opportunities are given in the music business seems more opaque and inscrutable than ever before; + when people who have worked + fought for those opportunities for decades are not given even a glance while others are just served them like winning lottery tickets without any signs of having struggled, that gets many people wondering where + how those 'tickets' were bought.
Those 'tickets' do go to women more often, but that's only correlative, not causative; fact is, women get better treatment on every level of music these days. Better professional management is one key to that; also, there are more women in powerful non-performer positions now (like venue owners, bookers, writers, and label execs) than ever.
But even other women working in music often resent the easy 'visibility' granted to a favored few, while so many others of every gender are kept "invisible".
Contrary to conventional opinion, it IS a zero-sum game; it has been since the late-1990s. The allowable cultural "bandwidth" for new music has shrunk; thanks to the massive amount of nostalgia-based content eating the available airtime and print-space. So who gets what's left and how is gonna be a lot more scrutinized, more contested subject.
To dismiss that scrutiny and controversy by merely ascribing it to bigotry (sexism, racism, etc.) to defend one's favorites won't make it go away. Folks already know this business ain't a "meritocracy", + never has been. And when they get passed over for the 1,055th time, in favor of someone sprung fully grown from the head of Zeus, they're gonna talk sharp about it.
So, we saw LDP in a smallish (yet not rammed) tent at last year's Y Not festival, and they were innovative, fun, exciting and, more importantly, very good.
Some of the 'anti' media reaction that you reference definitely prompted a question of, "am I right to like this?", and I think you're correct this is heightened by their obvious 'poshness' (as clearly only those from the slums can make good music and, even then, only after 'paying their dues'!)
In the end, I simply decided this was b****ks; LDP are just a brilliant new band, with great songs, who put on a fantastic show. What else matters?