http://pitchfork.com/news...a-madonna/

Like M.I.A., Joanna Newsom isn't buying into the Lady Gaga hype. In a recent article in The Guardian, the indie singer-songwriter-harpist had some choice words for the world's most fashion-forward pop star: "I'm mystified by the laziness of people looking at how she presents herself, and somehow assuming that implies there's a high level of intelligence in the songwriting. Her approach to image is really interesting, but you listen to the music, and you just hear glow sticks. Smart outlets for musical journalism give her all this credit, like she's the new Madonna Although I'm coming from a perspective of also thinking Madonna is not great at all. I'm like, fair enough: she is the new Madonna, but Madonna's a dumb-ass!"

Who knew Newsom had that kind of venom inside of her?! Not even Joanna herself, apparently, because she quickly realized the quote was a bit much, and later sent an e-mail to The Guardian clarifying-- though not taking back-- her statement:

"I may have contradicted myself. My problem isn't actually with Lady Gaga. But there's not much in her music to distinguish it from other glossy, formulaic pop. She just happens to wear slightly weirder outfits than Britney Spears. But they're not that weird-- they're mostly just skimpy. She's fully marketing her body/sexuality; she's just doing it while wearing, like, a 'fierce' telephone hair-hat. Her sexuality has no scuzziness, no frank raunchiness, in the way that, say, Peaches, or even Grace Jones, have-- she's Arty Spice! And, meanwhile, she seems to take herself so oddly seriously, the way she talks about her music in the third person, like she's Brecht or something. She just makes me miss Cyndi Lauper. I shouldn't have called Madonna a dumb-ass. Her music and she have just gotten so boring to me, this last decade. I think maybe she doesn't hold her money very gracefully, the way some people can't hold their drink. But one thing she is surely not is dumb."

Strong words. You could argue that Gaga's success in making people like M.I.A. and Joanna Newsom hopped up enough to consider the idea of art and talk out of turn in interviews basically fulfills her purpose. She's a provocateur, and it seems to be working.

Who talks about Lady Gaga and Madonna?

JoannaNewsom said:

I didn't know my love for Joanna could grown anymore. Keep ripping the blinders off the masses eyes.

JoannaNewsom said:

LMAO @ her dissing Lady Gaga and Madonna at the same time....

Who is she?

Who is Joanna Newson?

SoulAlive said:

Her dis worked.

Either that or SoulAlive is ordering a hit

Cinnie said:

honestly,I've never heard of her.What song does she sing?

idk but i love her song Alenjandro!

It´s funny how all those artist are trying to be so hard edgy and I´ve never been more bored to death with music industry, so I feel what she´s saying.

I really wish artists would stop talking shit about other artists for no reason. I understand freedom of expression, freedom of speech but I always wonder do these people throw shade at a known name just to get recognition. I don't even know who the fuck you are Joanna. If you don't like what they do don't pick up the CD.

Plain and simple.
[Edited 5/11/10 2:19am]

musicjunky318 said:

I have to agree.Lately,there's been alot of artists bashing other artists.These people are acting like children on a playground Have a little dignity! If you bash another artist who is more successful and popular than you are,it just makes you look like a jealous hater.

SoulAlive said:

I remember MJ saying something similar to "Artists don't attack each other"
You heard of people having issues with each other behind the scenes, but you rarely saw people publicly going after other artists

Sigh, another no mark desperate for publicity, slams those who have achived something in their life and made some money out of it. Shame on you whoever you are.
[Edited 5/11/10 2:55am]

It's just really sick and tiring. Everyday I have to hear about some bullshit feud, a new diss track...And shit nowadays it's like any and everyone has nerve. Brooke Hogan goin in on Beyonce. Bitch who are you?

bboy87 said:

Yeah, he said "great artists don´t do that. They don´t have to do that."

God, I miss Mike.

She's hideous and releases the MOST utterly unlistenable, pretentious shit that I've ever heard. Her voice sounds like a cat about 3/4 of the way through it's 9th life.

Is this for real?? Those songs are shit.She's in no position to be dissing anyone,lol.

i'm still not sure what to think of all these people tearing into gaga.

why is everyone saying that her songs are dumb and simplistic?

ok, they sound 'easy' and catchy but that's not to say that she's not a
good songwriter.

watching her old and new clips on youtube, you can see that most of her
songs start out piano based and are actually very well written and quite
clever.

she's just chosen to produce them in a certain way. often performing the
songs in different, stripped down arrangements. so she can do both. be a
dance/pop singer and also a more stripped down piano/songwriter singer.

i still think there's a lot of envy and disgruntled feelings in those who
critique her like that. perhaps because they feel they work harder or got
better songs and yet don't get enough attention.

but who's fault is that? not gaga's. so they shouldn't be so quick to put
her down.

she's only got two albums worth of material out and i for one think she's
got a lot of life in her and is probably going to do some totally different
stuff on her next releases.

time will tell, i guess. but it's just sad to see so much venom coming from
her supposed colleagues when she's only had 1 (kinda 2 now) albums out and
is enjoying much success whilst doing something showy and 'different'.

IstenSzek said:

She's the new "it girl", she's hot right now, her name is on the tip of everyone's tongue. People will ultimately take shots. It's actually a compliment. If she was a nobody she wouldn't be mentioned day in and day out.

Madonna and Britney were able to survive well beyond 15 minutes, will Gaga surpass the honeymoon stage of her swift rise and still be relevant a decade from now? Time will tell but as long as everyone's on her dick it's wonderful.

dag said:

I miss him too, but sometimes it scares me that I'm forgetting how awesome he was, cause it hurts too much to really feel it and remember it like I'm emotionally blocked now after crying for 11 months daily.

And this joanna child sucks, Madonna and Gaga don't even do the type of music she does, so of course she's not going to like it.

SoulAlive said:

See, I was thinking the same thing, but I was gonna go for the "Her music isn't my taste" route..

MORE people on Gaga's dick???

Who's this stranger?

This is just a bad look. She doesn't gain any new fans by doing this.

ScarletScandal said:

Jealousy perhaps?? I think SO!