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Jim DeRogatis

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James "Jim" DeRogatis (born 1964 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American music critic. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as Spin, Guitar World and Modern Drummer. He is also the Pop Music Critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. He often tries to separate himself from other music critics by promoting bands that have not yet become widely popular, but are close to doing so.

In 1982 while a senior in high school at Hudson Catholic Regional High in Jersey City, New Jersey, Derogatis famously conducted one of the last known interviews with notorious rock critic Lester Bangs two weeks before his untimely death of a drug overdose. This encounter would later serve as the beginning and inspiration for DeRogatis's Lester Bangs biography "Let it Blurt," as well as a turning point in his journey towards his eventual career as a respected rock critic and radio personality.

From 1995-96, DeRogatis served as an editor at Rolling Stone magazine, but was fired after writing a negative review of Hootie & the Blowfish's album Fairweather Johnson. The review irked Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner who had it pulled from publication. DeRogatis's employment with the magazine was terminated after he revealed this incident to the public.

Among other things, DeRogatis' writing is known for its apparent biases towards Chicago, including Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill, Steve Albini, Kanye West, Common and Fall Out Boy; and his annoyance at bands which continue to charge high ticket prices while performing live in large venues as they age, including U2, R.E.M and the Rolling Stones.

DeRogatis also hosts Sound Opinions with fellow music critic Greg Kot. The radio talk show is heard Friday nights at 8PM CST on Chicago Public Radio (91.5 FM WBEZ Chicago, WBEZ 89.6 FM Chesteron, and WBEQ 90.7 FM Morris) which is also re-broadcast weekly as a popular podcast. The program is one of the longest running talk radio shows focusing exclusively on rock music with stints on both Chicago's WXRT and an early incarnation on Q101 featuring Bill Wyman from the Chicago Reader in place of Greg Kot. The move to Chicago Public Radio took place on December 3, 2005.

Realising that time had taken its toll and his opinions were no longer relevent, seen by many as a throwback from a bygone age, and knowing that no publicity is bad publicity DeRogatis gained more notoriety after Ryan Adams left an angry message on his answering machine. It was in response to a scathing review DeRogatis gave of an Adams show, and in particular the critic's dismissive comparison of the singer-songwriter's talents to those of Wilco frontman (and Chicago icon) Jeff Tweedy. Following the model by which he launched his career, namely hanging onto the coat-tails of one more talented than he himself he has sucured his place in history alongside many other embittered hacks.

"Adams can release three CDs in a three-week span, but the fact remains that he still can't write one song as original or as heartfelt as anything by Jeff Tweedy."

"Absent an historical musical context or a functioning b.s. detector, it is possible to mistake Adams for being as talented and clever as he thinks he is. But then there are plenty of people who can't tell the difference between plastic flowers and real ones, until they bend over to take a whiff."

"The fans (who skewed younger than Adams) ate it all up, but you had to suspect that it was because they'd never seen the real Courtney, much less the Replacements or even Wilco."

"Note to Ryan Adams: Wish you were anywhere but here"

DeRogatis plays drums in the indie rock band Vortis. He previously played in the bands the Ex-Lion Tamers (Wire cover band), Airlines and Speed the Plough. Vortis has released two albums and a third is due to be released soon. After hearing his music it is easier to see why he chooses to be so scathing in his critic of Ryan Adams suffering a condition akin to a napoleanesque 'small man' complex, this terminology seems particularly apt given his petty approach to his reviews.

Books by DeRogatis

  • Let it Blurt : The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America's Greatest Rock Critic, Broadway Books, 2000
  • Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the '90s, Da Capo Press, 2003
  • Turn On Your Mind : Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock, Hal Leonard Publishing Co, 2003
  • Kill Your Idols: A New Generation Of Rock Writers Reconsiders The Classics, Da Capo Press, 2004
  • Staring at Sound: The True Story of Oklahoma’s Fabulous The Flaming Lips, Broadway Books, 2006
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