Latebar to hand out ‘Lucky Clovers’

It has always been tradition NOT to give away stars for albums or gigs when we review things at Latebar. But, as some of you may have noticed we begun handing out ‘lucky 4-leaf clovers’. The reason for this is based in a sad trend, spreading across media world wide.

Still fewer journos review and write about music

We love music! No surprise in that. However, it seems we apparently love it more than today’s news media. Still fewer new albums, upcoming artists and live events are covered by traditional media outlets, who only seem to occupy themselves with reader-friendly fights against contemporary superstars over the right to control the written word and the photos taken at events.

That is just so stupid – and both sides are to blame, really!

Latebar wishes to acknowledge struggling artists

For 99.9% of professional musicians and artists, writing, recording and playing music is a job that requires colossal effort and endless hours (often years) of practicing – usually with no or very little pay.

At the same time they experience still more greedy streaming services and ticket-handling agencies pillage their artistic product for their own gain, appearing to have dwindling respect for the artist or the massive work, that was put into making it in the first place.

These artists deserve so much better.

This is the reason for Latebar solely covering arts and music ‘that moves us personally‘. We not only wish to praise the result, but show appreciation of the work and process of creating art. This is also why we often pick up on artists who wouldn’t otherwise get any press coverage.

And since reviews (good or bad) for upcoming artists are still harder to get, we chose to change our policy of not granting stars. We still do not hand out stars, though… To us you are ALL stars. Instead Latebar search for and share 4-leaf clovers…

Why clovers?

Clovers are all about luck (and Metallica)

So why not stars, you might ask. The reason for this is quite obvious, when you think about it this way:

Luck is a tremendous part of music today.

As described above, we have likely never had a more dedicated and hard-working generation of musicians. That is at least a fact in Scandinavia, where music training in public schools are cut back to a minimum. This leaves young music lovers with self-financed training after school hours.

But it gets even worse.

Because, never have they had to struggle more to break through the barrier to the few remaining (and gate-keeping) giant labels, and never has it been harder to get reviews by the few music editors left in the fistful of media, still covering and curating music news.

New not-yet-established artists are left with Social Media, while streaming services lurk along the road side for whatever spawns into some easy-to-pick coins, it seems. At the same time consumers get force fed more of the same, as the streaming algorithms are set to optimize profits.

In so many words, it resembles a city with only fastfood restaurants. It may look slightly different – but it is only burgers and chips.

Or… like laying in the grass desperately searching for a 4-leaf clover.

Inspiration to hand out clovers

There is probably not a more generous, embracing, and charitable rock band in the world today than American giants, Metallica. Latebar especially loves the “All Within My Hands Foundation” created and run by the band, created to help people who struggle to get by and through the day.

One of the 4-leaf clover’s (pardon the pun) most iconic and epic serenades is about a particularly fatiguing and rather depression-triggering clover – the ‘No Leaf Clover‘.

Inspired by Metallica’s work – both in music and in charity – Latebar henceforth awards luck-bringing 4-leaf clovers to honor musicians and artists and – from our hearts – to wish them ‘Good Luck’.

Keep it up and never stop creating art, please!