Comments on: Not news to anyone…Rolling Stone blows

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:01:14 +0000

Just need to vent but not worthy of a blog by itself. But some of the writers at pitchfork are on crack. I’m actually going to go out and buy a real CD for the first time in 2 years and read the review on pitchfork. Sometimes I think they just need to stick it to good bands just cuz they have nothing better to do.

The cd I’m going to buy is Wilco’s Sky blue Sky

By: Scissorhands

Scissorhands — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 06:35:44 +0000

It seems we all have similar experiences with Rolling Stone. I too, had a subsrciption when I was in college in the early 90’s. At some point I realized I was reading less and less of each issue. A couple a years ago, my well-meaning sister gave a subscription for X-mas. Except for the occasional political article, most were recycled unread. (The hip hop issue of 2005 did have a great article about the investigation of Biggie’s murder.)

I have kind of a love-hate relationship with music journalism and criticism. I spend a lot of time reading it, occasionally I’m guilty of it, but think it’s kind of stupid. I had a subscription to CMJ for a while, but didn’t feel like renewing when it ended. I currently have a subsciption to Seattle Sound which is sometimes okay, and sometimes not.

As for Pitchfork, I like their news coverage and I read their reviews to see what they have to say, but don’t take much stock in them. When they were less well-known, they didn’t seem so stingy with high ratings. Now they seem more cynical. (I highly recommend reading the review for At the Drive-In’s ‘Relationship of Command’ album. It’s formatted as a debate between Al Gore and George W.)

I too am tired of the “Decline of the CD” stories. And while the Towers and Sam Goodys keep closing, the Sonic Booms, Easy Streets and Greywhales (a Utah chain) seem to be doing just fine.

By: Jared

Jared — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:50:04 +0000

I know about Pitchfork media…but only really for music reviews and the occassional interview with people who can’t really get interviewed anywhere else…I just don’t know too much about the layout of the site.

The internet would be way cooler with no flashy graphics and only reams of information…and that’s not really joking.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:34:26 +0000

hey, you should check out pitchforkmedia.com then … I didn’t get if you’ve heard of them or not from your comment above….

By: Jared

Jared — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:17:10 +0000

Sadly, the only music page I frequent (other than for reviews) is Rolling Stone…I don’t really know how that works out since I don’t listen to anything they review…

Reviews are sensitive thing…I’m basically addicted to music criticism. And lately it’s been getting me into troubled waters, investing $50 into lousy freak-folk records from the MidWest because the review sounded really cool and then the music is some stoned out dudes who probably had a lot of fun making the music but it’s not much of a listening experience.

I think I’ve only really used the SubPop page to see when the Bible Stud single was released…

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:08:21 +0000

OH & regarding Pitchfork … if you are a follower… did you ever see how Subpop Records re-skinned their site to mimic pitchfork? It was hilarious — goes along with how you have to take a grain of salt with some of their reviews (I think).

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:05:18 +0000

Well put Jared. I used to be a rolling stone subscriber when I was in college and that was like, uh, early 90s. I thought I was so cool and in on up and coming music b/c of RS! I can’t even look at the magazine anymore. It makes me gag. I only rely on them for a movie review .

I was totally infatuated for a while with Pitchfork. I would look up every CD I bought to see what they had to say — some times having to take a grain of salt with their reviews. Late last year, Wire Magazine wrote a cool article (check it out) Nowadays, I peruse their site to see what they have to say. Here’s one of my favorite reviews.