for those of you defending PItchfork

[johansen smith]

I bet you feel pretty stupid now. bitching about Digipaks? insulting the album at least 4 times in a single featurette? ooooh, how hip (http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/03-03/17.shtml).

[Arkady]

I will never quite understand where this hatred for Pitchfork comes from.

This news article, as with any review on the site, represents one person's opinion. One person. Unleash your venom on that one writer, not the site as a whole.

And I enjoy taking shots at the Fork as much as anyone. But it's all in jest. I owe a good chunk of my record collection to the exposure given by those guys. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

[johansen smith]

it is the decision of the site to post that "News" article, not just one person's sneaky infiltration of their opinion.

[bitterfruit]

Don't get me started.

[Seneschal Gox]

All their news stories are smarmy and smart-assed. ALL of them. Why are you still reading it? Go back to cuddling your plush Malkmus doll.

[onedeadjet]

Sometimes Pitchfork pisses me off. I take it with a grain of salt. I don't harbor resentments against the site or even specific writers. I chuckle more often than I foam at the mouth when I go there.

I agree, sometime they're not quite as successful as they think when they try to playfully take the piss out of someone, but it's refreshing to read a review site that's not in subservient awe of everyone with a record contract.

All in all, I like Pitchfork quite a bit.

[bitterfruit]

Originally posted by onedeadjet
I agree, sometime they're not quite as successful as they think when they try to playfully take the piss out of someone, but it's refreshing to read a review site that's not in subservient awe of everyone with a record contract.




Reminds me of your review of Cat Power recently. You could learn from your own words. You were not playful at all when you unnecessarily berated Chan.

[onedeadjet]

...I read somewhere that Chan likes the Jesus Lizard. It's a good thing she doesn't try to sound like it.

[tinobeat]

Sure, pitchfork's fulla shit, but they're FUNNY, and still more informative than most daily-updated indie sites out there, so relax.

I don't feel required to only endorse publications that I agree 100% with.

[onedeadjet]

And whoever made the point about diehard fans making horrible reviewers due to lack of objectivity had a point.

[bitterfruit]

Being playful is one thing. Being an asshole is another.

[onedeadjet]

define being an asshole

objectively, if you can

[bitterfruit]

Read your fine review of Cat Power in the Idaho, Iowa, or Dakota University Tribune or whatever it was and you'll see what the definition of asshole is.

[onedeadjet]

I think maybe the most negative thing I said was 'to call it disappointing would be to limit your vocabulary.'

The way you talk you'd think I dumped a bucket of pigs blood on her at one of her concerts. I gave it a negative review. Whoopty fuck. Do you call every reviewer (and ah reckon you'd best be includin' them city folk reviewers, too) you disagree with an asshole?

[hstencil]

maybe that'd be true if they didn't fuck up the facts. I could give a fuck about their opinions, but they mangle basic facts day in and day out. Today's fuckup: "Astral Collapse" by Angus MacLise is not a 3CD set.

[bitterfruit]

Originally posted by onedeadjet
I think maybe the most negative thing I said was 'to call it disappointing would be to limit your vocabulary.'

The way you talk you'd think I dumped a bucket of pigs blood on her at one of her concerts. I gave it a negative review. Whoopty fuck. Do you call every reviewer (and ah reckon you'd best be includin' them city folk reviewers, too) you disagree with an asshole?

Playful. Nevermind. I get it.

[johansen smith]

Originally posted by hstencil
maybe that'd be true if they didn't fuck up the facts. I could give a fuck about their opinions, but they mangle basic facts day in and day out. Today's fuckup: "Astral Collapse" by Angus MacLise is not a 3CD set.

Pitchfork also reported on a Portishead album coming out this month that doesn't even exist. do you see them correcting that mistake? no.

[bitterfruit]

I bet the fuckup has something to do with the fact that Portastatic has a record coming out in April.

Our boys at Merge will likely have a good year for releases as well.

[johansen smith]

my favortie Pitchfork screw-up of all time was when they referred to Spoon's last album as Bring It, the old title for Kill the Moonlight, about two weeks before the album was released. it was as thought hey didn't even bother to go to Merge's site, where they had a big write up on the new album, complete with "new" title.

[onedeadjet]

Not that I'm trying to defend the 'Fork on this one, but the Maclise thing is an editorial fuck up. In the review, the guy refers to Astral Collapse as the third disc in a series of rarities releases. Obviously, the guy sent in his piece, some editor wasn't really paying attention when he wrote the refer, and erroneously assumed it was the third disc of the set the reviewer was referring to.

But what's a good reviewer if the editors fuck the presentation up?

[hstencil]

surely editors should read the pieces they edit?

[onedeadjet]

Ideally that's how it works.

If the Pitchfork kids do scour the boards here, I'm sure that writer is mighty pissed at his editor, who he probably hasn't even met face to face. That's gotta be a frustrating thing.

[threelobed]

i read the page once a week to mostly scour their various compiled tour dates. as far as "news" goes, why bother when it's all recycled from various press kits or from other websites. there's not a scrap of originality on the whole damn page. but, if it floats your boat, go with it. there are many better sites out there.

and to whoever said that they don't eternally pander to the labels, explain the (legendary and) painfully praising radiohead reviews that they hand out right and left.

[Seneschal Gox]

What about the painfully praising review of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, rating it a 10--which is surely not label idolatry--and then following up with self-conscious grousing about how the band's label problems seemed to have the cloying odor of an elaborate publicity stunt?

Truly, Pitchfork is conflicted to the extreme. At least they're still selling the plush Malkmus dolls and the Spiral Stairs Play-Doh Barbershop.