Pitchforkmedia

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 21 February 2010

Anyone else share my curious fascination with Pitchforkmedia, and specifically the album reviews?

Considering it it a website that reviews a fair amount of music that I like it also seems to revel in delivering lambasting reviews completely against the stream of general critical opinion. New Midlake 3.6/10, Mumford + Sons 2.2/10 for example.

....and yet I still get something out of reading even these shockers. I actually rather like what appears to be a degree of wilful perversity and independence. I have also noticed that I've rarely bought something they rate really highly and been totally dissapointed.

So I'll keep dipping in, and keep laughing at some of the review writing, and keep enjoying the Midlake album!

Anyone else use this as a source for new music?

Bruce
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Voltaire
I had never heard of it Bruce but I will be checking it out for sure!

Gordon
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Bruce Woodhouse
quote:
Originally posted by Voltaire:
I had never heard of it Bruce but I will be checking it out for sure!

Gordon


Excellent. That was one reason why I posted the link. It has been around for ages I think. To get an idea what floats their boat check the year end 'Best of' list.

Bruce
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by droodzilla
Yes, I know Pitchfork. They've been keen advocates of Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom and the like, in the past. My interest in rock/pop is fairly limited these days, but its one of the places I'd go to "get down with the kids" if the mood took me.

Another site I enjoy is boomkat (Googel it!) which covers some of the same territiry but spreads the net wider to include releases from labels like ECM, Rune Grammophon, etc.
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Lontano
metacritic can be good as well as it brings a lot of published reviews together in one place and gives an overall average.
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Diccus62
Yeah I use it occasionally, keeps you up to date with some innovative music comin out. The guys at NPR's all songs considered joke about Pichforks inconsistencies with their ratings. they also run a festival if I recall which sounds lively
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Martin M
quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Woodhouse:
Anyone else share my curious fascination with Pitchforkmedia, and specifically the album reviews?

Considering it it a website that reviews a fair amount of music that I like it also seems to revel in delivering lambasting reviews completely against the stream of general critical opinion. New Midlake 3.6/10, Mumford + Sons 2.2/10 for example.



Bruce,

I actually tend to agree with their reviews i.e I don't like Mumford & Sons or the Midlake, but I do like the new Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beach House and Owen Pallett records. I'm also simpatico with their views on Miles Davis - IMO his best album is Get Up With It.

Gideon Coe's show on Radio 6 can be expensive too.

Martin
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Bruce Woodhouse
Lontano

Point taken about Metacritic but what I actually like about Pitchforkmedia is that it is not aggregated but one opinion; usually well written, decently informative and well argued. they tend to come off the fence and are not always respecful of reputation or hype. Just because I don't always agree does not mean I don't like reading them.


Bruce
Posted on: 23 February 2010 by matt podniesinski
I check out pitchfork regularly though it does make me feel singularly unhip when I don't recognize most of the bands. A good way to hear about music I would not otherwise know about.