Pitchfork has finally become a teenager. Over the years we’ve watched it’s slow but gradual evolution. We remember what kind of baby it was, how it would wax poetic over Radiohead’s “Kid A” album, giving it a high score alongside some creative writing project. People found it new, exciting, and rewarding to read. How innocent it was. All that innocence is now lost.
Now Pitchfork watches itself grow up, reaching adolescence. They have hair in new places, including Chicago and New York (Brooklyn specifically, obviously). After spending so many years in the US, they want to move out in the world. Paris will host their first international festival. Later, in a few more years they’ll go over there for a study abroad project yet spend most of that time hanging out with other American-based music review sites such as Tiny Mix Tapes. One or two British music review sites will join them occasionally but will never be accepted as a ‘full friend’ rather as a ‘guy to hang out with on a day trip into London’.
Life as a teenager can be tough. Pitchfork knows this well. This summer has been particularly hard on it. I’ve seen hardly any “Best New Music” this year. Most albums seem to be just ‘meh’ to them. I wonder if they even enjoy music anymore. Going through hundreds of albums each and every day must be challenging. After a while, can you appreciate good music for simply being good, or are you finding yourself critically evaluating every last detail of a sound. Can a site enjoy music anymore once it become attuned to every album’s positive and negative attributes. I pray to whatever music god is out there that such a fate never befalls me. So far I’ve avoided the ‘burned out taste maker’ syndrome. However I have heard a lot of stories of it happening.
I‘m worried about you Pitchfork. Before I thought you were too enthusiastic. Now I feel you’re getting into your glum teenage years. Will anything meet your expectations anymore? Your love of ‘chillwave’ is the only thing connecting your to a more optimistic future. Otherwise you’ve been flirting with darker music. More Goth and Industrial might become your style, along with Punk Rock as you rebel against your internet parents. Guess you got burned out by the whole “assign categorical numbers to albums in the hope that others will avoid critical thinking” game. Music criticism isn’t an easy game, I’ve been there, done that.
Think about where you’re going in life. Would Ryan Schreiber approve of this attitude? Ryan started Pitchfork as a boy-faced record store employee. Out of boredom he created his lovechild with the internet. You alone have a unique and worthwhile perspective on music culture. Don’t take that for granted. Understand your mom (internet) and dad (Ryan) care about you very much. They only want what’s best for you, for you to follow your muse towards greater and greater cultural awareness.
While you turn 15 I congratulate you on a successful run. Most blogs (particularly music blogs) simply run out of steam after a while. Resigned the creator of said blogs goes on to do bigger and better things. Less commonly the blog expands to such a large degree it no longer experiences true joy anymore. The latter case is yours. Now that you’re so big can you appreciate good music or is there some kind of “committee system” that chisels away at genuine affection for music in exchange for a bland, studied uniform agreement.
Hope that’s not the case. Happy Birthday Pitchfork!
