Readers Write: Philly Becomes The Site Of World’s-First As Pitchfork Writer Apologizes To Local Musician
While the case has been mounting for an apparent bias against Philadelphia bands at Pitchfork Media on and off for months now (they’re a slippery gang, oh and also, nobody cares), we believe we have seen a first today here at Philebrity. Hot on the heels of two nearly universally critically revered local albums of note receiving mid-5’s on the site — The A-Sides and BC Camplight, respectively — there appears to be a crack in the site’s sexless, angry record store clerk veneer. Read on, as a local musician tells the unlikely tale of having a Pitchfork staffer apologize for how his record was assessed on the waningly-popular-and-rightly-so online indie bible. Says the local:
I think this has to be a first in the history of pitchfork. I was forwarded an apology from a writer . His coworker apparently reviewed my record yesterday…..semi-unfavorably. This writer told me my record made the top twelve of the year from two writers and he wanted to let me know my review didn’t reflect the majority opinion. I thought this was funny and actually quite satisfying knowing that not everyone at that site is an insecure, balding lonely hipster dufus who exaggerates his flimsy opinions because his first (and probably last) girlfriend told him he was never gonna be important. Not being laid in 15 years angers up the blood….and apparently you end up seeking and destroying killer bands who get that elusive tail (A-Sides).
wanted to let you know that the current pitchfork review is not representative…..fuck that…is in total contrast to the general opinion of the record office wide. Although many of us would like to slap him in the nuts everyone is entitled to write what they desire. Please don’t post this on your myspace but I did want you and the band to know what’s down.
Well, if that don’t beat all. There may be no crying in baseball, but apparently, indie rock means always having to say you’re sorry.
Previously: Musical Rumblings: Command Performances!
January 17th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Fuck Yeah. Let’s here it for the boyz.
January 17th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
They gave that Last Ryan Adams record a 2.1. Wait…who did they apologise to, BC camplight?
January 17th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Pitchfork certainly has questionable tastes, but they don’t seem to biased against Philly to me. Our musicians have gotten plenty of love over the years. I’m sure it feels rough to see a mediocre review, but them’s the ropes. The reviewer in this case was just writing HIS review. It could have gone the other direction with a rave of praise and you’d surely have the other side of the fence calling foul. Pitchfork should do a feature on what crybabies Philly musicians seem to be!
January 17th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I call hoax! Just cuz it’s what I do sometimes.
January 17th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
man. this really is the sound of one hand clapping. i wonder how all the hard working, completely overlooked bands in philly who can’t even get a mention on philebrity in the first place, much less a pitchfork review, feel about something like this. is this, like, gawker criticizing defamer for misappriating some information on some half celebrity? when favoritism calls out favoritism, which is, in this case, based purely upon the provinicial opinion of a city’s blog, does saying sorry even fucking matter? opinions are not facts. unless you’re hanging with the people from the 700 where for the sake of avoiding argument, you make believe they are. the only thing factual about opinions is that they most certainly are not truths.
January 17th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
what about the anti-philly bias in philly? the problem with this town is how we justify things by what people from other places think. look at last week’s music issue of the weekly. even though they covered some great bands, each article justified itself by saying that these bands are worth checking out because someone from someone else cares about them. each profile was “they got signed to this label” or “pitchfork liked them”.
January 17th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Philebrity is writing about the expiration dates of Pitchfork and a local messageboard? What alternate universe is this? I remember this episode, it’s the one where Philebrity jumps the shark!
As for Pitchfork… those folks rave about a bunch of hip-hop and DJ’s from this city, as well as a ton of indie rock. When you compare the accolades of Philly versus Minneapolis (feel free to insert another “indie” city there), we do pretty well.
Anyways, I think they were justified on giving BC & the Asides poor reviews. I’ve seen drink coasters with more personality!
January 18th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Better watch out! Telling insecure bands that they’re not the Next Big Thing can cause severe emotional damage, as seen above. Matters of taste = a conspiracy! Those lines are tapped…
January 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
katy, admittedly I am a huge Camplight fan and can go on and on about how much I disagree with you. But the point is your ALL missing the point. This story isn’t about a local dude crying because his record wasn’t given a ten. The story is that Pitchfork put his record in the fucking top 50 of the year….an album that hasn’t seen anything under 4 stars all year. Then someone from the same site that just put him in the top 50 gives him a mediocre review…..then they apologise for it. That’s a pretty interesting story. It’s been a while since someone has come along with that kind of talent and yes (misinformed katy p) PERSONALITY. I’m glad he stuck it to pitchfork…it’s something most of you wouldn’t do because you might not look as hip at Johnny Brenda’s.