Pitchfork

Pitchfork Media. Hordes of hipsters, hipster wannabe's, music lovers and scenesters visit the site everyday including me (I'm not sure what category I fall in). Everyday the site's influence on music and the music industry gets stronger and stronger. But how credible is the site? Who made them the ultimate authority in music taste?

If you read the site you know the formula for a good album according to Pitchfork. One part indie, plus one part creative, plus one part weirdo divided by the amount of hipster cred you will lose if it is a "major" band. A sure fire way to get a good review is to have all three of the elements above plus be some completely unheard of Japanese Noise Funk Screamo Art House band where all of the lyrics are in a special backwards speak that only the band understands. Or be Radiohead. Radiohead could record an hour of the band butchering chickens and pitchfork would give it a 9.2.

Now I will admit that I have found some great music because of the site. There are A LOT of bands out there that put out amazing music that goes unheard. As sites like Pitchfork gain influence they gain power to bring truly great music to a larger audience. But lately I feel like they are squandering it on stuff that's just plain odd and difficult.

I will let the site speak for itself. Here are albums that pitchfork collectively raves about like soccer moms with Bon Jovi. These were their top 3 albums of 2006.

3. Joanna Newsom - Vs. Weird music, eccentric vocals, dreadful "fairytale" lyrics. Sounds like another winner folks! I like music. I am not an elitist, but when most people look at my music collection their eye's glaze over and confusion sets in. That being said, I am convinced that there is no way that anyone actually enjoyed this album on a musical level. They liked it because of the scene they are in, or because pitchfork told them to.

2. Tv On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain. No Matter what this band does, they love it. Not only do they love it, they worship it, sacrifice small mammals to it and swear eternal allegiance to the afro. The truth is, this band is weird for the sake of weird. Breaking no ground that's worth breaking or that is interesting. Rather than PROGRAM a drum machine I could randomly hit buttons and call it a song, but that doesn't make it provocative...it makes it pretentious and weird.

1. The Knife - Silent Shout. I will be honest. I don't mind this band, but #1 Album of the year for 2006? Please. This is a kinda weird, abstract electronic band that is interesting but "Silent Shout" should MAYBE only crack the top 30 albums of 2006. If you are a scene kid who likes X, this blew your mind otherwise you heard it and went, "huh, interesting. Why is the voice so strange?"

I used to be a slave to pitchfork. If they said an album was good I would download it and listen to it over and over again to try and "get" it. But my eyes have been opened, the chains have fallen from my hands and the shackles are at my feet. Music is personal, if YOU like it, who cares what pitchfork says? That being said, I will visit the site tomorrow and everyday this week. Don't want to fall behind on what's hip..you know?