Friday, April 11, 2008
Pitchfork is now big in biz of music TV
Ralph Berrier
Riffs, the regional music scene as heard by The Roanoke Times reporter Ralph Berrier, will appear weekly on Sundays.
Recent columns
Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll ... on the Web.
Artist: Pitchforkmedia.com
Title: PitchforkTV
[Pitchforkmedia, 2008]
Rating: 7.8
OK, so much for my impersonation of a Pitchfork review. Despite my well-known proclivities toward sarcasm and cheekiness, I lack the necessary snarkitude to maintain a Pitchforkian satire for the full length of a column.
Plus, I don't know how to use words like "recombinatory" (an actual word that appeared in a recent Pitchfork review; it's not in the dictionary), although I am capable of inventing words like "snarkitude," which sounds like the kind of word you'd see in a Pitchfork review.
A little background here (another proclivity of mine is that I tend to appeal to readers of a certain demographic that like to reminisce about vinyl items and 1980s college rock): Pitchfork, of course, is the online Web 'zine officially known as PitchforkMedia.com that covers independent music, from rock to techno to alt-country to hip-hop. Famous for its lengthy, wonkish album reviews that employ decimals in their rankings, Pitchfork has evolved from the primordial ooze of the mid-'90s Web to become a major player in the indie-rock biz, attracting about 300,000 users a day.
The site is credited with boosting the careers of independent artists that include Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah, Feist and other performers either ignored by or defiant toward major record labels.
If you haven't heard of any of those folks, I sympathize. Being over 30 stinks.
Now an established brand, Pitchfork is branching out in the biz. Site traffic hasn't been growing lately, the backlash against wimpy indie-rockers who make albums in their parents' basements has crested and other media, including other 'zines and satellite radio, have usurped some of Pitchfork's authority and coolness. It's also become lampoonable, which is what happens when you become a brand.
The best Pitchfork satire was published by, naturally, The Onion, which reported last year that "Pitchfork Gives Music a 6.8."
So, what's a former upstart to do to keep from becoming the Rolling Stone of the Internet? It becomes the MTV of the Internet, of course. Pitchfork isn't putting TV on the Radio (another band the site helped break), but instead is putting TV on the Web.
PitchforkTV launched this week with its collection of about 90 music video projects. The site is intriguing, to say the least.
Radiohead contributed a live performance for PitchforkTV's debut. Music videos are available from the likes of Xiu Xiu, Will Oldham, Puppy Haters, Caribou, Band of Horses and other indie darlings so cool that you've never heard of them -- and, in fact, one of them is so cool they don't even exist -- along with interviews and live performances.
The best thing about PitchforkTV, this week anyway, is the one-week-only showing of the documentary "loudQUIETloud," which chronicles the Pixies' troubled and triumphant 2006 reunion tour.
Will PitchforkTV change the music business forever? Um, no. Despite its hip cachet, indie-rock is still a niche genre. After my initial excitement over PitchforkTV on Day One, I found myself thinking about it less on Day Two. How many times a day do I need to see the Thermals perform on a roof? Who do they think they are? The Beatles?
Nevertheless, the site gives voice -- a singing voice, at that -- to the performers Pitchfork has pitched for years. It's worth a listen ... and a look-see. If I've seen a music site more deserving of a 7.8 rating, I can't remember it.
TimeslandTV
Turns out PitchforkTV isn't that original after all. We've featured live performances of local bands at roanoke.com for a couple of years. Check out blogs.roanoke.com/musiccast/. This week's featured artist is the Seed, a two-time winner in The Roanoke Times Music Poll, now relocating to Washington, D.C. Nearly 40 other local artists are featured.
Cut 'n' scratch
Amphitheaters, club shows and Toby Keith and Wayman Tisdale buddy up to cover Barry White. It's all on the music blog -- blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/.
