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How Pitchfork Struck a Note in Indie Music
Time ^ | 8/15/10 | Claire Suddath

Posted on 08/16/2010 6:03:53 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde

Big Boi isn't indie. Or is he? As one-half of the rap duo OutKast, he has sold some 18 million albums, won six Grammy Awards and appeared on more hit songs than even he can keep track of. Yet there he was on July 18 at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, playing alongside bands only a fraction as successful. As thousands of writhing, fist-pumping fans swarmed the main stage and climbed on top of fences to get a look at the hip-hop megastar, thousands more were across the park, stomping and dancing to the largely unknown noise-pop act Sleigh Bells (album sales: 47,000). That doesn't usually happen to Big Boi.

But this festival is hosted by Pitchfork Media, the online music magazine that in recent years has become a commanding authority within the indie-music scene. Over three days in July, 46 acts — ranging from the recently reunited 1990s rock band Pavement to the weird, raunchy Jamaican-inspired dance group Major Lazer — blew the collective minds of 54,000 people (average age: 27) in Chicago's unglamorous, nonlakefront Union Park. "Rock used to be one living cell," says Victoria Legrand, vocalist for the dreamy pop duo Beach House, which performed on the third day of the festival. "It was all grunge or all metal. But I'm glad it's not like that anymore. The cells are dividing."

The numbers back her up. U.S. album sales have dropped 38% in the past decade — but at the same time, there's more music out there than ever before. In 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan, 60,000 new albums were released in the U.S.; by 2009, the number had risen to almost 100,000.

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: bigmedia; chicago; dontbelievethehype; indie; marketing; music; pitchfork
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To: Mr. Blonde

>>I’m sure you’re aware Houses of the Holy came out after your arbitrary cutoff date.<<

It was in production... :)

OMG, U2? The first of the whine-sound bands. To sound that bad, they had to have MASSIVE nostrils.


21 posted on 08/16/2010 6:46:40 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (The frog who accepts a ride from a scorpion should expect a sting and the phrase "it is my nature.")
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To: Mr. Blonde

When Ice T showed up at the New Music Seminar in NYC, the NMS collapsed into a corporate sponsored toolfest for suits within 2 years.

On that timeframe, Pitchfork is probably toast.


22 posted on 08/16/2010 6:47:48 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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To: freedumb2003
Music died in 1972.

No, it was the introduction of that damn gramaphone. Used to be you could sit in the town square and listen to the oompah band and have a beer without any damn kids interfering. Then it all went to hell.

23 posted on 08/16/2010 6:50:11 PM PDT by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on it's own.)
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To: Mr. Blonde

I get all my new music from XMU (XM43), where I heard Sleigh Bells “Ring Ring” way before the album was released, and from my brother, whose fantastic gift to me every year is a compilation DVD of all the best indie songs of the year. Last year he handed me a DVD with 473 songs on it. I’ve discovered Phoenix, Santigold, Band of Horses, Japandroids and many other fine bands through those two sources. Anyone who discounts current music is both a fool and a curmudgeon....(I’m 46, BTW, and LOVE new music!)


24 posted on 08/16/2010 6:52:12 PM PDT by StrictTime (I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused.)
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To: freedumb2003
Poke around the forums of music production software like Cubase, or instrument racks like EastWest/Quantum Leap.

It's amazing what people are doing.

25 posted on 08/16/2010 6:53:48 PM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (Hail To The Fail-In-Chief)
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To: freedumb2003
Poke around the forums of music production software like Cubase, or instrument racks like EastWest/Quantum Leap.

It's amazing what people are doing.

26 posted on 08/16/2010 6:53:56 PM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (Hail To The Fail-In-Chief)
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To: Psycho_Bunny

I’ll look as you suggested — double posting problem tonight my FRiend?

(I have been there)


27 posted on 08/16/2010 6:57:51 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (The frog who accepts a ride from a scorpion should expect a sting and the phrase "it is my nature.")
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To: StrictTime

SO beofre music reaches XMU, it goes through the south by southwest music festival...
you can download the entire yearly sampler through bittorrent
...

http://sites.google.com/site/sxswtorrent/

NOTICE: ALL of the music on these torrents is free and legal to download for personal use.


28 posted on 08/16/2010 6:59:44 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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To: Mr. Blonde

With respect to Animal Collective, I challenge anybody here to listen to “Did You See The Words” ten times and if after hearing that song ten times, you are not a fan, then I’ll eat my hat.


29 posted on 08/16/2010 7:02:00 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (I am 11 days away from outliving Francis Gary Powers)
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To: Psycho_Bunny
Hey Ya

Not exactly representative of rap, but an Outkast song and huge, just checked it was on top of the charts for 9 weeks. It, however, doesn't feature Big Boi

Pitchfork's top single of the last decade was by Outkast as well, B.O.B. It does feature Big Boi.
30 posted on 08/16/2010 7:03:46 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: StrictTime

You should be getting a pretty good CD this year then. Lots of great albums as far as I’m concerned.

I don’t have satellite radio, that is one very good reason sites like pitchfork and stereogum are very useful.


31 posted on 08/16/2010 7:11:08 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: SamAdams76

I loved Peacebone the first time I heard it, and My Girls is awesome as well. I just can’t usually take full albums. And I’m pretty obsessive about listening all the way through.


32 posted on 08/16/2010 7:12:32 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: StrictTime

Yup. Lots of great new music out there. I like Pitchfork for finding good new stuff. Pitchfork Best New Music plus The Pirate Bay equals easy free downloads of the best new stuff.
Also the CIMS chart is good. Pitchfork does seem to be bending over backwards to include as much urban/rap as possible. Curren$y, The Dream and Big Boi are 3 of the last 5 Best New Music Albums.
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/best/albums/


33 posted on 08/16/2010 7:13:48 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: freedumb2003
Your post is blindingly incorrect on the facts.

Hip hop has an enormous catalogue. Not only have deluxe reissues of hip hop records from the 80s and 90s sold well, plenty of hip hop albums from those years remain in print.

Additionally, hip hop albums that have not been reissued - usually due to legal disputes between management and publishing companies - command hundreds of dollars apiece among collectors.

I understand that you lack the initiative to explore the genre - de gustibus non disputandum and all that - but the market for records spanning the 30+year history of hip hop remains quite strong to the level of people setting up new labels just to reissue these classic titles.

34 posted on 08/16/2010 7:18:17 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: wideawake
ah I feel sorry for you kids--it is not that I am old, but your music really does suck...No love anymore...no sweet tunes to hold your honey and squeeze..

Its bad enough that the Silvertones are going to be beating out My Generation on organ at the old folks home...but come on, Cannibal Corpse? SLipknot? Insane Clown Posse? Excuse me while I paint up my face so I can play this here guitar....

AND no, KISS sucked too...as well as another painted faced geeek that took the rock and roll stage...That includes LIttle Richard too...

Gimme some Clapton, or SRV, or some John Lee Hooker--hell those boys didn't have to paint their faces to bang out a tune.

Heck, even "Sticks" McGee or Layfette "Thing" Thomas could run strings around today's so called musicans....

35 posted on 08/16/2010 11:27:28 PM PDT by abigkahuna (Step on up folks and see the "Strange Thing" only a thin dollar, babies free)
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To: abigkahuna
Cannibal Corpse, Slipknot and Insane Clown Posse are about as representative of the current music scene as the Fugs were of the 60s. The names you mention are cartoon bands for cartoon people.

No love anymore? No sweet tunes?

Clearly you haven't heard artists like The Very Best or The Essex Green. Listen to "Julia" by the former or "Rue de Lis" by the latter and then get back to me.

36 posted on 08/17/2010 4:49:21 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: abigkahuna; wideawake

No one from any time is “running strings” around Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa or Robert Randolph to name but a few.

Cannibal Corpse, Slipknot and Insane Clown Posse are incredibly poor examples of today’s music. ICP is more a joke than anything else to most people.


37 posted on 08/17/2010 5:10:12 AM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: Psycho_Bunny
Oh, please. There’s a lot of brilliant music being written...you just have to know where to look.

Right. Start by never turning on the radio again.

38 posted on 08/17/2010 5:15:57 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch (I can explain it to you. I can't understand it for you.)
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To: LS

Looks very cool.


39 posted on 08/17/2010 5:17:41 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch (I can explain it to you. I can't understand it for you.)
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To: Mr. Blonde
"In the end, though music can be brilliant at times, the whole medium comes off as derivative of Pavement."

Classic...

40 posted on 08/17/2010 5:20:11 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch (I can explain it to you. I can't understand it for you.)
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