Clik here to view.
Every Second of Kanye's "All Day": A Staff Roundtable
At the moment, every marginal Kanye West activity feels like a full-blown event, albeit one that is usually trying to get you to buy $350 sneakers. Yesterday, Kanye performed a new song called "All...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mixdown: PeeWee Longway, OG Maco, Johnny May Cash
Welcome to Mixdown, an ongoing series where Pitchfork staffers and contributors talk about mixtapes, mixes, and other beat-based ephemera that may not be covered in our reviews section but are worth...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shake Appeal: A Trash Rock Spectacular
It's the latest Shake Appeal, Evan Minsker's garage/punk/psychedelic/etc. music round-up. Here at the start of 2015, there's been a lot of quality trash rock. (Some of which was written about in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who Said It: God or Kanye?
Photo by Erez AvissarKanye West is known as one of the greatest rappers and producers. He’s also known to make grandiose statements. His statements, while many interpret them as inspirational, are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text Messages: Song Lyrics as Music’s New Digital Battleground
A few years back, the ever-contentious lyrics-annotation startup Rap Genius instituted what it called a "blog affiliate program." In exchange for bloggers posting links to individual Rap Genius song...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Op-Ed: Can't We Just Listen?
Photo by Ron Wolfson/LandovGrowing up a music-loving child before the digital age could be tricky. There were no aggregators, big-time curation was handled by the likes of Jann Wenner, and actually...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Moments in the Void: A Diary of UK DIY
March 1st. The strips of light that spill into my bedroom through gaps between the curtains feel discernibly warm for the first time in five months. The residue of yesterday’s hangover lingers in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Immaculate Self-Conception: Kim Gordon, Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein on...
Image via InstagramThe female image has long been a central, divisive aspect of popular culture, and the increasing ubiquity of Instagram has changed public perception of female music icons in complex,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Notes From Sleater-Kinney First-Timers
GIF via Lars Gotrich/NPRSleater-Kinney's decade-long hiatus means that many fans catching the No Cities to Lovetour are seeing the band's iconic live show for the very first time—including Pitchfork...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Going to Shows When You Have a Disability
When I go out, I hope no one notices.There’s a show tonight and I want to go. I’ve been to this place before. I know what I’m about to put myself through. I take all the preparation I need and make the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Really, Really Roundtable: Appraising the New Carly Rae Jepsen Single
A week ago, critically beloved/strangely polarizing Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen released "I Really Like You", and over the weekend she released the video starring Tom Hanks (from that volleyball...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Robert Christgau's New Memoir
Photo by Joe MabelCritic and editor Robert Christgau has been there from the very beginning, notoriously (and/or jokingly) referring to himself as the Dean of American Rock Critics since the early...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Return of M.I.A. Round-Up
Video portrait by Erik SanchezA few days ago, M.I.A. dropped her first new track since 2013. "CanSeeCanDo" was posted up on her Soundcloud on Friday and, this being M.I.A., everyone has an opinion on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The AACM Collective Turns 50 (With Its Radical Creativity Intact)
Before he moved to New York and became a key drummer in Miles Davis’ powerful electric lineup, circa Bitches Brew, Jack DeJohnette played drums all over Chicago in the early 1960s. This was the same...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Night With Jimmy Whispers
Photo by Todd DiederichOn a recent Chicago evening, Jimmy Whispers was standing outside Weegee’s Lounge. He comes to the Logan Square dive often, primarily to play shuffleboard. It’s why he was there....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Drake and the Problem with Aging Rappers
On the day before Valentine’s Day 2015, Drake told the world "If I die I’m a legend." As it was, he was probably right. With If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake broke the record for the number...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You Can’t Put a Hashtag on Success: The Battle to Be Atlanta’s Hottest Dance
A six-second video can change one’s life. In 2013, Vine, the social media app, helped propel the minor California hits "Red Nose" and "Gas Pedal" by Sage the Gemini and "My Nigga" by YG into the Hot...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Bechdel Test for Music
Thirty years ago, cartoonist Alison Bechdel published "The Rule" in her syndicated comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. Adapted from an anecdote one of her friends told her, Bechdel had unintentionally...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Uncool Connection Between Sufjan Stevens and Tori Amos
Photo by Colin KerriganSome music is meant to be listened to with a lover. Some music is meant to be listened to with a bunch of buddies and beers. And some music is meant to be listened to when you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Kendrick Lamar and Black Humanity
Photo by Ari MarcopoulosIt is said that depression is anger turned inward. And if that’s true, then the entirety of Black America suffers from a depression. The collective emotional toll of the...
View Article