( A Delayed )Record Request: Pitchfork Subscriptions, 2016, and Loft gigs
What was I jamming to a decade ago? Why subscribe to a music publication when we are all broke? Are loft gigs back?
A NOTE: This issue of Record Request was typed up weeks ago and never finished until today (Feb 20). Life sometimes gets crazy, and things end up getting pushed aside or forgotten about. But fret not, my dudes, we are back and better than ever, so without further ado, here’s the latest edition in my weekly roundup. Enjoy!
I was feeling pretty lazy today, but while doomscrolling TikTok and feverishly refreshing my Instagram homepage for, quite literally, anyone’s new IG stories, something caught my attention.
The legendary music site, Pitchfork, is launching a paid subscription that will now allow readers to comment on reviews, rate albums themselves and have full access to their review archives, which is home to over 30,000 reviews.
Now, walk with me here. I like the idea of readers having a space to comment and create discourse, as well as be able to give LPs their own rating, but at a time when it feels as if everyone is broke and can barely afford to take a step outside, why are we charging a $5 subscription for a publication that’s been free since its inception? (Don’t answer that, I know why. Profits and late-stage capitalism)
Also, not only will the site be behind a paywall, but it will also limit non-subscribers to four reviews a month for free. (yowza, what a steal!) My lovely friend and fellow music journalist, Jonathan Garrett, shared his reaction to the latest Pitchfork news on his IG story, and I loved what he wrote.
“This paragraph from my piece following the 2024 layoffs pretty much sums up my reaction to the latest news: ‘We all accept the idea, in the abstract, that not everything functions best as a business. We rightly denigrate “for-profit” colleges, which gladly prey on students and saddle them with debt. The for-profit model has been ruinous for healthcare, too. Maybe it’s time to consider the possibility that music criticism and writing functions best when it’s not subject to the demands of a business model—that, in order for it to work its magic, it needs to be freed of the commercial burdens of constant growth and of the kind of corporatized groupthink that almost always sets in as the maniacal focus on growth overtakes all other considerations.’”
Beautifully said Jon, beautifully said. (I also recommend you read his full essay, as it was brilliant.)
Last week, it seemed that everyone on planet Earth was feeling intensely nostalgic for 2016. Every.single.person was sharing all kinds of throwbacks from a decade ago. American Apparel disco pants, flower crowns and Black Tap freakshakes a plenty.
I was 17 in 2016, finishing up my senior year of high school and realising that journalism was my dream career. I was skipping class left and right to go camp out for gigs and trekking my way all over New York City in efforts “meet celebs” while trying to find my own scene to fit into. Opening Ceremony and VFiles were the stores to be seen at, and I was showing up to my morning classes late because who cares about trigonometry when The Weeknd is taking over Rockefeller Plaza and performing his hit track ‘Earned It’ as promo for Valentine’s Day’s sexiest new film, 50 Shades of Grey. (After spending energy typing that up, I realised that The Weeknd was in 2015, but it was a good bit, so I didn’t want to erase that. However, in 2016, I saw 5 Seconds of Summer play that same plaza in support of their second LP, ‘Sounds Good, Feels Good’. It was raining, they played ‘Jet Black Heart’ and one word: Arzaylea lol)
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Sadly, I have no photos of myself from that era as I lost my two phones from that time somewhere in my house, and my old iCloud decided it needed some kind of spiritual cleanse and deleted all of my photos from 2018 - 2023, so that’s brilliant. Totally not upset over that.
2016 was a monumental year for me. I had my first kiss during my prom night (I missed seeing The Strokes at Gov Ball that year in order to attend prom. I regretted that for AGES, but came to peace with it when I saw The Strokes play Forest Hills Stadium and London’s All Points East in 2023), I went to France for the first tim,e and I fully threw myself into music and music discovery full force, realising that I could actually turn my passion into somekind of career. Bless 17-year-old me, she was ready to take on the world by storm!
2016 Through Anagricel’s ears – A playlist
(Not all of the tracks were released in 2016, but here are some of the important songs I jammed to on repeat that shaped that year for me)
The 1975 - ‘If I Believe You’
The 1975 - ‘This Must Be My Dream’
RHCP - ‘Scar Tissue’
Yellowcard - ‘Empty Apartment’
Kanye West - ‘FML’
Halsey - ‘Drive’
Halsey - ‘Is There Somewhere’
Snowmine - ‘Let Me In’
The Cure - ‘A Letter To Elise’
Bring Me The Horizon - ‘Drown’
Twenty One Pilots - ‘Tear In My Heart’
State Champs - ‘Losing Myself’
One Direction - ‘Night Changes’
The Maine - ‘English Girls’
The Strokes - ‘Call It Fate, Call It Karma’
When I was in uni, I went to Barnes & Noble in Union Square and bought a copy of Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter, André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name, and Lizzy Goodman’s Meet Me In The Bathroom. Three books that have had a sweet and nostalgic place in my heart since. I remember reading Meet Me In The Bathroom during my three-hour class breaks, whilst waiting for my Anthropology course to commence in the evening.
I ate up each page, describing a thriving music scene from yesteryear. I couldn’t believe I was walking down the same streets that so many “greats” had made their way through. Karen O, Daniel Kessler, Nick Valensi, Vampire Weekend, UGH! Here I was taking in snippets of that era, wishing I weren’t 6 years old during that time to have experienced NYC’s indie scene at its prime.
Yes, I did fall into a major depression upon finishing the book due to the reality of that era no longer existing and me having to come to terms that I would not be seeing The Strokes take over Mercury Lounge while working on their debut LP (Also, circling back to me missing their headlining slot at Gov Ball in 2016. All in the name of teenage love I guess). But, something that really stuck with me was this scene where everyone is discussing old loft parties that Vice would throw.
I would kill to be at a loft party like that, and now, I can! My friend Tia and her friend Fabi have started Neverywhere.fm, a series of live sessions in Fabi’s loft where bands and musicians will perform intimate gigs for a select number of fans. It’s super cool and so far the likes of bby, Silvan Paul and Telescreens have had live sessions there.
Make sure to give them a follow on socials in order to stay in the loop of what’s going on and who will be the next act at the forthcoming Neverywhere gig! This is something you don’t want to miss!
Hi my fellow music lovers and readers,
Sorry for this wildly late edition of Record Request, but your girl has been hiding away and trying to do a million things at once. Happy year of the horse, gang! Let’s make this year one to remember!
Love you lots!
Need to come to one of those loft gigs