PETER GRIER
Opinions Writer

Pitchfork Media is a Chicago-based website started in 1995 devoted to music criticism, news and artist interviews. To put it in context, it’s a bit like the indie-rock big brother to the Hype Machine. Over the past three years, I have been following Pitchfork and I would like to bring to light what, in my opinion, is wrong with this website and its creeping corruption of independent music.

Let me begin by saying that I was hesitant in critiquing Pitchfork because, you know what they say — no one hates hipsters more than hipsters themselves. But to the best of my knowledge, indie music is meant to be an expression of music free from preconceived notions of what a given genre “should” sound like; it is without boundary and doesn’t lend itself to superficial rating systems. Indie music gives you the freedom to fuck with the rock gods, pop baby-sitters, metal warlocks, electro robo-cops, punk uncles, folk hobos, hip hop teens and snooty jazz bastards.

As a musician myself, I feel as though Pitchfork is like a manipulative parent to our shared illegitimate child: it refuses to pay child support, it skips out on visits and uses tactless lies to morph your child into something you never wanted her to be.

Pitchfork is the musical equivalent of a Mattel doll who’s “well read,” has a “cool haircut” and a “don’t-take-shit-from-nobody” attitude. On the outside, it might be fairly convincing — but in actuality it’s still just a plastic, mass-marketed mold. Pitchfork has taken indie rock and made it into an idealized, stylized commodity for consumption.

They assert authority in a realm of music and culture defined precisely by a lack of authority.

Pitchfork’s arbitrary rating system and unapologetically haughty reviews tell readers what to like rather than encouraging independent analysis. Indie music is about creating music for and by oneself — not about appealing to critics. The musicians featured on Pitchfork often recognize the shallowness of the entertainment press, but are forced to play along as they simply would not survive without the support of this platform.

What I’m most concerned about is that readers might forget that the bands promoted by Pitchfork as “best” are not necessarily so.

Take, for example, Sufjan Stevens.

Yes, he’s a great independent musician who deserves acclaim — but remember that he’s just another dude from Michigan who loves Steve Reich and James Taylor. Recognize that as great as his music might end up being, his impetus for creating music is not to be “better” than anyone else; it’s simply to make music for music’s sake, for and by himself.

Pitchfork also frequently gets caught up in news stories which amount to nothing more than indie versions of tabloid and celebrity culture. Why should we give a shit if Wayne Coyne doesn’t like Arcade Fire, or that Vampire Weekend is getting sued by that chick on the cover of their album? This is the kind of dog shit Pitchfork keeps stepping in, and its stench lingers everywhere it goes — which is a shame, because if it wasn’t for pitchfork TV (an offshoot which features impromptu performances by indie artists in basements, hotel rooms, cathedrals and other unconventional performance spaces), I would never have heard of a number of great bands.

What I’m trying to get at is that great independent music happens all over the place and getting recognition on Pitchfork does not make a band better than one who hasn’t.

Great things are happening in our city right now. For example, if you like the sound of the artist Wavves and believe that he’s the Duke of indie rock (he isn’t), check out Canadian bands like Makeout Videotape, Walter TV and The Wicked Awesomes. They’re just as good, closer to home and more likely to come to your city — in fact, both Makeout Videotape and Walter TV came through Saskatoon this summer.

There are also fantastic local bands that are just as good as anything happening elsewhere. Bands like Feral Children, Shooting Guns, The Moaz, Booji Bomb and many others are making great music that you can experience in real time and in your own backyard.

If you’ve ever come to a local show, great. If you have yet to, it’s not too late! If you see me there and you disagree with what I’ve said, I will gladly accept your “fuck you” for dissing your favourite “cuting-edge” bands. There are no rights and wrongs in indie; just enjoy the music, because that’s what you came for.