The Upstate Life

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Brent DiCrescenzo Leaves Pitchfork, Speed Readers Rejoice

Today marks the anticipated release of the Beastie Boys sixth proper album, To the Five Boroughs. TUL personally can't wait to ~~download~~ buy this LP, eager to see if it can beat my personal favorite out of the bunch, the much beloved Paul's Boutique. When I went to check out my daily reads, I was somewhat disappointed by the score Pitchfork gave the Beasties' latest effort, a modest 7.9. Then again, they also gave The Von Bondies' Pawn Shoppe Heart the same rating, but I love that album regardless of what those assholes say. It's not like their reviews turn me on or off to what I listen to, but it's really interesting to hear an opinion of some of the bands that mainstream publications turn the other shoulder to. The introductory paragraph on the homepage under the B-Boys' album artwork stated the following:

Longtime Pitchfork writer Brent DiCrescenzo officially resigns from music writing with this review of the Beastie Boys' sixth full-length, detailing why a band's late-period releases mean just as much-- if not more-- to him than their career highlights.

There you have it. It looks like Mr. DiCrescenzo is leaving the frequently visited webzine by reviewing the same band he wrote about when he first started for Pitchfork. Not that I'm traumatized by the situation, but one of the trends this "publication" often carries are the elongated critiques that tend to drag on for at least two paragraphs before getting to the damn point. It's a bit interesting to note that Brent's farewell piece appears in two forms, a standard twenty (!) paragraph article, and a "Condensed Version." I appreciate his writing as he's very talented with his use of segues and themes, but it appears that he is no longer interested in writing those musical dissertations that frequently employ the scroll wheel on your mouse.

This process has become unexciting and routine, which is why I bid the world of music writing farewell. Explaining why I love a record in the confines of its production, lyrics and instrumental "tightness" without detailing the first time I heard the band's song drifting from bowling alley in Poland or whatever confounds me. More power to those who discover new music from this site. I've figured out where I stand at this point, as have the readers. Like the Beastie Boys, I could continue to crank out divisive pieces of writing here until I go gray. I have more interesting stories to tell.

Goodbye, Brent DiCrescenzo. We'll be waiting for your 30-page comeback article!

Posted by Brett at 5:02 PM |