45. Wintour is coming... for Pitchfork
I.
Trivial news about Pitchfork, which is being merged with music magazine GQ by publisher Condé Nast. Exactly what this merger will look like is not entirely clear. It appears that Pitchfork will continue to publish for the time being, but it is also quite possible that GQ will get a separate music page on which Pitchfork will die a slow death. Editor-in-chief Puja Patel has already been sacked, along with half the editorial team. That is a bad sign.
Condé Nast’s top executive Anna Wintour writes in a message to staff that the decision was taken “following a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance”. This is followed by a few terse words about the site’s unique qualities, but that makes little difference in the grand scheme of things. Distinctive reporting and the ability to introduce new talent to a wide audience aren’t enough. You have to bring in the cash.
Visitor numbers have probably declined. I visit Pitchfork less often myself. But it remains a great source for discovering new music. As far as I’m concerned, music publications with human curators are still stronger than Spotify’s algorithms. Because whilst my musical bubble on Spotify might be growing slightly, without tips from friends or music sites, you’re less likely to take a look into completely different bubbles and discover a new favourite artist.
From roughly 2008 to 2014, Pitchfork played a major role in shaping my musical taste. Without Pitchfork, I would never have been in the small hall at Paradiso in 2009 for the indie band Girls. I might not have fallen completely in love with the album Teen Dream by Beach House. I might not have been open to Embryonic, that fantastically bizarre album by The Flaming Lips. And I might never have heard of Spiritualized if I hadn’t streamed the performance below at Pitchfork’s own festival.
---II.
Well, it’s on sale in the US, the Apple Vision Pro. You can get one for $3,499. As I was curious, I went through part of the purchasing process via Apple. You do a virtual fitting test using the iPhone camera and then indicate whether you wear glasses or contact lenses. Next, you can get your wallet out and join the back of the queue. It then takes about five or six weeks before you receive it.
I still haven’t worn them, but there are American journalists who have already tested them a few times. I’ve noticed that the wow factor has started to wear off for them, which is creating room for criticism. A couple of points to consider, in my view, are the question of what you’re actually supposed to do with it (especially for that price, you’re looking for more than just a gimmick) and the fact that after a while, the glasses do start to press quite a bit against your face. They’re quite heavy.
Then there are also companies saying they won’t be making apps for the Vision Pro. A couple of fairly major ones too, namely YouTube and Netflix. Quite striking, as you usually find those apps everywhere. Vision Pro owners can still watch videos from these services via the browser, but not via a separate app. It’s simply more of a faff. Perhaps YouTube and Netflix aren’t too happy that Apple TV+ is now competing with their subscriptions – who knows. Disney+, on the other hand, isn’t making a fuss about it; it does have an app for the headset.
I’m curious to see how sales of this device go. Apple can certainly put some great videos online, even a stunning promotional video suggesting that the arrival of the Vision Pro will be just as impactful as that of the first iPhone, these glasses won’t sell themselves as easily as a phone. Anyway, I’m still keen to try them out, so I hope Apple decides to expand to other countries soon. Then we’ll see if I become the sort of person who sits on the sofa next to my girlfriend watching a film with a pair of closed-off glasses on.
---PS.
Robin Sloan, one of my favourite bloggers, is bringing out a new novel this year. It’s called Moonbound and is set in the distant future. The synopsis I found online describes the story of a young wizard who must save the world. He does so with the help of an artefact from antiquity: an artificial intelligence that carries human history within it.
Sloan revealed the book’s cover last week in his latest monthly blog. I’ve read his two previous novels as well. I particularly enjoyed Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, which also had such a fantastic cover. Moonbound is, of course, going on my reading list too.
I secretly have a soft spot for Adam Sandler films. For really good roles, like in Punch-Dunk Love and Uncut Gems, but just as much for Grown Ups, Mr. Deeds and Hubie Halloween. I really appreciate the idea of making a film with comedian friends as if you were all on holiday together. Everyone’s simply having a laugh. So I just go along with that slapstick humour.
There’s a new Sandler film coming out that leans towards his more serious work, if the trailer for Spaceman is anything to go by (despite that spider-like alien). A lonely astronaut knows that upon his return to Earth, he must save his marriage. Incidentally, the film was directed by Johan Renk, director of the excellent miniseries Chernobyl.
---Art generators such as Midjourney used artists’ work found online to train their own AI models. One of those training sources was the webcomic Cat and Girl. The artist behind that comic, Dorothy Gambrell, then created a comic strip about it.
I love them too: books and films set in cosy bookshops. But why is that idea so irresistible? De Volkskrant wrote an article about it.
Remember those Plants vs. Zombies mobile games? After more than ten years, there’s suddenly a new one: Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia. The Netherlands is among the first handful of countries where you can play it. Just like in the old days, you try to keep zombies out of your garden by deploying weapons and defences in the form of various plants. You have plants that shoot peas, nuts that form a shield and sunflowers that collect energy so you can place new plants. There’s also a little story that I skip all the time.
It’s just as much fun a tactical game as it used to be. After a few levels, I haven’t really been bothered by the in-app purchases it contains; hopefully it stays that way (though I fear it won’t). Free to download for iOS and Android.
---Planet Waves, an underrated album by Bob Dylan, celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this week. This is the only studio album Dylan recorded with The Band. Planet Waves features top tracks such as Going, Going, Gone, two versions of Forever Young, Dirge and Wedding Song (a pure love song!). It’s a fantastically sung record too – what a voice.
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