Is SPIN really circling the drain?

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Getting paid to write = not being able to write.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

hey Chris last time you and I went about, you were telling me how P*tchfork was getting ready to pimp themselves with some massive web presence. What's up with that?

SPIN's pimping of the Strokes has been totally embarrassing. I mean, does anyone at that place actually believe, as a sub-head read, that "Room On Fire" was "stunning"?

― don weiner, Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yep, Chris. You're right. That's exactly what that means. Perhaps there should be zero standards in journalism, and those standards should be reduced even further by allowing anyone with a computer to destroy the English language in print. While we're at it, let's never pay an artist for their work since, by making a simple leap like yours, they must not be talented if they're getting paid for it. I know David Blaine is a publicity whore, so maybe we can get him to shit in a bucket for free and call it art. Since it's free and all.

― another scott, Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'd actually say the writing in SPIN is very good. It's just that the editorial direction has been abysmal--driven by the bean counters or what, I dunno, but it's been adrift for awhile.

― don weiner, Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:50 (9 years ago) Permalink

Spin has become so insular in the last two years. I think it lost itself up the ass of NYC and the White Stripes. It's more about the editors stroking their ego and pimping their presence in NYC than trying to reach an audience. The design has become restrictive and overbearing, it almost overshadows the stories. The magazine has alienated its audience. No wonder it's not doing well.

― Helen, Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

I actually like Chuck Klosterman, he's really the only writer in Spin who has anything remotely interesting to say (even though he's often full of shit).

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

I would give him his own sports column if I were in charge. Only minor league hockey and baseball though. And indoor soccer. And lacrosse.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

I think he's a good writer, too, though I agree he's full of shit sometimes. But how can you not be when writing for Spin? It just happens. It would happen at Rolling Stone, Blender, whatever. Part of the job. I just think that he suffers the same dreaded image disease they all get when thrust into the NY scene, which I think is unfortunate about so many magazines these days.

― Helen, Thursday, 26 February 2004 04:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

It is sad. They are all scared of their own shadows.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

I mean if you are gonna lose money anyway, why not make your magazine really good?

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

Does anyone have George Soro's phone number? I've got a proposition for him.(he likes russian teenagers, right?)

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

But what would make it good? Good in terms of reaching an audience while simultaneously pushing the boudaries created by current glossies? Or good meaning finding a niche and a genuinely passionate voice, even if it means obeying certain publishing conventions?

― Helen, Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

Chuckie has a page in Esquire now, where he can write about whatever he wants. He's written about basketball there (or maybe it was GQ.)

The only reason I hang onto my subscription is because I keep hoping it will get better. But it's just not.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if a non-fashion magazine has a fashion spread multiple times a year, the moral compass is long gone.

― don weiner, Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

Wait a sec...I know these are people who could lose their jobs, so I don't mean to sound callous. No one wants anyone to lose their jobs or livelihood.

― Helen, Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, but you almost HAVE to have a fashion spread. No clothing companies will look at you for ad space until you do. It's the way of the game. Lame? Yes. Part of publishing? Unfortunatley.

― Helen, Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

My comment was more about Scott's "they are all scared of their own shadows" watering-down, not a grammatical or stylistic complaint.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

What music magazines are good these days? I have no idea.

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 26 February 2004 05:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

I find the idea that it's "gotten" insular in the last two years sort of mystifying, if only because the typical non-music-geek complaing about Spin is that it's ALWAYS been insular. I mean, five years ago they were writing about turntablism and sound-boys, stuff that, for better or worse, is WAY more insular than rock bands with hooks and attractive frontpeople.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Thursday, 26 February 2004 07:00 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'm not arguing insularity Andy, they're ambulance-chasing. And driving on the left.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Thursday, 26 February 2004 07:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

What's wrong with driving on the left? And I have to say I have no problem with music magazines subsidising their music section with fashion spreads (and the resulting ads), as long as the music section is unaffected. Better that than downgrading your music section by talking about inconsequential musicians in a trite way to bring in a broader audience.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Thursday, 26 February 2004 07:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

I can't understand Chris Ott's posts on this thread at all.

Except he doesn't like brits?

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 26 February 2004 10:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

SPIN used to be way more New York-ish, with more of a snobby attitude, sort of this subversive nature and snarky editorial that was more SPY than Rolling Stone. I miss that aspect; as SPIN has drifted more and more towards the mainstream, it has lost its sense of identity and verve. Without cheerleading the Strokes and the White Stripes on every issue, they'd barely be hip at all. And that feature where the artist names their influencial albums was a concept blatantly lifted from Blender. The elephant in the room here is that Blender is eating SPIN alive.

I fully understand that embracing "lifestyle" brings in the big advertising dollars (fashion), but in this case it has made the magazine much less enjoyable.

― don weiner, Thursday, 26 February 2004 13:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

Not-as-good-as-it-used-to-be it may be, but give me Spin over Rolling Stone ANY DAY of the week. You?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 26 February 2004 13:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

OTM

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Thursday, 26 February 2004 13:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

True, but you can say that about any magazine, give me O over Rolling Stone any day of the week.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

I prefer Rolling Stone. Music coverage is equally bad in both, but Rolling Stone occasionally has interesting political features.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

Magazines suck.

― Jasper Patches (Dating Ikea), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

yeah, i agree about R.S. Rollong Stone's non-music reporting/coverage has always been its strong suit.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, but seeing features on Toby Keith and DMB is just too depressing..

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

SPIN used to have some really great pieces in the back of the magazine about non-music stuff that were real eye-openers. I haven't seen any good ones lately. What irks me is how the staff has turned itself into celebrity figurines. I read the magazine thinking, "I feel too uncool to be reading this shit." And I'm a frickin writer. I imagine it's incredibly off-putting for some kid in her bedroom.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

Remember when Spin had like 10 features about how HIV and AIDS were not causally related? This was late 80s.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

Last time I read Spin, Guccione Jr was still at the helm, pimping John Mellencamp. So I guess Hank Rollins and Legs McNeil don't write for 'em anymore either?

I feel old.

― doug watson (solid air), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

Well, they still have non-music features, like... "Friendster more addictive than crack!!!"

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

Celia Farber's AIDS coverage was overall pretty impressive, especially considering the venue.

I agree with you Jeanne that the staff thing is getting annoying; Sia Michel's Letter From the Editor has been completely cloying from minute one (complete with all the "Look at me, I'm at the cool places with the cool people pictures") and the endless pimping of staff tomes is a chore. Spitz' gossip column is unbearable. But I still like the reviews quite a bit.

― don weiner, Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

SPIN needs to be put out of its misery. It hasn't mattered since about 1988.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

I think it's been even longer than that...

― Jasper Patches (Dating Ikea), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

what did Sia Michel do before Spin? I had never heard of her until i saw her picture in Spin.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

She was a receptionist somewhere.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

Once SPIN lost Legs McNeil and John Leland it was all over (though I still like Klosterman).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

man, Spin hasn't mattered since 1972 when I was reading it

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

Don, all "letter from the editor" pieces in any given magazine are like that. It's sort of the purpose. But I know what you mean. The mag feels like a big Friendster publication or something.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

really? and then she became the editor in chief of Spin? cool.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

Jeanne otm there. "Letter from the Editor" pages are almost universally cringe-worthy (really wanna vomit? Read Alan Light's one from the debut issue of TRACKS).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

i still miss the old details. when it was just pictures of stephen saban on a couch with diane brill.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:00 (9 years ago) Permalink

and i still miss rock scene when it was just pictures of lisa robinson on the couch with joey ramone.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

How great would it be if Letter from the Editor *actually* portrayed what went on: "Motherfuckers in the mail room misplaced the press kit for the new Dinkie Bubble album so that fucked shit up royally. And don't get me started on motherfuckin' Hack McInkspot handing his review A WEEK LATE. Thanks, assmonger, it's not like we're on DEADLINE or anything..."

That would rule.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

the offensiveness of "Letter to the Editor" is nothing compared to the "Making Out with UltraGrrl". i just want to rip that page out every month and forcibly shove it down the throat ofd the next pseudo-hipster i see.

SPIN was a godsend for me in high school (1990-1994), living out on a farm in the middle of central Illinois. sure it wasn't all that subversive or underground, but to someone raised on country and Top 40 it was a whole new world. i still pick up an issue from time to time, mostly because it's more affordable than the import prices on the decent British mags. but i'm always wondering why.

― jonviachicago, Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hack McInkspot!! Ha Ha, i've got a new nom de plume. thanks, Jeanne!

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

It's true that most Letters From the Editor are unbearable, but I don't remember as many celebs-with-editor pictures as the Michel years have produced...maybe the Bobby Jr. years had the same thing but I can't remember anymore.

While we're on the subject of Tracks, I can't believe how lifeless and personality-free it is.

The UltraGrrl thing is awful. I'd forgotten about that.

Gawker calls Details "The gay magazine for straight men" or something like that. Classic.

― don weiner, Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

Sia does seem especially intent on telegraphing her celeb-compatibility. Still, Guccionne Jr. wasn't that different.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 1904 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

oh man I am going to direct Aerosmith's publicist to send promos and press releases to Motor Trend for the rest of my life and leave instructions in my will that this is to continue until the money I set aside for post-mortem publicity runs out

― too many encores (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 26 December 2012 00:49 (4 months ago) Permalink

truly living (and afterliving) on the edge.

― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 26 December 2012 01:11 (4 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

putting steve salas and eric johnson on a list of stevie ray wannabes shows a really fundamental misunderstanding of 80s guitar mag dudes >:(

http://www.spin.com/articles/stevie-ray-vaughan-white-blues-guitar-texas-flood-reissue

― fart the police (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 11 January 2013 21:51 (4 months ago) Permalink

Yeah, and that's the whole text--? Nice pix, esp, the John Mayer triptych, although it needs an UPDATE! HE'S CUT HIS HAIR! OH NOOOO! But none of the sometimes beyond-marginal distinctions of style and quality. I've heard Eric Johnson go for an Extrapolation-era McLaughlin vibe, for inst. Eric Sardinas' studio work, esp. his increasingly reliable vocals and songwriting, sounds less and less like Vaughn's. Live, he can do brilliant edits of Vaughn's own live guitar extravaganzas--seems less like wannabbeizm than the "expert mash-ups of Sonic Youth (etc.)" that Parquet Courts get praised for, in this same issue.

― dow, Saturday, 12 January 2013 00:18 (4 months ago) Permalink

i guess i think of johnson as a more of an american vibe like, i dunno, allan holdworth with more of an 80s rock vibe or something, not really a blues dude

― fart the police (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 12 January 2013 00:54 (4 months ago) Permalink

true, from when I heard him live anyway: not blues-rock, but some kind of pre-suck cosmic jazz-rock, is what I meant by Extrapolation-era etc.

― dow, Saturday, 12 January 2013 01:01 (4 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Just received my replacement magazine for Spin: Esquire.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Sunday, 27 January 2013 15:49 (3 months ago) Permalink

i got a card in the mail recently thanking me for subscribing to Esquire, but it didn't mention that it was a replacement for Spin (though I assumed) and the first issue hasn't come yet. hoping i don't get the one w/ that terrible Megan Fox story.

― some dude, Sunday, 27 January 2013 15:51 (3 months ago) Permalink

that's good though cuz now you guys will always know what makes george clooney tick.

― scott seward, Sunday, 27 January 2013 15:52 (3 months ago) Permalink

guess i'm glad it's a magazine i may enjoy reading to some extent but bummed to miss out on the car & driver lols (xp)

― some dude, Sunday, 27 January 2013 15:52 (3 months ago) Permalink

I would complain and get a refund but I only paid $10 for the scrip to begin with and it's been a while so yelling at them to give me two bucks back seems counterproductive. Of course, so does throwing away still-wrapped issues of fucking Esquire.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Sunday, 27 January 2013 16:13 (3 months ago) Permalink

that's good though cuz now you guys will always know what makes george clooney dick.

― scott seward, Sunday, January 27, 2013 10:52 AM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

wait what??

― 乒乓, Sunday, 27 January 2013 16:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

I had three different issues of C&D all show up in my mailbox within a week of each other, it was kinda lol

― Yo! MTV La Tengo (Stevie D(eux)), Sunday, 27 January 2013 16:30 (3 months ago) Permalink

check for 4.63 after my ANGRY LETTER

― an old penis drawing is now "new and notable" (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:39 (3 months ago) Permalink

I just unsubscribed from Spin email updates.

I am such a Luddite.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 31 January 2013 14:47 (3 months ago) Permalink

Esquire's all right ain't it?

― available for sporting events (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Thursday, 31 January 2013 14:54 (3 months ago) Permalink

esquire, new yorker, oil change.pdf, there's a lot of good reading still out there

― iatee, Thursday, 31 January 2013 14:57 (3 months ago) Permalink

That's my oil change coupon. I am not a total Luddite.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 31 January 2013 14:57 (3 months ago) Permalink

And I am ambivalent to Esquire however the wife doesn't want what she perceives to be sexist trash in the house.

Yet she married me. How odd.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 31 January 2013 14:58 (3 months ago) Permalink

what kinda a discount did you get

― iatee, Thursday, 31 January 2013 14:58 (3 months ago) Permalink

$18.99 which includes a tire rotation.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 31 January 2013 15:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

Nice!

― that futterwacken you like is back in style (how's life), Thursday, 31 January 2013 15:17 (3 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Just got my check in the mail after I decided to send them my own angry letter.

$12.66.

I have no record of paying them anything after I spent $14.95 in May of 2011 so I cannot help but think I came out ahead in this deal.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 21 February 2013 17:15 (2 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

http://www.amazon.com/Poseur-Memoir-Downtown-York-City/dp/0306821745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363313785&sr=1-1&keywords=poseur%3A+a+memoir+of+downtown+new+york+city+in+the+%2790s

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 15 March 2013 02:17 (2 months ago) Permalink

Comment section trolls be BRUTAL over at SPIN yo

― Raymond Cummings, Friday, 15 March 2013 05:18 (2 months ago) Permalink

BuzzMedia now SpinMedia: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/business/media/as-spinmedia-web-publisher-aims-to-lift-smaller-sites.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

― some dude, Monday, 25 March 2013 14:26 (1 month ago) Permalink

Spin, for example, has notched up its competition against Pitchfork since July, when Buzzmedia bought the magazine (and within weeks shut down its print edition). Spin’s 870,000 readers now closely challenge Pitchfork’s 1.1 million. But comScore’s figures show that visitors to Pitchfork spend more than quadruple the time as visitors to Spin.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 25 March 2013 15:12 (1 month ago) Permalink

great alternative albums of the 60s list imho!

― Mordy, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 15:16 (1 month ago) Permalink

:) thx man

― paas de la huevo (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:39 (1 month ago) Permalink

That RuPaul feature killed, BTW.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 19:41 (1 month ago) Permalink

I enjoyed the '60s list except for the fact that The Monks was ridiculously low and the stupid layout where you had to click it 100 times to see all of the list.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 20:03 (1 month ago) Permalink

yeah the 60s list was fantastic

― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 20:03 (1 month ago) Permalink

yeah i moaned a little bit about the oddness of that final VU writeup, but overall a very fun list.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 20:18 (1 month ago) Permalink

Very much enjoyed the 60s list, could have been 5 times longer though.

― bananas are my preference (seandalai), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:32 (1 month ago) Permalink

yeah, sort of feel like it should be expanded into a book...
in other news, i received another copy of car & driver today.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:33 (1 month ago) Permalink

did it have a "best cars of the 60s" feature?

― bananas are my preference (seandalai), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:35 (1 month ago) Permalink

underrated car

― tylerw, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:40 (1 month ago) Permalink

rare private press sedan

― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:40 (1 month ago) Permalink

edition of 500 on the oldsmobile label

― tylerw, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:44 (1 month ago) Permalink

i'm on my second issue of Spin-replacing Esquire, haven't looked for interesting articles in it yet because i read too much of the first one and felt all douchey

― some dude, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:52 (1 month ago) Permalink

26. Furthur (1964)

what? too low!

― how's life, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 22:54 (1 month ago) Permalink

― curmudgeon, Monday, March 25, 2013 11:12 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

great news. new spin has been killin it

― flopson, Wednesday, 3 April 2013 00:31 (1 month ago) Permalink

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