I'm still writing. Literally. I've got three Word docs open.
― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 26 October 2007 07:59 (sixteen years ago) link
whats the reasoning behind this
― deej, Friday, 26 October 2007 08:06 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah. why oh why?
― sam500, Friday, 26 October 2007 08:27 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah this really sucks
― baaderonixx, Friday, 26 October 2007 09:16 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.rialtotheatre.com/images/content/mystery.gif
― The Reverend, Friday, 26 October 2007 15:20 (sixteen years ago) link
idk if anyone else has noticed, but lots of stylus stalwarts have been throwing it down for pfork lately.
http://www.drownedinsound.com/user/view/46684
― Dom Passantino, Friday, 26 October 2007 15:24 (sixteen years ago) link
By "lots" do you mean Mike Powell? Because Liz Colville has been writing for both sites for a while now, and I think Roque Strew only wrote for Stylus for about two weeks before heading over to Pitchfork, and that was at least a year ago.
― jaymc, Friday, 26 October 2007 21:26 (sixteen years ago) link
Andrew Gaerig, Josh Love and Ian Cohen all write for 'fork as well.
― kiss out the jams, Friday, 26 October 2007 21:37 (sixteen years ago) link
Hmmm, OK, didn't notice them on the masthead.
― jaymc, Friday, 26 October 2007 21:41 (sixteen years ago) link
By the way, just in case - I do apologise for repeating this rumour if it is either wrong or supposed to be secret until some later date. I hope this hasn't caused any problems anywhere, hadn't thought about that when I asked if anyone knew anything on August 31st. I did say that it could be a hoax and as far as I know it might still be, but you know, to whom it may concern: sorry. :-/
― StanM, Friday, 26 October 2007 21:47 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.observer.com/2007/stylus-magazine-respected-online-music-publication-will-fold-after-halloween
Stylus Magazine, Respected Online Music Publication, Will Fold After Halloween by Leon Neyfakh Published: October 26, 2007 Tags: Media, Pitchfork Media, Stylus Magazine
StylusMagazine.com, a portal for fans of experimental and independent music, will cease publication at the end of the month after almost five years. While never quite as widely read or immediately influential as Pitchforkmedia.com, Stylus built a name for itself among music specialists interested in rigorous, and often personal, criticism of little known artists, as well as Top 40 singles. (In recent years the site also expanded its coverage to include film.) In an e-mail, Stylus editor Todd Burns—who was good enough to publish a few of this reporter's music reviews many years ago—said there was no immediate impetus behind his decision to the end the site.
"I just got off the subway one day and said, 'I don't want to do this anymore,'" he said.
Scott Plagenhoef, who was a top editor writer at Stylus before becoming the managing editor of Pitchfork, said the site would be dearly missed.
"Todd has done an exemplary job of providing an outlet for content that is writer-friendly and allows them to stretch out and explore ideas," Mr. Plagenhoef said.
"One disappointing thing about it is that there aren't very many music magazines anymore," he said. "Even online, since having a blog has simply been a matter of hosting a song and then saying, 'hey, here it is.' That's been pretty much the end of the conversation in a lot of places about music."
Mr. Plagenhoef said he has been talking to Mr. Burns about Stylus writers who might now find a home at Pitchfork. "We've consulted with Todd and talked about certain writers who are a good fit, and we're in the process of possibly bringing on board a few people," he said.
Mr. Plagenhoef said Pitchfork has already hired Mike Powell, who wrote regularly about music for Stylus and served as an associate editor.
Stylus will publish its last reviews this week, and close out on Halloween with a "Greatest Hits"-style retrospective.
― danzig, Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:16 (sixteen years ago) link
r.i.p.
― omar little, Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:19 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm really sorry to read this. This line is especially true:
One disappointing thing about it is that there aren't very many music magazines anymore," he said. "Even online, since having a blog has simply been a matter of hosting a song and then saying, 'hey, here it is.' That's been pretty much the end of the conversation in a lot of places about music.
Good filters are as sorely needed now as ever, and Stylus was one of the best. I'm very sorry to see it go.
― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:25 (sixteen years ago) link
What I don't understand is, if he's simply not interested in running the site anymore, why not try to find somebody who is?
― The Reverend, Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:44 (sixteen years ago) link
The all-new Stylus, run by the Reverend!
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:47 (sixteen years ago) link
Haha, no thanks.
― The Reverend, Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:48 (sixteen years ago) link
This news is heartbreaking. :(
― three handclaps, Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:50 (sixteen years ago) link
Why not? Storm the Bastille.
― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 27 October 2007 01:52 (sixteen years ago) link
r.i.p. anticipating hit job reviews by dom of hyped nme bands.
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 27 October 2007 03:14 (sixteen years ago) link
but for real, i'm sad about this. in some respects, stylus, esp. w/r/t the features, had some of the best, or at least the most original, music writing around, print or online. will be missed, but it's cool that dudes are migrating over to pfork, at least.
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 27 October 2007 03:15 (sixteen years ago) link
Todd Burns doesn't care about indie people!!
― King Boy Pato, Saturday, 27 October 2007 03:46 (sixteen years ago) link
That's a bummer. Stylus was my favorite of all of 'em. They had the most consistent writers. I hope they keep an archive online for a while.
― Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 27 October 2007 04:06 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah this is bad. pitchfork, while you're at it feel free to steal stylus' design template. every bit of it. please. alfred soto where else do you write?
― tremendoid, Saturday, 27 October 2007 04:21 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/images/journal-logos/rsm/jms.gif
― gershy, Saturday, 27 October 2007 04:26 (sixteen years ago) link
There really is no other site out there that had as much good pop criticism in one place . . . I mean, Pitchfork is great, but they have one feature a day, and a lot of the time it's a Guest List or an interview or something. I'm going to miss waking up and opening up my RSS reader and having all those great essays and other features sitting right there.
― three handclaps, Saturday, 27 October 2007 04:55 (sixteen years ago) link
Also, whatever you do, Nick Southall please keep writing. Your shit is half the reason Stylus is/was great.
yeah him too def. does he post here?
― tremendoid, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:18 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeah he does.
― three handclaps, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Nick Southall = Scik Mouthy
Aw i'm gonna miss the singles jukebox the most. I always thought Stylus wrote about pop and dance better than they ever did about indie.
― Roz, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:29 (sixteen years ago) link
And, of course, Scraping the Barrel < / selfish self-interest >
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:29 (sixteen years ago) link
lol if only for the rare chance of encountering an extremely grumpy Ned.
― Roz, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:34 (sixteen years ago) link
xp naturally! must say i prefer your reviews 'in stereo' :). i bet you talk faster than you type so it's not an inapt comparison.
― tremendoid, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:37 (sixteen years ago) link
I will miss the extraordinarily vague musings of Martin Skidmore.
― The Reverend, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:38 (sixteen years ago) link
stylus rip
srsly will miss
hugs to scik mouthy
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:41 (sixteen years ago) link
I ran into Todd on the subway once, hopefully that wasn't the same day he said "fuck it."
I haven't read it as much lately (oooh did I hate the grading system), and if Todd has stuff he'd rather do I respect that, but this still kinda bums me out. RIP!
― da croupier, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:54 (sixteen years ago) link
I have a very fond memory of doing drunken karaoke with a bunch of Stylus gents two years agoish. Good times!
― da croupier, Saturday, 27 October 2007 05:56 (sixteen years ago) link
-- Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 27 October 2007 04:06 (3 hours ago) Link
yeah, anyone have any idea if there are plans to at least make sure the domain and archive stay up for the foreseeable future? i'd hate for all that stuff to disappear (at least party selfishly, for my own reviews).
― Alex in Baltimore, Saturday, 27 October 2007 07:24 (sixteen years ago) link
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/IMG_8031.jpg
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:04 (sixteen years ago) link
I hear Nick Southall will be soon writing for "Cat Fanciers & Headphone Nerds Weekly" so it isn't a total loss.
― King Boy Pato, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:08 (sixteen years ago) link
It's on the frontpage of the site now, so I'll stop ignoring it. Yes, we're closing. Yes, Todd's had enough. No, I don't blame him.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:10 (sixteen years ago) link
:-(
(I hope this rumor wasn't the way you found out)
― StanM, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:19 (sixteen years ago) link
No; Todd told us a while ago. We're not Tottenham.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:24 (sixteen years ago) link
Phew. Your "I'm still writing" got me worried that they hadn't told you yet.
― StanM, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Haha, no; it's my "I'm not lying but I'm not telling you the whole story either" get out clause. I am still writing; I've got a bundle of things to finish for the last few days of the site.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 27 October 2007 08:34 (sixteen years ago) link
Shit, I've been reading almost from the beginning, after doing a random search for Autechre reviews, as was my wont back in the day, and coming across this. rip.
― ledge, Saturday, 27 October 2007 09:32 (sixteen years ago) link
I still don't get why somebody else couldn't take it over. It seems weird that one guy deciding one afternoon that he just couldn't be bothered with this would just fold the whole thing up.
― baaderonixx, Saturday, 27 October 2007 11:37 (sixteen years ago) link
Thanks for the kind words. Nick couldn't have said it better. For my part, I still got a bunch of copy to edit as well as a couple of things to write for the site, so I'm too busy to think of impending doom. I've been writing for other publications for a long time now, so if anyone wants to know where to find me please drop me a line.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Saturday, 27 October 2007 13:02 (sixteen years ago) link
The old Stylus UK Singles Jukebox was my first music journalism gig, so I have a lot to thank it for. Great site, very sorry to see it go... but I can quite imagine why Todd decided he had enough. You can't do something that staggeringly work-intensive and minimally profitable for ever and ever, can you?
― mike t-diva, Saturday, 27 October 2007 14:11 (sixteen years ago) link
It's very shitty. I always really enjoyed this great magazine. Some really good reviews and interesting articles. Good its ending on a high though: I think the recent piece on lovely music ltd. might be one of my favourite pieces of music writing ever. Best of luck to all of the great writers there, particularly those that post here.
― I know, right?, Saturday, 27 October 2007 15:37 (sixteen years ago) link
I say with no hesitation that it was my favorite music publication, online or print, for the last five years. It was an honor writing there and it will be sorely missed.
― talrose, Saturday, 27 October 2007 16:57 (sixteen years ago) link