I'm guessing that is indeed their intention. This is funny, but not quite as awesome as their review of Jet's Shine On.

I'm trying to figure out what this sudden slew of posts around TIG regarding Pitchfork and their reviewing methods is all about. I mean, if I cared what they have to say, then I would read their site. However, I came here instead...only to see what Pitchfork has to say!!

C'mon Chris ;) Instead of covering Pitchfork's coverage of the CD, let's see your own coverage!

If you'll recall, elle, I didn't have a problem with P4k's review of the PWRFL Power CD (where this whole conversation started) and I really don't have a problem with this one either (it's actually pretty funny, I think). I just thought that this was newsworthy, that's it (plus, we need to talk about something around here, right?).

Sorry ;-D

I think it's hilarious.

And CUTE!!!!!!!!

It's newsworthy I think. I mean pretty much everything P4K does is newsworthy, whether we like it or not.

IGshr*e

I think it's adorable/newsworthy c:

I remember downloading the Black Kids' album a while back, and I didn't care for it. There was a lot a hype, I didn't know where it came from. I haven't heard the new album, but if it's like the free online one, then I'm not surprised it disappointed, to be honest.

I'm waiting for an apology for hyping up the Darkness so much when their album came out.

But seriously, did Pitchfork hype the hell out of this album before even listening to it? WTF? Or is it a "oops, we were compltely and totally wrong and are now bending to popular opinion" thing?

Although the dogs are cute, that's a weak excuse for a record review. Anybody can do a lolcat pic, but it takes talent to actually write a cogent review, so I guess I'm not impressed.

Unless they plan on posting the actual review tomorrow.

it's really a cop out. they hyped the EP; they need to stand behind that, and not run away just because their hipster ego is poked. if this album is really that bad in their viewpoint, defend that decision, and defend that decision as it pertains to the glowing review of the EP. what changed? explain how important production is for a record (since these are essentially the same songs). instead this snarky, pointless, substance less image.

i've heard the record, and in my opinion it is actually pretty good. sure, the production sugar coats everything, but that kid does have a great voice, and some clever lyrics, and at least 3 or 4 of the songs are catchy as hell. it's not a worthless album. but...that is just my opinion. if PF wants to bash the record that is their prerogative; i have no problem with that. it's this idea that they want to bite the hand that feeds them- that the moment their hipster ego is challenged, they run from it. if they believe they were wrong...why/how? show some integrity.

on top of all this, i think it's mean. the black kids are not jet. they're not a bunch of jaded, surly, self-appointed kings of cool poseurs. no, they're a bunch of kids, who wrong some catchy songs, got some attention, and got lucky with a major label deal. yes, they should have taken better control of their first record, should have halted some of that sugar gloop coating on those songs...but they're young. they have great songwriting chops, and they'll move on to do bigger/better things. i don't know them personally, but i'm sure they're in over their heads with all this. if PF wants to pick on someone, write a bad coldplay review, or something of the like. picking on the black kids? shit. going to a black kids show is like watching your friends play; it's anything but pretentious, and they don't even pretend they're anything else. the cynicism with PF is just so transparent, it's kind of sickening.

this is probably just to make up for the wet spot they got for vampire weekend...i just wish they picked a bigger dog to pick on, one who could bite back (or who a negative review wouldn't affect quite so much)...

you guys are the tools-iest. They just had a big festival thing over the weekend. maybe it's an asshole move, maybe the album really sucks, maybe they didn't have time to write something, maybe they made an editorial error when hyping it, but hey that's their job: to hype shit, fuck them for doing their job. this is the equivalent of some guy yelling out you suck during a live show. you may or may not agree, but if we were to hold a debate about it we would be retarded. and anyway they apologized (or maybe the record was sorry? hmmmm????). this doesn't count as a review. find something else to whine about. I'm sure the black kids are not losing sleep over pitchfork being lazy.

Dan @ 11 - Pitchfork's job is to "hype shit?" WTF? "Hyping shit" is the job of record labels, marketing firms and street teams. "Hyping shit" is not the job of any legitimate news/reviews source, which is, generally, what Pitchfork is. It's supposed to be helping music fans understand and discover new music.

I'm with Randy on this. Some sort of explaination other than a takeoff on faddy lolcats is due, either to their readers or, more importantly, to the Black Kids. Just putting a cute/silly picture with a poor review score is totally worthless. A rationale for that score's due everyone.

@dan -- regarding "I'm sure the black kids are not losing sleep over pitchfork being lazy."

I would bet the opposite is true. This isn't some jerk in the crowd screaming "you suck," because that jerk only reaches a few ears. P4k's reach is huge, and this review will certainly negatively impact sales for the record.

@mc -- I wish YOU wrote the review for the record. You clearly have a lot more to say, and after reading your comment I agree with you: if you break it, you buy it. Pfk owes a bit more explanation on this one.

this type of thing just makes Pfork look like the snarky pretentious annoying pricks that I'm sure they are. They've been bothering me for awhile and this is it - anybody got any good options? it's about time for someone else to rise from the pack - i'm sick of these jerks and want to stop earning them ad dollars

Man, wouldn't "Pitchfork hates Black Kids" make a great headline?

I think it's funny how their indie-pretentiousness caused them to go this obvious route of backtracking. In reality, using a LOLcat-like picture is just as trendy as the original hype P4k started surrounding this band.

When are they going to learn it's impossible to be super hipster and anti-hipster trends all at once?

"It's newsworthy I think. I mean pretty much everything P4K does is newsworthy, whether we like it or not."

really??! when has pitchfork EVER been news worthy?
below is an article most of you should read. music is in a sad state. wake up.

http://www.flux-rad.com/2008/07/22/dancing-about-architecture/

picking on a hipster is a low blow: hipsters are desperate people, staking their lives on trends and how other people view them. so who really cares what they think or what trends they adopt and blow off? people that go after hipsters are unoriginal and often more pretentious than the hipsters themselves. have some humor, people. i can meet a hipster and laugh becuase they care too much about being cool but you guys just come off as insecure and way too friggin serious.

the black kids are a little catchy.

i read the picture as direct communication to the band. "sorry for the poor review, it's really hard to say this considering you're all really cute, as cute as little adorable puppies...."

@ frog toast: Yea, P4K is newsworthy... you wanna know why? Because we're all sitting here talking about. Some bands live and die by the publicity that P4K gives them. I'm not saying I LIKE that... just that it's true.
IGshr*e

The other thing about Pitchfork is that since there's no place whatsoever for reader commentary on the website itself, it forces people to talk about them at other sites. Those tricky devils.

i agree with everyone who says that pitchfork doing these sorts of reviews is newsworthy, for the exact reason that everyone else is saying: we're on another website talking about it.

as for the review itself, i thought that the whole "sorry, we were wrong about these guys" is sort of cute, because the guys at pitchfork rarely admit when they're wrong. this shouldn't hurt black kids at all, though, because, essentially, pitchfork got them a major label deal, and they seem to be making no bones about the fact that they want to be a mainstream band.

now that they're on MTV(!) laughing the review off, the shoulder-shrug proves that they don't really need the favor of the "critical estabilshment of the internet," which-- whether you like it or not-- is what pitchfork is.

they just better hope the spin magazines and the MTV's don't turn on them, as well, and that columbia's got enough payola money to keep them on the radio when they turn in their sophomore effort.

Well put Douglas. I agree wholeheartedly.

"it's really a cop out. they hyped the EP; they need to stand behind that, and not run away just because their hipster ego is poked."

So your saying that instead of giving a accurate rating on this LP they should be basing their rating on their last EP? And your hipster comment is completely irrelevant. FAILURE.

I was a huge fan of the wizard of ahhhs EP. When i first downloaded it for free of their myspace it was love. All of its songs are featured in the 'top 25' playlist on my Ipod. But, when i listened to Partie Traumatic i was more than just disappointed. I was appalled. They had something great going and they turned it into shit.

And all of the people who are talking about how the black kids won't be losing any sleep over this. Pitchfork made the black kids. If pitchfork had never reviewed the black kids EP they would still be playing local shows. We wouldn't be talking about them had it not been for pitchfork. So sorry is the perfect word for them too review this recored with.

i'm not particularly saying that pitchfork didn't make them (like most people, i hadn't even heard of them before their pitchfork review), but i think that because of the label they signed to and the love they've been getting from "old media" (the NME loves them, and they have a feature in spin magazine), perhaps they've hit the mainstream a little too hard to care about being a "pitchfork band."

but i dunno; i'm not a mind-reader. maybe reggie youngblood cries himself to sleep every night because of the poor pitchfork score.

Well put comments, Douglas. Pitchfork have to take credit (or blame) for catapulting Black Kids into the hype loop, but their negative review, complete with pug dogs, seems to me a bit like a snotty tantrum, a simple anti-NME et al lashout.
I personally don't think alot of Partie Traumatic, alot of the raw youthful exuberance of Wizard of Ahhhs has been quashed in favour of a cleaner, more 80s new wave sound. But is that really entirely their fault? I blame the producer, Bernard Butler. He did exactly the same thing to Cut Off Your Hands.