NYLPM: What's going on?

Does that mean we get to ask some questions about Pitchfork?

how odd. i was just thinking about posting something along these lines. (also because i sent that cad ewing an email about the "new changes" which were put on hold somewhat following 9/11 and he NEVER responded. my widdle heart is broken.) it seems like tom and raposa are the only people who post these days.

Marvin Gaye wanted to know 20 years ago, not much has changed. Actually more like 30, I don't know.

The idea for a while has been to revamp and repurpose NYLPM. I was getting quite excited about doing this, then it seemed a bit pointless immediately after September 11th, and the plans never really went further, although I have a good number of talented people who've shown interest. Once the initial shock faded I found myself still not really able to write, for reasons related in the thread I started last night.

I thoroughly appreciate the efforts of the team members, but throughout NYLPM's lifetime I've provided the bulk of material. If I'm not writing, the site doesn't get updated much. And I'm not writing: I don't feel like I have very much of value to say about music anymore. I'm not contributing much to ILM either - I'm not even reading that much music criticism online, though I still read ILM quite avidly.

The forums have made a big difference - debate here is immediate and funny, and also takes away a lot of the responsibility running a weblog/site imposes on you. When ILE came along it was a real breath of fresh air. The decline of NYLPM makes me sad though and I'm thinking about just closing it until my excitement at revamping it comes back. If it does.

So I'm sorry to respond so gloomily, and I'm sorry to have kept the talented people who want to write for a new NYLPM in limbo, but that's the situation, alas. I don't think it's fair to launch a new site until I'm confident I can do stuff for it regularly.

Fire away with the Pitchfork questions...

But seriously, I ask only because the 'blog has been so entertaining since its inception, and I can honestly say it (and FT, and the forum) have been huge influences on me. Not really trying to rail on the contributers. I just sensed that it seemed adrift. Good luck sorting through this stuff, Tom, and I selfishly hope it turns out I get to read more of your writing (& the other team members, too.)

tom: this sorta ties in with your "advice" thread...but...whether or not you feel like you have anything to say *now*...i've always enjoyed what you had to say in the past about music...so if you *can* write...even something you think is bad...i'd say do it...because...it's so tough when i'm in one of my "moods" (clinically depressed since about 12 or so...on and off medication) to write...it's nigh-unto-fucking-impossible...but whenevr i finish something...i feel better...also, i dunno about you...but...everything i've been writing lately...music and otherwise (including the pieces i said i was working to sub to ft)...have been mutated by 9/11...(my can. ox/jay-z piece used the phrase "ground zero aesthetic"...something made immediately, grossly ironic)...but i'm struggling...to find ways to talk about pop/music in the aftermath, informed by it, but not ham-handed...all i can say is good luck.

For what it's worth, I was planning on using the NYLPM forum as my own bully pulpit for the next couple of weeks about various things, just because I can, and it's fun. Were I not able to just log in and blather about songs via NYLPM, I'd be so intellectually constipated (and I hate dealing with that not-so-fresh feeling).

I think there is a bit of a decline (brought about by the IL* bitches), but I don't think it should be shut down for lack of interest. IL*, ideally, would complement NYLPM, with the posts being a springboard for discussion. I'd say the addictiveness of real-time discourse offered by these forums puts a crimp in that plan, though, as Tom notes.

And, of course, I second, third, and fourth everyone's thoughts and concerns and well wishes regarding Mr. Ewing. Hope you're well, Tom.

Pitchfork licks dingus

That's not a question.

Depends on the intonation.

If ILE becomes the death of Freaky Trigger I'll feel so bad.

DEATH TO ILE!

Quiet you, Doubting Ethan.

I used to feel quite guilty about not writing for NYLPM much, but really I never wrote that much for it in the first place so it's probably irrelevant (Freaky Trigger articles do be another matter). David's recent heroic and highly enjoyable efforts notwithstanding, I largely consider NYLPM to be Tom's blog, and so it's not so much NYLPM's health but Tom's that I think is crucial. Good luck getting over your block, Tom. I find that in situations like this reacting to other stuff is easier than trying to start with a totally blank page. My motto: being parasitic is ay-okay.

fuck that, where's AICON?

Yeah, I wanna know who the last person on AICON was!

Despite the lack of updates I still find a lot of worth in it when it is updated.

The veiled digs wear a bit thin.

What veiled digs?

Updates have been at a reasonable rate over the last couple of days so fingers crossed we can keep it up.

I wasn't talking about nylpm, I meant the original question.

Damn! I was hoping we could unveil them!

I thought my digs were pretty goddamn obvious.

That's why I don't write for nylpm, I am not the diva of clarity.