Pitchfork Is Now Pitchfork

If you're a fan of indie music and the internet, no doubt you hit up Pitchfork's website every so often (I'm sure some of you even do it several times a day). The indie-minded music site has built up a reputation over the years, especially from its album reviews, which are always well written, although some may say a bit too critical. Love it or hate it, it gets people talking....

If you’re a fan of indie music and the internet, no doubt you hit up Pitchfork’s website every so often (I’m sure some of you even do it several times a day). The indie-minded music site has built up a reputation over the years, especially from its album reviews, which are always well written, although some may say a bit too critical. Love it or hate it, it gets people talking.

(above: Pitchfork’s new logo.)

Last year I got to meet its founder, Ryan Shreiber, and a few minutes into our conversation, my childlike mind asked him a list of childlike questions:

Why the name Pitchfork?

Why Pitchforkmedia?

Ryan told me how he came up with the name “Pitchfork”–I won’t spill the beans, just in case Ryan ever plans on writing an autobiography–and he also told me why his initial web address was: pitchforkmedia.com.

It’s a very simple explanation: someone else already laid claim to the domain pitchfork.com (there are stable keepers and pitchfork makers out there mind you).

Ryan was able to eventually buy out the domain name, so if someone typed in pitchfork.com, instead of pitchforkmedia.com (like many of its readers were accustomed to doing), they’d automatically be re-directed to the latter site.

This week Pitchfork becomes Pitchfork, which not only includes a domain name, sans “media,” but a new logo and layout as well. Pitchfork.tv, which had its own website, can now be found at pitchfork.com as well.

Just breaking it down for you–in a child-like way–in case you get scared when you see their new digs.