April 1st, 2009 1:10am
The Time Of Our Lives
I think it’s pretty safe to say that today is a major turning point in the history of this site. After a little over seven years of documenting my taste in music and providing you with mp3s of my favorite songs, Fluxblog is going to have to switch gears and become a blog about…well, anything other than music.
Let me explain.
As some of you may know, I’ve recently started work as a freelancer for Pitchfork. I’ve been enjoying it, and it’s nice to work with a lot of people who I’ve been friends with for years now. The thing is, I had to sign a contract, and as it turns out, it’s kinda strict. Effective today, I am forbidden to write about music for anyone besides Pitchfork Media, and that includes my own sites. This will last until April 2011, unless I choose not to re-up, or if I can manage to renegotiate the contract.
In the meantime, I intend to keep this site going. It may be a bit of trial and error at first, but I’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s coming up. For instance, I plan to write more about my political views, and open up about my personal life and my experiences as a single guy living in the big city. I’ll probably end up sharing some memes, and some cute photos of my new kitten, Mr. Adorbs. I’m most excited about a new mini-blog that will replace the tumblr on the sidebar — Fluxburgr, a site documenting my quest to find the best cheeseburgers in New York City!
If you’re going to bail on the site now, I totally understand. I think for most people, this will always be a site about music, and I’m proud of what I achieved here over the past seven years. I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has ever read this site, not to mention all the artists who have been featured on it, and all my family and friends, who have supported me in this weird OCD project of mine that somehow turned into a career. I sincerely hope that you all follow my writing on Pitchfork, if that site is not already one of your daily must-reads.
I leave you with this — a video tribute that I made to say farewell to Fluxblog: The Music Years. I strongly recommend that you watch it.
4/1/09 1:52 am
4/1/09 2:15 am
Even though you never covered our band I’m still a big fan of your work. I look forward to reading you over at Pitchfork. Best of luck.
P.S. Your cat is adorable.
4/1/09 2:16 am
Gd nite ‘n gd luck!
Fluxblog was definitely one of the best indie blogs around.
Looking forward to read your reviews on Pitchfork.
4/1/09 3:15 am
Goddamn it, every year I fall for these for at least a full minute. Nicely done.
4/1/09 3:16 am
I think most peopel will understand and stick with ya for the long haul. I’ve always thought that Fluxblog was one of the most focused and musically diverse music blogs out there. Congrats on the “new” job!
4/1/09 4:09 am
Wow. I’m at a loss. I don’t know where I’m going to get my new music from anymore, but congratulations on your new job! You’re making the right decision now go and ake the best of it!
4/1/09 4:41 am
Happy April Fool’s to you too!
4/1/09 4:48 am
You sir, are hilarious. Gotta love kittens and cheeseburgers, and if this were any other day, I’d probably wish you well for the site and all. Instead, I’ll just shake my fist in anger at this “news.” Boy am I “upset” about all this.
4/1/09 8:05 am
I’m confused; on Pitchfork it says *they* have to quit because you walked when they said you couldn’t run Flux anymore and without you there’s no point.
PS, top quality work as usual.
4/1/09 8:19 am
Sellout! Man, I can’t believe this!! Like we even want to know about cats and burgers!
4/1/09 8:34 am
as an old time reader of this blog, i’m sad to see the format change, but also excited to see what you have up your sleeve for the future. i definitely continue reading!
4/1/09 8:39 am
I love you.
4/1/09 8:40 am
Ha! Good thing I read further down the page…
4/1/09 8:54 am
“Fluxburgr, a site documenting my quest to find the best cheeseburgers in New York City!”
Give my love to Theo!
4/1/09 8:55 am
Thank god you’ll be weakening Pitchfork’s deteriorating brand with your writing.
Since you’re under such strict contractual obligations, maybe it’s time to turn this site into a food blog.
4/1/09 9:25 am
I WISH I KNEW HOW TO QUIT YOU, MATTHEW PERIRHNVDFNVJLDBSADJB
4/1/09 9:38 am
You know, I have such fond memories of fluxblog - it’s where I’ve found so, so many of my very favorite songs.
Will Pitchfork be allowing you to post up mp3s of your latest discoveries, or will there be some kind of copyright problems?
Best luck in your new endeavors.
4/1/09 9:48 am
[...] Fluxblog is no longer gonna post about music… here. In other news, look for Fluxblog’s Matthew Perpetua writing at [...]
4/1/09 10:21 am
The worst part of these new Pitchfork contracts is that it’s not just Fluxblog: I won’t be able to read Amanda Petrusich and William Bowers in Paste, Jayson Greene in Symphony, Joshua Klein in the Chicago Tribune, Mike Powell in the Village Voice, Douglas Wolk in The Believer, Andy Battaglia in the Onion AV Club, Nate Patrin in City Pages, a whole bunch of writers at eMusic, not to mention countless other blogs I have loved over the years. I guess Pitchfork’s ruthless ransacking of the music critic community is now complete. RIP.
4/1/09 10:58 am
And you decided to post this on April 1st? Can’t you just get guest writers in to maintain the blog? I’d be loathed to give up something I worked on for 7 years for a freelance contract that lasts 2 years!
4/1/09 11:01 am
obvious troll is obvious.
4/1/09 11:06 am
Wow. This is truly an end of an era. I wish you all the best in your newest endeavors. I’d really like to say so much more but I’m just…stunned. Sorry.
I’ll have to let another express what I cannot:
Good-by to the life I used to live,
And the world I used to know;
And kiss the hills for me, just once;
Now I am ready to go!
4/1/09 11:26 am
April Fools. Please tell me this is an April Fools joke…
If so, I’m glad I’m not the only one who is so gullible to believe it.
I’ve discovered a lot of great songs here, and it’d be a shame to see you go. Truly, Madly, Deeply.
4/1/09 12:01 pm
hahaha, I thought YouTube’s would be the best one today
4/1/09 12:23 pm
who cares about fluxblog? bring on fluxburgr!
4/1/09 12:37 pm
[...] Il fondatore degli mblog annuncia la fine di un’epoca, ma tutto fa pensare a uno scherzo. Intanto nasce il primo embedded mblog della EMI: “Segnalateci la next big thing, le faremo un contratto” [...]
4/1/09 1:15 pm
i just knew it was going to “the time of your life” but it made me laugh anyway.
4/1/09 1:35 pm
I only caught when I heard the opening chords of Good Riddance. Nice.
4/1/09 2:53 pm
i was hoping this was an April Fool’s joke.
4/1/09 3:00 pm
Check you calendars everyone.
4/1/09 3:13 pm
dude, now you can write about my forthcoming poetry book here without shame!
but seriously: congrats on the P4k contract. you deserve this more than anybody.
4/1/09 4:31 pm
Crazy. Can we still chat about music? Are you allowed to go to concerts with people who aren’t writing for p4k? Your answer will determine whether I make an effort to work for p4k or not.
4/1/09 7:47 pm
I hope to God this is an April Fool’s joke since Pitchfork literally pays its writers in peanuts. Also, I wouldn’t mind reading about your political views.
4/1/09 7:49 pm
Seems sad, especially for a freelancer contract , not even full or part-time! Oh well, loved the blog by the way, but I’m starting one of my own, so maybe I can take over your audience. lol
4/1/09 10:12 pm
This was the first blog I ever started reading about music. It introduced me to so many bands but the first post I ever read about was when you introduced me to the Fiery Furnaces. You posted “Inca Rag/Name Game” and “Crystal Clear” and I was sold from there. I’m sad to see you go over to what some may call the “dark side”, but I’ll still read your works.
Cheers kind writer.
4/2/09 8:16 am
i think we all got played.
4/2/09 9:02 am
[...] April Fool’s joke ever, Matt “Fluxblog” Perpetua announced that as of yesterday, Fluxblog would have to stop being a music blog, as he had just signed a contract with Pitchfork media which forbade him from writing about music [...]
4/3/09 6:52 pm
as a hamburger aficionado, I look fwd to reading about the next burger I should seek during my next trip to the city. good luck.
4/5/09 3:07 pm
Can you write about catburgers? And what if there’s a band called Catburgers? Do you have to stop writing about them then?
4/5/09 3:09 pm
Write about Metal Machine Music - despite the last word of the title it isn’t. Ha. Fooled ya.
4/5/09 11:25 pm
OMG YOU JERK I was so sad to hear you weren’t reviewing music anymore; alas it was just an April Fools joke… hahaha …sigh of relief…
4/7/09 2:56 pm
Quite upset as I got almost all my new music from you. You’re the only person I know with taste nearly as good as mine.