Reader Katreen alerts us to a pretty clever prank Adam from the indie band Ohtis pulled on a prospective Pitchfork writer earlier this year…
Over two years ago, pitchforkmedia.com ran a purposely fragmented review for Eminem’s album The Eminem Show. The interview contained a fake AOL Instant Messenger conversation between the reviewer, Ethan P. (et HAN P2 3), and the website’s founder Ryan Schreiber (Ryanpitch4k).Before I finished reading the review, I quickly tried to register what I suspected to be a fake screen name for Ryan Schreiber and sure enough, I successfully became the owner of the fake screen name. When I signed on, I was sent a barrage of IM’s from people claiming to be from Sony Records, people who just wanted to talk to Ryan Schreiber, and most of all, people who wanted to write reviews for Pitchforkmedia.com.
Recently, I signed on to the old screen just for the hell of it and surprisingly still received an IM from a guy wanting to write for Pitchfork. So, I did what any musician would do and asked him to review my band, to show me he had what it takes:
Stickytuesday: I sent an application to PFM a couple months ago. I write reviews for the Voice and recently started doing some writing for Rolling Stone… Sorry to bug you here, but any way I could get an update on my application? I never heard back.
ryanpitch4k: ohhh that’s right!
ryanpitch4k: hey sorry man, i’ve been really busy with the move…
ryanpitch4k: i wanted to have you do a test review. are you game?
Stickytuesday: Definitely. You just moved to New York, right? I think I read something about that on Gawker.
ryanpitch4k: lol. stalker, much?????
ryanpitch4k: jk jk it’s cute
Stickytuesday: Heh. Just read Gawker everyday.
Stickytuesday: I live in Washington Heights, btw.
Stickytuesday: Welcome to the city.
ryanpitch4k: oh thanks. we should chill sometime!
ryanpitch4k: but let’s keep love life and business seperate. ANYWAY
ryanpitch4k: i want you to review this new band ohtis
Stickytuesday: Alright. They’ve got an album?
ryanpitch4k: No they just have a single for now.
ryanpitch4k: give me a few minutes to dig it up…
ryanpitch4k: ah-ha!
ryanpitch4k: found it
Stickytuesday: cool
ryanpitch4k: http://ohtis.com/press
Stickytuesday: American Christians?
ryanpitch4k: so yeah get me a review, preferably here on AIM, by tomorrow at 8pm. i’ll leave this up
Stickytuesday: Sounds good. Single review, so… 200 words or so?
ryanpitch4k: yeah just your typical Pfork review. include the number rating
Stickytuesday: sounds good.
ryanpitch4k: great! hope to hear from you soon, sticky!
ryanpitch4k: i gotta run
Stickytuesday: ditto
Stickytuesday: talk to you later
ryanpitch4k: bye bi!Only about 2 hours later, I got another IM with his full review for our song American Christians…
You can read it here. Then listen to the band’s tunes and write your own review! Not gonna say Mr. Sticky deserved it, but c’mon — what self-respecting indie rock journo doesn’t know Ryan’s IM handle is CYHSNo?
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3.5/5? Boooooo. I wish he had the balls to give it a 1 or a 5.
That’s pretty funny, and I’m not knocking it, but at the same time, it’s so inside-the-blogway that it’s almost as satisfying as pulling an elaborate prank on your left leg. Also, these kinds of public pranks are much funnier when they deflate the mighty, not some poor schmo who, for some reason, desperately wants to write for Pitchfork.
Not to rain on your parade or anything.
I’ve got to say this is a) really funny and b) a great, inventive way to promote the band! I mean shit I kind of like the music, and I usually hate anything jesus-related. Surfjam is defintely as close as I get usually.
Damnit glockinspeils are like crack to me.. why is that?
Maybe Ira Glass will do a This American Life segement on this a la Ghosts of Pasha?
The prank’s funny and all, but that review’s pretty well written. Though, I’m not sure what “rapturous aplomb” is or how a song explodes into it.
i’m starting a site called pitchforkmediapitchforkmedia.com that will review pitchfork reviews.
jerry, teej and virgil – you’re hired!
hopefully, someone will take it upon themselves to launch pitchforkmediapitchforkmediapitchforkmedia.com to, you know, keep me in line.
Great idea and even a better song!
I 2nd b.LOUD. This song is really great.
“ryanpitch4k: jk jk it’s cute
”
lol, dude couldn’t tell it was a fake ryan from that?
It’s pretty good. Wouldn’t it be cool if the publicity generated from this did get him a job somewhere.
it would be even better if othis made it big. and by big i mean big mutha fuckas
yeah very articulate but wtf has the review got to do with the song???
Song’s about someone
1. sitting in a brace apparently having lost the use of their legs, writing a suicide note to Jesus on the computer/typewriter
“Please us Jesus please
I’d probably be begging it from my knees
but i’m strapped in upright position
cranking at the keys”
2. attempting to commit suicide but failing and asking for Jesus to do it instead
“I tried to pop the pill
But it didn’t no, It didn’t do a bit of good”
“Please us Jesus put out that light”
3. There’s a Santa Claus metaphor in here somewhere –
“you can not stop working we depend on you for joy” if that’s the joy they mean, otherwise refer back to JC as the source of joy again…
4. It finishes with an scything Christmas message
“But if half the world will never hear his precious name
And you truly believe Christ condemns them all the same
Well Americans, Christian you are the ones to blame”
‘They/half the world’ are presumably
a) of another religion therefore bringing in possible suggestions that the source of Christ’s alleged condemnation are Muslims – in turn positing the speaker as a soldier who has served in the Middle East and lost the use of their legs; or
b)of no religion, putting the old Bill Hicks line “if you’re a Christian then forgive me!” and simply a little more delicately
or something else… discuss!
(and stop reading BS reviews!!!!!)