Happy Monday! David here.

Cultural shifts, the internet, and the flattening of the music audience. Music Twitter/X was shook this week when news bled out that Anna Wintour layed off much of the Pitchfork staff with her sunglasses on. The esteemed music publication is being folded into GQ. X was buzzing about her leaving her sunglasses on, but I was buzzing about her quote.

Anna Wintour, chief content officer for Condé Nast, called “a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance.” Wintour called the move “the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company.”

Near this time last year, Condé Nast came up short of target earnings. #Thriving

For someone my age (elder millennial), I’ve watched just about every music and culture publication I enjoy die or be broken down, so sadly it’s just another bad day in the office.

For music fans that means that social media and direct artist-to-fan communication channels will stay the primary means of shaping music trends and tastes for the foreseeable future. That’s a problem. Don’t let the algorithm shape your taste.

Local ticket giveaway

South Carolina faves Easy Honey and The Stews are playing a two-night standon Feb. 1 and 2 at the Music Farm in Charleston. Enter to win tickets here. (password is subscribe)

Podcast 

Justin watching Hunter perform at Art Bar minutes before he got his 5-19-2015 tattoo.

Listen here // Spotify

Hunter Park (She Returns from War) and Justin Osborne (Susto) stopped by the studio a before their Columbia show at New Brookland Tavern and we had a quick catchup chat about what we’re all up to. We’ll have them both back on the pod at some point in the future to play a song or two and chat more about their new music. Both released new albums in 2023.

Watch

What’s new? 

Historical Nugget:

There’s a lot packed into this blurb from Scott Padgett sharing on the Rockafella’s Reunion write up in The State newspaper in 2007.

Shows this week: 

Upstate 

Midlands

Lowcountry

Encore 

Local music calendars are splattered with cover bands. I get it, but I still have lots of thoughts and passionate opinions. Feel free to share yours with me as I work through my upcoming article Shrek Raves vs. Local Bands.