Keeping track of new music, media and industry news.

Shite news alert: the greatest British music magazine for several generations has closed, with editor Phil Hebblethwaite admitting “It’s proved impossible to do [a newspaper and a website] as well as we’d like and, to be frank, we’re knackered.”

While he reserved the right to return to the site in future, the print Stool Pigeon will be much missed – it provided more for free than any of its paid competitors could muster. They printed stories other sites/mags wouldn’t touch for fear of upsetting people in the industry, and always appeared truly independent at a time when music journalism often seems like little more than a way to sort out mates and please the sponsors. I was personally extremely proud to have been published in their last few issues; it was the only publication I ever sent unsolicited work to, because it was the only publication I wanted to be printed in.

The Stool Pigeon bows out on a high: the last issue being possibly its finest ever, and Krent Able‘s masterclasses of comic obscenity being collated for a recent book was well overdue.

One of the last things they posted was this guide to music journalist bullshit. Without the Pigeon around, we’re going to need it.