It’s a tough time for music critics. “Along with the usual horrors that print pubs endure now, the music press has its own particular headaches. Not only are publications reigning in their use of freelancers (Rolling Stone, Red Flag), others are cutting their word count (Washington Post, Village Voice) or cutting their pay rates (the Voice again, which is also dealing with a recent takeover). And while ‘zines are generally more open about accepting material, they’re also feeling the crunch of ad dollars and the pressure from record companies to include more–and thus, shorter–reviews to make up for the space.”