Exclusive: Pitchfork MP3 pirates; Hipinion.com crashes their server

First, Joanna Newsom leaked. Second, according to the person who uploaded it to private bit torrent site Indietorrents, it may have been pilfered from here (link is broken now, obviously), Pitchforkmedia’s sprawling illegal download hub, which includes everything they reviewed this year and a “Cursive Megadiscography” as well as “Rob’s [Mitchum] Fiery Furnaces Bootleg Folder.” Among others. After a brief invasion by the message boarders of Hipinion, it went down. Coincidentally, the Hipinion forums crashed just after.

But anyway, Joanna Newsom leaked, and everything you’ve heard about it — Jim O’Rourke’s involvement, Steve Albini’s recording, Bill Calahan of Smog doing guest vocals, Van Dyke Parks writing the best string arrangements of his career – all true. The best part is Joanna’s songs and performances are still the centerpiece, and they’re absolutely masterful. This is as beautiful and weird and heartwrenching as music is going to get in 2006.

You can download “Emily” over at The Rich Girls Are Weeping.

(Ys is due from Drag City Records on Nov. 14)