A relaunch for Stylus which should see it further shake off its (sometimes justified) rep as a kind of Pitchfork Junior. Under the scarily young and eager Todd Burns it’s always had a slightly broader focus than Pitchfork, paying a lot of attention to back catalogue albums as well as new releases, and stressing features as much as reviews. It’s generally been less high-handed than Pitchfork too – but on the other hand the writing on Stylus has often lacked character, something that (like or dislike it) you can’t say about PFM.
The attractive redesign might help get some new readers, and the newer contributors might help keep them. Dave Q, of ILM notoriety, is going to write stuff (his first piece, on Roky Erikson, is up already) – Cozen of ILM is on the writing list too. Recruiting talented mavericks like this, and giving them free editorial rein, should help give Stylus the distinctive identity it’s previously lacked.