Jenn Pelly: Chronicler of Music’s Radical Edge
We’ve followed Jenn Pelly’s work as it reshapes how we understand music’s intersection with culture, feminism, and literary tradition. A contributing editor at Pitchfork since 2015, Pelly has become synonymous with deeply researched narratives that bridge punk’s DIY ethos with high-art criticism.
Career Evolution: From Punk Zines to Cultural Criticism
- Early Work (2010-2015): Cut teeth at Brooklyn Vegan and The Village Voice, profiling emerging DIY bands
- Breakthrough (2016-2020): Authored The Raincoats (2017), cementing her feminist music historiography
- Current Phase (2021-present): Expanded into long-form cultural analysis for The New Yorker and experimental liner notes
Defining Works
- Review of Sleater-Kinney’s 2025 Album (Pitchfork) Pelly’s analysis of the punk icons’ late-career resurgence dissects Corin Tucker’s vocal techniques through the lens of Adrienne Rich’s poetry. Her track-by-track breakdown reveals how the band synthesizes Riot Grrrl energy with mature reflections on artistic longevity, citing producer John Congleton’s tape manipulation methods. This review became a benchmark for analyzing legacy acts in streaming-era ecosystems.
- Alynda Segarra’s Radical Honesty (Vulture) Blending music criticism with memoir, Pelly interweaves Segarra’s Nuyorican roots with the death of her own grandmother. The piece’s innovative structure – alternating between song analysis and personal grief narrative – redefined artist profiles. Pelly’s access to Segarra’s unpublished journals created an unprecedented intimacy in music writing.
- Big Brave’s Sonic Alchemy (The Guardian) This technical deep dive into metal’s literary potential showcases Pelly’s musicological rigor. By analyzing Robin Wattie’s extended vocal techniques against Emily Dickinson’s dashes, she argues for a new canon of “textual noise.” The article’s accompanying Spotify playlist demonstrating Dickinson’s rhythmic patterns became a cult hit among composers.
Pitching Insights
1. Lead with Historical Context
Pelly prioritizes artists who engage with cultural archives. Her Kleenex book review for The Baffler demonstrates how she connects 1970s Swiss punk to contemporary labor movements. Successful pitches should mirror this approach – e.g., “New Queercore Band Reviving Mimeograph Zine Tactics.”
2. Emphasize Interdisciplinary Links
Her Gillian Welch analysis for NPR paired Appalachian folk traditions with Flannery O’Connor’s Southern Gothic. Pitch artists who bridge mediums: “Electronic Producer Scoring Unpublished Sonia Sanchez Poems.”
3. Avoid Mainstream Success Narratives
Pelly’s refusal to cover Olivia Rodrigo’s stadium tour (despite shadowing the Breeders’ opener slot) reveals her aversion to commercialism. Focus instead on artists using unorthodox distribution models.
4. Highlight Feminist Praxis
The Raincoats book and Kathleen Hanna interview showcase her interest in care ethics. Pitch stories about mutual aid initiatives in music scenes.
5. Propose Unconventional Formats
Her liner notes for Margo Guryan’s box set blended oral history with spectral analysis of 1960s tape hiss. Consider pitching: “Interactive Essay Mapping Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening Sites.”
Awards and Recognition
“Pelly writes like someone trying to save music criticism from itself.” – The Baffler
- 2018 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award Won for her 33 1/3 series volume on The Raincoats, beating 400+ entries. The jury praised her “redefinition of what music biography can achieve.”
- 2024 NPR Music Journalism Fellow Selected for innovative approach to audio/text integration. Her fellowship piece on rural recording studios pioneered QR code-enabled field recordings.
- 2025 Granta Best Young Music Writers The only American honoree in this UK-based list, recognized for expanding music writing’s literary potential.
