Free Williamsburg & Tiny Mix Tapes, RIP

RIP Free Williamsburg & Tiny Mix Tapes (?)

BrooklynVegan is approaching our 16th year, which seems old, so it’s crazy to think that fellow Brooklyn culture blog Free Williamsburg — a site I was definitely a fan of in 2004 when I started BrooklynVegan — is today calling it a day after 22 years. Check out their long goodbye letter, full of great Williamsburg memories. You can also say goodbye in person at a farewell party they’re holding at Saint Vitus on January 29, with sets from The Austerity Program, Statiqbloom, Fliege (record release), and Member.

This news comes shortly after another site that outlasted most — Tiny Mix Tapes announced a hiatus after almost 20 years in business. How permanent that is remains to be seen, but the internet has been treating it like the end with many eulogies for the fellow music site posted to social media. Back in 2004, when starting BV, I was regularly checking Tiny Mix Tapes for album reviews and recommendations. At the time, Pitchfork, Tiny Mix Tapes, Stylus and a few others basically seemed like equals, and TMT continued to keep it real all the way until the end of 2019. Check out their recent list of the best albums of the decade.

Pour one out for FW and TMT!