Deal Has Spin in a Phair-Sized Snit

Don’t hold your breath waiting to read about the new Liz Phair album in Spin magazine.

Spin--arguably the leading “alternative” music magazine--is boycotting the singer-songwriter, arguably the most talked-about new “alternative” star. The magazine killed a highly positive review of her new album, “Whip-Smart,” and a feature story on the artist also fell through.

Why? Because Phair chose to launch the album with a cover story in Rolling Stone, and agreed to Rolling Stone’s stipulation that she not appear on any other magazine cover beforehand or while the issue is on the stands.

Spin editor Craig Marks says that Phair reneged on a promise to do a Spin feature. Writer Charles Aaron had flown from New York to Chicago, Phair’s hometown, to interview her before being told that Phair was going with Rolling Stone and declining Spin’s offer.

“We all thought the story was going to happen,” Marks says. “She pulled out of a commitment she made to us. . . . Her treatment (of us) was such that I couldn’t let her get away with it.”

Phair’s manager Will Botwin counters that Spin would not commit to putting Phair on the cover. So when Rolling Stone offered its cover slot, it was hard to pass up.

“I thought it was a total overreaction,” says Botwin of Spin’s boycott. “They didn’t commit to the cover until after Rolling Stone. They would have you believe she’s somehow walking away from the alternative market, but that has nothing to do with it.”

Marks says that he doesn’t expect to feature anything about Phair for the “foreseeable” future.

Does he have any second thoughts about ignoring one of the year’s most high-profile releases?

“No,” he says. “There’s many, many bands and artists to write about, so I don’t think not having any one band or artist in a magazine will affect the readership.”

Phair’s manager Botwin hopes the matter will blow over.

“We have no hard feelings for Spin,” he says. “And we’d still be happy to do their cover.”