Evil Memories
I got my journalistic ‘break’ in 2005, when I was invited to contribute to the Atlanta based webzine Evil Sponge . I had known the magazine’s Editor, PostLibyan , via a music forum without knowing he was an Editor of anything. We had simply been discussing shoegazing. So it came as a bit of a surprise when he offered me the chance to come on board his mag. I remember feeling proud to be asked, a bit surprised and also slightly foolish. Why foolish? I felt an idiot for having never considered it before. Not once. I loved music of course. But more than that, I loved to discover new sounds. Still do. I’m addicted to that discovery. And then I have to share my finds with my friends. There are more than enough brilliant records in my collection to last a lifetime, but my search goes on. My search will always go on. Because that feeling, when you find something stunning, is like nothing else on earth. Your blood freezes in your veins, your reality shunts sideways and the world becomes a better place for roughly 45 minutes. Writing about music seemed a perfect fit for me. I just never thought of it before. So that’s how I started out.
Of course I made the same mistakes that everybody makes. Gushing, over the top early reviews. Embarrassing to think about some of them. (I recall giving The Onlys full marks for their album Limbic System . I still like that record but full marks….?) PostLibyan was very patient with me. I also remember feeling disappointed that the list of promo albums on offer to me and the rest of the team wasn’t the ‘so-called’ cream of indie music at the time. I’d imagined myself reviewing the likes of Mogwai and Interpol every week. Not so. PostLibyan’s rather lengthy list of offerings comprised such diverse acts as The Dallas Orbiter and La Société Des Timides À La Parade Des Oiseaux (yep). I was very wrong. It took me a little while to realise it, but the unknown stuff is where all the action is. Established bands’ third or fourth albums can be quite boring. Unknowns can dazzle. It’s a spectrum of course, just as the mainstream is. But I have come to realise that unknown should only imply a lack of coverage, not a lack of quality. These are good musicians too, and they take the same care over their releases as anyone else. More, arguably.
And PostLibyan opened my eyes and ears to the music of Atlanta. I had little or no links to the city of Atlanta, its music or culture, before joining EvilSponge. I thought of the place in terms of gospel and rap, not alternative or indie rock. Deerhunter are probably the towns best known alternative act. But I have PostLibyan to thank for introducing me to the music of Snowden . Jordan Jefferes brand of maudlin, atonal post-punk is infused with soul and gospel influences in much the same way as Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs , Twilight Singers , and Gutter Twins fame. I love it. And I placed Snowden’s debut album Anti Anti in my top albums of the last decade.
(Snowden have their follow-up No One In Control slated for summer 2013 release.)
~This article is jointly published by [sic] Magazine and Evilsponge. For more from Evilsponge please visit via the link provided.~