FAREWELL, THEE WRITERS!
As part of our farewell issue, we invited the writers - both present and past - to say a little about themselves; their current plans, future projects, and whatever caught their fancy. We've always featured a wide array of experience and interests among our writers, and hope to share a little of that with you now. Farewells often happen abruptly, with no advance planning, and with no finances left; Consumable's closure merely comes as a completion of a plan, and with no bitter feelings among any of us. Any of our writers will still read their e-mail; to contact them for future assignments, or just to say "hey, thanks!" the format is (first initial)(last name) @ consumableonline.com
Daniel Aloi: In five years of writing for Consumable, I've heard its readers (musicians and fans alike) praise it for being positive and open to anything. I nudged two friends into taking the fan-to-writer leap and contributing, and I'm as proud of their work as anything I wrote. I'm going to miss having one such respectable source for the sharp and expansive viewpoints my unseen colleagues and I shared in CO with the world. It's been among the high points of my 13 years of writing criticism, so thanks for reading us, trusting us, and sharing our enthusiasm. (and P.S. I'll miss it so much, I'm available to anyone seeking a publicist, music editor, or staff writer...)
Paul Andersen: A Southern California native (yes, folks, they do exist) who would someday like to experience the turning of a season, Paul Andersen credits his computer with finally turning him into a writer rather than a dabbler in words. "It takes away the excuses," he says. "With the typewriter, I would get lazy, not wanting to have to buy stock in liquid paper." Writing mainly about music (all styles) and the arts, he believes in using his platform to promote rather than dissuade. "I'd rather use my little bit of space to turn someone on to something good, rather than trash somebody," he admits. "Besides, it's just my opinion anyway, and why would anyone want to hear me rant about something?" Among the publications he writes for are Entertainment Today, the Pasadena Weekly, the Pasadena Star News, Glendale News Press, San Gabriel Valley Weekly, L.A. Daily News, South Bay Weekend, 28th Street and the Burbank Leader, as well as the late L.A. Reader and BAM. He also ran his own jazz p.r. firm for about five years back in the late 70s-early 80s. "If I could, I'd like to move away from the local markets, either online or with some magazines," he says laughing. "You get tired of having to make it have a local angle. Something like Pulse or Jane would be cool, because they are magazines people actually read."
Christina Apeles is a writer and co-publisher of Spin the Wheel Press, a collaborative venture by Los Angeles-based writers and artists to publish innovative projects and experimental texts. She has contributed music reviews, artist interviews, entertainment news, short stories and pop culture articles to several print and online magazines including BUST, Glue, Giant Robot and LosAngeles.com. She currently does freelance publicity for local artists and writers, and occasionally coordinates local arts events.
Joann D. Ball has been in the music industry for more than a decade. A Chicago native, she has worked in programming and sales at college and commercial radio, has done marketing and promotions work at major record labels and has done freelance media consulting for bands and other entertainment clients. Ball is excited about the potential of the digital music industry, and currently seeks a full-time marketing/promotion, programming or editorial position where she can contribute her extensive knowledge of music genres and radio formats. Ball has written for Consumable Online since 1995, when she relocated to San Diego, California. During that time, she has reviewed a range of major and independent label releases from such genres as alternative and mainstream rock, adult acoustic pop, electronica, acid jazz and hip-hop. She has interviewed several recording artists including Peter Koppes of The Church and Sally Taylor, and also has covered such major events as SXSW 2000 and the 1999 San Francisco New Year's Eve (SFNYE) Superior Bash. In her free time, Ball enjoys listening to recorded and live music and is particularly impressed by artists Randi Driscoll and Lisa Sanders who are poised to emerge nationally from the San Diego singer/songwriter scene.
Niles Baranowski is a fledgling writer based in St. Louis, MO. He has just graduated from Washington University and currently works for an art house movie theatre while he figures out his proverbial 'next move,' though he would love to write about music in any capacity. He has written and edited for Cadenza, the quasi-autonomous datebook section of Washington University's paper (where he won three awards for reviews of the Pixies, Alanis Morrissette and Fiona Apple, respectively), as well as contributing to Sample, a music zine put out by KWUR, WU's campus station. He also served as Music Director of KWUR for a year. In addition to music, Niles also loves anime and Chinese cooking (he may end up in cooking school someday). Always a slight Anglophile, London is his next concrete destination, where he dreams of writing for the NME. His dream job, however, would be a monthly column in a national magazine about the Japanese pop (J-pop) scene for American neophytes. Niles's all-time Desert Island Selection is Bowie's Scary Monsters.
Dan Birchall: A New Jersey native, Dan now lives in Hawaii, where he works as a web programmer/developer in the retail industry. Long-time editor of Screaming in Digital, the Queensryche Internet magazine, he specializes in progressive rock and metal, but has many interests and has reviewed other genres, individually and in partnership with his wife Maisha.
Chris Butler: I play drums with Richard Lloyd, am writing and recording songs for three different projects at once (nuts!), but can best be described as a person who is already missing Consumable.
Chris Candreva: By day, Chris runs WestNet Internet Services in Rye, NY. By night, he restores and plays 80's era arcade machines, noodles around on his guitar, and looks for things to fix around the house. Chris and his wife Valerie are expecting their first child.
Matthew Carlin is the Managing Editor of Knotes magazine / program guide, the official print publication of New York's (and now Hollywood's as well) Knitting Factory club. He also does some writing and editing for jazze.com and the various online outposts of KnitMedia, the company that owns the Knitting Factory. He is also a freelance writer, whose contributions can be seen in such places as All Music Guide, gANK magazine and various trade publications and online places.
John Davidson (Atlanta, GA) has been covering music for various publications on a local and national basis for too many years now, and has no awards to show for it. He does, however, have a gargantuan music collection numbering in the 1000s. He thinks that Lester Bangs was criminally overrated and Jack Rabid criminally ignored. While Davidson has spent most of his time championing indie acts, he's never turned down a major label press junket in Hawaii. Finally, if the Replacements ever reform, he will be the first in line at the ticket booth.
Andrew Duncan is a recent graduate from IUPUI with a bachelor's degree in Journalism, and is currently living in Indianapolis. Duncan began his career at The IUPUI Sagamore, the college newspaper, winning several distinctive awards including the National Collegic Press Association for best newspaper design. Duncan is currently employed at Sherman and Company, a business public relations firm with a clientele including Navistar, American Pianists Association, Ingersoll-Rand, and other national and local businesses. He is also a contributing writer for both print and online publications, including Chord, Uno Mas, Readyset...aesthetic!, Heckler and, beginning this fall, Yahtzeen! He is also developing an Indianapolis-based publication due for release late fall or early winter. With feature and review writing, design experience, an endurance of coffee stains and a wedding in the works, Duncan is always looking for new adventures in the world of entertainment and pop culture in which to contribute to.
Matt Fink: I'm a lifelong music fan. During my tenure as a music journalist, I've found employment as a biographer for the Rough Guide to Rock and Roll, an album reviewer for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, and doing a combination of both duties for the All Music Guide. I hope to continue writing and eventually reach a level of financial independence making the acquisition of a normal 9 to 5 job unnecessary.
Bob Gajarsky (Hoboken, NJ) has spent the past seven years juggling jobs: PC support person at a major international bank for 6 years and trading equities for his own portfolio for one year during the day, and by night, running Consumable Online. The amount of time involved with Consumable left him with minimal energy, but apart from numerous music articles republished in other publications, his baseball writings (on the myths of clutch hitting, as well as an interview with Carl Pavano) have appeared in the Baseball Prospectus. After the flame has been rekindled, you may see him managing other projects and contributing to other publications once again. But for now, having a ten hour work day seems relatively calming.
Paul Hanson has been writing reviews on the Internet since 1997. He currently contributes to a number of sites including Flow Online, Daily Vault, Jersey Beat, Pandemonium, 181 Degrees From The Norm, Ballbuster and Moisst. The highlights of his career include interviewing Igor Calavera of Sepultura, Max Calavera of Sepultura, and face-to-face interviews with Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust and Jeff Pilson of Dokken. On a personal level, Paul is married and has two children, Megan, 4, and Alexander, 2. Alex was named after Alex Van Halen.
Chris Hill works in a Joe Banks day job at a major Seattle aircraft manufacturer. He spends his spare time searching for his Patricia, replacing career genes with obscure film trivia genes (which are far stronger since they feed on microbrews), reading P.G. Wodehouse, learning how to kayak, and obsessively collecting the catalog of whatever band's striking his fancy that day. Writing for Consumable has been a great experience. First off, thanks to Bob Gajarsky for taking on a new writer solely on a friend's recommendation. Second, reading and being influenced by the other CO writers has been wonderful for him. Each issue brought new amazement at the depth of the staff's knowledge and interests. You guys rock. And roll. Hill's future plans include working with fellow fans and the artist himself on Lloyd Cole's website (http://www.lloydcole.com), enjoying life in general, travelling to Europe, and utilizing his English Lit degree to better professional advantage. Best wishes to all the fellow writers and to everyone out there who's taken the time to read Consumable. As much as you've enjoyed the reading and writing, so has he. Look for him standing by the side of the road holding a cardboard sign that says, "Will write for compact discs." Throw cd singles. He's not proud.
Bill Holmes: I started writing reviews again five years ago after a long absence; the immediacy of the Internet seemed to be a logical way to communicate the excitement of a new release without the long delay of print magazines. Consumable was my first online experience and will probably remain closest to my heart for its no-advertising, call-em-as-you-hear-em attitude that is lacking in so many of these puff-piece sites that boast "objective journalism". Never wise-ass or trendy, it was a consistent home for well-worded commentary, and it never lowered the bar for any writer, label or band. Thanks, Bob, for five great years together. I continue to write for a few other publications; Cosmik Debris and PopMatters live in the online world and Amplifier, Pop Culture Press and Bucketful Of Brains are my most frequent print appearances. I continue to seek out great music and deserving artists and hope that my words continue to entertain and enlighten the reader. Visit Dr. Bristol's Musical Prescription at http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/8282/ if and when you are in the mood.
Scott Hudson: For the past 12 years I have been employed as a Real Estate Appraiser with the Mecklenburg County Tax Office in Charlotte, NC. In addition to writing with Consumable, I am currently writing for http://PopMatters.com with a future goal of writing press releases for new and established acts. I reside in Concord, NC with my wife Lynda and our two children Chelsea and Ian.
Jianda Johnson lives in Southern California, and writes music, film and book-related features and interviews for websites such as About.com and MP3.com and others. She has also been published online in Clean Sheets, Scarlet Letters and Doorknobs and Bodypaint for fiction, and is looking forward to her"carbon-based" publishing debut in the "Faster Pussycats" and "Well Rounded" anthologies this and next year. She sings, studies Aikido, and dabbles in music video play at the L.A.-based production company, New Venture Productions.
Reto Koradi: While not always a frequent writer, I had the opportunity to be part of Consumable since the early days. Being from Switzerland, I often wrote about artists from the European Continent that I thought deserved more world wide exposure, and also reported about concerts on a few occasions. I moved to the United States (St. Louis) a little more than two years ago, have a PhD degree in computer science, and work as a software engineer in the scientific (drug discovery) area.
Wes Long: Take one young and very impressionable child, feed him on an elephant steady diet of Beatles and Marvel comics, and you're apt to create a beast not too dissimilar to Wes Long. Wes comes fully equipped with a piranha rabid appetite for hook laden power pop and a "so-called" unhealthy obsession for the written word (what the hell does his caseworker know anyway?). He's studied at several easily forgotten North Carolina institutes and has a background in art and English. In addition to these rather freakish qualities and an uncanny ability to speak of himself in the 3rd person he's a published and award-winning poet, guitarist and frequent contributor to the fine print music magazine The Music Monitor. Wes was last seen on a downtown Charlotte street corner lying motionless 'neath a placard baring his name and the Sharpie scribbled words: WILL WRITE FOR FOOD. He ain't too proud to beg.
Al Muzer: A longtime music writer and regular columnist for The Aquarian Weekly, Al has also shared his opinion with readers of The Music Paper, Live Wire, JUICE, AOL's HUB, All-Star Magazine, Rock Brigade, Hit Sensations, The Musician's Exchange, CDNow, Addicted To Noise, Hits and The East Coast Rocker. Not particularly suited to any vocation other than writing (and, to further limit his options, writing about music) Muzer lists band and artist bios for Buddy Guy, Luna, John Mayall, Third Day, Pilfers, Kitty In The Tree, Country Dick Montana and The Rosenbergs among his accomplishments and has covered artists from Clint Black to the Circle Jerks and the Wallflowers to Waylon (Jennings). A knowledgeable fan of rock, blues, rock-a-billy, punk, power pop, bluegrass, classical, exotica and country music and a walking encyclopedia of seemingly pointless, music-related trivia -- Al Muzer also freelances as a copywriter for several publicity and Internet firms and is always looking for additional outlets for his creative energy. For examples of his work, check out http://www.musichead.com
Nina Ramos: Scott Williams once had a dream...and a lot of time on his hands. So, he started this little thing called Consumable Zine. The point was to provide honest reports on the NY/NJ area music scene. Having a similar amount of time on my hands, I came on as assistant publicity director and advertising maven. After 2 issues Scott and I looked at each other and said - "This...this is hard." In comes Bob Gajarsky to the rescue! He took our fledgling zine and spun it onto the World Wide Web. Thus, Consumable became the first staffed online music reviews publication. Scott and I remained contributing writers for some time. However, we developed lives that ultimately left no room for Consumable. With a sad heart, I left Consumable and went to Seattle for art school. Scott...well, no one really knows what happened to Scott. Since my last review for Consumable sometime in 1996, I have settled in Silicon Valley and become a Digital Video maven/computer geek. My time with Consumable is definitely one of the top 3 highlights of my life - next to breathing and being a girl. Mike Watt at Tramps, NYC...Shudder to Think's video release party...I am filled with much emotion at these last moments...I bid it all a fond adieu. Goodnight.
Linda Scott: Music is a major part of my life. I am interested in listening to music, following artist and band careers, learning about the music business, and working on music-related publicity. I have done reviews for Consumable since 1995. I am the webmaster for the official fan site of ex-Guns N'Roses lead guitarist and frontman for Slash's Snakepit, Slash. I work with Slash and others in his organizationon publicity for the fans and useful information on Slash from his discography to his equipment, style and techniques. The page is located at http://www.snakepit.org .
Don Share also writes on music for All Music Guide and MTVi's Sonicnet.com. He is also a published poet and translator who recently won the London Times Literary Supplement Translation Prize, as well as a musician whose music has received airplay from Memphis to Sydney.
Scott Slonaker is a lifelong music fan and college radio geek who began writing for Consumable in January, 1997. Prior to this, he self-published thirty-two issues of his Take One music zine by email and Usenet. (Take One may resurface with Consumable's dissolution). Scott is completing his MBA at Ohio University at the end of August and has accepted a Sales Applications Coordinator position at Harris Corporation, producer of analog and digital broadcast transmitters, parts, and components. He often does karaoke to "Ice Ice Baby", which usually proves excruciating for any and all listeners.
Chelsea Spear: Hi there - you might remember me (Ed. Note: Troy Mcclure? Couldn't resist...) from my extensive coverage of indie-girl bands and worship of the Elephant 6 Recording Company. Now that Consumable Online is ending its tenure I will be turning my attention to film, both as a filmmaker and a writer. My film Girl on a Bicycle will be screening at some film-festivals, and I will be contributing "vision" to one of my friends' bands at Terrastock 4 this fall. In the meantime, I will be writing about film for Insound.com and attending courses at Suffolk University this fall. Check out my website at http://www.pixievision.tripod.com/home.html for further happenings.
Lang Whitaker (Managing Editor): I got my start with Consumable, so I will forever be grateful for that. Since then, I've gone on to become the urban music writer for Creative Loafing in Atlanta, the second-largest newspaper in Georgia. I also contribute regularly to several magazines including Slam, Paper, The Source and XXL. In September, I will be moving to New York City to become the editor of http://Slamonline.com , the web site for the world's coolest basketball magazine, Slam. If you like basketball, we're going to make you extremely happy. As Consumable fades into cyber-history, I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Bob Gajarsky for being a tireless worker, a dedicated music lover, and, more than that, a friend. Hopefully, my name will continue floating around in print for years to come, even if it's not under the Consumable banner. Thanks a lot everybody, it's been a blast. Last one out, don't forget to turn out the light.
