Dear friends,
In recent weeks it has been more apparent that some folks in the surrounding music community have been increasingly concerned with “who” I am rather than “what” I am doing. I started this little project because I felt there is a sufficient lack of coverage for folk and roots music in Boston and the surrounding areas. We do have some publications that show the community some love, but to me at least, it seemed there was a hole in that part of the puzzle. A source dedicated to the music I hold closest to my heart. It is still going to be my objective to provide a light into that community of musicians, things will just have to evolve a bit, as things tend to do over time.
I have had a decent run at the whole remaining anonymous thing (5ish months?), which has allowed me to remain objective and impartial on the music I receive to review and choose to spotlight. Whether or not I know the artist I am reviewing personally or they could perhaps be offended has been a complete non-issue. While I had originally determined to simply not review music that I did not feel positive about or have much constructive criticism to provide regarding, not having to disclose who I am was still a luxury that I definitely appreciated. Perhaps some extra edge than just “little old that guy”. It has been a great way of going about the review process, I feel more comfortable jotting down notes as I listen to records over and over again, and it has plain old just worked for me. That is truly what I have welcomed most about writing as an unnamed source.
I have also been granted some great opportunities to review not so local music, which has been quite a rewarding experience. Bands I may have never heard of had I not started this little blog thing were sending me their music to listen to. I mean, really, wanting me to listen to their music and give them my thoughts on the matter. As a musician myself and huge appreciator for the arts, it’s kind of a dream come true. And, I cannot even begin to say how grateful I am that I have been guest-listed for press access at one of the greatest folk music events of all, the Newport Folk Festival. Deciding to write about music has gifted me with some amazing things so far, and while I will still likely do so going forward, I will be a bit more vigilant in what I choose to review and how I choose to say certain things.
I suppose all good things must come to an end and perhaps the whole transitioning from anonymity to just being a music reviewer will unearth new prospects for features and collaborations with other artists and music publications (though not quite as “secret fuckin’ agent” as it was before). I mean, I guess I knew when I started this thing that I couldn’t remain in the dark forever. It has been a little weird when friends emailed me with a “thanks for the kind words” to not just be all “dude, its me. You already know I really love your tunes”. I even had someone tell me I should promote a show by getting in touch with Red Line Roots…which is kind of funny I suppose. Maybe the whole romance of people vying for a review, or appreciating the words you write a bit more because it’s not just a friend reviewing saying nice stuff about a song your wrote (friends are supposed to say nice things about your art, right?) was kind of a cool thing to hold onto for a bit. Regardless, I guess the jig is up.
Some folks already know who I am an I will no longer actively try to keep this thing as secretive. I am a musician and music lover and I write about the music I appreciate in the city I love most, Boston (and sometimes beyond). I want to thank everyone for the support so far and people even exclaiming that I should remain anonymous, which it is a bit too late for at this point. If there is anything I can do to help you all out in the future, please let me know.
Thanks for reading and I hope you keep on reading! Now that we have that out of the way, send me some goddamn music to review.
-B
Red Line Roots
