Features / Music

Here in the northern hemisphere the seasons are changing. Europe is finally getting some rain. I don’t know about you, but this really does change my mood and the kind of music I want to hear. The time for music I associate with spring and summer is over. So I … Read more

The kitchen table is the place in my home where I have spent a lot of time lately. Shortly after I finished my last column I didn’t feel too well. That quickly changed to feeling very ill as I ran high fevers. A couple of tests later and I knew … Read more

It is when browsing through a boatload of year’s end lists that I begin to suffer from a strange form of FOMO. It is not so much the fear of going to miss something, but the fear of having missed something. Although I enjoy browsing those lists a bit too … Read more

Welcome back! I hope you don’t mind the mess this time. I dislike it when people say this when you enter their house, as it usually means their house is ten times cleaner than mine. However, this time my house really is a mess. We are in the midst of … Read more

No, this is not like the movies, ok. I am not going to a restaurant and do a lot of impressions. I am just stealing a catchy title for my column. As you might remember from my last column, I was in the middle of a big renovation project. We … Read more

Discussing the state of the music business at the kitchen table Welcome back to my kitchen table. Especially welcome in these strange times. I need some distraction to steer my mind away from thoughts that turn dark in an instant. Working from home full-time means I’m spending way too much … Read more

There we are again, back for another round. I don’t know how you are doing, but I am trying to focus on the positive things in life. The fact that it is summer does really help. I mean, a bit of sunshine can really brighten up your day, doesn’t it? … Read more

As we (in Europe) have entered the second wave of Corona infections and life is getting more and more restricted I have to admit I feel a bit down. One day I am more affected than the other, but it is something that is on my mind a lot. I … Read more

Just a question for you lot: what carrier do you prefer for your music? Personally, I still highly prefer to own physical products. I am old school in that sense. I don’t really have a preference for vinyl or cds. And while I am telling you this it crosses my … Read more

I listen to loads and loads of new music. Every now and then I take a break from that and I revisit music that I bought a while ago. The past few months were one of those breaks. I finally took the time to appreciate some albums I bought, but … Read more

Nostalgia Do you at times dwell in nostalgia? I know I do. One music related subject is how much I miss record stores. When I grew up I would go to the record store every weekend. Not that I would buy something every week, I would just browse through their … Read more

Sometimes I wonder how I will look back at the time I am living in. Like right now, as the world is opening up again, how will I think of this spring in 10 or 20 years’ time? I know right now I think it is one of the weirdest … Read more

July is a month I really enjoy. It is too hot to really do that much, which makes it a good time for reflecting on the past half year. Our year so far lists are a good point for me to look at what I missed. This is also a … Read more

Richmond, Virginia has a rich history in the punk and hardcore world. And as the years have passed by, the city remains a hotbed for new and exciting bands to emerge from. The Catalyst is a perfect example. Throughout the past seven years, they have unleashed a slew of recordings … Read more

By attending Fest 10, I’ve now officially attended 50% of them. Each Fest is similar, yet each has been significantly different. While many bands remain the same, the general feel and the ever-changing venues make it a new event every year. Many go to The Fest for the headliners—and who … Read more

Fest 11 had a hell of a lot of big names: Propagandhi, Frank Turner, Titus Andronicus, Good Riddance, Dwarves. It’s tempting to push your way up front in the sweaty, spacious floor area of The Florida Theater, 8 Seconds, or The New Top Spot, but Fest isn’t just about those … Read more

If you count last year’s Pre-Fest only trip, Fest 17 marks my tenth trip to Florida for the annual event. The Fest is a monster of an event to cover. It boasts more than 400 bands in total and, including Pre-Fest in Tampa beforehand, it spans five days. Fest proper … Read more

The Fest is a massive undertaking. It's 400+ bands over 3+ days. It's summer in October, as a certain band said. This year may have mostly trended around 70 degrees -- apparently cold by Florida standards, but that's still way warmer than the snowfall I see out the window at … Read more

The Fest 18 begins this Friday, running November 1-3. Which means that the punk party has overtaken Gainesville 18 times, with literally hundreds of bands playing across dozens of venues in town each year. Some are regular music venues, while others are pop-ups that only do it for a few … Read more

It’s hard to believe that The Fest is in its 20th iteration. The festival always had ambition, but it’s a real testament to still be going 20+ years later. And not just because of pandemic challenges, but because punk bands tend to come and go. It would be impossible to … Read more