Dawn Xiana Moon: Melodic folk pop infused with passion and honesty. From Chicago.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Reviews and Columns

In an unexpected twist, I'm two-thirds of what RelevantMagazine.com published yesterday; my editorial column ran, which I had planned, and the review I wrote of The Juliana Theory's new album ran, which I did not plan (the music section is run by another editor, and he determines when those articles will go to press). For your reading pleasure:

The Juliana Theory: Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat:
I was a fan of The Juliana Theory back in the days of Understand This is a Dream, when the band would play small clubs and have to pay to park their van in the venue's lot, back when you could email singer Brett Detar with crazy requests to make your then-boyfriend's birthday special by sending a signed card and, between him and guitarist Joshua Kosker, they would (I definitely won the "cool girlfriend" award that year). And I'll admit it: with the release of the Music from Another Room EP (Tooth and Nail) and the subsequent Love from Epic Records, I lost interest in the band. Maybe it was due to a brand of musical snobbery toward major labels, maybe it was reports that TJT was getting progressively more arrogant, maybe it was disinterest in all the overdubs or a combination of all three; I can't say for sure. But my faith in one of the original emo bands has been restored: Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, for all the "self-consciously artistic" impressions that its title suggests, is a strong piece of work that will probably be spinning in my CD player for years.

On the Road:
Let's be honest, being an independent musician is hard. You're happy if you break even on tour, if that tiny crowd of people actually pays attention to your music, if the venue makes an exception since you're coming from out of state and starts the tip jar with a few bucks instead of nothing. But it's also afforded me the opportunity to meet amazing people, visit friends who have moved far away, and see God work in unexpected ways.

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