Editorial Notes | August 2023
Greetings from the Dust & Grooves trans-continental headquarters! July has been full of new team members and sprawling lists of ideas for the future.
Starting with a heavy hitter, music writer David Ma has joined the ranks as our book editor for some reinforcement towards Volume 2 alongside Dust & Grooves pioneer editor Noah Uman. Initially suggested by longtime friend and contributor Oliver Wang, Ma is a regular contributor at Wax Poetics, Rolling Stone, NPR, and other major outlets. He’s been publishing freelance since 2001 (the year I was born!). With fall on the horizon and our prospective publication date looming in the clouds (did we already mention summer 2024?), we’re ecstatic to have his expertise on board.
“Honored to be a part of Eilon’s stellar team, building upon the legacy of Dust & Grooves, and making volume 2 the best of its kind.” –David Ma
Speaking of Wax Poetics, the magazine’s legendary founder Andre Torres is being interviewed this month by Dan Epstein of music journalism fame. I know I’m eager to revel in all the knowledge we will get from this one. Plus, Peter Agoston is interviewing Stones Throw Records’ own Dâm-Funk (Funk yeah!), and our interview with Andy Votel of Finders Keepers is shaping up to be an epic for the ages—complete with rare gems and a lot of wax eye candy.
Our intern team has emerged into August in full swing with a whopping six members, leaving little old me a whole fleet of companions. Please welcome:
Jake: Soon-to-be father, general voice of organization, and Horror movie score enthusiast (talking my language!), Jake is joining the team as a volunteer and consultant for the project, focusing on development and brainstorming. Desert island record: the Stone Roses’ Self-titled.
Justin: A musician himself, Justin is going to be spinning and mixing all things audio and video, and we are super stoked for all of his invaluable production knowledge. He’s also a film nerd and makes “loungy synth-pop beats” in his free time. Desert island record: Random Access Memories by Daft Punk.
Kayla: Fresh out of journalism school, Kayla wants to explore the music journalism industry in all of its unique spots, complete with prossays and a regular Substack peruse. She’s going to be our editorial assistant and help out all over the board. Desert island record: Teen Dream by Beach House.
Liz: Longtime NYC music history fanatic, she also studies regular history (I guess there’s more to the world than music?) and is a native to the big city. She will be our resident Content Manager, overseeing all of the glorious columns and social postings for you to enjoy! Desert island record: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles.
Skye: Curious and operatic (literally–she’s an opera singer!), Skye is from Illinois and is a creative writing connoisseur. Alongside me, she’s going to be operating as an Assistant Editor. Desert Island Record: Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
Vanessa: While at Dust & Grooves, Vanessa wants to explore the vinyl medium on a more intricate level and use her previous editorial skills for all things music writing. Desert island record: Mama’s Gun by Erykah Badu.
And in case you don’t know me yet, my name is Kait, and I’m entering my second month with Dust & Grooves. I’m a poet and cinephile who loves researching albums, and if I were stranded on a desert island (which is not out of the realm of possibility), I would be spinning Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York until I die.
With our new team, the creator himself, Eilon, is dedicating a series for each intern to work on personally. My own addition so far is the illustrious, impeccable (if I do say so myself) Digging Our Own Crates series, where essentially, I get to listen to albums and be a big nerd about it. Most recently, I mused about Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis and Black Flag’s Damaged. Try not to get whiplash from the differences between those two. In development, we also have some coverage on the wonderful world of album covers, monthly mixtapes, and film score analysis. Dust & Grooves is shaping up to be a real music journalism chameleon. What would you like to see us cover? Have any cool ideas for a column? Drop us a line. Send a mail pigeon, give us a shout from across the street.
Earlier this week, Dan Epstein led us interns in a workshop for future Digging Our Own Crates submissions, and his feedback was invaluable. We got the chance to (gently) prod his brain about so many facets of the music journalism process and industry—and even got some Brian Wilson anecdotes out of it! But beyond that, he’s just a really cool guy that we all admire. Thanks, Dan!
Stepping away from our staffing updates, Eilon’s got a heavy around-the-world trip booked to the brim. He’s going to be traversing the globe and all of its many, many train systems—starting in his native Israel, then to Europe through Greece, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and the U.K. If that wasn’t enough to completely overload a man, he’s then going to Japan, and maybe Hong Kong (Gia Fu, can you hear us?), before hitting the American West Coast (say hi to my family, Eilon!), Detroit, and finally, back to Brooklyn. It’s going to be a riot. Safe travels and bon voyage! Take lots of pictures!
In the meantime, stay tuned for a new website and brand identity coming up from our talented album cover designer friend in Poland, Maciej Grochot (Thanks Dom Servini for hooking us up!).
Don’t forget to check out our July 2023 mixtape.
If you need some stellar music content, the legendary DB Burkeman is launching a photo book of forgotten and undeveloped 35mm film, complete with pics of the Ramones and other punk staples he photographed during his teenage struggles with drug addiction and hearing loss. If only my adolescent years were spent that way.
Besides that, Phillip Arneill is releasing a long-anticipated book with Volume 2 contributor James Catchpole about Japan’s Jazz Kissas, and we are stoked to read on.
That’s all from us! Keep spinning, good people.
-Kait
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