Stylus is dead...

...long live Stylus!

Tomorrow is Stylus' last day as a going concern. I joined as a writer at the end of May and am gutted that it is ending so soon, but everything that Todd (Burns, the editor) explained about his reasoning was completely understandable. I would not want to sacrifice for five days what he has sacrificed for five years for that site.

I applied to the site in May on a whim: I never thought I would be accepted. I knew Stylus had some of the best music writers on the internet, so I could barely believe it when I got the e-mail from Todd saying I'd got in. The same day I'd received good news about my final Uni grade: I was far happier about being accepted by Stylus than I was about getting a good Law degree.

Since news of it's closure emerged, I've been reading reaction on forums, in comments boxes and on other blogs. Of course, the sadness expressed has nothing to do with anything I've written, but it has filled me with more pride at just being part of the team for a short time. Even Simon Reynolds expressed great sadness about it on his blissblog, and he's one of the greatest music writers ever. Looking back at some of the articles and reviews we've published - handily compiled on 'A Bluffers Guide To Stylus' - is truly inspiring to a budding writer like myself.

It was a privilege to write for you Todd. I only wrote 11 album reviews, and 3 blurbs. I wish it could've been more, and that one day I might've written something deserving of a place on that Bluffers Guide. Tomorrow, the world of music journalism will weep, but real life will keep moving. I'll continue to write for The Skinny, and re-evaluate in the new year.

Broon's Tunes (and other stories)

Since I started work in August, researching bands for a secret future project, I've become a real music geek. I've been a music obsessive for 7 years or so, but I've never quite approached this level of geekery before. Spending 8 hours a day researching bands on Wiki and AMG makes a big difference: and when I get home, I inevitably read more about music, the music that I want to read about. It's all I can talk about these days. I've become a right boring bastard.

So I thought I'd start a blog...


It's taken me a long time since I started writing to start a blog, for many reasons. Blogs have a tendency to be narcissistic, poorly written, and often superfluous for any writer who is published elsewhere. Bloggers say "I" and "me" a lot, which is fine if you're an interesting person, and not fine if you're not. I know I'm an interesting person. Now I just have to convince you.

But I'm still learning this game. In the meantime, while I'm slowly shifting up gears towards top speed, I recommend checking out some of the blogs listed down the left. Those are some very talented writers: my blog is already benefiting by basking in their reflected glory. In time there'll be music reviews here, and interviews, and comments and opinions and lists and similar. And despite what anyone who has chatted to me recently might think, I am interested in other things too: perhaps there'll be space here for 'other stories' relating to current affairs & politics, football, philosophy, (medical) ethics, and more. Perhaps. At the very least I hope that Broon's Tunes can prove - to myself as much as anyone - that I'm not a boring bastard, really. Let me know if it's working.