Music Journalism
About Me
For those recruiters and hiring managers who like to see a bit of personality showcased in an applicant's submission for employment, I've also included a music video I made as part of my application for a position running social media for a popular independent record company. I managed to slip in several "easter egg" references to the label, it's artist roster and the records they've released since their inception. Below is a link to the video and full list of every reference to the label I sneakily integrated into the video. FUN FACT: I made this in a 48 hour period and submitted it on the very last day they were accepting applicants. If you're appalled by the maladroit construction, please consider the argument that it seemed appropriate for a job at an indie label who, at least in the beginning, championed lo-fi aesthetics.
Indie nerds, step up to the plate!
The song is a cover of The Magnetic Fields classic tune 100,000 Fireflies, which was covered by Superchunk. The Magnetic Fields have been responsible for several of the highest selling and most-cherished releases of the Merge catalog. Superchunk is the band in which the label's two founders play and whose music served as the impetus for the label's creation. I updated the lyrics to be situation specific about wanting to work at Merge. I'm holding a mandolin and resume because the first lyric of the original is "I have a mandolin". There's also a Magnetic Fields poster in a frame on the wall behind me.
0:10 Superchunk have performed as The Misfits for Halloween shows, going so far as to adopt the face paint and Devilocks made famous by Danzig and The Misfits while performing. There's also another Magnetic Fields poster advertising the vinyl pressing of the album on which the original "100,000 Fireflies" is featured. It's also signed by Stephin Merritt on the lower left corner.
0:20 My subject is Dan Bejar of Destroyer who is on Merge.
0:31 My subject is Alastair MacClean of The Clientele who are on Merge.
1:00 Every LP in the stack i'm flipping through is a Merge Records release.
1:10 My subject is William Tyler, a guitarist who's music not only inspired me to learn how to fingerpick with the acumen displayed in this song but is also released by....you guessed it: Merge Records.
1:25 The Merge turntable mat.
1:26 The LP is the Peak Vinyl version of the last Clientele LP, Music For the Age of Miracles.
1:45 My subject is the author of "100,000 Fireflies", Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields
1:56 The LP is the Peak Vinyl version of Richard Buckner's dents and shells (Lowercase title [sic]) which was released on vinyl for the first time on its 15th anniversary by Merge.
1:57 My subject is Patrick Stickles of the New Jersey band Titus Andronicus who are on Merge.
2:02 The LP is Destroyer's Kaputt, a Merge release.
2:09 The rapid-fire shots of records spinning all feature a self-referential item placed just to the left of the turntable, listed/ explained below in order of appearance:
Archers of Loaf-Icky Mettle Studs Terkel book is a reference to Icky Mettle's cover art, which features the text "This Spot Reserved For Studs Tercel[sic]"
Titus Andronicus-An Obelisk The titular cardboard punch-out obelisk included inside the LP is featured in it's finished form.
The Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs Daniel Handler's book Adverbs follows the same principle as the LP in that all the stories are meant to represent different kinds of love. Handler is also featured on the album playing the accordion.
William Tyler- Goes West David Berman's band Silver Jews featured Tyler as a touring member, Actual Air is Berman's critically acclaimed book of poetry.
The Love Language-Baby Grand The band portrayed younger replacements for founding members of Superchunk in the music video for "Digging For Something" and are also on Merge.
David Kilgour and the Heavy 8's- End Times Undone Kilgour founded the seminal New Zealand band The Clean and helped launch a movement now known as the "Dunedin Sound". The yellow record cleaner is a reference to the band, who released a multi-disc anthology box set on Merge.
2:35 The LP is a Merge tribute to David Bowie's Heroes, featuring Dan Bejar, William Tyler and other Merge alum, released as part of the 30th anniversary subscription celebration.
2:57 Screen shots of Stephin Merritt, Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum and Superchunk/Merge founder Mac McCaughan.
3:22 Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea ends with an acoustic number featuring Jeff Mangum on vocals and guitar and the final seconds of it's runtime feature Mangum audibly standing up from his chair and departing the session, largely considered a symbolic gesture as the band haven't returned to a studio setting for recording since. The final shot of this music video were a subtle homage to that album's closing sounds.