Hi!
Compared to the ones in years past, this roundup of everything I wrote over the last twelve months will be a bit short because I didn’t write a lot of pieces this year, just a few really big ones. I’m also of the opinion that prattling on too long about one’s achievements on the internet is sort of embarrassing—the work either speaks for itself or it doesn’t—so in the spirit of not filling the world with more narcissistic noise, I shall keep this brief.
That said, big thanks to everyone who continues to subscribe to this so-rarely published newsletter. While I cannot promise I will write more next year, I appreciate anyone who reads my stuff, whether here or on Bandcamp dot com. As always, an extra thank you to everyone who has reached out to tell me that something I’ve written has spoken to them in some way. I may not always reply, but I read all your messages, and I am always very touched. The support means more than you know, this year especially.
Okay, that’s all, see ya in 2023!
xo
MT
How To Make A Watch, Parts 1 & 2
In April of this year, Dummy let me jump in the van with them for their first full US tour and write about it for Bandcamp. What resulted was a 10,000-word tour diary, published in two parts, which wasn’t just a chronicle of my time on the road with the band but also a love letter to punk and DIY and about what it means to be truly indie in a world of capitalistic posers, why music scenes are valuable, etc.—you know, weird girls stuff. You can also check out all my disposable camera photos from the tour and a short response to the extremely tiresome discussion prompted by the article here.
Philadelphia, Again
I got really depressed in late July for myriad reasons, but mainly because the only thing more humiliating than having feelings at all is allowing those feelings to be hurt. In a fit of pique, I took a spontaneous trip to Philadelphia—a city I’ve always loved—went to a punk show, and walked around Old City feeling sorry for myself. This is my newsletter about all that.
The Bandcamp Guide to Ride
I wasn’t sure I had it in me to write another feature after How to Make a Watch, but a guide to Ride’s early EPs and records on the occasion of their reissuing was too good an opportunity to pass up. This piece was super fun to write because I got to speak to every member of the band and, I think, got some pretty nice stuff out of them, including some info on a new record due out next year.
Beanie Tapes for the Tape Label Report
The Tape Label Report is a column I run on Bandcamp Daily that spotlights five tape labels to know every month, and I interviewed my Bandcamp colleague Ben Walker of about his label Beanie Tapes for the last edition of 2022. Fun Fact: Ben is a longtime participant in the Oxford music scene and low-key knows all the famous Oxford people, including Loz Colbert of Ride, who brought him up to me during our interview, which gave me the idea that it was time to give Beanie some space in the TLR….
Other Stuff
I’m very proud of the short reviews I wrote for Bandcamp Daily’s Best of Summer list, notably Horsegirl, Flasher, and the Casual Dots.
I also wrote the bio for Alice Sandahl of La Luz’s solo record and the new record from Blues Lawyer, coming out in February. Do check them out!
And here it is, my favorite song of 2022: