My Year in Music: Magazine Covers, Interviews, Reviews, Festivals, DJing and a Whole Lot of Books
Feel good ink!
March: Zoomed with Shaboozey, who taught me about world building
I started making an outline of my year in music because it was honestly wonderful. Even with the requisite dread of 2025, the past 12 months have inspired a lot of ideas for next year! Now that I’ve fleshed the outline out into a story with links to the music-centric work I did in 2024, I’m getting a real boost of gratitude, joy and pride from seeing it all in one place.
The hope is that you’ll enjoy reading it and perhaps will listen to some music that you end up loving. I’m proving to myself and others that giving up on this kind of work isn’t an option for me. I can also refer back to this when I need help to stay focused on my music-related goals for next year through all the challenges and emotions that ‘25 will offer.
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JANUARY
Technically this happened in mid-December, but I had the honor of writing about Björk for Issue #15 (Dec./Jan./Feb) of Maggot Brain! It’s only available in print, which I love. Though I didn’t interview her this time, it is my fourth magazine cover story on her, and I still haven’t written a book yet...
I started Music Book Club with a Zoom conversation with Dan Charnas for his NYT Bestseller Dilla Time. With co-production from Carly Eiseman, Music Book Club went on to host 20 author events this year, and build a really special community. You can hear all of the conversations in our archive, with more to come.
Not only was this a real highlight of the year, Music Book Club is one of my favorite personal projects ever. I hope you’ll consider joining (free or paid) — the events are designed to be enjoyable and inspiring whether or not you’ve read the particular title. I don’t believe in assigning homework here.
Lily Moayeri wrote an awesome story about why I started the club for Book and Film Globe, Ron Hart talked to me about it for Rock and Roll Globe and Abigail Tate interviewed me for Velocity Press, all of which made us instantly global!
FEBRUARY
Prince-like levels of money were paid to see André 3000 play with his woodwind collection at Bimbo’s and write about it for 48 Hills. I promise you that there was an extended moment where he fluted while staring deeply into my eyes only, and you can’t tell me otherwise.
Covered a few GRAMMY Week panels for the Recording Academy, including a conversation with Halle Bailey and Muni Long that was held for GRAMMY U students. The gnarliest rain I’ve ever seen in Los Angeles happened that week.
I also started freelancing for CNET again, a gig that’s been on and off for me as the company has been sold twice in four years. I rarely get to write about music there, but was happy when I was able to share my tips for buying concert tickets online. I was recently onboarded by the new new owner, and hope that means I’ll get more assignments in 2025.
MARCH
I interviewed Shaboozey for GRAMMY.com, pitching the idea before everyone there knew who he was. I dare say that I fought an editor for the inclusion. Now, he’s nominated for five GRAMMYs in 2025, and has the longest running number one song of all time in the United States. I loved talking to him about world-building, staying grounded and the triumphs our mutual friends at San Francisco’s EMPIRE, who have nurtured his career for the past five years. I also wrote hot takes and an explainer on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, on which Shaboozey guests, for GRAMMY.com and CNET, respectively.
PopCon 2024 at USC was a lot of fun; I appreciate in-person professional enrichment even more now after a few years of not having it. I presented a mix of highlights from my personal interview collection called Teemoney’s Archive Alive for the Digitalia and the Archives panel with Lily Moayeri, Zoey Greenwald and Michaelangelo Matos (who sent in his brilliant talk for us to play in his absence). Listen to the mix from my presentation below.
APRIL
Zoomed into a music writing class at Emerson College taught by Associate Professor of Journalism (and NPR journalist) Tim Riley. We talked about my career in this endangered field, Music Book Club and zines. One student emailed me later to say that they were inspired to restart their zine-making practice, and that gives me joy. CNET let me write a few more music stories, both about Taylor Swift. There are some Swifties at CNET; I’m not one of them tbh, but was happy to oblige.
MAY
Strangely enough, San Francisco Public Library has been my best DJ booking agent for the past year, and they gave me the incredible opportunity to spin all day long at SFMOMA for the historic opening of the Art of Noise exhibit. I was also asked to judge their Bay Beats Battle of the Bands, an extension of their music streaming site that I have been involved with as a juror on the selection committee. I played six mini sets featuring all Bay Area artists in between the bands, running back and forth between my turntables and the judges’ table with the super homie Daniel Matsumoto.
The provided gear had some problems, so I didn’t record anything, but I wrote everything down for fun.
Teemoney's All Bay All Day Setlist
Bay Beats Battle of the Bands
May 4, 2024 at SFMOMA
Set #1
Los Mocosos — United We Stand
Mystic — We Are The People (All Around The World)
The Curtis Family C-Notes — Happy Hippie
Tower of Power — What Is Hip? (T.O.P. Meat Beat Manifesto Remix) (SFS Edit)
Set #2
Rice-A-Roni Jingle
Sly and The Family Stone — Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Jefferson Airplane — White Rabbit
Janis Joplin — Mercedes Benz (Deejay Irie Edit)
Steve Miller Band — Fly Like an Eagle (Maker Remix)
Bobbi Humphrey — San Francisco Lights
Faith No More — Epic
Xyla featuring Oso Feo — Cold
Set #3
Pointer Sisters — Yes We Can Can (PLUV Intro Edit)
En Vogue — Hold On
Saweetie — Tap In (Dennis Blaze Hyphy ReWork)
Digital Underground — Rhymin' On The Funk (DJ Dynamite Edit)
E-40 — Tell Me When To Go (Trackademicks Remix)
San Quinn, Big Rich and Boo Banga — San Francisco Anthem
Messy Marv — Get On My Hype
MC Hammer — Turn This Mutha Out
Set #4
Sheila E — Love Bizarre
Huey Lewis & The News — Do You Believe In Love
Con Funk Shun — Ffun (Beat Junkie Sound Edit)
The Luniz featuring Dru Down, E-40, Richie Rich, Shock G and Spice 1 — I Got 5 On It (Bay Ballas Remix)
Faith No More — Epic
Set #5
E. Live — Boogie For Life
Doobie Brothers — Long Train Running (Jet Boot Jack Remix)
Con Funk Shun — Too Tight
Journey — Don't Stop Believin' (DJ Mike D Intro)
Sylvester — You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Soulwax for Despacio)
Set #6
Stevie Nicks — Stand Back
Eki Shola and Yehu Salah — Jubilee
London Symphony Orchestra — Star Wars Theme
Romeo Void — Never Say Never (DJ Organic Edit)
The Tubes — Talk To Ya Later
Souls of Mischief — '93 Til Infinity
I went to Pasadena to attend the third year of Cruel World and saw childhood favorites like Adam Ant (finally, because he canceled on the previous years) and Heaven 17 (finally also, because they had to cancel what would have been their first SF show in early 2020). The performances and the multi-generational people-watching are stellar, and I look forward to writing about all three years in more depth. I certainly don’t want to miss it next year! I hope they bring back the Human League, whose set last year was cut in half due to a looming electrical storm. They may be scared to return.
My eighth or ninth Kraftwerk concert, held at Walt Disney Symphony Hall in DTLA, led to the relatively economical discovery that the last row in the center is actually an acoustically fabulous place to be in that venue. It was the 10-year anniversary of #Kraftweek, when my friend Mike Battaglia and I went to four consecutive Kraftwerk 3D shows at the same venue, with more expensive seats. I’ve never had the chance to do that many concerts in a row with any other group, and it remains one of the most special music weeks I’ve had.
I also interviewed New Kids on the Block’s Joe McIntyre, who was darling, and wrote about the federal aim to break up Ticketmaster.
JUNE
Another Planet’s giant surprise rave with Fred again.. and Skrillex at Civic Center didn’t seem like my thing on paper, but I honestly had a ball! My only snarky moments were internal and had to do with the mayoral flexing in the backdrop, but that’s a bigger story about something else. It helped that my friend and Another Planet publicist head Alexandra Greenberg of Falcon PR was there to share the day with me! I saw adults skipping and blowing bubbles and ate a burger named after Metallica. I was genuinely happy for anyone who traveled to San Francisco for the first time for that party. Here’s my dissection for 48 Hills.
I stayed in the blissful vibe of the Rhythm Nation of Janet Jackson’s concert, which I reviewed for SFGATE, for months… until she had her media gaffe about Kamala. That shook me out of it.
I wrote about the Ladies First portion of the Roots Picnic at the Hollywood Bowl, with Queen Latifah, Monie Love, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo and Lady of Rage. That’s my favorite place to see a concert and I try to go there every year that it’s open, but this was the first time I was moved up and out of my seat to dance around the entire venue, taking videos and pictures. One usher caught onto my game and tried to hassle me, but I was too busy covering the Queendom.
I also attended an interesting MUSICARES panel about mental health that featured Lyte, Saweetie and Big Lez, but for some reason I don’t think my story was ever published. I was struck when Saweetie said that she didn’t feel supported by other women in the industry, and Lyte told her that she had tried to send her supportive DMs in the past and offered up her friendship and mentorship.
Locally, Lyrics Born Zoomed with me to talk about his last album and the upcoming season of his YouTube cooking show for my Good Taste column at 48 Hills, and I interviewed legendary Bay Area radio DJ Chuy Gomez about his life and career for SFGATE in what was undoubtedly my feel good story of the year. I also got to collaborate with my buddy and former roomie Doug Zimmerman, who took Chuy’s photos. It’s been a long time since we were able to work on a story together, and it was awesome. Chuy even shouted him out and put him on the air later that day. There were nothing but positive comments in support of Chuy and the story, and I cherish that.
JULY
I spent most of the Missy Elliott concert at Oakland Arena crying, and you can probably feel my emotions in my review for SFGATE. I still don’t have words for how much she has improved as a live performer and become an undeniable athlete. Just wow. I could cry just thinking about it now. Interviewing her in 2022 was a career highlight, and her advice to me in making my own baby beats looms large in my mind. What a treasure she is.
GRAMMY.com asked me to mark the 20th anniversary of two key Mac Dre albums that were released just months before his still officially unsolved murder. And I made a plea to greener journalists to stop blowing up secret rave spots, which became one of the most-read culture stories of the year at 48 Hills.
AUGUST
I went hard for my annual food reporting at Outside Lands in my Good Taste column at 48 Hills, and also wrote a story for SFGATE on the best places to listen to the festival without paying. Watching Grace Jones, Chappell Roan and Crystal Waters inspired me to continue my Summer of Queens series here at Respond2Bass.
Another Planet is now hosting festivals in Golden Gate Park on the weekend after Outside Lands, and I was fortunate enough to attend the first one, which starred the absolutely electric bands System of a Down and Deftones. Despite the drizzle, it was an awesome day, which I covered for Pollstar, thanks to Andy Gensler! Thank you also to Jeremy Bispo and Chef Janice Dulce at FOB Kitchen in Oakland for the ticket hookup.
Went back to SFMOMA to actually see the Art of Noise exhibit that I got to DJ for in May, and to hear the world premiere of Sylvester’s Live at the Opera House album on Devon Turnbull’s incredible sound system installation, which was called HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 2. I wrote about the experience for 48 Hills.
I haven’t gotten to write much about the first edition of the mythical-sounding Fool in Love festival in Inglewood yet, but will soon. I had to fly home that night in order to participate in the SF Zine Fest the next morning, so I missed headliners like Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, but I still managed to weep through sets by the O’Jays, Chaka Khan, Al Green, Charlie Wilson and, especially, Gladys Knight, who I still really want to interview. It was an incredibly meaningful day to me that I am still processing. We owe these artists so much.
If Fool in Love happens next year, I’ll be back with bells on. And maybe roller skates?
SEPTEMBER
I reviewed the epic Green Day/Rancid/Smashing Pumpkins/Linda Lindas show at Oracle Park for SFGATE, spending most of my fee in order to have a floor seat instead of a nosebleed, which was a very good decision.
Also snuck in a story about music stems for CNET, raved to The Hills theme song at Portola and, following a referral from my friend and writing colleague Ned Raggett, the France-based streaming service Qobuz hired me to write a bunch of album reviews, which I loved doing. Read my takes on Laurie Anderson’s Amelia, Dar Disku’s self-titled album, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s posthumous “surprise album” Chain of Light, Floating Points’ Cascade, Photay’s Windswept, Sylvester’s Live at the Opera House, Kate Pierson’s Radios and Rainbows and DJ Platurn’s Through Storm & Grief. And while I much prefer making DJ mixes for publications, I am in love with this Retro Rave playlist I made for Qobuz.
OCTOBER
My cover story on Grace Jones came out in Maggot Brain! Wow! So much gratitude to still be able to work with wonderful independent magazines like this (and open-minded editors like Mike McGonigal, who lets me be me). Like the Björk story, it’s print only. I didn’t actually get to interview her for the story, but maybe someday…
I dropped everything to arrange a last minute trip to New York City to watch Stevie Wonder attempt to Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart at Madison Square Garden. My friend Stacy Cousino joined me to celebrate our birthdays early; it was her first time seeing him, and my… seventh? I wrote an account of the evening for Pollstar.
Stevie’s very important to me, and there is a larger work about him developing inside. I’m working towards bringing it out. Telling him that I love him and he’s the soundtrack to my soul during a group press interview phone call remains a most cherished career moment.
Locally, I wrote about Martin O’Brien’s long-awaited SF rave documentary Between The Beats, which was more than a decade in the making and worth the wait. Charli xcx’s PR team wouldn’t let me cover her show, so I went into brat mode anyway and wrote a story about being snubbed, angering some of her Stans. I’d like to think she’d approve.
I was also inspired by my interview with Dregs One for Mission Local, and by attending his second annual History of the Bay Day at the Midway in SF. I’ll write more about that event in my upcoming Bay Area Rap book, which should be done relatively soon. I’ll release that through the Music Book Club.
NOVEMBER
Music Book Club held our first in-person event with Skiz Fernando for his book The Chronicles of DOOM at my favorite local bookstore, Green Apple Books on the Park in SF, and I got to review the 20th anniversary edition of MF DOOM’s MM..Food album for Qobuz’s Album of the Week. We’re working on more potential in-person experiences for the club next year. The next one will also probably be in the city, but we’d like to do events in LA, NYC and other spots if we can.
I did some crate-digging at Mike Battaglia’s store Vinyl Dreams in order to write about Blackstone Friday, a special sale of the archives of the late influential house DJ and producer Blackstone in order to benefit a scholarship set up in his name. DJs and future DJs now own parts of this thoughtfully curated collection and will use them to make people happy. Thank you as always to 48 Hills and Marke B. for always saying yes to stories that illuminate our local dance music history.
DECEMBER
Mission Local asked me to write about the fourth anniversary of Mission Synths, a brick and mortar store that has built a community of friends and collaborators much in the way that I’ve seen happen not too far away at Vinyl Dreams. It was like stepping into a parallel yet intersecting world, and this is the place to go if you want some in-person private instruction at all levels. Thank you again, Emma Silvers, for bringing this idea to me!
Ever since that group phone call with Stevie Wonder in 2008, I’ve wanted to attend his annual Holiday House of Toys benefit concert in Los Angeles. He skipped doing it for a few years due to illness and then the pandemic, so this year was the 25th anniversary of the show — and I made it! Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy or “gift of joy,” and I brought a set of six cute harmonicas for kids.
New friends were made in my row, so it wasn’t weird that this was the first show of his that I saw by myself. He brought out Jon Batiste, Lucky Daye and El DeBarge, whose falsetto is still perfect. Berry Gordy and Mayor Karen Bass were there as well. What an LA show! I didn’t cry through the whole set this time, but I lost it when he said, “See you next year!” at the end. Yes, you will, Stevie!
Carly Eiseman gave me a beautiful blank book with a Stevie vinyl record on the front for my birthday, and I’ll start my writing process for my Wonder project, whatever it turns out to be, in there.
I also hit my reading goal of consuming more books than I’ve ever read in a year, even when in college! It’s a new tradition I want to keep; I’ve rediscovered my inner child’s joy of reading. The majority of the books were about music. Except for a few duds that all purported to be Diddy-related tell-alls, I think the books I read this year are collectively making my own writing and book projects better by osmosis. We’ll find out in 2025!
My other creative goal for music in the new year is to put some of my baby beats out into the world when they’re ready…
