About
Hello. I’m Ryan Burleson, a music journalist and content producer based in Nashville, TN. Thanks for stopping by.
Most consistently I’m contributing to MAGNET and the Nashville Scene, and was previously a Staff Writer for Consequence of Sound. I’ve also written for The Atlantic, Relevant and LEO Weekly. Slowblog is a place for me to share some of this work and other ramblings that may or may not have anything to do with music, depending on the day.
Outside of journalism, I lead digital recruitment in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt. Prior to that I developed content and communications strategies in the Senate Press Office of Georgia and Duffey Communications, a boutique PR agency based in Atlanta.
Elsewhere, albeit seldomly, I play music with Southern and others, and DJ.
Below is a running body of my published work. Say hi if you like.
Published Work
The Atlantic
After a Boom-and-Bust Hype Cycle, The Rapture Get Spiritual
Track of the Day: Lotus Plaza’s “Come Back”
Nashville Scene
Features
Bon Iver: The Triumph of Sincerity
Paramore: The Honesty Imperative
Tennis: This Boat Could Be Your Life
Deerhunter: Public Image Limited
Less Than Jake: Southern Weather
Blonde Redhead: Submit to Nothing
Magic Kids Proudly Claim Memphis on their Skillful, Nostalgic Debut
Tristen: What Doesn’t Kill You
Austin post-rockers Balmorhea produce textured, cinematic soundscapes
Critic’s Picks
Schermerhorn Grand Re-Opening Feat. Itzhak Perlman
Pretty Lights at Municipal Auditorium
Canon Blue w/Tyler James and Action!
The Twilight Singers at Mercy Lounge
Cass McCombs w/Lower Dens at The Basement
R. Stevie Moore w/Tropical Ooze and Action!
Greg Ginn & The Royal We at Springwater
Explorer’s Club w/Bows and Arrows & Ohtis
Baths Openings for Cold War Kids
Local Natives w/Ruby Suns & Union Line
Dub the Halls feat. Nero, Plastician & More
Milktooth w/Flashbulb Fires, Xpia & More
Horse Feathers w/Anais Mitchell
Keegan DeWitt w/Madi Diaz at Imogene+Willie
Nashville Cream
Album Review: Canon Blue’s Rumspringa
Album Review: Worker’s Neurology
Time Reaffirms Grimey’s Indie Cachet
New Caitlin Rose Video for “Shanghai Cigarettes”
Hammock Still Not Slowing Down, Collaborating with Aussie Legends The Church
LEO Weekly (Louisville’s Alt-Weekly)
Consequence of Sound
Record Reviews
Tim Kasher’s The Game of Monogamy
Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come [Reissue]
Sufjan Stevens’ The Age of Adz
Mark McGuire’s Living With Yourself
Underoath’s Ø (Disambiguation)
Blonde Redhead’s Penny Sparkle
A Sunny Day in Glasgow’s Autumn, Again
The Radio Dept.’s Never Follow Suit EP
How to Dress Well’s Love Remains
Starflyer 59’s Changing of the Guard
!!!’s Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
Bobby Bare, Jr.’s A Storm - A Tree - My Mother’s Head
Interviews
An Intimate Conversation with Memoryhouse’s Evan Abeele
Live Reviews
Memoryhouse and Twin Sister, The End, Nashville, August 16, 2010
Relevant
Record Reviews
Damien Jurado’s Saint Bartlett
MAGNET
Interviews
Live Reviews
David Bazan at Next Big Nashville
Take Cover! Column
Bon Iver takes on Bonnie Raitt and Leon Russell
Damien Jurado and Rosie Thomas take on Springsteen’s “Wages of Sin”
Gillian Welch takes on The Byrds’ “Hickory Wind”
El Perro Del Mar takes on Lou Reed’s “Heavenly Arms”
Franz Ferdinand takes on LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends”
David Bazan takes on Radiohead’s “Let Down”
Queens of the Stone Age take on The Kinks’ “Who’ll Be the Next in Line”
The Morning Benders takes on The Cardigans’ “Lovefool”
The Wooden Birds take on Hall & Oates’ “Maneater”
Karate takes on Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”
The Civil Wars takes on Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm”
Wilco takes on Big Star’s “Thirteen”
Madeleine Peyroux takes on Elliott Smith’s “Between the Bars”
Trentemoller takes on Chris Isaak’s “Blue Hotel”
The Twilight Singers take on Marvin Gaye’s “Please Stay (Once You Go Away)”
Johnny Cash takes on Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”
The Tallest Man on Earth takes on Bob Dylan’s “I Want You”
The Black Keys take on Buddy Holly’s “Dearest”
Stone Temple Pilots takes on Led Zeppelin’s “Dancing Days”
Beck takes on The Korgis’ “Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime”
Grizzly Bear takes on Hot Chip’s “Boy From School”
Hercules and Love Affair takes on The xx’s “Shelter”
Love Inks takes on David Essex’s “Rock On”
David Bazan takes on Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy takes on Sufjan Stevens’ “All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands”
The Great Book of John takes on INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart”
Sex Beet takes on Sonic Youth’s “Dirty Boots”
James Blake takes on Feist’s “Limit to Your Love”
Sam Amidon takes on R. Kelly’s “Relief”
The Get Up Kids take on The Cure’s “Close to Me”
NOFX takes on Billie Holiday’s “All of Me”
Oh Land takes on Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal”
Soundgarden takes on The Beatles’ “Come Together”
A.C. Newman takes on a-ha’s “Take on Me”
Jay Reatard takes on Deerhunter’s “Fluorescent Grey”
Secret Sisters (Feat. Jack White) take on Johnny Cash’s “Big River”
Nouvelle Vague takes on Echo & The Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon”
The National takes on The Clash’s “London Calling”
Cat Power takes on Oasis’ “Wonderwall”
Social Distortion takes on The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb”
A Place to Bury Strangers takes on David Bowie’s “Suffragette City”
Vampire Weekend takes on Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Goin’ Down”
Lissie takes on Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness (Feat. MGMT & Ratatat)”
First Aid Kit takes on Fever Ray’s “When I Grow Up”
Damien Jurado takes on Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon”
Radiohead takes on Joy Division’s “Ceremony”
Memoryhouse takes on Grizzly Bear’s “Foreground”
Failure takes on Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”
Grizzly Bear takes on The Crystals’ “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)”
Atlas Sound takes on Connee Boswell’s “Blue Moon”
Beach House takes on Daniel Johnston’s “Some Things Last a Long Time”
Gnarls Barkley takes on Violent Femmes’ “Gone Daddy Gone”
Lowry takes on Toto’s “Africa”
Death Cab for Cutie takes on Björk’s “All is Full of Love”
Foo Fighters take on Arcade Fire’s “Keep the Car Running”
My Bloody Valentine takes on Wire’s “Map Ref. 41°N 93°W”
Track Reviews
Caitlin Rose’s “Shanghai Cigarettes”
A Winged Victory for the Sullen’s “A Steep Trail of Vicodin Tears”
And the Relatives’ “Hammer Down”
Tim Hecker’s “Hatred of Music I”
pulseprogramming’s “First They Fire”
The Fear and Trembling’s “Let Me Know You’re Mine”
Matthew Ryan and Hammock’s “Like New Year’s Day”
Dustin O’Halloran’s “A Great Divide”
La Sera’s “Devils Heart Grow Gold”
JEFF the Brotherhood’s “Diamond City”
Collections of Colonies of Bees’ “Lawn”
Fennesz/Daniell/Buck’s “Antonia”
Choir of Young Believers’ “Claustrophobia (Peter Silberman Remix)”
Blonde Redhead’s “Here Sometimes”
Phosphorescent’s “The Mermaid Parade”
Warm Ghost’s “Open the Wormhole In Your Heart”
The New Pornographers’ “Your Hands (Together)”
Club 8’s “Western Hospitality”
Horse Feathers’ “Belly of June”
Grovesnor’s “Taxi from the Airport”
The Ruby Suns’ “Closet Astrologer”
Sam Amidon’s “Relief (R. Kelly Cover)”
Ólafur Arnalds’ “Þú Ert Sólin”
Damien Jurado’s “Cloudy Shoes”
Film School’s “Heart Full of Pentagons”
BRMC’s “The Line” (iTunes Live)
Video Reviews
The Morning Benders “All Day, All Light”
Holy Ghost!’s “I Know, I Hear”
Class Actress’s “Journal of Ardency”
White Hinterland’s “Amsterdam”
The Besnard Lakes’ “Albatross”
Rusko’s “Hold On (Feat. Amber Coffman)”
News Writing
In the News: Week of June 06, 2010
In the News: Week of June 20, 2010
Mixtape Introductions
Performer
Features
Spotlights
Hammock: Slowing Down Despite the Cult-of-Now
Record Reviews
Black Mold’s Snowblindness is Crystal Antz
Live Reviews
Atlas Sound and The Dirty Projectors, The Earl, Atlanta
David Bazan, The Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta
Balmorhea and Tiny Vipers, 529, Atlanta
Bear in Heaven, The End, Nashville
Misc.
40 Years of Abbey Rd. for the ATL Collective
Non-Music Published Work
Demockracy
What’s at Stake in Cairo: A Conversation with Former Presidential Speechwriter, Troy Senik
Photo Credit: Marta Czosnowski Burleson
