Kicking back on a hot summer day, hanging out in the cool, air-conditioned atmosphere, Michael White ’15 and Jon Birondo ’15 discuss music. Well-versed
in the music of today as well as the oldies, in every genre from rap to rock, the two spent countless hours sharing their opinions and insights of their choice tunes in an entertaining dialogue that went on throughout the summer. Michael had already written several music reviews in his free time and shared them with Jon, who followed, writing his own. Jon simply says that “we started writing, and then we started writing more… and more… and more. And then we thought, ‘hey, let’s put this where someone can read it.'”
Wanting to give people a new perspective on music, the blog Pretty Neat Grooves was born on September 4th. Jon and Michael set out to produce a stream of quality reviews for all different types of albums to put on the World Wide Web. Already equipped with a good number of reviews, Pretty Neat Grooves took off.
With almost five thousand hits within the first days after launch, Pretty Neat Grooves began to garner a lot of attention. Gaining two new members, Chris Ayres ’15 (Public Relations Rep and Co-Writer) as well as Drew Curran ’15 (Electronic Dance Music Correspondent and Co-Writer), the blog extended its reach and increased in production. Their Facebook Page got over 100 likes and soon enough, the blog was being talked about across the nation.
Receiving attention beyond the Jesuit community, Pretty Neat Grooves was contacted by several artists in the music industry, including Topshelf Records, Deathwish Records, the Canadian dance rock band “Fevers”, as well as a post-hardcore band called “Gatherer” from New Jersey, an impressive list for a blog that is less than two weeks old.
After the startling growth, Michael discussed his ideology for the blog, saying that he wanted people to know that “there is a place where they can find music that they want. They can find music that is pretty neat.” Setting forth the blog “for the people,” Michael wanted to provide authentic reviews that weren’t meant to promote or demote any one artist or group. He also says that “he doesn’t want their reviews to be esoteric,” but relatable to the average person.
Drew capitalized on that, saying that “we want to write reviews without having our own pretentious opinion on things.” They don’t want the blog to be reserved for high-brow connoisseurs of a particular brand of music, but instead a place for all sorts of listeners.
Jon said that the blog is ultimately “just about music” and does not factor in the popularity of the artist or the size of the recording company in the process of creating a review. The review evaluates nothing but the music itself.
Additionally, Pretty Neat Grooves is completely unrestricted in the music they chose to write about. Drew Curran, who specializes in Electronic Dance Music (EDM), says that “even though there are very few websites that actually review EDM…we give it attention as a genre,” meaning that the blog caters to all tastes.
Looking to the future, Jon hopes that the blog “will help kick start independent artists,” promoting quality musicians as well as their blog’s reputation.
Chris has been “loving every minute” of Pretty Neat Grooves and really just hopes that he can get “[people] to step out of the box [with their music]” and “open up someone’s music perspective.” He feels like even a small contribution to the community is worth his time.
Drew wants to “get [Pretty Neat Grooves] popular and get people to see another opinion on music, and maybe eventually getting the EDM scene larger.” The whole group realizes that their words are powerful and can really shape their view.
Michael hopes to be “known and respectable in general” as a blog writer and says that he “wants to bring people who aren’t necessarily into music into the world of being obsessed with [it].” He says that he ultimately wants people to “think about music differently and in a new light.”
Pretty Neat Grooves will continue to grow and expand, providing original reviews for all sorts of music. The blog serves to introduce you to new music or give you a new take on music you have heard, all from sharp, well-informed writers.
Check out Pretty Neat Grooves for a fresh take on all your favorite music!
How to find Pretty Neat Grooves:
Website – www.prettyneatgrooves.weebly.com
Email – prettyneatgrooves@gmail.com
Twitter – @PRTYNTGRVS
Facebook – Pretty Neat Grooves
