Submissions: 

I generally work from physical copies of recordings or books. I rarely listen to mp3s or streams, promo or otherwise–they sound terrible, and I care about the entirety of the experience an artist, label or publisher is trying to create through packaging, liner notes, mastering for particular media formats, etc. Reviewing a stream of a cassette/CD/record feels like trying to review a sit-down restaurant with a takeout order. 

If your music or music book resonates with what you see here (experimental rock, skronky outside jazz, contemporary classical, avant-garde electronics, hyperrealism; aural adventures from primitive to progressive, mostly instrumental), you can submit CD/cassette/LP/book to:

Words on Sounds
c/o Scott Scholz
627 S. 28th St.
Lincoln, NE 68510

At times, submission volumes can get large–I can’t guarantee reviewing anything, but I will definitely take a serious listen. 

Biography:

Music is the primary focus of my life. A few highlights of my participation in music communities:

  • I run the Polley Music Library, a public music library in Lincoln, NE.
  • I run a small independent record label called Tymbal Tapes, focusing on similar kinds of music as what you’ll find covered on this site.
  • I have been a music journalist for a variety of web and print publications such as Tabs Out, Tiny Mix Tapes, Decoder, Killed in Cars, Hear Nebraska, the Reykjavik Grapevine, Record Collector News and more.
  • I have hosted or co-hosted several radio and podcast music programs since 2010.
  • I have booked shows and hosted house shows for a wide range of touring musicians (though I’m out of that game nowadays).
  • I have built and operated recording studios and done a lot of production and post-production.
  • As a musician myself, I’ve played in a bunch of bands and ensembles over the years. I studied composition under Donald Keats and Lynn Baker at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music.
  • I’ve done other freelance music gigs, too, from giving guitar lessons to freelance commercial music composition to social media support for record stores.
  • I’m a devoted music listener and advocate for music. Nothing makes me happier than connecting people with music and musicians they’ll love.

More reading and listening:

In addition to writing at Words on Sounds, here are a few more places that I’m regularly publishing reviews and programming that you might find interesting: