Meet the Writers | Introducing the Authors behind Music Critic reviews and articles

Get to know some of the people who have written for us over the past two decades.

Kate Brunotts

Kate Brunotts is a producer and musician out of NYC. She draws inspiration from creators like Grimes and Lorde and is carving her own path in the indie-pop scene. Taking sound bytes from bedroom pop, ethereal noise, anti-pop, and hyperpop genres with strong, distinct vocals, Kate has created a sound that is truly her own.

Experience
Kate Brunotts is an experienced producer, songwriter, and singer currently based out of Manhattan, NYC. She primarily focuses on indie and electronic pop sounds, though she helps her clients work through a variety of sonic landscapes.

Kate has served as a staff writer and content creator on a number of music production blogs and continues to circulate throughout the music scene with her solo project. She also frequently puts out music production tutorials via her Youtube channel in an effort to further educate and polish her craft.

Education
Kate studied production basics under the tutelage of Blue Room Studios, in Washington DC. She continued her studies in New York at the Foxgrove, NYC taking instruction from Ableton expert and producer extraordinaire Thavius Beck.

Publications
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1vV2HAeSNkp97JK2tPpEoN?si=3gNkLIMpRo-KCB3LiPNggQ
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpZyjV7hvFSrPOh2qW-HdTg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katebrunotts/

Josh Reynolds

Josh in an audophile and writer from London, UK. He has a diploma from London Amp (The London Academy of Music Production), and a passion for sharing and creating music.

Experience
Josh has experience in producing and collaborating on a number of tracks for British bands, including electronic outfits like Jynxt. He also has several years of experience in conducting audio equipment and instrument reviews for Music Critic. He's even been known to take some equipment home for the weekend for what he calls 'thorough testing', resulting in the creation of some new tracks of his own.

Education
Diploma from London Amp
BA degree in Creative Writing, London Metropolitan University

Links
https://www.londonamp.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-reynolds-b120038/
https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/

Dave McKinnon

Dave McKinnon juggles his position as a full time-music teacher and reviewer and writer for Music Critic. Born to two professional musicians in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia, he was destined to be immersed in music. After performing in two bands, and appearing at the second Laneway festival, he felt the calling to help teach the musicians and artists of tomorrow.

Experience
An avid musician with a well-trained ear, there's hardly an instrument that Dave hasn't tried putting his hand -or lips- to. Dave has been researching and writing articles for Music Critic for almost a decade, and you can find his writings on pages across the site.

He has contributed to our articles on recommended instruments for school and band performers, as well as to guitar, brass and bass instruments for professional and semi-pro artists.

Links
https://aim.edu.au/
Contact for educational links

James Nugent

James Nugent is a writer, multi-instrumentalist, synth-enthusiast, and sound designer based in Glasgow, Scotland. From Bebop to Hip-Hop, James has a diverse passion for music that blends tradition and technology.

Experience
James' experience covers many areas within the music industry over the past 20 years. Starting his early career as a gigging musician, he has performed as part of various groups and as a solo pianist. Deciding to step back from the stage, James has worked in music education, providing piano tuition and online tutorials. This step into music education led to collaborations with organisations like Youth Music UK and brands like JBL. Through these collaborations, James worked as the lead on projects that encouraged young people to get involved in music.

James covers industry tradeshows as a content creator, especially synth-based ones, like Superbooth, showcasing the latest in music technology. As a content creator, he has worked with some leading brands in the music industry, such as Akai Professional, producing content that gained hundreds of thousands of views.

Throughout his career, composition and sound design have remained a constant passion, seeing him work on numerous projects from creating sample-packs to composing meditation tracks for mental-health awareness promotions. Much of his time is now dedicated to being a music writer, testing, reviewing, and explaining both hardware and software releases.

Education
James gained a diploma in music performance, business, and promotion while studying as a pianist at Glasgow Kelvin College. As a pianist, he also moved through the grades with ABRSM Associated Board exams. Further to this, James has undertaken several online music production courses, primarily working with Logic Pro X.

Publications
Guitarfella.com
Consordini.com
Superflyaudio.com
audiobuzz.com
Bedroomproducersblog.com

Sam Jeans

Brief introduction/description

Sam is an audio producer, writer and drummer from London, UK. He spent 3 years practically living inside Pro Tools whilst studying for his undergraduate degree in audio production. These days, he produces written content for a diverse array of brands and businesses worldwide. Often found nodding his head to jazz and funk.

Experience
Sam’s audio production experience includes a number of live audio installations for BBC Introducing and sound design for the London Film School. Sam is the part-owner of a professional sound system and has helped put on events in the electronic music scene. As a drummer, Sam has played in a couple of bands - though is currently a free agent - and is currently producing solo avant-garde ambient music. Since graduation, Sam has been freelancing primarily as a writer where he has contributed to a number of sites across the world. Creating blog content, educational articles, copy for NGOs, press-releases and reviews on anything and everything from garden sheds to cutting-edge machine learning software!

Education
Sam holds a BA undergraduate degree in Audio and Music Production and a postgraduate degree in International Development and Social Anthropology.

Publications
https://www.pensiontimes.co.uk/author/sam-jeans/
https://oneglyph.com/music-as-an-evolutionary-adaption/

Links to social media, you tube channel, blog
https://oneglyph.com/
https://www.instagram.com/monoglyph1/

Scott Etan Feiner

Scott Etan Feiner is a musical theatre composer, lyricist, and pianist. He was the 2020 recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize for Excell ence in the Performing Arts, Yale University’s highest arts award and was the first ever recipient of the SigWorks Signature Theatre/Yale Composer Fellowship in 2019 for his first musical Saturdays (with librettist Walker Caplan), which was also performed in 2018 as part of New York Musical Festival’s Developmental Reading Series and was a semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference.

His second musical Rumspringa (with librettist Walker Caplan, dir. Annette Jolles) was developed through the Shen Curriculum for Musical Theatre at Yale University and staged as a curricular production in December 2019. At Yale, he was awarded the Bach Society Music Prize and the Abraham Beekman Cox Prize. He has won the Tribeca New Music Competition and has twice been a finalist for the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award and the Charles Ives Concert Series. He has won the Brian Israel Prize at the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester Composer Competition, the Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores, and was a YoungArts winner in 2014 and 2015.

Scott holds a B.A. in Music & Theatre Studies from Yale University and a diploma in Composition from Juilliard Pre-College.

Links
https://scottetanfeiner.com
https://soundcloud.com/scottetanfeiner
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmdp3_xsd92UuxgHbyUy9Lg

Denis Loncaric

Brief introduction/description

My name is Denis. I am a drummer, percussionist, music enthusiast, and blogger. Drums have been my passion for 15 years now. My idea is to write about the things I like and I am interested in. I want to share my drum passion with fellow musicians who walk, talk, and breathe drums.

Experience
I've been in the music business for 15 years. Over the years I had a chance to play versatile genres. I played more than 700 live gigs. I played everything from big arenas to weddings and small clubs. Now, all my strengths and passion are focused on studio drumming and getting the best sound. I constantly explore new sounds, new microphone setups, mixing techniques, etc. I had a chance to record more than 100 songs for various bands and artists.

Education
I graduated from Novi Sad University back in 2013. Since music was my great passion I decided to get some higher education in this field so I started taking private classes from Igor Malesevic, one of the best serbian drummers. I studied with Igor for 6 years and I still do. Beside music as a site owner I needed to know SEO so I started taking online classes, courses and eventually mastered this skill.

Publications
https://drumthat.com/vinnie-colaiuta/
https://drumthat.com/calvin-rodgers-interview/
https://drumthat.com/gorden-campbell-interview-with-drum-that/
Links
https://www.facebook.com/casovi.bubnjevanovisad
https://drumthat.com/
https://www.instagram.com/loncaricdenis/
https://www.youtube.com/user/DenisLoncaric

Miles Forman

Brief introduction/description

Hi! I’m Miles. I was born in London, England, and my dad was a dance band musician. When not writing web articles, I travel the world playing piano on cruise ships — so I’m very much my father’s son! Travel and music have been my life for over 25 years, and it seems to be going OK so far...

Experience
I’ve not been a copywriter for long, but I spent some time as a technical proofreader for an IT company. This gave me an eye for detail, which now helps immensely when I research my web articles. Apart from writing for MusicCritic.com, I’ve written travel blogs, IT comparison articles, online marketing guides, and a concerto for orchestra and rock guitar (which will get its premiere just as soon as I raise $750,000.)

Apart from working as a full-time musician, my professional experience includes market trader, radio producer, charity fundraiser, TV airtime buyer, professional backgammon player, scriptwriter, junior accountant, and ABA boxing referee (all true, I promise!).

Understanding how to write well has introduced me to people from all over the world. I’ve proofread a history thesis written by a Turk, translated an ancient Thai legend, and met the love of my life by writing her a poem in Hungarian. (Awww, shucks!)

Education
I attended a grammar school in London which gave me 10 GCSE O-levels, and a further 3 A-levels. I went to a UK technical college and studied IT programming, then I switched to accountancy for reasons that probably seemed good at the time. I left full-time education at the age of 21, although I’m currently taking an online degree course in music history just to prove to myself that I can.

Matt Aird

Matt Aird, Music Critic CEO and Editor.
Music-writer and Musician
"Musician, Song-writer and Critic"

Matt Aird has had a life-long passion for music, and almost two decades of experience running the Music Critic website and online services.
As Music Critic's CEO Editor in Chief, he is responsible for editing and approving content and supervising the creative team behind the site's articles, editorials and reives. He can also be contacted via Linked In.

Kris Aird

Kris Aird, Editor.
Music-writer and Musician
"Musician, Song-writer and Critic"

Kris Aird has been a musician, performer and song-writer for many years.
As a leading Editor for Music Critic's Editor in Chief, he leads the creation of hundreds of articles per month. He has been published on other music-related sites over the years, and can be found on IMDB with his credentials as both a writer and composer.

Kriste Matrisch

Kriste Matrisch, Album / Single Reviewer.
A random taste of my work:
"Start Living for Today"

Her lyrics show life lessons that we all should follow. For example, "Crazy" isn't about a love, like I thought it was. It is about how we all should strive to be our individual selves, not to "what society says." People may call her "crazy," but she's not ashamed of finding herself. Another life lesson is in "Turtle." She sings that we should "let the moment last there's no hurry. We should be living for today or tomorrow anyway," to not rush life and to let things happen naturally.

Peter Naldrett

Peter Naldrett, Album Critic.
A random taste of my work:
"Above and Beyond 80's Pop Cheese"

I had to laugh when I heard that 80s pop wonderboys A-Ha were getting back together and releasing their first album for seven years. The first impression had to be that Morten Harket and co were short of cash and planning a quick killing on the strength of their past fame. How wrong I turned out to be, because Minor Earth Major Sky is one of the most accomplished and fresh albums you are likely to hear.

Bill Aicher

Bill Aicher, Rock / Pop Critic.
A random taste of my work:
"No Thank U"

I think I am going insane. I am listening to this damned cd again, and it is torturing me. Oh the pain, the horror. And to think, I was actually looking forward to this album. Lucky for me I only borrowed it, had I bought it I would have either burned it or given it away. What's that? You would have taken it off my hands for me? Oh, I couldn't inflict that kind of torture upon you, my dear reader. I love you so, and to bestow the gift of Alanis upon you would be one of the vilest punishments I can fathom.

Jane Kirk

Jane Kirk, Country to Pop.
A random taste of my work:
"No Annoying Trends"

With the exception of the hat, Keith Harling doesn't follow any of the current annoying trends that country music has become fond of lately. He's not in high school (at thirty-five he is old enough to be LeAnn Rimes' father.) His albums will most likely never cross over into the pop charts. He doesn't show his belly-button. He doesn't wear spandex. For all of those reasons, I am concerned that Keith Harling will be find himself without a recording contract in the distant future. However, if good music still means anything to anyone, Keith will continue to make many more albums. In the meantime, we'll just have to be content the wonderful music present on Write It In Stone.

Nick Evans

Nick Evans, Music Critic.
A random taste of my work:
"Hard Rock With Heart"

After giving this album repeated listens, I have concluded this to myself: everything Maynard James Keenan touches turns to gold. He can do no wrong. 11 years ago, he separated himself from the rest of the grunge pack with his incredible voice and intricate instrumentation. Now, more than a decade later, his second band releases The Thirteenth Step, the album that fans of Keenan have been waiting for. Because A Perfect Circle is traditionally a bit more melodic than Tool, we get a better showcase of his brilliant voice, backed by complex instrumentation.

Ben Stables

Ben Stables, Punk Lives!
A random taste of my work:
"East Bay Hardcore Unity"

Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes - Liberating the underground punk scene in 1993 with their extremely audacious style of punk rock, A.F.I. has taken no prisoners in becoming one of the best loved punk bands around. With Nitro Records, home to such legends The Vandals and early Offspring, standing behind them they've grown quite a following.

Steven Jacobetz

Steven Jacobetz, Rock/Pop Critic
A random taste of my work:
"Just Push Play"

To some, Aerosmith is one of the greatest musical tragedies in rock and roll history. To others, the band is bigger now than ever. Wherever you stand, one thing is certain; there's no going back to the past. The corporate machine has control. It's big business. That's just the way it is, so accept it for what it is. Nothing is going to change anytime soon.

Matt Cibula

Matt Cibula
A random taste of my work:
"Start Living for Today"

If you're a fan of the Allman Brothers Band, you already have this album, and you love it more than you love your grandchildren and your hiking boots. Plus, you're probably an Allmanomaniac, so you're going to be pissed off that we haven't given this a 7 out of 5 and said "this album is so good that you will literally fall in love with it".

Mark Feldman

Mark Feldman, Classic to Hard Rock
A random taste of my work:
"Are They Beating a Dead Horse?"

America, lest we forget, is the band that is still famous for "A Horse With No Name," the 1972 Neil Young-influenced smash with the refrain "in the desert you can remember your name" (is it so hard anywhere else?) A few other catchy-but-innocuous America singles followed in the next few years, but by the late '70s, bands like this were the target of loud mouthed punks everywhere and quickly became irrelevant. By 1990, America was headlining at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, and worse yet, Starship was their opening act.

Matt Halverson

A random taste of my work:
"Righteously living to Music"

Unless you want to hear yourself on Ani DiFranco's next record-and at her current pace, there'll be another one sometime next year-be careful when leaving messages on her answering machine. The righteous babe from Buffalo is not above giving her friends surprise cameos in her newest collection of songs, regardless of how inane their messages may be. Which is not to say Revelling/Reckoning, her multi-layered double album and twelfth release in eleven years ( is trite or easy with the gimmicks. To the contrary, its complexity and scope prove that the hardest working woman in music has a whole lot of good stuff to say.

Paul Tinelli

Paul Tinelli, Rock Critic
A random taste of my work:
"The Second Coming of Aerosmith"

Aerosmith soon will achieve the rare feat of being inducted into the rockhall of fame and releasing a huge commercially successful album of original material in the same year. Their latest release, Just Push Play, shows that Aerosmith wants to stake the claim as America's greatest current rock and roll band and that they don't plan on becoming a museum piece anytime soon.
The production of the album, which was handled by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and songwriting partners Marti Frederiksen and Mark Hudson under the pseudonym the "Boneyard Boys", provides an excellent balance that allows the album to sound current without sterilizing the distinctive dirty raw edge that makes the band great. This element had been missing in their last few releases.

DID YOU KNOW:

Music Critic now also reviews instruments and music equipment. Get an independent low-down on everything you need as a music lover, hobbyist, solo artist or band member with our new instrument and music gear review sections.