The Daily Vault Review Panel

The qualifications to become a member of The Daily Vault's reviewing staff are simple: love music, write well, keep your commitments, don't expect to earn a dime. If you're interested in being part of a team that writes about music purely for the love of it, e-mail us at editor@dailyvault.com.  

Josh Allen Staff Writer joshuapaulallen@gmail.com	BORN: June '85 JOINED THE DV STAFF: October 2010 HOMETOWN: Longview, Texas NOW LIVING IN: Dallas, Texas SPOUSE / KIDS?: Negative FAVORITE ARTIST: Pearl Jam OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bob Schneider, Ryan Adams, Beck, Miles Davis, Mos Def, The Beatles, Monte Montgomery, Johnny Cash, Ryan Bingham, Dave Matthews Band, and too many others. BEER: Shiner Bock. OTHER HOBBIES: Basketball, disc golf, storm chasing. PERSONAL MOTTO: “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.” – The Shawshank Redemption I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...all this drivel swarming in my head has to go somewhere.
David Bowling Staff Writer sdbowling83@earthlink.net	BORN: The Truman Administration JOINED THE DV STAFF: May 2007 HOMETOWN: Woonsocket, R.I. NOW LIVING IN: Whispering Pines, N.C. SPOUSE / KIDS?: Susan/ Amy, Stacey and two grandchildren FAVORITE ARTIST: The Beach Boys OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Roy Orbison, Lou Reed, the Jefferson Airplane, Dire Straits, Dusty Springfield, Etta James, Pat Benatar, Mary Chapin Carpenter, early Santana, Bob Dylan. BEER: All OTHER HOBBIES: Reading and traveling PERSONAL MOTTO: Relationships are temporary. Vinyl is forever. I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...it is a way to express publicly the interaction between myself and the music.
Jeff Clutterbuck Staff Writer jeffrey.clutterbuck@mac.com	BORN: October 1985, year of the Ox JOINED THE DV STAFF: April 2004 HOMETOWN: Delafield, Wisconsin NOW LIVING IN: nisnocsiW, dleifaleD SPOUSE / KIDS?: Nope FAVORITE ARTIST: Simple answer -- Chicago OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Elton John, Yes, Boston, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Queen, Stevie Wonder BEER: Corona and Spotted Cow OTHER HOBBIES: Sports, sports, sports, and yes, more sports. PERSONAL MOTTO: I’m surrounded by ignorant people. I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: …someone has to defend Tales From Topographic Oceans!
Ken DiTomaso Staff Writer proghead@gmail.com	BORN: January 1991 JOINED THE DV STAFF: June 2010 HOMETOWN: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada NOW LIVING IN: Abbotsford SPOUSE / KIDS: Nada FAVORITE ARTIST: Genesis OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Jellyfish, XTC, Yes, King Crimson, Ween, Rush, the Beach Boys, King Crimson, Sparks, Barenaked Ladies, The Residents, Pink Floyd, The New Pornographers, Of Montreal. BEER: Whatever you've got I'll give it a shot. OTHER HOBBIES: Songwriting, watching old movies, spending too much time on the Internet. PERSONAL MOTTO: What do you want from me? I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...random Internet strangers want to know my opinions. Don't they?
Paul Hanson Staff Writer prhmusic@hotmail.com	BORN: December 1969 JOINED THE DV STAFF: October 1997 HOMETOWN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa NOW LIVING IN: North Liberty, Iowa SPOUSE / KIDS?: Wife, Karen, married on 8/7/93. Two children: Megan, born 8/96, and Alex, born 10/98. FAVORITE ARTIST: Don't have one. I can go from saying Brand New Sin to Disarray to Postman Syndrome to Engine to TenFootPole to Black Sabbath to Metallica to Supafuzz to Tool to Brand New Sin in a single conversation. OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Offspring's "Americana" has found a new home in my player. Also, bands on Kung Fu Records, like the Ataris, Useless ID, and bands on Victory Records like TenFootPole. About the only 'bands' I can't stand are Meat Loaf and Linkin Park. BEER: Bud Light in a bottle. OTHER HOBBIES: PRO WRESTLING!! I like the athleticism of the wrestlers. BLOG: PRHmusic PERSONAL MOTTO: "There is no try. Do or do not." - Yoda I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: …I retired from playing drums in bands. Yet, I don't want to be away from the industry. I like writing and I like music so it seems a fit made in heaven.
Vish Iyer Staff Writer wish_1979@hotmail.com	BORN: March 1979 JOINED THE DV STAFF: September 2003 HOMETOWN: Mumbai, India NOW LIVING IN: Pennsylvania SPOUSE / KIDS: Nope. FAVORITE ARTIST: Morrissey OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Cure, Smiths / Morrissey, Catherine Wheel, Cocteau Twins, Curve, Tears For Fears, Nine Inch Nails, Sneaker Pimps, Depeche Mode, New Order, The Mission UK, Faith No More, Massive Attack, Electronic, Grant Lee Buffalo, Jeff Buckley, Jesus Jones, The The, Manic Street Preachers, etc. BEER: I am a teetotaler. I wouldn't like to be a toper. I am happy drinking just plain lemon juice. It is much healthier. OTHER HOBBIES: Writing poetry, watching documentaries of all sorts, reading books (PG Wodehouse, J D Salinger, Albert Camus, etc.), and a little bit of guitar-playing and music-mixing. PERSONAL MOTTO: Don't worry too much about life. It will depress you anyway. I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...it gives me a great sense of satisfaction by writing them and sharing my thoughts on music with other cognoscenti, like myself.
Aaron Jones Staff Writer writetoaaron@yahoo.com	BORN: 1983 JOINED THE DV STAFF: December 2011 HOMETOWN: Baltimore, MD NOW LIVING IN: Baltimore, MD SPOUSE / KIDS?: One spouse, one kid FAVORITE ARTIST: The Beatles OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Ralph Stanley, Blue Highway, Paul Williams, Eric Clapton, Elvis, Primitive Quartet, Dave Brubeck and on and on. BEER: I don't drink. OTHER HOBBIES: Bi-vocational Baptist minister, playing and recording music, songwriting, reading, politics. PERSONAL MOTTO: “A man does not have to just be one thing for his whole life" - me I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...it is an extension of my love for music.
Melanie Love Assistant Editor staropt13@aol.com	BORN: 1990 JOINED THE DV STAFF: December 2005 HOMETOWN: Los Angeles NOW LIVING IN: Los Angeles SPOUSE / KIDS?: Nope FAVORITE ARTIST: Queen OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Okkervil River, Bon Iver, Elliott Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Mountain Goats, Death Cab For Cutie, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Band Of Horses, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Sparklehorse, Bob Dylan, Guns N' Roses, George Michael, Jeff Buckley BEER: Nah. I'll pull a Freddie Mercury instead and request champagne. OTHER HOBBIES: Reading, writing, and other general mayhem PERSONAL MOTTO: "Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." - Berthold Brecht I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...I like to think it justifies all the money I spend on CDs.
Sean McCarthy Staff Writer smccarthy55@hotmail.com	BORN: 1974 JOINED THE DV STAFF: March 1997 HOMETOWN: Lincoln, NE NOW LIVING IN: Omaha, NE SPOUSE / KIDS?: Nope FAVORITE ARTIST: The Clash OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Morphine, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Liz Phair, Lucinda Williams, Public Enemy, Eminem, The Pixies, Husker Du, Mos Def, Bjork, Cowboy Junkies, Tool, Bob Dylan, Blur, The Chemical Brothers, Buddy Guy. BEER: Guinness, but for health reasons, I had to switch to vodka. OTHER HOBBIES: Mountain biking, reading, cooking, X-Box vegging, basketball and tennis. PERSONAL MOTTO: "I'd rather be lucky than good any day" H.R. Dobbs I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: …you need to read them. (come on, admit it, most music snobs are arrogant).
Mark Millan Staff Writer mmillan79@yahoo.com	BORN: October 1979 JOINED THE DV STAFF: June 2008 HOMETOWN: Melbourne, Australia NOW LIVING IN: St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia SPOUSE / KIDS?: No / no FAVORITE ARTIST: Tina Turner OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Bob Dylan, Blondie, Renee Geyer, Marianne Faithfull, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Cher, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Cold Chisel, Divinyls, Alice Cooper, Emmylou Harris, Icehouse, James Reyne, Free, David Bowie, Little Richard, ELVIS...this is the list that never ends... BEER: Carlton Draught or Carlton Cold. OTHER HOBBIES: Reading, AFL, Movies, Gigs. PERSONAL MOTTO: Step to the left. I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...my parole officer says it's "productive."
Jedediah Pressgrove Staff Writer jrp208@msstate.edu	BORN: 1984 JOINED THE DV STAFF: September 2008 HOMETOWN: Grenada, Mississippi NOW LIVING IN: Starkville, Mississippi SPOUSE / KIDS: No. FAVORITE ARTIST: Elvis Costello and The Attractions OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: The Police, The Beatles, The Kinks, Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Roger Miller, Howlin’ Wolf, Mastodon, Wilco, Chrisette Michele, The Pipettes, among others. BEER: Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. OTHER HOBBIES: Writing other stuff, reading, film, and video games. BLOG: The Usual Review PERSONAL MOTTO: Personal mottos might be bad for you. I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...I am possessed.
Jason Warburg Editor editor@dailyvault.com	BORN: when Pete Best was still a Beatle JOINED THE DV STAFF: October 1997 (Editor since January 2003) HOMETOWN: Ross, CA NOW LIVING IN: Seaside, CA SPOUSE / KIDS?: Karen / Josh, Sarah & Eric BLOG:  jasonwarburg.com FAVORITE ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen OTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: Montrose, Yes, the Beatles, Switchfoot, Fountains Of Wayne, Gin Blossoms, Ben Folds, Big Big Train, U2, Shawn Mullins, the Who, Counting Crows, AC/DC, James Taylor, Led Zeppelin, Semisonic, John Hiatt, Jimi Hendrix, the Jayhawks, Ian Hunter, Mary Chapin Carpenter, etc. BEER: Occasionally (a cold one on a hot day). OTHER HOBBIES: Writing, reading and the San Francisco Giants. PERSONAL MOTTO: "I don't know.  I'm making this up as I go!" -- Indiana Jones I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: ...Rock'n'Roll Jeopardy said no.

Contributing Writers: Richard Fulco, Ben McVicker, Bruce Rusk, Per Vissers

Alumni: Luke Adams, George Agnos, Eric Atwell, Benny Balneg, Alison Bellach, Brian Birnbaum, Michael Broyles, Greg Calhoun, Andrea Callahan, Daniel Camp, Tammy Childs, Mike Cirelli, Steve Cooper, Elizabeth Crowder, Sarah Curristan, Graham Drennan, Eric E5S16, Duke Egbert, Corwin Egbert, Ben Ehrenreich, Michael Ehret, Laura Elise, Mark Feldman, Scott Floman, Roland Fratzl, Cory Galliher, Gordon T. Gekko, Sandra Gilraine, Chris Harlow, Denise Henderson, Herb Hill, Allen Hunter, JB, Tommy Johnson, Phil Jones, Mark Kadzielawa, Paul King, Emily Kinsella, Tom Lancing, Shane M. Liebler, Loznik, Riley McDonald, Kenny S. McGuane, Adam Mico, Alfredo Narvaez, Giselle Nguyen, Candy North, Hansen Olson, Casey O'Lear, Darren Paltrowitz, Mark Phillips, Benjamin Ray, Sam Rusk, Jono Russell, Julia Skochko, Dan Smith, Michael R. Smith, Jon Southwood, Alicia St. Rose, Marshall Terrill, Christopher Thelen, Jason Thornberry, Matthew Turk, Eric Warburg, David Welsh, Larry (Duke) Williams, Bill Ziemer