Category Archives: Columns

One of the greatest things about getting to work on TRACER is the part I am able to play in getting exposure for truly talented, hardworking independent artists. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to feature Pittsburgh’s Beware Fashionable Women for months. Barak Shpiez, the band’s creator and central songsmith, sent me their self-titled album over a year ago. As sometimes happens when you get fifty+ press releases per day, the album and my initial correspondence with Shpiez got lost in the shuffle, but every so often he sent me an email to see if I had any coverage plans for his band. Rather than feel annoyed by his persistence, I became really impressed by it (and began to feel like a huge jerk). He was clearly handling his own publicity, and as I soon found out, his own recording and distributing as well. I decided I needed to stop being a slacker and get an interview with this guy pronto so that I and everyone else could learn what he has to say. Continue reading →