Evan Sherman is the best friend I have ever had in my entire life. I love him like a brother and he is included in most of my best memories. I was probably about four years old when he moved in next door and we bonded over a mutual respect for the endless possibilities of our combined collection of Ghostbusters toys. With time, our friendship evolved to support other interests.

For the next eleven years or so, we spent nearly every afternoon, every weekend and the infinite days of Summer together but in my reminiscences it seems it is usually Fall. The air smells cool and crisp with the wafting ashy memoirs of smoky fireplaces through distant chimneys in homes filled with families just like ours; the air was just cold enough to sting the skin around your nose yet just warm enough that you were able to feel safe and comfortable donning only a light jacket. As we ran back and forth between our yards enacting innumerable fantastic scenarios, our footsteps were accentuated by the crunch of the golden leaves. The entire world seemed to be preparing for a respite and our youthful energy cut through it with a starkly contrasting fervor. Our days went on forever as we matured conjunctively.

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My favorite thing about the underground music scene during the 1980s is the regional rosters which developed within independent labels. Many cities had a distinctive sound and scene which locals were proud and passionate about. Being a music fan during the mid to late 1990s did not have the same impact because the internet made the world a much smaller place and it became a lot easier to access independent music regardless of where it came from.

I grew up in New Jersey and, largely in reverence toward the earlier label-based scenes, have always felt an extra bit of passion for bands that come from the area. I still feel a tinge of excitement when I discover a great band and find out that they are from my home state and make no mistake about it: Titus Andronicus is a great band.

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I have never gone to a music festival of any kind. I often see bands play live but the prospect of watching performance after performance while surrounded by sweaty, intoxicated people never seemed appealing. This being said, I have spent the last few years watching the live broadcast of the Pitchfork Music Festival from my home and somehow wishing I was there.

A few months ago, when the line-up was announced for the 2010 Pitchfork festival, I was impressed. It seemed really solid with stand-outs like Beach House and Panda Bear; then I got to the bottom of the list and noticed the word ‘Pavement’ and was immediately floored. Pavement has been one of my favorite bands for many years and I never thought I would get to see them live. I had gone to the Pixies reunion tour in 2003 and I knew that missing Pavement would be a huge disappointment so I immediately bought two tickets. On Wednesday of last week, I found myself hitting the road to make my way from South West Florida to Chicago.

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As a music enthusiast, I have always been a fan of the album. The album is a definitive statement: a reflection of a time or place in an artist’s life. Every album is, in essence, a ‘concept album’: The songs it is comprised of are given greater meaning based on their placement. They are inescapably linked to the atmosphere they inhabit. I frequently find myself creating a narrative around similar lyrical or musical themes which give an extra dimension to the music. My preferences make it difficult for me to champion a compilation but They’ll Only Miss You When You Leave by Carissa’s Wierd has really won me over.

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The internet has revolutionized the process of discovering bands: no longer does the interested party need to travel from store to store, diving through unpacked boxes for a hidden treasure; no longer does one need to hunt down a rare early EP that they read about in a magazine band biography. As you well know, the modern consumer just need push a button and before they know it they have the entire discography of a band on their computer. Most all music lovers, including myself, have participated in this process but I have grown fairly disenchanted with it. I miss my younger years which were consumed by the hunger and the hunt for new sounds. There was a legitimate thrill to finding something that seemed unique which is often absent in the contemporary development of the download. With all this constant exposure to new bands and sounds, not much sounds distinctive anymore. Perch Patchwork, the debut LP by Maps & Atlases, suffers from this saturation of sound. It is a perfectly enjoyable and well-crafted record but the sounds are too familiar: lessening their potential impact.

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