EvilSponge is, as I have previously remarked, a hobby for us. We all have day jobs, in varying degrees of seriousness. This is what we do for fun.

That said, we also take this kind of seriously. We are, basically, a bunch of overeducated people who sit around, listen to fat too much music, and think about it.

As such, i would like to present you with this list of "meta" comments from the Minions. These are thoughts about the very nature of music and of culture, as well as what it means to be a reviewer. Deep stuff, to be sure, but all embedded within the context of discussing pop music.

Each subject below links to the review that it was taken from. I have tried to group them together into a few themes.

  How promos are distributed by this organization.
  On how even reviewing can become a dull job, at times.
  On the nature of hype (a topic we actually revist quite often.) -- This is another fine example.
  ... as opposed to what happens when your expectations are shattered.
  And yet, each of us (reviewer and artist) naturally fall into "genres".
  How each reivewer will, over time, develop a "pet label".
  On how a perfomance can ruin a reviewers personal relationship with an album.
  Is success in the music industry random?
  Tracers' Theory of The Cyclical Nature of Any Music Scene.
  How the Atlanta scene differs from the Athens scene, even though they are only 100 miles apart.
  On judging a good concert by thes fact you don't want it to be over.
  How some bands are better live than on record.
  Forming a new band, and recording BEFORE you play out -- why not to.
  On the pointless of noise, and feedback (at times).
  The pros and cons of comparing young bands to older ones.
  On the uselessness of comparing anyone to Pavement.
  The uncertain life of a promo CD.
  Feeling overwhelmed with the promos.
  Lending out CDs. 

  What is the nature of "pop music"?
  The need for catharsis in music.
  The need for song structure, without "jamming".
  The fact that, sometimes, someone needs to be smacked upside the head and told, "No!".
  The necessity for politeness in choosing a band name.
  On aging in rock/pop stars, and how to do so gracefully.
  ... as opposed to watching your heros age and move on.
  The wierdness that is the concept of "corporate metal bands".
  Anger is the easiest emotion to communicate.

Other links relating to EvilSponge's Tenth Anniversary:
Statistics on EvilSponge's web presence.
The danger of being a music reviewer.
The EvilSponge Family Photo.
PostLibyan's essay on the nature of EvilSponge.
Malimus's essay on the first decade of EvilSponge.
Indoor Miner's list of the 25 best records of the decade.
Indoor Miner's list of the 100 best songs of the decade.
Meta commentary.
Best quotes from our first 10 years.
Various Minions list Records that Stay Near the Stereo.
Various Minions collect anecdotes about the music biz.