Evan Sawdey

PopMatters Associate Interviews Editor

About Evan Sawdey

The first CD that Sawdey ever bought was Another Night by Real McCoy, and he got it when he was 10 years old. It may seem like an odd start for one's love of pop culture (buying an album by a run-of-the-mill techno pop act), but that disc proved pivotal towards launching Sawdey headfirst into the ever-changing landscape of entertainment media. His life would never be the same again. In recent years, Sawdey has written several plays, acted in New York, formed countless small-time indie-rock groups, worked as a theatrical sound designer, and somehow managed to recieve his B.A. in Theatre from Knox College in Galesburg, IL. He currently resides in Salt Lake City, UT and couldn't be more pleased to about working at PopMatters. (The location of his Real McCoy album, however, is presently unknown.)

Features

Music

"It's a Masochistic Stare-Down": An Interview With Adam Green

[12.Jun.08] :. The former Moldy Peaches frontman scored with Juno's "Anyone Else But You", but he's a busy man with a brand new solo album, getting hung up on Johnny Depp, and having French boys thank him for writing "such impersonal music".

Recent features

 

Music

"Megalomania Doesn't Have a Tax-Bracket": An Interview with Death Cab for Cutie

[2.Jun.08] :. Suddenly finding himself with a chart-topping album, Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard finds himself concerned with more important things than popping open a bottle of bubbly. It's just another day in the fun, crazed universe of Death Cab.

Recent features

 

Music

"There's Never Anything Planned": An Interview With Mark Kozelek

[8.May.08] :. Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters' Mark Kozelek explains his unlikely inspiration, reflects on aging, and chooses beauty over catharsis.

Recent features

 

Music

"You Can Only Sweat or Spit or Kick So Many People": An Interview with Colin Meloy

[25.Mar.08] :. The Decemberist explains the virtues of cover songs, the senselessness of going solo, and that he's saving the crazy stuff for later.

Recent features

 

Music

Trophy Case: The 2008 Grammy Awards

[12.Feb.08] :. Somehow, Kanye West was able to make the entire evening about himself. Surprise, surprise...

Recent features

 

Music   It's Hard to Rhyme Anything with Atchafalaya: An Interview with Chris Walla

Music   The Party of the Humans Has Left Us Hungover: An Interview with the Most Serene Republic

Music   Let Me Into Your Mind: How J.Ralph Changed My Life

Music   Why Does the Music Have to End?: An Interview with Lou Reed

Yesterday's Jukebox   Badfinger: Wish You Were Here

Music   So Said the Lighthouse Keepers

Music   "They Can't Write You and Me": An Intimate Chat with Kevin Drew

TV   The Comebacks, The Cut-Ups, and All Cut Too Short: The 2007 VMAs

Music   "I Don't Have Any Regrets": An Interview With Avril Lavigne

Music   Pop Music Happens: An Interview with Graham Coxon

Reviews

Music

Meic Stevens: Gwymon

[2.Jul.08] :. 1972's Gwymon takes a more roots-based acoustic approach.

Recent Short Takes reviews

 

DVDs

James Joyce: So This Is Dyoublong?

[1.Jul.08] :. A cringe-inducing example of how not to honor one of the greatest writers who ever lived.

Recent DVD reviews

 

Music

Mochipet: Microphonepet

[1.Jul.08] :. Ultimately, Microphonepet falls apart as an album.

Recent Short Takes reviews

 

Music

Joseph Arthur: Crazy Rain

[30.Jun.08] :. With his own label and studio, Joseph Arthur is now free to release his own music as he wants. As these first two '08 EPs prove, Arthur's prolific nature is spreading his talents far too thin.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music

Dianne Reeves: When You Know

[27.Jun.08] :. Perhaps this is just a victory lap for Reeves, but even then, most victory laps aren't as needlessly bloated as this.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Love Psychedelico: This Is Love Psychedelico

Music   Coldplay: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Music   The Cherry Poppin' Daddies: Susquehanna

Music   Ghost Bees: Tasseomancy

Music   Various Artists: 21 [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

DVDs   Radiohead: The Best Of [DVD]

Music   Living Legends: The Gathering

Music   Murder By Death: Red of Tooth and Claw

Music   Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs

Music   Soda Fountain Rag: It's Rag Time!

Music   Various Artists: Secret Love 4

Music   Mariah Carey: E=MC2

Featured Article

DVDs

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!: Season One

[30.Apr.08] :. Though the notion may be blasphemous to some, this proves that Heidecker and Wareheim are the rightful heirs to the sketch comedy throne that was vacated by Mr. Show years ago.

Recent DVD reviews

 

Music   Dizzee Rascal: Maths + English

Music   Tickley Feather: Tickley Feather

Music   Various Artists: Dorm Sessions Volume 5

Events   Explosions in the Sky + Lichens

Music   Various Artists: Easy Beatles

Music   Sun City Girls: You're Never Alone with a Cigarette

Music   South: You Are Here

Music   Spa: Spa

DVDs   Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Music   The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely

Music   Sun Kil Moon: April

Music   Kylie Minogue: X

Music   Bubblegum Lemonade: Ten Years Younger EP

Music   Various Artists: Be Kind Rewind

Music   Kelis: The Hits

Music   Chris Walla: Field Manual

Music   Cave: Hunt Like Devil/JAMZ EP

Music   DeVotchKa: A Mad & Faithful Telling

Music   Cassettes Won't Listen: Small-Time Machine [EP]

Music   Hello, Blue Roses: The Portrait is Finished and I have Failed to Capture Your Beauty

Music   Various Artists: Stay in the Box 2

Music   The Armed Forces: Modern Gospel for Modern Men & Women

Music   Various Artists: Moods: You, the Night, and the Music

Music   The Matana Roberts Quartet: The Chicago Project

Music   Jacob Golden: Revenge Songs

Music   The Left Outsides: And Colours In Between

Music   Kate Nash: Made of Bricks

Music   One Small Step for Landmines: One Small Step for Landmines

Music   From Leaf to Feather: Themes on an Imaginary Winter

PopMatters Pick

Music

Shelby Lynne: Just a Little Lovin'

[1.Feb.08] :. From the delicate opening cymbal tap of the title track onward, Lynne remembers what made Dusty Springfield so great in the first place: she poured her soul into each song.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Boy/Girl: Secret Secret Secret Singles

DVDs   Joshua

Music   The Marble Index: Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives

DVDs   The Nines

Music   Mike Ladd: Nostalgialator

DVDs   Mike Patton, John Erik Kaada: Kaada / Patton Live [DVD]

Music   The Jazz June: The Scars to Prove It

Music   Cex: Exotical Privates

Music   Blue Man Group: Canta Conmigo

Music   West Indian Girl: 4th & Wall

Music   Van Morrison: Still On Top

Music   OneRepublic: Dreaming Out Loud

Music   Angels & Airwaves: I-Empire

Featured Article

Music

Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures

[21.Dec.07] :. Anton Cobijn's movie biopic has triggered the largest revival of interest in Joy Division in nearly a decade.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Paul Oakenfold: Greatest Hits & Remixes

Music   Rivers Cuomo: Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo

Music   The Secret Handshake: One Full Year

Music   She Wants Revenge: This is Forever

Music   The Killers: Sawdust

Music   Joe Cocker: Classic Cocker

Music   MF Grimm: The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man

Music   Gorillaz: D-Sides

DVDs   Jonathan Creek: Season Two

Music   Various Artists: Blow Your Cool

Music   Soulja Boy Tellem: Souljaboytellem.com

Music   You Say Party! We Say Die!: Lose All Time

Music   Chris Botti: Italia

Music   Dan Wilson: Free Life

Music   Pat Monahan: Last of Seven

Music   Collective Soul: Afterwords

Featured Article

Music

Imani Coppola: The Black & White Album

[8.Nov.07] :. Coppola's The Black & White Album is a jaw-dropping explosion of colors, textures, and sardonic wit.

Recent Short Takes reviews

 

Music   Blaqk Audio: Cexcells

Books   Prince by Morton, Brian

Music   Say Anything: In Defense of the Genre

Music   The Last Goodbye: Poison Kiss

PopMatters Pick

Music

The 1900s: Cold & Kind

[19.Oct.07] :. Songs that are not only top-shelf, but also timeless. By not following hipster-indie trends, the 1900s have crafted an album of indefinite shelf life.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   The Bird and the Bee: Please Clap Your Hands

Music   Kenna: Make Sure They See My Face

Music   Electric Six: I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master

Music   Zeitkratzer: Metal Machine Music

Music   Various Artists: Gilles Peterson Digs America Vol. 2

Music   Carole King: Love Makes the World

Music   Mick Jagger: The Very Best of Mick Jagger

Music   The Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes

Music   Hayseed Dixie: Weapons of Grass Destruction

Music   Various Artists: This is Next

Music   Office: A Night at the Ritz

Music   Northern State: Can I Keep This Pen?

Music   Josh Small: Tall

Music   Cloak/Dagger: We Are

Music   Pinback: Autumn of the Seraphs

Music   Bat For Lashes: Fur and Gold

Music   June Panic: Songs from Purgatory

Music   Jupiter Rising: Electropop

Music   C-Rayz Walz & Sharkey: Monster Maker

Music   The Cult Inside My Head: Stalking Horse

Music   Monument: Decades

Music   Ringo Starr: Photograph

Music   Matt Nathanson: Some Mad Hope

Events   Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

Music   Meic Stevens: Sackcloth & Ashes

Music   Lisa Germano: Lullaby for Liquid Pig

Music   Yakuza Heart Attack: Yakuza Heart Attack

Music   DJ Khaled: We The Best

Featured Article

Music

Garbage: Absolute Garbage

[3.Aug.07] :. Over the course of four albums, these alt-rock giants gradually tore themsleves apart, leaving a train of radio staples in their wake. Advice: sit back and enjoy the show.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Butterfly Assassins: Butterfly Assassins EP

Music   Chantal Kreviazuk: Ghost Stories

Music   Various Artists: Chasing the Sun

Music   Tokyo Rose: The Promise in Compromise

Music   The Death of a Party: The Rise and Fall of Scarlet City

Featured Article

Music

Will Stratton: What the Night Said

[25.Jul.07] :. Not even 21, Stratton creates a folk album so good that even Sufjan Stevens had to stop by and play on it. He can expect a call from Mark Kozelek soon.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Driver of the Year: Driver of the Year Will Destroy You

Music   Ben Jelen: Ex-Sensitive

Music   Taxi Taxi: Maps and Legends

Music   Kids On TV: Mixing Business With Pleasure

Music   Mochipet: Girls Love Breakcore

Music   Shakes: Sister Self Doubt EP

Music   I Am the Pilot: Crashing Into Consciousness

Music   The Secret Handshake: Summer of 98 EP

Music   Girl in a Coma: Both Before Im Gone

PopMatters Pick

Music

Justice: Cross

[2.Jul.07] :. As all our favorite '90s dance heroes release albums that are more arty than funky, Justice releases an album that not only is guarunteed party-starter, but also a signal of the back-to-basics dance revolution that's nearing.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Electric Laser People: Straight Talk on Raising Kids

Music   Simian Mobile Disco: Attack Decay Sustain Release

Music   Various Artists: La Vie en Rose

Music   Umphreys McGee: The Bottom Half

Music   Cosm: 6 Song EP

Music   The Bad Plus: Prog

Music   The Exies: A Modern Way of Living With the Truth

Music   Idiots!: Spring Is Here

Music   Antennas to Heaven: The Line Between Myth and Reality Has Always Been in Finland

Music   The Lapdancers: The Ghost of Alcohol and Song

Music   Various Artists: 14 Songs in 28 Days

Music   Cibo Matto: Pom Pom: The Essential Cibo Matto

Music   Midnight Movies: Patient Eye / Golden Hair

Music   Chateau Flight: Les Vampires

Music   Various Artists: Play

Music   Various Artists: Dorm Sessions Volume 4

Music   The Bishops: The Only Place I Can Look is Down

Music   Blue Stone: Worlds Apart

Music   Blackhole: Blackhole

Music   Backyard Tire Fire: Vagabonds and Hooligans

Music   Joy: Sailing Days

Music   Treeball: I Dream of Eclectic Sheep

Music   The Willowz: Chautauqua

Music   These Arms Are Snakes: Easter

Music   Shedding: What God Doesnt Bless, You Wont Love; What You Dont Love, The Child Wont Know

Music   Gus Gus: Forever

DVDs   Various Artists: Screaming Masterpice [DVD]

Music   Manicured Noise: Northern Stories 1978/80

Music   Lovedrug: Everything Starts Where It Ends

Music   Nurse & Soldier: Marginalia

Music   Lovedrug: Everything Starts... EP

Music   Jill Scott: Collaborations

Music   Rob Crow: Living Well

Music   Cobra Starship: When the City Sleeps, We Rule the St

PopMatters Pick

Music

The Earlies: The Enemy Chorus

[24.Jan.07] :. There's a point on the Earlies’ sophomore album, The Enemy Chorus, when it stops being an album and transforms into an experience.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Mark Newman: Must Be a Pony

Music   Denison Witmer: Safe Away

Music   Ima Robot: Monument to the Masses

Music   Turn Off the Stars: Turn Off the Stars

Music   The Legends: Public Radio

Music   Rose Hill Drive: Rose Hill Drive

Music   The Disco Students: I Beg to Differ

Music   Pinback: Nautical Antiques

Music   Form of Rocket: Men

Music   Copeland: Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Music   The Horrors: The Horrors EP

Music   Whirlwind Heat: Types of Wood

Music   JoJo: The High Road

Music   Paul McCartney: Ecce Cor Meum

Featured Article

Music

The Blood Brothers: Young Machetes

[3.Nov.06] :. You can call it selling out. You can call it mainstream. Just don’t call it bad. Call it the best album of their career. Scratch that: call it one of the best of 2006.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Jesse McCartney: Right Where You Want Me

Music   David & the Citizens: Until the Sadness Is Gone

Music   Kinky: Reina

Music   Puffy AmiYumi: Splurge

Music   Guster: Ganging Up On the Sun

Music   Halifax: The Inevitablility of a Strange World

Music   Murder By Death: In Bocca Al Lupo

Music   Xiu Xiu: The Air Force

TV   The MTV Video Music Awards 2006

Music   Controlling the Famous: Automatic City

Music   Rose Hill Drive: Rose Hill Drive EP

Music   Brandtson: Hello, Control

Music   The 5 Browns: No Boundaries

Music   Brookville: Life in the Shade

Music   DJ Olive: Heaps As

DVDs   Death Cab for Cutie: Directions

Music   Pieces of a Dream: Pillow Talk

Music   Head Like a Kite: Random Portraits of the Home Movie

Music   Bent Fabric: Jukebox

Music   Alexi Murdoch: Time Without Consequence

Music   Candy Bars: On Cutting Ti-gers in Half and Understanding Narravation

Music   Kind of Like Spitting: The Thrill of the Hunt

Music   Blue October: Foiled

Featured Article

Music

T-Bone Burnett: Twenty Twenty: The Essential T-Bone Burnett

[26.May.06] :. It doesn’t matter if you know any of the songs: hyphen or not, good music is simply good music. Here’s to a career that’s been full of it.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Lover Boy

Music   Various Artists: Cavalcade of the Scars

Music   Theo & the Skyscrapers: Theo and the Skyscrapers

Music   Takuma Itoi: Quietude

Music   South: Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars

Music   3/4hasbeeneliminated: A Year of the Aural Gauge Operation

Music   Band of Horses: Everything All the Time

Music   David & the Citizens: David & the Citizens

Music   Headscan: Pattern Recognition

Music   The Invisible: The Invisible

Music   Low Skies: All the Love I Could Find

Music   Black Furies: Death Trip Saturday Night

Music   Dean Gray: American Edit

Music   Various: Stubbs the Zombie: The Soundtrack

Music   The Handsome Charlies: Gentlemen Never Tell

Blog posts

Sound Affects

Mindless violence or something deeper?

[4.May.08] :. Yet the biggest question that lingers after seeing Justice's "Stress" video is simply this: what's the point?

Sound Affects

 
 
RECENT MUSIC

In bold are PopMatters Picks, the best in new music.