When I started The Swell newsletter last December, I wanted the bonus culture recommendation to start with Salon’s staff before incorporating other experts, journalists and industry luminaries as guests. Part of this was to introduce the wide range of great writers and minds working behind the scenes in this small newsroom. In doing so, I had a blast discovering the scope of each person’s tastes and background – and even learned that we have a number of DJs on staff.
Having worked closely with Melanie McFarland on the Culture desk for many years, I already knew that she had a punk DJ background, and this came into play when I visited her in Seattle last summer. I attended an indie punk showcase at her neighborhood bar and also a music history exhibit, “Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses,” at the Museum of Pop Culture.
