Welcome to the first issue of Paladin Sound. Before we get started, I’ll introduce myself. My name is Nick Fairfax: I’m a freshman from Fort Lawn, SC, currently undeclared but leaning majoring in history with a minor in journalism. I have been deeply interested in music for years now, and I have a huge vinyl collection. I also do a show of the same name on FUNC Radio (which airs Mondays at 4), so think of this as an expansion of that project.
This section is going to be all about music. I am always listening to music, and I equally search for old and new music to listen to. This section will cover music of various genres from as far back as the 60’s to as recent as a couple of weeks ago. I will be publishing a weekly playlist synced with the radio counterpart. This playlist will vary in vibe and style depending on the week. Some weeks it might be completely random, and other weeks I might have a cohesive theme (albums turning 25, summer songs, etc.). Each song will have a little piece written about the song, typically stating how the song fits the theme, what it means to me, and/or a little info about the release of the track. Playlists will typically be about 12 songs and will almost always sync with the radio (occasional exceptions if tracks don’t upload correctly).
As for the other half of this section, this is where I will review and discuss music. Typically, this section will be a weekly album review, either of new music or more classic albums. I strive to be objective with my reviews, meaning that I will rate based on various factors including artistic merit, production quality, songwriting, and consistency; I will not just rate based on how much I enjoy the record. My rating scale will be a scale of 0.0-10, with a 0 being near impossible to get and a 10 being a record I view as truly perfect. A 5.0 would be truly average for example. I will also use decimals to be more direct with my ratings (like Pitchfork), so an album with an 8.8 would be very close to a 9.0 for example.
Sometimes this section might also have more specific pieces, but this is a general outlook of what to expect from Paladin Sound. I’m excited to get this section started, and be on the lookout for our next issue!