james cassar

photo credit:  Elliot Ingham I have been an admin of the Defend Pop Punk Facebook group for over a year and, alongside a handful of other powerful genre subscribers across the country, I help keep this digital discussion forum more of a musical haven than a minefield. Since th ...

In seventh grade, I was enrolled in a music composition class. Every Friday, students were allowed to bring in a CD and lyric sheets to share with the rest of the room to discuss and analyze a chosen song. Because my favorite band was Blink-182 shortly before it was my turn, I opted to showcase “Adam’s Song” to my fellow classmates. I never had the ...

Art by Alexis Howick In the summer of 2012, I attended my first (and to date, only) Vans Warped Tour. Despite being a fan of much of the festival’s roster for years, it took me until age 17 to feel comfortable seeing most of them live over the course of one muggy July day. Having ce ...

Art by Alexis Howick All superheroes have an origin story. For those realizing their musical superpowers, the origin story is usually heard, not seen. Musical superheroes can have an origin story be a saving grace, as was the case for Richmond, Virginia teen, Becca Denius, who promotes local shows and owns the burgeoning booking agency Terminally Trill. Den ...