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Meet Jay Cridlin, the new pop music/culture critic for the Tampa Bay Times and tampabay.com

 
Tampa Bay Times Pop Music/Culture Critic Jay Cridlin
Tampa Bay Times Pop Music/Culture Critic Jay Cridlin
Published May 27, 2015

On April Fools' Day, I got a call from what sounded like a guy and his buddies at a bar. The conversation went something like this:

"Yeah, hey. I'm hoping you can settle a bet for us."

"Okay?"

"You remember that movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

"I do."

"Do you know if the actors in that movie were actually the ones singing?"

"For the most part, no, but it depends. I know George Clooney didn't actually sing I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow; that was a guy named Dan Tyminski, who plays guitar with Alison Krauss and Union Station."

"Well, did any of them actually sing their own songs?"

"A couple. I know Tim Blake Nelson, who played one of George Clooney's friends — the smaller one — does appear on the soundtrack. I think he even won a Grammy."

"What about those women in that one scene? Was that really their voices?"

This went on.

A few hours later, I was offered the role of pop music/culture critic for the Tampa Bay Times.

Now, I'm not saying the two events are connected. I'm not suggesting the call was some secret part of the interview process, some last-minute attempt from the Times' top brass to test my aptitude for music and Coen Brothers trivia.

But I'd like to thank whoever was behind that mysterious phone call. I said yes to that amazing job offer — who wouldn't? — and shall henceforth consider him something of a spirit guide in my strange and spectacular new role. This dude was so curious about music and pop culture that he rang up the local newspaper to get an answer. How can I not give it up for a guy like that?

I, too, am endlessly curious about all facets of music and pop culture, and in this new role, I aim to explore the industry inside and out — the good, the bad and the Floridian — and tell the stories of the people who make it happen. Please ride along in my sidecar, via your phone or tablet or laptop or daily paper.

I'm honored to succeed one of my favorite newspaper writers, Sean Daly, as the Times' pop music critic, a dream job he made look absolutely effortless. Sean and I have spent the last few years working an efficient two-man weave covering music and pop culture, him for the Times and me for its sister publication, tbt*.

A few years ago, I founded the Times' local music blog, SoundCheck (tampabay.com/soundcheck), and have since attended more than 300 concerts across Tampa Bay, met hundreds of awesome local musicians and interviewed some of my favorite artists.

The experience has been eye-opening. One sweaty summer, I attended 50 concerts at 50 different venues across Tampa Bay, from Ruth Eckerd Hall to the Brass Mug, Skipper's Smokehouse to the Dallas Bull. Until you dive headfirst into a local music scene like that, you have no idea just how many talented, hard-working people play live music every night in your city, from stadium acts to wine-bar wanna-bes. Sometimes they get paid; sometimes they do it merely for a minute of your time. I can't tell you how fun it is to experience and write about that kind of passion for the arts.

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My own passions are all over the map. Friends know I am an incurable Radiohead apologist and have a soft spot for all songs from the '90s. But like most music writers, I honestly dig a little bit of everything. Currently on rotation in my car are Mark Ronson, Twin Shadow, Kendrick Lamar and Florida Georgia Line. I love U2 and Buddy Holly and Vampire Weekend and Alan Jackson and Zedd and Madonna and Cole Porter and I absolutely cannot WAIT for that new N.W.A. biopic to drop this summer.

As for the "pop culture" part of my new, mashed-up title? It'll include some writing about television, radio, Internet LULZ, the culture and business of fame and celebrity. Mostly I see it as a challenge to cram in as many Simpsons references as possible. Pray for mojo!

Most importantly, if you see me at a concert — I'll be the tall guy near the front, blocking your view of the stage — tap me on the shoulder and say hi. We don't even have to talk about O Brother, Where Art Thou? But if you want to, I'm your guy.

Contact Jay Cridlin at cridlin@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8336. Follow @jaycridlin.