The Stylus
The Tonearm is an online journal of unexpected music and culture. I don't mean 'unexpected' as in awkwardly surprising or rudely intrusive—the idea is that it's impossible to predict the artists, topics, or music we cover. If there is a thread tying this together, it's people making interesting and distinctive things and, in turn, aiming to make the world a better place.
Our inspiration emerged from a simple observation that troubled me: the Long Tail was letting us down. Many of our favorite artists working in niche genres were underserved by online journalism and streaming discovery. The preponderance of algorithms is old news and a tired tale at that, but there's a beautiful unpredictability that happens when human curiosity guides discovery instead of data-driven probability.
The sincere recommendation: "If you like that, you might want to hear this." That moment—the passing of cultural knowledge without expectation of return—is what The Tonearm recreates in digital form.
The Slipmat
I have this Gen X memory of third places and the chance conversations that happened within them. I don't know if we're getting those physical spaces back, but the exchanges they nurtured? Those we can preserve. I'm thinking of those chats that happen amongst the record store bins—recommendations and generous expertise.
How can a website feel like that moment when someone slides a record across the counter and says, "Trust me on this one"?
When we're at our best, The Tonearm is a continuation of that record store conversation, extended indefinitely, with listeners and contributors pulling up chairs to join us. And we're building a team of writers who could hold their own in the most intimidatingly stocked record store without flinching.
The Platter
Three ideas pulse through everything we do at The Tonearm. Our 3D vision—Dialogue, Diversity, and Democracy—forms the nervous system of our approach.
Dialogue acknowledges that culture isn't an endless series of disruptions and innovations—it's a conversation spanning generations. The notion that progress requires burning everything down is a Silicon Valley fairy tale. The most exciting voices often connect with tradition, finding new pathways through established forms. Progress comes from discussing what's worked before, studying, and respecting those who fought similar artistic battles. We push culture forward with positive momentum by honoring these connections.
Diversity recognizes that a culture with movement follows no straight line. Our coverage seeks the crooked paths, the detours, the unexpected connections of influence. Our goal is to include a rich variety of voices, nationalities, persuasions, and preferences. We're never satisfied with our efforts here—if you can help us expand our palette, please reach out.
Democracy embodies the promise that creative expression shouldn't be limited by commercial viability. Our co-publisher Lawrence Peryer says that independent media, artists, and discourse are fundamental to a free society. I'll take that further: artistic creation itself forms resistance—realizing an idea and putting it into the world demonstrates hope for what the future might become. The consideration of democracy as an artform (and vice versa) has never felt more urgent.
The Cartridge
Since launching the Spotlight On podcast in February 2020, our team has conducted hundreds of revealing conversations with people adding to the creative story. Through The Tonearm, we continue to present an ongoing series of interviews, features, and perspectives from a worldwide network of contributors who question the usual narratives.
We highlight artists pushing through the pocket of their medium—whether in music, visual art, the written word, innovative thought, or however else they choose to make the world more colorful. Through conversation, we aim to reveal how it’s possible to create amid noise, to maintain vision when platforms reward conformity.
The Belt Drive
Here's where things get complicated. We don't like paywalls at The Tonearm. Nor do we feel that advertising serves our mission—discussing algorithmic homogenization while surrounded by targeted ads would create a dissonance we can't accept.
Our readers and listeners understand that conversations in mainstream outlets have narrowed exactly when they need to expand. Each conversation and article on The Tonearm serves as a small act of restoration, enhancing our collective view of the world and the art that makes it worth living in. It would be a difficult choice for us to charge a fee for that. We're more into 'unlocking the commons.'
This is our tension: we need to keep the lights on, pay our writers fairly, and grow (not scale!) with time. Our solution? We rely on supporters and underwriters who believe independent media serves a crucial function in cultural life.
You can support this project in many ways—by contributing financially, becoming an underwriter, subscribing to our email newsletter, sharing pieces that resonate, or simply engaging with the work. Learn more about how you can support The Tonearm.