My President is Black...

Today is a great day in America. Not only did those of us who watched the inauguration get to see Barack Obama become the nation's first black president, but we also watched the Bush regime (finally!) leave Washington. On the surface at least, it appears that a change has come.

The same can be said for the music section here at the Weekly. I'm in the middle of my first official day here at the newspaper and the timing of all of this couldn't be better. We've got a black man in the White House and the same goes for the music editor position at the Weekly.

Brian Barr, my predecessor who most of you know, is no longer heading the music section here (although he'll continue to contribute). He's already blogged about his departure and I'll be doing my best to make the already strong and inclusive section even stronger and more inclusive. I just moved here from South Florida where I held the same position at the New Times Broward-Palm Beach. That has its pros and cons (most of which I'm aware of) but it does allow me to show up here with fresh eyes, without biases or agendas, and just call it like I see it.

I've got a deep love for all types of music but my heart thumps the most for jazz, hip-hop, '70s soul records, reggae, garage rock, punk, blues, world music, and anything that Pitchfork isn't championing at the moment. My favorite artists list changes all the time, but at the moment it ranges from Cannonball Adderley and Peter Tosh to Johnny Cash, Natalie Merchant (don't ask), the Cranberries, J-Dilla, and the Clash. 

I was born and raised in Detroit, and musically, I'm not easily impressed. I really like folks that feel the same way. But I'm not a hater or overly negative without reason.

I'm not in a band. I hold no prior grudges. I'm not a hipster. I pull no punches. But I do have plenty to learn; and like our new president, I'm humble about it. So reach out to me anytime. And let's all embrace the theme of the moment: change.

--Jonathan Cunningham