Please Allow Me to Introduce James

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 | 8:39 AM

Just like pimpin', bloggin' ain't easy. That's why I'm always sniffing around for a good music nerd to lend a helping hand to the Indie Ear cause.

At this year's Pitchfork Festival, my friend Brian and Becky introduced me to local Chicago music blogger, James Ziegenfus. Upon meeting James, I asked, "How do you know Brian and Becky?"

(left to right: Friends Brian and Becky eat ice cream with friend of a friend, James.)

James responded, "Through a friend of a friend." So now, if anyone asks James how he knows me, he can reply, "Through a friend of a friend of a friend."

After two minutes of conversing with James, it was apparent he knew his indie music. Just like seeing a good jump-shot in basketball, I knew he had it.

While juggling a day job, a blogging gig, and DJ duties on 10-cent chicken wing night, James also manages to attend various indie shows in the Chicago-area. His music knowledge is near encyclopedic, and one of his strengths is writing about the interaction between artist and fan.

If you need any more reasons to like him, James is an avid New York Mets fan (my baseball team of choice when the Pirates aren't doing well), an aficionado of hand-dipped ice cream, and went to college in Pittsburgh, PA (which I've said on a few occasions, is the greatest city in the world).