Author Archives: Roland Li

10 Years of Eisley

A decade ago, when I was a teenager, the music industry hadn’t been completely pulverized by the Internet, and I bought CDs, with jewel cases and thin paper inserts. I began with rather angsty staples – Linkin Park, Staind – and later moved to poppier groups like Blink-182 and Smash Mouth. I listened to Z100 […]

On Leaving New York

I was a child of the suburbs. Most of my high school life narrowed to a mile-long stretch of Boston Post Road, trudging to class. Our nocturnal highlight was Taco Bell, which was open until 1 a.m. The city was a faint impression of stately Art Deco landmarks and a maze of subways. My deepest […]

Reporting, October 2012

Here are the stories I wrote this month: “Q&A: Aeroplane,” Interview, Oct. 4 “Q&A: The Raveonettes,” Interview, Oct. 5 “A Hotel Building Boom in New York,” The New York Times, Oct. 9 “Q&A: Matmos,” Interview, Oct. 12 “Roosevelt memorial is also a tribute to the late Louis Kahn, enigmatic architect,” Capital New York, Oct. 18″ A Luxury Brokerage With Familiar Name,” […]

2011: The Year of Esports

International Business Times, January 1, 2012 It was an October weekend in Atlantic City, N.J., and the crowd was roaring. The two competitors in front of it gazed intently at their screens, knowing one misstep would lead to defeat. With time running out, Jonathan “KiWiKaKi” Garneau, took a final gamble, hoping his opponent would bite. Ilyes […]

The xx Storm New York

The New York Observer, December 10, 2009 On the frosty evening of Dec. 5, the line outside Webster Hall snaked its way along 11th Street, shivering in the season’s first snowfall. It proceeded, caterpillar-like, into the cavernous music venue, coalescing in front of the stage in anticipation of London’s the xx, the most scrutinized indie […]