Eric Olsen
Encyclopedia
Eric Olsen was the founder, editor-in-chief, and publisher of broad-based online critical magazine Blogcritics
and author of local Cleveland blog Cleve-blog. He is also a widely read and influential blogger. His primary site, Blogcritics, has gathered together over 2,000 authors on a wide variety of topics and is a widely read news/information site with over 64,000 unique visits per day, and 50 new articles and reviews posted daily on a variety of topics. In 2008, Olsen and his partners sold Blogcritics.org to media property Technorati.com and worked as the publisher and editor-in-chief to both Blogcritics.org and Technorati.com's newly re-launched original online media content site until September 2010. On April 24 of 2011, he along with Andrew Morton (writer)
and his partner/wife Dawn Olsen, launched http://www.themortonreport.com.
As CEO and co-founder of TheMortonReport.com, Eric will be working side by side with famed celebrity biographer Andrew Morton to bring original quality content to the internet, focusing on celebrities, entertainment and popular culture.
Olsen was named a Trendsetter on the AlwaysOn/Technorati
Open Media 100—a "power list of bloggers, social networkers, tool smiths, and investors leading the Open Media Revolution," in 2005.
, Billboard
, Alternative Press
, Option, The Plain Dealer, the Akron Beacon Journal
, Hear/Say, MSNBC.com
, Cleveland.com, and other outlets.
His book publications include Networking In the Music Industry (with Jim Clevo, Rockpress, 1993) and The Encyclopedia of Record Producers (with Paul Verna and Carlo Wolff, Billboard Books, 1999), a definitive work in the field featuring original interviews, bios, and discographies of over 500 of the leading producers in recording history.
Timothy White, former Editor-in-Chief of Billboard magazine, called The Encyclopedia, "One of the truly indispensable reference books on the annals of the music industry." Rock historian and author Barney Hoskyns
(Rock's Backpages
, Waiting For The Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes & The Sound Of Los Angeles) said, "A landmark publication ... the ultimate guide to the sonic architects, alchemists and just plain old artisans." Rock historian and author Ira Robbins (Trouser Press) said, "This exceptionally well-researched and far-ranging book shines a long overdue spotlight on the often unsung heroes of recorded music."
Olsen also compiled, produced, and wrote the liner notes for the Straight Outta Cleveland CD collection (Oglio, 1995), which Stephen Thomas Erlewine
called in Allmusic, "a thoroughly entertaining hodgepodge of songs by Cleveland bands from the Raspberries
and the James Gang
to Devo
and Pere Ubu
," which captures "the spirit of the city ... very well indeed."
Olsen, who owned and operated the Olsen Entertainment DJ company in Los Angeles in the 1980s, appeared as a music critic on WJW, Fox 8 TV in Cleveland, and created/hosted the Cool Tunes radio show on WRQK 1990-1994, WENZ
1994-1996, WAPS 1999-2002.
Originally from San Pedro, California, he resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and four children. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University
with degrees in political science
and philosophy
.
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
and author of local Cleveland blog Cleve-blog. He is also a widely read and influential blogger. His primary site, Blogcritics, has gathered together over 2,000 authors on a wide variety of topics and is a widely read news/information site with over 64,000 unique visits per day, and 50 new articles and reviews posted daily on a variety of topics. In 2008, Olsen and his partners sold Blogcritics.org to media property Technorati.com and worked as the publisher and editor-in-chief to both Blogcritics.org and Technorati.com's newly re-launched original online media content site until September 2010. On April 24 of 2011, he along with Andrew Morton (writer)
Andrew Morton (writer)
Andrew David Morton is a former British Fleet Street journalist, a notable writer and biographer.Before moving into a career in journalism, he attended grammar school, then studied history at the University of Sussex....
and his partner/wife Dawn Olsen, launched http://www.themortonreport.com.
As CEO and co-founder of TheMortonReport.com, Eric will be working side by side with famed celebrity biographer Andrew Morton to bring original quality content to the internet, focusing on celebrities, entertainment and popular culture.
Olsen was named a Trendsetter on the AlwaysOn/Technorati
Technorati
Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs. By June 2008, Technorati was indexing 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media...
Open Media 100—a "power list of bloggers, social networkers, tool smiths, and investors leading the Open Media Revolution," in 2005.
Biography
Over the last 20 years, Olsen has written for print and online publications on a wide variety of topics, from popular media to politics, and his work has appeared in PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
, Option, The Plain Dealer, the Akron Beacon Journal
Akron Beacon Journal
The Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...
, Hear/Say, MSNBC.com
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Cleveland.com, and other outlets.
His book publications include Networking In the Music Industry (with Jim Clevo, Rockpress, 1993) and The Encyclopedia of Record Producers (with Paul Verna and Carlo Wolff, Billboard Books, 1999), a definitive work in the field featuring original interviews, bios, and discographies of over 500 of the leading producers in recording history.
Timothy White, former Editor-in-Chief of Billboard magazine, called The Encyclopedia, "One of the truly indispensable reference books on the annals of the music industry." Rock historian and author Barney Hoskyns
Barney Hoskyns
Barney Hoskyns is a British music critic and editor of the online music journalism archive Rock's Backpages.Hoskyns graduated from Oxford with a First Class degree in English. He began writing about music for Melody Maker and New Musical Express, quitting his job as staff writer at NME to research...
(Rock's Backpages
Rock's Backpages
Rock's Backpages is an online archive of music journalism, sourced from freelance contributions to the music and mainstream press from the 1950s to the present day. The articles are full text and searchable, and all are reproduced with the permission of the copyright holders. The database was...
, Waiting For The Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes & The Sound Of Los Angeles) said, "A landmark publication ... the ultimate guide to the sonic architects, alchemists and just plain old artisans." Rock historian and author Ira Robbins (Trouser Press) said, "This exceptionally well-researched and far-ranging book shines a long overdue spotlight on the often unsung heroes of recorded music."
Olsen also compiled, produced, and wrote the liner notes for the Straight Outta Cleveland CD collection (Oglio, 1995), which Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
called in Allmusic, "a thoroughly entertaining hodgepodge of songs by Cleveland bands from the Raspberries
Raspberries (band)
Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
and the James Gang
James Gang
The James Gang was a rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. Though the band was not a huge commercial success, except in the Northeast Ohio area, the fame garnered by guitarist Joe Walsh has since made the group more notable.- History :...
to Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu (band)
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
," which captures "the spirit of the city ... very well indeed."
Olsen, who owned and operated the Olsen Entertainment DJ company in Los Angeles in the 1980s, appeared as a music critic on WJW, Fox 8 TV in Cleveland, and created/hosted the Cool Tunes radio show on WRQK 1990-1994, WENZ
WENZ
WENZ —branded Z 107.9—is a mainstream urban commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio serving surrounding Northeast Ohio...
1994-1996, WAPS 1999-2002.
Originally from San Pedro, California, he resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and four children. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
with degrees in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.