Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Christian Adams
Hello, my name is Christian Adams, and I’m the sole proprietor of Black Sunshine Media and Black Sunshine Media Group, established in 2012. My main interests are rock music, travel and counterculture literature. Sometimes you’ll see me refer to BSM as “our”, “us” or “we”, but that’s a contrivance. Several people have contributed to the site over the years, but it’s mostly me.
To learn more about me and my other written work, please visit my author’s site.
My Purpose
The website exists to express my passion for rock music, with a penchant for unsung, underappreciated and obscure musicians and writers associated with rock music. I initially started this website as a repository for the music I’ve made since the early 1990s, and to promote my first book, The Lazy Bastard Guide to Mandarin: An Abridged Corpus of Axioms, Vocabulary and Their Purported Meanings (2012, IPMG, New York). The book was released and the publisher disappeared, leaving me with an Amazon link to the ebook, a worthless contract, and a glorified WordPress blog with nothing to promote.
Nevertheless, it’s always been about rock, tangentially and/or otherwise.
For a few years, I used BSM to showcase the artwork, writing, and photography of my friends in Taipei, and to hone my writing skills and talk about whatever I wanted. No audience = no pressure. I ignored all the “best practices” of blogging and publishing. It was a free-for-all. The site had stages of development and stagnation. In 2024, I leaned heavily into the travel and literature content, promoting my new book series, which failed epically. Eventually, I listened to the SEO gods and refocused our content strategy on rock music.
At no point in time did I ever expect to be here 14 years later…
My Experience and Expertise in Music
If you read any further than this page, you’re likely to come across something that makes you think, “That’s a hot take!” or some variation thereof. And it’s totally reasonable to wonder, “Where does this guy get off talking mad shit about [insert band name here]?”
I get as much inspiration from the things I don’t like as the things I do, and I’m not shy about sharing my opinions. If I think something sucks, I’ll say so. But I’ll also tell you why I think it sucks. In detail. With footnotes and references. I’m not here to spread negativity, but I’ll jump at a chance to dispel misconceptions and offer thought-provoking alternatives to the status quo.
My tastes are particular, but I only talk (and write) about what I know. And I know music. I’ve been a pro, semi-pro, and totally amateur musician for nearly 50 years.
Early Years: Drums, Guitar, Songwriting, and Starting a Band
I started playing drums in the school band at 7 years old. My family had a piano, so I plunked around occasionally through the years. At 15, I taught myself to play guitar mainly by ear, but also with tabs and sheet music.
I played drums in several garage bands during high school, and started writing songs around 17. I bought a Tascam 4-track and learned the recording process while developing as a songwriter. I dropped out of college at 19, got a job as a busboy in a Mexican restaurant, and formed a band with some friends from my hometown, Darien, Illinois.
The Indie Rock Years in Chicago
My band entered its first pro recording studio to record a demo in 1988 and again in 1989. We played a series of local parties until we scored our first big gig in Chicago at Batteries Not Included. This band went through a few name changes before settling on Brain Kiss. From 1989 to 1994, Brain Kiss played regional shows, released an EP on Big Jaw Records, had songs appear on multiple compilations, and recorded an unreleased album.
From 1994 to 1999, I played in two Chicago indie rock bands: Whitey and Golden Tones. Both groups recorded and released an album before disbanding or going on hiatus.
The San Francisco Era
In 1999, I moved to San Francisco, where I formed another band, Henry Miller Sextet. We were active until 2007. In the meantime, I had a side project called Aztec Hearts that released three albums between 2005 and 2014. I moved to Taipei, Taiwan, in 2008, and continued to make music.
Golden Tones reunited to record an album in 2020, finally releasing the album in 2023. And that’s pretty much where the story ends, recording and performance-wise. I still have a collection of guitars and keyboards, a drum set, a piano, microphones, and a digital audio workstation for home recording.
I’ve been a drummer, guitarist, frontman, engineer, producer, and manager. I’ve recorded in state-of-the-art studios and ramshackle home studio setups. I’ve written nearly 200 songs, recorded many of them, toured in a van, released albums, designed artwork and merch, built the website, booked the shows, sent out press kits, and basically run the gauntlet of the vaguely unsuccessful indie rock musician.
And I haven’t even gotten to my experience as a music journalist….
2026 Update
As of this writing, the website is under a major renovation, and I’m back on a regular writing and publishing routine. We’ll see what happens, but I’m cautiously optimistic and driven to achieve my goals.
Thanks for visiting the site, and I hope you stick around long enough to engage me in the comments or via email. I’m always up for a good banter about music, travel, and literature.
Get in touch or visit our Contact Us page for more information.
