Ryan Maffei is a Jersey-born, Dallas-based critic, musician and sometime actor. He studied briefly at SMU and Collin College, and has since been a journeyman. While living in Brooklyn he became affiliated with the group of rock critics in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness community. He has previously written for The Young Folks, Josey Records, One Week One Band, Blitz Weekly, and his own site Kill Me With Sound, and was asked to provide liner notes for his favorite band, the Go-Betweens. He has both voted in and been voted for in the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop poll. He has also been involved in thirteen regional productions over the last decade, including Hearts Like Fists (as Peter), A View from the Bridge (as Eddie), Columbinus (as Eric), and The Rocky Horror Puppet Show (as a puppet). He was nominated for a Column award for his performance in The Exonerated.