I live a quiet life that is made easier by turning the radio off. Occasionally something of merit will bubble up from the mainstream and force me to listen to it, and more often than not I find it interesting. The latest thing I’ve heard is Lady Gaga.
From what I gathered before I actually heard Lady Gaga was that she was a wacky singer who hung out with wonderfully gay men, dressed in outfits that made for silly looking pictures and did it all in the name of “art” or …
This is my life in a nutshell: the out-of-work music writer, the hardened critic, the aging hipster, the asshole, and even the balding, self-loathing, pseudo-Jew asked by former Ashevillian/head BFO-er/Decline conspirator Bob Rest to give a CD by his latest band, We Have a Meth Lab, a listen and a review.
“Give it a good review” he says, adding later on for me to compliment his band’s musicianship. I download the un-mastered version of his album and prepare myself for it.
These days I hardly listen to a lot of rock and …
Like most people (I hope), I’m pretty influenced by the things I choose to read, listen to and watch on television or DVD. Recently, Jessie and I have been on a Ken Burns kick, watching all of his films via our Netflix subscription (we’re married; those things come with the license now). As of right now we are headlong into watching The National Parks: America’s Best Idea and I’m utterly inspired to experience the great outdoors as a result.
Wait, what was that?
That’s right, I’m starting to get into the idea …
A few years ago, mix CDs were an obsession of mine. I was constantly working on a compilation for someone, scheming of rare tracks and strange cover songs. I guess that this blog is an extension of that same compulsion. I can’t help it. Maybe it’s because I want to feel musically superior to someone else- oh you haven’t heard that? I’ll make you a CD- but I love people hearing songs for the first time. I love when they like it and I really like arguing with them if …
Holy shit, The Hold Steady, you sure know how to work a guy over. Last Wednesday night Jessie and I made the drive from Sylva to Athens to catch your show at the 40 Watt Club and I was completely blown away by the show.
I knew what to expect walking into the concert- I own all of the band’s albums and had seen the band two times previously. But this show might have been better than the first time I saw them in 2006 at the Grey Eagle. Guitars played …
