Phollowers!

Phish phans are phreakin' annoying! There are few casual Phish phans. Most are purely rabid - phollowing Phish phrom town to town as if they were musical messiahs! How does it come to that? With all the music out there, how does someone get stuck on one band? And why (seriously someone tell me!) is that band Phish? I guess I'm just not enlightened enough to pheel the power of Phish. Phor some pholks Phish is the end all be all in the world of music. To me, they're just the end!

Black Boys on Mopeds

Wow! How did I miss this song? Growing up, I always thought Sinéad was cool because she had the balls to stand up to her country and her religion and to challenge the constructs of gender, sexuality and music. All of this meant that she could have conceivably lost everything and everyone she had in her life at the hands of the gossip-starved media. Until recently (2006), I only knew one Sinéad song. I'll let you guess which one.

I met a girl while I was living in Prague who adored Sinéad and this caused me to investigate. I copied several random songs from her few cd's, including the aforementioned song. I listened to them and enjoyed them. But they never stuck.

Then, last year at my favorite record shop, I found I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got for free in the old cardboard box by the door. I grabbed it quick and clutched it tight as I sauntered out the door. Somehow I knew I would find a hidden gem on this record.

I took it home and intended for weeks to listen to it. Instead, it found its way onto my shelf and stayed there wedged in between NOFX and the Old 97's. It would be weeks before I actually dug into it. Rather than start at song one, I read the playlist and went straight to number five: 'Black Boys On Mopeds'.

Given my childhood recollection of her, I was confident that this song would be a standout just by the name. Not only is it a standout on this record, it's a standout in musical history. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not be moved.

Using only a guitar and her shimmering, angelic voice, Sinéad weaves a wrenching acoustic tale of late 80s-early 90s UK racial and political unrest in a dreamy, angsty, soul-stirrer. The power and honesty of her unwavering voice is impossible to resist.

I am quite sorry to have missed this at the time, but am quite happy to have it now! For anyone unfamiliar with this song...This is truly one for the ages!

I love you like sin...

Growing up, I hated the song '(Don't Fear) The Reaper'! I truly hated it. Therefore, I purposely avoided Blue Öyster Cult albums the way superstitious kids avoid cracks in the sidewalk.

However, a few years back my never-ending search for great music finally brought me to their doorstep. I'd already figured out that Patti Smith was too real to be denied and once I found out that she'd spent a fair amount of time with BOC, I began looking for their early stuff.

The 1976 album Agents of Fortune, which does have '(Don't Fear) The Reaper', features Smith on backing-vocals on the song 'The Revenge of Vera Gemini' as well as several bracing rockers like 'This Ain't the Summer of Love' and 'Sinful Love'. Despite dealing with the age-old themes of love and loss, these songs also talk of the changing political and social landscapes across America and signal the coming musical changes that punk would bring.

Well worth a look for any of my fellow naysayers. I've officially converted!

... "I love you like sin, but I won't be your pigeon!"

The Who?

This will be short and sweet... First, since half the members of The Who have died (the absence of keith Moon being the most important to me) they should not call themselves The Who. None of the early songs were possible without Moon. Second, the halftime show of the Super Bowl was lame. If you are trying to connect with a broad audience... geriatric rockers from a bygone era won't do. Let's do something different next year please!

Shoegazers of the World Unite and Take Over!

I think I finally understand where the 'Shoegazers' got their inspiration. This music got its name because the media said the bands (My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Catherine Wheel, Kitchens of Distinction, Swervedriver, etc.) just stared at their shoes as they played. I have now lived in Portland, Oregon for 5 years and the seemingly neverending dark leaky faucet they call winter drives me into seasonal depression. 'Shoegaze' music came out of the UK in the late 80s and UK winters are very similar to those of the Pacific Northwest.

Anyway, as I have been stuck indoors for the past couple months with little interest in lurking about in the Portland darkness 'Shoegaze' is the only thing I want to listen to regularly. For anyone out there who doesn't know this music I urge you to seek it out. Layers of distorted and fuzzy/echoey guitars careening out of control over a droning, repetitive rhythm section and sometimes haunting vocals. May sound weird, but this hypnotic, addictive music is a special section of musical history and should not be overlooked. Despite the sometimes caustic and angsty angle of the music it is actually delightfully addictive and at times rather pop-influenced.

Am I Alone?

How can Americans, given our remarkable musical contributions, not demand more from the music they listen to? I just read the Billboard Top 10. Obviously, it is mostly young kids that listen to this stuff... or is it? Suddenly, the names of "bands" that my Facebook "friends" refer to appeared. I felt obliged to listen to each song. What a stupefying collection of banal garbage is the Billboard chart! I suppose some of you may be wondering if I just reached that conclusion. Obviously not... but, I just have to remind myself that my musical journey, no matter how hard, is well worth it! But, when I see the album sales I am still left with a burning question! Am I alone here? Is there anyone else out there (NOT wearing a ridiculous outfit that took more time to put together than those of the folks it is trying to annoy) that listens to thoughtful, creative music?