If you’ve been around here much, you’ve probably noticed that I occasionally wax philosophical or offer advice to musicians and bands that nobody was asking for–but I give it anyhow, out of the goodness of my heart. Anyhow, I have had some positive responses to some of those posts, and it just seemed that...
music in general
Evolving: HighRaceVine Debuts at the D-Note
I’ve observed two schools of thought when it comes to band debuts. On one hand, several bands I’ve talked to deliberately refrained from “going public” until they had played together for months and maybe even made a record first. Then on the other side, there are bands who choose to evolve publicly, being willing to step out...
Miracles on the Open Stage
Yesterday I posted this piece on Examiner.com about Jay Ryan’s Big-Top Open Stage, held each Monday night at the D-note here in Arvada. I won’t reiterate here–just go read it if you want–but I will say that one thing that impressed me in my conversation with Jay is his passion for making room, for...
My Top Five…Albums
Yeah, it’s an end-of-year thing, and lots of people are doing it. Naming their favorite this or that. Naming their favorite albums of 2009. All that stuff. The problem is, this blog is new. Too new to have gone through a whole year. And since we’re still getting to know each other, I thought...
A Band Called iconoClass–and Thoughts about Bands in Formative Stages
This is expanded coverage from my article on Examiner.com. As I begin to write this, I’m sitting at Arvada’s popular D-Note, watching a young band called iconoClass. Basically all they’ve done for the past 45 minutes is jam. Almost all of it is guitar solos over rock beats and repetitive chords. There is one...
What Makes Regina Spektor So Dadgum Popular?
I have to admit–Regina Spektor is a bit of anomaly to me. I showed up at her concert here in Denver last Saturday night, at the Fillmore Auditorium. I wrote a full concert review on Examiner.com, so I won’t repeat all that here–just go read the review when you’re done here. The house was...
Four Reasons Why Indie Music Represents the Future of the Industry
I like indie music. And apparently a lot of other people do, too. All you have to do is browse through the music section of MySpace, or spend a little time on YouTube, to see how the indie music wave is growing. (For newbies…indie music is a nickname for independent music, meaning the music...
I’m Still New Here…
So if you’ve read any of my posts so far…particularly the reviews…I could easily understand if you were to say, “So who the heck is THIS guy? Some kind of armchair quarterback?” Maybe you haven’t said that. But you could. I mean, I’m still new here. Who am I, really? What credentials do I...
Stuff I Like in Music, and Stuff I Don’t
Okay, so I know a lot about musical taste is subjective–although a lot of what makes music good is actually pretty measurable. As I look for The Oomph in the bands and artists I look at, there are a number of factors that affect how I review them. Like everyone else, there are certain...
Where Anyone Can Play the Blues
This post is adapted from my article on Examiner.com… If you’ve never been to Beale Street in Memphis, it’s worth a trip to experience it. Several blocks of nightclubs with high-quality blues music and some of the best barbecued ribs you ever ate. It’s almost other-worldly because you can practically feel the history pulsing...
