A music post (with MAD TECHNOLOGY)

Since a young age, I’ve listened to a lot of music. I have a distinct memory of getting in trouble my mom for singing David Lee Roth’s version of Just a Gigolo after my sister Vickie played it for me (I was the years younger kid brother). I bolsee-bolsee-bopped my way around the house getting TIMM-O-THEEEEEEE’d by my mother for days. Once I got my own walkman (a baby blue sony – also mad technology), I soon had my own music (I wore out a copy of Weird Al’s In 3D and still have my replacement copy-Nature Trail to Hell is still one of Al’s best).

Growing up in the late 90s and living in rural Nebraska, cassettes and cds came from Columbia House and BMG and the local PAMIDA, ALCO, KMART or RADIO SHACK (all of blessed memory). RADIO SHACK was great as they had rap cassettes and K-TEL compilations, which is where I first heard a lot of rap, metal, and punk, and where I bought Too $hort, The DOC, and I somehow managed to get ahold of Yo! Bum Rush the Show and my life was changed forever by Public Enemy. A white kid in rural Nebraska introduced to something new, a culture far removed from the Dairy Queen and the classic rock of my hometown.

I had a metal phase, a gangsta rap phase, a Doors phase, an industrial phase, a Norwegian death metal and black metal phase, an indie rock phase, a sad indie rock phase, and more.

Somewhere in the early 2000s, I discovered the wonderful not for profit radio station Seattle’s KEXP and it’s become daily part of my life. I became long distance friends with DJ John Richards and his selections helped me through some of the best and worst times of my life and it’s been amazing to watch them grow into the powerhouse of live recorded music and force for good they’ve become. I believe music is essential to life and so do they. Real DJs and real music (FAI)! Support them @ KEXP.org – you’ll discover new music and old favorites every time you listen!

Music has kept me in touch with old friends, my kids and I have gone to many shows together, and Ashley and I listen to music together during coffee every morning.

Recent albums on repeat around The Smoking Crow Reading Room include Flea’s solo album (dig the interesting Maggot Brain cover), Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer (this whole album is great, one of their best (RIP DOOM), Busta’s track Raw Forever and Mad Technology (I need to burn a minidisc version of this album) and Grim-Visaged War (the Richard III bit!) are favs. It’s September and I always throw on Nation of Language’s debut Introduction, Presence (due to September Again, but that album always delivers what could be melancholy but somehow optimistic synth pop) and I’m excited for THAO’s new album (Show Me) as the first two tracks are bomb. The Congo’s Heart of the Congos (Congoman is my fav track- the percussion is magic) has been on a lot lately too.

I think downtempo/triphop was solidified as a favorite genre while we had the coffeehouse (1910-the secret coffeehouse). I had a copy of Thievery’s Corps Mirror Conspiracy in heavy rotation, along with DJ Shadow, Portishead, Morcheeba, and the usual downtempo suspects. I tend to listen to a steady flow of downtempo, jazz, and hip-hop these days with lots of other genres thrown in. I was excited today to see Thievery Corporation’s new career-spanning 30 (30 songs for 30 years of TC) just arrived and it’s a great intro or look back on Thievery Corps catalogue and I’ve had it on most of the day.

Until next time, stay safe out there

(and be sure to check out my serialized, short horror Rattlesnake Rodeo while you are here!)