Hello, It's Me; Twisted MixTape Gets Heavy Man

What music defines you?

Over at Jen's Twisted MixTape, we've gone through the decades and found songs which we feel define decades, or our lives in those decades. But what songs define you or your life? That is the question we need to answer this week. Whose idea is this anyway? Well, that would be Troy from As Long As I'm Singing, one fine writer and man of complex musical tastes. So that's how we got here. Now to look in the mirror and try to identify what, and who I am.

While it's not the first song I remember giving me the feeling of "Hell Yeah," I always recall thinking of this song when I needed a little boost of self-confidence.

"When I'm out in the street

I walk the way I wanna walk

When I'm out in the street

I talk the way I wanna talk"

That's Jersey attitude all the way and no surprise, it's the Boss.

"Out In The Street"

Pretty much for me, it's always been about the lyrics. One of the first songs I can remember actually trying to analyze what the words meant and the message the poet was trying to make was by Paul Simon. His songs would always speak to me. The man is brilliant. I think we knew that as soon as we first heard this.

"The Sounds of Silence"

When I was a young woman, things that are now taken for granted, were the changes we tried to achieve. We were making our own rules and learning about ourselves in the process. Hearing this song made me think of what was, and what could be. It was a coming of age anthem for me. Judy Collins had the hit, but I'll take the writers version for its purity. Joni Mitchell.

"Both Sides Now"

I grew up during a time of conflicts: Vietnam, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, it was a big pile of shit. Protest songs were everywhere and some damn fine ones at that. But the first song that made me think "well what the hell is really going on?" was this one by Buffalo Springfield.

"For What It's Worth"

I'm not a religious person, don't send emails. I know who I am, I believe in the greater good of people and in turn myself. That being said, I'm not a prayer. So I find it somewhat amusing that one of the songs that made a difference in my life is a psalm. Written by Pete Seeger, and taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the version by The Byrds was a huge hit. The song speaks of the balance of life... for everything there is a season.

"Turn, Turn, Turn"

Now I've used this song, ok, several times over the life of this blog. It all started with this song and to not include it here would be wrong. It is me. And Dobie Gray.

"And when my mind is free

You know a melody can move me

And when I'm feelin' blue

The guitar's comin' through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you've given me

I want you to know I believe in your song

And rhythm and rhyme and harmony

You've helped me along

Makin' me strong

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away"

So that's what brought me here. Yeah, there were a few other twists and turns, but they only rounded out the edges. Or maybe not.

MixTape Tuesday: Just Chillin'

Chill music, slow jams.. why not? That's the theme of Jen's MixTape Tuesday playalong.  I missed the free-for-all last week, combination of no time and too many possibilities. My mind was spinning just thinking about it. So when she slowed it down for this week, I figured I could jump back in.

Back in the day, yes way back in the day, whether you needed some good road trip music or just wanted to chill out, the band of choice was The Allman Brothers. Many years have come and gone, but that hasn't changed. So let's start this party with what I see as I look outside this morning.

"Blue Sky"

Jackson Browne is chill. Always love his imagery, and this song is no different.

"You Love The Thunder"

Going back to the day. So many evenings were spent at my friend MJ's place. Her and her sister occupied the three room attic of her parent's house, and her parent's never came upstairs. Can you say party time? There was lots of chillin' and lots of party favors of all sorts. This was one frequent tune on the turntable, yes turntable. Santana, from the Abraxas album.

Singing Winds, Crying Beasts"

While it might not be a slow jam, it is chill. Simon & Garfunkel, from the Bridge Over Troubled Water album, it's a song that always puts me in a better state of mind.

"Only Living Boy In New York"

Bringing it home for the last song. Definition of chill: Sam Cooke.

"Bring It On Home To Me"

As usual, a hell of a party Jen. The music can't be beat.

Josh Ayers: "Waste"

Gather 'round Peeps, it's time for new music.

As promised, from time to time I will be featuring new music from the artists at Earth Hertz Records. In full disclosure, I write for Earth Hertz, which means I can tell you about new sounds before most people become aware of them. And that's cool.

The artist I'm debuting today is not only a singer-songwriter, but also a record producer, and host of his own radio show. Josh Ayers hosts a weekly program on WHAY 98.3 in McCreary County KY, where he showcases new music and new artists.

Josh counts Neil Young, Tori Amos and Tom Waits among his influences. His style is take some raw emotion, write some lyrics describing it, and work in the music that fits. His first release from Earth Hertz Records is a song which was written as an exercise between him and a friend, where they decided to write a song a day. This song "Waste," was written on the first day. I think you'll agree, he was off to one hell of a start.

Desperation and self-loathing are translated into poignant lyrics. The emotions may not be pretty, but the song is both introspective and haunting. Check out the Josh Ayers artist page on StreamBeam.Us and his music on  iTunes and CD Baby.

Listen to Josh Ayers "Waste"

Show him some love today, it's his birthday.

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The Magic Behind the Music

Like many of you, I've been to countless music shows, and have thoroughly enjoyed most of them. I've watched set-up, sound checks, breakdowns, the whole process. Last night, I was fortunate enough to enjoy the spectacle that is sound check, as well as a knock-your-socks-off show. So I thought I'd give you my observations on the evening.

Sometimes, and not always, when you do your job the right way it is appreciated, and trust and friendship develops. Through one of these friendships, I was invited to a private party with entertainment from two classic rockers, still at the top of their game. While I eagerly anticipated the show, I was front and center early to hang with the guys and watch the preparation for the show.

Set-up for a music show ain't pretty. It begins with boxes and cables and stands. Drums kits are pieced together, keyboards are hooked up to the computer, guitars are placed in stands. Then one by one, each piece is plugged in, attached or lined up, until the unit is complete. Now every hall, every venue has certain advantages and limitations, and it's up to the road crew to figure out what they are and make it all work.

Now it's time to tinker. The technicians test everything. When the task is complete, the band steps in to get it all up to their standards. Testing 1-2, is followed by phrases that while are technically in English, seem like they are another language. It's all the technical terms for what works and what doesn't. As the first performer steps in, the adjustments on his vocals and guitar take place. There's grunts and groans and stops and starts. Then through a maze of notes and guitar riffs, the sweet sound of a saxophone brings an instant sense of serenity to the scene.

Time for the second artist to check his vocals. A series of starts and stops, a verse here, a chorus there, getting the sound correct in everyone's ear, you wonder if they will get it together before showtime. While adjustments are made by the sound crew throughout the show, at one point during the sound check, it all kicks in. The stage once again is empty and we await the start of the show.

Hybrid Ice
John Cafferty and Michael "Tunes" Antunes
Jimi Jamison

Seasoned performers all. It was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, as the performers are well acquainted with both the host of the evening and most of the crowd. It was like playing in front of old friends, and in fact, it was.

While the mood was intimate and jovial, the music was all business. It rocked. A lot.

And it was great.

Thanks guys, it was a blast.

And She Was...And She Is

So today, Lance over at MyBlogCanBeatUpYourBlog was saying nice things about me, and being yesterday was his birthday and I've haven't bought his new book yet (but I will and you should too) I was guilted into playing his 100 Word Song Challenge.

Seeing as Tara from ThinSpiralNotebook chose this week's song and it was one of my faves, I couldn't resist. The song is "And She Was" by Talking Heads. Now there's a little story about this song and me. A few months ago I was interviewed by glipho.com. It's a blogging platform where I post my Life and Music blogs in addition to my own site. One of the questions they asked was to choose 3-5 songs which define me. One of the songs I chose was "Brave and Crazy" by Melissa Etheridge for obvious reasons. One was Dobie Gray's "Drift Away," and the third was "And She Was." The reason being sometimes in observing people and life in general, I feel like I'm both in the world and above it, looking in.

With that in mind, I decided not to come up with a story per se this week, but rather use the title to tell my story. This being it: I wrote a lot when I was young, then took off about 30 years, then started writing again. Just lately, I began a new career in the music business... writing. About music.YES. Happy ending indeed.

So in exactly 100 words, here's my story.

And she was hooked as long as she remembered.

And she was one with the melody.

And she was inspired by the words.

And she was often moved to tears.

And she was wordless for an eternity.

And she was joyful when her voice was heard.

And she was watching from a distance.

And she was telling all she saw.

And she was learning more each day.

And she was reaching hearts and souls.

And she was offered her dream if she only dared.

And she was ready to take a leap.

And she was able.

And she is fulfilled.