I first fell in love with New York City based band Interpol back in 2004 when they were the opening act for the Cure on the Curiosa Festival tour. I immediately went out and purchased their first album, Turn on the Bright Lights, and have been hooked ever since. It has been three years since the release of their third album, Our Love to Admire, and I think it is safe to say that with their self-titled fourth album, the band has certainly honed their sound and matured into a band that will endure the test of time.
A lot of critics and fans of the band may disagree, but I think this album demonstrates the band’s ability to experiment with different sounds while still keeping their same rolling guitar sound that we have grown to recognize and appreciate. This album is also a little darker than previous albums, although not by much. I think the lyrics just represent more of one’s struggles with their inner demons for the most part. Not many bands can tackle a topic like that to where it resonates with someone deep within their heart.
Interpol takes the listener on a journey of an unraveling relationship. It starts off with the familiar dark sound of Paul Banks’ Les Paul guitar and Sam Fogarino’s rhythmic pulse of the bass drum for the first track “Success”. From there, the journey continues on with the rolling surf-like sound of “Memory Serves” where the desperation of the album begins. Banks describes only wanting to make his lover happy and would do anything regardless of the price. The third track, “Summer Well” definitely takes a step in a different direction from the typical Interpol sound with a groovy piano/bass combo at the beginning which then leads to the album’s first single and darkest song, “Lights”. Interpol is truly a band that has mastered a great buildup in a song. When I hear this song, I imagine him singing it in a dimly lit room with a haze of smoke surrounding him as he begs for someone to “police him”.
The second half of the album is better than the first in my opinion. “Barricade” was my favorite track on the album before I had a chance to listen to it in its entirety. It is reminiscent of classic Interpol tracks like “Obstacle 1” and “Slow Hands”. Banks takes his baritone voice to a slightly higher sound to demonstrate his frustration with a situation and rather than scream as other acts today may do, the listener is allowed to hear his vulnerability. As the journey continues, so does the desperation and need to overcome this pain that Banks has taken us on. Rounding out the album are “All of the Ways” and “The Undoing”. Those two songs essentially define the album in so many ways. In “All of the Ways”, the lyrics are enough to make any girl swoon when Banks is asking who is this guy that she has obviously chosen over him. The ending of that song then leads into the final track, “The Undoing”.
This song is special to me. To me it tells the story of fighting your negativity and inner demons in life. Starting out with “I was on my way to tell you it’s no good” makes me think of a little devil whispering in your ear that no matter what you do, it will never be good enough. No matter who you try to become, putting on that mask of being in fashion will not get you where you need to be. And because you are damaged, you constantly seek out those that are damaged as well. You’ve let it rule your life for so long that it has “raised you”. By the end of the song, I feel as if Banks has found his redemption from the whole situation. He is repeating “Please, the place we’re in now” as if to say, I’m finally here and I will wait because I do not want it to go away. I am able to relate to this song on so many levels. I actually cried when I actually listened to the lyrics and the desperation in his voice.
This album is artistically beautiful and amazing. There are so many textures and layers of sound that come from the production that it transports you to this place with Banks. You may not like it on first listen if you’re expecting that same sound from OLTA and Antics. The band went back to their roots and has really created a work of art. I’ve been a huge fan of bands that have drifted into something different and maybe didn’t like the outcome but I still fully appreciate where they were coming from and what they were trying to do. I’m sure many of the people that don’t care for this album would probably be whining if they didn’t explore their emotions and musical talent saying they sound the same on every song. No one can make everyone happy, especially when it comes to music. Luckily for me, Interpol was a “Success”!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
To Wish Impossible Things
I read an article the other day about people that followed their passions for a career. It made me think about my own life how I always say I want to do all of these wonderful things, but unfortunately never follow through with them. Now that I’m writing more and rediscovering my love for music, I’m thinking again about what it is that I truly would like to do in life.
A lot of people ask me if I can play an instrument since I come from such a musical family. My dad tried to teach me how to play the guitar when I was about 15 years old. He “gave” (more like loaned) me his cream white Gibson Melody Maker with chrome Bigsby vibrato. It was a great and beautiful first, and last, guitar. He taught me 3 chords. My fingers just didn’t want to cooperate. At least that is what I told my father when I said, “it’s too hard, you’re a natural, I’ll never play like that”. I got the “you have to practice” lecture more than once, but eventually the guitar just went back into its Union Jack flag and Cure sticker laden case. Besides, it looked much cooler holding up my wall as opposed to hanging around my neck. When you grow up with someone as talented as my father was when it came to playing the guitar, you have two choices: 1) realize your potential and practice every day and night until your fingers bleed, or 2) give up and quit. I chose option two but I certainly don’t regret it.
By that point, I think I had been to about 3 or 4 concerts that year in 1994-95. I saw major productions at Rice Stadium, the building formerly known as the Houston Summit, and a few smaller shows at Astro Arena. While I was always in awe at the racks of Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters poised perfectly on stage waiting to be played that evening, I was more awestruck by the production as a whole. Everything from the music being played while concertgoers filled the seats to the stage setup to the merchandise being sold made me realize something. Someone had to think of all of this and put it all together. And while I was waiting for a show to start one night at the age of 15, it occurred to me that my love for music didn’t necessarily mean I needed to play an instrument or be in a band. I realized that I wanted to be in charge of it. All of it. The whole show. I wanted to be the gatekeeper as to who was allowed backstage. I wanted to fix whatever mishaps might inevitably arise before a show. I wanted to sit in the sound board area and watch every show from the center of the action surrounded by the energy of the fans. The problem was I had no idea where to start. I didn’t think to take theater so I could be a part of stage crews learning the basics of set design and lighting, besides I was too busy with dance team. Instead, I thought of other options and decided that I would love to make music videos. I certainly had seen thousands over the years and was getting to the point that when I heard a song, I would start thinking of how the video would play out in my head. I found an art school and applied and was later accepted. The only problem was the art school was all the way in London! Although, not a problem for me, my dad basically said there was no way he could afford to send me to London. No problem, I thought, they have a campus in Atlanta. I’ll just go there for a year and then transfer. That wasn’t happening either. Quickly, my teenage inner voice started telling me that my hopes were over. That was it. Time to settle on something else. I didn’t fight for what I wanted. I didn’t think to just study film production here in Texas and go from there. Well, I actually did start out as a Radio-TV major when I attended Stephen F. Austin State University, but I only lasted at that school for 3 semesters before getting bored and wanting to come back home to Houston.
When I finally did go back to school years later, I realized I better choose something with more of a potential for a good future. I decided to major in Journalism with my concentration in Public Relations. I figured I could go into music management and promotions. I had a few friends that were in bands and I wanted to help them out, but again, I never felt like I had a good handle on how to really get the ball rolling. Plus, I hate to admit it, but I was a little lazy about the whole thing as well. I just wanted to be done with school and I just wanted to get a job, I didn’t seriously focus on things the way that I should have. After graduating in 2005, I’ve kind of “flitted” around, as my dad likes to tell me, from job to job thinking that this is what I want to do and then I get bored and move on. I certainly was never passionate about any of them, except when I worked at the Zoo, but that quickly fizzled when I realized it wasn’t a right fit for me either. One good thing that came from working at the Zoo was that I got to start writing again. It felt good to have something of my own again, something that I was good at doing and have people tell me they appreciated my writing. So that made the gears in my head start turning again. I decided that I wasn’t too old to follow dreams. I pulled out my old portfolio and started looking at working at a public relations firm again. I didn’t get the job, but it made me realize that I needed more in my life. I needed to be doing something that I enjoyed like writing.
I like to say that for me, my life truly began the year I turned 30. Yes, I had a lot of fun during my 20s and did a lot of things and met a lot of people, but I was never truly happy. I realize now that a lot of it had to do with my attitude. Right before my 29th birthday, I did have a meltdown and start freaking out that I was basically a loser that was never going to do anything with their life. Thirty came and went and still nothing changed overnight and my life wasn’t miraculously better, in fact I was the worst I’d been in years. Then I received a sign from a higher power in the form of a car accident, one that I certainly didn’t need to have happen at that point but it made me realize a few things. First, it made me realize that I was lucky to be alive because had I been hit on the driver’s side, I could have seriously been injured. It also made me realize that it was time to make some changes in my life because working two jobs that I hated wasn’t working. I never saw my friends, I was lonely, miserable and broke and had no life whatsoever. Slowly, things started to change. I decided I needed to find something better career wise that would have a future. I wasn’t sure what that was, but I knew I couldn’t stay at the Zoo anymore. I started a new job in July working for a legal staffing firm. Is it my dream job? Maybe not, but it has a future in something that keeps showing up in my life which is recruiting. I have a great boss and some pretty awesome co-workers and that helps too. My attitude has done a complete 180 I think. I am so thankful for so much. Yes, I still have struggles, but I’m dealing with life’s hiccups much better these days and I feel so much better about everything and I’m so much happier. So I decided to start writing more and submersing myself into music more and it is making me think of what else I’d like to do. I want this blog to become something great. I don’t want it to just be stories about me, but also reviews of shows and albums and information about up and coming music and artists. My dad is so wise. He made me realize during a conversation a few weeks ago that I don’t have to live in London to make videos. It was a total "duh" moment. So in addition to this blog and getting out and enjoying life more that I can also get more involved in music here in Houston. There are bands here that I know and could definitely start helping them out whenever possible. There is also a new record label here in town that I’m hoping to get involved with somehow. I am going to follow my passion because otherwise what do I have in life? I’ve been thinking a lot again about moving to New York City. One reason is to be closer to my cousin, but another reason is the feeling I get while there and the fact that music protrudes itself from just about every vessel in that city that I want to be a part of it. The company I work for now has an office there and although it is not fully staffed at the moment, I have mentioned to my boss that I would be interested in going there should the opportunity ever arise. I don’t know that I’d live there forever, but I don’t want to look back and say that I was too scared to go after something that I wanted. I still dream about making a documentary about my favorite band, the Cure. I would even love to write a book about Robert Smith and Dave Gahan, the lead singer of Depeche Mode. And I still think about London on a regular basis; someday I’ll get to visit. So this is where I stand now. I’m laying down the foundation for pursuing my passions. I feel like life has just begun because now at 31 I know more about myself and what I truly want. I can’t wait to see where the journey takes me.
A lot of people ask me if I can play an instrument since I come from such a musical family. My dad tried to teach me how to play the guitar when I was about 15 years old. He “gave” (more like loaned) me his cream white Gibson Melody Maker with chrome Bigsby vibrato. It was a great and beautiful first, and last, guitar. He taught me 3 chords. My fingers just didn’t want to cooperate. At least that is what I told my father when I said, “it’s too hard, you’re a natural, I’ll never play like that”. I got the “you have to practice” lecture more than once, but eventually the guitar just went back into its Union Jack flag and Cure sticker laden case. Besides, it looked much cooler holding up my wall as opposed to hanging around my neck. When you grow up with someone as talented as my father was when it came to playing the guitar, you have two choices: 1) realize your potential and practice every day and night until your fingers bleed, or 2) give up and quit. I chose option two but I certainly don’t regret it.
By that point, I think I had been to about 3 or 4 concerts that year in 1994-95. I saw major productions at Rice Stadium, the building formerly known as the Houston Summit, and a few smaller shows at Astro Arena. While I was always in awe at the racks of Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters poised perfectly on stage waiting to be played that evening, I was more awestruck by the production as a whole. Everything from the music being played while concertgoers filled the seats to the stage setup to the merchandise being sold made me realize something. Someone had to think of all of this and put it all together. And while I was waiting for a show to start one night at the age of 15, it occurred to me that my love for music didn’t necessarily mean I needed to play an instrument or be in a band. I realized that I wanted to be in charge of it. All of it. The whole show. I wanted to be the gatekeeper as to who was allowed backstage. I wanted to fix whatever mishaps might inevitably arise before a show. I wanted to sit in the sound board area and watch every show from the center of the action surrounded by the energy of the fans. The problem was I had no idea where to start. I didn’t think to take theater so I could be a part of stage crews learning the basics of set design and lighting, besides I was too busy with dance team. Instead, I thought of other options and decided that I would love to make music videos. I certainly had seen thousands over the years and was getting to the point that when I heard a song, I would start thinking of how the video would play out in my head. I found an art school and applied and was later accepted. The only problem was the art school was all the way in London! Although, not a problem for me, my dad basically said there was no way he could afford to send me to London. No problem, I thought, they have a campus in Atlanta. I’ll just go there for a year and then transfer. That wasn’t happening either. Quickly, my teenage inner voice started telling me that my hopes were over. That was it. Time to settle on something else. I didn’t fight for what I wanted. I didn’t think to just study film production here in Texas and go from there. Well, I actually did start out as a Radio-TV major when I attended Stephen F. Austin State University, but I only lasted at that school for 3 semesters before getting bored and wanting to come back home to Houston.
When I finally did go back to school years later, I realized I better choose something with more of a potential for a good future. I decided to major in Journalism with my concentration in Public Relations. I figured I could go into music management and promotions. I had a few friends that were in bands and I wanted to help them out, but again, I never felt like I had a good handle on how to really get the ball rolling. Plus, I hate to admit it, but I was a little lazy about the whole thing as well. I just wanted to be done with school and I just wanted to get a job, I didn’t seriously focus on things the way that I should have. After graduating in 2005, I’ve kind of “flitted” around, as my dad likes to tell me, from job to job thinking that this is what I want to do and then I get bored and move on. I certainly was never passionate about any of them, except when I worked at the Zoo, but that quickly fizzled when I realized it wasn’t a right fit for me either. One good thing that came from working at the Zoo was that I got to start writing again. It felt good to have something of my own again, something that I was good at doing and have people tell me they appreciated my writing. So that made the gears in my head start turning again. I decided that I wasn’t too old to follow dreams. I pulled out my old portfolio and started looking at working at a public relations firm again. I didn’t get the job, but it made me realize that I needed more in my life. I needed to be doing something that I enjoyed like writing.
I like to say that for me, my life truly began the year I turned 30. Yes, I had a lot of fun during my 20s and did a lot of things and met a lot of people, but I was never truly happy. I realize now that a lot of it had to do with my attitude. Right before my 29th birthday, I did have a meltdown and start freaking out that I was basically a loser that was never going to do anything with their life. Thirty came and went and still nothing changed overnight and my life wasn’t miraculously better, in fact I was the worst I’d been in years. Then I received a sign from a higher power in the form of a car accident, one that I certainly didn’t need to have happen at that point but it made me realize a few things. First, it made me realize that I was lucky to be alive because had I been hit on the driver’s side, I could have seriously been injured. It also made me realize that it was time to make some changes in my life because working two jobs that I hated wasn’t working. I never saw my friends, I was lonely, miserable and broke and had no life whatsoever. Slowly, things started to change. I decided I needed to find something better career wise that would have a future. I wasn’t sure what that was, but I knew I couldn’t stay at the Zoo anymore. I started a new job in July working for a legal staffing firm. Is it my dream job? Maybe not, but it has a future in something that keeps showing up in my life which is recruiting. I have a great boss and some pretty awesome co-workers and that helps too. My attitude has done a complete 180 I think. I am so thankful for so much. Yes, I still have struggles, but I’m dealing with life’s hiccups much better these days and I feel so much better about everything and I’m so much happier. So I decided to start writing more and submersing myself into music more and it is making me think of what else I’d like to do. I want this blog to become something great. I don’t want it to just be stories about me, but also reviews of shows and albums and information about up and coming music and artists. My dad is so wise. He made me realize during a conversation a few weeks ago that I don’t have to live in London to make videos. It was a total "duh" moment. So in addition to this blog and getting out and enjoying life more that I can also get more involved in music here in Houston. There are bands here that I know and could definitely start helping them out whenever possible. There is also a new record label here in town that I’m hoping to get involved with somehow. I am going to follow my passion because otherwise what do I have in life? I’ve been thinking a lot again about moving to New York City. One reason is to be closer to my cousin, but another reason is the feeling I get while there and the fact that music protrudes itself from just about every vessel in that city that I want to be a part of it. The company I work for now has an office there and although it is not fully staffed at the moment, I have mentioned to my boss that I would be interested in going there should the opportunity ever arise. I don’t know that I’d live there forever, but I don’t want to look back and say that I was too scared to go after something that I wanted. I still dream about making a documentary about my favorite band, the Cure. I would even love to write a book about Robert Smith and Dave Gahan, the lead singer of Depeche Mode. And I still think about London on a regular basis; someday I’ll get to visit. So this is where I stand now. I’m laying down the foundation for pursuing my passions. I feel like life has just begun because now at 31 I know more about myself and what I truly want. I can’t wait to see where the journey takes me.
Monday, September 13, 2010
An Evening with the "Troubadors of Trouble"
Last Friday night, I experienced a show that was held in one of the most unique venues I've been to yet for a live show. It was held in a church. That's right, you heard me, a church. Every Friday night, a local group of people put together these shows as part of a live music series called "Heights Live" and they use the Heights Presbytarian Church as their venue. We weren't in the actual sanctuary, but rather a small room where they probably have potlucks and Sunday school. When I first found out where we were going, I thought for sure that this was not a functioning church, but lo and behold, I was wrong! After conversing with one of the show's coordinators, she mentioned to me that the priest of the church used to be in a band and that he wanted live music to happen at his church. Did I mention that this event was also BYOB, and I don't mean Bible?!
The entertainment that evening was going to be provided by my good friend Hank Schyma, lead singer of the Houston-based band The Southern Backtones, along with other Houston favorites John Evans & Johnny Falstaff. The fact that lightning didn't strike these 3 individuals upon their arrival to the church was a miracle in itself, but everyone that came out was ready for some great music and it was looking to be an amazing night.
The three "troubadors of trouble", as I once saw someone call them, were going to each do songs of their own and perhaps add a little something extra to each other's music as well. Hank started out the set with and they went down the line to John Evans and then Johnny Falstaff. I had seen Evans play before. As I mentioned before, he is a Houston favorite. His music is a little bit country and a little bit rockabilly. He basically reminds me of Kenickie from "Grease". He certainly has a charisma about him and a voice that makes the girls scream and swoon. Oh, and he has great taste in socks! That night he settled on multi-colored striped socks to accompany his black and white wingtips! Friday was my first night though to see Johnny Falstaff. I'd heard much about him from my friend Hank, but hadn't experienced his music yet. I certainly was missing out on a true local country great. And by country, I don't mean that Top 40 bubblegum country that is streaming the airwaves these days. Falstaff takes a page out of the books of legends like Johnny Cash & Hank Williams and is a true Texas country music star in every sense of the world. He has a huge following in...Germany! I guess you could call him the "Hoff" of Country music!
Anyways, back to the music. These three all have a unique sound that complements their voices perfectly. Hank, being a little more rock and roll than the other two, played many of my favorites such as "Sinful Refrain" and "Drive Under the Moon" as well as some new songs that will make their way to my "Favorites of All Time" list as well. I've known Hank for 9 years now and I still get just as excited seeing and hearing him play as I did at my first show. John Evans delivered many of his classics as well and his fans that were in the audience were certainly pleased as we all sang along to "Pasa-Get-Down-Dena" and other favorites. Johnny Falstaff played the "pretty" songs of the night, as Hank & John mentioned more than once. The three also played their cover of "Sway" which they made a video for as well.
It certainly was a great show and a great night that ended well past the midnight hour. I think the fans had a great time as well and hope that these three will play together again very soon. I strongly urge you to check them out whenever you can!
The entertainment that evening was going to be provided by my good friend Hank Schyma, lead singer of the Houston-based band The Southern Backtones, along with other Houston favorites John Evans & Johnny Falstaff. The fact that lightning didn't strike these 3 individuals upon their arrival to the church was a miracle in itself, but everyone that came out was ready for some great music and it was looking to be an amazing night.
The three "troubadors of trouble", as I once saw someone call them, were going to each do songs of their own and perhaps add a little something extra to each other's music as well. Hank started out the set with and they went down the line to John Evans and then Johnny Falstaff. I had seen Evans play before. As I mentioned before, he is a Houston favorite. His music is a little bit country and a little bit rockabilly. He basically reminds me of Kenickie from "Grease". He certainly has a charisma about him and a voice that makes the girls scream and swoon. Oh, and he has great taste in socks! That night he settled on multi-colored striped socks to accompany his black and white wingtips! Friday was my first night though to see Johnny Falstaff. I'd heard much about him from my friend Hank, but hadn't experienced his music yet. I certainly was missing out on a true local country great. And by country, I don't mean that Top 40 bubblegum country that is streaming the airwaves these days. Falstaff takes a page out of the books of legends like Johnny Cash & Hank Williams and is a true Texas country music star in every sense of the world. He has a huge following in...Germany! I guess you could call him the "Hoff" of Country music!
Anyways, back to the music. These three all have a unique sound that complements their voices perfectly. Hank, being a little more rock and roll than the other two, played many of my favorites such as "Sinful Refrain" and "Drive Under the Moon" as well as some new songs that will make their way to my "Favorites of All Time" list as well. I've known Hank for 9 years now and I still get just as excited seeing and hearing him play as I did at my first show. John Evans delivered many of his classics as well and his fans that were in the audience were certainly pleased as we all sang along to "Pasa-Get-Down-Dena" and other favorites. Johnny Falstaff played the "pretty" songs of the night, as Hank & John mentioned more than once. The three also played their cover of "Sway" which they made a video for as well.
It certainly was a great show and a great night that ended well past the midnight hour. I think the fans had a great time as well and hope that these three will play together again very soon. I strongly urge you to check them out whenever you can!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Once Upon a Time on 90.1…
Many years ago I experienced the greatest summer of my life. I was 14, about to be 15 and I was taking photography classes at the Glassell School of Art down here in Houston. I was also volunteering at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in their education department helping out with their summer camp program. Every morning my VCR was set to record one of the greatest TV shows that ever existed, “21 Jumpstreet”, so that when I got home from my daily fun I could submerse myself into a total Johnny Depp coma.
But Friday nights at 10pm was where I found my favorite weekly action. Back then in 1995, Houston’s 90.1 KPFT had this lovely little radio show called “Esoteric Adventures” and it was hosted by two guys named Jim. They called themselves Jim2 (squared). It was the greatest 3 hours of my life every Friday night. It was then that I found myself falling more and more for this thing called new wave music. They played everything from Laurie Anderson to Oingo Boingo. Peter Gabriel to the Cure. Not to mention the stuff I’d never even heard of let alone remember 16 years later. I think that was the first time I’d heard “I Eat Cannibals” by Total Coelo. Each week they’d praise the musical genius Danny Elfman. It was a great show and I hated when I’d doze off and miss one second of it. They played a lot of Devo and that band became one of my best friends that summer. Not only was their music featured in an episode of the aforementioned “21 Jumpstreet”, but I’m pretty sure I wore out my dad’s vinyl copy of “Freedom of Choice” because I played it non-stop on my cheap turntable I used to have.
I lived and breathed new wave music. Whatever money I had went straight to Record Rack, Cactus Music & Sound Exchange. This was before the Internet was so popular so instead of searching online for information, I went to the old Bookstop on Shepherd & W. Alabama to see what books about music I could find. I’d rent music VHS tapes of live concerts and music videos of bands like New Order, A Flock of Seagulls and the Smiths. I would beg my parents, mainly my father, to take me every week to make sure I wasn’t missing any important rare new import that I had to have to complete my collection.
My relationship with music went far beyond my staples of The Cure, Depeche Mode & Siouxsie and the Banshees. I was realizing that I was born in the completely wrong year and wanted to know what it was like to grow up earlier to experience all of this amazing music firsthand. I was realizing that when I did “grow up” I was going to have to have a career in music. I was realizing more and more that I was not like the other kids at my school that listened to mainstream bands like Green Day & Pearl Jam. Those bands made me, and still make me, want to barf. I was different. I wanted to live in London and sit in a coffee house reading a book about Robert Smith and listen to my *walkman*. I was going to go to art school and become a music video producer and be the next Anton Corbijn, Tim Pope or Stephane Sednaoui.
But as it usually does, life didn’t turn out quite like I had imagined and hoped. I’ve learned that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be now and embarking on a new journey every day. Maybe someday I’ll end up in London, who knows? But I’m pretty happy still listening to my music and still frequenting Cactus & Sound Exchange. And lucky for me, I’ve pretty much gotten to see almost every band I have ever loved and always dreamed of seeing live. Bands I thought I’d never have the chance to see because their time had passed or so people said and thought. And I have that little show on 90.1 to thank for contributing to my obsession and addiction over the years. And so, the journey continues
But Friday nights at 10pm was where I found my favorite weekly action. Back then in 1995, Houston’s 90.1 KPFT had this lovely little radio show called “Esoteric Adventures” and it was hosted by two guys named Jim. They called themselves Jim2 (squared). It was the greatest 3 hours of my life every Friday night. It was then that I found myself falling more and more for this thing called new wave music. They played everything from Laurie Anderson to Oingo Boingo. Peter Gabriel to the Cure. Not to mention the stuff I’d never even heard of let alone remember 16 years later. I think that was the first time I’d heard “I Eat Cannibals” by Total Coelo. Each week they’d praise the musical genius Danny Elfman. It was a great show and I hated when I’d doze off and miss one second of it. They played a lot of Devo and that band became one of my best friends that summer. Not only was their music featured in an episode of the aforementioned “21 Jumpstreet”, but I’m pretty sure I wore out my dad’s vinyl copy of “Freedom of Choice” because I played it non-stop on my cheap turntable I used to have.
I lived and breathed new wave music. Whatever money I had went straight to Record Rack, Cactus Music & Sound Exchange. This was before the Internet was so popular so instead of searching online for information, I went to the old Bookstop on Shepherd & W. Alabama to see what books about music I could find. I’d rent music VHS tapes of live concerts and music videos of bands like New Order, A Flock of Seagulls and the Smiths. I would beg my parents, mainly my father, to take me every week to make sure I wasn’t missing any important rare new import that I had to have to complete my collection.
My relationship with music went far beyond my staples of The Cure, Depeche Mode & Siouxsie and the Banshees. I was realizing that I was born in the completely wrong year and wanted to know what it was like to grow up earlier to experience all of this amazing music firsthand. I was realizing that when I did “grow up” I was going to have to have a career in music. I was realizing more and more that I was not like the other kids at my school that listened to mainstream bands like Green Day & Pearl Jam. Those bands made me, and still make me, want to barf. I was different. I wanted to live in London and sit in a coffee house reading a book about Robert Smith and listen to my *walkman*. I was going to go to art school and become a music video producer and be the next Anton Corbijn, Tim Pope or Stephane Sednaoui.
But as it usually does, life didn’t turn out quite like I had imagined and hoped. I’ve learned that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be now and embarking on a new journey every day. Maybe someday I’ll end up in London, who knows? But I’m pretty happy still listening to my music and still frequenting Cactus & Sound Exchange. And lucky for me, I’ve pretty much gotten to see almost every band I have ever loved and always dreamed of seeing live. Bands I thought I’d never have the chance to see because their time had passed or so people said and thought. And I have that little show on 90.1 to thank for contributing to my obsession and addiction over the years. And so, the journey continues
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Music is what feelings sound like. ~Author Unknown
My love affair with music began before I was even a living and breathing soul on this planet. Music has been seared into my DNA from previous generations of musicians in the Davis family. My grandfather played guitar and was in a country band when he was younger growing up in the rural outskirts of Houston. To this day, he’ll still pick up a guitar every now and then and strum a few chords or tune out the world listening to bluegrass classics.
From there, the music bug struck my father. He taught himself how to play the guitar at the age of 13. He likes to say that it took practice to get as good as he did, but the truth is he has an undeniably amazing gift to make some of the most beautiful music that has ever passed through a listener’s ears. During his teenage years, he quickly honed his craft to be able to play anything ranging from the Ventures to Chet Atkins to Jimi Hendrix. I remember him telling me stories about how he’d have to leave biology lab while in college to rush home and play a song that had come on the radio. It would drive him crazy to be stuck in a classroom trying to concentrate on work when the rhythm and sounds of a song would constantly be playing over and over in his head. He’s the kind of person that will start out with just a few chords at the beginning of a day and at the end of the day he has a whole melody for a song written in his head. He has been the most heavily influential person in my life especially when it comes to music.
As a young girl growing up in Corpus Christi, I remember going with my dad to Hacienda Records to listen to him record music with his fellow band mates. I remember riding in the back seat of his white ’79 TransAm listening to the Droids featuring my father, Lewis & Mikey. I remember pulling out my dad’s records and playing them nonstop. I was first introduced to the rolling sounds of surf music from the Ventures and the electro-pop sound of Devo when I was about 4 years old. From there, the obsession continued to grow. It became a need for me to have music in my life.
I decided to start a blog to have an outlet for my writing that gets bottled up in my head and give me a chance to write about my one true passion, music. I’ve had friends and family request that I start writing more so here goes. I also plan to write about other things that touch my life. It may not always be perfect, but it will always be me.
From there, the music bug struck my father. He taught himself how to play the guitar at the age of 13. He likes to say that it took practice to get as good as he did, but the truth is he has an undeniably amazing gift to make some of the most beautiful music that has ever passed through a listener’s ears. During his teenage years, he quickly honed his craft to be able to play anything ranging from the Ventures to Chet Atkins to Jimi Hendrix. I remember him telling me stories about how he’d have to leave biology lab while in college to rush home and play a song that had come on the radio. It would drive him crazy to be stuck in a classroom trying to concentrate on work when the rhythm and sounds of a song would constantly be playing over and over in his head. He’s the kind of person that will start out with just a few chords at the beginning of a day and at the end of the day he has a whole melody for a song written in his head. He has been the most heavily influential person in my life especially when it comes to music.
As a young girl growing up in Corpus Christi, I remember going with my dad to Hacienda Records to listen to him record music with his fellow band mates. I remember riding in the back seat of his white ’79 TransAm listening to the Droids featuring my father, Lewis & Mikey. I remember pulling out my dad’s records and playing them nonstop. I was first introduced to the rolling sounds of surf music from the Ventures and the electro-pop sound of Devo when I was about 4 years old. From there, the obsession continued to grow. It became a need for me to have music in my life.
I decided to start a blog to have an outlet for my writing that gets bottled up in my head and give me a chance to write about my one true passion, music. I’ve had friends and family request that I start writing more so here goes. I also plan to write about other things that touch my life. It may not always be perfect, but it will always be me.
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