Diss: "This page, which will continue to grow, is designed to feature an eclectic group of links to various pages that I enjoy and hopefully, you might enjoy, too. If you want your link to appear here, e-mail us."
This is my new home on MySpace. Yeah, I know, everybody's doing it, but, what can I say, it's a cool site that makes blogging and hosting tunes much, much easier. And in just a week or two as a member, I've received tons of plays on my songs and have gotten much good feedback, so I'm sorry I waited so long. Read the latest blog there as well as listen to the newest tunes by me.
This is the seminal band for me. I've loved these guys since the early 80's, and Stuart Adamson - lead singer / songwriter / guitarist - has been a huge influence. My biggest influence, in fact. Big Country fans will be able to figure that out pretty quickly, I'm sure. Definitely one of the most underrated bands in history. If you like Celtic-tinged rock, this is the only band you need.
A good buddy of mine just published his first novel, Vampire, 1989, and it's excellent. He worked on it for years, and I'm proud of him for sticking with it and finishing it. Not an easy thing to do! Anyway, here you can find out more about the book and learn how to buy it.
www.harmone.com/bands/c/clash.html
They were called "the only band that mattered" in their heyday. Not completely true from my perspective, but pretty darn close. Joe Strummer was probably my second biggest musical influence. I loved his angry optimism, his desire to always tread new ground. He was making some amazing music over the last few years with his new band "The Mescaleros." On this site, you'll find numerous links to all things Clash and Joe-related.
It's always so great to discover new artists and people who share similar viewpoints about music. Rich contacted me recently after seeing my site and noticing that I was a fellow Big Country fan. He clued me in to his site, featuring some of his absolutely beautiful instrumental music. Very celtic-based, ethereal, majestic stuff. The guitar playing is simply fantastic. I'm going to trade CDs with him, and I'm really looking forward to hearing full versions of his songs. Definitely check him out.
Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking. What can I say? This band really jumpstarted my love of rock n' roll. They were every adolescent's musical fantasy come true (well, adolescent boy, anyway): Superheroes who could rock. Anyway, this band is just NOW coming to the end of their road, but they've given me some memories that not much else can touch. My music doesn't have much to do with the music of KISS, but without these guys, I don't know if I would've ever picked up a guitar. So, give 'em the credit or the blame.
This woman has been my greatest musical discovery of the last five years or so. I saw her opening for Emmylou Harris, and to say she blew me away would be a monumental understatement. It's hard to pigeonhole her sound; she comes from a distinctly folk background, yet can also rock with the best of them. Her voice is otherworldly, and her songwriting is peerless. Really, check this woman out. I haven't been this affected by an artist in a long time. You won't regret it.
This page MAY offend some of you; if so, I apologize. For me, it's one of the funniest things I've ever come across on the net. It's a comedic page that spoofs the so-called "holier-than-thou" ultra-conservative religious movements in America. I come from a strong religious upbringing, so a lot of these jokes may resonate more with me than some of you. But the writing here is just fantastic. The funniest thing about the site is reading all the mail and guestbook entries from those who think it's real. Sometimes they may get a bit carried away, but I agree with the basic sentiment: that religion can be a dangerous thing in the hands of those who abuse it.
I've recently been getting into a lot of alt-country artists based in Nashville. When I say "alt-country," I'm referring to a style of music that's steeped in the traditions of folk, Americana, and yes, even country music, but with an edge and with minimal twang. There are some absolutely fantastic artists in this genre out there, and one of my favorites is Julie Miller. She's an incredibly quirky yet brilliant singer/songwriter, and her husband Buddy is one of the greatest guitar players I've ever heard. He's like a cross between The Edge, Stuart Adamson and Jimi Hendrix. Just phenomenal. Julie's music is some of the most moving I've ever heard. Check it out.
Another one of my favorite female-fronted bands. They've been getting a tad too minimalist for my tastes lately, but I still love 'em. Their second album, "Umbrella", is especially amazing. Karen Peris, the vocalist, has the voice of an angel. Just listening to her sing puts me in a peaceful state. Her husband, Don, is a great atmospheric guitarist. Their music has a very healing, spiritually cleansing effect. Very beautiful stuff.
What a bizarre yet incredibly unique and interesting idea for a band: a treasure trove of female vocalists who set medieval poetry to their own music and sing it in the most engaging, beautiful manner. And yet, despite the sonic beauty, there's always a pretty jagged edge lurking beneath the surface, as well as some good humor.
I have to credit these guys with getting me into a serious exercise regimen (which I've since fallen out of since their breakup) Seriously, their music is the absolute best thing ever to work out to, and it's the perfect way to vent any anger or frustration that might be lurking deep within. I think this band is (was) the second coming of The Clash. There has never been a band this intense - their live shows are legendary for good reason. The music has always sounded to me like what American Indians would've been playing had they possessed electric guitars. Their last album, "The Battle of Los Angeles," is the best album of the 1990's, and probably one of the best rock albums of all time. I don't agree with all their political viewpoints by a longshot, but I respect their desire to say what they feel and to be, as they say, "the voice of the voiceless."
I'm a huge movie fan. I see many, many movies, and I love the whole "theatre" atmosphere (except for the babbling idiots or the people who insist on coming in late and sitting in the seat right in front of you). If you love goin' to the talkin' picture shows, but hate the hassle of looking up times in the paper or waiting in lines to buy tickets, try this site. Our area theatre is always so packed, so it's great to be able to get tickets in advance and just stroll in past the jealous throngs standing in line, looking at you with disdain. Ah, the small joys in life!
Like I said, I'm a big movie buff, and this site is nirvana for people like me. If you want rumours about upcoming films, if you want to see trailers for the latest blockbuster, if you want to read reviews of scripts well before they're actually transformed into celluloid, this is the place you want to visit. Great, great site.
Here's a page for a very talented and cool person named Kester whom I met recently. She's another Big Country fan, so what could be wrong, right? She specializes in raw acoustic music (hence the name) with insightful lyrics and a positive vibe. Check her stuff out.
This is a page for the record company owned by former Big Country manager Ian Grant. You can often find me on the Message Board here talking about all manner of things with all manner of people.
I've been a huge Washington Redskins fan since I was practically a fetus. I frequent this page quite often, especially the message boards. I won't tell you what name I go by there, though, on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Healthier people - infinitely healthier people - drop like flies all the time, yet Shane MacGowan, at least at the time of this writing, continues to live. And that makes me happy. I don' t mean to make light of his situation, though, because actually I find his lifetime of alcoholism to be pretty sad; especially since he really is an amazingly gifted man and has damaged that gift to some extent by years of self abuse. I loved The Pogues when they were at their peak, and Shane was the heart of that band. His new solo stuff is actually pretty solid, too.
More to come...
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