a minor altercation
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Music Education
Today as we (my kids and I) were eating lunch, listening to the Current (89.3 FM), "Low" by Cracker come over the waves. Now I'm not a huge fan of the band these days, but it got me thinking about one's music education and those landmark people who help with guidance along the way. (Back to Cracker in a minute.) For most, the earliest exposure probably comes through their parents' taste and collection. It's not a choice; for better or worse you get to absorb whatever may be to their liking. Hopefully you weren't ruined in this way. For my part, I remember falling asleep to Mancini's "Pink Panther" and other schmaltzy tunes. They also imparted an appreciation for Simon and Garfunkel, the Godspell musical, and not a whole lot more. There were definitely more records- yes, records- in their collection, but not many made a lasting impression. Apart from the Herb Alpert whipped cream cover. Unfortunately, much of my childhood seems rather tuneless, at least in retrospect. Apart from some bad Christian pop and the random radio song, not much else has penetrated from those early years.
It wasn't until my older brother, Chris, started bringing things in that those horizons expanded. I don't know where he was getting his music taste, but I can thank him for U2, Stryper, and the Altar Boys. Not so high on his scoring list were Kenny G and Huey Lewis. He stayed the greatest influence on my musical consumption for some time, up through his college and my beginning of high school. And that's where Cracker comes back in. Well, more specifically Dave Lowery and his earlier band, Camper Van Beethoven. For a while they stayed pretty up there for me. I was disappointed when they disbanded, but excited to learn of the Cracker reincarnation. My brother's other major contribution of this time was the Violent Femmes. I remember him bringing home some multi-disc set of all sorts of VF tracks, and listening to them with him in my room. Not all introductions were well met. I was quite offended by Dr. Octagon and Funk Master Flex. Ah, the innocence of youth.
As high school progressed, I began to develop my own tastes. I soon embraced the maxim, "Most everything but rap and country." Somewhere I discovered Metallica, Megadeth, Corrosion of Conformity- your typical gateway bands to the dark side. Metallica in particular became the be-all-end-all of heavy music. I compared all others to this band (remember, this was before their sissification and the release of worthless pap). I sought out Christian bands that followed the same vein: Mortification, Galactic Cowboys, Tourniquet. On the flip side though, I remember filling my growing collection with the likes of Counting Crows, Arrested Development, Edie Brickell, and Dire Straits (who I originally discovered through bootlegged tapes in the West African markets and who are the only one of these bands to remain on my shelf today). So it wasn't all heaviness.
First stop, Thaddeus Grear. A classmate of my brother's at boarding school, he saw in me an impressionable musical canvas. I sat at his feet (figuratively, I think) and learned of the greatness of Neil Young and the strangeness of Sonic Youth. Because of that, Neil has probably been my longest musical friend (though even he has started to strain that relationship with the heavyhanded adopted patriotism of his latest endeavors).
My next musical guide was Kurt Huffstedtler (I probably mispelled that). I was a sophmore; he was a senior. Sounds like a bad love story. My mom disliked him, thought he was going to corrupt me with drugs or something. He lent me his guitar and amp, rolled his own cigarettes, and taught me to think a little bit wider. Kurt encouraged me to check out the Toadies, Fugazi, and Reverend Horton Heat. I'm not sure if I've retained any of his suggestions, but he definitely got me past the run of the mill, radio-played-out pop hits. I guess he opened me up to the more alternative bands- groups like Primus and Tool. Thanks Kurt.
Probably the last one I remember by name is Luke Newport. Also a fellow missionary kid and attendee of the boarding school, Luke gets credit for introducing me to Type O Negative. Though at first I didn't like them, multiple exposure won out and my college years in Philly found me celebrating Halloween with Type O several years in a row. (Though from New York, they always seem to play in Philly on the 31st.) And I am still a fan.
There isn't all that much point to this post. Just the ramblings of a retrospective mind triggered by a song I hadn't heard in some time. I thank these four(not counting my parents), not always for their exact suggestions (Deep Blue Something, Chris?) but at least for their influence. Bands can be like stepping stones. Sometimes those embarrassments of the past lead us to our likes of now. Could I have been a heavy metal fan without Stryper (though I still think they are awesome) and Metallica (who I now think suck)? Which band brought me to an appreciation of melancholic groups like Midlake and the Decemberists? Where would I be if I had embraced Kenny G?
It wasn't until my older brother, Chris, started bringing things in that those horizons expanded. I don't know where he was getting his music taste, but I can thank him for U2, Stryper, and the Altar Boys. Not so high on his scoring list were Kenny G and Huey Lewis. He stayed the greatest influence on my musical consumption for some time, up through his college and my beginning of high school. And that's where Cracker comes back in. Well, more specifically Dave Lowery and his earlier band, Camper Van Beethoven. For a while they stayed pretty up there for me. I was disappointed when they disbanded, but excited to learn of the Cracker reincarnation. My brother's other major contribution of this time was the Violent Femmes. I remember him bringing home some multi-disc set of all sorts of VF tracks, and listening to them with him in my room. Not all introductions were well met. I was quite offended by Dr. Octagon and Funk Master Flex. Ah, the innocence of youth.
As high school progressed, I began to develop my own tastes. I soon embraced the maxim, "Most everything but rap and country." Somewhere I discovered Metallica, Megadeth, Corrosion of Conformity- your typical gateway bands to the dark side. Metallica in particular became the be-all-end-all of heavy music. I compared all others to this band (remember, this was before their sissification and the release of worthless pap). I sought out Christian bands that followed the same vein: Mortification, Galactic Cowboys, Tourniquet. On the flip side though, I remember filling my growing collection with the likes of Counting Crows, Arrested Development, Edie Brickell, and Dire Straits (who I originally discovered through bootlegged tapes in the West African markets and who are the only one of these bands to remain on my shelf today). So it wasn't all heaviness.
First stop, Thaddeus Grear. A classmate of my brother's at boarding school, he saw in me an impressionable musical canvas. I sat at his feet (figuratively, I think) and learned of the greatness of Neil Young and the strangeness of Sonic Youth. Because of that, Neil has probably been my longest musical friend (though even he has started to strain that relationship with the heavyhanded adopted patriotism of his latest endeavors).
My next musical guide was Kurt Huffstedtler (I probably mispelled that). I was a sophmore; he was a senior. Sounds like a bad love story. My mom disliked him, thought he was going to corrupt me with drugs or something. He lent me his guitar and amp, rolled his own cigarettes, and taught me to think a little bit wider. Kurt encouraged me to check out the Toadies, Fugazi, and Reverend Horton Heat. I'm not sure if I've retained any of his suggestions, but he definitely got me past the run of the mill, radio-played-out pop hits. I guess he opened me up to the more alternative bands- groups like Primus and Tool. Thanks Kurt.
Probably the last one I remember by name is Luke Newport. Also a fellow missionary kid and attendee of the boarding school, Luke gets credit for introducing me to Type O Negative. Though at first I didn't like them, multiple exposure won out and my college years in Philly found me celebrating Halloween with Type O several years in a row. (Though from New York, they always seem to play in Philly on the 31st.) And I am still a fan.
There isn't all that much point to this post. Just the ramblings of a retrospective mind triggered by a song I hadn't heard in some time. I thank these four(not counting my parents), not always for their exact suggestions (Deep Blue Something, Chris?) but at least for their influence. Bands can be like stepping stones. Sometimes those embarrassments of the past lead us to our likes of now. Could I have been a heavy metal fan without Stryper (though I still think they are awesome) and Metallica (who I now think suck)? Which band brought me to an appreciation of melancholic groups like Midlake and the Decemberists? Where would I be if I had embraced Kenny G?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
New to the Neighborhood
If you build it, they will come? How do I address you, dear hoped-for readers and followers? At this moment you are a formless mass with no identity. You know not of my existence, nor I of yours. I am new at this; this is my first foray into the world of the blog. Yes, I know, I am behind the times, especially for one of my age. But there is something appealing about throwing stuff into the digital void for any and all to peruse at will. Exhibitionism? I know not. Maybe merely delusions of grandeur.
I plan to use this as a post-all. I was to call this blog Costermonger, salesman of all, to mirror my multi-use intent, but alas, that name was not available. Hence the slightly less grand, clammieboy. But still I hope to share various aspects of who I am: artwork, ramblings, music, opinions, likes and dislikes. I have no idea how this will play out, but I hope you'll come along for the ride. I'm not looking for fame or even hordes of fans. I'd just like to get to know some of you. Come on back in a little while and see what I can get up. Cheers.
I plan to use this as a post-all. I was to call this blog Costermonger, salesman of all, to mirror my multi-use intent, but alas, that name was not available. Hence the slightly less grand, clammieboy. But still I hope to share various aspects of who I am: artwork, ramblings, music, opinions, likes and dislikes. I have no idea how this will play out, but I hope you'll come along for the ride. I'm not looking for fame or even hordes of fans. I'd just like to get to know some of you. Come on back in a little while and see what I can get up. Cheers.
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