(My) History of Music

"No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful. If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC"

-Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)

Feist with the Broken Social Scene

My second love after film and photography is music. This is nothing new, I think many artists have an affinity for music that goes deeper then some may know. I'm going to tell you my story, if you care to listen.


*WDSO Production Studio, Chesterston, IN

My earliest passion was music and the radio. As a young child (probably 5th grade) I would create tapes of myself as a radio disc jockey and make my father listen to them in the car. Many years later I joined WDSO, my high schools radio station. I was there for 4 years, usually spending one or two days a week opening the station at 5:30am and staying after school until about 7pm. I loved it! I was even selected to go "down-state" for the Indiana State Broadcasting Championships, in the Best DJ category (the excitement level is obviously similar to the State Football Championship!)

I was on my way to attend Columbia College in Chicago for broadcasting when something hit me. Do I really want to sit in a small room for the rest of my life while I talk to myself? That was perfect for High School, but not forever. So the only other thing I was interested in at the time, photography, took over.



My step-father Mike, a big music fan in his day, gave me his record collection when I was about 13. From there on I was exploring the likes of Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Heart, Styx, Rush, Van Halen, Boston, The Beatles, Billy Squire, Ted Nugent, etc.

I love music (thanks to Mike) but it wasn't until about 6 years ago that I started to really understand music. Shortly after moving to NY I was exposed to an entirely different world. I started listening to The Flaming Lips, Jeff Buckley, Wilco, Whiskey Town, Son Volt, The Pixies, Belle and Sebastien, Elliot Smith, Badly Drawn Boy, etc. From one band to the next I began being obsessed (similiar to when I was 13), listening to whatever I could, spending hours on mix tapes for friends (and my step-dad).


Connor Oberst from Bright Eyes, Copyright Rolling Stone

I eventually stopped seeking new music and took a year or so break. That was until I received (thanks to my girlfriend Laura) a copy of Bright Eyes: Lifted, or the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground. It's not an easy album to listen to. At first I wanted to break it in half, but after about the 4th time listening to it (and taking many breaks in between), I got it! All of a sudden it was crystal clear! Just like that (snapping fingers).



I can honestly say that album changed my viewpoint of music and my connection to it, just as Rush and The Beatles did 10 years earlier. Almost instantly I became one of those Bright Eyes junkies. I bought a vinyl box set of all his previous albums, seeked out all his previous projects, started to collect obscure live material and even found 2 homemade albums he made when he was 13. Although I have stopped being obsessed, I still consider Bright Eyes my favorite musician. I also believe he may be the greatest songwriter living, next to Bob Dylan.



See his tonight show debut above (2005). (I have already sent this to many of you, but if you have not seen it, you'll probably love it, or at least respect it.)


Leslie Feist, 2007 Copyright Tim Leyes.

My current female obsession and one of my favorite artists is Feist. I first listened to Feist only about a year or so ago. I was blown away! There are too many things to list that explain why my love for (Leslie) Feist goes so deep. (The below video may help)

Her new album, The Reminder, (as well as Cassadaga by Bright Eyes) comes out this month! She is featured on the front of Sunday's Arts & Leisure section in the NY Times. Read it and listen to an interview with her by Jon Parlese here.



The article talks about the day that the above video, for the new song "1234", was filmed. The environment that was spoken about sounded fantastical. Usually my imagination has the ability to wander but after seeing this beautiful video (only one camera was used taking one continuous shot, no edits) I'm convinced that it was must have been a good time. Watch this video! She is awesome!

Other memorable music moments.

*Watching Pink Floyd's the Wall, the second time.
*Seeing David Bowie at Jimmy's Bronx Cafe in 2003.
*Listening to Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys in full, over and over.
*Come on Feel the Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens
*Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith
*The New Deal by FDR (3 disc set of 50 songs written in 50 days)
*Discovering Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
*The Blues Brothers movie
The list goes on and on...

Currenlty listening to Eric William Carroll - Broken Architecture