GranolaBox

Medium turned ten and wanted an MP3 player for her birthday. So my choices are the Zen Nano 1G and the I-Pod Shuffle 1G. Both comparably priced, both come in pink. As you probably have discerned from the title, I’m not an I-Pod guy. I’m also not a Mac Guy. Her stepfather is a Mac [...]

Filed under: Music, Reviews on August 30th, 2007 | 3 Comments »

After posting my list of overplayed wedding songs, a reader named Ashlee asked the next logical question… so what do you play then? As it turns out, that question was a lot harder to answer than I thought it would, and made me appreciate the job of a wedding DJ a little more than I [...]

Filed under: Music on July 18th, 2007 | 14 Comments »

I first saw Big Leg Emma a few years ago in a tiny town in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. I had heard of them performing in Western New York but had never seen them. They were really really good. It was a small venue, and there were a hardcore group of 20 [...]

Filed under: Music on July 5th, 2007 | 5 Comments »

This morning I have the option of trudging out into the dark morning to drive to the city (an hour drive) to watch a planned building implosion, or staying in bed. After getting up earlier than the alarm even, I’ve made the not-so-tough decision to sleep in. The drive isn’t the problem so much, I [...]

Filed under: General Observations, Music on July 1st, 2007 | Add Comment! »

It’s wedding season again. Get ready for the barrage of bad wedding music and lame D.J’s. Here are the songs that make me gag at weddings. 10. We Are Family – Sister Sledge This is the anthem for the bridesmaid’s dance. Only really pussy-whipped guys will dance to this one. Otherwise for guys it’s like [...]

Filed under: General Observations, Music on June 18th, 2007 | 12 Comments »

1. Ants Marching – Dave Matthews BandClassic description of desperate relationships. This is #1 because the insect thing reminds me of Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the ultimate tale of alienation. 2. Synchronicity II – The Police A classic from the most classic Police CD. Great Quote “Every meeting with his so-called superior is a humiliating kick in [...]

Filed under: Music, Top 10's on April 30th, 2007 | 4 Comments »

You hear people describe some venues saying, “There’s not a bad seat in the place. That’s a perfect description for the Egg in Albany, NY. It’s all about the sound. The theater is like being inside the surface of a steel drum. As Patty Griffin herself said, it really doesn’t look like an egg. It [...]

Filed under: Music, Reviews on April 25th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

I caught up with my old friend Tom, singer and guitarist for 40 Rod Lightning. me: He lives Sent at 7:29 AM on Sunday Tom: Howdy me: dude, I’ve listened to so many of the bands whose songs you play.. it’s a whole world of unexplored music. The Drive-by Truckers rock. And Hank Williams III. [...]

Filed under: Music on April 16th, 2007 | Add Comment! »

A very diverse group of people suggested I check out Donna the Buffalo the next time they came to town. Two of my sixteen year old students, one a hippie chick and the other a metalhead; my retired colleague, now in his mid fifties, and a couple who must have been in their mid to [...]

Filed under: Music on April 7th, 2007 | 6 Comments »

I love Patty Griffin. And just when I think she can’t top what she’s already done, she’s done it with “Children Running Through.” The CD is by far the most musically diverse of her CD’s and her incredible song writing shines through with every track. The CD opens with the first of the many new [...]

Filed under: Music, Reviews on March 31st, 2007 | 1 Comment »