What music?

If you look up you'll notice the name of this blog..

Memories of the Music..

I'm sure this name made a lot of sense at the time, hence most of my life decisions. But as in many other cases, now I stare at it as a sort of challenge to my manhood. (Nervously) How am I going to write about music? I'm the sort of kid who didn't even start listening to music until my freshman year of High School. I'm being serious.. In eighth grade each student was asked to gave their favorite musical act. Many of course, being the impressionable teenagers we were, selected Britney, Cristina Aguilera, Shakira, boy bands.. the typical stuff. In a typical indicator for the social anomaly I would grow to become, I selected Bach. Don't get me wrong, I do like Bach, but it was a choice of desperation because I had nothing else.

I lucked out, my teacher knew nothing about classical music, she simply responded with "isn't that nice." Then came the dreaded follow up, what is your favoirte piece? I panicked, yet was able to hold my composure as I casually replied, "his 4th of course." She gave me a look as if to say, gosh you really are a weird kid, and passed on.

In later life I would realize that Bach did not have a fourth symphony. Mozart and Beethoven did, but neither was of great note. Tchaikovsky has a quite famous fourth symphony, but even that received poor critical acclaim. Check.. epic fail..

Somewhere along the way I did develop a taste for more modern music and that pallate continues to evolve.

It started with CSI Las Vegas. The show more than anything else led to the beginning of what has now become an obsession. The epic overtures of Townsend, Moon and Daultrey in Who Are You led to me buying my first compact disc, the Best of The Who. The way Townsend manipulated the guitar simply amazed me. Once the rock started rolling it was straight into the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Guess Who and so many other from that classic generation.

During my Senior Year of High School something else happened. A different stage in development began. I finally realized the beauty that is the opposite gender. What a wild ride that has been.. But along the way I was opened to new and different forms of music: alternative, dance, pop.. Some things I liked, others I didn't. But along the way, I grew to like many different forms of music.

The final revolution occured this last summer when I went to Bonnaroo. I did not go as crazy as most people there, but what I did do was engorge myself in music for four days. I came out filled with sound: Sigur Ros, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Rogue Wave, Ladytron, The Swell Season, Adele, Steel Train.. When I got back, not only had I been indoctrinated in Alternative / Folk / Pop Rock. But I suddenly saw so much more.

I'd like to give a call out to a couple of groups which have really impressed me recently..
Noah and the Whale
Francois Virot
The Wombats
Glasvegas
Broken Social Scene

Also if you have a chance I would encourage you to go and visit "blogotheque.net", their "Take Away Shows" (English) have for the most part been fascinating in the fullest sense of the word. I can say enough about Vincent Moon and the other camera guys ability to capture pure moments of genuine music making. They truly give music a new voice.

Now I'm off to build a train track around the base of the Christmas Tree with my 5 year old brother. These are the sort of things you just don't want to miss.