The Music Man

My boss asked me recently where I find my music. Up to that point, I hadn't really thought about it. I also hadn't realized that people look to me as some sort of musical resource. It was a good question. Where do I find my music?

Honestly? Everywhere. Radio, TV, the internet...it's mostly just a matter of being aware. And I am very aware of music--to the point of obsession, some would say. A friend of mine recently posted this comment on Facebook: "Ever have that fear that there's a really great song out there that you haven't heard?" Yes, I know that feeling. And I can come up with a lyric for just about any occasion. Okay, so I like music, and I have a lot. At least I'm not as bad as the guys in Hi-Fidelity. Not quite, anyway.

This is a great time to be an audiophile. You can find out the name of a band by doing a websearch using a snippet of a lyric. No more cluttering up your shelves with tapes & CDs; now the size of your collection is limited only by the size of your harddrive (I'll be seriously hurting for space when I get my USB turntable and start backing up Grampa's 78s).

So back to the original question: Where do I find my music?

Like I said, it's more a matter of being observant. For instance, right now I'm listening to Blackberry Smoke, a great southern rock band. I caught them on a local radio station. So I tried to find them on my music service, but due to remembering the name wrong, ended up discovering Black Stone Cherry, another great southern rock band. So I called the radio station, and they told me the correct name. Et voila! I now have both bands in my collection. (I also keep an eye--or an ear--on what my kids and their friends are into.)

I meant it when I said I find my new music just about anywhere. The aforementioned quote was in a post about Pandora. Pandora can help you find bands you may like based on your input of bands you do like. I've used it on and off for about four years now. Or turn on the captioning on your TV, and you'll usually get the title and artist of songs played during TV shows, movies, etc. The hardest part for me these days is remembering that snippet of lyric until I can get home to look it up.

One piece of advice to you budding music collectors out there: Never get rid of a single song once you have it. Chances are, you'll want to hear it again some day.

Some Thoughts on the Robinson Brothers

I've been filling in the gaps in my Black Crowes collection lately. They are, in my opinion, one of the most underrated bands making music today. My conclusion is supported by the fact that, while the Crowes fail to chart consistently (though they do chart), you can hear them on just about any rock radio station you turn to. Classic rock? They're there. Hard rock and metal? There too. Easy listening? Alternative? Yep. I don't listen much to country, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear them there.

So what accounts for the fact that while they aren't what one would consider an A-List band, they're so pervasive? I think it's their versatility. They aren't my favorite band in the world (I'd say in the top 5), but they would be my desert-island band, simply for the fact that they are the one band that it would take me a while to get sick of listening to.

Their songs cover a broad spectrum of musical styles. Sometimes you can hear a Stones influence, sometimes an Allman Brothers. There's a blues infusion, a touch of country, sometimes a latin or bluegrass undercurrent. They strike me as sort of the non-grunge equivalent of Pearl Jam. They are less cerebral than Vedder & crew, and more visceral. While I listen to Pearl Jam to make me think, I listen to the Crowes to make me feel. Some of my favorite tracks are Go Faster, Stop Kickin' My Heart Around, Nebakanezer, Black Moon Creeping, Thick N' Thin, and Locust Street.

The Crowes are also good to listen to contextually--that is, to listen to a large portion (or even all) of their catalog at once, to see how the songs compare and contrast, how their music evolves. How does the experimental sound of Amorica stand up against the more polished By Your Side? Is Chris Robinson at his best when his vocals are more improvisational, or more practiced?

I would recommend listening to the Crowes intentionally, not just when they come on whatever radio station you're listening to (and they will), and moving them out of "oh yeah, those guys" status. You're missing a lot of good music if you don't.