Music took a hold of me early on; I would say some time in the mid-late 70s at the close of the Vietnam War, the dawn of disco, the muddled mediocrity of rock, and the dawn of punk. I loved (still do) the sprightly horn sound, spacey keyboards, overly dramatic sweeping string section, and the […]
Throughout the 1990s, there was a fusion of jazz, hip-hop, electronica, and house music which went by various monikers. Of course, the purists will punch holes through my generalizations but the music labels included nu jazz, acid jazz, deep house, and (the most unoriginal) jazztronica. The music mixed house beats with the swaggering improvisational spirit of […]
With a band name like the Shout Out Louds, there’s no doubt this Swedish outfit is headed straightaway for infectious indie pop, and they pull it off with supreme effect.
I listen with laid-back comfort and eyes closed to “Thinking of a Place” from the War on Drugs’ new album, A Deeper Understanding, and I can see the black top highway before a set of headlights illuminating the way. Windows rolled down, the air is crisp and I feel like I’m 28 years old, again, […]
As I was jogging last week on Town Lake, it occurred to me that 2017 marks my 25th year living in the best city in this wacky state (if it wasn’t for Austin, I wouldn’t live here). So, for my latest Single Track Mind blog, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of […]
“We are all one. We are the people.” Is there any point in indulging in escapism when the reality of Trumpism is blunt, unavoidable, and tweeted upon us on a daily basis? In times like these, the arts, specifically music, feel like a guilty pleasure. On occasion, however, music has hollered from the rooftops (love […]
As we wrap up 2016, it’s time to chime in with the obligatory favorites of the past year. Jumping right into the topic, here are the jams that rushed blood to my mind, made my limbs flail into the evening Autumn air, and helped me burn the midnight oil just a little longer than I […]
“Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.” The three immutable influences of my life are Edith and my parents, each representing a plethora of familial remembrances and spiritual guideposts that define: who I strove to become, who I am today, and how I will be revered […]
American mythology begins with the vast unknown places discovered on the open road. Vastness is at the root of the Americas in both continents but, especially, in the United States. Me, I absolutely love the romantic idealism of freedom on that open black top and I’ve highlighted a few favorite tunes that keep me company along […]
Feliz aniversario, mi Querida. Today, my wife and I are celebrating ten years of marriage. Unlike Social Distortion’s, “Ball and Chain,” it’s been an outstanding decade living with Edith. Still, I really dig Social D’s snarling and miserable ode to the institution. I will spare you the expected clichés and sappy sentiment. Instead, this is a music […]
