This one's for you, Babe!

The fun of sharing

On my Facebook my friend from Gettysburg College, Abby, wrote:
"hey, i'm listening to the mixed cd that you and sue gave us a couple of years ago. thanks, i'm at work and it's making a fabulous ambience for the cafe!"

That is totally cool. I like to think that when we make mix cds for friends that they will discover something new that they like. Then, I hope that they go out and see that band when they come nearby their town OR they go out and buy the whole album by that band.

I know that when I worked at the radio station in college we always got some free stuff to listen to at home so that we could talk about it on the air. That is kinda the same idea with the free samplers that Spin, Paste, iTunes/Facebook, and others give out. A lot of the indie labels have free samplers to download on amazon. I have found a bunch of gems through them.

Sue and I will continue to make mixes for friends and we hope that you go out and support the music in every way that you can.

The Strokes, Is This It

Travis makes playlists for me on a weekly basis to listen to at work. On Thursdays, about five songs in, I find the "Album of the Week".  One week, it is a new album, or at least one that is new to us and the next week, it is a classic album as dictated by playlist creater and producer, Travis Kreider.  This week, it was The Strokes, Is This It.  This is one of those albums that I knew I loved the first time I heard it.  In fact, I remember being quite obsessed with it, and when I was out with friends one night I was enjoying it so much I didn't want to get out of the car to go inside to have a drink until the album was over.  My recollection is that one of my friends stuck around for a few minutes, but then he also decided to go in when one song ended and I started singing along with the next, leaving me to sit in the car. Just me...and The Strokes. 

As I listened on my way to work this morning telling my toddler what a good album this is that Daddy chose, I was trying to recall what year this album must have come out, and I actually was correct in my guess of 2001.  As much as I love music, I am not usually the one that knows release dates or what song belongs to what album or what the drummer's name is.  I just know when I like a song!  Occasionally, though, I do think I might be able to form a long-standing relationship with a band or artist and decide that I want to get to know them more intimately.  Hungry for more information, I will peel open their cd sleeve and absorb it front, middle, and back.  I somehow know that Fabrizio dated Drew Barrymore, but it didn't last. I've also heard buzzes about Julian Casablancas solo projects that haven't really held my attention even though I enjoy his slight raspiness as lead singer of The Strokes.  I must share that I also love all of the repetitious "a" sounds in his last name.  At the time, I didn't know that I would get to know bandmember Albert Hammond, Jr., better than the rest.  His short stature and unruly hair, make him the perfect underdog, the likes of whom I am always rooting for, and Spooky Couch is one of my favorite indulgences.  It is lengthy and inviting and can take you anwhere you want to go.  Maybe I should have a bumber sticker that says, I  ♥ Garage Bands.  Nah.