as it does, ensued. and it turned, as it does, to music.

guys, I’ve been writing this blog for two years. making playlists, after mixing CDs with my Windows PC, after physically recording mixes on cassette tapes. I should seriously know what music I like.

So at dinner, I was asked what I listen to; what I listened to growing up. My mind completely stalled. Incredulously searching my mind for a trace of what I spend hours consuming everyday, I muttered something about Bob Dylan, and bent the question back around. Why did I find my mind blank on the subject I’m so holistically saturated in? Maybe for that very reason; maybe it’s like searching for a raindrop in a lake.

I found passion on a theatre stage doing musicals. Being the only kid in the company didn’t seem odd to me. I’d hide in the wings, wrapped in the curtains, and watch the audience’s faces as they watched the players. They were captivated, indeed, but at the first chord of a musical number, that captivation lit into something else… something kinetic.

Growing up with a mom who would play guitar and sing to us, I’d beg for her to make the song longer. Rewrite the song, with seven verses! I’m sorry if you’ve kept up with this blog from the beginning, or seen any of my hundred interviews about music, and this is redundant to you.

I grew up listening to the Monkees, Charlotte Church, Sinatra, The Beatles, and a local band called 10 Betty Zain…

Some of my favourites of all time are Bob Dylan, The Hush Sound, Queen/ Freddie Mercury, The Beach Boys, Joan Jett, The White Stripes/ The Dead Weather/ anything Jack White, Fun., Cat Stevens, The Civil Wars, Panic! at the Disco, Regina Spektor, Brooke Fraser, Grace Potter, Jon Foreman…

my favourite albums from the last 5 years are “Goodbye Blues” -The Hush Sound, “Sigh No More” -Mumford & Sons, “Hello Hurricane” -Switchfoot, “Lamplight” -Katie Costello, “Aim & Ignite” -fun., “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” -Jason Mraz, and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals’ self-titled.

I’m really excited for Black Rock, the sultrydirtysounding project that the Black Keys are doing with a list of crazy rappers. and speaking of rap, I’m really into A Tribe Called Quest because there’s nothing like 90s rap. I don’t know much rap, but I like goood rap, and I’ve written a few that haven’t left our home studio, but I’m secretely hoping to finish them soon and place ‘em with someone snazzy.

and the mix that’s currently in my car is:

“OOOO” -Fishing

“I Can’t Hear You” -The Dead Weather

“Velvet Elvis” -Alex Winston

“Guilty As Charged” -Gym Class Heroes feat. Estelle

“Free My Mind ” -Katie Herzig

“Big Jet Plane” -Angus & Julia Stone

“Start A Riot” -The Rescues

“Only You” -Portishead

“Young Blood” -The Naked & Famous

“California” -Joni Mitchell

“Ungirthed” -Purity Ring

It all looks so obvious to me, written out, and like I’m forgetting a lot but yes. this is probably what I would’ve told you. this is not the playlist I would’ve made you. I probably have 300 favourite tracks of all time, if I HAD to narrow it down. I wasn’t gonna do that.

Also, I looked up Allen Stone and yeah. good call. makes my Jonny Lang appreciation quite happy.