Musician, Producer, Songwriter. My band is
@gentle_hen
. I'm also a member of
@thefawns
, Mark Mulcahy band, Polaris (Penny). I mostly tweet music stuff. Hello.
Just found this old photo from March of 2005, I had opened a show for
@RobynHitchcock
at The Iron Horse
@IHEG
in Northampton, MA. Afterwards, a group of us found our way to a nearby open mic. Here is
@Lloyd_Cole
,
@lookpark
,
@sittingnext2bri
, me and Robyn Hitchcock. 1/3
I've thought pretty hard about this and I think I've finally put together a good fantasy dream band line-up:
Drums, vocals - Ringo Starr
Bass, vocals - Paul McCartney
Guitar, vocals - George Harrison
Guitar, vocals - John Lennon
I'm listening, loudly, to a little album called London Calling by the Clash. It's from 1979. It probably doesn't look familiar to you. Nobody ever talks about the photo on the cover.
I've been listening to the blue Beatles record all morning. I'm realizing I heard it a lot as a child way before I knew about bands or albums or anything. And all the songs sound so good. And they sound right in this order, too, which is weird.
But man, it all sounds so good.
Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam turns 72 today. Do you have any Cat stories or memories? Favorite songs? Albums? Concerts? Personal meetings? Soundtrack moments?
I'm listening to the album Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen. I should know it better than I do. I know it. But I don't KNOW it. You know? How about you? Any Nebraska or Bruce thoughts, stories, memories, favorites to share?
Today is Harry Nilsson’s Birthday. What’s your favorite Harry song? What made him so great?
I think, besides having one of the greatest singing voices of all times, it was how easily he combined humor with earnestness in his songs.
I just put on R.E.M.'s Out of Time and I noticed the release year of 1991 and thought, huh, twenty years ago, I guess that makes sense. And then I realized it was actually thirty years ago. So I picked up the stereo and threw it out the window in front of a truck.
This morning I am listening to one of the albums that I have listened to the most in my life. It's 1982's English Settlement by XTC. There was never anything that sounded like it before or since.
Twitter is like an enormous cocktail party where everyone is talking. Eventually, we acclimate, and our ears perk up to particular phrases and words. We make our way through the crowd towards the things that interest us. Smaller groups form and real conversations become possible.
I've had a twitter account for a long time but it was only a few years ago that I started to engage. Since then, I've met a whole lot of music lovers and I carefully crafted a timeline of positivity. Now I find myself approaching 20,000 "followers"! How nice is that? Thank you.
Today is David Byrne's birthday. He is 69. Do you have any David Byrne stories, memories, thoughts, favorite albums, songs, lyrics, concerts, dance movies?
I've still never seen him perform live, though I did stand next to him in a food tent once.
For those of you who had one, when you think of your Walkman (or similar personal cassette player), what is the first song/album that pops into mind?
For me it's the Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me.
Thirty eight years ago today Live Aid happened. I watched it on MTV and V-66, switching between the two. It felt like a big deal and it was. Were you around? Do you remember what you were doing? Were you there?!
This is one of the most personally influential albums in my life. I've been listening to it consistently since its release in 1985. The combination of humor and depth, the looseness of the performances, the care for the songs and the whole time it sounds like they're having fun.
Released today in 1982, one of my all time favorite records. There was never anything that sounded like it before and hasn’t been since. Do you have any memories, stories or thoughts about English Settlement by XTC?
Do you make a conscious effort to make a deep connection to the new music you listen to? In the old days, you'd listen to a new album many times in a row because you only had so many, records, CDs, or tapes. The songs settled into your bones that way. Now, it's much harder.
Release 31 years ago today. XTC - Oranges and Lemons. I still think of it as one of their new albums. Do you have any thoughts, memories, or stories about this record?
Today is Peter Buck's birthday. His playing with R.E.M. probably influenced my guitar style more than anything else. Yet I still can't play remotely like him. Jangly birthday to you, Mr. Buck.
MTV debuted 39 years ago today with the Buggles. What if we create a thread of links to great music videos right here? They could be old or new just as long as you dig them.
There's so much here. Being a quiet kid in a loud high school. Mumbling a sarcastic response , then taking it back. Having a gig in a place where you don't want to sing and they don't want to hear you. Then playing and shutting everybody up for 3 minutes. Tragic magic.
I’ve found Wilco to be a bit divisive among music fans. This album came out today 18 years ago. Do you have any memories, stories, or thoughts about it?
Today is Joe Jackson's birthday. I always thought he was a smallish man until I saw him in concert. Very tall. DO you have any Joe Jackson stories, memories, favorites that you'd like to share today on his birthday?
(Photo by John Huba)
Today is Aimee Mann's birthday. The first of the many times I saw her play live was in 1987 when 'Til Tuesday opened for the Moody Blues, an odd bill, but it worked. Great Woods in Manchester, Massachusetts. Do you have any Aimee Mann stories, thoughts, favorites, trivia etc?
Somewhere out there right now a teenager is wearing headphones and discovering a song that will change the way they see everything. They'll know the song for the rest of their life.
I’d like to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for turning Twitter (which has the potential to be super upsetting) into a nice, kind, and inspired place.
I’ve really been enjoying our music discussions and also having the chance to share some of my own music with you.
I'm listening to the 2020 remasters of the 1987 Replacements album Pleased to Meet Me. For some reason I never really paid much attention to the cover artwork. I guess it's a rocker shaking hands with a suit? A little Wish You Were Here nod? Anyway, I love this album.
For those of you who stream music, it looks like Pink Floyd just released 12 live concert recordings from 1970-71. Some of these I've heard before, but not all of them. Enjoy! Great for dark winter nights with moonlit clouds.
I'm listening to the album It's a Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads (1992) as I have done many times before. Do you know it well? Any stories, thoughts, favorites or anything you'd like to share? Thanks!
In my world a glock is a musical instrument, a shotgun is a microphone, revolver is a Beatles album, a forty-five is a record, a shot is something you make with a drumstick, and you're hoping for a hit, man.
Currently listening to Animals by Pink Floyd (1977). After seeing Roger Waters live a few years ago, this album resonates with me entirely differently than it used to. I hear more anger in it than I used to.
Just completed watching all 168 episodes of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. It took a few months. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a smart, comforting sitcom with high quality writing, acting, and fashion.
I usually play an open G major chord with four fingers adding that d on the b string. But not always. It’s got a tighter sound to my ears. The open b is a bit more folky and foggy. Both are great!
I'm starting the day with the album Close to the Edge by Yes (1972), as I've done so many times before. What about you? What's your first music of the day?
Today is the birthday of Harry Nilsson. Fans will know he was born in 1941 thanks to his song 1941. Do you have any Harry thoughts, stories, memories, beloved songs, stand out albums, favorite animated film?
Today is Michael Stipe's birthday. One nice thing about R.E.M. is how they as a group and individually gave so much exposure to lesser known artists via cameos and covers. Do you have any Stipe stories, favorites, memories?
It's hard to imagine how the career of Yes would've gone had they not teamed up with Roger Dean. The images and the music are inextricable. Has any other band created their own universe like this? Maybe Gorrilaz?
Today is Robert Moog’s birthday. He created the first commercial synthesizer. Do you have any favorite synthesizer based music? Any synth stories? Moog stories?