Music and me

So, here's my first post.

I may move some of the one's hosted on my own web-site here later.

What happened to the music I loved. Music isn't the same anymore. Record labels complain and complain, "we don't make any money, everybody steals music instead of paying for it." Here's a news flash for you, the music you're putting out is a giant pile of suck. Almost everything I've bought in the last 5 years has been Indie stuff or musicians that sell enough product without being promoted (Lyle Lovett for example.) Some of the real talented people I've ran into don't have deals, can't get deals or had deals and got really screwed. Indulge me with a few examples. T. Roy Miller and Candace Kunz. Last year while traveling to a camp, we stopped for dinner in a small town. My wife doesn't like fast food and we are never in a hurry to get somewhere, so we looked for a local restaurant. We came upon "The Hen House," after making sure there were no naked women inside, we dragged the 3 kids in and found a nice place with this couple playing music, good music, really good music. This gentleman T. Roy Miller, about 6'4" or so with enormous hands, was doing things to that guitar that scared me, I can list on my hands and toes the number of guitarists that scare me. But it wasn't just how spectacular a player he is, but also the original songs he and Candace were playing. Great songs, about real life, some funny, some serious, some sad, all with guitar work that would make a lot of players take their instruments right out to the dumpster and throw them in. I even considered it. Playing in a restaurant in a small town to 20 people, I bought all their CD's and quietly added T. Roy to my list of most creative players I've ever heard and thought, "hey Nashville need some fresh songs?" A friend told me he heard a group I should listen to, he heard them in a club in Chicago, and was blown away by the playing and singing. So, I picked up both of the Small Potatoes CD's. I was blown away by the guitar work. Blazing folk riffs, straight ahead western swing, serious jazz. The guy can play anything and his multi instrument wife can play and sing just as well. So, LA, Nashville...these guys aren't worth your time? Then again I guess Norah Jones wasn't either.

Take a chance on some people that are creative and original, maybe the CD buying public is smarter than you think.

Till next time,
Brent