The Turning of the Tide...

First of all, you may have noticed the appearance of these ads on my blog recently...The Mixtape Jones Report is now a part of the Mog Music Network (check out Mog.com), and they require these ads to be there. We're working on placing them in a little more of a sensible manner, so please be patient with us.

So, back in the "2 Records, 2 Beers" post, I talked about how certain types of music seem to go better with the later part of the day...especially anything in the more "far out" realm (less accessible types of jazz, non-dance oriented electronic music, more "avant" types of rock i.e. Sonic Youth, etc.). I tried to stick with things that were more familiar and straightforward during the earlier parts of the day, for instance The Beatles, R.E.M., They Might Be Giants, etc. (These are always my examples...sorry.) Lately, the tide seems to be turning a bit, and I seem to be wanting to hear some of these more aggressive, esoteric musics all day...and I suppose it concerns me a bit.

More than anything, I guess it makes me worry that my emotional state might be less stable, or more downcast. Looking back at my life, I can pretty much establish a corollary between listening to "uglier" music and feeling a bit "uglier" psychologically and emotionally. There are things about the current situation that make me feel as though it's a bit different. Mostly, I think my life is really good...It is not without its stresses, but making music full time, having a good marriage, and not feeling a lack for many things is pretty awesome. I think that the real truth is that I'm in such a good place artistically that my inspiration is coming from a variety of sources, even within a strictly musical context. The shuffle on my iPod helps also (see previous entry, "Slave To the iPod"). It's a good day when the Residents mingle with Led Zeppelin, or an 11 minute Coltrane track is followed up by "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder. More than anything, it gives me hope that I am NOT growing out of my love for some of these more adventurous musics as I get older. I know a lot of people who have mellowed with age to the point that their taste in art of all kinds has consistently gotten less adventurous with every passing year. I don't want to be one of those guys. I pray that you don't find me in ten years sitting around listening to one thing all the time. Or just going to see rom-coms at the multiplex. Or with a visual art appetite that's limited to old school Calvin & Hobbes comics. This is not my goal. Not that there's anything wrong with Calvin & Hobbes. It's actually fantastically awesome. Maybe Family Circus is a better example. I mean, really. Kill me. Kill me now.