It's funny to me, but the older I get, the more I find myself listening to songs from my youth. What's up with that? It started this year for some reason. I began sifting through my CD's for Led Zeppelin, Boston, Foreigner (yeah, I know I shouldn't tell people that), the Eagles, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. I now "Swiffer" my hardwoods to songs like "Whole Lotta Love." Scary, I tell ya'.

I asked my sister's oldest daughter, Julie, if kids still listened to the music I grew up with and she just smiled and shook her head "no."

"So what you're saying to me is that I'm an old fart now? Is that it?" I asked her.

She thought for a moment and then said, "Welllllllll, a few kids might play some of the older stuff and like it." Guess she was trying to make me feel better.

"What kind of music are you into?" I asked her. Fair enough, right?

"I like rap and hip hop and stuff like that," she replied.

My insides twisted around and bound up like Hillary Clinton reading about Monica on the front page of the Washington Post. One part of me was thinking that I had truly become my parents and a totally separate part of me was thinking, rap sucks!

Here I thought I was this incredibly diverse person when it comes to music and my neice was sitting there extolling the virtues of Puff Daddy. I enjoy so many different types of music that it's hard for me to pin down just one genre but I must admit I lean toward the good story tellers and the incredible vocalists.

Call it what you'd like ... contemporary folk, folk, alternative folk, etc., I just like the music. Bands like Sarah McLachlin, Michelle Shocked, Blue Rodeo, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams, and David Gray. I also like hillbilly rockers like Southern Culture on the Skids and BR549. I enjoy female jazz vocalists like Norah Jones, Holly Cole, Diana Krall, Molly Johnson, and the classics Sarah Vaughan, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Dinah Washington. The Verve Remix series is incredible! I fell in love with bluegrass music in college because one of my roommates hosted the Sunday Bluegrass Show on our local college station and played banjo decently. I still enjoy listening to the 80's electronica bands like Depeche Mode. I think Moby is brilliant and Beck. I lean more toward non-pop, non-mainstream music. It's more exciting and unpredictable.

Rufus Wainright, Travis, Dave Matthews Band, St. Germain, Phish, Tori Amos, Sting, Beth Orton, U2, Van Morrison, Coldplay, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Ben Folds Five, and Johnny Cash. These are a few of my favorite bands ... and they're all over the map stylewise.

The genre of music I listen to really depends on what I'm doing. For instance, as I write this, I'm listening to an online stream of electronic music from Epitonic Radio . Very cool site! I also like radioio.com for streaming music. Mike, the dj, does an incredible job of mixing great artists, old and new. I used to listen to our local public radio station WYEP a lot but they switched their download streaming software and I can't get it at work anymore. Bummer. I'll still support them because they bring such great shows to town.

Classical music is great for Sunday mornings reading the paper. Techno music keeps my house clean with its thumping beats and soaring synth. Jazz is terrific for composing stories or writing poetry. Hillbilly rock shows and celtic bands are some of the most fun live music experiences to be had in life. Groovy electronic is perfect for a conversation at the local coffee house. You can't beat rock and roll for stadium shows and good vocalists make a perfect intimate evening out or at home.

I just don't really care for rap. Anyone care to educate me?

One final word before I go. Don't copy or pirate music. It's just wrong. These people work hard to earn a living and barely get a dollar for every CD they sell. Go out and buy something new today, attend their show, and support your favorite artists!

 

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