Secret Knowledge of Back Roads.

So while talking about music that excites me to the point of combustion, somewhere in the middle of high school I met someone who helped connect the missing musical dots. A lot of music I heard on The Wedge Much Music's once epic source then canceled now back triumphantly, for good music.

I knew of bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, but not about Sebadoh, or Pavement. I loved the New Pornographers, but didn't know about Destroyer or Zumpano. I knew Pink Floyd but had yet to look deeper and find out about Syd Barrett. Elliott Smith I loved but I had never heard of Heatmiser. This where I began swapping mix cd's with Jeff Brodeur. He was my Midland musical kindred.

I started hearing of bands like of Montreal, and The Apples in Stereo, and something called the Elephant 6 Collective. All of a sudden I had all new favourite bands. Neutral Milk Hotel, Guided by Voices, Heavy Vegetable (and then, Thingy, Pinback, Goblin Cock and many other Rob Crow projects)

I learned that no matter how hard I could try that there is no possible way to be a GBV completest. The back catalogue was extensive, the solo e.p.'s the 7"s the casettes, a new release almost every 4 months it seemed.

But then there were the more cult followed pop acts through out the decades, like The Zombies, who I've had the privilege of seeing several times. Weird pop bands from all over the place like Os Mutantes, which are like the Brazilian equivalent to The Beatles. Chris Bell's solo work and Big Star. Speaking of Big Star did you know that Alex Chilton makes (Iguess 'made' now) a $70 royalty every time an episode of That 70's Show is played, because they used a Big Star song for the theme. The fact that the amount is $70 is kind of ironic, but think, how many times a day in the world is that show played back to back to back in multiple time zones. Now doesn't that make you mad ? I'm so mad I could spit!

I think what I really enjoyed about playing musical connect the dots was finding something new and exciting and sharing it with your friends. There's also a sense of pride and bragging rights associated with telling your friends first. Friends are what make music great, and often times why I crave to make music. I just want to share good music with my friends, and contribute back to all the good music that has been given to me.

I'm hoping this year I get some sort of assembly of the band that I would like to be in put together. I'm tired of being the sole member of my fantasy recording band. I want to play shows, I want to turn up the amplifiers. I want to get rowdy on stage. I want to be in a band with people I admire. I want to be in a band that people actually want to come to their show. I want to put something out on vinyl. I want someone to read this and want the same thing.

Sometimes I want to stop wanting though because pessimism is easier to rely on.

I will stop wanting after I get Jeff Mangum tickets though. Even Paris Hilton thinks he's hot.