Naomi
9 years employment
Promotions Diva

ME:  I love learning about what has formed people's musical taste.  What kind of music were your parents listening to when you were growing up?

NS: I can't tell you how many Santana concerts I've been to. During my toddler years we listened to the good stuff. My mom was all about salsa, Banda and Freddy Fender. My pops fancied himself to be somewhat of a Pachuco, so it was all about the oldies! Later, in their quest to become more Americanized, we were subjected to the likes of Juice Newton and Sammy Hagar.  Then my parents got divorced and my dad thought he was the Urban Cowboy, so it became all country all the time during our visits, which wasn't so bad. But Ronnie Milsap can be a bit depressing when you're a kid.

I know you have 2 older sisters.  What were they into listening to? Did they have any influence on your listening tastes?

Hmmm, good question. They're 9 & 10 years older than me, so we had very different taste. They mostly listened to rock and metal, but the oldest used to get down back in the day to some disco and soul (let's just say that we spent a few nights working out routines to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack).  The other one was more into the punk classics. I remember when I was 6 my sisters battled out the stereo time between Journey's Escape and the Adolescents. There was no space for me, until I discovered the misunderstood world of teenage angst music. I was sure that The Smiths and The Three O-Clock were writing songs for me. I dyed my hair and shaved my head, only to become the butt of all jokes at the dinner table. 

Who was the first artist you became obsessed with, that really got you into music?

This is really creepy.

Linda S. Stein, ex wife of Seymour Stein, the head of Sire Records (Morrissey, Madonna, Talking Heads, etc), was found dead in her ultra ritzy NYC apartment on Tuesday.  She was bludgeoned to death.  No one knows why she was killed or who killed her.


Linda (on the left) was a manager of the Ramones and a major player in the 70s NYC rock scene.  Just a few weeks ago I randomly saw her profiled on some cable show about high end real estate, as she had become a high rollin' "real estate agent to the stars" (like Billy Joel and Sting) -- it seems really strange that someone would kill her.  I mean, they must have somehow gotten past all the security in her high class building and waited for her in her own apartment.  Freaky.  If the mystery ever gets solved, I will post what happened here.  But something weird is afoot.

Wooden Shjips are, quite simply, my favorite local band.  They have really got it all right.  They've got it right in sound, melody, musicianship, energy, independence, intelligence and gentlemanly-ness (very important).

They have a dense, heavy, fuzz filled sound that nonetheless still reverberates with hooks and energy, and its at their fantastic live shows that they show off this sound at its peak.  They have it stripped down to just the right basic elements with nothing remotely computerized (thank god!).  Those who speak and judge quickly may lazily label them "stoner rock".   Have you ever gone to see a "stoner rock" band where they busted out a trumpet?  Yes, the musicians lock together in repetitive, tantalizing riffs, and yes they have big amps, but the moral of the story here is although we do happen to live in a hipster- approved "stoner rock" time, didn't your mom ever teach you to not judge a book by its cover?


This band is far too smart and skilled to be labeled by simpletons.  They started off their recording career by literally giving away a 10" and a 7" to anyone that happened to find them at Aquarius Records, or anyone that would listen.  Imagine that, a San Francisco band, a ROCK band, no less (It's a rare breed here, don't know if you'd heard.), who care more about building an audience of listeners than making money?  Wooden Shjips' first show was a free show at Cafe Du Nord.  Again, they used their sound and their songs and their mysteriousness to build word of mouth support that packed the room.  Their second show ever was opening up for recently recuperated 13th Floor Elevators' Roky Erikson!  They've parlayed all this into a recently released full length, self titled record on Holy Mountain and they just got back from playing at CMJ.   One of the record's tracks was featured in the giveaway CD in a recent issue of Mojo magazine.  They got a write up in David Fricke's section in Rolling Stone.  They released a single on Sub Pop.  Not bad for less than a year's time since that first show.  A little intrigue and all the skills to back it all up was all it took.

Last night I watched some of the Johnny Cash Show DVDs, which just came out and from what I saw are completely fantastic!  My favorite performance is by Mr. Ray Charles.  He adds some soul to "Ring of Fire" and it's fantastic.  Check it out here:



Isn't that amazing? I just wish people were still making TV talk shows as daring and intelligent as Johnny Cash's. At least we have the DVDs now to remind us how things were.  Hopefully sometime very soon when I have watched the whole offering, I will have a more thorough review of The Johnny Cash Show!  I couldn't resist putting Ray up now though.

Someone's been very kind to me today:  I received a package in the mail chock full of Bonnie Prince Billy bootlegs and singles!  Very exciting day, and how perfect is it that it's drizzling and grey out?  It's ideal for BPB listening, at least to me for whatever reason.

That's not to say his music is depressing though.  It can be dark, but for the most part for me it's actually uplifting and really almost unbeatable.  It's got a loose feel to it, a risky feeling.  Feels like everything's on the brink of falling apart, but it never does.  Fantastic.

In case you are unaware, Bonnie Prince Billy goes under many names, so his albums can be difficult to find and collect.  Some of these names/projects include: Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Bonnie Billy, and Will Oldham (his real name).  He also collaborates often with others, like Amalgamated Sons of Rest, Matt Sweeney (that's Matt in the pics on the left and below), David Pajo and, more recently, Tortoise.  Oh yeah and he just contributed vocals to a record by Scout Niblett as well!  You can see how it's tough to keep up with the guy.  Oh yeah, and some of his best songs can be found on out of print 45s.

These bootlegs I just got are from the I See A Darkness and Ease Down The Road period.  I LOVE I See A Darkness, and Ease Down the Road is a solid record for him.  He's put out so many, you see!  His output can be fairly staggering to the uninitiated.  I'll try to break down a few of my favorites at the end of the post.