Author: mystro2b

Big Brown Eyes by Old 97’s.

Twangy guitars make me smile.

All in Good Time by Eric Schoenberg.

It’s truly remarkable that is only one person playing.

9-9 by R.E.M.

This is one of the first albums I purchased in college. By far one of the best debut albums of the 80s.

A Horse with No Name by America.

I’m sure there is some deep meaning to this peyote inspired ballad, but it’s the opening guitar lick anyone, I mean anyone, can play. Thanks to Bruce Emery’s excellent guitar method, you can sound like a 70s hippie. You just need to know the difference between an Em chord and not Em chord:

Bruce Emery, Guitar from Scratch.

52 Girls by The B-52’s.

Let’s start with the drum beat. Even if you are rhythmically challenged, anyone can air drum this song and get all the simple fills. Now add the names of the girls and you have a good old-fashioned sing along kids. I think Raffi should have covered this one.

A Punk by Vampire Weekend.

If you could turn up a guitar to 11, dial in the treble just to the edge of, but not cross over, the strident line, articulate the hell out of it and add a driving dance beat AND then add a flute in the low register: bingo!

1901 by Phoenix.

Crazy synth overload and a great ringtone.

16/16 by David Grisman.

I have a strong memory of listening to this album with my friend in high school. Part of his mixtape we would play in his dad’s 65 Chevy step side 4×4 on backpacking trips.

It is such happy music, but not stupid happy. I guess joyful is a better word: a magical combination of guitar, bass, violin and David Grisman on that snappy mandolin. Throw Gypsy, Jazz, Folk, Bluegrass in a blender add Tabasco and this is what you get.

One for Joan by Chico Hamilton.

There are some pre-requisites before you listen to this track: you must be sporting a Goatee or own at least two berets. If you can’t grow the required beard or get to a thrift shop, your other option is to compose some original beat poetry that you will read out loud before and after you listen. The coolest jazz quintet music requires this attitude to truly dig Chico Hamilton on drums, Charles Lloyd on tenor sax, Garnett Brown on trombone, Gábor Szabó on guitar, Albert Stinson bass. Some good headphones too so you can get the sax in one channel and the sweet trombone and guitar in the other. Seriously cool Daddy-O.

No Good by Rolling Blackouts from an unreleased album.

I honestly can’t remember how I got this track. I did some searching and thought it was by this band but I can neither confirm or deny these reports. I dig the country swing vibe.