The Hook is what captures our attention and imagination. The Groove is that sound that just makes you feel right. 

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  • Stay in tune with the music lovers on your Christmas list

    If the thought of gifting another faux leather-wrapped manicure set, some novelty desk decor, or monogrammed wine bottle stopper has you singing the holiday gift blues, then I have a present for you.  All you have to do is unwrap the few hundred words below to discover the next memorable gift that will be music… Read more

  • Are you making a list, and checking it twice?

    It was exactly three decades ago that we learned all Mariah Carey wants for Christmas is us. Just more Christmas lore. It’s ok if you want to hear the over-the-top nod to Christmas romance on a loop, but remember, there’s so much more out there to treat your ears to some festive magic. There’s no denying… Read more

  • We are all curators of music

    When did you make your first mixtape? Did you have the luxury of a Hi-Fi system with a turntable and dual cassettes? Did you perfect your record button timing, developing a hair-trigger efficiency that allowed you to skip the last ramblings of the DJ but still catch the first note of the tune you’d been… Read more

  • Don’t forget to listen

    Is it outrageous for someone writing a blog about music to say I sometimes forget to listen to music? I do. Life interrupts. Not only do we sometimes get too busy for our favorite pastimes, sometimes we’re in a mood where we just don’t want to do anything.  The election took it out of me,… Read more

  • Cold War Classics

    The 1980s were jammed with one-hit wonders riding the new wave tidal wave behind fresh digital music technology and a heavy dose of synthesizer experimentation.  On its surface, the decade seemed to exist in a neon bubble overflowing with frivolous party songs, prepackaged nostalgia and self indulgence. Let’s be honest, you know you were focused… Read more

  • The inexplicable draw of music

    My dad would sit in the floor for hours, oversized headphones on his head, tethered to the console on the homemade shelf as he listened to one record after another. As he listened to one, he would very slowly, with great attention to detail, drag the velvet brush in a circular motion tracing the grooves… Read more

  • More Cowbell

    Could the cowbell be the car wreck of the music world? The thing no one wishes for or expects, but something no one can turn away from. So many songs are built carefully around guitars, a bass, keyboard, and drum kit. When done right, they fit together like puzzle pieces to create a special sound,… Read more

  • Austin puts the live in music

    The live music capital? Austin. You knew that. It’s just something people say, right? Every city has live music, so what would make Austin so special? It must be experienced to truly understand it. But grasping the volume, variety, and eclectic nature of that scene begins to paint the picture.  I’ve seen more than 100… Read more

  • Hook & Groove

    Back in college, I wrote a handful of music reviews. I didn’t write them because I was an expert, but because I was a music lover and always have been. My music credentials consisted of three years of second-rate play in middle school band, loads of random music trivia, and a ridiculously irresponsible collection of… Read more