Just finished listening (for at least the third time) to Mix Mag's "free" copy of an exclusive and new Felix Da Housecat cd. Definitely worth the steep $10.50 price for the magazine.

All of the tracks are awesome, but most awesome are: "Don't Stand...(Dance if U Want To)," "Son of Analogue" (amazing!!) and "Sad Synth Song."

Other numbers, such as "Be There Soon..What Would U Do?" and "What Do You Believe In?" are inspired, Felix says, by Depeche Mode (the former track) and John Carpenter (the latter).

If you are near a Barnes and Noble or Borders that sell MixMag, you should check it out. Part dance, part electronic, part trance...the entire thing is a blast!

I think I might have finally found a way to fall asleep, if not perfectly, then at least better than any previous efforts have gotten me. I put two Celestial Seasons Sleepy Time two bags in water and let the tea sit for a good while before I start sipping.

For added measure, I often have a very light snack of half a turkey sandwhich and a small glass of milk.

It's been a full week since I started trying this before bedtime and I've been sleeping my best sleep in years (knock on wood!)

For more info, check these reviews: on Amazon

A great article from Salon about the power of music:  read here

Been away from writing here for awhile...very busy with work and personal situations, but I'm back temporarily to jot down a few impressions of a magazine I recently discovered at my local Giant (of all places!)

The May 2011 issue of Classic Rock, in particular, has been hard to put down. And the sampler that comes with it is loaded with great covers of classic rock tracks by contemporary musicians. Micki Free's cover of "Voodoo Chile" would do Hendrix proud.

Other stand-outs include takes on Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" (by Taking Dawn), Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam" (by The Luck of Eden Hall) AC/DC's "Kicke in The Teeth" (by Black Spiders) and Queen's "Bicycle Race" (by Mama's Gun).

But really, the whole thing is just terrific and great for listening to while you're out and about in gorgeous weather with the car windows down:)

This particular issue also discusses the 100 Greatest Songwriters...loaded with lots of tributes from one musician to another (i.e. Carlos Santana explains why B.B. King means so much to him, Donovan pays homage to Leonard Cohen)

i don't care if it takes me all night
we're driving until it makes this nightmare untrue
this is not a love song, not a love song...

This free sampler (available through Amazon MP3) has a gorgeous track on it called "One Night" by Bostich + Fussible. The rest of the album is pretty darn good, too. But "One Night" is so appealing because it has that rare combination of sad and sultry that I like...in songs such as "Come Undone" by Duran Duran or "Try To Sleep" by Low.

"One Night," from what I can tell...I couldn't find the lyrics online and sometimes the song is so quiet I can't hear all the words, is so stark and bleak because the narrator is trying to fix a broken relationship that has left him beyond despair (or so he sounds.)

Driving at night is the only thing keeping him sane. The song unravels in my mind like a movie. It's hypnotic and heart-breaking, reasons enough to make it a winner.

But if you need another reason...the horn arrangement is a killer!