Late again today. Kate got me up early and we went down to Newburyport, MA to go to Plum Island to walk around and see birds. It's so beautiful down there, and the weather this morning was incredible. It's so nice to walk the beach (plover nesting is done - the whole beach is open) that is still pristine - no hotels have been built, crowding out the beach. I'm sure that developers are crying over the fact that this beautiful beach is unspoiled. Let's hope the plovers are always protected, to keep the beach protected.
Heard lots of great music today, some of which is part of today's podcast. So enjoy nature and listen to Goldfrapp, Etta James, the Bangles, Alice Russell, Townes Van Zandt, Eric Anderson, Johnny Cash, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Lloyd Cole, Morrissey, Tears for Fears, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and Christine Perfect.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Travel time again for me. This week I'm heading for Dallas. I went to Dallas back on the 1990's and had a chance to walk around the city, such as Dealey Plaza, which was close to our hotel. I won't have as much chance to see what Dallas has to offer this time. When I went in the 1990's, it was really hot (it was March, but temperatures were already very high. This time, it's supposed to be in the 40's and high 50's). I'll be bringing sweaters with me.
I'll have plenty of time hanging around airports and in the air (I have a strange layover on the way back - there's not a straight shot from Manchester, NH, one of the drawbacks of a regional airport), so I'll have plenty of time to listen to music while I'm idling. You can bet this week's podcast will be among what I'll be listening to, so join me, won't you? Today's diverse podcast has a theme (or 2, one which is obvious with the names of the bands) of friendship in the last two sets, with these artists: Chaz Jankel, Lisa Stansfield, Sade, Mountain Men, Black Mountain, Mountain, Flight of the Conchords, Led Zeppelin, the Who, War, Big Star, Del Shannon, Morrissey, the English Beat, and Todd Rundgren.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
So, last week Dallas. Dallas is a cold, rainy city - who knew? It was raw and awful while I was there. They were supposed to get a day or two of sun and then head straight back to more rain. I guess they've had tons of rain in the last couple of weeks.
This week is another conference, one I have to participate and speak at - worked on that yesterday. along with all the other jobs I had to do for the conference. Man I hope to cut back on that next year. And then in 2 weeks is another meeting (2 1/2 days' worth), where I have a biggish presentation (completed a powerpoint on Friday) and another hopefully short presentation (I want to have fun with that one). Then I hope I'm done for awhile. No more travel, no more conferences, no more speaking (although I have already been tagged for a conference for speaking next spring). Let's have some time to breathe.
Of course, one of the ways I rest is with music, so let's dive right into today's podcast, with Ike & Tina Turner, Ellen McIlwaine, the Imperial Sound, the Impressions, Al Kooper, Julian Cope, the The, A Band of Bees, the Love Language, Essex Green, the BLues Magoos, Alan Price, Santana, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
I left for British Columbia at the right time. It was colder in Dallas than BC much of the time (?) and it rained for 10 straight days there while it was gloriously sunny and beautiful in BC. Came back and now we have beautiful temps and skies again (tho there's supposed to be a little more rain just today). Timing.
My Sportsball team won again last night, going up 3 games to 1 in the World Series. I've followed baseball most of my life, and became a fan of the Red Sox in 1967, during their first run at the World Series since 1946. After losing once in the 70's and 80's, they finally won in 2004. It's been gravy since then. They won 108 game this year, but that doesn't always mean you win the World Series when you have the best record. But they're winning now, and could have swept. I did not watch after the 6th inning during the 18 inning game, but read up on what happened on Saturday morning.
Boston fans are spoiled, but that hasn't always been the case. Let's not let the bad fans ruin our enjoyment of the Boston teams, and let's continue to root for them if they're not good again.
Let's enjoy the lead up to the game tonight(Price starting) with music from the Beatles, Yes, Joe Cocker, Hoodoo Gurus, Screaming Blue Messiahs, the Fleshtones, Rachel Sweet, Childish Gambino, Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, the New Pornographers, R.E.M., and Brian Eno.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Simple post today - VOTE! Just get out there and vote. We need everyone to vote, with no excuses. I had an excuse - I'll be away on Tuesday and can't vote, so I got an absentee ballot. So vote, no matter that it's the mid-terms - it's big, as all elections are (and should be) big.
When waiting to vote (we never have that long a wait to vote), listen to the latest podcast, with Concrete Blonde, Cat Power, David Byrne & Brian Eno, Blondie, Lou Ann Barton, Wanda Jackson, Mavis Staples, Sam Phillips, Nick Lowe, Earl King, Cocteau Twins, Kristin Hersh, the Grateful Dead, the Soundtrack of Our Lives, and Marvin Gaye.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
I hurt. On Thursday night, as I was sitting in traffic (the normal back up on Spaulding) I was hit from behind by someone going around 40 MPH (gleaned from conversation - I wasn't looking). I don't know if you've experienced being in a stopped car while another car hits you at 40 MPH, but it's very different from what I have ever experienced before. As a human crash test dummy, I can tell you that the airbags all inflated as they were supposed to, the rear end of the car accordianned up, and the front and also crunched in nicely (of course I was sent into two cars ahead of me). The interior of the car did not noticeably crunch in - people were able to open my door and the driver's side rear door, and yesterday I was able to open the passenger's side front door. I was taken to the hospital the only one in the 4 cars to go), where they determined that there was nothing broken or seriously wrong with me (internal bleeding, punctured lungs, etc.), but I do have bruises where the seatbelt saved my life. And it hurts - badly. My ribs on the right hand side are bruised, and it still hurts if I have to take a deep breath, or laugh. My left shoulder can only be partially lifted without searing pain, and I have to walk extremely slowly - yes, even walking hurts. Heck, I have to be careful when I sit, and the transition to sitting and getting back up is painful. But the pain reminds me that I am alive, and not one of the other things that could have happened that night.
Music helps soothe this savage, damaged breast, so listen in today to hear the J. Geils Band, Elvis Costello, the O'Jays, Them, Johnny Cash, Insect Trust, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Beat Happening, Galaxie 500, Pavement, Guided by Voices, and the Jefferson Airplane.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
So sorry to hear this. I hope you recover soon. Drivers in London seem to get more and more crazy or impatient. Both my wife and me have recently been nearly totalled on the pedestrian crossing leading to the railway station. I'm the world's worst at this but I suggest exercising as soon as you can. Peace.
Sorry to hear this too. The only time I've been in car accidents, it's been someone hitting me from behind while sitting still, minding my own business. The third time it happened, it was a hit-and-run. It's partially why I'm considering moving out of the big city. The traffic - and people ignoring the illegality of using their phones while driving. A good physical therapist can work wonders. Take your time and get well.
Thank you, everyone, for your concern. I am healing (slowly, oh so slowly). "Weeks" is the latest prognosis for how long I'll be sore and achy - again, better than the alternatives. Need to get the insurance company going, though (theirs).
Got a jazz podcast to share. Lots of great jazz put out this year, both new and older resissues. This is all jazz that is easy to follow - give it a whirl. Listen to Wes Montgomery, Coleman Hawkins, Eddie Daniels, Shorty Rogers, Cory Weeds, Eddie Henderson, the Larry Goldings Trio, Ezra Collective, and Julian Lage.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Bremble, man - make sure you're very aware of the meds that you're given and try to keep them in check. We hear so many stories of people unintentionally getting hooked on pain meds, so please be careful. Again, physical therapy with small localized exercises can do wonders for your pain.
Thanks, but since they didn't give me anything, told me just to use over the counter stuff. I wouldn't have used that anyway, and if I couldn't get official medical marijuana, know where there's a grey market I could have tapped into. But yeah, I would have been too freaked to try anything heavy.
It's Thanksgiving week, so it's time to hear about how the tryptophan in turkey makes us tired. I always wondered about that , and read that while tryptophan helps produce Niacin in the body, which helps with sleep, the reason why people get tired has more to do with everything else we jam into our mouths. Carbohydrates releases insulin into the body, which removes amino acids (but not tryptophan) from the body, which can increase the tryptophan levels. Add in some bad football games, lots of people in a room that causes the room temperature to rise, and bingo! you're sleepy. It all makes sense to me now.
The article suggests eating a carbo-loaded snack if you have trouble sleeping. I can pass, as sleeping has always been easy for me. It has been difficult for me to get comfortable enough to sleep over the past ten days, but that's the accident. Today I actually am less sore than I've been, so maybe I am actually healing. Thanks to everyone who's contacted me - surprising how much that helps.
Before sleeping after your turkey (or any meat, fish and cheese), listen to the latest podcast - not a turkey among 'em. This week's artists are the Rascals, the Mojave 3, His Name is Alive, Julia Holter, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Joan Armatrading, Randy Crawford, Brenda Holloway, Johnny Nash, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, the Creation, Beck, and Relatively Clean Waters.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
There are scientific reasons why it is not (so much) the tryptophan in turkey that makes us tired: the medical literature shows that (1) almost no tryptophan from food is converted into serotonin or melatonin and that (2) even taking tryptophan as a supplement, getting much higher doses than from foods, doesn't really work consistently well for insomnia or sleep problems --- the turkey-and-tryptophan myth
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Mine went well; just battled a cat (allergy) for some of the time. Time to fight off the rains over the next three days, which chould help melt the snow to a more acceptable level.
Got a response to the Tryptophan post last week - “The Myth of Tryptophan.” I’m pretty much in agreement with that (as I think I said). It’s not the tryptophan, it’s everything combined together (essentially, the body doesn’t breakdown the tryptophan to make you sleepy as it’s been posited).
I’m actually starting to heal - got sore after a lot of driving and then walking, but it’s not as bad as it was, and I am able to find a comfortable way to lie on the bed so I can sleep. Progress.
Today’s Post-Thanksgiving selection of songs for the podcast contains no turkeys - leave that all behind with Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Paul Weller, X, Graham Parker, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Hall & Oates, Duke Robillard, the Sons of Champlin, Damian Jurado, Shakey Graves, and Franz Ferdinand.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
ain - more rain. The rain will help get rid of the snow - the early snow we had. Nah, the weather patterns aren't weird.
Check out this week's show as you watch the rain come down (or whatever weather you're experiencing) with the Smiths, Billy Bragg, Dexy's Midnight Runners, the Jam, Folk Implosion, Loudon Wainwright III, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Hank Penny, Spade Cooley, Tex Williams, Ike & Tina Turner, Ann Peebles, Joe Simon, and Syl Johnson.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
bremble - I live west of boston - just inside 495. It's pouring here too. You are north of Beantown? Perhaps we've stood side-by-side at shows.... who knows. Thanks for the podcasts. Stewrat
Earlier in the week the pains returned a little strongly, but I've been able to endure it pretty well. And stewrat, I'm sure we have been close to one another - I think I read one of your posts that mentioned a show I was at. Nothing coming in the near future, but I've already got tickets for Massive Attack in March.
So, George H.W. Bush has died. Although he did have a questionable legacy, he was one the last of the old-fashioned politicians, in that he was willing to work and listen to the other party if he felt they had good ideas, and he was always very gracious (as an old patrician can be). Let's remember that we voted him in thirty years ago, in 1988. He became our 41st president.
What was happening musically thirty years ago? Not sure there's anything specific to point to, but Google chose Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" as its top choice. Billboard says it was "Faith" by George Michael. Hmm. Well, you won't hear those on my list of music for the year. I think of the rejection of the corporatization of music (Neil Young), a band's move to a major label (R.E.M.), and the end of an era (Talking Heads last album- the fracture had started earlier). Still, lots of great music, some of which didn't make the cut (as usual).
Let's take this Wednesday to remember the events of 1988 (or at least the music) with Neil Young, the Dream Syndicate, Johnny Adams, Leonard Cohen, Traveling Wilburys, Crowded House, Paul Kelly, Go-Betweens, R.E.M., the Smithereens, Erasure, Cocteau Twins, Talking Heads, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and Tracy Chapman.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Well, a month after my accident and it was time to buy a new car. I don’t love buying cars, because I know it’s going to burn an entire day. The car dealers have control over time - we don't. Although the dealers have gotten better at pricing cars and putting out better pricing, there's still a dance that happens to ensure we're getting the best deal possible. I become stubborn, and last time was ready to walk away because I didn't get the price I wanted to pay.
To me, cars are a tool to get me from one place to another. I'm not a big car guy. I research cars that I want to buy using Consumer Reports and other online tools and websites to ensure that I'm getting a car with good mileage, safe features, and a car that gets a good customer satisfaction level. I'm not going to have a mid-life crisis and get a flashy car.
So I ended up with another Camry. I liked my other Camry, and it turned out that the safety features worked out very well, even when rear-ended at 40 MPH. That was a plus. The new one is very similar to the last one I bought. It's a 2018, not a 2017, and the new one has top of the line everything. It's a step up in bells and whistles from the2017. It rides well - I tried some other vehicles that didn't ride as well, so I went back to the Camry. This is not a paid endorsement, although I have a great sales person who could help you if you need a car.
To help me in my test drives, I carried my tunes with a cord to plug in -the music system is important. Among the tunes I played were ones in today's podcast, which features Mose Allison, Bobbie Gentry, the Yardbirds, the Who, Annie Ross, Doug Sahm, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, J.J. Cale, Dave Alvin, the Be Good Tanyas, Rosanne Cash, the Cash Box Kings, Charles Brown, and Leonard Cohen.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Good to hear about your choice of a Camry. Did you get the hybrid or the "regular" one? Like you, I research things to death and use the same C.R. and other online reports to do so and came up with nearly the same as you. Our Prius is over 17 years old - still nothing is wrong with it - I'm just getting ready for the inevitable moment when it shuts down (or, heaven forbid there's an accident). Yes! a sound system is a real primary concern for me too (natch), so I'd be happy to hear your review (maybe next podcast announcement?) on it. More and more rental cars seem to no longer have the ability to play CDs, so I carry a flash drive and a first-gen iPod Touch with me for road tunes (little interest in radio for what that's worth). Anyway, would like to hear your follow-ups on the car and especially the sound system! Congratulations and good to get the impression that you're feeling better.
So, the sound test. I had my iPhone (forgot to grab a couple of CD's) for my 3-hour trip to Bangor, Maine. Overall the sound is very good, and you do get decent separation among the instruments. Better engineered tracks sounded better than some of the muddy tracks. The sound wasn't up to the level of my home system, which is very good, but it wasn't bad overall.
The one song I played that is a great test of a system (reminder to add it the next time I test any component) is the Columbia version of Satin Doll by Duke Ellington. There's a great bass part that is not mixed highly, but is just an incredible piece of playing that really makes this version sing to me. Unfortunately, the bass drops out quite a bit in the car. I tried adjusting the bass level (and treble - the bass plays some beautiful higher notes as well), but to no avail. After I stopped the car I listened to the same song on headphones (form the iPhone), and I could hear the bass, so it wasn't just the transfer of the tune to iPhone. So the Camry loses on that point.
Overall, the system is good. For most car listening it works very well, especially because of how quiet the car itself is as a base for listening to music. I am beyond looking at aftermarket systems for a car, so the system I have has to be pretty good, and this JBL in the Camry is sufficient for my needs. 3 stars (out of 5). I'll continue to mess with the system and report later if I see any improvements.
Today's playlist is good for a trip, so let's hop in my car and listen to Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Five Royales, Bob Mould, the Motels, Robyn Hitchcock, the Mosquitos, Mouth Music, Moreno +2, Mabulu, Talking Heads, Chris Isaak, and John Hiatt.
OK, great! That gives me some idea. Can't expect perfection in sound in a car (plus I drive with the windows open), but it tells me where it's lacking. Nice that you used Duke's Columbia version of Satin Doll and have an ear for what to listen for. Thanks again!
Quick Merry Christmas to everyone. As always, try to remember the reason for the season (no, it's not the acquisition of presents) and be nice to your fellow man. Let's hope that the people who have unexpected days off this Christmas have a shortened time off and that they can get back to work (there's one meeting I can cross off my list for Thursday).
Let's celebrate the times we share with family and friends, and maybe include music, which on this week's podcast involves Hollie Cook, Gary Clail & OnU System, Martha & the Muffins, Rabin Lane & the Chartbusters, Yumi Zouma, Jane Weaver, Holly Golightly, JoeJackson, Bob Mould, Grant Lee Buffalo, Rosanne Cash, Kate Tucker, and Eleanor Friedberger.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hey, thought I'd welcome everybody into 2019 with some rocking tunes from 2018. I've peppered the podcast with tunes that I've enjoyed from 2018. It's not a best of, just a bunch of songs that fit together from last year.
Let's enjoy the start of a new year (one which involves me shoveling) with Tracy Thorn, Franz Ferdinand, David Byrne, the James Hunter Six, Holly Golightly, the Vryll Society, Belly, Father John Misty, Essex Green, Neko Case, the English Beat, Blood Orange, Tracyanne & Danny, and Elvis Costello.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Comments
It was colder in Dallas than BC much of the time (?)
and it rained for 10 straight days there while it was
gloriously sunny and beautiful in BC. Came back and
now we have beautiful temps and skies again (tho there's
supposed to be a little more rain just today). Timing.
and try to keep them in check. We hear so many stories of people unintentionally
getting hooked on pain meds, so please be careful. Again, physical therapy with
small localized exercises can do wonders for your pain.
Sometimes wet weather and cold can bring on the worst.
Earlier in the week the pains returned a little strongly, but I've been able to endure it pretty well. And stewrat, I'm sure we have been close to one another - I think I read one of your posts that mentioned a show I was at. Nothing coming in the near future, but I've already got tickets for Massive Attack in March.
Well, a month after my accident and it was time to buy a new car. I don’t love buying cars, because I know it’s going to burn an entire day. The car dealers have control over time - we don't. Although the dealers have gotten better at pricing cars and putting out better pricing, there's still a dance that happens to ensure we're getting the best deal possible. I become stubborn, and last time was ready to walk away because I didn't get the price I wanted to pay.
To me, cars are a tool to get me from one place to another. I'm not a big car guy. I research cars that I want to buy using Consumer Reports and other online tools and websites to ensure that I'm getting a car with good mileage, safe features, and a car that gets a good customer satisfaction level. I'm not going to have a mid-life crisis and get a flashy car.
So I ended up with another Camry. I liked my other Camry, and it turned out that the safety features worked out very well, even when rear-ended at 40 MPH. That was a plus. The new one is very similar to the last one I bought. It's a 2018, not a 2017, and the new one has top of the line everything. It's a step up in bells and whistles from the2017. It rides well - I tried some other vehicles that didn't ride as well, so I went back to the Camry. This is not a paid endorsement, although I have a great sales person who could help you if you need a car.
To help me in my test drives, I carried my tunes with a cord to plug in -the music system is important. Among the tunes I played were ones in today's podcast, which features Mose Allison, Bobbie Gentry, the Yardbirds, the Who, Annie Ross, Doug Sahm, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, J.J. Cale, Dave Alvin, the Be Good Tanyas, Rosanne Cash, the Cash Box Kings, Charles Brown, and Leonard Cohen.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Did you get the hybrid or the "regular" one?
Like you, I research things to death and use
the same C.R. and other online reports to do
so and came up with nearly the same as you.
Our Prius is over 17 years old - still nothing
is wrong with it - I'm just getting ready for
the inevitable moment when it shuts down
(or, heaven forbid there's an accident). Yes!
a sound system is a real primary concern for
me too (natch), so I'd be happy to hear your
review (maybe next podcast announcement?)
on it. More and more rental cars seem to no
longer have the ability to play CDs, so I carry
a flash drive and a first-gen iPod Touch with
me for road tunes (little interest in radio for
what that's worth). Anyway, would like to hear
your follow-ups on the car and especially the
sound system! Congratulations and good to
get the impression that you're feeling better.
So, the sound test. I had my iPhone (forgot to grab a couple of CD's) for my 3-hour trip to Bangor, Maine. Overall the sound is very good, and you do get decent separation among the instruments. Better engineered tracks sounded better than some of the muddy tracks. The sound wasn't up to the level of my home system, which is very good, but it wasn't bad overall.
The one song I played that is a great test of a system (reminder to add it the next time I test any component) is the Columbia version of Satin Doll by Duke Ellington. There's a great bass part that is not mixed highly, but is just an incredible piece of playing that really makes this version sing to me. Unfortunately, the bass drops out quite a bit in the car. I tried adjusting the bass level (and treble - the bass plays some beautiful higher notes as well), but to no avail. After I stopped the car I listened to the same song on headphones (form the iPhone), and I could hear the bass, so it wasn't just the transfer of the tune to iPhone. So the Camry loses on that point.
Overall, the system is good. For most car listening it works very well, especially because of how quiet the car itself is as a base for listening to music. I am beyond looking at aftermarket systems for a car, so the system I have has to be pretty good, and this JBL in the Camry is sufficient for my needs. 3 stars (out of 5). I'll continue to mess with the system and report later if I see any improvements.
Today's playlist is good for a trip, so let's hop in my car and listen to Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Five Royales, Bob Mould, the Motels, Robyn Hitchcock, the Mosquitos, Mouth Music, Moreno +2, Mabulu, Talking Heads, Chris Isaak, and John Hiatt.
Quick Merry Christmas to everyone. As always, try to remember the reason for the season (no, it's not the acquisition of presents) and be nice to your fellow man. Let's hope that the people who have unexpected days off this Christmas have a shortened time off and that they can get back to work (there's one meeting I can cross off my list for Thursday).
Let's celebrate the times we share with family and friends, and maybe include music, which on this week's podcast involves Hollie Cook, Gary Clail & OnU System, Martha & the Muffins, Rabin Lane & the Chartbusters, Yumi Zouma, Jane Weaver, Holly Golightly, JoeJackson, Bob Mould, Grant Lee Buffalo, Rosanne Cash, Kate Tucker, and Eleanor Friedberger.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hey, thought I'd welcome everybody into 2019 with some rocking tunes from 2018. I've peppered the podcast with tunes that I've enjoyed from 2018. It's not a best of, just a bunch of songs that fit together from last year.
Let's enjoy the start of a new year (one which involves me shoveling) with Tracy Thorn, Franz Ferdinand, David Byrne, the James Hunter Six, Holly Golightly, the Vryll Society, Belly, Father John Misty, Essex Green, Neko Case, the English Beat, Blood Orange, Tracyanne & Danny, and Elvis Costello.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.