IM: WHUSDJ
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Insomniac Jams
crystalhayes917
#nowplaying Twitter artists I follow. Planning a show for tomorrow nite 2200-2400 EST on WHUS.org featuring musicians I follow on Twitter.
via web
I ♥ Twitter. I really do. I have a lot of fun with the randomness of it. I Tweet from my phone and my computer, after all, I always seem to have something to say. Twitter never sleeps so if, like me, you are up at indiscriminate hours of the day and night, you always have company. I've met some very nice people and made some great connections on Twitter. I enjoy it much more than FB, thank you very much. I once saw a tweet that I thought was right on target: "Facebook is for people you went to high school with...Twitter is for people you WISH you went to high school with."
I’ve been on Twitter for almost two years. I follow enough people to keep me amused: baseball people; inspirational people; funny people; writers; poets, radio people, and of course, musicians.
Many of the musicians I follow actually started following me first. Some of which I got so excited about that famous people stumbled across little-ol’-Crystal and found me interesting enough to be Twitter-friends with. That is cool in my book. (Though, honestly, I’m really not that interesting.) Though maybe that was not their intention: many people are using social networks to get their messages out there…musicians are too. Here was is an additional way to get your music noticed, or even played on radio. Resourseful, and clever.
In addition to these already famous musicians I refer to, I follow a lot of perhaps lesser-known musicians because I enjoy what they do and what they have to say. Keeping in mind that new or ‘modern’ music really has to move me in a special way in order to keep my interest, these folks have something I like. They successfully market their music using Twitter, but additionally one gets to know their on-line- me-ness. Of course in only 140 characters or less, but hey, you can learn a lot about someone that way.
I am a music snob; I admit it. I am always in quest of something new (and exciting). When I agreed to cover “Words & Music” here on WHUS (Saturday evenings 10:00 p.m. - midnight), I took my thoughts outside that proverbial box and tried something different for me. Oh, I can get inspiration from anywhere! I decided what I’d do is turn on the listeners to the musicians I follow on Twitter. I follow a lot of different genre’s but all have one thing in common: they’re musicians that take words and music seriously. Really, it’s so fitting for the diversity of “Words & Music,” but it seemed in line with WHUS’ philosophy in general.
Hopefully you enjoyed the program; I did! It was a lot of fun for me. Though I’m not big on listening to the radio on computer, whenever I’m on the computer, I usually have headphones on and am listening to the likes of artists that really should be recognized for their talent and ingenuity, like these folks.
Here’s a tiny bit about each of them and how you, too, can check out their music:
Kasey Anderson ~ Singer/Songwriter from Washington state; sort of blend of old John Couger (before his Mellencamp days) and Tom Petty. This guy is a touring machine! www.kaseyanderson.com
Paul Kloschinsky ~ Photographer, poet and songwriter from Canada. He’s won awards for his songwriting; he released his first album in 2009. http://www.kloschinsky.com/
Swan & Edgar ~ There is an raw, eerie, wonderfulness to this duo. The more you listen to this music, the lyrics penned by Edgar (Chris) take the music to many different levels. Was able to chat with Chris, singer/songwriter/guitarist of Swan & Edgar on what it is like to be a start-up band, his writing, and how he'll market his music once he completes each project. Working on their first CD. http://swanandedgar.tumblr.com/
Esther O’Connor ~ has been compared as “‘David Geffen crossed with Stevie Nicks;’’ I can see that. Though from the UK, Esther’s got a very U.S.folkie sound to her. http://www.estheroconnorfreetrack.co.uk/
Eron Falbo ~ Singer-songwriter, novelist, poet, also from the UK, Eron has a full and wonderful folkie/bluesy sound. http://www.eronfalbo.com
David Louthan ~ Has a blend of folk, blues, and psychedelic rock sound and uses social networking to distribute his sounds. http://www.reverbnation.com/davidlouthan
Mathien ~ Musically and lyrically this young band has genius potential. It’s very difficult to genre-ize Mathien. They seem to blend and experiment with every genre available. The first time I heard them, I fell in love with this Chicago-based band’s diverse sound. http://www.mathienlive.com/
The Schwag ~ The Schwag was created in Missouri in 1992. In their own words, The Schwag is "a band out to preserve and perpetuate the vibe and music made popular by the Grateful Dead." Need I say more? www.theschwag.com
The Queue ~ An alternative rock band from Long Island, NY. Formed in mid 2006 and performing publicly for the first time during June 2008. http://www.thequeueband.com
Vernon Reid ~ Oh, yes, that Vernon Reid: composer and bandleader, yet best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the band Living Colour, Vernon still tours extensively now with his own band. I still view Vernon as one of my top 15 guitarists’. http://www.myspace.com/vernonreid
Dan Whitley ~ Don’t be fooled…just because Dan is the brother of one of my favorite’s, Chris, Dan’s music has earned a place in my heart and soul…he truly has a unique and wonderful sound all of his own. http://www.myspace.com/danwhitley
Savant of RareBreed ~ Savant of RareBreed sent me his EP, “The Delayed Entry” about a year ago and asked me to rate in order what I thought of it. I told him, “I don’t really do rap,” to which he said, “Precisely; that’s why I’m sending it to you. Among other things, that way you’re not comparing me to other rappers.” Brilliant, Mr. SavantRAREBREED...what a concept. Better, what a surprise: I loved it. I call his work “intellectual rap,” and I listen to it often. I've never been fond of the genre but I must say I LOVE his stuff. (Yup, that’s right: Crystal does rap. Stranger things have happened.) http://savantrarebreed.bandcamp.com/
Team Tanadra ~ Though on Twitter as TeamTandra, the band’s called, Tanadra, a New York City-based band that is a bit alternative, a bit soul, though they consider themselves hard rock, that’s not my take on Tanadra. Tee Roads, the lead vocalist, has talent, passion and determination and it can be felt in most of their debut, self-titled EP: Tanadra. http://www.tanadra.com/
Rieg Music ~ From Norway, Rieg does ‘old school” electronic, new age, ambient music; really, what ever you want to call it. Like a good wine, I’ve acquired a taste for this genre music, but, shhhh…don’t tell anyone, OK? http://www.riegmusic.com/
Atomic Skunk ~ A San Francisco-based electronic music guy, he blends ambient sounds with organic acoustic instruments, high-tech synths, chaotic rhythms, and haunting melodies creating a psychedelic ambient sound. Wild, I tell you, wild! http://www.atomicskunk.com
The song and artists that were played:
Dead Roses (and Blood Red Wine) ~ Kasey Anderson
Take Me To The Doctor ~ Paul Kloschinsky
True Love ~ Swan & Edgar
Make Me Clean ~ Esther O’Connor
Yesterday’s Too Late ~ Esther O’Connor
Beautiful Genius ~ Swan & Edgar
Any Fool A Man (If You Ain’t Special) ~ Eron Falbo
Self Pity Blues ~ David Louthan
Happy Pill ~ Mathien
Breadbox ~ The Schwag
God Save the Queen ~ The Queue
Cult of Personality ~ Vernon Reid / Living Colour
Don’t Belong ~ Dan Whitley
Little Richard ~ Mathien
The Lyricist ~ Savant of Rarebreed
Today is the Day ~ Team Tanadra
Illist You’ve Never Heard ~ Savant of Rarebreed
A Wonderful Day ~ Rieg Music
China Doll (final-mix faded) ~ Atomic Skunk
Perfect Profession ~ Savant of Rarebreed
The Dirt That You Do ~ Mathien
Feel Like A Stranger ~ Grateful Dead
P.S. OH, ONE LAST THING: If I follow you on Twitter, and I didn't feature your music, it's simply because the show I had planned was cut short by thirty-minutes because of an overtime sports situation . . . WHUS has a stellar sports department and airs many of the UConn men and women's games. Check it out some time. Go Huskies!
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