Vodka and Cats

Musical Mediums Part 1 (Early Life - High School)

I was listening to music this morning (as we all should), and it occurred to me that it’s not just the music that is important, but the person who introduced you to it as well.
I was raised on 90’s country and alternative music for the most part, but there were some major turning points in my musical “career.”

Mom - Introduced me to Disney tunes and Michael Jackson. Jungle Book continues to be my favorite Disney soundtrack and it turned me on to jazz/big band. Michael Jackson…duh. Both of these later led me to search out the funk in disco and James Brown in middle school. She also kept the top 40 hits bumpin in the mini van.

Dad - He gave me Sting, Steely Dan, Dire Straits, The B52’s, Robert Palmer, and ZZ Top. I’d later ramble on to more classic rock. Disregard Beatles, acquire Rolling Stones and The Who. Easily the most influential person in my musical taste.

Andy Nawoj - Middle School. At this point in time I was listening to the likes of Limp Bizkit, Green Day, and Weezer. I thought this was the pinnacle of my music experience. I thought Green Day really was punk and Weezer were genius. Andy introduced me to the 18 minute magnum opus that was “The Decline” by NoFX. My entire views on punk changed. I started hanging out with the punk rockers listening to The Casualties, Rancid, Virus, Screeching Weasel, Less Than Jake, etc. All while I wore waist high khakis, oversized button up plaid tees, and parted my hair to the side. (1997-2000)

Pete Hyndman (2000)- Upon meeting my one of my best friends for life I had never given metal a chance. This kid wore Metallica shirts everyday. Literally. I was banned from watching Beavis and Butthead. As such, I thought Metallica and AC/DC had something to do with it since it was scribbled on their shirts. Due to my Christian upbringing I thought metal was evil. That changed. Pete opened the door for me to listen to heavier music. I began falling asleep to thrash, progressive, and heavy metal. Dream Theater, Metallica, Slayer etc

Matt Disen (1999)- Another of my best friends. Quiet guy with social anxiety issues, but funny as hell. His one liners were hilarious and would leave you crying on the floor. He got me listening to Wagner, Mozart, Dream Theater, Tool, Steve Vai, Devin Townsend etc. His brother, Tim, helped too. The two of them showed me Meshuggah, Opeth, Strapping Young Lad, and far more technical and death metal than I can remember. My musical taste was broadening and digging deeper closer to hell.

John Lang (2000)- One of the ska punk kids I met through Scouts. “Ever heard of At the Drive In?” No… “How about Refused?” No… He didn’t show me either band specifically, but those were the seeds that I remembered a few weeks later when I was watching MTV2 before school (before MTV2 sucked) and At the Drive In premiered ATDI’s “One Armed Scissor.” I was hooked. I bought the album and take everywhere I go. This was my in to the hardcore kids’ circle. You know, the guys that grew their hair big, wore tight pants and chucks before any of it caught on?

Shane English (1998-2004)- Small in stature and a penchant for the bass guitar. This guy was all over the place. I had some art classes with him in middle school and a few classes in high school. Outside of that, we ran in to each other through the hardcore kids and the skate punks. Shane was huge influence on my taste. Operation Ivy, Reagan Youth, Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, The Specials, David Bowie, Skankin Pickle, and Mustard Plug. The kid loved ska and old punk. One of the greatest gifts he bestowed upon me was the band …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. I don’t know where he is now. We used to be facebook friends since I followed his music. He had some great projects, but they all never went too far outside of the North Texas music scene.

Drum Line (2000-2004)- Everyone I met in drum line loved jam bands. Dave Matthews, Guster, Phish, Widespread Panic, The Gourds, Grateful Dead, and 311 (not a jam band, but a favorite.) This sort of music started pushing me closer towards an appreciation for softer and folkier music. Granted the most of their stuff was a little faster. 

For a period of time I started discovering my own music. Most of this time was in high school 2000-2004. Having met these people I had a lot of work to do. I went on to discover LCD Soundsystem, Muse, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, Daft Punk, Death From Above 1979 to name a few. My Christian upbringing stuck with me and I got more in to the likes of Underoath, Zao, Anberlin, As I Lay Dying, Pillar, and Blindside. My musical home for the longest time was post-hardcore. I thought it was Christian post-hardcore, but after a while the ideologies cease to matter. Music becomes the religion.

I’m totally forgetting hip hop and rap…What the hell. It probably started in middle school with Eminem, DMX, and the Beastie Boys. It continued through high school in the form of Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Mos Def, Talib Kwali, Public Enemy, De La Soul, NWA, Wu Tang, Jay Z, Outkast and K-OS. I don’t spend much time on this genre and I apologize. I will always love hip hop, but it didn’t carry as much weight throughout my life as metal, indie, folk, etc. Blame white people.