Mental Health Days, The Music Version

A new Turnpike Troubadours album dropped today. I had it playing on a loop pretty much all day today. At one point, I caught myself getting annoyed. Work was distracting me from being capable of focusing and listen with intent. Then a thought popped into my head. It would be nice if you could take a day off when a favorite band puts out a new album. Of course, there would have to be a system in place to avoid abuse. What would the ground rules be? What I came up with: You keep a file on hand with whatever … Continue reading Mental Health Days, The Music Version

Book Nook: And Your Ass Will Follow, by George Clinton

Blurb Revolutionary singer, songwriter, producer, bandleader, and funk icon George Clinton travels the rich cosmos of his musical history. As the second-most sampled artist in the world (right behind James Brown), Clinton examines his incongruous path from delivering milk to Sarah Vaughan on Avon Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, to embodying funk as we know it—from Motown to the Mothership. Clinton’s experiences as the mastermind behind his bands Parliament and Funkadelic and as the foremost authority on all things funk make for a distinctive, humorous, and thoughtful journey through modern music. Featuring exclusive live musical performances of favorites from Clinton’s … Continue reading Book Nook: And Your Ass Will Follow, by George Clinton

What Song Gives You Confidence?

Music is a thing many of us turn to for certain moments. We have different songs for different moments in life. What is a song that gives you confidence, whatever the situation is? I have one specific one that inspires confidence in myself. Yeah, this is a hype song in general, but it is also MY hype song. And that is because I have one very specific situation in my life when this song is playing. Heavy squats. I would say 90 percent of my 500-plus pound squats have been completed with this song playing in the gym. Squats are … Continue reading What Song Gives You Confidence?

Book Nook: From The Streets To The Suites, by Snoop Dogg

Blurb Launching during the 30th anniversary year of Doggystyle, Snoop Dogg’s installment of Words + Music reflects on his coming-of-age journey from the streets of Long Beach to around the world and his decision to pursue love and life over death and destruction. From singing in the church choir as a boy to meeting Dr. Dre and eventually buying Death Row Records, the evolution of Snoop Dogg from his point of view is a vulnerable exploration into the mind of a true hip-hop icon. Written and performed by Snoop Dogg with direction from Angie Martinez, and produced in conjunction with The … Continue reading Book Nook: From The Streets To The Suites, by Snoop Dogg