Listening In: A Family Affair

Hey there, music fans. I’m pleased to welcome you back to another installment of Listening In, where I give you free stuff for letting me peek at your CD collection.

If you want free stuff, send me an email with your name, your hometown, and five songs you’re listening to. I’ll print your list in this space, comment on your musical taste, and then send you some Patch gear just for playing.

Marla Holman of Aurora sent us her insanely diverse list, and this week it’s her husband’s turn. Joe Holman is, if possible, even more all over the place than his wife. Here are his selections, followed by his comments on each. My musings will be in italics—like this.

Go, Joe!

1. “Song Up In Her Head,” by Sarah Jarosz. This is off her first album, recorded when she was only 17. This girl is multi-talented and can play many different instruments. She writes most of her own stuff too. Smart music, this one has been stuck in my head for a week now. Ooh, I dig this. Bluegrassy goodness, and Jarosz has a nice voice. Thanks for sharing this one.

2. “Queen of the Silver Dollar,” by Dave & Sugar. I'm not sure what brought this blast from the past back to my mind, but it's there now and I've been tracking it down on YouTube listening to different versions. Seems like back in the day this song was recorded from everybody from Buck Owens to Dr. Hook, but the Dave & Sugar version is the one I grew up with. Another one I’ve never heard. This was written by Shel Silverstein, it turns out, which makes it even cooler.

3. “NY2LA,” by Press Play. This up-tempo dance number really gets me going, it's hard to sit still while this one's playing. And wow, Christian dance-pop. That’s quite a left turn. I’ve never heard this before either, and I think I would have avoided it on purpose. I admit the beat is danceable, though.

4. “Rift,” by Phish. I love these guys, smart lyrics and technically tight. Now we’re talking. Rift, from 1993, is my favorite Phish album, and this tune opens it with a gallop. This is just before they turned in a more concise pop direction, and I think it balances their melodic and progressive sides really well.

5. “Hometown,” by Greg Boerner. This is an original song by a local A-town boy. I love Greg's finger picking guitar style and voice. Greg's one of my all time favorites. How is it that this guy hasn't hit the big time? Good question. I love Greg’s work. I just got his fourth CD, Prophetstown, and it’s excellent. I couldn’t find a video of “Hometown,” the closing track off his first album, Nowhere, but I did find this very cool vid of “Somedays,” from the Wishing Well album. Check it out, and then go to www.gregboerner.com for more.

Thanks, Joe. That’ll do it for this week. If you want to play Listening In, email me at andre.salles@patch.com. Until next week, be good to each other.