Q & A With The Author Of 'Birds With Broken Wings'

Q: With so many blogs out there, why should anyone take the time to read yours?
A: Good question. Well, it appears that not many are. The last time I checked, I had something like 23 subscribers. That's nothing really. A grain of sand. I mean, out of the entire world wide web, apparently only less than two dozen people have found it interesting enough to permanently bookmark. So in the larger scheme of things, it's a drop in the ocean. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I don't know. One guy did tell me however that he subscribed just to impress some new girl he met, hoping maybe to get laid or something. I said, "Christ! What makes you think that? I write the damn thing and it hasn't helped me any!" Most likely it's just taking its time finding an audience. People have a lot of choices, you know? I hope in time they'll choose mine. I do get a lot of hits, but I'm judging my effectiveness on the number of downloads my mixes receive. It is the music I want people to experience after all, but I would also like them to hear what I have to say as well. I mean, I'm relatively articulate and engaging, and I certainly don't refer to everything as a 'classic' or a 'masterpiece.' Those terms get thrown around literally like confetti these days!

So why should people read it? Well, I think I've lived a pretty interesting life. I've met some interesting people and done some interesting things along the way.

Q: Like what?
A: Oh you know, the opium trade, sub-Sahara gun runner, plastic surgery. Regular stuff.

Q: Really!?
A: No. (Long pause) I mean, I'm not Jack Kerouac or anything, but my experiences count for something. I've got a thousand and one stories to tell. Good ones too, and they've never failed me yet. You know... like at parties, bars, cafes, places like that. Plus there are more in the making as we speak. And oh yeah, I have a fairly big record collection to share.

Q: Why do you think it's taking readers so long to come around?
A: Well, although it's primarily a music blog, I do write a lot of prose each week. Most other music bloggers just say a few lines about the tunes and then post their MP3's. Some don't even bother to say anything at all, other than post the title! But I like to do something more and maybe that's where the problem lays. You see the longer I do this, and it hasn't been long, I'm learning that the majority of those who come to music blogs don't really come to read! They simply come to find some new music. The text is secondary. Others often come only for the free download of something that isn't already in their library, period. The latter group can often be selfish about it too! I think that any music blogger would tell you that for every 100 downloads of their MP3 posts, only 3 people actually take the time to leave a comment. It was the same in radio. One written letter represented eight dozen listeners, or something. But I don't think that music blogs should be thought of as the 'free crate' at a sidewalk sale. It is free, yes, but an encouraging comment or a thank you isn't much to ask for in return. I mean, a lot of work goes into it. I put a lot of time into mine. I could be doin' something else constructive, like working toward world peace, or sheltering animals, or making some money, you know? I just hope that readers will appreciate the dedication it takes for any blogger to crank this stuff out. But people are people, you know? Hoping for that is probably as likely as the Crips forming a book club.

I think it's also because I post mixes instead of complete LP's too, and a lot of people can't bothered with that, you know? I understand that. It's difficult to imagine what a mix might sound like, especially if you aren't already familiar the material. You probably ask yourself, "Well who are these guys? Will I like it?" Or maybe, "I already have some of that stuff, why should I bother?," etcetera. Reading a track list can be misleading. All it takes is the inclusion of just one name that raises a flag and the whole thing gets rejected. People are fickle that way. It's what they call 'button pushers' in radio, people in their cars who tune out at the first song that doesn't grab them. But it's like trying on a pair of shoes, you know? It only takes two minutes to download the file and if you don't like what you hear, you delete it! Or just delete the offending song! I know from experience that there has to be a certain level of trust or faith in the presenter to assure someone that a particular persons take on programming is worth the effort to investigate it. My hope is that the mix will serve to whet, rather than sate the appetite for more, and that's why I post compilations over full length recordings.

Q: How did you get into blogging?
A: Well actually, I got into computers pretty late. For years I was looking around for ways to reconstruct my world. I tried writing, playing music, graphic arts, being a bum, everything. I explored nearly every creative path short of rebuilding the world with Popsicle sticks and Elmer's glue. Then I discovered computers shortly after the rest of the universe and realized what an enabler it could be. Early on, I stumbled onto a few blogs that were like, "Today I walked the dog and twisted my ankle on a crack in the sidewalk" or "Our little Evan took his first baby steps today!" Pedestrian stuff. Journal entries really, and I thought, "Well this isn't for me." Later, I went looking for something more engaging and found things like, 'Dr. Eugene Soskin Explains Molecular Physics And Wave-Particle Duality For Laymen And Other Mortals' or something like that. Well, I am a layman, but the duality part just went right over my head. Eventually, I clicked on a link that led me to a music blog --- JR's, 'The Heat Warps' --- and I thought, "Now this looks interesting." It was well written and his taste in music was pretty exceptional and it looked good too. I figured I'd try it myself. JR was actually pretty helpful in offering me some advice when I started my own.

Q: So what kind of computer do you use?
A: I've got a little MacBook. It's a pretty functional unit, at least for the things I do with it. It's never given me any trouble. I like it. It's a pretty good little machine. Balances my checkbook, keeps me in touch with old friends, repairs the handle on my toilet tank. Kind of like an all purpose toolbox in a white plastic shell.

Q: Why did you choose Megaupload as your file host?
A: Crap shoot really. I didn't know one host site from another. I just tossed a dart. Someday I'd like to find one of those that doesn't make you wait a million hours before you can download another file. And one that automatically opens in another window, so that the reader isn't directed away from my site. There's probably an easy way to do that, but I just haven't figured it out yet.

Q: Since your site focuses on music, do you consider yourself a musicologist or merely a fan?
A: A little of both really. I've always been involved with music on a professional level in some way or another. It's been a big part of my life, but I can't honestly say that I'm an expert or anything. I remain faithful to the artists that move me, but I'm afraid there is little of anything new that really grabs me these days. Pop music has been languishing in a great lull for some time now. Maybe all the good songs have already been written. Most of what I hear really is really tepid. I do like Red Runner though. They seem pretty real.

Q: I've never heard of them.
A: Oh! Well, I'm not surprised. I just made them up. I didn't think you'd actually call me on it. I mean the point is, I'd like to be able to drop a bunch of names and be like some streetwise talent scout, but there's so little out there. I don't automatically gravitate to new artists just because they're new. Take Hootie and The Crayfish for instance, or whatever family of fish they were. Or that group that had some kid dressed up like a bumblebee with Buddy Holly glasses. There were big for about a minute and a half and where are they today? How many of those 'hot commodities' over the last ten years are still around or making relevant music? There's always the underground stuff, but I need some melody in my pop music. Ultimately, I listen to whatever inspires me. Thelonious Monk has always been a big hero of mine. Marvin Gaye's work still sounds good to me. Van Morrison, Waits, Aretha's Columbia and Atlantic recordings, Brian Wilson. In a sense, they're all poets at what they do. Of course I mentioned last week that NRBQ can do no wrong in my book. Even the worst of their output I still find satisfying. Well, maybe not all of it. I take that back. Other blogs have introduced me to some new things, or reminded me of things I haven't listened to in awhile, but I try to avoid embracing something just because it's new. It has to be good! For instance, in one of my past posts, I showcased some of the current San Francisco bands that I liked. My one foray into new music equaled the least number of downloads or interest. Maybe they weren't the 'hottest' acts, you know, but I think they're good. I try to go with what I know best, much like my record collection. It's big, but it's personal. There are some rarities in it, but mostly it's just stuff that I truly like or that has deeply moved me. I'm not interested in collecting just for the sake of collecting or wowing my friends.

In 'Birds With Broken Wings,' I offer custom mixes almost exclusively, and I do that for two reasons. Number one, it's to approximate the sound of eclectic radio programming where the listener hears variety within a contextual format. I try to throw in the unexpected when I can. I enjoy the element of surprise as long as it's not jarring, and I hope that any sophisticated listener can be appreciative of that. Secondly, I hope that if someone is curious enough to learn more about the work of any given artist I've featured, they'll be motivated to go out and actually buy something of whoever it was that caught their ear, maybe see a show. At least support them in some way. I think it's unfair to everyone to post entire LP's or CD's top to bottom. I'll only feature a full album if it's out of print and unavailable. Last week however I did something different, a mix comprised entirely of one band.* It was a lot of material and some people may find that satisfying enough. But I hope not. I have conflicting feelings about what I did. I mean, they're friends of mine and I'd like people to know about them and patronize them, but don't stop with the download. It's just there to interest you further. Go check them out! But you know what? That mix saw a lot of action, but not one person responded! So how am I to interpret that? Did I fail to convince anyone or did I simply give the whole store away at the bands expense? Without feedback, there's no way of knowing and that's what I find most frustrating about this blogging stuff.

But getting back to what I said earlier regarding mixes. I think that all music buffs like to believe their taste is impeccable, but there is a certain art to effectively stringing music together, whether it's one artist or a variety. For instance, just look at the set list below. Could you conjure a more disparate inventory of artists? On paper it just doesn't make sense, but if it's constructed properly, a mix like that can really sing. (Pause) People have generally liked my choices in the past. I mean, I did hold a radio career for many years in which I solely was responsible for the selections that got played. Not the charts, not a computer generated playlist, not the competition. Not even the music director! But when it comes to listening, it's always subjective.

Q: One last question. Many bloggers don't reveal their real identities. Is that actually you in the photo at the top of the page?
A: Yeah, it is. It's a promo shot that never got used when my band was touring a few years back. It's funny to look at it now. I always thought I was taller, and better looking. At least my hair was decent.

1) You Wreck Me/Tom Petty

2) Out In The Street/The Who
3) Jackson Kent Blues/The Steve Miller Band
4) Kosmos/Paul Weller
5) Interlude #1
6 & 7) Struck : Rough And Tumble/Joe Henry
8) The Black Messiah/George Duke
9) Sweet Surrender/Sarah McLachlan
10) You Get What You Give/The New Radicals
11) Couldn't I Just Tell You/Todd Rundgren
12) When It Rains/Brad Mehldau
13) Interlude #2
14) Joy/Lucinda Williams
15) Country Darkness/Elvis Costello
16) Looking For A Kiss/The New York Dolls
17) Never Before/Deep Purple
18) Since I've Been Loving You/Corrine Bailey Rae
19) Deuteronomy: Niggerman/MéShell Ndegéocello

To download, click here. Comments are welcomed.

*Actually, once previously as well.