iPod

Or how MySpace changed my life. I know Northview Diary deals mostly with farming, photos, family and a little politicking, but music was my life when I was younger.

(Much younger)

My next younger brother, an assortment of other folks and myself formed a series of bands that played in our folks' cellars, garages and occasionally other rooms, much to the detriment of our relationship with family members who were attached to their ear drums. (Think Hendrix. Think Led Zeppelin.).

In time we graduated to high school gyms and bars and even Sherman's Amusement Park, pictured above. (Click on the photo in the link and you can see a big building in the foreground. For about one summer the management hired bands to play dances upstairs, above the games and the popcorn machine. We were one of them.)

Then we grew up. The band disbanded. Once I married my farmer and had a batch of kids time for music condensed to a few CD's while I was doing housework and barn music chosen by the kids. And the radio. And tired old country stations which play the same dozen artists and the same handful of tired old songs 24-7. I won't say I lost interest but stagnation set in.

Then the kids introduced me to MySpace and I won an iPod from World Dairy Diary.

MySpace is the hunting ground of unsigned artists, musicians who for some reason or another don't have a major record deal, or ones who do have a deal, but don't get the air time that brings fortune and fame. Talent has nothing to do with scanty clothes or sales gimmicks, but that seems to be what sells popular music. There are nice musicians on MySpace who will even sometimes give you tracks just for wanting to listen to them. The iPod made it possible for me to put all the wonderful stuff I find in one place and to listen to it without hearing everybody whine about not liking my choices or drowning out the TV.

I won't say I like housework now, but it does pass more swiftly. And I get to listen to folks like the Roosters, Joe Hash and Justin McBride instead of certain vegetarian girls and ball player's kids who shall remain nameless.

This week's song pick has been Justin McBride's Tumbleweed Town. Liz bought the CD from him I guess and let me put a copy on my music list. Hard to believe, when you listen to his gritty heartful voice that Justin just retired from his main career riding bulls on the PBR.