Alpha Rev Bursts out of Texas

I remember hearing the Beatles when they first appeared on American AM radio, so I've got decades of music inside my brain. The is nobody quite like the Fab Four, but sometimes, I hear a band that has energy, excitement and something that draws me in. I remember the Police doing that in the 1980's, for example.

Alpha Rev is one of the bands doing it for me today. The group was started in 2005 and went through some recording dead ends before starting on their international debut album.

That album, New Morning, was ranked #3 in 2010 and their video made into the top 10 rotation on VH1. Not bad.

I like the tight harmonies and strong guitars in Heaven and the beauty of the title cut. I haven't heard the whole album through, but they surely need more focused attention--sitting in the chair with the headphones--more than just an occasional visit with the iPod on the road.

I thank to my wife, who discovered these guys somewhere and shared them with me.

Another Day Unfolds

At 5:25 a.m., my 43-year-old alarm clock clicks and quiet music begins to play. My eyes pop open. The first thought is sensing how much light is in the room and feeling my body against the sheets. In that first few seconds, I identify myself (yes, it's me) and then the thoughts come back. "Tuesday--that means orchestra practice" or "Have to finish that project I was working on yesterday." I may hope for nicer weather. But, within a minute or two, my feet are on the floor and I'm off to the shower. By the time the water is running, I'm pretty much awake.

What's funny is--I normally have a "profile" of what I expect my day to be. It's a mixture of the day of the week, the current thing(s) that are bothering me, the soundtrack from music I'm listening to, and sometimes the pressure of realizing that I have something to do that may take some extra attention--or be a little uncomfortable. If I'm lucky, I have something to look forward to.

At this point, with a new job at a good company full of good people, I'm happy to go to work, but it does involve some uncertainties as I learn my way, and I spend up to two hours of driving to get there and back. But that's what satellite radio and my iPod are for.

Inevitably, what I projected for the day changes during it. The meeting is cancelled or moved, the difficult thing proves easy, my time is spent on something I wasn't planning to do. Perhaps some major news story or event at work changes the tone of the day.

Part of my vision of the day includes making sure my two "must-dos" (besides brushing and flossing) take place. One is writing this blog--daily since January 1--and the other is practicing my bass. Daily means every day, and it's what makes things work for me. Little things add up.

By 11 p.m. I'm ready to lay down and rest. And before you know it, that clock will be going off again.

Bob Dylan Is 70 Today--Really?

I knew his birthday was around this time, and that it was a "milestone," but 70 and Bob Dylan don't really go together for me. Being 12 years behind Bob, my introduction to him wasn't during his skinny New York folk period but the mid-1960's folk-rock time, when "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Positively 4th Street" burst on the pop scene. I later bought those early albums, where I could hear him sing "Blowing in the Wind" and "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," and "Mr. Tambourine Man."

I remember how Nashville Skyline was a huge departure -- he actually sang more melodically -- and then the New Morning LP from 1970 where he seemed to come back a little to himself. But after that, I didn't follow Dylan very closely. I just knew he was out there being Bob Dylan.

And that's important to many of us who enjoy being amateur musicians. I remember, when I was just 18 and going out to open mike nights in San Francisco, that a sign by the sign-up sheet read "Featuring Bob Dylan's understudies nightly." We strummed and we sang but we were not Bob.

I think it's probably much easier to not be a tortured genius--which he certainly is. It's easier to admire him than to be him, and today I celebrate his life and his continued writing, recording and touring.

I've always liked his Blonde on Blonde album, especially "Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat."

I went to YouTube to find Bob singing Positively 4th Street. I didn't find him--just numerous "understudies."