Diario

Because this journal is the very first in what may end up being a long series, I need to say this up front: I don’t believe in the idea that there is a perfect length for a song, any more than there is a perfect height for a building. Duration is more or less just the size of the container, and what’s important (or more interesting) is what’s in it. That said, duration is a boundary; how long you have to say something influences how you’re going to say it, and comparing what a variety of different artists do with tracks of exactly the same length seems like a cool (completely geeky) thing to do.

In some ways this method is exactly backwards; no one sits down and thinks “I’m going to write a song that lasts three minutes and twenty-seven seconds.” Well, someone probably has done exactly that, but it’s not common.

Intro post with rules for the project is here. And yes, some songs come out slightly different times when loaded into playlist; some songs are listed at slightly different times by MusicBrainz. …

time for some random listening recommendations.
Two CDs that have been on spin nonstop at my place are:
ZZ Top - Tres Hombres - You can love 'em or hate 'em based solely on their beards and fuzzy guitars**, but you can't deny the power of guitarist Billy Gibbons' brand of rude, rock n' rolling blues-rock. Listen to the screamin' leads on La Grange and you'll know why Bill Gibbons wears his huge ass beard with pride. I dare you to tell me otherwise. With his skillful syncopation and delicate yet tasteful phrasing, Billy Gibbons easily lands a place in my list of favorite guitarists. Other tracks of note: Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers, Precious and Grace.

Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home - Frontman for the post-hardcore melodic rock band Thrice, Dustin Kensrue throws all his fans for a loop with the release of his debut solo effort. And I for one, am impressed, thoroughly. I've always given Thrice a listen here and there, but Dustin REALLY comes through as a writer on this album. …