The Blog Team

Here is a place to get to know a little bit about the writers. Each writer will state some of their favorite bands, and a little bit about their philosophy when it comes to deciding what is good music and what is crap.

Greg Balloch: My music tends to be on the harder side of Indie Rock, but that’s not a very good way of describing my musical taste at all. I also tend to drift off into the more noisey and psychedelic side of music, but I’m all over the place. Usually, if I find a good song, I’ll listen to it. Simple as that. It obviously can’t just be a catchy beat, it must have lasting power. It is very difficult, for me at least, to find a song that I like just as much on the first listen as I do a month later. I’m always looking for those types of songs, and hopefully I’ll be able to share some of the music I come across with you. On the personal side of things, I am 18 years old and I live in Hamilton, Ontario. I am studying Radio Broadcasting at college. I need some experience, why not start a blog. Some of my favourite bands are: Beck, Animal Collective, Kings of Leon, Wolf Parade, Elliott Smith, The National, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Sufjan Stevens, Panda Bear, and the Handsome Furs.

Glen Maganzini: I am not one of those “I love all kinds of music!” people, but I do listen to many different genres and musical styles. The songs that I get the biggest hard-ons for are usually of, what we consider today, the alternative variety. What irks me the most are pop-punk bands — essentially what we term manufactured sell outs. Some bands that are constantly being listened to by me are Radiohead, Sonic Youth and the Pixies. They are pioneers in the music industry. You will also catch me listening to some obscure acts such as Animal Collective, Figurine, and Kraftwerk. If you haven’t heard of said bands, you will on Sound Central, I promise! Okay, enough of music for the moment. I am a 17 year old living in Wakefield, Massachusetts. I’ve been a writer at many blogs and websites since 2002. Among these are the Wakefield Etudiant, Nesportsnews.com, National Sports Register and now Sound Central. I consider blogging to be a very good hobby; I am not interested in becoming a journalist despite my adolescent aspirations to become one. Mahalo.

Sean Moore: I’m in favor of any musical style as long as it has nothing to do with country or oldies. In my opinion, all country songs sound alike and oldies songs just don’t match up with today’s “Top Hits”. On my iTunes library you would find an array of Rock and Rap with Rock being the majority. I enjoying listening to a wide variety of rock, weather it’s the unique, party sound of Bloc Party or the Punk/Metal intonation of Welsh band, Lostprophets. My music choice is based on what mood I’m in. If I need to get pumped up for an upcoming game, I will blast some heavy rock or some good rap with good lyrics and rhythm. If I just want to chill or hang out I will listen to a more Indie/Alternative side of rock. My advice to music listeners out there would be to try to ignore the radio as much as you can. As much as the radio repeatedly plays songs over and over again; your favorite song one week can be turned into the song that makes your ears bleed the next. As for bands that I relish listening to are: Lostprophets, Sum 41, Anberlin, Bloc Party, Yellowcard, Ice Nine Kills, The Classic Crime, Bullet For My Valentine, The Human Abstract, Chevelle, Rise Against, Brand New and you can learn more about the bands I listen to from the blog. I am the youngin’ of the group being only 14 years of age and I currently reside in Valrico, Florida. Baseball is my passion and I dream of playing in the majors one day. I am a “rookie” and plan to be an active blogger here at Sound Central. You can catch me posting daily at thesportslodge.com. Have a good one.

Chris Lovdahl: What do I look for in music? I want to see creative music that expands beyond the usual glossy pop music, cookie-cutter rap, and yawn-inducing electric guitar & drums rock music. I want to listen to a work of art, the kind of music that tries to expand into new territories and create their own unique style instead of trying to copy the artists who are high on the Billboard charts. In terms of lyrics, I want something that either has a spirited message or is cryptic and hard to figure out. I can’t stand cliched lyrics. My favorite artists include Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Wolf Parade, and The Shins.

Chris Hedden: Of all our group here at Sound Central, I represent the mellow, acoustic coffee-house side of the Indie genre, though more recently I’ve begun to appreciate the Alternative fare my fellow members enjoy such as Radiohead or, at least for me, Andrew Bird. Alt-Country is another area of music I enjoy, but really I genre-hop constantly from one group or individual to the next depending on the sound of the song or record I happen to stumble across. Despite my general distaste for mainstream music, that also does not play a factor in whom I like. Some of my favorites include Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Warren Zevon, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, The Beatles, Wilco, Johnny Cash, and Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins. Pretty wide-ranging group eh? A whole variety of factors bring me to artists like these, and often enough it doesn’t involve just hearing a song on the radio and pursuing it. For one long drawn-out reason or another, I came upon these, and whether it was a strong vocal, guitar riff, beat, or parental influence, I got hooked. So, in closing, I’ll be the quiet one around here to make you turn down the speakers for a bit, give those ears a rest and avoid having your faces melted, so enjoy what makes me a rabid music fan.

Rob Gordon: When it comes to music, it is without question, a highly subjective matter. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all that. My tastes are all over the map. I can find something to like in almost any genre. Sometimes it can be deep and thought-provoking. Other times it can be something that’s just sheer fun. A great riff, a killer hook, a cool bridge, a lyric I wish I’d written, a beat that could kick-start a jeep, there’s a lot out there worthy of attention. My love for music started with the Beatles and Beach Boys records around my house and continues to this day. I won’t mean to sound like a pretentious indie bastard, but I probably will at times. I don’t automatically hold to the belief that something that gets airplay is bad or that major label status equals “sellout,” but I do believe that, for a number of factors, the music business has become more homogenized and it’s more difficult for any number of bands and artists to get out there and to have a career. The music audience is much, much more splintered than it was 10 years ago, let alone 20, 30 or 40 years. I’m the older voice of reason here at Sound Central. Or at least the older voice of general smartassery. My favorite artists? Among the many are: Beatles, Beach Boys (natch), the Who, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Raspberries, Elvis Costello, James Brown, Beastie Boys, R.E.M., Replacements, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Blur, Oasis, Gram Parsons, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Fountains of Wayne, Pearl Jam, Tommy Keene, Smashing Pumpkins, Maria McKee, White Stripes, My Morning Jacket, Gigolo Aunts, Clem Snide, Nada Surf, Ryan Adams, Buffalo Tom, Neko Case, Rilo Kiley, Spoon, Manic Street Preachers, Queens of the Stone Age, Parliament/Funkadelic, Run-DMC, Wilco, Nine Inch Nails, Travis, Drive-By Truckers, The Walkmen, Johnny Cash, Placebo, De La Soul, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Cracker, The Hold Steady, AC/DC, Green Day, Modest Mouse, Weezer, and Beck. Just to name a few.

Chris DeCarlo: Am I hallucinating or am I truly seeing Jamie Lynn Spears on television every single night? Anybody else sick of these phony, fake, mediocre, hack bullshit artists. I am not saying I have a superior taste than anybody else, but I generally like artists that make me think and question my surroundings. I am not one of those “indie” kids (that term is overly used today and I think people just use it to make themselves feel like they are a part of something). I simply listen to bands that I like regardless of how they sound, look, smell or what label you call them (I tend to eschew labels and categories). For example, I adore famous bands such as The Beatles and Rage Against the Machine, but I also rock out to arcane artists such as Esham and The Mabuses. Like most people, I grew up with the mainstream pop acts such as NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. But slowly around middle school, I discovered true fuckin rebels. Bands such as Nirvana, Metallica and the Ramones. Around seventh grade, I developed a keen interest in classic rock. Sadly, I was still in that phase where I said “rap music sucks!” this was also the time that I became an avid fan of the first wave of punk bands: the aforementioned Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, etc. Slowly, I began to broaden my horizons. I began listening to more contemporary artists. Example: Radiohead, Tool. In high school, I made my way towards much more underground, independent music from all eras. I am very keen on the hardcore scene that swept America in the early 80’s. Black Flag, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys (I could go on and on). This is also the time I developed a love for rap/hip-hop groups such as NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, and Public Enemy. Nowadays, you will find me listening to artists as diverse as Morrissey, George Jones, Daniel Johnston, Animal Collective, Beat Happening, and the Mamas and the Papas. Oh and here is a list of songs that most people hate, but I love: Daniel Johnston – Casper the Friendly Ghost (top 10 catchiest pop tunes of all time); GG Allin – When I Die; Ween – HIV Song; Fear – I Love Living in the City; The Germs – Now I Hear the Laughter; and the list goes on and on. I will casually post my favorite artists, songs, albums, and reviews. Enjoy.

Michael Barr: As the token aussie of the group, I’m probably going to mention some random bands you have never heard of before. Hopefully this will widen the range of music coming through. I generally like most types of music, with the exception of pop, as it makes me cry with embarrassment for the artist. I tend to like punk, R&B and rock, however I will listen to any other music and judge it on its’ product, not stereotype. I go through stages, and it’s really handy to have a massive memory iPod, as I usually discard music within a month. Just like Greg said, songs need to have lasting power. My favorite artists include Metallica, Atreyu, From First To Last, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, T.I., Kanye West, Motley Crue and Guns & Roses. These are all included on the amount of songs I like from them, not just a couple. I have strong opinions, and please don’t be offended if I don’t have the same views as you, that’s what we build the free world around right? On a personal note, I’m from Perth, Australia. It’s on the other side away from Sydney. No, unfortunately I do not ride a kangaroo to school, and do not hunt crocodiles. What Steve Irwin makes us out to be generally isn’t true. I’m 17 and hope to go into the field of sports journalism. I’m teeing up to do college in the USA, preferably Washington State as my relatives live there. I play American Football for the West Coast Wolverines and currently in the state side. I also enjoy soccer and cricket, but I am very average at both.

Eric Roos: I am a 21 year old college student from suburban Chicago, Illinois. When I approach music, I tend to gravitate towards things that I think sound good. As cliche as that may sound, I don’t stick to one genre of music. I do tend to lean towards Rock. I really started to develop my musical tastes with bands such as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and the Who. From there I expanded to other bands of that era and eventually onward towards present day. Just recently I have been getting into Metal. I own nearly 460 albums ranging from 60’s pop-rock to 70’s hard rock to 80’s thrash metal to 90’s grunge to 00’s stoner rock. I still tend to favor rock music from the 60’s and 70’s, but I am open to expanding my horizons. I am always getting new music and expanding my library. I honestly have a goal to own enough music to run a rock based radio station and still get variety.

Richard Franke: Most of the music I listen to falls into the subgenres of Indie, Post Punk Revival, Experimental Rock, and Electronica. I tend not to brag about my expansive taste in music, mainly because my tastes aren’t very broad. I try to give different styles a chance, and usually try to find some redeeming quality in any song. I do not believe in “crap” music. All I can do is tell you my opinion about a certain selection. There may be music that I don’t necessarily like, but that does not make it crap. Currently, some of my favorite bands include: Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys, Battles, Cold War Kids, Dirty Pretty Things, Interpol, Kasabian, Mando Diao, MGMT, Muse, Radiohead, and We Barbarians.