four/four

Nick Robbins signs on!

2005-06-26T17:49:00.000-04:00

For most, we get a chance to spend time with those who we don't see as often as we'd like only a few times a year.

I am referring to old friends.

These times often consist of reminiscing about good times had and going out for a meal, drink, etc. This weekend I took a mini-vacation from my usual surroundings to visit my old friends and my old stomping grounds, Gainesville, FL. Gainesville is home to many things, most notably the Florida Gators, the finest women Florida has to offer, and alot of insect and fungus researchers who aren't as hot but do really cool research on beatles and common bread mold.

The purpose of this post is to promote the status of another feature of the vibrant and growing town that Gainesville has become (I say this only 30% sarcastic). I played in a band called Swayback while in Gainesville. We were a six (sometime seven) piece instrumental (sometime vocal) funk band. We recorded one album, entitled MIDTOWN that can be listened to on iTunes by searching for Swayback. Some of the members of my former band, along with other close musical friends, have started a project that makes my heart race just thinking about.

Velveteen Pink (link to the right)is a relatively new band. Take a listen to them. In the coming weeks, you will begin to read posts by the Velveteen Pink songwriter/drummer/vocalist and Gainesvile musician Nick Robbins. I persuaded Nick to write for Four/Four on the promise of an opportunity of spreading his passion for and love of music to the masses.

But back to the night we had last night... It was a bunch of old friends, doing what we do together best; play a kick-ass house party and make people dance 'till the sun rises. It'll be my next post, complete with pictures.

my first album

2005-06-20T00:00:00.001-04:00

the first first album I bought was Kris Kross' 'All Krossed Out' It sucked.

the first album I bought that I still own was Arrested Development's '3 Years 5 Months & 2 days in the life of..."

I came across '3 years...' this afternoon while going through an old book of CD's that also included Nirvana's 'Bleach', the Naughty by Nature "Hip Hop Horray" single and Billy Joel's '52nd St.' For a 10+ year-old CD, it's in surprisingly good shape. My full name is written on the disk from the year I took it to sleep-away camp. That year, my mom wrote my complete name on everything I brought, including individual socks and my toothbrush.

I love Arrested Development.

As with most bands that I like, and I guess most bands in general, they weren't a band for long. Personal disagreements and lack of consistent material made them part ways soon after their 'Unplugged' album, released in 1993.

I was trying to clean my room when I came across '3 years...'. I put it in for some good old Sunday afternoon reminiscing while I hung my pants and put paper on my desk in the correct pile. '3 years...' is a complete album. I wouldn't consider it simply a collection of songs, recorded in the same time frame and compiled on the same disk.

Today, artists like Jurassic 5, Mos Def & Talib Kweli (and more) continue on making the soulful, funky, intelligent, positive and often beautiful rap and hip-hop that Arrested Development recorded. 13 years later, their sound is still fresh, their grooves still funky as ever. Also, now that I'm a bit older than 11, I can understand what they're talking about, and it makes what they were doing even better, I would venture to say, timeless.

four/four test post

2005-06-16T01:21:00.000-04:00

This is the first post for four/four, a diary of musical influences, inspirations and detours. In the coming days, months and possibly even years, you will be able to find out about new, old and inbetween music that is being listened to.

this is a test.... more to come