House Willis

What I Listen To

The music I listen to of course changes as I get older. That's not to say that I still don't enjoy reminiscing and listening to old albums. With most of the music I've listened to, a particular band or genre has spanned a period, phase, or moment in my life. So listening to the music I was into to back then easily makes me feel what I was I feeling at that time. This is what I like about it - going back in time and re-living an experience or mind set. I suppose music will always be most important to me in this way...and one other: The new music that I find that I connect with is always music that somehow introduces me to a new mind set or mood. It's kind of like exploring a new world, and seeing it through someone elses eyes, or being exposed to an unusual experience for the first time. The interesting thing is that there undboubtedly is something of this new mindset that strikes a really strong chord in me (pun not intended). This is really how I like to experience music. In some way, then, the music to which you listen can give you (and others) a glimpse of what's inside you - if their experiencing it from the same perspective. Afterall, sometimes others just don't grock.

What I like(d) to hear...

Led Zeppelin - Obviously the best band ever. :-) I love everything about their music. There's no pretense to it. The reality of their lives and interests is clearly reflected in the lyrics of their songs without seeming contrived. To me I guess Led Zeppelin reminds me of the fact that natural talent and the chance that just the right musicians ended up in the same band is incredibly rare. Everyone in the band comes together perfectly to make something much bigger than the sum of the individuals. Nobody else (honestly) even comes close. There's a photo I've seen of Robert Plant eating an ice cream cone outside of a carnival that seems to capture the feel of the band. I can remember listening to Led Zeppelin IV at my friend Shawn Whitley's parents house years ago. We were all trying to play the album backwards to see if we could find subliminal messages in "Stairway to Heaven". At the time I wasn't exactly interested in their music. It invoked images that scared me. Fortunately I grew a bit and now identify closely with their music.

Queens of The Stone Age - There's something about the desert rock scene that attracts me. It's a weird feeling. Their sound is classic "stoner" rock but totally original. I honestly can't compare them to any other band. There's something almost creepy about their songs that mixes really well with the stoner/dessert scene. I've heard that the band throws these "generator" parties where they drive out into the middle of the desert with a bunch of friends and play.

Turbo Negro - Toni and I saw these guys play at a QOTSA concert in Tampa. If you know what Turbo Negro are all about, you probably like them. They definitely belong to a very weird scene. For some reason images from "Das Boot" (though the band is from Oslo, Norway) come to mind when I think of them. They're oily, dirty, and very gay, but somehow they put it all together in a totally real and confident way. Combine that with their Norwegian culture and their music turns out to be something totally refreshing. It'll possibly open your eyes to a new point of view on life in general. I'll likely never forget their show, during which they played this bizarre song with them, chanting in Norwegian accents with everyone in the audience, "We got erection!"

Butthole Surfers - They are THE masters of the psychedelic, the grotesque, and bizarro sampling. One of the few bands to successfully incorporate two drummers and a tuba player into their live performances. (OK, maybe they're the only ones to have ever tried.) Unfortunately the band took a turn for the worse after their 1988 album, "Hairway to Steven".

Black Sabbath - Like Led Zeppelin, these guys lived the life. They obviously chose a different path, however.

Tricky - I've heard this band classified as "trip-hop". It's actually a fitting description. Their show in Ybor City was fantastic. My friend, Toby Martini, turned me on to these guys.

PortisHead - There's something very mysterious and beautiful about this music. Another recommendation by Toby.

Hater - Listening to this band brings back a lot of good memories. My good friend, Eric Bedgood, introduced me to this band.

Monster Magnet - I heard music from this band for the first time in Pensecola. A guy by the name of Jeff Schnerenger (sp?), whom I never really knew, was playing one of their albums at somebody's house (can't remember whose). Heavy, heroin-induced, good old-fashioned metal.

The Pixies - Memories of my first semesters at USF, living in UTA.

R.E.M - Incredible southern alternative rock. Fantastic memories of hanging out with my great friend, Hervey, in Pensecola...camping at Ft. Pickens. Never really liked anything after "Life's Rich Pageant".

Zen Guerilla - Saw them play in San Fransisco with Toni. An amazingly energetic concert. A very difficult band to understand without seeing them in concert. They played a sweet rendition of "Ziggy Stardust" at the concert.

David Bowie - What a life this guy has lived. You can almost experience a little of it by listening to his music.

Black Flag - Angry and violent...the essence of youth.

The BogMen - I was exposed to them very much on accident. Bill Campion, the lead singer, apparently went a little nuts. I remember listening to him read from his personal writings, at an old bogmen website, a long time ago. Toni and I really liked these guys. They were actually very interesting.

Judas Priest - This is the band that started my on-going interest in music. My friend, Hervey, had two of their cassettes: "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Defenders of the Faith". I remember listening to them over and over again the first time I heard them. Tom Hanley and I had gone to Pensecola to spend the night at Hervey's house.

Iron Maiden - Ahhh, yes. I can remember listening to these guys and dreaming of a wonderful AD&D-like world. "Powerslave" was their last great album...listening to it while playing "Infidel" on our family's Atari 800.

Dinosaur Jr. - Toni and I used to listen to them back when we first started dating. Actually, I think I bought one of their albums for her before we started dating...back when she lived in a house on the Hillsborough River...