What are you listening to?

When did you last listen to White Zombie's debut album? I put in in my car's CD player about 3 weeks ago and it has been on steady rotation ever since. I had forgotten how kick $%#$# this CD is.

Unless you just hate heavy music, give it a spin. It is chock full of great, heavy riffing and power chords. Bottom line, it's a great rock guitar album.

Most often, probably: Hillsong United, U2, Johnny Cash, David Crowder Band, Jeremy Camp, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Casting Crowns, Jars of Clay, Pink Floyd, TobyMac, Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Stuff I might find myself listening to more: Mute Math, Band Marino, Starfield

I just bought the 2007 edition of Clapton's Crossroads Festival. Some pretty good stuff on there. Clapton playing with Steve Winwood, and Clapton with Robbie Robertson is pretty cool. But I have to ask, what's up with Doyle Bramhall II? What's the appeal? This is the second one of these festivals, and Clapton always has him in his backing band. I don't understand. Can someone fill me in?

I'll take a shot at that question...

My brother-in-law, a talented guitarist who's played with several bands in Phoenix, turned me on to Doyle Bramhall II. First, if I'm correct, the guy's lefthanded buy plays a righthanded guitar -- a TRUE righthanded guitar, which means that for Doyle the strings are flipped. So, he has to play everything backwards. Pretty amazing that he taught himself to play that way!

Second, the guy has some really great tunes. Go to iTunes and download "Green Light Girl." That song absolutely kicks ass.

Third, Doyle Bramhall II was the lead singer and guitar player for the Arc Angels - a band that also featured Charlie Sexton. If you haven't heard their music, check them out. Great Texas blues/rock.

Having said that, my sister and brother-in-law will listen to Doyle CDs from start to finish, and I can't do that. He gets into extended sets of songs that, in my opinion, are too mellow and lack focus. But when he's on, he's really on.

By the way, his father, Doyle Bramhall, is a very respected guitarist that is still releasing new music.

Anyway, I have several of his CDs and if you give them a chance you'll find some great, original music that definitely does not sound like all of the crap that's on the radio.

I dunno, Badger. Maybe he's just turning it down out of respect for EC, but on Crossroads '07, he takes the first solo on the old Robert Johnson tune 'Crossroads', and I had a hard time paying attention.

'Green Light Girl' is on the first Crossroads vid, and it's the same thing. I just don't get it.

Didn't Doyle the Senior play on one of EC's early '70s albums? I'm having a brain cramp right now, and can't come up with an album name.

I hear you. My brother-in-law loves DB's music, you don't, and I'm somewhere in between. I've seen one or two of his live performances where he just doesn't seem to be into it at all. But the studio version of Green Light Girl, IMO, is a great track.

Put it this way: He's not on my list of favorite artists, but he has some material that gets regular play on my iPod.

Go here: DOYLE BRAMHALL II ** MUSIC

Click on "Smokestack" and give that song a listen. Check out his tones, voice, lyrics, lead work about 2/3 through the song, and the great ending. This is DBII at his best.

thats really good, i like classic rock and hip hop *yes im a girl* lol anything with a good beat is great to me

I've gotten myself on a surf rock kick lately. I was out driving around (in the company truck, so no iPod) and stopped to get a caffeine fix, and Starbucks had a CD called 'Five Decades of Surf Rock'. Beach Boys, Duane Eddy, The Ventures and more. Pretty cool stuff. So of course I went completely off the deep end, borrowing stuff from the guys at work (Los Straitjackets) or buying other CDs (I do a lot of driving, and sometimes ya just gotta get something new, and a little hard to download on I5)

"One Hundred Years Of Jazz Guitar" (Legacy); "Chavez Ravine" (Ry Cooder); "Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band-Almost Acoustic"; Various Mozart & Beethoven; Charlie Parker Live At The Philharmonic"; "The Essential Chieftains"; Several by Solas; "Without A Net" (Grateful Dead); Lots of David Grisman Quintet.

Peace,
'bug