Blip Nation Interview: Meet Franimal

http://blip.fm/Franimal                                             

Blipper since: May 10, 2009

"I remember sneakily watching MTV. Sneakily. I was forbidden by my dad to watch it. I really dug the ’80s videos. "

  Pete Dulin: What part of the world do you live in?

Franimal: The Great Midwest. Des Moines, Iowa

Dulin: What about Blip.FM appeals to you for listening to and playing music?

Franimal: Blip.FM appeals to me for various reasons. First, and most importantly, I love being able to share music that I love with people who may already love it, or haven't heard it yet. Growing up, most of my friends and family listened to crap music, and for the most part, still do. I like being able to talk with people that love music as much as I do and the same, and different, types. Also, I really like discovering new music. Being on Blip.FM allows me to get a feel for other people's musical tastes. I know if a DJ I like plays a band that might be unfamiliar to me, that it's probably excellent and worth checking out. I have quite a lot of respect for people that have great musical taste. I think the music a person prefers does say a lot about them.

Dulin: Are you a parent? If so, do your music tastes influence what your child likes or doesn't like? What does your child listen to? Do you enjoy his or her tastes?

Franimal: I have a 4 1/2 year-old daughter, Sophie. I like to refer to her as "my sidekick" because she and I are a team, a package deal, if you will. :) I do expose her to music that I like and that's appropriate, of course. She definitely has some music she enjoys, but disgusts me at the same time. I don't object because I definitely want to let her be herself. "Hot and Cold" by Katy Perry played on VH1 one day when I was flipping through channels and the bride video caught her attention, and of course she loved it. Sick, I know. Soph's best pal also introduces her to music. She now loves Taylor Swift and that Romeo song thanks to her friend. Yuck! Her great musical tastes, which I take credit for, include the following bands: Vampire Weekend, Metric, Cold War Kids, Spoon, The Juno Soundtrack, The Ting Tings (Yo Gabba Gabba introduced us both to them), and Peter, Paul, and Mary, which might be her overall favorite of the list.

Dulin: Name at least essential five bands/artists/songs that you'd include on a mix for a roadtrip.

Franimal: Wow, you shouldn't have said "at least" because this list could be long, but I'll try to narrow it down a bit. In reality, I bring almost all my CD books on road trips. Here goes:  Modest Mouse, Billy Joel, Ani Difranco, Cold War Kids, REM, Tori Amos, a mix of old school rap songs, Counting Crows, NOFX, Vandals, Dead Kennedys, Jim Croce, Simon and Garfunkel, Herman's Hermits, The National, Pixies, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins. This might never end. I'm stopping, but I know as soon as I email this I will have thought of bands I should have included. 

Dulin: Do you remember the first music you ever purchased? What was it? Format (record, tape, CD, mp3)? Why did you buy it?
Franimal: My first music was a tape. I can't remember exactly what it was, maybe MTV Party to Go. I remember one of the first single tapes I purchased with my own money was Lisa Loeb and the Nine Stories "Stay" and John Cougar Mellencamp's "Wild Nights." My brother had Bon Jovi Slippery when Wet which we listened to a lot. My parents were big into country, but my mom also liked oldies, which was usually what played when it was just her.

Dulin: How does music, whether playing/listening on Blip.FM or elsewhere, affect your behavior, reflect your mood, or express your personality from day to day?

Franimal: Music has been a companion of mine since I can remember. I have a very weird habit of associating songs with memories. Maybe it's a song that happened to be playing when something occurred, or just a song that's lyrics, or feel, remind me of something. I can resurrect emotions that I felt when I first heard the song, or that are born from hearing it when an event occurred. Music can change my mood, but usually I play music that fits the mood I'm already rocking. I'm a firm believer that music definitely reflects people's personalities. After listening to DJ's for a while, you get a feel for which musicians are their favorites, the type of songs they like, the mood they are in, etc. Music bonds people and exposes things that aren't always easily expressed.

Dulin: Do the DJs you follow most closely on Blip.FM have similar or different music tastes? What draws you to them? 

Franimal: I like music in most every genre. I'm not someone who only listens to just one. If a song appeals to me, for whatever reason, I like it. I would definitely say each one of the DJs I follow definitely plays music I like to hear. All together, my favorites make up the ultimate playlist of every genre of music. The DJs on Blip.FM have introduced me to so much new music in the past year and half it's unbelievable. I love them.

Dulin: Where do you learn about and hear new music?

Franimal: Blip.FM, band websites, Last.fm, people I know that suggest bands, anywhere.

Dulin: If you could Blip.FM one song that could reach everyone on the planet, what would you choose?

Franimal: God, this is tough. One song?!  I guess I would pick Chris Temple's song "For Real". It's on the Welcome to the Dollhouse soundtrack. I really love his awkward vocals, the harmonica, and the lyrics. I attempted to find it via Youtube, but no dice. I did upload it to blip, so check it out if you like.

Dulin: What is the earliest age that you can remember listening to music? What artists/bands did you like in your youth?

Franimal: I have been surrounded by music my entire life, so probably the womb. My family loves to sing. We don't sing well, but we still do it. Whether they are famous songs, children's songs, or simply made-up songs, we're singing a lot. As a kid, I liked music from the ’60s and ’70s a lot because that's what my mom had on the radio. I remember sneakily watching MTV. Sneakily. I was forbidden by my dad to watch it. I really dug the ’80s videos. Nothing is better than seeing an old ’80s video and remembering the last time I saw it was when it was popular. I love when that happens. The last time I had it happen was when I saw the video for Swing Out Sister's "Break Out." It was a video I have remembered through the years, but wasn't sure the band's name or the song title. It was like Christmas when I came across it.

swing out sister - breakout @ Yahoo! Video

Dulin: Any other thoughts to share?

Franimal: Thanks for putting this together, Pete. It's so great to be able to read about what the other DJs. You so awesome!

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Pete Dulin is the co-publisher and editor of www.presentmagazine.com and writes freelance for magazines, websites, and newspapers. Always looking for the next great song, he can be found in the Blip Nation at http://blip.fm/slipperydistortion. He unleashes profound non sequiturs at Twitter.com/petedulin and publishes creative work at www.petedulin.com.

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