Blipper since: February 9, 2009
"Our lives are filled with daily fire-drills forcing us to focus on the immediate at the expense of the bigger picture. Unfortunately, it's the bigger picture that contains the subjects that really matter most in our lives."
JeffreyMarsh: Boston, Massachusetts.
Dulin: Why do you blip music on Blip.FM?
JeffreyMarsh: There are several reasons I suppose, but ultimately it comes down to a desire for hearing and sharing new artists along with listening to older favorites.
Dulin: What other ways do you listen to music? (iPod, stereo, other online services?)
JeffreyMarsh: iPhone, laptop and on occasion college radio; WHCL (Hamilton College) & WERS (Emerson College)
Dulin: What song or artist do you never tire of hearing? What is special about that song or artist?
JeffreyMarsh: I don't really have one band or artist I listen to incessantly, but I suppose I never tire of going back and listening to either the Walkmen or Radiohead. Both bands have large bodies of work and to some extent each of their albums have their own personality allowing me to ask, "What do I feel like listening to?" Normally, there is an album that does the trick.
Dulin: Do you remember the first music you ever purchased? What was it? Format (record, tape, CD, mp3)? Why did you buy it?
JeffreyMarsh: I think the first dozen tapes I bought were by the Beach Boys. I loved the Beach Boys growing up. I even attempted to start a band with a friend called the Jr. Beach Boys. I was probably 6 at the time and only owned a sweet Casio Keyboard, but hey, we had big dreams! ;-)
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?
JeffreyMarsh: For the most part, music reflects my mood. If I'm excited or up, then I may listen to something of a more pop-rock nature, but if I'm tired or down, then the music will likely be post-rockish. Those aren't hard-and-fast rules by any means, just tendencies. On occasion I do play music to influence my mindset. For example, when I'm trying to get through lots of work or if I'm exercising, I'll put on music with faster and heavier beats to get me going.
Dulin: If you could blip one song that could reach everyone on the planet, what would you choose?
JeffreyMarsh: I feel like the answer to this question has to be a song with a universal message. Not necessarily my favorite song, but something everyone can relate with. An obvious answer would be John Lennon's "Imagine" which I do love. If I wanted to play something maybe a little lesser known with hopes of possibly sharing something "new" with everyone, then I would blip "Everybody's Gotta Live" by Love. Not only does it have an universal message, but it also introduces the perfect opportunity for a worldwide sing-along. :-p
Dulin: Fill in the blank super group band name. ___________ (color) __________ (verb that starts with R) ____________ (type of dog)
JeffreyMarsh: Rusty Rhyming Hound-dogs.
Dulin: How does a live music experience relate to your music listening habits or buying behavior, if at all?
JeffreyMarsh: These days when I go to a concert it's normally to see a band whom I really enjoy so the show is more of a live realization of all of the listening I've done over the past however many months. So in that regard the live experience is more a result of my listening habits than anything else. The exception to this is the opening act. There have been several occasions where the opening band has really impressed me and I'll go out and pick up their album the next day.
Dulin: What Blip.FM DJ(s) would you most like to meet?
JeffreyMarsh: I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet several Blip.fm DJs in person (at various concerts) and I can say pretty definitively that the Blip.FM community is filled with some really great and interesting people. If I could meet anyone going forward I guess it would be @aoikao or @dirtycash. They both post great music on blip and interesting items on their blogs and/or Twitter pages. They also happen to hail from Argentina which I would love to visit. I work closely with someone who lived there for several years on business and he didn't want to come back. He raves about...well pretty much everything about it.
Dulin: What local/regional musician, band, or singer do you wish the rest of the world knew more about?
JeffreyMarsh: I was going to say 'Hooray For Earth'; however, I see they have moved to NYC (a couple years ago apparently...guess I missed that). They are still pretty great, but I guess a couple Boston bands worth checking out are Mystery Roar and Bodega Girls. They both place on the dance end of the rock spectrum and their live shows are a blast.
Dulin: What musician, singer, or band would you most like to meet? Why?
JeffreyMarsh: Bob Dylan. The man is living/breathing/walking history.
Dulin: Do you have a favorite genre of music or preferred era of recorded music?
JeffreyMarsh: Not really. I've found music to love in every genre and era of music.
Dulin: How are your music tastes different from or similar to your parents, siblings, or friends?
JeffreyMarsh: I see my tastes in music as having grown out of the point where my parents stopped actively seeking new sounds. In other words, my tastes are a continuation of sorts of their musical explorations. My exposure to the Beach Boys and Beatles at a young age was certainly their doing and when my father recently wanted to test out his new home sound system he did so with David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Roxy Music. I enjoy all of those artists/bands and I think they kind of helped create a foundation for me to build from. Furthermore, if you were to speak with the new artists I appreciate most, I imagine many of them would reference bands found in my parents' record collection as influences. As far as my friends go, there is plenty of overlap; however, I would venture to say that my collection is bit more eclectic and extensive.
Dulin: What is the earliest age that you can remember listening to music? What artists/bands did you like in your youth?
JeffreyMarsh: The earliest age I can remember listening to music is probably around 3 or 4 years old. At that age, I mostly just remember bits and pieces of songs and sounds: 50s & 60s rock, Motown, and whatever was on the radio. As I mentioned earlier, the first band I really got into was the Beach Boys, but after that I don't think I really got into anyone until around middle school when I started listening to Nirvana.
Dulin: What song or lyric do you wish you would have written? Why?
JeffreyMarsh: There are plenty of lyrics I admire and wish I could have written; many for their melodic virtue and others for their vivid imagery. However, I'm often impressed most by simple self-reflection. Our lives are filled with daily fire-drills forcing us to focus on the immediate at the expense of the bigger picture. Unfortunately, it's the bigger picture that contains the subjects that really matter most in our lives. Stepping back to shine a honest light upon our relationships with the subjects in our picture and their significance in shaping us as individuals is not something that is easily done. The Beatles' "In My Life" has always impressed me by how simply and succinctly it steps back and reveals that bigger picture. It doesn't hide its meaning behind complex diction or symbolism, it lays it out in its barest form so anyone can delve into the importance (and ultimately the complexity) of its message. All that said, if you had asked me on another day I may have chosen a more veiled verse. :-)
Dulin: Name 5 songs that would be essential for the soundtrack of a movie based on your life.
JeffreyMarsh: This is an extremely difficult question for me, but I suppose off the top of my head a few songs that possess either the sonic quality I admire most or just have that right feel to them are: Radiohead - No Surprises; Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning; Tom Waits - I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You; The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey; The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice.
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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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