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Setting the Intention… Years ago I was studying under a Yaqui Indian elder and he spoke, and speaks, at length about defining our purpose, about setting our intention, establishing our identity and reaffirming it daily, hourly, every minute, and every second. Doing so helps us live our most authentic life. Some do this by quoting chapter and verse. Some meditate and chant mantras. My prayers are carried to heaven by Brian Wilson’s tender falsetto. My intentions are set through poets, songwriters, and novelists. I recently recommitted myself to this essential exercise in the form of a simple playlist during my morning shower. I stagger outRead More →

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It’s the heart that matters most…. In the song “Omaha” from the Counting Crows’ debut album August and Everything Adam Duritz sings “get right to the heart of matters, it’s the heart that matters more.” It’s easy to take that lyric pretty much as written: it is the heart, of any given issue or idea, that matters more than whatever window dressing or bullshit going on around it. This past Sunday, July 22nd, the band performed at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the Woodlands, TX just north of Houston. I was there with my best friend…as has become a bit of a tradition over theRead More →

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Mountains and Glass This past Saturday the 14th brought The Glass back to the stage to honor and perform the music of Soda Stereo, the great Argentinean rock group that has influenced more bands than anyone realizes.  But more important than it being another performance by one of Houston’s best bands sharing a bill with other fantastic artists, was the reason for their gathering. It was a benefit show raising funds to help reunite families that have been separated at border crossings. As a friend put it, the evening was “our chance, however small it is, to try to move toward dignity and justice.” TheyRead More →

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Let’s talk about wireless headphones today! The persistent tinnitus and everything that goes with it led me on a search to find adequate headphones and earbuds with noise-cancelling features. I use them to block out and dull ambient sound while listening to masking tracks, different color noises, and music. They help with reducing and regulating the volume around me because sudden spikes in volume, loud noises, or lots of simultaneous conversations and clatter cause The Ringing to get worse which brings with it pain, migraines, anxiety, and vertigo. At this point, in addition to so many different medications, supplements, alternative treatments, and so many doctorsRead More →

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Man it’s hot. Seriously, this is bad. I can’t live like this. The “heat index” had us dancing around 108 over the weekend. 108! By comparison, Seattle is endured a high of 72 and will suffer through a week that will see the thermometer hover around 68. On the bright side there are a bunch of fantastic shows coming up. First up MIEARS has a pair of shows to wrap up a month that has seen her take her unique sound to New York and back. June 29th will find her in Austin at Cheer Up Charlies for a bill that also features Memory Keepers,Read More →

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I’m picking up Good Vibrations…. So let’s think of classic, enduring, compelling songs from the rock or pop canon. What comes to mind? “A Day in the Life” by the Beatles is certainly on anyone’s list as would be “the Abbey Road Medley.” Certainly “Bohemian Rhapsody” is heralded for the complex arrangement, ambitious production, and we’ve all heard the legend of there being so many overdubs that the tape became so thin in parts that they could see through it. We can go on with tracks like “Stairway to Heaven” or “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin and so forth. There’s one song thought that I seldomRead More →

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I’m not sure it will be a weekly thing but I’ve decided to start putting pen to paper about all the things that pop in my head throughout a given week that maybe aren’t fleshed out enough for a full article but that I believe are worth mentioning. I’ll throw out upcoming shows or give head’s up on new album releases or just random musings from the Cathedral.  Here we go…. Fake Believe – All This Waiting David Elbert, also of the Glass and the Apple Scruffs, heads up Fake Believe and released their new record, All This Waiting, a few months back. This recordRead More →

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I love and respect a lot of songwriters and bands. I could rattle off at least a hundred right now without even blinking but there a special few whose music not only do I enjoy, whose music has inspired me creatively, but who have also reassured me that it’s ok to be me. Growing up the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Elvis formed a foundation of sorts for my creative and spiritual identity. They were so bold and ambitious in how they fearlessly brought different styles together to form something uniquely their own. Brian Wilson’s drive to elevate his music beyond pop into the sublimeRead More →

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Yesterday, November 29th, marked 16 years since George Harrison died. It’s hard to come up with something original to say about him or John, Paul, or Ringo for that matter, but I’ve never really written in depth about what he means to me and this seems as fitting a time as any. First, let’s get it out of the way, I totally cheated with the title of this. If Not For You is in fact a Bob Dylan song, I know. BUT…I like George’s version better and it fits. 😉 The Quiet One The early days of Beatlemania brought those kitschy nicknames we all know: John the smartRead More →

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Tessa Kole is one of Houston’s most dynamic and outspoken musicians. She quickly pivots from passionate artist to outspoken activist to successful athlete with what, on the surface at least, seems like almost effortless ease. The same agility is true even in how she speaks. Her southern drawl is as sugary and comforting as grandma’s ice tea served on the porch under the blazing Texas sun. In a moment it can transform into rapid fire expletives and a tone as sharp as any West Texas barbwire. Essentially, Tessa’s personality and life are as widely diverse and far reaching as Texas itself. Full of passion andRead More →