I remember a Harvard study that concluded the music you listen to around the age of 14 has the most effect on what you will like the rest of your life. I don't know how true that is, but the music around that time certainly had a large effect on me. Anyway, I was recently asked by a nephew what kind of music Audities covered. I told him when I originally started Audities I was thinking of all the great songs with good hooks and interesting lyrics I loved that seemed criminally ignored. Bands like Amnesia, True Hearts, Pinups, Fools Face, etc. I was also frustrated that so many great bands were putting out CDs but getting no recognition. Since I have pretty varied musical tastes, we tried to narrow audities originally to be a little more pop and powerpop, and that definition got narrowed and refined somewhat by the people I chose to write for the audities magazine and web site. People like David Bash, Anthony Henderson, John Borack, Terry Herman, Ralph Smith, Terry Carolan, Mark H, etc. I've noticed the tastes are a little wider on this list, and I like that a lot. Like Ralph Smith once told me, a great song is a great song regardless of the style it is done in. David Bash said basically the same thing to me once when he was talking about the diversity of 60's AM radio. So with that thought in mind I made a few CDs for my nephew trying to give them a diversity of songs along with a little history. Here are the listings: John Wesley Harding - Like a Prayer Someloves - Melt Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love, I Believe, You Say You Don't Love Me Shakespears Sister - Stay, Hello Hello Tori Amos - Silent All These Years Steve Earle - Guitar Town, Johnny Come Lately Eddie And The Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile Generation X - Ready Steady Go, Dancing With Myself John Miles - Remember Yesterday (single version) Mott The Hoople - All The Way To Memphis Chris Stamey - Summer Sun Summercamp - Nowhere Near The DBs - Black and White (single version) The Who - Pictures of Lily, I Can See For Miles Amnesia - Ahhh Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough The Sweet - Action Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker Badfinger - Apple Of My Eye, Dennis -----Original Message----- From: audities-owner@smoe.org [mailto:audities-owner@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Richard Metter Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 1:55 PM To: 'Audities list' Subject: Punky pop ideas for a teenager with awakening ears My 13-year-old niece is suddenly embracing a lot of music that sounds ALMOST like things I would listen to - her favorite at the moment is the soundtrack to "Freaky Friday," which has things like Good Charlotte, the Donnas, etc. I remember being her age, with no sense of musical history, and it was the precise age I began exploring musically. I've offered to make her a CDR of some "roots" music, and she said she would give it a try. I don't want to be didactic with her: I'd rather it be something that just gives her a sense that there's a lot to be explored. For instance, if you think about it, even Weezer would probably be new to her. I know she has recently discovered some really "old" stuff in the form of Green Day, but I wonder -- although it would be educational -- if first generation punk stuff would really appeal to her. I'm thinking along the lines of punky power pop, things that are the higher quality (in my opinion -- if you like Good Charlotte and similar bands, I don't want to argue with you, but I find it uninteresting) cousins of some of this stuff she listens to. Challenging stuff can wait for the third edition, when she's 15. But I'd like to throw in SOME 1st generation punkish stuff, like maybe the Ramones. Any ideas would be welcomed. I probably take this way too seriously, because I'd like to be influential, and I don't want her to just dismiss it. For instance, I think some "girl" stuff would be a great idea, but do I play it really safe with the Go-Gos or try something that's a little edgier like the poppier side of the Muffs (maybe their cover of "Kids in America"?)(but can you put a band called "The Muffs" on a 13-year old's mix CDR?). And of course there's the question of lyrics, which obviously shouldn't be obscene or TOO angry. Thanks, Rich M.