After finishing President Obama's book, I'll be wanting to start another fantasy series. I like Twilight and especially Harry Potter, so something like those would be good. Just make sure it can appeal to adults.

The list can be anything: artists, albums, favorite songs - even a combination of these things. Whatever you think conveys your taste the best. The list can have any amount of things in it.

I'll use a artists list to describe what music I love. I'll stop here, or else it could take up the whole screen:

Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, The Beatles, Bill Haley, Elvis, The Beach Boys, Abba, The Byrds, Simon And Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, CCR, Herman's Hermits, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Big Star, Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Shangri-Las, The Crystals, Cheap Trick, The Cars, Bruce Springsteen, The Bangles, Blondie, Go Gos, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Joan Jett, B-52s, Grace Slick, U2, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Green Day, Hole, Garbage, Kay Hanley/Letters To Cleo, Sinead O'Connor, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Liz Phair, Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, The New Pornographers, The Hold Steady, Radiohead, Belle & Sebastian, Fountains Of Wayne, Stars, The Decemberists, Kelly Clarkson, Michelle Branch, The Corrs, Kate Voegele, Avril Lavigne, The Veronicas, The Dollyrots, Damone, The Like, Pink, Lisa Loeb, Metric, Hey Monday, Aly & AJ, Barenaked Ladies, Dixie Chicks, Neko Case, Alison Krauss, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, Merle Haggard, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, A Fine Frenzy, Aimee Mann, Camera Obscura, Rilo Kiley, Chris Isaak, Nina Gordon/Veruca Salt, Josh Ritter, Regina Spektor, Brandi Carlile, Loreena McKennitt, Molly Jenson, The Weepies, recent Mandy Moore, Abra Moore, The Pierces, Sufjan Stevens, David Gray, Eisley, Bonnie McKee, Thea Gilmore, Amy Rigby, Jo Davidson, Stacie Rose, The Format, Alicia Keys, Cindy Alexander, Beetoven, Mozart, Wagner, etc.

I'd say it was during the Dukakis/Bush I campaign. I really began to understand the issues and get an identity. Before that, I would hear my parents talk against Reagan, but I could still be swayed by speeches.

Mine include:

amazon.com, cdbaby.com (for purchasing and samples/recommendations/samples)
rollingstone.com (for articles and new music)
metacritic.com (finding new music)
ilike.com (finding new music)
sputnikmusic.com (rating and reviewing music, and talking about it with others. You can see the albums I've rated here: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/uservote.php?m... )
allmusic.com (general info. and finding new music)
music section at usatoday.com (news and new music)
music section at Entertainment Weekly (news and new music)
I go to the iTunes application a lot
AOL Music/spinner.com (new albums to listen to)
MySpace.com (new music/connecting with those I know already)
American Idol official boards
Certain artists' websites
shoutcast.com (radio stations)

They don't have to be your favorites to be represenative, but they should be ones you like. These albums should altogether paint a picture of the music you like. I saw this on the amazon boards, and thoght DU's choices would be interesting to see.

I'll choose (and these are faves) :

The Beatles - Rubber Soul (classic rock)
Simon And Garfunkel - The Essential Simon & Garfunkel (folk/rock)
Michelle Branch - The Spirit Room (pop/rock)
A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In The Sea (singer/songwriter)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (rock)

My 11 year old German Shepherd mix dog is named Reba. Yes, I wouldn't have named her after Reba McEntire now, but back then I was into country a lot. And I didn't know she's a Repuke.

1) What do you think of Wednesdays in general?

2) How long have you been on DU today?

3) What is your favorite music?

4) What brand of computer do you own?

5) What's one day of the year that you are excitedly counting down to?


My answers:

1) Probably the most blah day of the week for me

2) A couple hours in total; though I've been off and on

3) Classic rock (The Beatles, Beach Boys, Herman's Hermits, CCR, Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Shangri-Las, Elvis, Fleetwood Mac included,) power pop/pop rock (Cheap Trick, The Cars, The Bangles, Blondie, Go-Gos, The Corrs, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, The Veronicas, Damone, New Pornographers, Fountains Of Wayne, The Pierces, Barenaked Ladies, Kate Voegele, Alison Ray, Marianne Keith, Madonna, Camera Obscura, The Charade, Sloan included,) Motown/soul (The Supremes, Luther Vandross, Aretha, Smokey Robinson included,) singer songwriter/folk/folk pop, and rock (Bruce Springsteen, Aimee Mann, Brandi Carlile, Cindy Alexander, R.E.M., U2, John Mellencamp, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Indigo Girls, Bonnie McKee, Jo Davidson, Nina Gordon, Sinead O'Connor, Josh Ritter included,) and The Dixie Chicks. I won't get into all the artists - you can get the idea.

4) I own a Gateway - despite its reputation, the computer has been a sturdy computer.

5) July 21 - the day Book 7 of Harry Potter is released

Here are a couple of mine:

- Always create a web to organize your ideas first. I've found I can write more completely then.

- I've found it useful for me to imagine what others might think of what I've written or done. Sometimes my own perspective will miss something that should be changed.

Here are some tips on music reviews that I got from Howard Cohen from the Miami Herald:

- Limit how many times you say "I" or "me" in a review - don't personalize

- Even though music is subjective, write your review firmly

- Don't worry about the rating too much - focus on content

I'd like to keep up what I'm doing with more free time, but I'm going to have to get into something. Hopefully something involving writing or a business.

See if you can add to this list I'm making.

Democrats:

Dixie Chicks
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Pam Tillis
Matraca Berg
Rodney Crowell
Emmylou Harris
Nanci Griffith
Faith Hill
Kathy Mattea
Tim McGraw
Maura O'Connell
Willie Nelson
Garth Brooks
Trisha Yearwood
Kris Kristofferson
Marcus Hummon
Carrie Underwood (based on strong rumors and a confirmation from a friend only)
Raul Malo
Allison Moorer
Steve Earle
Rosanne Cash
Todd Snider
Adrienne Young
Alison Krauss? (while researching, I saw she donated to People For The American Way)

Republicans and/or Bush supporters:

Brooks And Dunn
Sara Evans
Toby Keith (DINO)
Darryl Worley
Clay Walker
Alabama
Tanya Tucker
Lorrie Morgan
Rascal Flatts
Lee Ann Womack (supposedly neither party, but a blind supporter)
Reba McEntire
Vince Gill
Charlie Daniels
Miranda Lambert (very disappointed in this one - she's a great young talent)
Ricky Skaggs
Robert Earl Keen
Travis Tritt
Randy Travis
Neil McCoy
Gretchen Wilson (saw at DU that she was at a Repuke fund raiser)
Loretta Lynn
Hank Williams Jr
Mark Chesnutt
Craig Morgan

Maybe it will help those who haven't found much of today's music to enjoy.

Here's my list of some artists I sought out and loved, that don't get a lot of notice:

The Corrs (not as popular in the U.S.)
Camera Obscura
The Essex Green
Nina Gordon/Veruca Salt
Yo La Tengo
Damone
Leigh Nash
Thea Gilmore
Jennifer O'Connor
Lillix
The Weepies
Hem
Eisley
Stefy
Mojave 3
Wussy
Stacie Rose
The Like
Sufjan Stevens
The Pierces
Brandi Carlile
Amy Rigby
Courtney Jaye
Rogue Wave
Martha and Rufus Wainwright
Belle And Sebastian
Mary Gauthier
Libby Johnson
The Lemonheads
Margot & Nuclear So & So's
Josh Ritter
Cat Power
Pete Yorn
Rosanne Cash
Susan Cagle
Neko Case
Some Girls
Ingrid Michaelson
Regina Spektor
Pearl Jam
Holly Brook
Guster
Amy Millan/Stars
Allison Moorer
Gomez
Dirtie Blonde
Rainer Maria
Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
Ane Brun
Ellery
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Puffy AmiYumi
Lisa Palleschi
New Pornographers
Cori Yarckin
The Veronicas
Hope 7
Michelle Branch/The Wreckers (in case you missed them)
Butch Walker
Mindy Smith
Kasey Chambers
Steve Earle
The Decemberists
The Randies
Emily Haines/Metric
Cindy Alexander
Aslyn
Penelope Houston
Bonnie McKee
The Faders
Brie Larson
Megan Slankard
Maria Mena
Joseph Arthur
Butterfly Boucher
Abra Moore
Kay Hanley/Letters To Cleo
The Jayhawks
Neil Finn/Finn Brothers
Loreena McKennitt

And old standards like the Indigo Girls and Barenaked Ladies are still going strong.. if you want more artists, I could go on, but I'll stop for now.

Album: Rubber Soul by The Beatles

Movie: A Christmas Carol (Alastair Sim version)

Food: Mexican

Drink: Water

TV: The Simpsons

City: No favorite; haven't seen enough

My dog Reba is a mixed breed. She's big, long, and has a double undercoat - I think she has German shepherd, collie or border collie, and golden retriever.

Post whichever ones come to mind first.

Beatles - Abbey Road
Jo Davidson - Kiss Me There
The Cars - Greatest Hits
Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way
Anna Nalick - Wreck Of The Day
Hope 7 - self-titled
Allison Moorer - The Hardest Part
Paul Simon - Surprise
Melissa Etheridge - Yes I Am
Faith Hill - Fireflies (not a favorite, but it came to mind. I do give it 3 stars - would be 2 1/2 at best without the 3 Lori McKenna-written songs)

You can choose to put the town/city or a more expansive place like county.

I live in Montgomery County, PA.