So, when I was growing up, I heard a lot of music. I mentioned in my influences post a while ago that my parents introduced me to a lot of music. Country, rock and roll, Irish and celtic, etc. etc. My Father listened to everything from Hank Williams to the Beatles, Patsy Cline to Harry Hibbs, to Al Jolson.

I have memories of all of this music, and from time to time I get looking for a certain sound that only some of this music can cure. Lately, for about six months or so, I’ve been looking for a certain sound.

When I was young, we always had a huge radio in the living room. It sat in the opposite corner of the living room from the tv, and it was always turned to the island station. It came in clear as a bell, even though we had the entire Northumberland Straight between the station, and our radio. The station mainly played country music, mostly newer stuff, from popular artists at the time. Sundays were different however. Every Sunday night, if there was nothing on the Wonderful World of Disney on CBC, or after wards if there was, we’d turn on the radio, and listen to a few shows that really stand out in my memory.

The first hour long show was the kitchen party. It played celtic style music, lots of fiddles, and traditional songs. This was probably my Fathers favorite, since he owned, and played a fiddle. He would sit, and whistle along to the songs, while reading a Louis Lamore book. Once the Celtic hour was done, the bluegrass show would come on. This was always a fun hour, because almost every week someone would call in and request The Good ‘Ol Mountain Dew by Grampa Jones, so we’d all sit, and listen, and wait for that one to come on. The banjo really struck a chord with me as well, though I wouldn’t realize it until earlier this year that I wanted to play it. Sometime during the Bluegrass show, Mom would usually come into the living room, from the kitchen, and suggest going into town to Tim Hortans, and ask me if I wanted a hot chocolate. I was young, of course I wanted hot chocolate, and Dad would dog ear his page, and get his boots on.

By the time we got into town, the Bluegrass show would be ending. After that was the Golden Oldies. I remember the announcers voice from this show, slow and deep, but always cheerful. This show was a lot of jazz. Songs from the ’30s. Big bands, and singers whose names you probably wouldn’t recognize. This would play as we’d drink our hot chocolate and drive around town for a few minutes. I remember this mostly during the winter, since it was always dark by this time. The jazz would play on our way home, and usually by the time we got back, it was time to start getting ready for bed.

Those three shows, even though they were all very different styles of music, all had that one old sound. I’ve been looking for something like that lately. Not necessarily celtic, bluegrass, or jazz, but that uniquely Old sound. I’ve been thinking over the last while, ‘where can I find music that sounds old?’ Of course I found certain things that worked for a while. A golden oldies internet radio station, the Oh! Brother Where art Thou soundtrack was pretty close.

Then, just by chance I was checking an email I’d signed up for, but always deleted instead of reading. It shows events going on in Fredericton, and I noticed a group playing at Crumbs, so I checked out their myspace. I’ll post my review of the show, and their album, Monday night.

Either way, later.