Category: music nerd

Time For Some Elf Examination

Small Image

There is this casual friend of mine who has realised over the past year or so that I am intensely into music and that I am a certifiable Music Nerd. Though he is a fan of metal and knows that I am not so into that subgenre of Rock and Roll, he asked me if I had any curios in my CD collection that he might like.

Knowing he likes other music besides metal (though metal is the main type of music he listens to) I went to my CD vault in hopes I might find a title which would stick out to me as something he would enjoy listening to.

Fortunately, I had to go no further than the ‘B’ section to find something suitable for him.

He had mentioned in the past he had enjoyed listening to the Beatles, and was a fan of their stuff. So, when I saw a CD by a band that I can only describe as the Evil Beatles, I knew it would be something he would like.

The band’s actual moniker is Big Elf and they ROCK!

Sounding like a cross between The Beatles, Queen and Black Sabbath, they are the only metal band I have found that I like. Over the course of their handful of albums and EPs I have come to respect a band like this who is able to channel their influences into a very unique sound. I mean, this band makes a noise unlike any metal band I’ve heard but is so tuneful and melodic, with songs so well constructed, I believe this band could unite everyone who likes rock and roll and conquer the world.

Maybe I am overdoing it but this is the reaction I got when listening to their better-than-great album Money Machine four years ago. Since then I have become a collector of their stuff which is very hard to find. If you want to check out their stuff (even Allmusic had very little to say about them) then go to their website and have a listen. The address is www.bigelf.com and I hope you give them a try.

My friend, the guy who likes the kind of metal where the vocals sound like grunts and growls, just loves the band now and is attempting to search out their other CDs as we speak. Gratification and validation for me and a great new band to check out for him.

Ain’t life grand?

Have you reconciled with your inner elf?

The Music Nerd knows……

Origin of the Music Nerd

Welcome to the first blog from The Music Nerd! Please allow me to introduce myself: I, Scott Homewood, am The Music Nerd and I will be writing this blog as often as humanly possible (okay, roughly three times a week) and using this space to discuss my musical passions whatever and whoever they may be. I have been a freelance music writer for over fifteen years (just Google my name – you’ll see!)and also a steadily gigging musician at one time in my life (but not in quite a while)and I feel qualified to comment on music because it is my passion and that’s what I like to do. Also, because I get paid to do so quite often so I would figure that means I am pretty good at it. Usually, the topic of this blog will focus on a particular artist/group I have discovered and become enthralled with and therefore, being the proselytizer I am, will want you to experience as well.

But first, you may ask, why did I choose to name this blog Music Nerd instead of the more current and fashionable term Music Geek? Well, for starters, it is my experience that most Music Geeks are obsessed with the tiniest deatils of a recording, like serial numbers and instrumental players on a particular song or album. Although I am a fanatical album cover and CD liner note reader, I have never gotten to the point where I have been obsessed about those things. There is definitely a place for those obsessions but I have always just been happy enjoying the music itself to worry about too much minutae, although I do get quite in depth a lot of the time, like most music journalists. Next, the people who are memorizing serial numbers and such are usually dealing with vinyl, which I do not, though I will reserve the right to comment about such matters in this column if something compels me to do so. A while ago I had to sell all of my vinyl to handle an unexpected expense ande, at that point, I forfeited all of my rights to comment about music as a Music Geek. A Music Geek obsesses over vinyl, end of story. I do not have any, so I am only a Music Nerd who collects and obsesses over CDs. See the subtle difference? Also – Music Geeks tend to be interested in only very obscure artists and hard-to-find releases. While some of the artists I like are obscure (actually a lot of them are) most of the stuff I will blog about will be artists/releases you should be able to find if you look hard enough. What would be the joy in telling you about artists and music you could never hear? Music is to be shared and I hope if something interests you an effort will be made to search it out and enjoy it.

So, that is the start of this blog, better to keep it short and sweet the first time, at least. The next blog (in a few short days)will deal with who inspired me to become interested in music. After that, the true focus of this blog will begin: to introduce you to all of the great artists and recordings populating my listening world. Hopefully I can help lead you to some mind-altering music or your new favorite artist. At the very least, I may be able to hip you to some new sounds that help satiate your music-listening appetite. Who knows?

The Music Nerd knows….