Archive - Aug 9, 2010
Music Monday - Spuyten Duyvil
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 08/09/2010 - 15:38Back in May, I set off on a new experiment for the music section of Orient Lodge. I set up an account with SonicBids so that emerging artists could submit their music to me for review. The initial agreement was to run for three months, and at the end of three months see how it went and how best to proceed.
My goal was to put up a review on a weekly basis, or as close to it as possible. I recognized that in some cases I might be writing about other music as well, such as the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival which I regularly attend. So, I committed to reviewing a minimum of five submissions, but potentially reviewing considerably more.
As of August 4th, which was the end of the submission period, I have received 71 submissions. My review today will be my ninth review. I hope to get a few some more reviews completed before September 4th which was the date that I agreed to finalize my decisions about whom I will review. That said, some of my reviews might end up being posted online after September 4th.
It has been a great process and I’ve really enjoyed listening to some of the artists. I hope some of you have enjoyed finding out about some of these new artists as well. With that, let me talk about today’s selection.
I first listened to Spuyten Duyvil’s electronic press kit that they submitted for Falcon Ridge. I liked their music, but it didn’t wow me. Musically, they sound great but the lyrics didn’t resonate with my life. Then, at Falcon Ridge, I heard them play as part of the Thursday evening activities and I liked them much better, and they also sounded great on the main stage as part of the Emerging Artists Showcase.
What does resonate with me about Spuyten Duyvil is that for me they capture an important spirit of folk music. They are probably best heard at festival and farmers markets. On some Saturday’s they play at the Hastings Farmers Market. Local food, local music; it doesn’t get much better than that. Besides Falcon Ridge they also recently played at the Huntingon Folk Festival. They also Tweet about what is going on in the folk scene. Yet where they seem to be at their best is swapping songs and stories late at night on a hill in Hillsdale, NY, or other places where the hard core folk music fans gather.
So, pay attention to their calendar of events, and seek out opportunities the hear them live.
Voting is Important, but I Might Not Vote in the Governor’s Race
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 08/09/2010 - 09:37This morning I received a bunch of different messages about the importance of getting out and voting in the Connecticut Primaries tomorrow. The point was driven home with the latest Quinnipiac poll which found the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary too close to call. The poll found 45% supporting Lamont, 42% supporting Malloy and 12% undecided. On top of this, 30% of those supporting Lamont or Malloy said they might change their minds before voting.
I am friends with both Dan and Ned. I believe either one of them would make great governors. Ned is bright and energetic, as his work with the Brookings Institute, Harding High, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and CCSU has illustrated. He is also a good administrator. Dan is also bright and energetic. I lived in Stamford for many years while he was Mayor there, and I believe he did a great job. His policy statements have been on point on issues like the death penalty, shared sick days, and his actions supporting the SEIU 32BJ have illustrated his commitment to important issues.
Nonetheless, both have run what I consider bad campaigns, focusing too much on what is wrong with their opponents and not enough about what is right with their own ideas about how to make Connecticut better.
Because of this, I remain undecided and am becoming more and more likely to not vote for either of them. I am hearing this from more and more voters. One person, who has been very involved in campaigns spoke about this as being a very informed decision. It will be interesting to see what the results turn out to be.
As a final note, both the Malloy and Lamont campaigns have issues statements about the poll:
Malloy Campaign Manager Dan Kelly said:
The poll reflects what we're seeing and hearing every day on the campaign trail: Dan's got the momentum. People increasingly see him as the better qualified candidate, and the person best able to provide the leadership this state desperately needs. People are rejecting Ned's sleazy and untrue attacks on Dan, and they're rejecting Ned's attempt to buy this election.
The Lamont campaign statement said:
"While more than a thousand of our volunteers reached out to voters, Ned and Mary spent the weekend pounding the pavement, asking families to vote for a better future for Connecticut," said Lamont Communications Director Justine Sessions.
"Democrats know that Ned is the only one in this race with a positive vision for our state, the experience to create jobs, and the ability to beat the Republicans in November. When they go to the polls tomorrow, we're confident that they'll choose Ned."
Early Tuesday, I will go to the voting booth. My mind is pretty clear on who I will vote for in every race, except the Governor’s race. I will watch to see what the candidates and their staffs do during the final hours and then decide if either of them really earned my vote. I encourage everyone to get to the polls and make as informed a decision as possible.
