Eclectic Grooves

On Jan 27th,  I mentioned a potential lucrative opportunity that lay just within my striking distance. While I've posted a couple pieces since, I never shared the outcome of this with my readers.   In a nutshell, I found out a few days after I made that post that I had been selected to keep my position at the higher pay rate that my contracting company negotiated for me. Then, after working with the new contracting company for a little less than 2 months, I was told that my contract was terminated, effective immediately, due to me being the highest paid person on the team. I was shell-shocked, and became deeply depressed, questioning and blaming myself for something that was out of my control. Considering that I wasn't ready to start looking for a new job,  I decided to hold off on collecting unemployment benefits. I spent my days feeling sorry for myself, and wondering how my girlfriend and I were going to pay the bills each month while I looked for a new opportunity. Then, a

While the mystery mix didn't yield the type of results I anticipated, there were a couple people who asked for a track list. Besides revealing the track list for the mix, this post will feature an assortment of random curiosities that may peak your interest further. I encourage you to look into some of these artists further, as many of their other songs are equally as great as the ones featured on this mix. Mystery Mix- L'avventura 1) The Invaders- Spacing Out 2) Area- Chilometri Da Smirne 3) El Rego Et Ses Commandos- Petite Rosette 4) Gil Alluminogeni- Cosmo 5) John Cale- Adelaide 6) Karen Dalton- Blues on the Ceiling 7) Dane Sturgeon- Whip of Love 8) Franco Battiato- Energia 9) Dave Lamb & Gye Whiz- Shine On Me 10) Calamity Jane- Olympia 11) Ruth Copeland- Your Love Has Been So Good to Me 12) Back Door- Jive Grind 13) Souls of Mischief- Let 'Em Know 14) Joe Henderson- Vis a Vis 15) Bunzu Sounds- Zinabu 16) Bodo Molitor- Real Real 17) The South

You never know when inspiration will strike next. It could happen while pondering the meaning of life while toiling away at your office job. It could happen when you are going for a brisk walk in the middle of a downpour. It could happen as you let your mind aimlessly wander while on a slow drive, or bus ride home after a long day at work. It could simply occur when having a conversation with a loved one who ignites a spark within your creative soul.  A young man and woman meet on a scenic train ride through the countryside. As idle conversation goes on, the man asks the woman, "Which came first for you?  Music or love?" She responds "Music, of course. A fiancee you've gotta look for, but a radio can be bought". The man goes on to say that it was "love" for him, and that he knows a great deal about the ways of the heart. With so many distractions as of late, I needed something to get me back on track, and while taking the early hours of the day to

I feel like I'm on the cusp of a major breakthrough in my life, where possibilities are endless and doors open and close at my command. Within the next couple of days, I will know whether or not strongly advocating on my own behalf will have resulted in the largest pay raise that I have ever received at a job during my arduous journey spinning on this mortal coil. This, along with the lack of comments on my last two posts, is the reason why I haven't posted during the entire month of January. I don't like to harp on this too much, because I'm grateful to be able to share music with an audience who appreciates it, but it often feels like I'm talking to myself. I can't stress how important encouraging comments can be to me as writing on this blog serves as an outlet for relieving stress and coping with the everyday rigors of life. I guess it can simply be stated as such: a plant needs water and light to grow and thrive. Receiving comments and having ongoing discus