Day Two

Day two
Is anyone reading? Once again I've volunteered to be a judge at the annual Orange County Music Awards. So I'm listening to dozens and dozens of songs put on CDs by OCMA chief Martin Brown for me. I don't know the artists' names or categories where they are placed. I just listen to each track and rate them between 1 and 100 with 100 being a perfect score.

As I write this, I'm listening to a female singer, accompanied by her acoustic guitar. I've already heard heavy alt rock, funk-tinged grooves and country-western stuff all on the same 19-song disc today. Your mind and music ears must switch gears on a dime. It's interesting, although only one of the artists I've heard so far today blew me away. That's a tough task for artists to catch my attention being I have to listen to so much music and often feel like I've heard it all before.

Now I'm listening to a heavy alt band that lacks the rage of Korn or groove of Pearl Jam. Everybody wants to be Hoobastank now. Next year, all the rock bands will want to be somebody else. I can't honestly rate this band high; I appreciate they can all play their instruments and make it sound good in the studio. I just wish it had some heart.