Hello all, this is a repost of my intro from Harmonic Dischord (I was never able to successfully register there).
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It's cool to find a Philly area audio group... I look forward to participating, learning, helping, and listening.
I am fairly new to the gear part of this whole scene, but have been into music for a while. I'm 35. As a teenager, I was very into the Who, The Clash (long live Joe Strummer), English Beat, REM, Minutemen, etc. While in college in Pittsburgh, I got into the whole "College Music" scene with the likes of Dumptruck, Chameleons UK, Feelies, etc. I was in my first band in college with two friends from art school... we were called the "Stinky Bovines" and we were two guitarists, a bass player, and a drum machine playing at parties and the like... heavily influenced by REM, The Feelies, VU, Camper Van Beethoven, The Jazz Butcher, Lloyd Cole, etc.
When I graduated and moved to NYC, I was very into the brit music scene with the Sundays, Stone Roses, The Jam, etc. Joined my first band as a guitar player in NYC, then called "Feast Of Saints," now called "Scout." Female-led lite goth. Played all the local and some of the east coast venues.
Decided it was more fun to be in a band and spend all that time with close friends, so I started another band with a bunch of my friends from Carnegie-Mellon. We were called "Ms. Lum," and we ended up getting a record contract with Bar-None Records in Hoboken... home of They Might Be Giants, Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, etc. We did pretty well... of course it didn't last forever. There were some other bands afterwards, but then I had my first child (son) and playing music took a back seat to listening to music. For a while I was making electronic-based music solo at home... Was very into Underworld, Laika, DJ Shadow, etc. Am still very into alternative and indie music... some of my recent favorites: Coldplay, the Doves, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, etc.
My obsession with musical equipment and recording transformed into a mild and cost-constrained (due to the kid) obsession with audio equipment. When we moved from Brooklyn to Philly, I decided I was going to dedicate a room in my new house to 2-channel audio. My system is modest but I think it sounds great. I have done some upgrading since I bought it a few years ago. Now it consists of: Redgum rgi60 integrated amp, Rega Planet cd player, Heybrook TT2/Linn Basik Plus/Grado Platinum feeding a Gram Amp 2 phono preamp. The cables are various: Monster, StraightWire, JPS Labs, the speakers are Linn Keilidh's. The total system cost was around $5000. So you can see my system is modest, but I think it sounds great and I listen to it daily. Still play guitar once in a while, and have a drum kit in my basement that I play once in a blue moon... but listening to great sounding music is my release these days.
After setting up the system I fell in love with simple jazz. Named my second child (daughter) Ella, after the lady herself! Am really into small group jazz from the late 50's and early 60's... Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, etc. Have a couple dozen jazz cd's and building a nice collection of Jazz vinyl... my latest and favorite hobby.
Anyway, being a dad of two, it's hard to get to concerts, but my favorite dates are nights out with the wife or friends to Ortlieb's Jazz House in the Northern Liberties... my favorite part of Philly!
Currently I work as a Design Director for a small interactive software and website design firm here in Philly. I am willing to do any design work: newsletters, logos, website, etc. that this group would be looking for. I would love to hear many other systems and see about the best ways to improve mine. Of course looking to meet like-minded music and gear fanatics. Thanks for reading.
-Sandy Greene
Vertewax on Audiogon
