[Daryl Jones]

Pretty nice notes Bill, they echo much of how I feel about the Girls’ musical abilities. The “Why” album is a perfect evolution in their journey. I’m certain the future holds much more progression for them, and consequently, us as listeners.

[Daryl Jones]

Thanks Jurgen. Fortunately -40 usually doesn’t persist, although a couple weeks of it here and there feels like an eternity. Two years back we had extreme ends of the temperature spectrum: -45 many days during winter, +42 during a record heatwave in July. Might sound crazy, but I’d rather the extreme cold; you can always wear more warm clothing, but it’s very difficult to cool down once you’re down to socially acceptable minimums. Worst part about winter is the dryness it causes. Hard to keep humidity in the house with heating and fires burning. It raises hell on my guitars so I have a special humidity and temp controlled room in the basement to store and play.

I usually get the festive decor going around now outside, and the tree goes up a week or so before Christmas.

On another note, Happy Thanksgiving to all our USA based members!

[Daryl Jones]

Hey there Jurgen, another Canadian here. But I live in the prairie/boreal region of North Central Alberta. Roughly 1000km from Vancouver and about 2500km from Ottawa.

We have a varied Christmas menu due to ethnic influences from our local and family demographics. Lots of Ukrainian and Polish families, and of course other immigrant families from all over the world. Traditional toast turkey and/or ham, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, jellied and green salads (I love tomato aspic), sour leaf cabbage rolls, perogies and studnetz (pan headcheese). Kind of a mixed bag I guess.

The common (for here anyway) Christmas carols but often varied styles and artists in my home (Alabama, Charlotte Church, Boney M…) hit the stereo. Obviously MLT are on the Playlist now. The season can be beautiful and snowy, but can be -40 too so a crackling fire is often burning in the wood stove. We still put up a live/real tree that I usually harvest myself. Gift exchanges has waned somewhat as mist of the children on both sides are grown and have their own lives to deal with and distance and weather play significant parts in travel.

I will post something of our festive decor when the time is near and I will be sure to keep the club in my thoughts and wishes.

[Daryl Jones]

It’s funny, cool, Groovy, (all the descriptives) we use in discussions like this. Music is not unlike a solitaire diamond, many facets to view and every angle changes the perspective and the experience.

I was too young in the early to mid 60’s to go out and buy records, so I had to leave that to my older brothers and listen to what they brought home. The Beatles and the Dave Clarke 5, the Outsiders, Elvis, Buddy Holly were the rage of the day, and the Stones were the undisputed “bad boys”. Of course, our parents considered all R&R devilish and vulgar, but it took the world by storm. Can you imagine if the likes of Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf and Deep Purple (just their names would have caused heart palpitations!) had come on the scene in 1962? Good God, John Baldry was an outcast before most of them made their appearance!

But it became a magical time, and now it’s almost a Renaissance period in spite of all the political and social upheaval in the world of the day. Most/all of us here know how special that time was, and we have a very special pair of beautiful ladies and their loving support in Rudi and Mikaela to keep it alive, along with their growing original recording works.

And as much as I rejoice in the warm fuzziness I get from the covers and memories, I cannot help but be saddened for the current and coming generations that will likely never know what we experienced growing up through it. So much came from the birth of rock and roll and the R&B, jazz culture that are it’s roots.

The player in me digs the metal and hard rock riffs, the Stairway to Heaven and the Dark Side of the Moon, the intense vocals of Ian Gillan and Robert Plant, and the abstract genius of Jimmy Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen’s unique style. Just as I can still get teary eyed with some of the more classic vocals of Gary Puckett or later on the Eagles; feel the chills run up my spine hearing Elton John open a concert with Funeral for a Friend…

Sorry for the long winded spew from my guts, it just strikes a chord (pun intended) with me. Keep the faith and stay Groovy all!!!

[Daryl Jones]

Welcome Sara! Late is only bad when it’s dinner…

[Daryl Jones]

I discovered MonaLisaTwins through a clip on Facebook. Then I started following their music vids on Youtube, and finally hit their website. However, it took me some time to make a link to MLT work and join up in support of these two amazing young ladies. I managed to purchase a couple CDs via Amazon in the interim, and finally when I pre-ordered a “Why” bundle, managed to get a membership working and ended up here at last.

Jung, being of the 1960’s growing up period, I really appreciate the girl’s cover of Scott McKenzie’s fabulous song San Francisco so thanks for posting that! It’s one of those memorable songs that I heard over and over in my pre-teen years that somehow got mislaid in this world of rap and techno bee-bop electronic stuff that substitutes for music with real instruments and vocals that don’t rely on auto-tune to hold a key. Of course, now I have to work on that for my repertoire with the new 12 string haha.

[Daryl Jones]

I would say that Mona and Lisa are two in that 8 billion!

[Daryl Jones]

What a beautiful job of mixing the tracks! Thanks for posting Jung.

But of course, the biggest thanks are to Mona and Lisa, and I assume Rudi with the compilation /recording skills.

[Daryl Jones]

I think we’re all in agreement Bill. Major labels are a dirty business for far too many up and coming artists. I have several friends in the business and they’ve struggled with several big names in the game that demand unrealistic output and results. I get the money thing on the Label’s part, but they also ruin some serious talent in the process. Thankfully, Mona and Lisa are not going down that road. The music business is hard enough without a corporation driving the talent like a plow horse.

[Daryl Jones]

Very cool display Tomas! I didn’t go hog wild on the bundle, kept it sort of minimal. But love the CD, really good stuff I think.

[Daryl Jones]

I’m an old Ted Nugent fan (his music not his political stances). Being part of a garage band in the 70’s sort of fell in with that genre of metal and crazy guitar riffs. Cat Scratch Fever wasn’t one of my favorites although it was a favorite of most of the band. I was more into Stranglehold and Motorcity Madhouse from an earlier album.

We’ve always been cat lovers and currently have two furry overlords in the house, a ragdoll and a Maine Coon. Both are a year old now, we lost our Birman of 18 years last October so needed to fill the empty nest. They are pretty much inseparable pals.

[Daryl Jones]

Very astute observation Jurgen. If music is one thing at all, it is opinionated. Not of itself necessarily, but of the artists and then the listeners and fans.

I don’t care for techno, hip-hop, or rap; but it gets play, sales, and devout followers. Certainly doesnt make me an authority, nor does my personal opinion count to corporate minds. Regardless if the product is anti-establishment, even though that establishment promotes it and gives it creedence for monetary gain. My parents considered R&R as trash, the acid rock culture was the spawn of Satan, and the Summer of Love (hippy movement) was blatant sexploitation and immoral. Are my opinions really that much different?

Over and above music, I have spent over 2/3 of my life in the martial arts world. One cannot do that without embracing the culture and ideals half a world and many centuries of war and oppression away. The Western thought process has trouble with much of the obscure (to us anyway) philosophy that surrounds martial study, and often regards it with disdain if not outright fear. To fear what we do not understand is human nature.

So it is with music we do not trust or enjoy. The fault lies not with the medium, but in the interpretation of it I think. Like the news or an unfavorable TV program, we have the power to refuse it entry into our otherwise enjoyable time.

[Daryl Jones]

Sara, the first recording I ever bought was a 45 rpm single back in the late 60’s, Sooner or Later by the Grass Roots. Now that I’ve dated myself, there is no right or wrong in music, or it’s purchase for listening pleasure. True, we all have our personal eclectic tastes but that is merely opinion not actual fact.

“There is no such thing as bad music, as long as it entertains at least one person.” Lee Liberace

[Daryl Jones]

Good points Jung. Time was, major (long) musical masterpieces from Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Ravel… were/are performed in live concert venues and constitute(d) a major social event. Modern day (the age of the gramophone if you will) followed by airtime/radio resulted in shorter pieces as listeners and advertisers needed airspace to promote and receive revenues resulting from the play. Listeners got bored (?) with long songs taking so much time and were seeking shorter and more varied sound bits. Some classic popular songs: Stairway to Heaven, American Pie, Hotel California, dare I say Inna Godda Davida(?) broke that barrier and actually thrived in spite of constraints laid down by stations and said advertisers.

I can easily sit through all four sides of Jesus Christ Superstar in a sitting, but most under the age of 45 (just a random guess but…) likely wouldn’t make it through the overture. Just as I can turn the lights down low and get absorbed in The Four Seasons with only breaks to flip sides. And yeah, I still listen to vinyl because it does sound better! I much prefer hearing Joe Bonamassa’s licks on his Les Paul via the turntable.

Having said that, I don’t have a problem listening to the Twins on CD, there are production considerations to marketing after all. I wouldn’t want the world to be deprived of their talents because a recorded LP was too difficult and expensive to produce and distribute to the masses.

[Daryl Jones]

I use mine all the time on my 12 string, love it. Wish I had a dozen more!