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Joe Strell - Influences
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My Father gave me the Beatles' album Revolver for my birthday when I was four. The album had just come out, and the Beatles launched their final US tour in Chicago on that day. This album had a lot to do with why listening to and creating music has been such a big part of my life. As a child, I would listen to this record over and over on our "High-Fidelity" (Hi-Fi) monophonic system, performing interpretive dance in the living room of our apartment in Hyde Park to the strains of George Harrison's sitar on "Love You To". Although many years have passed since then, the Beatles continue to be a great influence on my work.
The Beatles - Revolver
The Beatles - Revolver

In general, I think we are like after those dinner mints you see in a bowl by the host station at a restaurant. We mingle together and gradually rub off on one another over time, taking on each other's personalities, habits and appearances. One of my most avid passions is listening to music, and it logically follows that what I listen to influences what I write. At any point in time, I have a pretty wide selection of musical styles loaded onto my iPod. Here are some of my favorites...

Friends and Acquaintances

Ack-Ack, Algebra Suicide, Area, The Arms of Someone New, Bohemia, Bouncing Balls, Brendan Gamble, Da!, The Dadistics, The Imports, Jake, Lanterna, Lonely Trailer, Moon Seven Times, Polkaholics, Split Heavens, The Throbbers, The Vaguelys, Weird Summer

Folk & Country

Joan Baez, The Clancy Brothers, Johnny Cash, Harry Chapin, Patsy Cline, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, Jim Croce, Ani DiFranco, The Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan, Patty Griffin, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Janis Ian, Norah Jones, Dennis Kamakahi, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, The Kingston Trio, Allison Krauss, Kris Kristofferson, Joni Mitchell, Peter Paul & Mary, Leann Rhimes, Jake Shimabukuro, Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Gillian Welch, Dar Williams

Classic Rock AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Animals, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, David Bowie, Cheap Trick, Donovan, Janis Joplin, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Herman's Hermits, The Kinks, Kraftwerk, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Neu!, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, Ringo Starr, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, The Rolling Stones, T. Rex, The Traveling Wilburys, The Velvet Underground, The Who, The Yardbirds, Neil Young, The Zombies
Punk Rock & New Wave A Certain Ratio, Afflicted, The B-52s, Henry Badowski, Blondie, The Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Cars, The Cash Pussies, Elvis Costello, The Cramps, Devo, The Fall, The Flying Lizards, The Gang of Four, The Homosexuals, Hunters and Collectors, Iggy Pop & the Stooges, The Jam, Madness, Magazine, The Mekons, Moev, The Monchrome Set, The New York Dolls, 999, Gary Numan and the Tubeway Army, The Only Ones, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD), Pere Ubu, The Pretenders, The Psychedelic Furs, The Raincoats, The Ramones, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Sex Pistols, The Slits, The Specials, The Subway Sect, The Talking Heads, The The, Ultravox, The Undertones
Post Punk & Gothic Rock Bauhaus, Blitz, Blurt, Cocteau Twins, Coitus Int., The Comsat Angels, The Cure, Curve, Depreche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Einsturzende Neubauten, Grauzone, Icehouse, Joy Division, Medium Medium, Modern English, Peter Murphy, New Order, Public Image Ltd (PIL), Second Layer, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sound, Tears for Fears, Throbbing Gristle, Toiling Midgets, The Wake, Warsaw, Wedding Party
Conteporary Alternative Pop/Rock Stuff Adult Fantasies, Tori Amos, The Breeders, The Cowboy Junkies, The Dandy Warhols, Death Cab for Cutie, Ani DiFranco, The Eels, Everything But the Girl, Frente!, P J Harvey, Hole, Interpol, Sarah McLachlan, Modest Mouse, Alanis Morisette, My Morning Jacket, Nada Surf, Nirvana, Pink, Soul Coughing, The Strokes, Veruca Salt
Jazz, Blues, etc. The Andrews Sisters, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Patricia Barber, Tony Bennett, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Dave Brubeck, Hoagy Carmichael, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Chris Connor, Miles Davis, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Errol Garner, Benny Goodman, Woodie Herman, Billie Holliday, Son House, Etta James, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Ramsey Lewis, Julie London, Henry Mancini, Dean Martin, Carmen McRae, Glen Miller, Oscar Peterson, Artie Shaw, George Shearing, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Junior Wells