- published: 19 Nov 2013
- views: 12501052
My Favorite was an independent indiepop band formed in Long Island, New York in the early 1990s, who eventually migrated to the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. They released two full length CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives, three e.p.s, and a few limited edition vinyl only singles. My Favorite broke up on September 14, 2005, when singer Andrea Vaughn left the band.
My Favorite were frequently discussed in the indie music press of the time in the context of New Wave retro-ism, but are perhaps more accurately thought of in the tradition of romantic, lyric driven post-rock n' roll melancholia, strands of which originated with artists like The Velvet Underground and certain Glam rock artists before reaching their apex in the post-punk period. My Favorite's principal influences included The Smiths, David Bowie, New Order, and various singles from influential labels like Factory, Rough Trade, Cherry Red and Sarah Records. In negotiating these influences and impulses they were contemporaries of The Magnetic Fields and Belle & Sebastian, two bands they performed alongside at New York performances. Michael Grace was also part of a blue beat and oi! centered skinhead subculture during his early twenties, and the influence of certain artists like The Special's and Lee Perry can be heard in certain early recordings.
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz. He organized at least fifty recording sessions as a leader during his recording career, and appeared as a sideman on many other albums, notably with trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk.
As his career progressed, Coltrane and his music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension. His second wife was pianist Alice Coltrane, and their son Ravi Coltrane is also a saxophonist. Coltrane influenced innumerable musicians, and remains one of the most significant tenor saxophonists in jazz history. He received many posthumous awards and recognitions, including canonization by the African Orthodox Church as Saint John William Coltrane. In 2007, Coltrane was awarded the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship and iconic centrality to the history of jazz."