Jeff Freundlich
Freundlich is the co-owner of Fervor Records, home to bands such as Super Stereo.
When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station
would play right now? KWSS. Beef Vegan and the crew crack me up, and they embrace new music.
What's the first album you bought? Led Zeppelin, IV.
What's the first concert you saw? Whitney Houston at Madison Square Garden. Kenny G opened. I was 10. Kenny G said that Whitney was saving all her love for him. I believed it. Thank you for embarrassing me to your readers.
What's your favorite concert you've ever been to? It's so hard to nail it down to just one. Probably The Beastie Boys at Roseland Ballroom in NYC while supporting Ill Communication, or front row seats for Bob Dylan and Patti Smith at Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pa. Half of Dylan's set was solo acoustic, which was incredibly powerful.
What's the last song played on your music player? "Animal," by Neon
Trees.
Great song.
Preferred format: CD, vinyl, cassette, 8-Track or digital? CD. I'm a sucker for the liner notes. I want to hold the insert and read whom the second engineer is thanking, and I want to know this while listening to the music. Old habits die hard.
What's your favorite album? Music doesn't work this way for me. Limiting it to one would be too traumatizing. I couldn't even tell you my favorite by decade. I think I just got a gray hair thinking about this.
Who is your favorite singer or band? See above, but Norah Jones' voice absolutely melts me, and her arrangements are great. Also, Florence & The Machine.
Does you computer track how many times you've played something -- if so, what's at the top of the list? "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin," Colin Hay. It's my reminder that in a world of over-produced music, a great song can still be a guitar and a voice.
What was your favorite new or new-to-you album from 2010? 2010: Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs, God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise. 2011: Super Stereo, This Is Future Pop.
What song, not on your label, would you play for a worldwide audience if you could? "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," James Brown.
Who is your favorite local artist? Part of Fervor Records' mission is to perpetuate the legacies of Arizona artists. My two favorites from the past would be The Jetzons and Blue Shoes. Presently, it is Super Stereo. This is Future Pop is a great record, and their live show is awesome.
What is your favorite local venue to see music? The Rogue. It's kind of like the CBGB's of Arizona.
What is your favorite music video?
"Head Over Heels," by The Go-Gos. It's so unbelievably cheesy and I love the early MTV videos where everyone was still trying to figure it out. For contemporary stuff, anything the Foo Fighters do is great.