About the Site
NAME
How did Mike Went West get its name? The name of my site borrows from the My Morning Jacket song “Phone Went West.” Which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite songs of all time.
Also, Mike Went West is a fitting title because in 2001 I moved west from Wisconsin to California.
HISTORY
I started Mike Went West back in July of 2006. At first, I was a little apprehensive. There were already way too many music blogs out there and I was afraid I’d be just another one. If I was going to start a site, I wanted to bring something unique to the table.
After a few weeks of deliberation, I figured out my angle: every month I would release a podcast (or mix tape) containing a dozen songs centered around a theme or idea. And to fill in the long gaps between mixes, I’d post shorter articles about some of my favorite artists and tracks, both old and new.
Looking back, this concept was far from unique. But it got the ball rolling. After about a year, I abandoned the podcasts because they were too much work. Also, I was running out of quality ideas. I instead decided to focus on shorter, more frequent posts. I quickly settled into a new routine: weekly articles featuring a new song (aka Weekly Download) and monthly articles featuring a new artist (aka Artist Spotlight).
But soon even this became too much work. I felt like I was posting for the sake of posting — not because I actually had something good to share. Now I just write whenever inspiration strikes. So in the end, my site is probably more like a journal than a typical music blog. At least for now…
About the Author
HISTORY
The following paragraphs give a brief synopsis of the many years I’ve spent listening to music.
During grade school, I mostly listened to my dad’s music. It was pretty standard stuff: Clapton, CSNY, Dylan, the Eagles, the Doors, Dan Fogelberg, and Jimmy Buffett. There was also MC Hammer and Ace of Base. Sadly, I have no one to blame but myself for those two.
Then in 7th and 8th grade, I got swept up in the grunge movement. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nine Inch Nails dominated my small CD collection. Over time, my teenage angst subsided and so too did the noise from my speakers.
At the end of high school, I started listening to music again. This time mopey alt-rock by the likes of Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, Counting Crows, and Vertical Horizon. One day, a friend recommended I listen to Radiohead, so I did. I became completely obsessed. After quickly exhausting their catalog, I started looking for something new.
That something was Coldplay. While most people discover alcohol and drugs in college, I discovered Coldplay. I bought any and everything they released, tracking down rare imports and promos. They were my first true obsession and spawned my “British” phase (David Gray, Travis, Doves, Turin Brakes, etc).
My next few obsessions brought me back to the States. Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Built to Spill, Okkervil River, and The National captivated my attention and greatly expanded my small catalog of music.
Since then my library has expanded exponentially to include instrumental rock, hip hop, and alt country. To this day, I am still amazed by the number of quality independent bands coming out of America (and Canada too). There usually aren’t enough hours in the day to absorb all the new music in my iTunes library. I try my best, however, listening to music whenever I am awake. I might have a problem.
MOTIVATION
Why did I start Mike Went West? Like most good decisions I’ve made in my life, I can’t remember my exact reasons. I do know, however, that for a long time I’ve been obsessed with discovering new music and sharing it with my friends. I probably also started Mike Went West out of a closet desire to some day work in the music industry. Most likely a critic, but maybe a producer or even a musician (should I ever decide to actually play my guitar).
But I think my true motivation is this: it’s really fun. I love every part of it — deciding what songs and artists to feature, making JPEG’s in Photoshop, writing and coding the post, and tracking my stats. It’s like a mini art project. I especially enjoy looking back at older articles to see how far my tastes have come. Like I said above, I have come to think of my site as a personal music journal.