Linx
ADK - Great mics!
(www.adkmic.com)
After testing it against several top notch mics, we went with the ADK A-48 for every song on "Love or Inertia." It gave us the nice, warm, immediate vocal sound we craved, while still keeping every word crystal clear. Larry, the CEO of ADK is also one of the nicest guys in the biz. He took my phone call personally, and bent over backwards to get us the mic we needed overnight! Can't say enough about him, and about the A-48. Thanks, Larry!
Amy on Myspace
(www.myspace.com/amyraasch)
It's more fun than I'd like to admit.
Artisan Imagery
(www.artisanimagery.com)
Inventive photography with heart, soul and story by young visionary Joseph Corsentino. If you want outside the box, this is your man.
Bayt & Takl
(baytandtakl.com)
My web designers. Their product speaks for itself. They also happen to be some of the nicest guys on the planet.
BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
(www.fellowearthlings.org)
MEERKATS! MEERKATS! MEERKATS!!! All I can say is, these critters of African origin have more personality and charisma than all of Hollywood combined. They are one of the world's most social creatures, traveling in tight-knit, cooperative, loyal family groups. They are tough and scrappy. They hate snakes. And if you adopt one for someone as a gift, you help fund a fabulous meerkat preserve in the California desert where the giftee can GO AND VISIT his or her meerkat. Check out the Alec Baldwin-narrated Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom special, "Meerkats Unmasked." You haven't lived until you've watched Arnie the Jesus meerkat mow a scorpion.
Chris & Thomas
(www.chrisandthomas.com)
Sit around the campfire with the multi-instrumentalizin', Simon & Garfunkel-harmonizin', downright awe-inspirin' Chris and Thomas. Better than moonshine.
Chuck Lee Bramlet
(chuckleebramlet.com)
Not many writers of Chuck's caliber around. The Johnny Cash for the new millennium.
Great gift: Global Re-Leaf
(americanforests.org)
For as little as $15, you can have a tree planted in someone's name, and they send the giftee a nice certificate. Link to treesfortigers.org to opt to gift trees toward the reforestation of habitats for endangered Siberian tigers. Dig the pix of these big cats. Six feet & 650 pounds of beautiful.
Ivo Lopez Photography
(ivophoto.com)
Ivo took most of the featured pix on this site, including this page, "Story," "Word," "Pix," "Tunes," and "Find the Girl."
Joan Jones
(clubjoan.com)
Formerly of Sun 60. Her astonishing voice, charismatic presence, great songwriting, and ballsy pocket trumpet make for a great show every time. Cool site, too.
Nine Parts of Desire
(www.heatherraffo.com)
Heather Raffo's riveting one-woman show has been called "an example of how art can remake the world" (John Lahr, The New Yorker). Hands-down phenomenal. Playing DC September 2006.
Polar Bears, Caribou, White Wolves
(www.savebiogems.com)
The Arctic wilderness is their last place of refuge. Helping to preserve their habitats takes about 60 seconds. Visit Bob Redford and pick up a groovy screensaver on your way out.
Renee Stahl
(reneestahl.com)
Impossibly gorgeous voice, impossibly gorgeous bones. Wait 'til you hear the impossibly gorgeous new album.
Stephen Harvey Photography
(harveypix.com)
Stephen took the "Home" and "Live" pix. Also those fun guitar jump photos in "Pix."
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
(amazon.com)
This stunning novel by Stephen Chbosky reminds you of what it's like to feel infinite.
Tom Freund
(tomfreund.com)
Evoking other soulful Toms such as Petty and Waits, Tom Freund will rock you and break your heart in the space of minutes. Seeing him live makes you feel like you have officially arrived at the center of the universe. His new record, "Copper Moon," is the first thing I put in my new car's CD player.
Tsunami Relief - Sarvodaya.org
(www.sarvodaya.org/index.html)
My friend Sanjay Gupta went to Sri Lanka to help two days after the tsunami hit. He subsequently wrote an article for Harpers entitled "Anatomy of An Aid Organization," in which he expressed concern that certain aid organizations were not sufficiently informed to provide assistance in the ways in which it was truly needed. When I asked him which organization he felt was doing the most good, he told me about this one. Sanskrit for "Awakening of All," Sarvodaya is in touch with the daily needs of individuals and communities, and works practically to empower them from within.