The thing I like most about Hello Gina is that you can find a wide spectrum of artists featured. Just recently you can find posts on Johnny Cash, The Smashing Pumpkins, Kings of Convenience, Madeleine Peyroux, and The Acorn. That’s one of the things that I like best about blogs, the willingness to post about the music you enjoy without worrying, whether you’re supposed to or not.

Gina is also a transplant from Madison, Wisconsin, so some of the places she mentions below, are places that I frequent quite a bit, like B-Side Records on State Street. Gina was kind enough to answer my questions below, please check out her site and read the interview. Thanks Gina!

Let’s get some general background on you. Where do you live, how
long, etc.

The short answer is Boston by way of Madison, Wisconsin. I was raised
in southern Virginia but went to high school, college, and graduate
school in Madison before coming out to New England for more grad
school. In Madison I was an violinist; I played with the two
symphonies in town. Now I study music history in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.

I want to get an idea of your musical taste evolution if you will.
What were some of the first albums/tapes/CD’s you bought?

I distinctly remember fighting with my mom about bringing home a
cassette tape of Young MC. (Bust it!) That might have been the first.
I had a very Burger King commercial-esque misspent hip-hop youth:
terrible for a skinny white girl! As for cds, the earliest purchases I
remember were Pearl Jam’s Ten and Blind Melon’s debut. From there it
was on to Toad The Wet Sprocket and my Dylan self-education.

How about some of the more recent CD’s you’ve purchased?

I am so bad about new release purchases. Maybe it comes from being a
music historian; I seem forever stuck on catching up with older
things. But I did buy the ep from the Silversun Pickups, and I
recently replaced my scratched-up copy of Oscar Peterson’s My Favorite
Instrument.

Where do you buy the majority of your records? Do you support a
particular record store in your area, buy online, and if so, where?

Newbury Comics is my favorite place here in Boston. Every time I go
back to Madison, I hit up B-side Records on State St.

When I started listening to music, there were certain musicians
that led me in the path of a lot of other bands. Did you have any
similar experiences with bands growing up?

I completely owe my love of Neutral Milk Hotel and Uncle Tupelo to
B-side Records. Early in college, I’d go in there looking for one
thing (usually either Modest Mouse or Elliott Smith), and after
talking to the guys in the shop and listening to what was playing on
the store stereo, I’d leave with a record or two that was new to me.
There are other connections that happened just because of ways singers
sound and ways friends try to describe them to me. Hence the Nick
Drake, Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Erlend Oye thread that runs
through my records.

What are some of your favorite records of all time?

Talking Heads 77; Yo La Tengo’s And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside
Out; The Freewheelin Bob Dylan; Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour
Tricks; Exile On Main Street; the first four Led Zeppelin records;
Brian Eno’s Before And After Science; Chet Baker’s vocal albums. These
are records that I play all the way through every time I press play.
They’re wonderful from beginning to end; I never tire of them.

Any idea how many albums are in your collection?

Not a clue. I see about 12 gigs in iTunes. Between 350 and 400 cds, I
guess. Every time I go to grab a cd off the shelf I knock over a whole
pile of others.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING–>

If you could spend time with 3 musicians, who would you choose?

James McNew from Yo La Tengo; Caetano Veloso; and I haven’t read so
much about her, but Joanna Newsom seems fascinating.

I’m sure you’ve seen some great concerts. Can you tell me what the
first concert you saw was and when? To follow that up, are there any
particular shows that stand out in terms of being favorites?

I think the first was a piano recital by Emmanuel Ax. Either that or a
performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring with ballet. My parents
totally spoiled me on classical concerts growing up; my mom,
especially.

The standout in recent years, though, was Pedro The Lion playing the
Pres House in Madison. David was so spot-on that night; above some
serious drumming and amplified guitars, he was just soaring on songs.
At the time, these were mainly singles from Winners Never Quit. I
remember that concert for all the warmth that was trapped inside that
little church on what was otherwise a fiercely cold Wisconsin night.

What are some bands that you haven’t gotten the chance to see
live, but would really like to?

Neko Case. I would love to see the White Stripes, too.

How did you choose the name of your blog?

A professor here in the music department has this funny habit of
greeting me really emphatically, almost barking it out under his
breath: “Hello, Gina.” I made fun of this with other grad students in
the department and now several people do it. It has replaced, “Hey,
what’s up?” permanently, I’m afraid.

Can you tell me what got you into blogging, and are you surprised
by the popularity your blog has attained?

I started a blog in the summer, when I was desperately trying to
finish a research paper about a fifteenth-century music manuscript. I
was just like, Geez, I need a break. And I had begun to read Matt’s
You Aint No Picasso with some regularity, so I thought, Maybe I can do
this. Maybe.

As for popularity, I’m just grateful if anyone else enjoys the blog in
the same way I do: for the chance it gives people to listen to
interesting-sounding music and comment. The site traffic since
September really has surprised me a few times.

What are some of your favorite blogs? Music or otherwise.

David over at Largehearted Boy does the world an incredible service,
so I know I’m only one of gazillions of fans. What I like about him is
his literary side. I guess I like most of my favorite blogs for the
idiosyncratic way their authors write about music. I regularly read
tmwsiy* and Fluxblog, Gorilla Vs. Bear and You Aint No Picasso.

How important do you think music blogs are in general? Do you
think they will continue to be as popular as they are today?

I don’t see how blogs won’t keep growing in popularity. Bands like
Wilco and The Prayers & Tears Of Arthur Digby Sellers clearly
recognize how good internet interactions can be for musicians and
their listeners alike. Blogs, if maintained intelligently, can only
help musicians.

Let’s get away from music for a bit. What are some of your
favorite movies and television shows?

I would blow off work, play, and all dignitiy just to sit at home and
eat cereal on the couch while watching Pimp My Ride. It is a true
addiction. I also like the Simpsons, like all good-hearted people.

As for movies, recently, I really enjoyed Capote, and a little earlier
this year, The Aristocrats. Tarantino’s Kill Bill epic was also great
and totally unforgettable. I mean, I’ve tried kicking ass in yellow
sneakers; Uma Thurman makes it look deceptively simple.

Outside of music do you have any other interests or projects?

Barely. I’m a violinist and a music history student, so life revolves
around music pretty much all the time. But I like to cook, and have
been known to read twentieth-century poetry. And I like people with
disgusting senses of humor.

A lot of people have a favorite concert t-shirt, do you have one?

An old one of my dad’s that has seen several concerts and plenty of
other places. It’s worn-out, small, and orange, and says on the front
(in Portuguese): Conquer or Die.

In your opinion, what’s the best place to eat in your city?

I love the greasiness of Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square. The
burgers and fries can probably be beat by other places in Cambridge
and Boston, but Charlie’s has Guinness on tap and waitresses who won’t
make fun of you and your friends. What more could you want?

Animals dressed as humans. Funny or not?

Hilarious. I especially like the whole suit and carrying-a-briefcase
thing.