ALL POSTS
My 25 Favorite Piano Players
Charlie's Favorites
Charlie provides a list of his 25 favorite rock piano players - and the players who made him want to play the piano hard and loud.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-03-22 Read post
THE Best Fast Food Items
Eat This
When you have driven all across the U.S. you become eminently qualified as an expert on fast food. The Ringer once put out a controversial list of best 50 fast food items. Our list has 100 items, so it's twice as good.
Posted by The Bigfellas on 2022-03-15 Read post
Why It Took 3 Years To Release A Finished Album
Hiya
Our album Hiya was pretty much in the can in Summer 2017. Why in the world did it take us until October 2020 to release it?
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-03-08 Read post
In Defense Of The Accordion
Not Just For Italian Restaurants
Reprint of Charlie article for San Diego Troubadour, focusing on one of the most underrated and reviled musical instruments around: the accordion
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-03-01 Read post
50 Songs For 50 States
Best Song About Each U.S. State (Playlist)
A simple concept for a playlist. Includes embedded list, link to Spotify, but also the rationale, tough decisions and some great runners-up.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-02-22 Read post
Thank You Cards
Trust Us On This One
Making a great argument for writing thank-you cards, no matter what racket you're in. It's the right thing to do and it'll also pay dividends if that's all you're after, too.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-02-15 Read post
Why Does Neil Young Need To Be On Spotify, Anyway?
A Multifaceted Answer
It's easy to armchair criticize a rich musician and expect them to be principled at their expense. But Neil Young has long put his money where his mouth is and the Spotify - Joe Rogan situation is just the latest example.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-02-08 Read post
The Mummers
The Band That Should Have Been Huge
I write about how The Mummers (and Raissa Khan-Panni) made such incredible music but went egregiously unappreciated. Please do yourself, her and me a favor and check out the two albums by The Mummers.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-02-01 Read post
Carlsbad Marathon
20,000 Bigfellas Fans Can't Be Run
What it's like to play music for 20,000 tired people; people have no choice but to love you when you are the on-course entertainment during a marathon.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-01-25 Read post
California King
More Than You Wanna Know About Our Song
Plenty of info about our original song, California King. A reaction to a state recall election in California prompted our most beloved piece of music.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-01-18 Read post
Cokie Awards
Excellence (And Non-Excellence) In Cocaine Film & TV
We are excited to present our awards for the portrayal of cocaine in TV, movies and music in a multitude of categories. This should be your one-stop shop for YouTube videos and definitive awards on movie coke snorting. (Our mothers would be so proud.)
Posted by The Bigfellas on 2022-01-11 Read post
The Last Call
A Weird Musical Residency
In the late 2000s, The Bigfellas regularly played at San Diego dive bar The Last Call (which closed around 2017). Here's a little slice of what it was like to be a band that appreciated us yet never quite knew we were there.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2022-01-04 Read post
2021: My Favorite New Music
Best Of The Year Found So Far
Playlist and article on the music we liked the most (so far). There is so much music to discover and it takes research to find what you like. This is what I found in my 2021 crash course.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2021-12-28 Read post
Aging On Stage
Sex, Heartburn Medicine and Rock & Roll
Reprint of 2015 Charlie article for San Diego Troubadour about how every year after 40 years old it gets harder to lug your ass and your gear onstage to perform music.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2021-12-21 Read post
The Beatles: Get Back
Running Diary of The Beatles Documentary
Notes from the 8 hours I got to spend with The Beatles in the Peter Jackson documentary The Beatles: Get Back.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2021-12-14 Read post
