Nine Questions

After having initially been disappointed by Tucson's music scene when he moved here five years ago from Seattle to pursue a doctorate in chemistry, Matt Cranswick has since altered his position. "I have found myself a true believer that good music can be found anywhere," he says. This month, Cranswick will add a "Dr." to his name and relocate to "Minnesoter."

What was the first concert you ever saw?

Curtis Salgado at the Portland (Ore.) Waterfront Blues Festival in '95.

What CDs are in your changer right now?

These United States; The Decemberists, The Crane Wife; Johnny Cash, American IV: The Man Comes Around; Calexico, Garden Ruin; The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride.

How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks)?

Three hundred or so CDs and lots and lots of MP3s.

Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?

Nope.

What was the first album you owned?

I stole most of them from my parents at an early age, but the first album I bought was Aerosmith's Get a Grip.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?

A recording of Allen Ginsberg singing "Father Death Blues."

Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don't know about? What's your favorite guilty pleasure?

All my friends know I am a Neil Diamond fan, but most don't know I secretly listen to The B-52s at work.

What band or artist changed your life, and how?

Jimi Hendrix. Didn't he change everyone's perception of rock?

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

The Beatles' White Album.