have you met heather?

confess child by jezzy and the belles

2012-02-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

so, jessica eisenberg, the singer-songwriter behind the brooklyn based jezzy and the belles, has a really intriguing sound: her voice, so sweet, is oftentimes a contradiction mixing with minor key melodies--a audible representation of the whole sweet-and-sour taste sensation. confess child, a heavily jazz and spanish (or perhaps cuban) flavored bit of melancholy loveliness, is a perfect example of this. eisenberg's voice floats above the song, at times lo-fi, other times strong, but always just a bit removed and haunting, all the while sounding sugar sweet against the minor guitar chords, drum machines, and horns. it's a good kind of contradiction, one that makes a song art rather than simple notes.

tell me your thoughts
confess till your blue
free up your mind
enjoy the view

sing up a storm
don’t let them say
that life leaves you cold
and should be that way

year after year
you see more and more
the piles mask pain
fear of the front door

you deserve more
than you ever knew
it took a black eye
to make a breakthrough

cause it’s not too late
their darkness is theirs
confess child it’s time
to act on your prayers

(mp3) confess child by jezzy and the belles

here's the official video:

go HERE to check out compasses & maps, the EP confess child is off of. jezzy and the belles will be releasing an album in 2012.

dreamer by elizaveta

2012-01-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

so, any reader of this blog knows i love me the sad songs, which may make this post a bit of a surprise, because today's song is a blatantly in-your-face, sunshine and roses, life is good, happyhappyjoyjoy, everyone is fabulous feel-good offering.

it's like optimisim on crack.

what can i tell you about elizaveta, the woman behind dreamer? well, from what i can tell, she's a a bit of a globe trotting opera-trainer singer who has lived in the US, russia, and italy. she's got this really, really sweet voice that reminds me a bit of ingrid michaelson, and it occasionally breaks out in operatic soprano soarings mid-song.

about dreamer . . .

well, it's like i said. it's gonna be the most cheery thing you hear in some time. some of you are going to want to resist its charms. god, you'll think. opera? REALLY? saccharine lyrics? no thanks. NO THANKS.

okay. you can think that. give it a listen to anyway, and i'll bet you'll find yourself smiling. and possibly hitting repeat (secretly, of course, because we music aficionados can't be seen listening to such perversely positive music within earshot of others, can we? i kid! i kid. well, i mostly kid.).

i like it. a lot. i find it impossibly cheerful, a song i can't feel anything but completely happy listening to.

i believe in fairytales
and serendipitous encounters
catch a tiger by the tails
make a wish
drink from the fountain

oh-oh-oh oh-oh

i believe love will prevail
the path is clear for me to follow
shooting stars will leave a trail
for me to fill with joy and sorrow

oh-oh-oh oh-oh

leave your fear of love behind
let your dreaming be your guide
if you seek then you shall find.

the sun is setting in the west
it hovers like a big balloon
it follows me and beckons me
but i am staring at the moon

oh-oh-oh oh-oh

leave your fear of love behind
let your dreaming be your guide
if you seek then you shall find . . .

turn the tide in from the fallen
waiting to rise up again
i can feel it in blood
i hold the future in my hand

leave your fear of love behind
let your dreaming be your guide
if you seek then you shall find.

i believe in fairytales
and serendipitous encounters

i believe in fairytales
and serendipitous encounters

here's a remix of the song to download:

(mp3) dreamer (greg wells' transparent remix) by elizaveta

and the original version in the official video:

go HERE to buy beatrix runs, the album dreamer is off of.

a treatise on self-publishing, or one babbler's ruminations on the issue

2012-01-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

so, i've been thinking about self-publishing a lot lately. this is, naturally, because i plan to self-publish my debut novel a matter of fate within the next couple months, but it's also a more wide-encompassing pondering i've been undertaking, as well.

i've had a lot of people ask me, typically with either true befuddlement or a touch of condescension(or, heck, even both): "why are you going to self-publish? don't you want to have your book published by a big publishing house, so you can go find it in a bookstore?"

well, yeah. of course. now, here's the thing. there's this perception out there that only desperate writers self-publish, ones whose rejection letters could wallpaper the entirety of their house, plus possibly their parents' as well. and i'll admit the truth to you - i have exactly 8 rejections, sent out well over a year and a half ago, back before AMOF really ought to have been looked at by anyone, let alone agents. those 8 rejections are well deserved, by the way. AMOF, at that point, wasn't ready to meet new readers. between those 8 rejections, some really crucial editing and story growth, and dozens of discussions with authors both published and not published, as well as editors, i came to the conclusion that it might be . . . a good thing to try my hand at self-publishing.

so, there have been no more queries. none.

it's not that i fear rejection. rejection is something writers are inherently in tune to accept. i've witnessed in person shannon hale's massive rejection roll, and i've quizzed a good number of authors about their rejections all to hear the same thing: we, as writers, are rejected more often than naught. so . . . it isn't that i'm worried agents and/or editors will turn AMOF away. it's that i've consciously chosen to go the route i'm on.

okay. this is (mostly) a music blog, so let me put it in terms of music. the music industry over the last decade has radically changed. no longer do artists live or die by their record contracts with big labels. no longer are consumers trapped by places like sam goody or wherehouse to get their music. the internet, and itunes, changed that. there are a lot of successful, truly talented bands who are not signed to large labels or . . . heck, a label at all. places like bandcamp have made discovering and buying music from indie artists a breeze. so many bands that i love to listen to nowadays are never played on the radio, and yet . . . i love them still. i appreciate their art. i admire their talent and perseverance. i recommend them to friends and strangers.

and that's the thing. musicians can be admired, unsigned and all. indeed, ironically, in the music blog world, many bands are looked down upon if they sign a contract. "sellouts," is a commonly sniffed insult.

and yet . . . while the publishing industry is changing thanks the the advent of e-readers and online booksellers, i grieve that there is still this horrible stereotype of self-published indie authors. there's this perception that all self-published authors are crap publishing house rejects. that the works are riddled with spelling mistakes, poor grammar, and plot lines that leak like sieves. so many book blogs i go to on a daily basis actually say they refuse to read self-published works or anyone who doesn't have a publishing contract.

seriously. i've seen that requirement - a CONTRACT.

if i was to turn away musicians on that basis, day-um. this blog would hardly ever offer up good tunes for you to discover. but in the literary world, there is still this crazy misconception that it's okay to be so snobby. so biased. so prejudiced.

alright - listen. these bloggers. they can blog about whatever they want, this is true. if they only want to read certain kinds of books, then that is their right. just like you won't ever find a justin beiber song on this blog, those bloggers can ban whatever kinds of books they want. i'm just saying, that when they say stuff akin to, "self-published authors are whiny, needy hacks who suck at writing and can't get a contract, and oh yeah, don't bother asking me to read your book if you DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT," then i can think to myself, "those people are prejudicial snobs."

there is this one book blogger that i really used to love reading. she's snarky and fun and i usually tend to agree with a lot of her reviews. and then she went and did one of those "things i hate" lists towards the end of the year, and the first thing was, "self-published authors and their books." and the girl went on to bitch about how lame self-published authors are and then a bunch of fellow book bloggers in the comments section did the whole, "hear, hear!" bit, and it was like a total snobfestapalooza.

i won't lie. i was . . . offended. insulted, even though my book isn't out yet. and totally turned off by the snobby attitude (which, i'm a the first in line to admit she has every right to having because it was her blog, and she can say what she likes there).

here's the thing. NOT ALL SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS ARE HACKS WHO CAN'T GET CONTRACTS AND FILL THEIR PATHETICALLY STRUCTURED BOOK WITH SPELLING ERRORS AND GRAMMAR THAT WOULD MAKE A FIRST GRADER WEEP. my god. that's like saying all musicians who produce their own music suck, can't play instruments, and write lyrics only someone with an IQ of 52 could appreciate.

nobody says that about musicians. do you get that? NOBODY PUTS MUSICIANS DOWN BECAUSE THEY PUT OUT THEIR OWN MUSIC. and music fans and bloggers, i want to say from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU ARE AN ENLIGHTENED BUNCH OF PEOPLE.

are there no music snobs? i feel like i ought to laugh maniacally about that. OF COURSE THERE ARE. music snobbery is almost a badge of honor in the music blogging world. we music bloggers think what we listen to and offer up to our readers is excellent stuff.

but back to my point. see, i'm going to self-publish a book. it's been edited by . . . novel concept here (pun intended, feel free to groan) A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR. wait - scratch that. TWO PROFESSIONAL EDITORS. i paid these people to edit my book. they were not discovered on the street corner, nor are they friends who are willing to do the job for me. i researched and found an editor who came highly recommended. i am not designing the cover of my book - you know why? although i like to draw and take photos, i am not an artist. guess what? somebody with an actual ART DEGREE is doing the cover. and i am not going to format the book myself. why? because i am not a book formatter. i am a writer. i am not a jack-of-all trades when it comes to this stuff.

(btw, i'm not slamming those who can do all that stuff. writers who are jack-of-all trades, i tip my hat at you in admiration.)

i'm just saying. i've sunk a lot of money into making this book the best book i can make it, one that i think you, as a reader, are going to enjoy. and it is my choice to self-publish, not because i have been rejected so many times that i will only ever get it into readers' hands by putting it up myself, but because IT IS MY CHOICE.

would i like to walk into barnes and noble and see a matter of fate someday? oh yes. that has been a dream of mine, well . . . forever. but i also really like the idea that i have some control over my book. see, i believe in this story.

so, i look forward to having AMOF up for sale in the next few months, to sharing this story with you all. i look forward to discovering open-minded book bloggers who understand that good stories can be found anywhere, and not just with a publishing contract. and i look forward to this nutty prejudice floating around about indie authors ending.

/end rambling

the world unfolds by gabriel & the hounds

2012-01-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

so, i must admit--when i first heard the name of this brooklyn based band, i immediately thought of melissa marr's wicked lovely book series. see, there's this group of faeries called the dark court, and they have these guards who are called hounds, and the lead hound is called the gabriel . . .

and that story really has nothing to do with the band (at least i THINK), but i thought it amusing enough to mention. because, seriously--how cool would it be if gabriel levine, the man behind the band, was actually a closet melissa marr fan?

ANYWAY. ahem. gabriel and the hounds have recently signed with communion records, the home of many talented acts such as daughter and matthew and the atlas (*weeps over their recent break-up*).

in advance of their upcoming debut album, gabriel and the hounds just released a new single called the world unfolds. it's a good song, with lots of nineties-style guitars and plaintive vocals that inherently bring you in, like a friend you're sharing a beer with after work. have a listen to/download the song from the soundcloud below:

hey, when is the world gonna unfold for me?
when will answers become crystal clear?
when will anger be beneath me?
hey, when we gonna find a way out
and why isn't my momma around anymore?
papa said, "hey, we just couldn't keep her around"
and papa said, "i can't hear what's real now,
but you've been asking everyone to get out of your way
but there was never anyone in your way"
hey, when's the world going to unfold for me?

hey, when's the world gonna unfold for me?
when am i gonna feel like a super one?
i wish you the best, but i . . .
i could never feel like you do
i never knew what you meant when you said,
you said, "i could never be with you"
hey, when am i gonna feel like a super one?
when am i gonna start having fun?
when am i gonna be one with everyone
and when am i gonna be with you?

i wish you the best but i . . .
i could never feel like you do
and i never knew what you meant when you said
you said, "i could never be with you"

hey, when am i gonna feel like a super one?
when am i gonna start having fun?
when's the world gonna unfold for me?
when will anger be beneath me?

Gabriel & The Hounds - The World Unfolds by communionmusic

gabriel and the hounds' debut album will be available via communion records in february 2012.

big top by alphabet backwards

2012-01-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

so, today's song is all about embracing indie-pop. sounds a bit contradictory, no? but pop music occasionally gets a bad name nowadays, what with the likes of justin bieber running around singing (warbling?) songs that, well, i can't even name. seriously. i can't even name one of his songs. i feel okay with this inability in my life. i'm a . . . how do they say it? non-belieber.

but pop can be really fun to listen to. i love to read how certain people who consider themselves to be music snobs malign the genre. "it's total crap," they sniff. "you couldn't pay me to listen to that swill."

but you know what, internets? i bet you those same haters actually have a good number of pop songs hidden on their ipods or on their computers. we all do. there's always the allure of pop - easy to listen to, easy to sing along with, that makes it impossible to truly resist. (although, YES. i can resist the beibster. and mariah. and a bunch of other "pop" singers - but that's more because they sing things that could crack glass and make dogs go deaf.)

ANYWAY. today's song, a lovely pop ditty called big top, is by the oxford based alphabet backwards.

it's got synths, hurried male-female vocals, and a beat that draws you in. it's a likable song, one that encourages you to hum along. check it out in the video below:

go HERE to buy music from alphabet backwards.

more news!

2012-01-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

oh, friends. i am so excited to share this with you...

the official website for my upcoming YA book series is now live! head over to world of annar to get info on the first book, a matter of fate, which is set to be published in the coming months. the first chapter is up for you to read--i'd love to hear what you have to think!

ten favorite songs of 2011

2012-01-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

so, happy 2012, friends! i am here to offer up my favorite songs of 2011, fully aware that i ought to have done this just a few weeks before. c'est la vie, though!

anyway, in no particular order, these are the official hymh favorite songs of 2011:

** highlights of owls by amy seeley

i honestly think amy seeley could put out a song with her singing names from the telephone book and i'd still find myself in love with it, she's just that good. highlights of owls was one of those songs that i've gone back to over and over again over the last year--so much so that one night, the husband said, "really, heather? this song again?" yep! and i have no shame for listening to it on repeat often. go HERE to read my original post on highlights of owls.

the sky gave its answer
assured and steady
what to make of the things you're not

<a href="http://amyseeley.bandcamp.com/track/highlights-of-owls">Highlights of Owls by Amy Seeley</a>

** i told you so by teepee

holy moly, friends, do i dig this song. it's a bit addicting, to be honest, one that i can't help but seek out often and play so loud my ear nearly ring. drum machines, lo-fi vocals, and a modulating melody make up one fab song. go HERE to read my original review of it.

don't lean on me when you need a body to cry on
i told you so, i told you many times

<a href="http://music.teepeesounds.com/track/i-told-you-so">I Told You So by Teepee</a>

** home is not where i come from by nico stai

another artist that could probably sing just about anything and i'd love it, nico stai is, in this opinion, one of the best singer-songwriters around nowadays. his songs are almost all bittersweet, and home is not where i come from is no exception. it's gorgeous in a really simple, uncluttered way. his next album is highly anticipated by this girl! go HERE to read my original review of this song.

and if you ever need a comeback,
i can be the thing you come back to
yeah, and if what you really need is a reason,
hell, i'll be the reason, too

(mp3) home is not where i come from by nico stai

** writing my name (on the back of your hand) by the glue ensemble

so, i'm cheating here, because technically, this song was released in december '10 and not '11, but considering i'm posting my top ten list of '11 in '12, i figure this makes this okay. hee hee! ANYWAY. this song. oh, this song. how do i love writing my name (one the back of your hand)? in ridiculous ways, friends. this song is so incredibly fabulous in just about every way. it's a mix between classical and indie and makes you feel all sorts of wonderful things, like awe and happiness and swooniness (yes, swooniness). i could easily listen to it twenty times a day every day and still feel just as keenly as i do about it now, it's just that good. go HERE to read my original ode to this song.

you know this place like the back of my hand,
but you stumble and fall
because you know nothing at all

<a href="http://theglueensemble.com/track/writing-my-name-on-the-back-of-your-hand">Writing My Name (On The Back Of Your Hand) by The Glue Ensemble</a>

** severus and stone by radical face

friends, i have planned for MONTHS now to offer up a review of the new radical face album for you. until i get my lazy self to do so, know this: it's AMAZING. i loves it so much. it is everything good and thought provoking and gorgeous that you would expect from a radical face album. and the shining star, in this opinion, is severus and stone, an incredibly heart wrenching song about twins--one dies, one survives. as a mother of twins, i try not to think too much about the true meaning; instead, i let its loveliness perminate through me, as a nearly perfect example of what singer-songwriting ought to be. go HERE to read an interview i did with ben cooper, the man behind radical face.

he was afloat
found a lonely tree
and tied himself within its limbs
and he said to me these words:
don't you fear for me,
i am where I'm supposed to be

here's a live video of the song--so bitter i didn't get to see him when he was in LA this time around:

** i swear by sallie ford and the sound outside

hot damn is this song rocking. i love the fact that sallie ford looks like this adorable librarian and then is able to belt out these sorts of songs. i swear is all about the trouble with crappy music being churned out for the masses. it makes me laugh every time i hear it, and then i want to turn it up loud and sing along, because it's just that sort of catchy song that requires you to do so. plus, the video is awesome. go HERE to read my original review of this song.

what is this robot sounding bullshit?
they just don't care anymore
why don't we get rid of all of the people
and we can sell our souls to the man
go ahead and tell em that you heard me on the dirty radio

** lavez vous by the bandana splits

i've only posted like a zillon posts about these girls this year, and it's because i have a mad, mad crush on their tunes. the bandana splits are retro-fabulous in every way possible, and lavez vous is my song du jour. it makes me want to dance, it's just so fricking bubbly and awesome. go HERE to read my review of the album this song is off of.

i learned to speak french
from beauty products
that my mom gave to me

** second song by tv on the radio

brilliant song. that is all.
go HERE to read my original review of second song.

and when the night comes i'm fiending like a pyro
and i know it stables my survival
when there's music all around me and i haven't got a single word to say

** ok pal by m83

gen-xers, rejoice! anthony gonzalez, the man behind m83, is here to stoke our nostalgia, and ok pal is a prime example of just how he will do it. john hughes is smiling down on us as he listens to the songs off of hurry up, we're dreaming, thinking, "dude. that would have SO gone with one of my films." go HERE to read my review of the album that ok pal is off of.

and finally...

** stay young and go dancing by death cab for cutie

this was a tough one, because let's face it, i love me the whole codes and keys album. my song crushes have steadily progressed through it over the year, including the delectable monday morning and unobstructed views. but lately, it's been all about stay young and go dancing--and i think this is because it's such a happy song, one that embraces life and makes you feel like life is worth every last second, good or bad. don't get me wrong--i am a diehard fan of all the sad, sad dcfc songs, but this one...

yeah.

this joyous one does it for right now.

'cause when she sings i hear a symphony
and i'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me
i'm renewed, oh how i feel alive
through autumn's advancing, we'll stay young, go dancing

i look forward to many new song crushes through 2012!

news! news!

2012-01-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

so, i wanted to let you know i've finally set up an author site that you can check out: www.heatherlyons.net. if you'd like, go and have a peek! news and info about my upcoming book a matter of fate will be posted over there. have no fear, this blog will remain up and running as my official blog!

here's to a great 2012, filled with great tunes and new books to share. cheers!

new year's eve by haunting party

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, 2011 went zooming by. it was, in many ways, both an excellent and tough year. i am glad for its presence in my life, though--glad for the gifts it brought me. here's to 2012 being even better.

here's a song done a million times, true . . . and each version i like, because it's just a great song in the first place. ella's version is still the best, harry connick jr.'s is pretty damn close. but this little slice of simple americana feels just right for the end of this year.

happy new year, friends.

listen to/download for free new year's eve by haunting party from the bandcamp widget below:

<a href="http://hauntingparty.bandcamp.com/track/new-years-eve">new year's eve by haunting party</a>

go HERE for more holiday tunes from haunting party (all free!). squirrel them away for next year.

video - safe & sound by taylor swift and the civil wars

2011-12-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

so, not to make myself sound geeky or anything, i'll admit i am a total hunger games fan. i ate those books up like sees candy when i first got them several years ago and waited nearly impatiently for the third and final book to be released. i then read that book in a matter of three hours ("NO ONE BOTHER ME--I MUST KNOW HOW IT ALL ENDS," i sadly shrieked to the poor family while shoving the book close to my nose). so now that the movies are being made, i've further geekified myself by waiting impatiently for those (march, march, why are you so far away?!?). i admit at first i was a bit surprised by some of the casting choices (oh, how kristin chenoworth would have been a supreme elfie, and . . . and . . . woody harrelson as haymitch? couldn't it have been someone like robert downey jr.?), but i'm going to trust that things will work out because suzanne collins has given her blessing and approval of these choices.

this leads me to something bugging me lately - acceptance of the author's vision. lately, i've been reading a lot of book blog posts about how the reviewers find certain books in a series "wrong" or "not true to the story." and, as an author, this makes me scratch my head. of COURSE these books are right and true to the story. these are the author's works--not the fans', despite how we end up taking these stories to become our own after ingesting them. the author is the one who created the world, the characters, and the plot. things happen because they author makes them happen. things end because that's the way the author meant them to. i know, in particular, a lot of people had issues with the end of mockingjay, the last book of THG trilogy, and this truly makes me scratch my head. "i hate it," some said. [SPOILERS FOR THE THREE OF YOU OUT THERE WHO HAVEN'T YET READ THESE BOOKS]"it should have been gale with katniss, not peeta, in the end," others fumed. "she had kids. katniss didn't want kids. obviously the wrong ending! peeta is a monster for forcing her to have kids!" others wailed. "why did prim have to die? finnick?" was heard often.[END SPOILERS] my goodness. i'll tell you why.

because suzanne collins said so.

we, as readers, can certainly not like how a story goes. i've done that a lot. we, as readers, can handily say, "this book sucked," or "i didn't like it," and the author will accept that, because that's how this goes. when we writers write (i lump myself as both a writer and a reader, as all authors should), we know that not everyone is going to like what we put out there, and THAT'S OKAY. tough, but acceptable. but i truly think that readers must also accept that a book is also an author's vision, at least as it is in its current form (fanfic is different and ought to be treated as such--once the book is released, its world is out there to interpret as need be by the people visiting it). it isn't fair to say the book wasn't true to a story. the author always has a reason for doing what they do. i know i've personally agonized over choices, but have always made what i feel is to be the truest action for the characters and story. sometimes i don't even like doing it, but it has to be done, because that's just how the story goes.

anyways! i've rambled, but you knew i would. the true reason for this post is that a song has been released from the upcoming soundtrack to the hunger games movie. and it's by taylor swift AND the civil wars. the civil wars! i love me some civil wars! called safe & sound, you can only imagine how katniss, peeta, rue and co. might hold onto such a concept while they're fighting for their lives in the arena.

(ignore the fact that one of the peeps from lady antebellum is also in the photo)

i regret to inform you i won't be posting the actual mp3. i have a 99.9998% suspicion it would be yanked down nearly immediately. instead, i share with you the video (which really isn't a video, but just the song with the poster) so you can listen to it and ruminate on how lucky we are that we do not live in a dystopian world, no matter what we feel about our government, taxes, society etc . . .

i remember tears streaming down your face
when i said, "i’ll never let you go"
when all those shadows almost killed your light
i remember you said, "don’t leave me here alone"
but all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight

just close your eyes
the sun is going down
you’ll be alright
no one can hurt you now
come morning light
you and i’ll be safe and sound

don’t you dare look out your window darling
everything’s on fire
the war outside our door keeps raging on
hold onto this lullaby
even when the music’s gone

just close your eyes
the sun is going down
you’ll be alright
no one can hurt you now
come morning light
you and i’ll be safe and sound

just close your eyes
you’ll be alright
come morning light,
you and i’ll be safe and sound . . .

go HERE to buy the single.

ho hey by the lumineers

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, now that the christmas has come and gone, are you ready for a non-holiday catchy song? one that makes you happy?

okay. i've got one for you: ho hey from the lumineers.

let's first discuss the title--ho hey. i mean, really. how fun is that? it's the sort of song that really ought to have a ton of stomp/claps with it, and while it sadly has no stomps (oh, lumineers, how fabulous it could have been with those stomps!), it does have tambourine action, which serves nicely for claps to help punctuate the hos and heys.

the lumineers are an excellent americana band that remind me, in a way, of the head and the heart. they've got a similar sound--earnest vocals, unpolished music (i mean this in the very best way--there are no synths to kill or gloss over what's really going on), and lyrics that stick with you. it's . . . a party song, i think. a good time song. a feel good song that makes you think of excellent friends, cold beers, and joy.

i've been trying to do it right
i been living a lonely life
i been sleepin' here instead
i been sleepin' in my bed
i been sleepin' in my bed

so show me family
all the blood that i will bleed
i don't know where i belong
i don't know where i went wrong
but i can write a song

i belong with you, you belong with me
in my sweet home
i belong with you, you belong with me
im my

i don't think you're right for him
think of what it might have been if we
took a bus to chinatown
i'd be standin' on canal......and bowery
and she'd be standin' next to me

i belong with you, you belong with me
in my sweet home
i belong with you, you belong with me
in my sweet home

love we need it now
let's hope for some
cause oh, we're bleedin' out

i belong with you, you belong with me
in my sweet home
i belong with you, you belong with me
in my sweet home

have a listen to the daytrotter version of the song:

(mp3) ho hey by the lumineers

and now watch a video of the band singing it:

the lumineers self-titled debut album will be released in march 2012.

i love you, mr. grinch by laura warshauer

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, happy christmas eve, all!

i'm gonna make this short and sweet, because (like you, i'm sure) i still have a ton of things to do to get ready for tomorrow. but i wanted to share this guilty pleasure-pop-christmas tune because it makes me laugh. i mean that in a good way. i love you, mr. grinch by laura warshauer is so cheesy (sugary?) it's practically adorable.

twenty-five days into december
i'm growing up, do you remember me?
i melted your heart because you were green with envy
they said, "mr. grinch is a changed man"
they thought it was nearly impossible
but i'd be lying to you if i didn't say
that i secretly, secretly, secretly loved you

do you like me, mr. grinch?
you know you want to
you're stealing my heart
just like you stole christmas
will you be missing me when january rolls around?
when january rolls around

so what?
so what, i've got a crush on an older guy
certainly won't be the first or the last time
i melted your heart because you were mean
well, they said, "mr. grinch is a changed man"
they thought it was nearly impossible
but i'd be lying to you if i didn't say
that i secretly, secretly, secretly loved you

do you like me, mr. grinch?
you know you want to
that you're stealing my heart
just like you stole christmas
will you be missing me when january rolls around
when january rolls around

well, here's to the little girl with a bow
why, she saw you when no one else was looking through your disguise
it's cindy-loo who
to show the world that the grinch is cold(?)

do you like me, mr. grinch?
you know you want to
you're stealing my heart just like you stole christmas
will we be missing you when january rolls around?
when january rolls around
rolls around

(mp3) i love you, mr. grinch by laura warshauer

and! as a bonus, a remix by DJ VON U-KUF:

(mp3) i love you, mr. grinch (remix) by laura warshauer

watch the video:

o holy night by miracles of modern science

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

so that delightful chamber orchestral-indie rock band miracles of modern science have released a version of o holy night for you to enjoy. it's exactly what you'd expect from them: lots of strings mixed with modern elements. i think somewhere, freddie mercury is smiling.

listen to and download (for free!) this fabulous version from the soundcloud below:

O Holy Night by miraclesofmodernscience

go HERE to buy more music from MOMS.

cheap gold by frightened rabbit

2011-12-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

so, as an early christmas present, i opened my email today and found the new frightened rabbit christmas song! yes! yes!

here's what you need to know about cheap gold:
1) it's beautiful
2) it's got scott's typical bittersweet-meaningful lyrics
and
3) it's depressing as all hell (which means, of course, i'm gonna like it!)

cheap gold drips from dressed up trees
cheap gold lines the salted streets
cheap gold and the gift receipt
in case it's not what she wants
cheap gold, the ring on the familiar hand
cheap gold, the cross on the necklace that he bought
wrapped in cheap gold paper
oh, if it would be enough to keep her

cheap gold and the tarnished silver snow,
from a doorway too
so follow into the lothian winter
falling down like falling heavy drinkers
take--
take the steamed up taxi home
and suck a hipflask to stay warm
ignore the hardened winter
swap a kiss for a stiff ring finger
the thought that counted has gone missing
he feels so cheap but remember this is not for life
it's just for christmas

cheap gold

listen to and download from the soundcloud below:

Frightened Rabbit - Cheap Gold by Frightened Rabbit

go HERE to buy more music from frightened rabbit.

christmas (baby please come home) by death cab for cutie

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, yeah. *sigh* how i heart me the death cab music. ben gibbard can make anything sound good, even this normally (in my opinion) subpar christmas tune. YES, I KNOW IT WAS A U2 SONG, AND YES, I FULLY ADMIT TO BONO AND CO'S BRILLIANCE. I AM ALLOWED MY IDIOSYNCRACIES.

hee!

(mp3) christmas (baby please come home) by death cab for cutie

go HERE to buy lots of music by death cab for cutie.

revisit: in excelsis deo by there will be fireworks

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

[some songs need to be reintroduced because they're just that good. here's a post i did last holiday season]

so, 'tis the season and all that, and by now, i'm sure you deathly bored by the current batch of christmas songs out there. you know the ones i mean - the ones that you hear on the radio EVERY FRICKING SINGLE HOUR. please, radio-folks. i beg you. enough with the mariah carey and the wretched jessica simpson song that was recently available free on itunes (god, why, itunes, why? do you hate your listeners? and this comes from a girl who will admit, with only about 85% shame that i thought simpson's come on over was fun).

SO! i am here to rescue you and set you on the course to christmas music bliss with a song that is beyond fabulous.

i've posted before about there will be fireworks, which is yet another gem from scotland (land of excellent music, thank you very much. and yes, i am the biggest fangirl of scottish music there is). last year they offered up this song for free to their listeners for the holiday season. and i thank you lads for it, because it's so beautiful that i even break it out to listen to in the summertime.

OMGSQUEE, peeps. this song is amazing! and so heartfelt. doesn't it make you feel all happy squidgy inside? when nicholas mcmanus sings, "i still can't sleep on christmas eve," i simply fall in love with him and his band all over again.

well i can't wait for christmas
been buckle-knee'd and listless.
and you say
that you've been wishing weeks away

we hung the lights out in the street
twisted round the bows of trees
the choir sung it's holiest refrains

like gloria
hosanna in the highest heaven knows
this year's been black and blue
but we're alright
and this christmas could be white for me and you

i still can't sleep on christmas eve

and we'll never miss a beat
scarlet faced from whiskey neat
in the cold
singing, dancing in the dark

oh i hope these words will do
i've had my doubts but not about you.
i'm drunk
and hearing voices in car-parks

and this year
oh, i've got love in me,
i swear
I hope you know

gloria in excelsis deo

if i should fall from grace
if i should leave this dear green place
and if christmas fades without a trace

but still when you're around
there's magic in this old grey town
you know you should chat among the flames

keep singing all the songs
who cares if all the words are wrong
who cares if it barely ever snows

but still the choir smiles
the carol of the bells goes...

(mp3) in excelsis deo by there will be fireworks

THERE WILL BE FIREWORKS In Excelsis Deo by ILL FIT

winter song by the head and the heart

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, i love me the head and the heart. i love their sound. i love their harmonies and melodies and the beauty of their music.

for this december, a song for you by the band to fall in love with: a live version of winter song. go make yourself some tea or cocoa, get yourself a blanket, snuggle up in your favorite chair and let this one wash over you.

tell me somethin', give me hope for the night
we don't know how we feel
we're just prayin' that we're doin' this right
though that's not the way it seems

summer gone, now winter's on its way
i will miss the days we had
the days we had
i will miss the days we had
the days we had
oh, i'll miss the days we had

loving, leaving, it's too late for this now
such esteem for each has gone
has time driven our season away?
'cause that's the way it seems
in the world of the speech that is new
i'll be back again to stay
again to stay
i'll be back again to stay
again to stay
i'll be back again to stay

(mp3) winter song (live) by the head and the heart

and the band performing it live in washington last year:

go HERE to buy music from the head and the heart.

it's christmas time by matthew ryan

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-08:00

so are you ready for a ridiculously happy christmas song? of course you are. so i present to you today it's christmas time by matthew ryan.

what can you expect? basically, an earworm that comes in a perfect guitar/husky voiced package. i dare you not to fall in love with this song, or, at the very least, start singing while getting one of those superb happy rushes.

here's the scoop on the song from matthew: "It was written and recorded last December on a whim and through the magic of home recording it's available in its happy and raw form."

Hey it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time
Hey it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time

Now everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody...

Give!
Give!

Cause it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time
Hey it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time

Now everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody...

Smile!
Smile!

Cause it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time
Come on it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time

Now everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody! everybody!
Everybody! everybody...

Give
Smile
And grin
And smile

Cause it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time
Come on it's Christmas Time
Yeah it's Christmas Time

Give
Grin
Smile
Give
Grin
Smile
Because it's Christmas Time

you can listen to it below and download it from the bandcamp widget below. as for price . . . well, you can type in zero and get it for free. or you can give matthew some christmas spending money by naming your price. it's up to you!

<a href="http://matthewryan.bandcamp.com/track/its-christmas-time-by-matthew-ryan">It's Christmas Time - By Matthew Ryan by Matthew Ryan</a>

go HERE to listen and buy more music from matthew ryan.

(mostly) wordless post #52

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

frightened rabbit. christmas song. brilliance. enough said.

(mp3) it's christmas so we'll stop by frightened rabbit

go HERE to buy lots of music from my favorite band. and word on the street is that there's going to be a new holiday tune for us shortly!

sunny christmas by renee and jeremy

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, i live in southern california. we don't get snow unless you drive up to big bear. our cold days would make the peeps in the midwest and east coast laugh hysterically while they bust out their shorts. it will most likely be sunny on christmas.

that's just how we roll around here.

do i wish we could have a snowy christmas? often. but i also have angels baseball (pu-JOLS, baby!), ducks hockey, disneyland, multitudes of beaches, mountains, deserts, and everything in-between all within a relatively easy drive (traffic notwithstanding). i try to remind myself of these things when christmas morning rolls around and we're wearing t-shirts.

for all of you fellow socalers, or anyone else who likes happy stuff, here's a song about having a sunny christmas. aptly titled sunny christmas, it's by renee and jeremy. shhh . . . they're technically making kid's music, but i won't tell if you don't that we're all digging it! i swear to you, SWEAR, it doesn't sound like kid stuff.

have a sunny christmas
gather everyone you know
have a sunny christmas
take it everywhere you go

decorate your near and dear
and fill your heart with love and cheer
and let it ring throughout the whole year long
wrap the world with mistletoe
a kiss to everyone you know
a smile to every stranger can't be wrong

have a sunny christmas
gather everyone you know
have a sunny christmas
take it everywhere you go
have a sunny christmas
feel the spirit in the air
have a sunny christmas
share the love that's everywhere

take the time to celebrate
the ones that you appreciate
the people in your life that make you glow
stand beside your brothers and your sisters and your lovers
and light a fire inside and let it show

have a sunny christmas
gather everyone you know
have a sunny christmas
take it everywhere you go
have a sunny christmas
feel the spirit in the air
have a sunny christmas
share the love that's everywhere

give a gift and give again
it doesn't really matter when
give a gift and give again,
again
give a gift and give again
it doesn't really matter when
give a gift and give again,
again

have a sunny christmas
gather everyone you know
have a sunny christmas
take it everywhere you go
have a sunny christmas
feel the spirit in the air
have a sunny christmas
share the love that's everywhere

(mp3) sunny christmas by renee and jeremy

go HERE to buy more music from renee and jeremy

the bells of christmas by blackbells

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

so, today's christmas song has a really interesting flavor to it--on one hand, it makes you think traditional with a hint of medieval, on the other, it's the stuff of spaghetti westerns. NO, REALLY.

blackbells, the band behind the latest cover of the bells of christmas, are based out of brooklyn and are technically psychedelic rock. often compared to oasis or other britpoppers like blur, they tend to focus on guitars and walls of sound. the bells of christmas is no different.

honestly, i think if quentin tarantino was to hear it now, he'd want to craft a christmas special for the bride from kill bill.

have a listen to and download this unique, fun version from the soundcloud below"

Blackbells-The Bells of Christmas by The MuseBox

go HERE to buy music from blackbells.

remember when it snowed by rosie thomas

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

so, there are some songs that are just so bitterly, gorgeously sad that you can't help but want to pull them close and give them warm hugs. today's song, remember when it snowed by rosie thomas, is just such a song.

built around a piano and thomas' sweet voice, it's a sad tale of--what else--what once was. it's both a holiday song and a timeless one, the kind of song you can listen to in june and not feel ashamed of doing so. or on a rainy day in february. or whenever you like! well, except when you're blindingly happy, because then it might bring you down. but, c'mon now. you love the sad songs, too. you know you do.

(don't be fooled, friends. this photo of rosie is not one that goes well with this song! love song, yes. happy? no).

remember when it snowed?
never thought the rain would end
we built a sled
and felt like kids again
remember when it snowed?
all the evergreens turned bright
they stood so tall
like angels in the sky

remember when it snowed?
we stayed up most the night
your house was cold
so we wore our coats inside
remember when it snowed?
we all went caroling
'till our toes were numb
'till we ran out of songs to sing

for christmas, all i want is to come home
and be back around the places i know
all i hold are memories of then
and all i want is to be there
if you really can go home again

remember when it snowed?
remember our first christmas here?
you built the tallest snowman
right outside our bedroom window for me
remember when it snowed?
and i broke down and cried
you used your father's mittens
and wiped the tears from my eyes

and for christmas, all i want is to come home
and be back around the faces that i know
all i hold are memories of then
and all i want is to be there
if you really can go home again

and for christmas, all i want is to be home
and be back around the faces that i know
all i hold are memories of then
and all i want is to be there
if you really can go home again

all i want is to be there
but you really can't go home again

how i wish i was home
how i wish that rain would fall
right on my house
and we wouldn't even really notice it all

listen to this beauty and download it from the bandcamp widget below:

<a href="http://rosiethomas.bandcamp.com/track/remember-when-it-snowed">Remember When It Snowed by Rosie Thomas</a>

go HERE to find more christmas music by rosie thomas.

wonderful christmas time by the bandana splits

2011-12-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

so, i love me some bandana splits. they're adorable, you know? i've yet to hear a song of theirs, cover or original, in which i thought, "this sucks." instead, it's more along the lines of, "must put on repeat immediately--oh wait, i love this one, too, maybe that ought to be on repeat now, instead . . ."

anyway, the point is, i'm going to admit something that may make a number of you cease reading my music blog (although i hope not). i am not the biggest fan of the beatles. i know, peeps. I KNOW. this is sacrilege. i get that they're master musicians who radically altered the face of music forever and can even today, even now, be found in most of the music produced. i appreciate that they were innovators and talented and all that, but for some bizarre ass reason, i've never been instantly attracted to their music in the way that i am others. i like it when i hear it, but i do not seek it out (much to the amazement of the husband, who often reminds me that without the beatles, most of the singer-songwriters i love would not be who they are).

I GET IT, FRIENDS. there is no need to try to convince me of something i already understand.

how does this tie to the bandana splits, you ask? well, as i've stated before, i am a christmas music junkie. love the stuff. but there are some christmas songs that don't do it for me. john lennon's war is over (yes, i get that was after the beatles) and paul mccartney's wonderful christmas time (also post-beatles) are not my favorites.

HOWEVER. the bandana splits did a cover of wonderful christmas time, and guess what? OF COURSE I LOVE IT NOW.

i am a contrary creature at times.

so, go forth and download this song for your holiday playlists. if you love wonderful christmas time, you'll find this version retro-y fun. if you didn't like it (there have to be others, right? RIGHT? am i alone in my feelings?), then i bet you (um, nothing. i'm broke from buying toys for three kids) that you're gonna dig this one.

(mp3) wonderful christmas time (paul mccarthy cover) by the bandana splits

watch the video. SERIOUSLY. HOW CUTE ARE THESE GIRLS?

silver bells by she and him

2011-11-29T11:11:00.001-08:00

so, christmas! christmas! christmas!

i love me some christmas music, which is in direct contradiction to the husband, who finds it to be an assault on his music snob sensibilities. we have a deal in our family - no christmas tunes until thanksgiving dinner is eaten. i think he'd prefer december first, but i managed to weasel this date in.

anyway! yes! i am already listening to it. and i'll be the first to admit that these sort of season tunes are hit and miss. there are some amazing versions out there to listen to and enjoy. and then there are those that make your ear bleed while cringing.

ahem. you know who i mean. the warblers? the shriekers? the ones who think that they're singing some kind of monstrous masterpiece that will be played at every single christmas party, when in actuality, is played only in retail because they're being payed to play it?

yeah, those. i won't name names. this is the season to be charitable, after all.

there is a fun new album out for you all to ooh and ah over at your christmas parties. and i'm talking about she and him, the musical collaboration between zooey deschanel and m. ward.

sidenote - have you heard that zooey d. and ben gibbard of my beloved death cab over their overpriced handcrafted ales. as for me, there was no sobbing, but more of a weird sense of, "it had to be zooey's fault, right? because . . . as adorable as she is, and as much as i covet her wardrobe and love her television show, it couldn't really be ben's fault, right? because . . . he's the lead singer of death cab, and he writes beautiful songs, and . . . and . . ."

yeah, totally nonsensical. and ridiculous. and unfair. and despite all this, i still adore me some zooey d, because it'd take a brain dead fool to not find her irresistible. and that's what her music is like--irresistible.

which is exactly what her she and him christmas album is like--utterly irresistible.

simple in many regards, without all the wailing and choirs and whatnot that others use to create a sense of seasonal majesty, a very she and him christmas is like a happy christmas surprise. there are ukuleles (readers, you know how i love me some ukulele), retro-vibes a-plenty, and general adorableness. listening to this makes you want to dress up in sequins (don't ask--i'm obsessed with sequins lately, it's really frightening, truly) and go and drink cocktails at some swanky, fabulous location, surrounded by people you genuinely like while surrounded by christmas lights. seriously. that's the vibe.

today i'm going to share the she and him version of silver bells. it is simplicity taken to near perfection: zooey's earnest yet lovely vocals set to a ukulele. there's a sense of true christmas spirit here, one not manufactured by hallmark (no offense, hallmark).

thoughts?

(mp3) silver bells by she and him

here they are, on jay leno, performing the delectable christmas waltz:

go HERE to buy a very she and him christmas album. do it quickly, so it can join your rotation, and your friends will thank you for putting something classy and clever on, as opposed to the shrieking, warbling albums. just you wait!

hot day by caithlin de marrais

2011-11-16T10:10:00.001-08:00

so, former bassist/singer of rainer maria caithlin de marrais has a new album out, red coats - and on that album is a song called hot day.

it's an interesting song, hot day - with an interesting origin: it's roots can be traced by to the soundtracks of 70's crime dramas such as the french connection, dirty harry, and taxi driver. there are also traces of patti smith's horses in it - as de marrais says, "Horses was destined to be in my record collection. I loved Mapplethorpe, Blondie, Talking Heads and hanging out in the Village as a teenager. Now I relate to Horses totally differently. It sounds old and wise to me, like a force of nature that won't be silenced."

check out this gritty song:

last night was a problem
but i got today
do what i want
see what i see
last night, made a promise
to old friends in dark bars
forgetting where i'm going

(mp3) hot days by caithlin de marrais

buy red coats, the album hot day is off of, HERE.

album review: dead letters by sealight

2011-11-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

so, a couple weeks back, i did a french week - and today's band really ought to have been featured, too (even though they're more of a french/australian mix). in any case, i recently got a chance to listen to sealight's latest EP, dead letters, and liked it so much that i figured you all needed to hear about it.

there are a lot of different kinds of albums out there - some are meant to entertain as soundtracks to parties and fun. some are romantic and perfect fodder for instilling the right mood in happy relationships and then there are some that are riddled with angst, companions to carry you through difficult, messy emotions. there are those albums which are pure pop drivel and there are those that aspire to become art. and that's one of the great things about music, friends. whatever kind of mood or companion you seek, there is a band out there with the music you need.

sealight doesn't make the kind of music you play on fun road trips or during dinner parties. no - their hushed sounds are more of the sort of ambiance that comes with introspection. it's the kind of music you listen to when you've got problems and are trying to puzzle them out, the kind you turn to on gray, soft days. i

like this kind of music, with it's quiet strength.

their latest EP, dead letters, is actually a collection of letters and texts from the band's family members in france and australia, something i find intriguing. these snatches of real life give the songs a bit of a personalized edge that draws the listener in yet remains generalized enough for separate connections to be made through the concept of reliving and retracing the paths and ties of relationships. layered guitars serve as the perfect background for lead singer sandra rossini's lovely vocals - and lovely they are, with their mixture of sweetness and just the barest hint of melancholy. there are soft synths, horns, and drum machines that never threaten to overwhelm - instead, the combination of all of these elements serve to create a cohesive blend of gorgeousness that can't help but leave a listener feeling more than a smidge introspective.

some highlights . . .

when the rain starts, with it's echo-y horns painting the background, remind me, in the smallest way, of the blue nile in the sense that it creates a visual landscape of blurred windows awash with watercolor. everything here is fuzzy, as if you're on a train moving at speeds that don't allow specifics, only colors. it's haunting in it's beauty. in white walk, you're taken to chilly places (more so than simply the talk) and then there's the moon, with it's steady guitar lines that lead the listener through it's story with almost no respite, much like overwhelming emotions a person can't escape. and then there are the bookends, dead letters at the opening and la nieve at the end which nicely contradict each other with dueling sensations of resolution and then hope.

it's really a beautiful album. stream it below:

<a href="http://sealight.bandcamp.com/album/dead-letters">Dead Letters by Sealight</a>

buy dead letters by sealight HERE.

editing! updates! announcement(s)! exclamation points galore!

2011-11-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

so, my poor blog! so neglected this last week! i blame things like halloween, my kids' school, karate, hockey, and, OH YEAH, getting my book back from my editor.which is very exciting, friends! here i was, totally prepared to weep uncontrollably while rocking in a fetal position under a table over just how crappy the editor thought it to be only to find out that i had seriously gone way over to the dark side for nothing. because, hooray! she liked it, and the things recommended for alterations are all things i'd considered before myself.

so, even though i wrote a post last week about needing to get back to work on codename: mo, those characters are going to have to wait patiently while i get chloe and company in a matter of fate in good shape and ready for publication.

speaking of . . .

i've decided to try my hand at self-pubbing after much thoughtful consideration and discussion with a number of other authors and editors. i'd actually submitted AMOF to seven agents way back when the book was a bloated behemoth that needed much TLC, and though i was crushed to be turned down from representation with (gasp) form letters, i now actually see the wisdom in these people rejecting me. one, the book was WAY too big. the truth is, friends, i'm a wordy kind of person (any regular reader of this blog knows this). and i write like that, too. i put down a zillion words and then pare them down drastically through editing. and two, the rejections led me to overhaul AMOF and take it and the characters within in better directions. the book i have now is radically different from the one i queried with, and that's a good thing. and it's not that i'm terrified of being rejected repeatedly through querying again (which i know i would be, because--let's face facts--all authors except maybe a select few get rejected up the wazoo), it's just . . . it seems like a good thing to try self-pubbing.

would i like to see a matter of fate in a bookstore? heck yeah. of course i would. i think all writers would love to see their work in bookstores. and you have to give it to the big houses--for the most part, they do a pretty good job with packaging books. but i also have a nook, and it's changed my reading habits pretty drastically. i still buy physical books, especially ones that i want for my collection and wouldn't mind having in a bookcase, but i love the fact that i can store hundreds of books all on one device without cluttering my house. i love the fact that, any time of day or night, i can buy a book and have it ready to read in a matter of seconds. i like being able to take all of these books with me on errands, appointments, and trips and not worry about my bag being weighed down. it's convenient, if not a bit daunting to my pocketbook--in the two years i've had a nook, i've bought probably twice or triple the amount of books i normally would from a bookstore. i've been introduced to a number of new authors that i probably wouldn't have tried before, especially thanks to self-publication.

are they all good? um . . . no. some of the writing out there is atrocious, as are some of the stories. but then, that's the case with some authors and books from major publishing houses with contracts, as well. and the truth is, i've discovered some great self-pubbed authors who make me scratch my head and wonder just why in the heck they don't have a contract when other crappy authors do.

but then, as i've discovered over the last year, a lot of this is by choice. more and more writers are choosing to self-publish, because it allows them to take back control of their works. they aren't constricted by a contract that takes away ownership of the story or creates covers they don't like or approve or or changes within the book they may not like. when a writer self-publishes, they are in control of almost every aspect. but with this also comes a need to be careful and do things right.

a lot of those crappy books i mentioned above came without a decent editor. or proofreading. or hard work at making the book the very best it could be.

when i decided that i was going to try self-pubbing with AMOF, i knew that i was going to have to hire an editor and not merely depend upon friends to do the work for me. i know i'm going to need to get a cover done--a good one--and not just slap together some pictures and words at home in a matter of minutes. i know i'm going to have to get a trailer done and . . . argh . . . do publicity. this one is going to be hard, as i don't really like drawing attention to myself. but, for the characters of my book, i will do these things and more! and that's because i truly believe that i've got a story that may interest some of you.

so here i am, on my final final edit of a matter of fate. i'm going through, line by line, tweaking it and revising it due to my editor's recommendations. and then, in a couple of months, i'm going to put it out there in the world to share. like, to buy on amazon and barnes and noble and smashwords.

e e e e k . . .

fyi, if you're curious about AMOF, go ahead and check out the my books tab above. there's angst! magic! bad guys! good guys! faerieselvesdwarvesgnomesgoblins! and love!

whew.

find/buy this print, aptly named anywhere but here, at etsy HERE.

by the way . . . i like this picture. it's very chloe-like.

ANYWAY.

music readers, you're probably like, wth, girl? where are our tunes? why the blank days? GIVE US MUSIC!!! and friends, i am certainly going to do that. music is good. i'm obsessed with it. i can't go a day without listening to it or using it to write to. so hold on, things will steady out, and regular posts will resume. just know that i'm going to start talking a bit more about writing, too. and my book (er, books, 'cause i have several i'm planning on publishing over the course of the next few years). this is an exciting time, peeps. a strange one, for me at least. so bear with me and the blog. i hope you keep coming back for the tunes. i hope you give a matter of fate a chance.

now, today's song has nothing to do with the book, other than i think my lead character, chloe, would dig this band. because, HELLO, the bandana splits are adorbs. and here they're covering morrissey's everyday is like sunday. oh, goodness. can you resist a girl band doing morrissey in their super cute style?

NO, FRIENDS. YOU CANNOT.

download it and love it:

(mp3) everyday is like sunday (morrissey cover) by the bandana splits

writer's block sucks, but music helps

2011-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

so, i have been a wee bit plagued by writer's block on codename: mo for a couple (eek) months now. i've got probably 80% of the story done, but i'm struggling on the last act - not so much because i don't know what's going to happen, but more because i'm having trouble putting all the action i'm seeing in my head down on paper.

it's a bit paralyzing, writer's block. insidious, too, because it overtakes the creative process and hammers forcefully in one's head the futile belief that things will never get finished, because you might just not have it in you.

i wrote the end to mo way back in the beginning. i tend to do that - i'm even the wretched sort who will flip open a brand new book and assure myself of a happy ending occasionally before even getting past chapter two (although, my nook has curbed that nasty tendency more often than naught lately). as a writer, i like to know where i need to steer my characters before i toss them through the wringer, so i can assure them (and myself) that it'll all be worth it in the end. that's not to say that i won't change the ending - i tend to do that, too - but it's the overall feel that helps me through the process. so, i know where the leads in mo are going and what i need to do to get them there, but there's the pesky problem of writing action scenes. 'cause that's where mo culminates in the final act, in a flurry of action scenes that require me to do a whole lot of research about weapons i have no clue about and fighting techniques that i'm utterly unfamiliar with. it's bizarre, because i can see what's going on, but...

i dunno. each time i write out a scene, it just falls flat on its face.

however - my saving grace (no pun intended for those of you out there in my writer's group who have been patiently listening to mo over the last couple months) is music. i've got a playlist built for each of my books, and lately i've been hammering the ones for mo in my head over and over to get the characters and feel in. plus, i've been using my time in the car and shower, both excellent places for me to brainstorm, for some odd reason, to get these scenes right.

find/buy this print at etsy HERE

music is funny to writers. there are those who claim they can't have it on at all while they write. then there are those who say they can only have instrumentals. and then there are those, like me, who would wither up in a small fit of despair without proper tunes to match scenes. the playlists on my itunes are frightening, data-wise, because there are some songs whose playback numbers are astronomical. i can put a song on repeat for a good hour or two while i write and never tire of it.

mo's playlist is a bit schizophrenic, thanks to the story's three points of view. i'd never written a story told from so many POV's before, especially ones that come from such radically different places and motives. but i like it, and i like their influencing songs, and i've got them stuck in my head like crazy lately. which, obviously, means i need to share them with others.

so today, i'm giving you several videos to watch of some really great songs that have put a lot of background influence into codename mo:

AC/DC's hells bells is super important to this story. yes, me - indie queen and folk music lover, adores me some AC/DC. shhh!

ironically, this video also starts with a bell. i've shared it before, but it's so key for this story - sleigh bells' infinity guitars:

Sleigh Bells "Infinity Guitars" from Phil Pinto on Vimeo.

maybe only hardcore U2 fans will have heard of this next one - alex descends into hell for a bottle of milk. it's given me lots of fodder for back story and world building...

god of wine, by third eye blind, is such a hushed, anxious song, and i culled a lot of angst from that sensation for several poor characters:

and finally (although certainly not the last in the huge playlist), lifelines by i am not left handed is so bitterly gorgeous and haunting that it was spot-on perfect for all three MC's POV's during various points in the story:

now, to go and write that scene...

video for a saturday - monster mash

2011-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, can you really go a october without diggin monster mash?

i can't. neither can my kids, who demand to listen to it over and over again. i love that they even try to get the vocals just like bobby "boris" pickett's.

random song trivia for you:

pickett was an aspiring actor, so it only makes sense that his song had some low-budget hollywood sound effects in it. the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board, the cauldron bubbling was actually water being bubbled through a straw, and the rattling chains were simply chains being dropped on a tile floor.

and, there have been at least 19 covers done of this song. it's pretty much the gold standard for halloween!

a cartoon version:

and one a fan did for a disney contest, featuring disney villains. super clever!

the darndest things by archie powell and the exports

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, growing up, i was, like most alternative-loving gen-xers, a fan of social distortion. they had a bit of a gritty punk sound to them - not quite polished against the shine of synths coming off of so many other bands of the time (and please, don't get me wrong, i addooooorrred many of those shiny, synth-y bands). i mention this because when i first had a listen to the darndest things by archie powell and the exports, i was instantly transported back to my high school days, sitting on my bedroom floor, listening to social distortion while studying the CD case.

for those of you youngsters, these things called booklets could be found in cd's, and they had pictures and lyrics and all sorts of things that you couldn't find on the internet, because, heck, the internet wasn't around.

damn, i'm old.

i josh about the teasing above (not the old part, sadly). but the point here is that archie powell has a bit of that gritty sound to his music that really features instruments stripped down to the basics (no synths on this song!) and a voice and lyrics that are both honest and a wee bit plaintive.

i like the imagery behind this song, the emotional resonance that comes with trying to figure out where you are and what you want:

well,we're caught in an avalanche, my love
and it seems a though we've no place else to go
so let's talk with a toast to lack thereof
in our brand new house we'll build under the snow

and it's not hard to see
you make me say the darndest things
oh baby, i do decree
oh mecy, mercy me

well, it's time that we've got to be alone
away from all the surface ebb and flow
and to think of the world that we've outgrown
in the comfort of our snow and ice chateau

well, they're sending out a search for us right now
and our faces are on flyers in the streets
though they always hate to stop and disavow
logic says by now we've had to freeze
oh please

you know if it was up to me
i'd get your lifetime guarantee
oh baby, i do decree
oh mercy, mercy me

stream/download the song for free below:

The Darndest Things by Archie Powell & The Exports

now check out the video for the darndest things:

go HERE to buy skip work, the album the darndest things is off of. FYI, two additional songs off the album (skip work and enough about me) are also offered for free!

pleasant experience (small black cover) by el may

2011-10-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

so, let me introduce you to australian multi-instrumentalist/composer/visual artist lara meyerratken, aka el may.

meyerratken has a really great sound - all girly and fun, with hints of bright, warms days in her sunny voice. her music is the infectious sort, the kind best put on in the background when you want motivation or something more than gloom. that's not to say that all her songs shriek of cheer and positive thoughts only - au contrair, my friends. it's just, el may has this way to make her songs sound cheery, like a much milder, kinder version of morrissey.

recently, she recorded a cover of small black's pleasant experience with their blessing. small black bandmate josh kolenik said about el may's version, "It's always amazing to hear songs that you write in a totally new context. Loved the way El May brought out the lyrics in a way that's obscured in our original recording, and the production is pristine."

check it out/download it from the soundcloud below for a short time:

Pleasant Experience - El May (Small Black cover) by El_May

and then go HERE to stream more music by el may. make sure you check out made of water and decide on a direction and go, both of which are excellent songs. okay, actually, stream them all, because i really can't find any that i'm not totally digging. love!

LA peeps, you can check out el may at the troubadour on november 5th - she'll be supporting the paron red heads, who i've previously written about HERE. plus, the fruit bats will be there, too. so, that's like a night of all-around good tunes to check out! go HERE to learn more about the show.

go HERE to buy music from el may.

last but not least, if you want to check out el may's visual art (remember, she's a multi-platform artist!) and you're in the LA area, head over to museum and crane. her exhibit will be up through november 26.

french week: video for a saturday - everyday

2011-10-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

learn more about the two HERE.

french week - revolver and hindi zahra

2011-10-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

so, here we are, in the middle of french week! anyone in the new york area, be sure to head out to the CMJ festival tonight to check out some of these amazing artists...

revolver is an interesting band in that they're classically trained. not that many artists aren't - in fact, i'd hazard to say that a large percentage of musicians have classical backgrounds somewhere - but two of the members of revolver actually met at france’s prestigious music school maitrise notre dame de paris, which gives them a bit more of an edge than simply playing clarinet in high school. their music, which often has a beatles-esque vibe to it, often is referred to as chamber pop to reflect the use and influence of classical instruments.

have a listen to a song she wrote and see if you can pick out the carefully crafted strands that blend old and new to create something intriguing:

(mp3) a song she wrote by revolver

here's the video for get around town, which is insanely catchy:

born in morocco but raised in paris, hindi zahra takes a bit of both worlds to help craft dreamy songs that inspire romance and perfect nights with wine and candles. it's gorgeous chanteuse stuff, thanks to her throaty yet sweet voice that practically floats above her lilting songs.

check out beautiful tango, which is...well, it's trite, but beautiful:

(mp3) beautiful tango by hindi zahra

and here's the video for the man i love, which is incredibly dreamy stuff. you can practically smell the crêperies nearby, it's just that parisian:

go and see revolver and hindi zahra, plus fellow french artists make the girl dance, chateau marmont, the lanskies, the two, the inspector cluzo, stranded horse and zenzile TONIGHT at NY's hiro ballroom for FREE during the france rocks shows at the CMJ music festival. head over to the santos party house tomorrow night, october 20th, if you happen to miss tonight's shows. go HERE to learn more about the shows.

revolver's second LP is due out in the states in early 2012. until then, go HERE to buy music for a while, the album that includes get around town and a song she wrote.

go HERE to buy handmade, hindi zahra's latest album, which includes beautiful tango and the man i love.

french week - stranded horse and zenzile

2011-10-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

so, onwards with french week!

today i want to introduce you to stranded horse (also known as yann tamboura), a singer-songwriter who did much of the recording of his latest album, humbling tides, in normandy, a region of france steeped in legends and rich history.

and it shows. tamboura's music is a fascinating mix of medieval folksong, the mandinka tradition of west africa, traditional french chanson, and fahey-esque fingerpicking. he's quite clever with not only a guitar, but also a kora, and this only lends to his music a storytelling vibe. and that's what tamboura is doing with his music - he's telling you stories. don't expect him to belt out any "baby, baby, baby, let's get it on" kind of choruses; instead, tamboura carefully crafts a tale for you to immerse yourself in. his music is quiet and complex and easy to fall into.

check out the very lovely and the shoreline it withdrew in anger. it'll transport you straight to those norman coasts:

(mp3) and the shoreline it withdrew in anger by stranded horse

now check out the heavily medieval flavored jolting moon:

now, on the complete opposite spectrum of musical sounds, meet zenzile, a veteran french band who manage to mix jazz, rock, post punk, dub and rock together into their music.

check out fire eater, which is synth heavy with distorted vocals, driving guitars, and heavy beats while still managing to sound poppy enough to get your head bouncing:

(mp3) fire eater by zenzile

check out simple lesson, which is a bit more dark than fire eater:

want to see either band? check them out at the CMJ music festival this week in NY! best yet, the shows are freeeee! you can also catch fellow french bands make the girl dance, chateau marmont, the lanskies, hindi zahra, the two, revolver, and the inspector cluzo in addition to stranded horse and zenzile at NY's hiro ballroom on october 19th and the santos party house on october 20th.

buy pawn shop, the eighth album released by zenzile HERE.

buy humbling tides, the latest album by stranded horse, HERE.

french week - make the girl & chateau marmont

2011-10-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

so, lucky new yorkers (or people heading to the big apple this week) - CMJ is once again showcasing tunes and bands in a big marathon of goodness! the husband has long made me jealous by regaling me with his own stories of heading out to CMJ's shows back when he used to work for a label. as for me, i've yet to even GO to nyc, let alone one of these great music showcases. but that's another story entirely.

something cool about this year is there's going to be a block of french artists showcased during france rocks CMJ nights. interestingly enough, the majority of the bands that will be performing on october 19th and 20th tend to sing mostly in english. scotland and sweden tend to get a lot of press and hype for churning out great new music lately (and i'll concur, especially with the scottish bands, because so many of my favorites nowadays are from there), but it's almost a crime that france is getting overlooked far too often. there's a ton of interesting tunes coming from france, ranging from singer-songwriter fare to rock.

case in point, make the girl dance. based out of paris, these electro-producers are making some catchy tunes that will be sure to make you want to go clubbing. have a listen to kill me, which has a nice bit of 80's groove in it to entice:

(mp3) kill me (radio edit) by make the girl dance

here's the video for baby baby baby. yes, there are naked girls in it walking through the streets of paris.

there's also chateau marmont (not to be confused with the infamous yet trendy hollywood hotel, angelinos!).

with a debut LP set to be released in the states early in '12, chateau marmont has a very futuristic sound with dreamy synths and poppy yet heavy (yes, really) beats. i like one hundred realities quite a bit. it reminds me, in a very small way, of fellow french artist m83 (who readers know i totally dig). have a listen:

(mp3) one hundred realities by chateau marmont

and here's a mini video for the song, used in a tour announcement from the band:

want to go check out these bands? head over to NY's hiro ballroom on october 19th and the santos party house on october 20th to see make the girl dance and chateau marmont, as well as the lanskies, hindi zahra, the two, revolver, stranded horse, the inspector cluzo, and zenzile.

did i mention these shows are free? seriously. go. but first, go HERE to learn more about france rocks CMJ nights.

stay tuned for more great french bands featured this week!

wordless music post #51

2011-10-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print HERE

(mp3) the district sleeps alone tonight by the postal service

video for a saturday - the french bastards

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

learn more about the inspector cluzo HERE.

shake it out by florence & the machine

2011-10-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

so, today's video is perfect for october - it features a masquerade! plus, it's from an album which will launch on halloween and mentions ghouls!

i'm gonna spill a secret here - i haven't done a lot of listening in the past to florence & the machine, and here's why (and friends, it's a really stupid reason) - perez hilton championed the band. is that bad? absolutely not - in fact, it's pretty damn cool for the group, because his site has a huge readership and gives tons of coverage, which is fantastic for any musicians who get a shout out.

so why the lack of attention from me?

eh...i think it might have to do with all the glee love, of which i'm automatically suspicious of. yes, friends, i am not a fan of glee. i've given it a few watches and each time, it felt painfully forced to me - and this comes from a girl who just spent the better part of a couple weeks revisting the glory that is andrew lloyd webber's evita at top volume. yes, i love me some musical theatre, but there's something about glee that just rubs me wrong.

go ahead. pelt me all you want with tomatoes. it won't make me watch the show. plus, i saw part of the britney spears episode, and it made my ears bleed.

SO. i realize my logic over my lack of florence & the machine listening prior to this video is faulty. as for shake it out? i dig it. like, lots 'o digging, because it's fun and catchy and got lots of 80's beats that will enrapture any gen-xer as well as whatever they call today's latest generation who like to pretend they're in the 80's (GOD, HAVE YOU SEEN SOME OF THE HORRIBLE FASHIONS COMING BACK? peeps! the clothes were the WORST part of the 80's - trust me. hold close to the music and movies and lose the rest).

plus, i love the lyrics. it's all about fighting one's own demons - which, as anyone knows, are far worse than any other kind.

regrets collect like old friends
here to relive your darkest moments
i can see no way, i can see no way
and all of the ghouls come out to play

and every demon wants his pound of flesh
but i like to keep some things to myself
i like to keep my issues strong
it's always darkest before the dawn

and i've been a fool and i've been blind
i can never leave the past behind
i can see no way, Ii can see no way
i'm always dragging that horse around

and our love is pastured such a mournful sound
tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
so i like to keep my issues strong
but it's always darkest before the dawn

shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out

and it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
so shake him off, oh woah

i am done with my graceless heart
so tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
'cause i like to keep my issues strong
it's always darkest before the dawn

shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out

and it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
so shake him off

and given half the chance would I take any of it back
it's a final mess but it's left me so empty
it's always darkest before the dawn

and i'm damned if i do, and i'm damned if i don't
so here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
and i'm ready to suffer and i'm ready to hope
it's a shot in the dark and right at my throat
'cause looking for heaven, for the devil in me
looking for heaven, for the devil in me
well, what the hell - i'm gonna let it happen to me

ceremonials by florence and the machine will be released on october 31st. go HERE to pre-order it. you can also buy the shake it out single there.

the waiting game

2011-10-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

(rambling post ahead!)

so, first off, apologies for the dire lack of music posts on a daily basis. i had a great run of being able to get those done easily, but now my kids are involved in lots of school and sports and MY GOD, ARE THOSE THINGS TIME SUCKS. i'm also trying my best to fit in decent writing time in an effort to get one of my books finished and a sequel to another polished up, so i am considering now going to an every other day sort of thing, except when i do find those lovely bits of time to be able to post daily.

apologies also for this post for not being a music one, either.

find/buy this print at etsy HERE

as many of you know, i'm a writer and i'm currently in the process of having one of my books edited. this, friends, is a terrifying experience on a lot of levels - mainly, because it's a waiting game and i am no good at waiting. i never have been, which truly sucks. my editor comes highly recommended after much research into the matter, and she informed me that she'd really only contact me during the process if she had major problems with the work. so on that hand, hooray! although now i'm considering i just jinxed myself by even saying that. but still, the radio silence is brutal at times, especially to one prone to an overactive imagination.

but here's another one of my problems - the fear of it being liked versus unliked.

every writer writes what they want to read - or, at least, that's what they ought to be doing. and that's what i did, with codename AMOF. the interesting thing that i think a lot of people don't really get is just how attached to characters an author gets. i mean, we know these people we write. we know what makes them tick, what makes them happy and sad and so furious they can barely speak. we know their inner hopes and their greatest fears, and we care. it sounds ridiculous on paper (ha - no pun intended. at least, not really), but these characters become friends.

they become real.

authors fall in love with their characters. i can't tell you how many times i've read on other author blogs about how enamored they become with their characters, and i'm no different. it's a patently ridiculous thing for a person to admit, for me to admit, but when you get this close to the people you create, the ones you hear in your head and see clear as day in your mind, you do develop warm, fuzzy feelings towards them. each new story brings new crushes and new sets of worries. case in point - i actually sobbed (yes, sobbed) when i did something awful to one of my favorite characters.

so, when you present these people, these characters, to the world (or your writing group or friends or family or whoever), you can't help but feel leery and protective of them. each time somebody reads one of my stories, i think, and hope, "was a connection made?"

logically, i know there are going to be people who don't connect with my characters, who don't find them compelling or interesting. i know this. it's just going to happen, because that's just how things are. nothing is universally loved, nothing universally guaranteed. but it doesn't mean i'm not just the wee bit nervous about them in the hands of my editor, because the truth is, i want her to like them.

and yet, i have to wait to find out.

video for a saturday - in the sun

2011-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, is there really anyone more adorable than zooey deschanel? i mean, the girl has a wardrobe to die for, is a great actress (have you seen new girl? lovelovelove it), sings great (alongside m. ward in she and him), and is married to ben gibbard (good lord, can you imagine how cute they might be, writing songs for one another?). anyway, here's a dose of zooey for you this morning, in a sweet retro like song with an equally likable video:

learn more about she and him HERE. note they have a christmas album coming. i'm geekily gleeful about it! and yes, i realize it's october.

blackbirds by NOVI

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i want to apologize ahead of time for this song.

why, you're asking?

because it's the stuff earworms are made of. it's catchy (um, like insanely so - just you wait until you start hearing "peddling back, peddle me back et. al to you"), it's got kitsch (the whole rap bit in the middle with the guy strutting with a gun? i totally broke out in laughter over that), and it's got some lyrics that remind you that music sometimes, while insightful and deep and meaningful, can be plain fun, if not bizarre (imagines of birds on the side of the road copulating? oookaay...). so, yeah. you'll most likely be hearing this one in your head long after you've finished watching the video!

okay, now the details - blackbirds, by NOVI, an up and coming artist from LA, is semi-electronic girly-girl music. it's fun, friends. goofy, bouncy, poppy fun, even you scratch your head over the gun guy while giggling.

tgif!

NOVI : Blackbirds from Spool on Vimeo.

came along by amtrac

2011-10-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

so, caleb cornett, who also goes by amtrac, grew up in kentucky but sounds much more at home in the miami club scene, which makes sense since that's where he currently hangs his hat.

a self-taught musician, amtrac's got an interesting sound that mixes tinkly keyboards with drum machines and monotone vocals against solid yet trippy beats. it's inherently likable electronica and excellent music to get your body moving, whether you intend it to or not.

check out his latest single, came along:

(mp3) came along by amtrac

here's a video of amtrac performing the song live:

Came Along (Live) from amtrac on Vimeo.

buy came along, the album with the same name as the single, HERE.

interview: lisa hannigan

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i remember the first time i really listened to damien rice - gosh, it's been, what, seven years, maybe? six? and i instantly picked up on this lovely female voice in the background, and i was charmed. not that rice isn't charming on his own, but this voice was really very sweet and beautiful, a perfect pitch and foil for his melancholy. i did a bit of hunting around and discovered it belong to an irish singer-songwriter by the name of lisa hannigan, and ever since then, i've been consistently delighted by her music. she released a solo debut album back in '08 by the name of sea sew and is now back with her sophomore release passenger which is truly a gorgeous work of art.

photo by nick leclair

curious about her creative process, considering she's such a talented songstress, i asked lisa a few questions about passenger and how she works:

have you met heather: passenger, your latest album, was just released. what's the story behind it?

lisa hannigan: Well, most of the record was written on the road during touring so I suppose that influenced the record a great deal. Being away brings about a certain nostalgia for home and also the past.

hymh: do you have any favorites off of the album?

lisa: They're all my favourites really. There's none that I dread appearing on the setlist. If I had to pick one it would be Little Bird.

hymh: what is your creative process like behind writing your music?

lisa: A song would usually start with a melody or a line of words and then I tend to walk about humming to myself until it gets some sort of shape to it. Sometimes I don't know what a song is about until I've written a good portion of it.

hymh: where do you tend to find inspiration for your songs?

lisa: I generally write songs from personal experience or the adventures and tomfoolery of close friends.

hymh: you're about to embark on a tour through the US. what's a typical tour like for you?

lisa: A lot of energy is spent finding the most delicious food we can. There's certain places that we never miss, like legal seafood in Boston.. Oh the crab cakes..

hymh: you've worked with people like damien rice and herbie hancock in the past, which must have been both fun and interesting. do you ever find yourself being influenced by those you've worked with?

lisa: I imagine everyone that I meet and work with influences me on some way. Some less directly than others. With Herbie in particular, he showed me that the trick is not to aim to play or sing something right, but to find something new and interesting each time.

thanks, lisa!

download and have a listen to knots, which is off of passenger:

it was early in the morning,
we were sitting on the stoop,
there wheeled away a starling
and i thought that I would too.
oh for all i knew,
i was lost through and through,
in my high heels and my old dress
with my new keys in the wrong city.

i tie the knots to remember in my heart,
so i choke and i sputter to a stop,
i am a borrower and lender of the lot.

i walk away asleep
and chalk an outline round the scene.
this shadow play of whiskey talk,
a heavy denier dream.
oh let it be, i was lost in him and me.
in my high heels and my old dress
with my new keys in the wrong city.

i tie the knots to remember in my heart,
so i choke and i sputter to a stop,
i am a borrower and lender of the lot.

(mp3) knots by lisa hannigan

i'm going to have to agree with lisa on little bird. it's my favorite off of passenger, too. so, so delicate. so, so sweet and sad at the same time. perfect poetry-like lyrics. simple and yet complex at the same time. for example:

i was salted by your hunger,
now you've gone and lost your appetite
and a little bird is every bit as handy in a fight.
i am lonely as a memory
despite the gathering round the fire.
aren't you every bird on every wire?

see what i mean? check out a video of lisa performing the song in dublin earlier this year:

want to see lisa on tour? check out one of the following dates:

October 4 Portland, OR Doug Fir
October 5 Seattle, WA Tractor
October 6 Vancouver, BC Media Club
October 7 Calgary, AB Heritage Park Gasoline Alley
October 10 Chicago, IL Double Door
October 12 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
October 13 Baltimore, MD Sound Stage
October 16 Montreal, QB Petit Campus
October 17 Boston, MA Paradise
October 20 Philadelphia, PA Milk Boy
October 21 New York, NY Hiro

buy passenger, lisa hannigan's latest album, HERE.

album review: brynn andre

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, today i want to introduce you to brynn andre, a very talented young singer-songwriter who, according to her bio, writes about "the upheaval she faced in Minneapolis after reluctantly unmasking what had become her present-day fiction." she released her sophomore album, the self-entitled brynn andre this year and i had a chance recently to have a listen to it.

the album isn't going to blow the lid off your speakers - but i think that's its purpose. it's introspective, often filled with self-critical songs that are utterly relatable in many ways. andre examines the intricacies of actions and feelings towards relationships, many unhappy or ill-fated. don't expect the album to be mopey, though, or whiny - instead, there's a quiet hush that invites you in to eavesdrop to the inner workings of turmoil, leaving you to listen a little closer to hear the story, rather than tune out to the meanings and merely rock out to the tunes.

although brynn's calm, lovely vocals may belie a sort of consistency amongst her songs, there's actually a range of standard singer-songwriter fare (my best) to blues-infused ballads (fire escape and granite) and 3/4 metered stories (such as devil). each song builds upon the last, creating a catalogue of a fairly well constructed documentation of highly charged emotions.

and the lyrics? check out devil, which is such a bittersweet song geared for tragedy: and i saw your devil / pull up a chair / and i'm in so much trouble / because i like you there / you little devil / with your head on my shoulder / this is going to hurt when it's over. or ocean: the good is gone / as soon as it hits your back / and you tasted fingertip to tongue / as fast as you can / and i wanted to stay / as soon as it runs away / like a river that's only got power when it rains. or my favorite off the album, homecoming king, which is so very angry and sad all at the same time in just the way a girl who knows she's making a mistake and still goes through with it anyways is:

there's a kind of muscle
oh, i've never had it in me
but i think you're made of it
from your forearms to feet
and i'm a stupid girl trying to arm wrestle the homecoming king at the lunch table
and i'm a stupid girl

and you never let me finish what i want to say
and there's so many limits to what you can take
and we're drunk, in a cab
this is not a date
you're the homecoming king
i've got nothing to say

and there's a kind of quiet
i could never quite keep
and you're made of silence
and it goes bone deep
and i'm a stupid girl singing on my lawn
asking the homecoming king to prom
and i'm a stupid girl

and you never let me finish what i want to say
and there's so many limits to what you can take
and we're drunk, in ca cab
this is not a date
you're the homecoming king
i've got nothing to say

you're the homecoming king
but we're not going to prom
we're barely speaking
it's the bare minimum
and i'm a stupid girl thinking you would stay long
it's time to pay
we're almost home

and we're drunk, in a cab
this is not a date
you're the homecoming king
i've got nothing to say
and you never let me finish what i want to say
and there's so many limits to what you can take
and we're drunk, in a cab
this is not a date
you're the homecoming king,
you're the homecoming king

and we are drunk, in a cab
i've got nothing to say

stream it below:

<a href="http://brynnandre.bandcamp.com/track/homecoming-king">Homecoming King by Brynn Andre</a>

can you resist that hook in the chorus? no? i didn't think so.

download ocean:

(mp3) ocean by brynn andre

stream the entire album below:

<a href="http://brynnandre.bandcamp.com/album/brynn-andre">Brynn Andre by Brynn Andre</a>

buy brynn andre's self-entitled album HERE.

album review: another earth soundtrack by fall on your sword

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, here's a confession: i am a sucker for soundtracks.

i actually have a lot of them in my vast music collection. there's something about an instrumental that really appeals to me, especially when i need a good backdrop to writing, reading or something else that i don't need my entire focus taken off of. and soundtracks nicely encapsulate a movie and then take on a life of their own when they come out of your own set of speakers.

i recently got a chance to listen to the contradictory and complicated soundtrack to another earth, a science fiction movie that took a number of awards at sundance. i say contradictory and complicated because, on many levels, a number of the songs have a very futuristic slant to them (would you expect anything else from pieces entitled the first time i saw jupiter or the cosmonaut?) and yet there are others that have a very stately, quiet old feel to them, like they'd been played in concert halls in the 19th century (such as the love theme and the house theme). what's interesting, though, is that this works for the album - all the songs mesh together like a mix-matched quilt to form an overview of sadness, tentativeness and the hint of wonder and redemption.

the band behind the soundtrack, fall on your sword, is the new project from LCD soundstystem founding member and ocean's eleven soundtrack co-composer philip mossman and and will bates, an award winning composer.

with that in mind, have a listen to the very atmospheric rhoda's theme:

(mp3) rhoda's theme by fall on your sword (via IFC)

and here's the video for the very futuristic the first time i saw jupiter:

in case you're interested, here's the trailer for the movie:

buy the soundtrack for another earth by fall on your sword HERE.

the line by noah and the whale

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, there are some songs that, when you hear them, really resonate with you. it could be for a variety of reasons - the lyrics might be spot on for you, or maybe it's just the tone or even a hint of the tone. sometimes you don't even need to relate exactly to what's being said, but you find a kindred spirit in the melody or, heck, even just the bridge. maybe it'll be because an artist's voice speaks to you or a smidge of the song reminds you of days gone by, even though you can't pinpoint the exact moment, but you feel it.

when i first heard the line by noah and the whale, it instantly resonated with me, thanks to my past. it's interesting, because it's a time i don't revisit in my mind often, one i don't particularly like to even acknowledge, and yet...when i hear this song, i can't help but think, "if only i'd had this then..."

and this is one of the great things about music. personal or generic, songs have the ability to reach down into us and make a connection.

confession time: noah and the whale is one of those bands that i really like but (shh) don't actually think of often. every time their music comes across on my ipod (or the husband's), i'll perk up and think to myself, "oh, yes - them. why am i not actively seeking their tunes out more often?" because, honestly, internets. i ought to.

have a listen to the sublimely sad study of a woman trapped in an unhealthy relationship:

she looks out her window,
and the stars don't feel that far away
she watches the wind blow,
blowing all her problems away

but then she'll ask,
as she cleans up the glass
"is this the line?
is this the line?
is this the line between heaven and hell?
is this the line where i get up and walk out?
is this the line where you get drunk and you yell?"

she fixes her make-up,
treading lightly on the floor
hoping he won't wake up,
as she makes her way towards the door

but then she'll say,
as she waves him away,
"is this the line?
is this the line?
is this the line between heaven and hell?
is this the line where i get up and walk out?
is this the line where you get drunk and you yell?"

she says, "i've lived my life like a diamond,
bright and hard, like a diamond."
she says, "i've lived my life like a diamond,
bright and hard, like a diamond."

(mp3) the line by noah and the whale

here's the band performing the song for mtv germany:

buy last night on earth, the album the line is off of, HERE.

wordless music post #50

2011-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) put the days away by sun airway

video for a saturday - canopy shade

2011-09-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

learn more about trophy wife HERE.

love by daughter

2011-09-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

so, i've discussed before just how lovely daughter's music is (go HERE and HERE to read posts about her) - for someone so young, elena tonra has such an old soul when it comes to songwriting. gloomy, morose and achingly beautiful, her songs resonate in that they reach deep down into a person. there isn't a bit of superficiality in daughter's music, which is a bit exhausting - but in a good way. each song is a study of emotions, each series of notes a careful construction of atmosphere.

daughter has a new EP coming out, and has released one of the songs from it for us to ogle over. a bit over six minutes and titled love (don't be fooled - this isn't a happy story daughter wants to tell you), it's a rainy day song, or one fit for misty, gray days where the light is small and soft.

i can't forget it
though i've tried
i know you regret it, love
you told me so many times
but i still wonder
why?
you left with her
and left me behind

listen to and download the song from the soundcloud below:

Daughter - Love (taken from 'The Wild Youth EP') by ohDaughter

here's daughter performing run on the BBC introducing stage at the reading festival this year:

those of you in the uk can go see daughter at one of the following shows this coming december:

6th Dec @ Bristol, Cube Cinema
http://bit.ly/q5rttI

7th Dec @ London, St Giles In The Fields
http://bit.ly/qBpSzu

8th Dec @ Manchester, Deaf Institute
http://bit.ly/p8oO2i

the wild youth, the EP love will come from, will be released on november 21st.

i told you so by teepee

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, here we go again, with yet another another band who tried the whole auto-following thing with me on twitter and then disappeared quickly when i didn't immediately follow back - which, honestly, makes me both laugh and sigh at the same time.

twitter, friends. it's an odd duck.

ANYWAY. let's not be dissauded by this baffling behavior (or, at least, it's baffling to me) and instead be dazzled by how great a song i told you so by teepee is. it's a lo-fi gem, all echo-y and shoegaze-y and stark with its guitars and beat but with just the right hint of drum machine and...well, i almost want to say sweetness, because that's how the bridge-melody comes across, despite the flatness associated with the vocals (and i mean that in a good way). so yeah, sweetness - and it all combines to make a song that literally forces your knee to bounce and your fingers to itch to pick up a guitar.

i'm going to be honest here - i know pretty much close to nil on teepee - the dude (who i believe to be named eric lopez-zareno) has one of those minimalistic websites that gives me very little to work with. so here's what i know, culled from his website, tumblr, twitter and miami music matters: he's (they?) is apparently from florida and is at work on his second album.

take that for what you will and then focus on how great i told you so is:

i told you so
don't stand under that tree
that durian tree

i told you so
don't touch mary
she's got a disease

don't lean on me when you need a body to cry on
i told you so, told you many times.

(mp3) i told you so by teepee

like the song (of course you do. it's kickin', isn't it?)? then go forth and download morals, the album i told you so is off of, for free HERE.

you can also stream the entire album below:

Morals (Deluxe Edition) by Teepee

delilah's response by andi starr

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, after last week's positive song (take a stand by stephan said), i'm here to present you with a downer of one. don't get me wrong - it's lovely and wistful, but as many good songs are, it deals with the death of a relationship.

i think what i find so intriguing about delilah's response, by singer-songwriter andi starr, a classically trained pianist, is that the narrator owns up to her role in what's happened. she basically says, "i screwed him over, i sort of want props for it, but on the other hand...i did the right thing. right? right??" it's a different viewpoint - so many songs offer up laments and regrets and a variety of other feelings that people drown in after their relationship goes kaput, but starr brings out a side that isn't looked at often.

it's a delicate song, with it's gentle use of piano and soft, tentative vocals - which makes a good foil for the lyrics. because life is complex, and messy, and even if you do something on purpose, even if you mean it - you can still have regrets. and andi starr conveys this bit of contradiction nicely.

as i watched him sleep
my strength, it did betray
but they say i did the right thing by sending him away

what is love,
when you fall in love
with the one you love
that you can't love anymore?

i'm looking at our photograph
while lying on the floor
it says: from sampson, to his girl, "the one i so adore."
i tricked him
i know i did
i tricked him
i know i did

what is love
when you fall in love
with the one you love
that you can't love anymore?
shower me with gold
and all your accolades
say i did the right things
by sending him away

surely you've walked through fire
surely you've looked through wine
surely you've felt the flame
surely you've known desire
desire

(mp3) delilah's response by andi starr

here's a video of little bird, off of the same album delilah's response is on:

buy the world will follow, the album delilah's response is off of, HERE.

wordless music post #49

2011-09-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) sticks and stones by jónsi

video for a saturday - riverstomp

2011-09-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

learn more about teen girl scientist monthly HERE.

take a stand - stephan said

2011-09-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

so, today's song is impossibly optimistic and cheerful, which i think is a really great thing, especially in the climate we, as a nation and a world, find ourselves in. there is so much discord out there nowadays: wars, anger, recessions, blaming, finger pointing - that sometimes it can be overwhelming. but there's a lot of good, too, that i think a lot of people overlook when they watch/read the news. we should all try on a daily basis to seek out the good around us.

stephan said, an arab-american musician, is doing just that with his new song take a stand and his non-profit organization, difrent. both the song and the initiative strive to unite people across every political, ethnic, religious, and musical border for social change.

here's what stephan says of take a stand: “'Take a Stand' isn’t just a song, it’s a mission: the creation of a distribution network and broadcast platform for the music of our international movement. It is being given away...to be shared by people and organizations who support the vision: bringing numerous artists and groups together through music to create a soundtrack for our generation’s dream of a more equitable global society. Every download is your vote for a more equal world."

it's okay
it's okay
we gonna make it to the day together
take a stand, take a stand, take a stand
in every land, 'cus we all want the same thing
just to be free, so take my hand
take a stand, yeah, take a stand

(mp3) take a stand - stephan said

here's a video for chant un petit coup, a french song stephan wrote for the same album take a stand will be off of:

on twitter? use #takeastand to tweet what you would do to take a stand for what you believe in.

difrent: music = action will be available on september 21, the international day of peace. pre-order it HERE.

concert review: neko case & the national

2011-09-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

so, the husband and i spent an absolutely perfect evening at the hollywood bowl this last sunday, seeing one of our favorite bands plus one of my favorite singer-songwriters.

sidenote #1: can i just say that i pity the folks who've never had the pleasure of seeing a show at the hollywood bowl? it's divine. honestly, just divine. beautiful view, trees, wine, weather to die for (in the summer/fall months, natch) and acoustics like you can't believe. there are only two downfalls - stacked parking and hard wooden benches - but those can be easily forgiven in light of everything else.

anyway! when i heard that neko case was going to open for the national, a band that the husband and i just adore, i knew i had to go, even if i had to hunt tickets down via other avenues (which, thankfully, i didn't - but that also meant the show didn't sell out right away, which makes me scratch my head in vast confusion over people's musical tastes nowadays). while i'd seen the national before, i hadn't had the pleasure of seeing neko yet and she was definitely on my bucket list of artists i had to experience.

the show started out with sharon van etten, a very adorable singer-songwriter that had previously worked with the national on think you can wait (which she came out and sang on in their set). she had a very mellow sound that lulled us all into the night quite nicely and made me want to hunt down her songs.

check out sharon's set closer, love me, which is a haunting, slow song that drifts languidly across the air:

onto the sublime neko case...

sidenote #2: can i just say, what a fab dress she had on?

there are some artists who are truly artists. neko case is one of these people. her lyrics are poetry, her music carefully pieced together to create a mosaic of intricate, lovely sounds. and her voice? chills, friends. chills.

neko had a short playlist, just eleven songs - which i get is par for the course, considering she was an opening act and all - but it truly felt too short. but maybe that's just me, since i would have preferred to hear more. she's also disarmingly charming, very low-key with a nice, dry sense of humor. she did a number of older songs, with only a couple from her last LP middle cyclone (an album i utterly adore). there were, however, a few new songs - all promising, which served to tease us listeners for her upcoming album. t bone burnett came out halfway through the set to play with the band, who also included bo koster from my morning jacket and lucy wainwright roche on backup vocals (filling in for a sick kelly hogan).

neko introduced city swansas one of her new songs. it's fab:

here's calling cards. seriously, friends. only neko can make "blah blah blah" into insightful lyrics that makes you want to swoon from all the auditory beauty you're experiencing. it's apparently written expressly for all her bandmates over the years.

sidenote #3: pardon the talking from behind me. for some reason, this couple decided to spend the better part of all three acts talking. why they chose to do this at a concert instead of a coffee shop baffles me. DUDES. if you want to flirt on a first, or heck, fifth date, do it where it's not going to disrupt everyone else who came to enjoy the show!

so. the national. what is there really to say about this band that i haven't already fangirl babbled about already?

bloodbuzz, ohio, in particular was pretty amazing - the band's lights popped like fireworks during the performance. and sorrow was lovely and different, whatwith st. vincent taking over a couple stanzas all by herself. abel was rip-roaring, screaming fun, mr. novemeber an excellent anthem for the tumultuous political environment we're suffering through, and there was nothing like thousands of people singing "i was afraid i'd eat your brains / because i'm evil" at the top of their lungs (during conversation 16). the band closed with about today (a song i've blogged about in the past), and matt tossed the bowl's timer in a dramatic, rockstar fashion that had the crowd cheering and lamenting the end of the show all at once.

not to be outdone by neko case's use of guest artists, the national brought on stage annie clark, aka st. vincent to sing backup on several songs, as well as the calder quartet. both acts added a nice something-something to the night.

anyway, here's england (with more apologies over the guy behind me. yeesh. try to ignore his lame attempts at flirting with his girl):

matt introduced thirsty as a song the band wrote shortly after 9/11 and said they rarely perform it. which is a shame, because it's quite good. st. vincent came out to sing backing vocals on it:

you think i kid about the national being one of the best live bands kicking nowadays. do yourself a favor and catch them live the next time they roll into your city, and then you'll see that it's blatantly true.

buy high violet, the nationals' latest release, HERE.
buy middle cyclone, neko case's latest release, HERE.
buy epic, sharon van etten's latest release, HERE.
buy strange mercy, st. vincent's latest release, HERE.

sidenote #4: photos not mine. i totally forgot my camera and only had my phone, and i never can seem to find a good enough app to zoom in properly.

apologies...

2011-09-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

so, there has been a lack of posts the last few days thanks to a sick kid who wants to spend all his time in his momma's lap. posts will resume shortly. :)

wordless music post #48

2011-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) lion's mane by iron and wine

video for a saturday - cage

2011-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

so. sallie ford & the sound outside. all i'm gonna say is their music is like audio crack. and that sallie ford is fricking cool as all hell.

try not to laugh at this one's lyrics. or think of a person it can apply to.

plus - PUPPETS.resistance is fuuutttiiiilllleeee......

go HERE to learn more about sallie ford & the sound outside.

album review: hurry up, we're dreaming by m83

2011-09-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

so, i've recently gotten to listen to the new m83 double album, hurry up, we're dreaming, and i gotta say, bless anthony gonzalez for bringing back my beloved 80's.

that's not to say that the entire album, which is a musical journey through a multitude of different sounds and styles, is one big fat ode to the decade that spawned synths as a music staple (although much of it probably could be seen that way) - there are also sweet and slow odes, such as the utterly divine wait which can make any person swoon with its gorgeousosity. and there are those tiny chunks of songs without words that seem perfect for daily backdrops to a life. but so much of hurry up, we're dreaming is built upon 80's songs that i can't help but imagine if it'd been around when john hughes was in his movie-making heyday, he would've been trying to figure out just which brat pack member could be framed by which song.

some highlights of this stellar album:

* wait - as mentioned above, wait is virtually a masterpiece of gorgeousness. you think i kid, but peeps - SRSLY. i can't even explain just how fabulously mind-blowing this song is. dreamy and layered, it builds its own world with very little effort. good lord, do i get chills when listening to this one.

* raconte-moi une histoire - not very 80's-ish, but starkly adorable with its little girl speak-sing and finger snapping, even if it is about poison frogs. and everything becomes a giant cupcake / and you keep laughing and laughing and laughing / nothing is ever quite the same really / and when you finish laughing / it's time to turn into a frog yourself / it's very funny to be a frog / you can dive into the water and cross the rivers and the ocean / and you can jump all the time and everywhere / do you want to play with me? / we can be a whole group of friends

* train to pluton - the title is so apt. small and lovely, you can easily imagine yourself in space, staring at the wonders around you.

* claudia lewis - oh, would the thompsen twins be jealous of this one. or howard jones. or anyone else kicking around in early to mid-80's who clearly influenced gonzalez with this pitch-perfect 80's knockoff. listen to this boppy, synth crazy song loud. don't resist the urge to dance.

* when will you come home - a bit celtic sounding, and more than a bit lonely, this instrumental's sweetness and simpleness is sure to touch your heart.

* soon, my friend - it starts with crickets and night and ends with wistful yet powerful longings. this song builds, layer upon layer, until its heart explodes. i'll be yours / someday

* ok pal - another fabulous example of a song that could have easily been written 30 years ago. i have a serious song crush on this one. and so would john hughes, i think. so many synths done right (passion pit could take a lesson here) and a slap-heavy bass that makes me all sorts of gooey-nostalgic for my youth.

* another wave from you - goodbye never sounded so bitterly, cosmically lovely.

* steve mcqueen - a song made for dancing if there ever was one. frenetic yet anthemic in many way, this one is another one that would benefit from listening to on full blast.

* echoes of mine - reminds me, in a small way, of poe and how some of her songs have her father's lectures in them. this one, spoken in french (as m93 is a french band, and all), adds just the right bit of levity to an otherwise soaring example of how m83 got its name. because, friends, you can easily imagine yourself in space during this one.

* and finally, the single midnight city - i like it, i do - but i don't like it best on the album. alas, that seems to be the case with me and great albums often. don't think that means it's not worth your time, though, or your multiple listens. and the sax? oh, just you wait! check it out below, and then download a remix:

Midnight City by M83

Midnight City (Big Black Delta Remix) by M83

wanna see m83 in concert? check out one of the following dates:

Oct. 15 – Mexico City – Corona Capital Festival
Oct. 28 – Washington DC – Black Cat
Oct. 29 – Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade
Oct. 30 – Asheville, NC – Moog Fest
Oct. 31 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Nov. 1 – Tallahassee, FL – Engine Room
Nov. 2 – Orlando, FL – The Social
Nov. 4 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
Nov. 5 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
Nov. 7 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
Nov. 9 – Los Angeles, CA – Music Box
Nov. 10 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Nov. 11 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Nov. 12 – Vancouver, BC – Venue
Nov. 13 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
Nov. 16 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Nov. 17 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Nov. 18 – Toronto, ON – Lees Palace
Nov. 19 – Montreal, QC – Le S.A.T.
Nov. 20 – Boston, MA – Paradise
Nov. 22 – New York, NY – Webster Hall

hurry up, we're dreaming will be available on october 18th via mute records.

patient - binko swink

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, let me introduce you today to binko swink, a fairly young band (not in term of actual band members' ages, but more as in the band was formed in early '11, and holy moly, they're already putting music out! kind of young).

hailing from london, binko swink has a very dreamy, ethreal sound to them that mixes with a bit of 60's melodies and smooth pop. they cite their influences from mazzy star to the velvet underground and the national, which you can sort of see (or rather, hear), with lead singer lyla's very mazzy-sweet vocals. it's an interesting sound, to be sure - low-key and relaxing, which, in a bizarre way, reminds me of massive attack in how they have such a kickback attitude to their music.

have a listen to patient, the band's upcoming single:

step into the hall
without a reason explained to me
how your star turned me into your patient
explain
explain

Patient by Binko Swink

the video for patient:

now check out and download take the pop (live demo):

patient, with a b-side of youngest , will be available on september 12 via adventureclub records. go HERE to learn more about the single.

sweet dream - greg laswell

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i've been on a greg laswell kick lately. he's a singer-songwriter from southern california (but lives in new york) who crafts introspective songs that mesh well with his lovely, deep voice. he sounds a bit like joshua radin with a hint of the delectible matt berninger thrown in.

oh, i'm such a sucker for deep voices in song.

the song i want to share with today is super short - it's just a hair longer than a minute (which is, honestly, like a tease, isn't it? songs that short? they rope you in and make you want mooooorrrreeeee). but sweet dream is simply...well, not to sound trite, but sweet. so much feeling, so much yearning put into so little time and words.

if i could write out my own dream
for the next time that i sleep
you'd be the first one i see
and i the last one that you keep

and the dream would go on and on
while we swayed against all things thrown our way
and the morning would be so cruel
when it came
with sunshine and warmth to blame
for announcing the end of my sweet dream
for announcing the end of my sweet dream

oh. oh. so lovely. just like so many of his songs.

(mp3) sweet dream by greg laswell

here's a video of greg performing it back in '08:

buy three flights from alto nido, the album sweet dream if off of, HERE.

wordless music post #47

2011-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) back to school by the bandana splits

video for a saturday - soft and low

2011-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

so here's more from the glue ensemble. it makes me wish for rain, instead of all this sunny heat we keep getting in southern california. i know, i know - all you people in the rest of the world who get something other than 80s-100s in the summers think i'm being a whiner, but c'mon....

i like rainy days. and i like songs like this on rainy days.

flashback friday - la cienega just smiled

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i have been a ryan adams aficionado for quite a while now. i actually remember getting into an argument with a friend of mine - this was, gosh, something like 8 years ago now - about his talent. i argued that adams was one of the best singer-songwriters around, despite his propensity to churn out record after record at an alarming rate. my friend dismissed this, but truth be told, i rather feel a bit smug after all these years, because, despite some less than stellar work, adams HAS stood the test of time of writing some really excellent music that truly does set the bar in the singer-songwriter/alt-country world.

sentimentally, i favor la cienega just smiled, a bittersweet song that served as the backdrop for a rather tumultuous time period in my life. i was listening to a lot of ryan adams back then - because, i thought - the guy gets emotions, and his music touches its listeners in really, private, meaningful ways. and it didn't matter that i didn't personal relate to the lyrics - it was, simply, that adams crafts comfort music. it's the kind that's like a wubbie, all warm and soft and the equivalent of tea and blankets and safety. i listened to it then because it made me feel better. my listening now is different - less of a security blanket, and more of a reminder of just how much music can help somebody through all the crap that life throws at them. and i like how ryan adams can do that with his music.

for those of you outside of southern california - la cienega is a major street in LA. rumor has it that this song emerged from a moment adams found himself in, as he stood on the cross street of la cienega boulevard and melrose avenue. but, ultimately, it doesn't really matter what the location is - this song reaches far in wide in a small moment, of somebody realizing that love isn't always a guaranteed thing.

oh, the night, here it comes again
it's on with the jeans, the jacket and shirt
how'd i end up feeling so bad
for such a little girl

and i hold you close in the back of my mind
feels so good but damn it makes me hurt
and i'm too scared to know how i feel about you now
la cienega just smiled... "see ya around"
and i hold you close in the back of my mind
and raise my glass 'cause either way i'm dead
neither of you really help me to sleep anymore
one breaks my body and the other breaks my soul
la cienega just smiles as it waves goodbye

oh the night, here it comes again
it's off with the jeans, the jacket and the shirt
how'd i end up feeling so bad
for such a little girl
and i hold you close in the back of my mind
feels so good but damn it makes me hurt
and i'm too scared to know how i feel about you now
how i feel about you now
la cienega just smiles and says, "i'll see you around."

(mp3) la cienega just smiled (acoustic & live) by ryan adams

here's ryan performing the song at the austin city limits music festival, back in '07, i believe:

chills, friends. CHILLS.

buy gold, the album la cienega just smiled is off of, HERE.

interview - ben cooper

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i've babbled about the fabulously talented ben cooper and two of his bands before (radical face - go HERE to read that one and electric president - go HERE for this one) here on the blog before. he's one of those people who kind of make you a wee bit jealous, because he's able to consistently churn out quality music under a number of musical shingles and still manage to sound creative and fresh.

which is a great thing for his listeners.

ben is currently at work on his latest LP, the roots, which is part of what he calls the family tree project for radical face. i recently had the opportunity to ask him a number of questions about his bands, creative process and what's up next.

have you met heather: you've been part of a number of groups (including radical face, electric president, iron orchestra and mother's basement). what made you choose to go that route as opposed to just one band?

ben cooper: I like a lot of different types of music, both as a listener and a writer, and it's difficult for me to sit in one style for too many records in a row. So having different projects seemed like the best way to keep things fresh and to avoid routine. It was also a good way to collaborate with different people along the way.

hymh: each group has a very distinctive sound, which shows an impressive catalogue of styles. do you have any preferences on what kind of music you like to play the best? or is it all good?

ben: I like all of it. I really enjoy working alone and just trying to translate what I’m hearing in my head with no interference, which is more or less what the Radical Face project is. But the collaboration of the other projects is great too, in that there's other people involved pushing the material in directions I wouldn't expect. I end up with things I wouldn't have done on my own as a result, and that has it's own excitement. I also like messing with all the different kinds of production, and all the different tools involved. So there isn't a best for me. They're just different and interesting in their own ways.

hymh: how would you describe your creative process? where do you go to to find inspiration?

ben: Inspiration just kinda shows up. It's never been something I could deliberately hunt down. But it shows up more often when I read a lot, or watch movies, or listen to new records or rediscover old ones. When I absorb other art, I get a lot more ideas, both for things to make, and just in general. I often make records about the ideas that, once they pop up, won't go away until I make something out of them.

As for process, I try to change it all the time. I'm suspicious of comfort when it comes to making things. If I feel like I already know how it'll turn out and how I'll do it from the start, then I'm not usually giving it my all. I think I make my best stuff when I'm not entirely sure where I'm headed, or when I think they might blow up in my face. I pay the most attention then and really think about everything I'm doing. Whatever it takes to avoid autopilot, I guess. So each record has been pretty different.

hymh: what kind of music do you find yourself listening to a lot lately?

ben: For the past couple days I've been listening to Spiderland from Slint. I dug it back out at random, and it's been on loop ever since. It's one of those records I do this with every so often. I've also been listening to this group Balmorhea that a friend recently turned me on to, and Mozart's Requiem.

I don't think there's a lot of rhyme or reason to what I’m listening to at any given time.

hymh: what are a few of your favorite songs to perform?

ben: I'm not really sure. I usually just play whatever I can with the set up I have at the time. And shows have a way of blurring together, where I don't remember the particulars very much. Which is probably a nice thing for the times when the show isn't good. Hahaha. But I guess I can't really say. None particularly spring to mind.

hymh: you've got a new album coming out in october, under radical face (which i'm very much looking forward to!). what was the experience like creating the roots?

ben: Thanks. It's fun to find people are interested in a new record. I can never say if it will appeal to anyone, but it's flattering.

Anyway, the record took me about 15 months to record and mix. I've never made a record with such a limited tool set before, as far as instruments go, and it definitely changed the way I wrote. It's also the first time I've made a record without distortion. I really like distortion, so that took a lot of restraint. Hahaha. But in general I wanted to get everything across with songwriting and keep the production side of it minimal. I didn't mess with the sounds very much in post. It forced me to be more selective with the notes and writing (and rewriting). I learned a lot of new things over the course of this record, and I'm glad I went about it how I did. But I'm looking forward to using more sounds and instruments again on the next record in the set.

hymh: you also created your own label - bear machine records. why?

ben: I guess there are a lot of reasons. But the simplest way to put it is that the ideas I had for these records didn't fit well with the systems a proper label has in place. I wasn't willing to compromise the ideas to make it fit, so I figured I'd just do it myself. It's been a lot more work than I anticipated, I've already kind of screwed a lot of things up and I have no idea if it will even work, but I'm alright with all of it. No matter how it all lands, I wanted to try and I'm happy I did.

hymh: do you plan on doing any touring for "the roots"?

ben: Yeah, a little bit. I've got a handful of shows in the US this October playing with vocals groups and choirs, maybe 2 weeks of shows in Europe early next year, and then a week in Japan. I don't tour often, so that's actually a lot for me.

hymh: can listeners expect anything new from any of your other bands soon?

ben: Yep. Gonna be putting out a record early next year called “Clone.” It's a collaboration between me and Rickolus, and it's a pretty strange record. But we're both really excited about how it came out. Took us over 2 years to complete. I'll have more abut that on my website pretty soon.

Me and my brother (we do Iron Orchestra together) have been working on a film score, which we'll make available once it's all done. It'll be a little while on this, but it's going really well so far.

And I figure Alex [Kane] and I will make another Electric President album at some point. He just graduated with his masters and got a new job, so it'll likely have to wait until he's settled in with all of that. But I feel like we should do at least one more. I just can't say when. We never plan very far ahead with that project. We just take it as it comes.

thanks, ben!

you can get several songs that didn't make it on the roots but were recorded at the same time for free right now from the widget below. all is well (it's only the blood), all is well (goodbye, goodbye) and we're on our way are a trio of lovely songs that make me think that, if these are the rejects, the roots is going to be a pretty great album, indeed.

the lyrics for we're on our way:

show your hands if you're leaving your coat of paint
if you're bolted to heavy things like anchors hidden somewhere 'neath your skin
or if your head's just an empty box
if your heart has become spare parts
if your days are down to something you must bear

no, it seems you're a lot like me
you dug yourself into places you never thought you would be
don't you fret and don't you mind
the only constant is changing
you never know what you'll find

yeah, tomorrow I might wake up nice and clean
i might believe the things i said i didn't mean
this might turn and wind up just the way we dreamed
and i might become the things i swore i'd always be

but we're always on our way, we're on our way

radical face's new album, the roots, will be released on october 4th via bear machine records. until then, go HERE to buy music by radical face.

eating me alive - miracles of modern science

2011-08-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, a couple weeks ago, i gushed about a band who i thought was a mix between the smiths and mozart - which, to me, was imaginatively alluring and like auditory ear candy. today, i'm back with another mix of classical sounds with modern music - this time, though, i'd have to go with somebody else's assessment that miracles of modern science sound a bit like a mix between bowie and bartok.

can i just say how much i like this trend of classical meets modern?

ANYWAY. about the band - which goes by MOMS (an acronym that i find utterly endearing) - first formed at princeton with a bunch of orchestra and jazz band players. which makes sense, since their sound is all classical plugged into amps. it's very nifty, indeed, because traditional instruments ought to be heard more outside of orchestra halls, you know?

eating me alive, the single off their upcoming LP, dog years, is a lot of fun. the strings are totally prevalent, which make a nice anchor alongside bouncy drums. i dare you to sit still during this one.

(mp3) eating me alive by miracles of modern science

while you're at it, have a listen to tensity:

Tensity by Miracles of Modern Science

here's the group doing an acoustic version of luminol:

honestly, peeps. don't you just totally dig how they're using classical instruments to make songs like they are? LOVE IT.

dog tales, the album eating me alive is off of, will be available this fall on MOMS' bandcamp site. go HERE to check it out.

empty promises - napoleon in rags

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, napoleon in rags, a four-piece from the UK, has a very interesting sound to them that mixes both punk and indie-rock. they've also got a hint of 80's style guitars, which makes for a very likable sound, indeed.

empty promises, the song that will propel the band's upcoming single, is dark and angsty. all about the frustrations behind hollow promises given and the apparent unequal feelings between lovers, it's got a nice juxtaposition between the choruses and the rest of the song. the chorus lends the smallest bit of hope, even as the narrator laments how empty promises are meaningless, but then, as an afterthought, the song devolves back into the frenetic rush associated with resentment. it's an intriguing thing to listen to, how they've managed to capture emotions so easily in their music.

and i will wait for you
so you should wait there too
but empty promises
empty promises
mean nothing to me

(mp3) empty promises by napoleon in rags

for some bizarre reason, i cannot, for the life of me, get the soundcloud player for empty promises and its two remixes to embed here. so please head HERE to have a listen to (and/or download!) them. the VIMES remix, in particular, is totally worth your listen!

check out the video for empty promises below:

the empty promises single will be released on september 9 via humming records/rough trade. the band is currently at work on their upcoming LP.

red gtr. (robin guthrie version) - the cinema twin

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, let me introduce you to the cinema twin, a new collaborative project between childhood acquaintances zollie maynard and jason chimonides. named after a movie theatre the duo both frequented at kids, the band has backgrounds both in music and drama.

it's dreamy stuff that they're crafting, friends.

today i want to share with you a remix of the band's red gtr. - which is, in its own right, an excellent song. but the remix, done by robin guthrie of cocteau twins?

well, you've got to hear it to understand.

the song, which is all about the futile feelings of desperation and the subsequent blaming of one's problems on anything but the matter at hand, is lovely, wistful and thought-provoking.

someone stole my red gtr.
so then i got a black gtr.
i can't pray for its return
only for the world to burn

someone stole my vibraphone
i feel nothing - i'm a ghost
someone broke this microphone
now my voice is not my own

think i blew my amplifier
empty cabinet, strip the wires
at one with all nothingness
loneliness crushes your chest

let's take it from the top
got my words mixed up
take it from the top now
got my words mixed up
came in on the wrong note
but i just can't give up on us
upon us...

take it from the top
words mixed up
take it from the top now
got my words mixed up
take it from the wrong...
got my words mixed up
words mixed up

then i found this free gtr.

(mp3) red gtr. (robin guthrie version) by the cinema twin

and now have a listen to the original red gtr.:

Red Gtr. by The Cinema Twin

buy the three song red gtr. single HERE.

wordless music post #46

2011-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) where do i begin by the chemical brothers

video for a saturday - cottleston pie

2011-08-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

so...i'm piggybacking on yesterday's muppet (and a.a. milne) post. can you tell that my kids have been innudating our household with muppet goodness lately?

like halfway down the stairs, cottleston pie is also an a.a. milne creation - this time, however, it's specific to winnie the pooh. ridiculous in that it makes no sense in a way all too familiar to parents of small children, it's also utterly endearing.

i suppose i'm feeling all sorts of sentimental lately with these trips down memory lane...

Cottleston Cottleston Cottleston Pie,
A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly.
Ask me a riddle and I reply
Cottleston Cottleston Cottleston Pie.

Cottleston Cottleston Cottleston Pie,
Why does a chicken? I don't know why.
Ask me a riddle and I reply
Cottleston Cottleston Cottleston Pie.

Cottleston Cottleston Cottleston Pie,
A fish can't whistle and neither can I.
Ask me a riddle and I reply
Cottleston Cottleston Cottleston Pie.

back to non-kid songs tomorrow!

flashback friday - halfway down the stairs

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i completely realize that today's song isn't what you'd normally expect here. it's, well - a kid's song, plus i'm not linking an mp3, but featuring a video instead.

however! it is by THE MUPPETS, and thereby, inherently, awesome.

when i was a kid, i was totally enamored with the muppets. i watched them on tv all the time, saw the movies, and had their albums. my favorite, of course, was the eponymous muppet show album which was a conglomeration of greatest hits. and my sentimental favorite was always halfway down the stairs.

for those of you who don't readily recognize it, this song, sung by kermit's nephew robin, is actually an a.a. milne poem. you know, the guy who created winnie the pooh? and it's a lovely poem, so sweet and so utterly childlike. as a kid, the concept of the halfway point was quite alluring in that it was a safe spot. kids gravitate to those, you know? and as an adult, i can appreciate the simplicity and imagery that the poem lends itself to. i even reference it in one of my books, during a particularly angsty moment.

lots of people - even muppets - have sang this song, but i think the gold standard has to be robin's version simply because he is a kid, and thereby exudes the innocence necessary to truly impart the poem's implications.

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair where I sit:
There isn't any other stair quite like it.
I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top:
So this is the stair where I always stop.

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up, and isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery, it isn't in the town:
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head:
"It isn't really anywhere! It's somewhere else instead!"

by the way, a new muppet movie is on its way! i'm so jazzed to see it with my kids, who already love those puppety hijinks. check it out in november.

video diary for DCFC/FR show at the greek

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, be warned: there will be general gushing and fangirl babble in this here post. why? because i'm recapping seeing my two favorite bands on the same night - frightened rabbit and death cab for cutie.

when i heard that frabbits were opening for DCFC, i think i did one of those snoopy dance of joy jigs. even better - it was at the greek, which is a really cool LA venue, surrounded by trees. it's like a mini hollywood bowl, and there really aren't any crappy seats in the house.

SO. first up are frightened rabbit. sort of slays me that more people didn't come early to listen to them. i think they'll eventually kick themselves, thinking, "i had a chance to see frightened rabbit, and instead drove late to miss traffic?" because, as any reader of this blog knows, the sun pretty much rises and sets on this band for me. so, so good.

note on my personal videos - the crazy thing is that we actually had really great seats, but my iphone's video makes it look like we're in the nosebleed section. ah well.

anyway, here's scottish wind:

whoever shot this video was right up against the stage. yes, you can see frabbit faces! enjoy the loneliness and the scream:

they also shot my backwards walk. which, OMG, was such a gorgeous, haunting version. lovelovelovelovelove. makes me want to weep, it's so fabulous:

on to death cab for cutie...

the husband asked me later on if i liked this show or the one we saw at the hollywood bowl a few years back now better. truth be told, i am apparently easily dazzled, because with fireworks and the hollywood bowl orchestra, that show reigns in my mind as one of the best, EVER, DCFC or no, but this one here was pretty damn awesome. there were a bunch of screens behind the band that showed bokeh, driving and fire effects, which nicely highlighted their music. plus, ben gibbard is inherently extremely likable, whatwith his earnest voice, unaffected bouncy shuffle/dancing. some highlights:

here's our video of long division:

my favorite DCFC song, transatlanticism wasn't as visually tear triggering as it had been with fireworks at the bowl, but still swoon-worthy:

okay, OKAY. this vid is from philly and not from the show i went to. BUT, we looked like giants was so chill-producing, i had to find a copy of it to share with y'all. the middle? GAH. GAH. GAH. i'm not kidding about the chills. what a freaking amazing song live:

did you just die there, listening to that? well, live, it's a million times better!

just found out the DCFC is coming to pomona, which is just in my backyard! woooo! obviously, the husband and i are going to try for tickets.

buy codes and keys, death cab for cutie's latest album, HERE. then, if you're going to make one of the tour stops, make sure you pick up a frightened rabbit EP (which is only available at the shows!). is it worth it? HELLS YEAH.

st. croix - family of the year

2011-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, as a gen-xer growing up in southern california, there was only one place to go for alternative or indie music - KROQ. it was, in its heyday, the granddaddy of all excellent music - plenty of bands that regular radio either shunned or never had heard of. you weren't going to hear def leppard or madonna here - nope, instead you got the smiths, sugarcube and the cult.

it was awesome.

over the years, KROQ became...less than what it once was. it stopped being edgy and interesting in its musical selection. metallica, sublime (WHY, GOD, WHY?!?) and the offspring entered the rotation and...NEVER. EVER. WENT. AWAY. listening to KROQ today is like listening to the KROQ of two years ago. or five years ago. or, hell, ten. i turned it on the other day in the car just to see if there was anything to write home about and MY GOD it was the same stupid crap as always.

so i turned it off.

HOWEVER. as trite as KROQ has become over the years, it does have options for music aficionados looking for something other than *shudder* sublime (damn, i'm so shamed that one came from my home town). for one, rodney on the roq is still alive and kicking (although relegated to the dead of night). dude knows his tunes, is what i have to say. and there's also a program called locals only, which highlights - um - local, socal bands.

and i like that. because southern california has lots of interesting music to offer.

case in point, family of the year, who have been featured and ranked on locals only. the band, who actually come from as far away as wales and florida and as close as the OC, have a very nouveau-americana sound that mixes pop and folk in a really likable way.

in advance of their upcoming new EP, family of the year has released st. croix, and utterly affable, summery tune. give it a listen:

you bring the ocean
i bring the motion
together we'll make a love potion
you bring the ocean
i bring the motion
dancing all night in slow motion

St. Croix by Family of the Year

here they are, performing st. croix at a locals only show at the roxy:

want to see family of the year live? check out one of the following dates:

9/6 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent*
9/7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour*
9/8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Martini Ranch*
9/9 – Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café*
9/10 – Bakersfield, CA @ B Ryders*
9/25 – Venice, CA @ Abbot Kinney Festival
9/28 – Portland, OR @ Group Love#
9/30 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project#
10/1 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl#

* = w/ VIVA Brother

# = w/ Grouplove

the st. croix EP will be released on september 27th via tinyOGRE entertainment.

album review: mr. sam presents the bandana splits

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i've finally had a chance to listen to the bandana splits new album, mr. sam presents the bandana splits. i've talked about the band a couple of times now in the last few weeks, but i'm back with an official review because i'm still heavily crushing on their tunes. and as well i should, because the girls who make up the group (annie nero, dawn landes, and lauren balthrop) have crafted an album that just screams fun and good times.

for those of you who don't know who they are, the bandana splits are a three-part harmony group who pays homage to the girl bands of the 50's and 60's. cheeky and bouncy in their tunes and dress (oh, such cute vintage-inspired outfits!), the girls have perfected the blending of their voices against what can only be described as addictive candy-inspired music. mr. sam presents the bandana splits is an album that can't help but be inherently likable - it's sunny and warm, the kind of album you can tell was fun to make. and that makes a difference - because, i think, if the musicians doing it are having a good time, it shows (oasis, you could take note here). and when it shows, it makes listening to the songs all the more enjoyable.

some highlights:

* lavez vous - okay. i know i say this word a lot in conjunction with this band, but god. is this song adorable. apparently all three girls have lived in france at some point, and this is their "french" song. GOODNESS. if you dislike it, well... you're a scrooge. i learned to speak french/from beauty products/that my mom gave to me

* stay if you wanna - the stinkin' highly-likable song from saturday's video. HOLY COW is this one beyond cute. the girls' voices are pitch perfect here in their three-part harmonies, and the ukulele is absolutely spot on for the song. listen to this one if you want audio happiness. sugar drops and candy canes and lemon pie/when we're together/you're my guy

* hold on - so sultry and gorgeous. slow and steady, like lapping waves, hold on is definitely the epitome of an excellent date song. love is something to hold on to/for those long summer nights/when the air is just right/hold on

* baby talkin' (the shoo wop song) - utterly reminiscent of the 50's, it's totally infectious in that you'll find yourself unable to sit still during its bouncy refrains. or stop singing shoo wop.

* desert love - a bit different than the others here, it's got more of a hippie undercurrent running alongside a bit of native american sounding chanting (or rather, singing style). walking through the desert/when i saw your face in a cloud/didn't know if i was dreaming/but i spoke to you out loud/desert love

* all you gotta do is fall in love - a bit sad in comparison to some of the more cheery offerings on the album, this song is still filled with sugary, lovely vocals that can't help but captivate. the piano bits are perfect for the melancholy wistfulness. wouldn't it be sweet/if you could be in love with me?/the way i'm in love with you/it's so easy to do

download sometimes - you can read my review of this song HERE.

(mp3) sometimes by the bandana splits

because i luuurrve this song, you get a video of lavez vous:

buy mr. sam presents the bandana splits HERE.

wordless music post #45

2011-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) white rabbit (jefferson airplane cover) by emiliana torrini

video for a saturday - the bandana splits on btr

2011-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, remember how i introduced you to the bandana splits a week or so back? well, today i have a great video for you to watch with them performing their fabulous three part harmonies on break through radio in new york. the ukulele bits (which piggyback on tuesday's ukulele love post)? hot dog, do i like these girls' music. so stinkin' cute.

Bandana Splits - Serious Business on BTR [ep39] from BreakThru Radio TV on Vimeo.

buy mr. sam presents the bandana splits HERE. i'll have a review of it up on monday the 22nd!

interview - alyssa graham

2011-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i recently got a chance to listen to singer-songwriter alyssa graham's upcoming EP lock, stock & soul. it's a lovely EP, filled with plenty on intriguing sounds (think folk, rock, country and more) that easily compliment alyssa's sweet sounding vocals.

alyssa was kind enough to answer some questions for me about her influences, the decision to become an artist, and what's up next for her:

have you met heather: what inspired you to become a singer-songwriter?

alyssa graham: There were certainly a few moments in my childhood that really influenced me musically. The first one I can think of is a time period when I was obsessively listening to the musical Really Rosie on vinyl. Really Rosie was based on a Maurice Sendak book that he and Carole King (one of my idols) turned into a musical. I listened to that record until it skipped all the way through. I knew every single lyric. There was a song called Screaming and Yelling on the record that I sang all the time and drove my brother nuts, "It takes personality, a lot of personality to make them see it my way. It takes personality, more personality to turn twelve boring hours into a fascinating day. I can do it, that's a fact, I can do it, don't you see and I'll do it all for free. Do you know, can you guess who I simply have to be, stop screaming and yelling and screaming and yelling... the enchanted one that's me" or something like that. After I grew out of that record a bit, I of course moved on to Carole King's >"Tapestry." Her style really led me down a musical path and introduced me to the great tradition of singer-songwriters. I started playing the piano and tried to write songs about anything I was feeling at the time. Then my parents and my brother introduced me to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, Neil Young. My brother played the guitar and since I always wanted to do everything my big brother did, I started playing guitar too. That's when I knew I was going to be a singer-songwriter... I was hooked. I learned every Neil Young song from my favorite album On The Beach and then I started collaborating with my brother's friends who all played guitar. One of those friends was Doug Graham who has been my musical partner and the love of my life ever since.

hymh: you started out with a deal with a major label but eventually walked away. why?

alyssa: I walked away from a negotiation that was leading down a path I didn't want to go. It was exciting to think of having a major label career and there are of course a lot of benefits that go along with having major label support. However, I'm a pretty simple girl and I like to keep the songwriting and the delivery simple. Let's just say, they didn't share that vision. In my humble opinion, a good song doesn't need a parade, it just needs an honest voice. I'm not saying there isn't good music out there being made by the majors and/or by people who have a more elaborate sound or presentation. But, for me it wasn't right. I love playing songs that are personal and sharing them in an intimate setting with an audience who really wants to listen and be part of the experience. Sunnyside Records, the Indie label we are now on, is wonderful. They truly believe in their artists and trust them to make the music they want to make. I may not be playing the Tonight Show anytime soon or have my face plastered on a billboard in Time Square but I'm free to be the artist I want to be and that feels really good.

hymh: your sound is quite lovely and eclectic, with lots of different genres mixing together. what are some of your influences?

alyssa: Well, thank you for the nice compliment first and foremost. There is so much amazing music out there and so much that has influenced us over the years that I guess when we write all of it pours out. I never understood the need for genres or compartmentalizing music. We listen to everything from Hank Williams to Bjork to Serge Gainsbourg to Wilco. From The Kinks to Billie Holiday to Nirvana to Joao Gilberto. I have never heard music that has been made in a vacuum without the influence of other music. In other words, I think it is part of artistic growth and development to genre surf. Every great artist is influenced by a multitude of other artists and sounds. We can't create in a vacuum. If we just listened to one type of music we would be missing out. I think it's ok to blend and bleed and defy musical genres. So, I take your comment as a true compliment. Personally, I would say one of my greatest influences is Neil Young. He taught me so much about feel. His songs are simple and honest and most of all when he sings a song you believe him. Doug and I have a joke... whenever Neil sings a song like On The Beach (one of our favorites) and he croons a line like, "All my pictures are fallin' from the wall where I placed them yesterday. The world is turnin', I hope it don't turn away" we say out loud, "oh Neil, it's gonna be ok man. it's all going to be alright." We believe him and we feel like we're right there with him. That's the mark of a powerful song and Neil has so many of them.

hymh: three of the songs on lock, stock & soul are original and one is a grateful dead cover. What inspired you to choose the songs you did for the EP?

alyssa: We wanted to give the listener a well rounded experience of what the LP was going to sound like. Honestly, I tried to stay out of that process, that is of choosing which songs would go on the EP and be released first and which would go on the LP. Each and every song is part of my soul so picking and choosing is just impossible. Sure, there are songs that are more fun to play or songs that I'm more in the mood for at a certain moment but each of them are equally meaningful to me and to have to choose between them would be too difficult. So, I pretty much try and leave that up to our team. I think those decisions need to be made by people who have more distance from the actual creative process. Part of the thinking was, give them a taste but don't give away too much because there is so much more to come. I love food so I like to think of the EP as an amuse-bouche, something not ordered from the menu but rather the chef's selection meant to excite the taste buds and to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach while preparing the guests for the main course.

hymh: any plans to tour?

alyssa: Yes. Dates will be announced shortly. You can check our website at: http://www.alyssagraham.com. We are going to do a small exclusive preview tour this Fall, probably 10 shows or so. Then a full tour after the LP comes out in January. We can't wait. Writing and recording is always an amazing experience but getting out there and playing for the fans is the most rewarding and the most fun for us.

hymh: what's up next for you?

alyssa: Doug and I have been writing a great deal of new material. Some of which we will also bring out on the road with us and start working into the repertoire. However, for now our plan is to swim in the sea that is Lock, Stock & Soul. There is so much to explore and so much to learn about these tunes still and that all happens on the road and on the stage. I love experiencing each of these tunes live as they always morph and grow and as musicians and artists we grow with them. Sharing this music with the fans is the greatest "high time" we can score!

have a listen to the lovely watching the sky:

Watching The Sky by Alyssa Graham by hymh

the lock, stock & soul EP will be released on august 23 via sunnyside records. you can pre-order it HERE.

bad wine and lemon cake - the jane austen argument

2011-08-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i'm piggybacking on yesterday's post, which was about amanda palmer but had a mention of the jane austen argument. in fact, i'm featuring today one of the songs i put up yesterday, only yesterday's version featured amanda palmer and this one is pure jane austen argument.

whew. got all that?

i think what's drawn me to this australian duo is that they are so plaintively earnest with their morosely beautiful piano-anchored music. you're not going to find blasé lyrics that could be regurgitated out of just any pop singer out there today - no, these lyrics, which can be haunting or caustic, are just as thought-provoking as the music that accompanies them is simple yet lovely.

bad wine and lemon cake is something of an utter delight for me, musically. the version with amanda palmer featured yesterday was great - amanda's got a great voice that adds a little something-something to it, but this original band version is just so bitterly heartbreaking in its simplicity that it sorts of forces its listener to sort of sit down, hard, and marvel at how it makes you want to tear up even though it has nothing remotely to do with you (or at least, i hope that's the case!).

i have a little house
close to town, but not to the city
far from home, but near my family
no water views, but so close to the sea
i see
this is how my little life could be…

and i’m filling it with things
like furniture i find on the street
and all the special things i’d like to eat
pictures of people that i’d like to meet
i’ll meet them when i’m orbiting the world…

… and it’s so pretty…
… and so lonely…

my lovely love affairs
are all scheduled ‘round the TV guide
and my sex life has all been plagiarised
in an attempt to meet a harsh deadline…

i’d like to rent-a-wife
then rent a husband to keep her for life
the three of us, we could be so happy
(them with each other, me with company)
i’ll see them off on a flight around the world…

… and it’s so pretty…
… and so lonely…
i could just die
i might just die

… and at my funeral
they will say ‘tom, he was such a nice guy’
‘he went too early, but he went in style’
‘they’ll play my music and then they will cry’

they’ll have a little wake
they’ll drink bad wine and they’ll eat lemon cake
and my mother’s little heart will break
and she’ll say:
‘wait! there must be some mistake
- he can’t be dead
take me instead!!!’

oh but i’m not dead
they tell me i’m not dead
they say that i’m not dead
and i won’t die for some time…

i’m in my little house
just writing little songs to pass the time
which (incidentally) is precisely nine
so don’t you worry, i’m completely fine
i’m fine
i am just so fucking fine

god. see what i mean? so, so heartbreaking.

Bad Wine and Lemon Cake by The Jane Austen Argument

here's a video of the band performing the song live. PLUS, it's got an accordion! so perfect!

buy the birthing pyre, the jane austen argument's debut EP, HERE. additionally, the band is fundraising for their upcoming LP, somewhere under the rainbow. go HERE to donate to the cause.

the ukulele delights of amanda palmer

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i feel like lately i've been mentioning a lot of instruments that i don't think get their fair due in the music industry nowadays. because, let's face it peeps, in order to get a standard band nowadays, you need: a lead singer, some guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer. a keyboardist is nice, but one of the guys already mentioned sometimes serves this dual purpose. so it always feels like a real treat when another instrument appears in a song i like - it's like...toppings on ice cream. something special, you know?

a truncated list of instruments i dig but hear far too rarely: piano (not keyboard - old school piano), accordion, banjo, xylophone, glockenspiel, and the ukulele.

yes, the ukulele.

i know what you're thinking - what, that tiny little guitar that's used in hawaiian music? and the answer is - yup. that's the one. it's cute, it's got a great sound that is simple (it's hard to distort a ukulele), and it's got far more to offer the music world than just hawaiian songs.

case in point - amanda palmer's use of the ukelele to cover some of radiohead's most popular songs.

and yes - you read that right. radiohead. done with a ukulele.

some of you may recognize amanda's name - she used to front the punk-cabaret group the dresden dolls, plus she's worked with ben folds and neil gaimon on who killed amanda palmer.

rather than sounding kitchy, the ukulele, in amanda palmer's capable hands, transforms into moody melancholia. radiohead's music inevitably lends itself to this, of course, but so does amanda's voice and the pacing she sets with her instrument.

i know that radiohead claims they hate fake plastic trees. but damn, if it doesn't sound morosely lovely here:

Fake Plastic Trees by Amanda Palmer

that album cover? LOVE IT. makes me think of south pacific. which, i know, ties into the whole hawaiian bit, but c'mon. i'm contrary like that.

now, this song doesn't have the ukulele but it does feature the PIANO (hooray!) and only the piano. it's simply beyond charming. and, she's singing with the jane austen argument. MY GOD. can anyone resist a band named that?

don't bother answering, because i'll do it for you. NO, NO THEY CANNOT.

Bad Wine and Lemon Cake (feat. The Jane Austen Argument) by Amanda Palmer

back to the radiohead stuff. here's a video for no surprises:

Amanda Palmer - "No Surprises" Animated Music Video from Amanda Palmer on Vimeo.

buy amanda palmer performs the popular hits of radiohead on her magical ukulele for all of a single buck HERE. amanda palmer goes down under, the album bad wine and lemon cake is off of, can be bought HERE for a whopping 69 cents.

writing my name (on the back of your hand) - the glue ensemble

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i caved this year and got myself a twitter account. i felt like i was dragged kicking and screaming to it, in a way, after maligning it to the husband and others for at least a good year. "what's the point?" i'd wonder. "so few words" - which, of course, is hard for a compulsive babbler like myself. and yet, here i am, with a twitter account, and you know what? i tweet and even enjoy it. it's like an addictive outlet to just spew any non-sequitur that pops into my mind. and friends, i have a lot of those.

one thing that bugs me, though, is the concept of auto-following, which i think i've ranted about on here before. for you peeps who don't tweet (just you wait, guys, just. you. wait.), it's basically the concept of following someone solely to get them to follow you. and if that person DOESN'T follow you, you unfollow them. it's sort of like an internet way of saying, "i really don't give a rat's ass about who you are or what you have to say, or anything at all about you, but i do care about that little number you can give me up on the sidebar." which is...i dunno, bizarre and...perhaps a bit insecure? i just don't get it. i honestly don't ever follow anyone for the sole purpose of getting them to follow me. i follow people, in general, because i either: a) want to read what they have to say, b) want to support their music and want to hear news about their releases, or c) want to support fellow authors and want to hear news about their releases. seems simple to me, really.

ANYWAY (you all knew i was prone to babbling, so you can't really be surprised that it's taken me so long to get to the point here) - to make a long story a wee bit shorter, i stumbled across an intriguing band due to what i'm assuming is the wretched concept of auto-following. meaning - they followed me for less than 24 hours and then unfollowed me when i didn't immediately jump on the bandwagon. which is...a bit amusing, honestly, because i actually DO find their music quite lovely and am happy to share it here today with you all (presuming, of course, you've made it this far in the diatribe).

the glue ensemble is, in this opinion, steampunkish in that it combines mozart-esque (or, rather, bach-ish ones, ala jesu joy of man's desire) strings, a jane austen/regency england atmosphere, and smiths-like lyrics. the band describes themselves as thus: Alternative Acoustic music from London and Paris. Heartbreakingly beautiful but still civilised, like teatime at a funeral.

to say they are different than a lot of the bands out there today is to put it mildly. and that's part of what makes them utterly delightful to listen to. expect swoon-worthy strings (bass, viola, violin and cello), heartfelt lyrics and melodies that can't help but charm. and that's really the thing about the glue ensemble's music - it's so frigging charming.

and the most charming song of all has to be writing my name (on the back of your hand). it starts off sounding like a string quartet performance and only builds on its artistic beauty from there. i simply adore it. fellow jane austen-ites, can't you see captain wentworth digging this one in some steampunk version? so pull out your favorite black tea (pox on all of you green tea lovers, i just can't wrap my mind around you at all) and kick back to this gorgeous song:

you walk in the room and everything stops -

the silence carves grooves that ache for the needle to drop

and over the shame we can't bear to name.
oh, you are the shoes I can't fill but the same
you pinch my feet inch by inch by inch
by inch by inch by inch by inch

so why do you think it's changed?
why do you think it's changed?
when those moments of clarity run like mascara in rain
why do you think it's changed?

you walk in the room and the music goes on.
is there someone you recognise written into this song, this song, this song, this song?

because almost as planned you're too drunk to stand.
you know this place like the back of my hand,
but you stumble and fall
because you know nothing at all.

so why do you think... etc

oh the window was wide
and the night slipped inside
to lie cold by your side
like the words you denied,
like the number you regret
but cannot forget.

there's stains on your arms
and marks on your palms -
to write love on your wrist
how could i resist?
the engine is running, the radio is on
is there someone you know, written in this song?

because i'm writing my name on the back of your hand
you look at me but you don't understand.

i'm writing my name on the back of your hand
you look at me - but you don't understand.

i'm writing my name on the back of your hand
you look at me - but you don't understand?

I'M WRITING MY NAME ON THE BACK OF YOUR HAND
YOU LOOK AT ME - BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!

so why do you think it's changed?
why do you think it's changed?
why do you think we've changed
when those moments of clarity run like mascara in rain...

you walk in the room and everything stops.

Writing My Name (On The Back Of Your Hand) by The Glue Ensemble

buy teatime at a funeral, the EP writing my name (on the back of your hand) is off of, HERE. it's only 99 pence. honestly, peeps. less than a pound for the entire EP. it's practically a steal!

wordless music post #44

2011-08-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) let's get lost by beck and bats for lashes

video for a saturday - welcome home

2011-08-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, fyi, YES, i have already blogged about this song before, but i didn't put the video up for it. so THERE.

besides, radical face deserves lots of love, anyways. he's so bloody good and i have such musical crushes on his songs.

buy ghost, the album welcome home is off of, HERE.

interview: pearl and the beard

2011-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, it's already august (seriously - where HAS this year gone?!) and i've begun to think about my top ten albums of the year. it's a tough thing for me, because i'm more typically attracted to singles rather than entire albums, but there are a few that are already sticking out as favorites.

one of those is pearl and the beard's lovely killing the darlings, which i've fangirl babbled about on here several times now (go HERE to read my complete review). the band, which consists of the trio of jocelyn mackenzie, emily hope price and jeremy styles, crafts eclectic and delightful music that defies genre labelling with a wide variety of equally diversified instruments (you won't find the standard guitar / keyboard / drums only equation here).

(photo via shervinfoto.com)

two members of the group, jocelyn mackenzie and jeremy styles, were kind enough recently to answer some questions for me about the band, their creative process, and what's up next for them.

have you met heather: what's the story behind how the three of you formed pearl and the beard?

jocelyn mackenzie: We met at different open mic nights... Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn and Sidewalk Cafe in Manhattan. Just goes to show you you never know who you're gonna meet at the open mic night! Keep on going if you're starting to doubt yourself, young ones.

hymh: and...where did the name pearl and the beard come from?

jeremy styles: There is no Pearl or Beard, only the ones being created through our songs. The name just came from our dome pieces.

hymh: I must admit I'm utterly intrigued and delighted by how your music is so eclectic. Some songs have a very bluesy feel while others seem best suited to fairy tales. Where do you find the inspirations for your songs?

jeremy: I've been happy about that as well. It's not a conscious effort on our parts to write so many different types of songs. Each song we approach just comes out that way because that is what we were wanting to create at the time. From the beginning of this band we've never wanted to be pigeon-holed. Since we're all individual song writers that have come together a lot of people ask, "What makes a Pearl and the Beard song?" - and the answer is simply if all three of us like something that we start working on, then we put it into our musical repertoire and eventually record it. What happens then unconsciously is that we've created a mix tape of sorts. A mix tape of music made by the same band. Avant-Death-Gyro-Core? If Jeremy, Emily and Jocelyn like it, we write the thing. It's simple, and it's fun. It allows us to write what we want and not feel tethered to one particular sound because that's what we're "supposed" to be. We are three very different people, who are friends and we have different lives and experiences that effect us in unique ways. You mix that together in the pot of music with our abilities and skills and you're gonna get God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richardson, Black Vessel, and Killing the Darlings to date.

hymh: what is the writing process usually like? is it a collaborative effort between the three of you, or do certain songs come from certain people?

jocelyn: Any way you can imagine that a group could write a song, we do it. Some are brought as complete songs to the table by one band member or the other and then finely tuned by the other two, some are equal three-part collaborations, some are just two of us working together, some are old songs that we splice together in a sort of song kabob, some come out of just jamming. Whatever a particular song needs, that's what we do. It's not about ego.

hymh: one of the things i really like about your music is the diverse collection of instruments you use, in particular the glockenspiel and the cello (both of which i feel ought to be used more in music nowadays). what drew you to the instruments you use? any others you consider bringing into your music?

jocelyn: It all depends on what a song needs, but also what is available to us. We like to make the most out of what we have. For example on Vessel (from our first album, God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richardson), I have a part that I play on melodica that I wrote because there happened to be one floating around the apartment I was living in at that time. But had we had an accordion or a tuba available, maybe it would have been an accordion or tuba part. That being said, the song will tell you what it wants, so if we need to be creative and go out of our comfort zone to accommodate a song's needs, that's what we do.

hymh: killing the darlings is a fantastic album (one I've had on repeat for awhile now). what was the process like for you guys to create it?

jocelyn: Thank you! Working with Franz Nicolay and Dan Brennan as a double-power super-producer team was a dream come true. Both brought completely different yet completely harmonizing ideas and inspirations to the table, and both were streamlined, organized and on point. It was like working with two robot sharks, in the best possible way.

hymh: any particular songs (new or old) that are favorites of yours to perform?

jocelyn: I personally love performing "The Lament of Coronado Brown," because I don't sing for most of the song and I get to just listen to Jeremy and Emily's gorgeous voices blend together. It gives me chills every time to hear those two. "Douglas Douglass" is always fun though, too, because we can really connect with the crowd during that one when everyone is stomping and clapping along with us.

[ed. note: douglas douglass was recently remixed by the comedy/rap duo snakes to create whole bunch of chicken - go HERE to check it out.]

hymh: any plans to tour beyond the east coast this year?

jeremy: We're embarking on a South / Midwest tour from 8/12 - 9/9, so check our website to see if you can catch us! But other things are definitely in the works, and our hope is to get all over the world. As far as this year goes realistically, we'll see. We want to go out there, and we're doing the best that we can to meet everyone out there and play for them and share in this musical experience.

hymh: what can listeners expect next from pearl and the beard?

jocelyn: More and more and more and more and more.

thanks jocelyn and jeremy!

here's a list of the the band's tour dates - lucky you left coast and midwest peeps! so bummed they won't be hitting the west coast yet...

8/12/11
New York, NY
Cooper Square Hotel Penthouse

8/13/11
Shepherdstown, WV
The Mecklenburg Inn

8/14/11
Greensboro, NC
The Blind Tiger
w/ Now You See Them, Matty Sheets and the Blockheads

8/15/11
Charlotte, NC
Snug Harbor
w/ e-s guthrie

8/16/11
Lexington Avenue Brewery
w/ Rainbow Nerd and Jon Stickley Trio

8/17/11
Knoxville, TN
Preservation Pub
w/ The Stereofidelics

8/18/11
Charlottesville, VA
The Pigeon Hole
w/ poetry by Cecilia Llompart and Lex Gibson

8/21/11
Williamstown, MA
House Show

8/23/11
New York, NY
City Winery
w/ Lenka, Casey Shea and Robbie Gil

8/25/11
Chicago, IL
Darkroom
w/ Andy Lund, The Great Crusades, and Bob Dey’s Tank Engine Man

8/24/11
Youngstown, OH
The Lemon Grove

8/27/11
Cincinnati, OH
The Comet
w/ Goose

8/28/11
Madison, WI
Project Lodge

8/30/11
Columbia, MO
Mojo’s

8/31/11
St. Louis, MO
Jefferson Warehouse
w/ Spot Ons

9/1/11
Nashville, TN
3rd and Lindsley
w/ Neulore

9/2/11-9/4/11
Chillicothe, OH
Paper City Music Festival
w/ Woody Pines, Lewis Brothers and more

9/14/11
Washington, D.C.
9:30 Club
w/ David Wax Museum and Second String Band

buy killing the darlings, pearl and the beard's latest LP, HERE.

song of shadows - mondkopf

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, i think it's pretty fitting that french electronic wizard mondkopf is releasing his latest album, entitled rising doom, in october - it's quite dark. and by dark, i mean dark.

that's not to say that some moments aren't pretty (which there are - pretty sounding moments, i mean), it's just that these are some introspective - even introverted - songs that instill a bit of gloom. which is good, at times, especially on dreary days that shy away from cheery pop.

for this latest work, mondkopf reworked the idea of a rave party as both an exorcism and mystical experience. there are bits of extreme metal that scatter with melodic bangers to create a very distinct feeling of urgency. it is a bit exhausting, in a way, but definitely a very intriguing listen.

check out song of shadows, which reminds me, in a tiny way, of latter-day oingo boingo - well, oingo boingo without lyrics and horns and grating guitars and a whole lot of techno thrown in. come to think of it, that doesn't make a bit of sense written, does it? so let's put it this way: in other words, danny elfman and tim burton will probably be drawing some inspiration from this stuff!

(mp3) song of shadows by mondkopf

here's a very eerie video for day of anger, which will also be off of rising doom:

rising doom, the album song of shadows is off of, will be released on october 3rd by fool house records. go HERE to learn more about it.

starlight - rachael yamagata

2011-08-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

so, rachael yamagata has a new single out in advance of her upcoming album chesapeake. it's been three years since her last LP, and the time has served to lighten up her previously darker, more acoustic music.

in order to record chesapeake, rachael recruited a “dream team” of musicians, including drummer victor indrizzo (who's worked with sheryl crow), guitarists mike viola (from candy butchers), michael chaves (who's worked with john mayer), and kevin salem, (who's worked with both dump truck and the fabulous yo la tengo), cellist oli kraus (who's worked with sia and duffy) and upright bassist tom freund.

here's the lead single, starlight - which might come across initially as dark in both terms of tone and lyrics, eventually lightens up in the chorus as it breaks open.

i couldn't see a thing tonight
not one star
not one star shone for you

i add a little candlelight
to get through
oh, i couldn't see the moon tonight
not one wave
not one wave was out for you
no, i couldn't see the pale moonlight
not one part
not one wave was coming through
and i'm terrified to look outside
because i need you

(mp3) starlight by rachael yamagata

want to see rachael in concert? check her out at one of the following dates:

OCTOBER
24th Portland, ME Port City Music Hall
25th Burlington, VT Higher Ground Lodge
27th Ithaca, NY Deliah’s
28th Northampton, MA Iron Horse
30th Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
31st Philadelphia, PA World Café Live

NOVEMBER
1st Washington, DC Birchmere
2nd Baltimore, MD Sound Stage
4th Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
5th Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
7th Detroit, MI St Andrews Hall
8th Chicago, IL Logan Square
10th Milwaukee, WI Turner Ballroom
11th Minneapolis, MN Fine Line
12th Davenport, IA Redstone Room
14th Kansas City, KS Record Bar
16th Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
18th Salt Lake City, UT State Room
20th Spokane, WA A Club
21st Vancouver, BC Media Club
22nd Seattle, WA Crocodile
23rd Portland, OR Doug Fir
25th San Francisco, CA Slim’s
26th Santa Barbara, CA Soho Restaurant & Music Club
28th San Diego, CA Casbah
29th Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
30th Tuscon, AZ Crescent Ballroom

DECEMBER
2nd Austin, TX Parish
3rd Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s Upstairs
4th Dallas, TX The Loft
5th Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom – 2nd Stage
7th St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill
8th Nashville, TN 12th and Porter
9th Birmingham, AL Work Play
10th Atlanta, GA Vinyl
12th Knoxville, TN Relix Theatre
13th Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre
15th Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
16th Charlottesville, VA The Southern
17th Louisville, KY Headliners
18th Columbus, OH The Basement
20th Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s
21st New York, NY City Winery
22nd New York, NY City Winery

chesapeake, the album starlight is off of, will be released via frankenfish records on october 11th..

sometimes - the bandana splits

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, right off the bat, how can anyone resist a band called the bandana splits? especially one that pays homage to the girl bands of the 50's and 60's?

as you can expect, there's a lot of three-part harmonies to this group, mixed in with a bit of old-time rock and roll as well as mowtown influences. it's utterly innocent sounding, and yet...at the same time, not. sweet and fun, the bandana splits make you want to hang out at the local soda fountain and share a chocolate shake with somebody equally adorable.

check out sometimes, which is practically a time machine disguised as a song:

sometimes
sometimes
sometimes when you walk away and you
hold your head and don't complain and then
and hide your hands inside your sleeves
sometimes when you leave

don't go
baby, baby, put your hand in mine
don't go
baby, baby, stars are in your eyes
don't go
baby, baby, true love doesn't mind

sometimes
some night when the air is thin and then
it keeps you up and clocks are spinning
and you press your eyes and try to sleep
some time is all you need

don't go
baby, baby, put your hand in mine
don't go
baby, baby, stars are in your eyes
don't go
baby, baby, true love doesn't mind
but when i see you walk away it makes me wanna cry
so sometimes
sometimes

(mp3) sometimes by the banana splits

here's the adorably retro video:

check 'em out live during one of the following dates:

August 16 - Farmacy (Brooklyn, NY)
August 18 - The Lizard Lounge (Boston, MA)
August 27 - PICNIC Music and Arts Festival (Portland, ME)
August 31 - Piano's (New York, NY)
September 24 - Last Licks Cafe (Huntington, NY)

mr. sam presents the banana splits will be released on august 16 via boy scout records. you can pre-order it HERE.

wordless music post #43

2011-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

find/buy this print at etsy HERE

(mp3) lithograph by shoot the image

video for a saturday - you were born

2011-08-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, first off, you need to know that this video is in no way the official one. it's fan made. i picked it because...well...there aren't any official ones or even concert footage of this beautiful song.

cloud cult's you were born is a song that every single parent can relate to. i started listening to it during my youngest's first year, so every time i hear it, i sentimentally relate it to him now. it is sweet and heartfelt and fuzzy and all of those other things that you childless people out there are probably rolling your eyes at. me? i adore cloud cult for making this song. but then again, i adore the band in general!

you were born into a strange world
like a candle, you were meant to share the fire
i don't know where we come from, and i don't know where we go
but my arms were made to hold you, so i will never let you go
'cause you were born to change this life
you were born to chase the light
you were born

love your mother, yeah she's s good one.
she'll build you armor; keep you warm as a hen
the stars may fall and the rains may pour,
but i will love you evermore
you were born to make this right
you were born to chase the light
you were born

oh my precious, oh my love, when they come to take me,
i will hold you from above
i don't know why we're here, and i don't know how,
but i'm here with you now, i am here with you now
'cause you were born to change this life
'cause you were born to make this right
'cause you were born to chase the light

buy light chasers, the excellent album you were born is off of, HERE.

flashback friday - settling

2011-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, around the time that lilith fair was still relevant, i got into a canadian singer-songwriter by the name of tara maclean. she had a sweet voice quite similar to the girls making folk headlines at the time - kate bush, tori amos and sarah mclachlan (which makes sense, since tara was also discovered/signed with nettwerk records) and an easy-going sound that charmed and lulled listeners in.

passenger, tara's second full length album, was something i listened to extensively when it came out. it was beautiful in a gentle way - there are no harsh sounds found within, no jarring distortions or peppy songs that can hype you up. instead, it's mellow melodies serve as a blanket and a cup of tea.

i very nearly picked the superb dry land to feature today, a song that has stood the test of time on my ipod. but after writing about it, i ended up deleting the post and decided to highlight settling instead. the reason is simple: settling is the sort of song that, due to it's quiet honesty, can become inherently relatable to any listener. it's, as many songs are, about a break-up: are the feelings the singer has real, or are they memories of what once was? are the complex and messy remnants left behind afterwards generating genuine questions about who s/he really is, or are they merely bits of angst settling like dust after a storm?

of course, it's subjective to all. but what i really liked about this song is the imagery it evokes, the feelings it inspires. tara had a way of capturing something so devastating and making it beautiful.

am i real, am i true?
am i borrowed, am i blue?
is it just the dust of leaving you
settling?

am i fair, am i strong?
when i'm there, do i belong?
is it only skin i touch when i reach for you?

the leaves, they fall
they go so far sometimes
do i blame the wind
or the tree that let it go
or do i wake goodbye?
settling

do i stay and do i fight?
is it wrong when nothing's right?
or is it just the closet light
i leave on for you

the leaves they fall
they go so far sometimes
do i blame the wind
or the tree that let it go
or do i wave goodbye?
settling

so many times i've needed you to be strong for me
but you bend beneath the slightest breeze
you have no leaves
no leaves
no leaves

settling

am i real, am i true?
do i stay and do i fight?
is it just the closet light?
is it only skin i tough
or is it just the dust
settling...

(mp3) settling by tara maclean

here is a little special of tara for canadian tv - it features a brief bio and a very lovely live version of settling:

buy passenger, the album settlingis off of, HERE.

lights in the sky - the moth and the mirror

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

so, as anyone who reads this knows, i am a frabbit junkie. i was well aware that lead singer scott hutchison frequently moonlights solo, but i was pleased to learn that guitarist gordon skene does, as well! he's part of the moth and the mirror, a band that is made up of artists from other bands.

and what a pedigree they have: stacey sievwright (vocals/guitars) from the reindeer section as well as arab strap, gordon skene (guitars/vocals) of frightened rabbit, louis abbott (guitars/vocals) of admiral fallow and song of return, kevin mccarvel (bass) of smoke jaguar, iain sandilands (percussion), and peter murch (drums). it's like a smorgassboard of scottish bands rolled into one!

have a listen to and/or download their very recently released single, the very dark and meloncholy lights in the sky:

Lights in the sky by The Moth & The Mirror

stay tuned for their upcoming album via olive grove records.