JAYHAWKS.

Happy Thursday, and again, I apologize for the sparse posts! I promise my life will become more routine soon, or so I hope!

I found this song by the Jayhawks on one of the Songza.com music playlists. The playlist, entitled "Wilco Americana," precedes the release of Wilco's newest album in June. The playlist contains noteworthy artists that inspired Wilco, as well as contemporary "sonic soul-sisters."

I'm becoming minorly obsessed with this tune, especially the vocal harmonies throughout. It's an 80's Monster Jam if I ever heard one, but I love it nonetheless. Hair bands rule.

TOTALLY STONED.

I know it's been a while since I posted - lots of craziness going on in my life - but I'm back!!

I needed an upbeat song to GET Y'ALL GOIN', so I turned to my natural antidepressant: Justin. It's time to get stoned. LUH-STONED.

The best part of this video is from 3:29 on.

More to come, I swear.

I WAS ASLEEP...

And this song woke me up again.

If you've never heard Sufjan Stevens, I recommend that you listen to two of his albums: Michigan and Seven Swans. Both are tremendous and ingenious collections.

A bit about Sufjan Stevens: His music often has spiritual themes, and many songs (most notably on Seven Swans) draw inspiration from Biblical allegories. He incorporates several instruments, layering notes from the Banjo, Sitar, Vibraphone, French Horn, Recorder, Xylophone, & Oboe throughout his albums. In effect, Stevens uniquely blends classical, international, folk, baroque, jazz, and rock elements. What's more, his voice is soft and does not overpower the music; you can tell that he considers himself an instrumental layer, rather than a lead vocal. He's such a humble chap. And he looks great with wings.

I guarantee you will love this performance! I'm begging you to.

THE DAILY GRIND.

Ah, the beginning of the work week.

Sedentary life is exhilarating, I must say. I bet people who move around all day for a living are probably jealous of me. Sad face.

But on a serious note, most days I wish Richard Simmons, my fitness and fashion idol, would hire me as his apprentice. Only because he moves his body beyond a fifteen-foot radius on a daily basis. My sister, a teacher, also moves more in one day than I do all week. Unfortunately, my job only allows me to bob up and down in my cube. Occasionally, I gesticulate, allowing the blood to flow back to my hands and cerebral cortex.

Admittedly, I envy you wage earners with superior cardiovascular health. So today, I am taking a stand against sitting. I guarantee that this song will get me out of my swivel chair. With Richard as my witness, I intend to stand up, shake my hips, and actually dance. If you suffer from high blood pressure or are pregnant, I recommend that you avert your eyes.

SOUTHERN GIRL.

Ever since my visit home to Texas last week, I have been reflecting on my childhood and my life before moving to the big city. I'm a southern girl by birth, and I often lose sight of that while I'm adjusting to the urban jungle in front of me. There's something special about returning to the comforts of home; to the warm, sultry evenings; to the Southern social graces and hospitality; to the Western-themed stores and restaurants; to the familiar laid-back and easy-going lifestyle.

There's no wonder, then, that my first post-vacation post features the sensual Amos Lee with his tune "Southern Girl." Enjoy, and welcome back :)

COVER BAND OF THE BAND.

OMG.

This cover of The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is the best I've ever heard. True, the Black Crowes' version is not as true-blue or pure-of-heart as the original, but Chris Robinson's jazzy voice gives the song a little more soul. And I'm okay with that. I'm not saying the Crowes are better than The Band, so relax.

I must say, however, that I searched high and low for multiple renditions of this legendary song, and this version by far outshines the same covers by Jerry Garcia, Joan Baez, and Johnny Cash. I know, it's a bold statement. But I made it and I'm sticking to it.

I'm speaking with such authority tonight. Maybe because I had three Diet Cokes with dinner. Caffeine always makes me sound smarter than I really am. Sometimes you gotta fake it 'til you make it, people. I haven't made it big in cyberspace yet, but I'm getting there. 20 page views a day, people! Eureka!

ACOUSTIC SUNRISE.

Welcome back everyone! It's Sarcastic Wednesday here at my office, in case you were wondering.

After yesterday's long-winded exposition of blues-rock, I have no desire to get into nitty-gritty music history details this morning. This next band suits my simple-minded morning temperament. They call themselves the Avett brothers; I'm guessing because they are probably brothers with the last name Avett. I'm a quick one. I think they might also be twins.

Singer-songwriters have always struck a chord with me. No pun intended. But really, this duo does it up right. Simple instrumentation - two guitars, a piano cameo, two voices in harmony. Doesn't get any easier to analyze. The song I'm featuring is "Murder in the City." The tune is an ode to family: it speaks not only to the bonds and inherent tensions of brotherhood, but also to the importance of sharing how we feel about our loved ones, given our short-lived existences on earth.

If I get murdered in the city
Go read the letter in my desk
Don’t worry with all my belongings
But pay attention to the list
Make sure my sister knows I loved her
Make sure my mother knows the same
Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let us share our name

They sound a lot like Iron & Wine (particularly the song Love Vigilantes), with a twangy vocal lead that sounds a lot like Ryan Adams. They also look like my good friend Jesus. Which is cool with me, obviously. I'm just saying. Trim it up a bit.

MIDNIGHT IN HER EYES.

Let's get the ball rolling on this lovely Tuesday afternoon with The Black Keys. The featured song is "Midnight In Her Eyes" from their second album entitled Thickfreakness.

The Black Keys are, by definition, a blues-rock band. According to my music history source (Wiki), blues-rock is a combination of "bluesy improv, the 12-bar blues, extended boogie jams from the electric guitar, and a heavier, riff-oriented sound...The core of the blues-rock is created by the electric guitar, bass guitar, and drum kit. The electric guitar is usually amplified through a tube guitar amplifier or using an overdrive effect."

Jimi Hendrix was the quintessential blues-rocker. The Keys sound a lot like Hendrix, mostly because Auerbach (Keys' guitarist) also produces that distinctive growl and distorted effect on the electric guitar. Like Hendrix, Auerbach also employs the wah-wah pedal, a guitar effect used to mimic the human voice. To boot, Hendrix and the Keys have these smoky and soulful voices - they sure know how to make the girls swoon.

So give "Midnight In Her Eyes" a listen. It's a sexy and sultry lamentation of love. It's one of those songs that you wish were written with you in mind.*

*On that note, I will pay one lucky man to let me break his heart, suffer tremendous pain, and then write a song about it. I've done it before. Don't believe me? Ask Boyz II Men what inspired them to write "Water Runs Dry."

TONIGHT'S TODAY. TODAY'S TONIGHT.

If you're like me, you never want the weekend to end. When the sun goes down on Sunday, part of me dies. The fun part, that is.

In his new sexy video for the song "Tonight's Today," Jack Penate imagines a world where the party never stops. His fantasy replete with diamonds, women, dance parties, yachts, and masquerades, Penate metaphysically abandons time, so that his days flow into nights, his nights flow into days...etcetera, etcetera. Insert infinity symbol here.

From the lyrics, however, Penate cannot seem to sustain himself in his own Adventureland:

Tonight just became this morning
The sun waves at the moon
The thought has just started dawning
That there's still so much more that I can do
I shuffle into the sunlight
A zombie roaming on the day...

I guess reality can never live up to fantasy. Bummer.

P.S. The tortoise in this video rules. I love reptiles.

A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR.

Here we are, back to the daily grind. I'm officially hyped up on caffeine, ready to Pump. You. Up.

I figured I would ease you back into the work week with a PEPPY tune. Easy on the ears, this song is a "Spoon"-ful of folk-rock sugar that will help you swallow that (completely unwarranted) criticism from your boss. Did I mention the song is by Spoon? (I'm so clever.)

To me, Spoon comes across as a musical amalgamation of Billy Joel, the Stereophonics, O.A.R., Dispatch, and a little Fatboy Slim. In effect, I feel like I'm time-traveling while listening to their 2007 album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It's like Billy Joel is a teenager again. Only the good die young, right?

Here's Spoon with "The Underdog." No need to check your inbox until you're done listening.

GREAT DAY FOR GIPSY KINGS.

Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but I'm jonesing for an exotic vacation rife with pasion. All I need is a bungalow, a view of the beach, and limitless patatas bravas. Maybe add a pitcher of sangria or six to wash the tapas down. Why not add a Spanish lover to the picture?

Ay Caramba! I need a vacation.

For now, I think I've found a temporary replacement with "Caminando por la Calle" by the Gipsy Kings. Slow, sexy, and sensual. Sounds like a typical day in my office.

Please note: Gipsy Kings are originally from France, not Spain. Their parents were gitanos who fled Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War.

One more fun fact: Gipsy Kings are known for bringing Rumba Catalena, a pop-oriented version of traditional Spanish flamenco music, to worldwide audiences.

-Thank you Wikipedia.



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DEVIL'S CRAYON.

Ah! Tremendous energy in this song by the Wild Beasts. Not to mention an intense operatic falsetto emanating from lead singer Hayden Thorpe.

Thorpe uses the word "devil" at least 75 times. That has to be a record of some sort. To boot, this video is like walking through an animated inferno. Satan, fire, and skeletons, oh my!

But seriously, this song rules. In a bone-chilling type of way. Goosebumps galore.

DREAMS OLD MEN DREAM.

This acoustic version of the Cold War Kids song "Dreams Old Men Dream" is the best I've found online. I snatched this video from the Black Cab Sessions (BCS) website. If you've never been to blackcabsessions.com, I totally recommend checking it out!

The BCS are a brilliant way to bring music to the "common" people. Essentially, the BCS production team eyes concert schedules in London for performances by up-and-coming, contemporary bands (with a few legends thrown in there). The team "ambushes" one of these bands and requests an impromptu performance. The team uniquely situates the band not in a concert hall to perform, but in the backseat of one of London's famous Black Cabs.

The result is a backstage (re: backseat) pass to raw, unadulterated music: sans frills, lights, or amplifiers. Trust me, it's one thing to see a band perform with the assistance of a technical crew. It is quite another to see them shine without a light.

Enjoy the ride.

LAST EMBRACE.

I'm ending the day with one of my favorite songs of all time, by one of my favorite artists of all time.

With Jeff Buckley, my motto is "less talk, more music appreciation."

I also can't think clearly when my eyes are glued to his face, and my thoughts default to images of the children we could have had.

HIGH PLACES.

Found this tune today and I'm really into it. I entered the day feeling heavy, emotional, tired, and a bit worn out. I love how this song has the power to transport me, if even for a few minutes. "From Stardust to Sentience" feels very light, airy, and fanciful.

Ingredients: no real beginning or end, hypnotic repetitions of melody and rhythm, easy-listening whimsy marries ambient electronica.

Bake at 450 degrees; remove from oven, allow to cool overnight. You've got yourself some Folktronica pie, baby.

Save me a piece.

From Stardust to Sentience - High Places

BLACK CROW.

Frontman for the band Bon Iver, Justin Vernon created the album For Emma, Forever Ago while living in a remote Wisconsin cabin for three months. Fueled by heartbreak, an identity crisis, and a desire to escape and simplify his life, Vernon retreated to his family cabin without the intention of writing any music. Out of his "cathartic isolation," however, Vernon was moved to play music and eventually produced this masterpiece of an album.

Interestingly, Vernon's relationship with nature varies significantly throughout the album - he is at times inspired and uplifted, at other moments taunted, abased, and humbled. My favorite lines from the song "Re: Stacks" point to Vernon's schizophrenic love affair with nature:

There's a black crow sitting across from me
His wiry legs are crossed
And he's dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?

To Vernon, Nature does not always coddle or revive the spirit. Vernon's black crow conjures a Grim Reaper figure, "dangling" Vernon's life before his eyes, "tossing" Vernon the choice of life or death while casually resting with "legs crossed." Nature reminds Vernon that he is not a superior life form, that Vernon must learn to humble himself to the forces of Nature - not only in order to survive, but also to understand that his life is too short to wallow in suffering.

Whew, I've done enough philosophizing. Anyway, this album is tremendous and I think that it has truly changed my perspective on life. I hope it has the same effect on you all. Enjoy.

BIRD, BIRD, BIRD, THE BIRD'S THE WORD.

Happy Friday everyone! The artist of the day is Andrew Bird.

I saw Andrew Bird in concert last fall. Believe me, you have to see him perform live in order to grasp his musical genius. To review Bird's albums apart from witnessing his technical process is too sterile and superficial a basis for analysis. You must let the Bird show you the Way.

Bird is a one-man band. Via a pedal looper, Bird records eight or sixteen measures of one instrument. The recorded loop then repeats in the background, allowing Bird to switch to another instrument, thereby adding a second layer to the previous looped sounds. Bird can actually loop five or six instruments into one song - including his notorious whistle - and can repeat or stall the loops at whim. In essence, Bird creates his own back-up band. Thus, he is at once the conductor and musician, the director and the actor, the beginning and the end of all his musical creations.

Enough talk. Watch the video, yo!

Andrew Bird - Episode # 03 - Fiery Crash

REQUEST SUBMITTED.

I have decided to honor a request but to modify it a bit - love the artist, but like a different song of hers better (one that isn't a cover of Bob Dylan!). Thanks for the request Carla - my sensitive soul sister. :) xo

So here we have Adele singing one of her amazing originals - Hometown Glory.

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH.

Happy Thursday. Melancholy weather, eh? I was debating going with a Radiohead tune or a Blind Melon song to mirror the dreary atmosphere, but then for some reason the melody of this song entered into my consciousness. So naturally I had to go with my instincts.

I really like this song because it questions the authenticity of contemporary musicians. In essence, they're referring to those bands that iterate former musical styles, but label themselves groundbreaking.

After giving this much thought, I have a few questions for you all: is there any band that doesn't have a musical inspiration or precedent? Is it possible to be unadulterated and original, without an historical foundation? If so, then what defines originality? And is copying the past necessarily a bad thing?

Talk amongst yourselves.

You look like David Bowie
But you've nothing new to show me
Start another fire
And watch it slowly die

WILD MOUNTAIN NATION.

While we're on our folk rock binge, I want to include this band for you all to check out: Blitzen Trapper. The song I'm featuring is from Blitzen Trapper's third album, but I only caught wind of them after the release of their fourth album Furr in 2008.

Blitzen Trapper conjures an altogether different era of music, harnessing the melodic spirits of 60's and 70's musicians. Most reviews liken them to Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, and Steve Miller Band. In my opinion, these references owe much to lead singer Eric Earley's impressive vocal range, as well as his instrumental versatility. Not to slight the rest of the band, of course. When I saw them in concert last month, I was amazed by the way the whole band harmonized - better than an all-male a cappella group, in my opinion.

Is that an insult? It wasn't meant to be. I was in an a cappella group during college, so I take harmonies very seriously. Did I mention that I'm also extremely nerdy?

But I digress. Check out "Wild Mountain Nation" from Blitzen Trapper. And then check out the song "Furr."


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BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS.

Hands down, Fleet Foxes have inserted themselves on my list of all-time favorite bands. Fleet Foxes uniquely summon that folksy, spiritual, and pastoral sound from the days of yore. To me, they echo the sounds of Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, The Band, Gillian Welch, and Bob Dylan. Feel free to add to this list as you see fit.

The songs on Fleet Foxes' eponymous album promise to send you to a simpler time: when tension could be released by breathing fresh mountain air; when comfort could be found in the shade of a birch tree; when the face of God could be discovered in Nature's bounty; when Flora and Fauna were closer than machines and technology to our personal fulfillment.

And I've gone off the deep end. But seriously, listen to this song and the whole album if you can. You won't be disappointed. I'm so effing happy that folk music has returned to the scene.

JUST FOR KICKS.

I came across this song while looking for some upbeat tune to send us all home today.

It isn't really my style, but I'm putting it up here just for kicks because it's pepping me up! This band quite possibly sprung from the musical loins of Kidzbop and Mamma Mia. I know I've got you guys on the edge of your seats now. Believe me, just listen to it and you'll be sold. I'm actually not giving them enough credit. It's a very catchy, sugar-coated tune with jazz hands written all over it.

I hope it sends you home snapping your fingers, West-Side-Story style. Send me a picture.

Thanks.

NEW ALBUM ALERTS.

This morning I bought two albums: the newest Yeah Yeah Yeahs album It's Blitz! and the 2008 Death Cab for Cutie album Narrow Stairs.

Since I already regaled you with a sample from It's Blitz! last week, here's a tune from Death Cab's Narrow Stairs entitled "Cath."

After a perfunctory listen, Narrow Stairs boasts more guitar-focused ballads than the last piano-centric album Plans. So far, I like Plans better overall - there is something unforgettable about all of the songs on that album. Perhaps it is the way in which Gibbard et al. flavor each ballad with memorable piano loops and various synthesized zigzags. Or the way that each song increases in tempo over time, building in texture and emotional complexity (think Different Names for the Same Thing, Brothers on a Hotel Bed, and What Sarah Said). Or maybe Gibbard's maudlin vocals marry better with the piano than the guitar.

What are your thoughts?

Nonetheless, I still wouldn't mind a pair of Gibbard's frames from this video. He's thuper thexy.

Death Cab For Cutie - New Music - More Music Videos

IF IT AIN'T BAROQUE, DON'T FIX IT.

Here's a hot number from one of my favorite "big" bands, Broken Social Scene. By big, I mean nineteen members (including Feist). By the way, they rule. This song dates back to 2003 from their "You Forgot It In People" album. The whole album is tremendous. Check it out.

Broken Social Scene is one of the contemporary pioneers of baroque pop. For the uninitiated, baroque pop "is characterized by a very large number of sounds, grand orchestrations featuring guitars, horns, woodwinds, and violins, unusual song structures, and an experimental, and sometimes chaotic production style...practitioners of the baroque pop style utilize instrumentation not traditional to rock such as the harpsichord, oboe, cello, or french horn."

I hope this was educational. I totally ripped it from Wikipedia because I have no original thought.

RYAN ADAMS CIRCA 2003.

If you needed a tune to get your blood pumping on this cold Monday morning, here it is. Old school Ryan Adams? Yes. Still sexy after six years? Mmm hmmm...

Considering Ryan Adams has put out 13 slbums since 2001 - that's almost two per year - we listeners must winnow his good tunes from the bad. To seek a needle of alternative edge amidst a haystack of depressive dirges is no easy task. When we do find a gem of a rock song, however, we can almost forgive his self-pitying proneness. Keyword: almost.

Today I watched the boats
Moving through the harbor
Walking on water
In your arms I'd stay
Forever if I could
Forever if I may
Keep me in your thoughts, don't disappear

I am on your side
And so alive
So alive it isn't real


So Alive - Ryan Adams

ONE DAY. WE'RE GONNA LIVE. IN PARIS.

I know, I know: the lead singer looks like a complete toolbag in the video (please see scarf and killer dance moves), but j'adore la chanson. Love the beat, love the lyrics, love the rising and falling waves of sound. Just don't love the insistent Eurotrash vibe that Ed Macfarlane keeps sending my way.

And every night
We'll watch the stars
They'll be out for us

Bon weekend!

FIND A CURE FOR MY LIFE.

Happy Friday everyone!

Today, I'm featuring Norwegian singer Ida Maria with "Oh My God."

This song is highly addictive. You've got an up-tempo punk song fronted by an incredible lead vocalist, not to mention super-catchy lyrics and unapologetic female rage. Trust me, she's better than Alanis Morrisette.

You gotta watch this video from start to finish. Her face can contort in a million ways. The camera rarely leaves her face and there's no reason to - her aggression is sexy and disturbing. Pay close attention from 1:22 to 1:50 - the bridge is a slow-motion fever dream.

She reminds me of a Stepford wife about to implode.

VICTORY ROSE.

Yes, the weather has been less than beautiful recently. But let's brave the chill once more for this Icelandic band. I've been listening to this song on repeat for the past hour.

Sigur Ros, the Afro-Acoustic-Ambient musical fusion from Iceland, sounds like the test-tube spawn of Radio Head (Thom Yorke's notorious falsetto), Dave Matthews Band (note: beginning of "Grey Street"), and Paul Simon (Graceland Album - accompanied by Ladysmith Black Mambazo).

Warning: this song might make you tap your feet. Also, the song is titled Gobbledigook. Onomatopoeias rule.

*Also, this video is the PG version. If you go to sigurros.com, you can download the one with naked ladies.

CRESCENDO? YES, PLEASE.

I get giddy when I hear this song. I use the extended 8-minute version for the tail-end of my runs. I become totally absorbed in the music and spurned on by the repetition. I love every minute of it.

Unfortunately, the video is nothing to write home about. James Murphy doesn't have the prettiest face, and I'm not sure why it takes almost two minutes for the rest of the band to emerge. The banality of the video almost mocks the intensity of the song.

Nevertheless, LCD Soundsystem is fantastic live. I actually heard them perform last summer with Arcade Fire. I have to say, it was the most electrifying concert I have ever been to. I couldn't stop moving the entire night. Well, I've got to keep moving on with my day, so enjoy the tunes and keep coming back for more!

CONSTANT LOOPING MAKES ME LOOPY.

This song by Animal Collective makes me go all weak in the knees. Three men, two turntables, one keyboard, one cymbal. Synthesizing, drumming, looping. I don't even notice the lyrics.

I. CAN'T. STOP. BOBBING. MY. HEAD. Swear to God, six minutes of straight head-bobbing at my cubicle.

And the video? Extreme metamorphoses in time and space. Am I back in the womb? Underwater? In outer space? In a Psychedelic Wonderland? In a bad 80's workout video?

And check out 4:39 - Is lifespan measurable by a sand timer, our bodies simply grains that drift away?

GAELIC GROOVE

Want to escape to Ireland? This song will take you there.

While listening, picture the rolling hills, the verdant landscape, the bottomless pitchers of ale. Ah, how idyllic.

If you get a chance, check out Yeah Yeah Yeah's entire new album, called It's Blitz! It's like Enya on Ecstasy. Electronic rock and funk in the fore, ambient trance echoing from the back. All fronted by lead singer Karen O. She sounds super sexy on this album, if I do say so myself.

Vacation, anyone? I don't know about you, but I need to escape this concrete jungle soon.

Happy belated St. Patrick's Day!

IT'S SORT OF LIKE A DREAM, ISN'T IT? NO, BETTER.

Music moves people. It clears the mind, energizes the body, stirs the soul.

Times have been tough these days. If you're feeling like you've come down with an illness - be it physical, mental, emotional, from a job, or from a relationship - it's time to put down your Radiohead album and get uplifted. Take it from me, a little Radio Cure will make you feel all better. Allow me to be your aural specialist. Your prescription is a twice-daily dose of Melodicine. Refills are free and unlimited. All insurance plans are accepted.

Come and get cured.

NEED A MONDAY BOOST?

Listen to this.

Heard on my Ipod shuffle, during the Monday shuffle. Pure polyphonic pleasure. No artificial flavors. No caffeine needed.

For all you corporate folks stuck in a cubicle, this song goes out to you. I feel your pain.

In a cage where only one thing could be free
And it's not you and I...
In a cage where only one thing could be free
And it's not you and I...

SHARING IS CARING

Samantha:
'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'
- John Keats, "Ode to a Grecian Urn"

Jordana:
"Focusing on the beauty and positive aspects of life only creates more happiness in our lives; however, without acknowledging the dark and ugly sides we would never feel love and joy to its fullest capacity."

Jordan, on her father:
"He's just a normal guy that is passionate about and devoted to learning. The best part is he never did it for the reward, he did it for others, which to him was reward in itself."

Thank you for the thoughtful responses; they make me reflect upon the beauty, truth, joy, pain, and compassion I've witnessed, experienced, or imparted during my lifetime. Analyzing the past is a weakness of mine, I must admit. Remember as little children, our thoughts seldom strayed from the present moment? We were free to exist in the moment, free to imagine future worlds far from our own. Part of me misses that blithe period of existence. Too often I find myself stuck in the past, half-awake in the present, and extremely unsure about the future. I love this song and video because they awaken that carefree essence of childhood.

Fortresses of pillows
Hanging sheets from all the bookshelves
We were Kings and Queens of our own little land...

(My sister and I used to build forts in our living room...)

DO THE FRIDAY DANCE

Lykke Li is fabulous. Bon Iver only makes it better.

So when I trip on my feet
Look at the beat
The words are, written in the sand
When I'm shaking my hips
Look for the swing
The words are, written in the air

POINT OF VIEW

I apologize for my brief disappearance! I have returned from my writing hiatus!

The past few weeks have allowed much room for reflection. So far, I have tended to focus primarily on the Pretty Things that inspire artists, musicians, writers, and ordinary people to find meaning and purpose in their lives. From the feedback I've gotten, most of what I've written has been a bit esoteric and hard to grasp. As a result of your responses, I would like to shift the point of view for a while.

Tell me, what inspires you from day to day? I've told you some of things that I consider beautiful - now I'm curious to know how you all see the world. I'd like this to be more conversational, so from now on I'll be posting articles, clips, videos, and photos that could be conversation starters (and not simply long-winded monologues)!

To start, I found this video today that I could watch over and over again. Uncannily reminiscent of the performance by Bob Dylan and the Band in the Last Waltz, this rendition of I Shall Be Released features two of my favorite artists: Fleet Foxes and Wilco. Please tune in to this four-minute snapshot of lyrical history. I love it when history repeats itself in this way. Please feel free to comment, and send me a link to something you find powerful! I'll put what you send me up on my next post!

Thanks for following my blog, despite my absence!

NATURAL SELECTION

Pain and suffering is universal, but the ways in which human beings recover from hardship and adversity differ signficantly. Nowadays people turn to drugs, alcohol, antidepressants - anything that provides instant gratification - in order to feel release. But these methods are band-aids for deeper emotional sores, for such problems often require greater attention and motivation in order to recover fully. If you have ever studied art history, religion, or medieval literature, you will know that traditional artistic paradigms attributed remedial powers to divinity, the cosmos, or the combined forces of both: that is, humans pled both to Mother Mary and Mother Nature for release from suffering. Of course, Religion and Nature have competed for superior remedial status throughout time, yet both themes have remained in artistic, poetic, and literary depictions to this day.

Now, I'm not much of a believer in things I cannot see. I grew up going to church, was baptized and confirmed an Episcopalian, but never really carved myself a strong foothold in religion. As a sheltered child, I had no idea why most people turned to religion. I simply sang hymns and memorized prayers, with no true understanding of the reasons I was doing either. The arrival of adolescence, however, shook my entire existential foundation. Protected or not as a child, we all inevitably confront our own mortality. This realization of finality can send anyone into the comforting arms of religion, especially with the promise of immortal life after death, and the sparkling image of Heaven to keep all of our fears at bay. I suddenly understood why people flocked to the same austere building every Sunday. Images of God and Heaven helped people through their pain, through their own existential suffering, through their daily hardships. To them, it was okay to hurt now, for they would eventually be released from total suffering and rewarded in the afterlife. Trust me, I felt comforted by this idea of an afterlife for a short time as well, but couldn't fully wrap my mind around the idea of faith. That freedom from death mandated an unwavering belief in something invisible was not a prescription to which I could subscribe.

And so I entered high school and college, open to alternative avenues for tolerating the fear of death and the pain of daily hardship and insecurity. I took a poetry course one summer and found great inspiration in the poetry of William Wordsworth. His words truly opened my eyes to the power of Nature to heal and relieve. I want to share with you one of my favorite poems that he wrote in 1804, "Daffodils":

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

I began to believe in the spiritual and regenerative qualities of nature. I realized that simply sitting outside on a beautiful sunny day, walking through a garden, sitting on the beach, hiking up a mountain, or looking up at a night sky full of stars could do wonders for the human body, mind, and spirit. If I were feeling down, worried, anxious, I could retreat to nature physically (or, like Wordsworth, only in my mind) and feel comforted. There seemed to exist such simplicity, beauty, energy, and innocence in the universe. This world order could harness and ground the ugliness, unruliness, and complexity of my thoughts; could deflate my self-importance and make me feel like a humbled creature, born to appreciate life instead of examining and criticizing it so intensely. Seeing, smelling, and hearing the natural world was more comforting to me in my despair than envisioning the Heavenly delights that awaited me after death.

But we all know that nature is not always kind. For every sunny day, clear sky, and cool breeze, there is an equal amount of rain, frost, ice, and snow. Which makes me wonder: do the torrential, unpredictable, and potentially fatal elements of nature impede healing and recovery for human beings? Or can humans reach grander emotional, spiritual, philosophical, or artistic heights after losing their footing over a jagged precipice? Perhaps the allure of nature for the sufferer is not always the protective shade of a large oak tree, but the destructive throes of a storm. Nature's promise of danger or certain death has the ability to thrust an individual not into the arms of religion, but humbly alongside the organisms that depend upon rain in order to grow, evolve, and survive. Sunshine, rain, joy, and pain are the essences of existence and longevity - we must experience, not escape, from both. If we constantly retreat from hardship or stormy weather in our minds, we will never fully grow. Maybe if we turn not to Heaven or Daffodils, but to the Eye of the Storm in our time of need, we will emerge cleansed and with renewed zest for life.

One article that summed this idea up well for me was featured in the September 2008 Smithsonian magazine. In popular conversations about Seattle, most people will tell you that the constant rain brings about bouts of depression and unhappiness. The writer Charles Johnson, on the other hand, believes that the stormy and gray Seattle environment actually fosters creativity, inspiration, and spiritual awakening:

"...Art, philosophy and spiritual contemplation...are enriched by the misty, meditative mood invoked by the Northwest's most talked about feature—rain—and the wet evening air that causes portions of the geography to gleam and hazes other parts, sfumato, from November through February, in an atmosphere that is a perfect externalization of the brooding inner climate of the creative imagination...With weather like this, it's easy to stay inside, reading and writing, until spring."

My question to you all is, what brings you out of yourself? Is it sunshine or rain? Are you healed more by the rays of the sun or the tear-shaped drops of rain? Do you find inspiration looking out your window at a cloudless sky or a foggy mist? Does your state of mind need to be reflected in nature, in order to feel comforted?

Hope your week has been going well :)
Love, AT

TUNNEL VISIONS

Recently, I've been trying to remain conscious, awake, and open to artistic inspiration during my morning commute. This has proven to be very hard for me, considering I dread descending into the City's subway system. The constant crowding in the trains, in particular, derails any effort on my part toward a Carpe Diem optimism. Not surprisingly, the daily rush and congestion incite a fair amount of rider resistance, as each commuter seeks to preserve a modicum of personal space. Usually riders postpone their pent-up frustration until they exit the train, whereupon they push or shove anybody in their path. Outbursts erupt occasionally from inside the train, trapping everyone in the vicinity and putting all hairs on end. Frankly, I had no idea that people could become so aggressive at 8:30am. In the city, however, the dimension of time is amorphous and basically irrelevant. Someone's morning commute could be another's return from an evening out.

In any case, this cycle of congestion and contention occurs every morning. I often wonder: does the frustration I witness point to an evolutionary need for elbowroom? Or is frustration a socially-conditioned effect of forced invisibility and the cancellation of personal identity?

Known as the quintessential "salad bowl," New York City welcomes all variations of race, class, culture, and religion. The city endorses personal expression within all public domains, endowing each individual with visibility and a strong sense of self-importance. The subway system, however, seemingly contradicts city ordinance: this anomalous public domain forces riders to shed individuality and personal space in order to increase transportation efficiency. In essence, riders enter as Capitalists and travel as Socialists. Perhaps the frequent pushing and occasional outbursts reflect riders' efforts to assert themselves before the "system" completely erases them. Or does this phenomena simply point to the general complacency and entitlement of all New Yorkers?

Psychoanalysis aside, the congestion, tension, and aggression in the subway system are staples of everyday life for most people in the city. Ironically, much of this underground activity goes completely unnoticed by artists characterizing the city in film, novels, or television. In my opinion, phenomena not deemed glamorous or sensational by today's standards must still be documented and considered for aesthetic value. The sensory stimuli on the train alone provide incalculable amounts of artistic inspiration.

Consider the dynamic visual dichotomies: people entering or exiting, concentrating or daydreaming, sleeping or resting, begging or donating, standing or sitting, listening to music or reading a book; people that are clean or dirty, rich or poor, black or white, beautiful or ugly, fat or thin, formal or informal, single or married, sane or mentally disturbed; people with children or with pets, with shopping bags or shopping carts, with city maps or city trash. Consider all of the various nuances inbetween. I am constantly surprised by how much beauty exists in a 25-minute commute.

This morning in particular, I noticed that my train was traveling parallel to another moving train. I watched with acute self-awareness: I was not only a passive rider in public space, but also an active voyeur peering through a private window. I could see every passenger in the train across from me, and all of the dynamic stereotypes I described before were at play. I realized that for better or for worse, these people reflected my own hopes and dreams, my own generation, my own existence. They embodied the redundancy of corporate life; the desire for something invariably out of reach; the tendency to follow a routine because it's comfortable; the inexpressible need for fulfillment, love, affirmation, and respect. I realized that we are all connected. Despite our differences, we are very much the same. We are actors of our fates, subjects of larger institutions, and voyeurs into our souls.

DOCUMENTING LIFE

Welcome back! Hope you all had a restful two days off!

This weekend, I thought a lot about the way in which people document their lives. Nowadays, we follow the journeys people take through pictures, videos, blogs, and mass e-mails. Our lives have become contained in devices. We represent a generation that speaks almost entirely in Computerese.

When I think about how technology has evolved into a mass commodity, it makes me nostalgic for the media from my grandparents' generation. I love looking at the silent "home videos" that my grandfather made in the 1940's and 50's, as well as the black-and-white family photographs that fill suitcases in my grandmother's apartment. In essence, each is simply a document of the past. No frills, no special effects, no visual doctoring.

Despite the austere quality of these representations, I feel more transported and emotionally moved by these older art forms than I do while watching contemporary movies or looking at color photos. I find that the presence of beauty in these films and photographs derives from the (ironic) absence of sound and color. Each artistic document, void of visual or verbal flourish, becomes embedded with a sort of mystery, allowing us to romanticize, create, or fill in the emotions that are not fully conveyed to us through words, music, or visual accompaniment. These silent documentaries and static snapshots do not spoon-feed emotions or reactions to the viewers: the ambiguity allows for limitless interpretation. Thus each documentary of human life, no matter how mundane, can evoke a transcendent or extraordinary response from those who experience it.

For me as a painter, my grandmother's old photographs especially inspire me. Not only do they represent my lineage, but the static nature of the prints invites a modern rebirth or reinvigoration of sorts. We know that life and movement exist behind the two-dimensional image, but how can we convey dynamism without bastardizing the sacrosanct image? I am open to any and all suggestions! In my limited experience, I have found that oil paint is extremely malleable and depicts "static motion" particularly well. Any other ideas?

Beyond photographers, videographers, and painters, writers can transform the ordinary world into something out of a dream. John Irving is one writer whose ability to do so resonates in my mind. In his book The World According to Garp, Irving chronicles the life of protagonist Garp and explores Garp's extended relationships with his mother, wife, and children. If you have read the book before, you will remember that there is no oblique or hard-to-follow plotline. The characters he depicts are not other-wordly or superhuman, even though Irving might exaggerate their personalities or experiences at times. Despite Irving's poetic license, the lives of his characters are illustrations (and iterations) of our own.

Call me voyeuristic, nostalgic, or romantic, but I believe that anyone holding a video camera, digital camera, paintbrush, or pen possesses the creative capacity to make an ordinary human life seem extraordinary. Whether or not they know it at the time. Sometimes it takes 60 or 70 years for people to realize.

Happy Monday. Post something if you feel so inclined.

PAINTINGS & PROGRESS

Hi again. TGIF!

This morning, I woke up feeling very uninspired - didn't want to go to work, didn't want to get dressed, didn't want to do much of anything. I find that listening to music while getting ready often dissolves this lackluster state of mind. Ah, the power of song.

This morning, I listened to an artist named Arthur Russell (via Songza.com). From a first listen, he sounded like a fusion between Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies and Justin Vernon from Bon Iver...especially in songs like "Our Last Night Together" and "I Couldn't Say it to Your Face." While his tone in most of the songs struck me as lachrymose and sedate, the musical composition itself ranged from classically austere (he was trained as a cellist at the Manhattan School of Music) to instrumentally variegated (he often layered electro-afro-pop elements over the cello). In any case, he sounded so current to me that I wanted to learn more about him. I did a little research, only to find that he died from AIDS at the age of 40 in 1992. (Seems as though he preceded Steven Page and Justin Vernon - perhaps he inspired them?)

I must admit that I often experience such disillusionment with music - that is, I become somewhat infatuated with an artist I identify as "new," "current," or "relevant," only to find that the artist is no longer living. Examples: Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. They are incredible, timeless, immortal. I guess that's the beauty of great musicians (and great artists in general): the music they create transcends time, trend, and their own existences. There is something magical, albeit paradoxical, about "posthumous living."

A noteworthy idiosyncracy of Russell's was that he could not bring any of his musical creations to completion - he was never fully satisfied with any of his art. I don't know about you, but I can definitely relate to that - most of the time I feel as though my art isn't valuable because it doesn't achieve that sort of realistic perfection that I see in paintings done by the Old Masters. But then I listen to Russell's music and I see true aesthetic value in his somewhat nasal tone and his departure from classical composition. To me, the imperfection sounds beautiful - poignantly human.

I do find it difficult to stop comparing myself to artists that have come before me. But maybe stale, static perfection on a canvas is not all there is to create. I know that I have an ability to create motion with a paintbrush, to bring photographs to life, to add special nuances that a photograph cannot elicit. I hope that one day I can fully grow into my own style - to learn from the past but not become stuck there, to evolve my art with my own feelings, sensations, and experiences. To become fully invested in the moment. I'll give it a try.

For now, here's a video of a collection of my paintings (and one drawing) that I've "finished" and some that are still in progress. Also, give Arthur Russell a listen. Let me know what you think ;)

Have a great weekend! xo, AT

AMATEUR ARTISTS

Wow! My first post.

Writing open-endedly here is somewhat daunting - it brings to mind a white, untouched canvas - but I wanted to set up and introduce a forum for people to share any and all artistic visions. I am interested in philosophical ideas, musical interests, multi-media art - any type of artistic outpouring. These can be poignant or silly, brilliant or nonsensical, smart or stupid. Remember, the word "ordinary" is also found in "extraordinary."

So, to get the ball rolling and some conversations flowing, I have decided to post some of my own paintings and renderings (and a few in progress), as well as some examples of my other interests. Please feel free to let me know what compels you to wake up every morning. Or, better yet, the visions and dreams that keep you from getting out of bed. Put simply, what makes you hit Snooze every five minutes?

More to come. Thanks for stopping by ;)
xo, AT