I'm going old-school with today's blog entry. This song popped up on my music list and it made me stop what I was doing to take a moment to listen to it. I love this song. It reminds me of high school proms and late night drives singing at the top of my lungs. It took me back and I thought, let's just share and put it back out in the world. Enjoy! L~
i will admit that i watch The Voice. Guilty pleasure. Shhh don't tell anyone. When Lauren Duski sang this song, it moved me to tears. i've been listening to it on heavy rotation ever since.
I heard this song for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I have it on heavy rotation. There is a newer version with Justin Bieber on it but BAH! the original is much better. It's going to be a great summer song. :-)
It was a busy weekend but I feel like I've stretched my arms and embraced life for a change. Not stayed hidden beneath my duvet waiting for the pain to wash away. I had my sisters and nieces over for some dinner. It was chaos but i also listened to my nieces go on and on about songs, musicals, and hair color and anime and movies. It felt like one long run-on sentence which was a sweet change. I worry over them at times but i tried to just be present as they talked and just listened to them. One of my nieces loves to sing and i heard her singing a song that she used in one of her theater auditions. She's got a sweet tone to her voice. Bless. After they left, the apartment still held a lot of their rambunctious energy so i listened to some low key music. I came across this one by You plus Me and had to put it up here. I love alicia moore's voice so it's no surprise that i've included this song. I know this is a few years old but hell...good is good! Enjoy! L~
I am out of sorts today. Woke up an hour late this cloudy morning. My train inched along. An hour late for work. A barrage of incoming requests. Usually, I welcome the work. Today, not so much. Listening to music to block the chatter around me. Not enough. A storm is brewing within. I want to go home and hide under my duvet. That's right, the old ostrich maneuver. I just can't seem to get much traction today. Keep forgetting to breathe. Gasping and grasping makes me ineffective. Since I can't hide under the covers...I am hiding in plain sight listening to music. Propels me out of my chattering brain. No wallowing allowed
I heard this song earlier and it made me stop in my tracks and listen...really listen to the lyrics. This song is definitely worth the listen. Enjoy. L~
It's April 14th and the weather has been sunny and mild most of the week. Spring is finally in the air. I'm hoping we can enjoy it for a little while before we hit 90 degree weather. I love the Spring, I feel like my body starts to wake up from its hibernating state. I tend to look for the sunniest spots whenever I have to be indoors and in a meeting. I take more breaks from the computer to sit outside in the sun by Citi's plaza. Just have to time it when there is down time.
It's been very busy at my day job which is good, it makes the day go by faster, but I'm suffering from a bit of spring fever. I want to go away and travel for a bit. Sit on a beach somewhere, drink copious amounts of margaritas with a healthy dose of tequila in it and find a good book that's either a fast, fun read or that's elegant with language. I think that's why I let my friend talk me into another holiday in Italy again this year. I thought for sure I was going to save a little cash and try to book a trip to Paris instead. There is always next year. Someone used this expression "champagne problems". She was referring to work, I am referring to: "Poor me. I'm going to Italy again to one of my favorite spots. Boohoo." Haha. That just made me laugh. I love Sorrento, it's a sleepy little town by the water, where I can unplug from my life, where I can read or write for long stretches of time, where the slow pace of town seeps into my bone marrow. Truly lovely. It's not going to happen until the Fall but at least I can daydream a little about it.
I think I'm using up most of my vacation time with that trip. Eesh. Americans! It will be another two years before I earn another 5 more days of vacation. Bah! Can we say it again? "champagne problems." I'm grateful for the steady work, the ability to pay my bills, food and shelter...what more does a girl need in this new paradigm.
I really like her music because I really like her lyrics. Yes, I am that person who actually listens to the words in a song. She's definitely a poet at heart and I find her view of the world interesting and compelling. I've attached the audio of Liability:
Because of Lorde, I've been on the hunt for new music. Something low and soulful. Songs that break me open. I've hit up my favorite artists first to see what new music they've put out into the world recently. I'm a little tired of the overproduced/synthesized sounds/songs that are on the charts that have no soul, no heart. *shrug* I've had Nina Simone and Gary Clark Jr. on heavy rotation. Check out Gary Clark Jr.'s Our Love:
I just heard this Avicii version of Feeling Good sung by Audra Mae. As some of you may know, I am a die-hard Nina Simone fan and I've heard other renditions of this song and thought "nope, no way". But this version with this singer gave me chills. Take a listen and tell me if I'm lying. Enjoy and have a feel good day. Ha! L~
I'm about to kick it old school right here, right now. Stand back, my Brooklyn is coming out...this song has been floating around me for the past couple of days. I've been humming it everywhere I go. As much as I love Roberta Flack's version...Lauryn Hill's version shreds me up, tears me to pieces and makes my soul sing. Anyway, enjoy a live performance by Lauryn Hill back in 1999. Peace~
I heard Alicia Key's song, In Common, a couple of months ago and loved the flow of the music. Should have shared it back then but here it is now....enjoy.
Music is keeping me company tonight. I came across this cover of Girl Crush by Halestorm and who doesn't love a little rock growl in a country song. I will admit I do love Little Big Town's understated version because it's heart-felt. But I like the pain Lzzy Hale emits in her version.
I went to see Ben Howard perform at Radio City Music Hall on Monday night. I am writing this post at 12:30 am because I am too wired to sleep. I needed this big dose of live music. Howard's opening act was a group called Daughter. I am posting an audio by them from YouTube for a quick listen. This group is fantastic live and the lyrics are quite beautiful. I may just download their album because I enjoyed them so much. Let's see where we are after I write this entry.
Back to Ben Howard. First let's talk about the music. He's a gorgeous musician. I am not talking physical attributes here, I am talking about his complete presence in his creative expression of music. His band rocked it out tonight. I've seen him live when he performed in Central Park last year (or was it 2 years ago?) and that night the mood was a lot more low key. To see him perform with a bit more up tempo made the place blaze up in a glorious fire of sound. Ben Howard is fantastic live. I couldn't stop moving and they (Ben Howard and his band) were jamming up there and a three minute studio song would be a 12 minute overture with guitar riffs...and it was at times a bit chaotic but he'd bring it back to the essential rhythm/chorus of the song. Fantastic, fantastic listening to them play.
On a personal note, I've been having a hard time of late. I've been sick with a bad cold and still grieving over Pandora... but it was really great to find this experience so enjoyable. I just thought my grumpy mood would really prevent me from being able to take in the music but it lit an ember inside my belly. I felt real joy as the songs washed over me. It soothed me in a way that I wasn't quite expecting...for that I am very grateful. :-)
Anyway, my one itsy complaint was the trippy light effects and videos playing in the background. At times both were so disconcerting, I wanted to throw up. I think it was hitting that migraine nerve and I had to keep closing my eyes, which was fine...I was still able to enjoy the music. I don't know if the light cues were along with the band or if it was a site decision but I gotta tell you in this case, less would have worked better.
I've picked below a YouTube video of a solo studio session with Ben Howard. It's so quiet but so beautiful. The song is called I Forget Where We Are. Enjoy, L~
I write and I paint. Then I try to articulate some coherent thoughts about the creative process on this blog. In between those moments of producing work, I take photos, listen to groovy music, watch indie movies, read (a lot), go hear live music (preferably someone that rocks), go to the theater to see a new play from time to time, watch sci-fi movies, and continue to cultivate my curiosity. Then I write about that too.
