Budding Musician

When my parents came to visit, Papa brought Hadley a new fun toy. It has taken a few weeks, but she has finally figured out how to blow in it. In case you missed this on 5280 Dad, here is Hadley learning how to play her harmonica. And here is where I would put in a really clever and witty harmonica pun right now, but I'm just plum dry of wit these days.

School's Out Forever

There are few people that could get me to dust off my guitar and amp and sing in front of people again. But when Lora told me that she wanted someone to play Alice Cooper's "School's Out" for her husband Bert's graduation party, I was sure we could make that happen. You long time reader's may remember Bert here.



Not bad for one practice huh? David, the total metal head learned all the guitar parts and taught me the rhythm guitar as he wailed away on lead. Sharing the spotlight on lead is Lora's 15 year old nephew James. Can you say rocker? He's amazing. You know, just picked it up on his own and wailed the solo. Then on drums, that is Holly's husband Bruce. Normally he's a guitar player, but he borrowed a set and learned this song. That's what you call a true musician.

But enough about rocking, let's talk about who really rocks. Bert. Three years ago, Bert realized he was not passionate about his job. So with the support of his wife, he went back to school to get his 3-Year Masters of Science Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cheers to Bert and his new career.

Ring Around the Rosie

For Christmas, my brother sent a cd of kids music with 44 songs. To say it has changed our life, would be an understatement. This CD has created the closest thing we have found to Peace On Earth. It took screaming car rides and turned them into smooth, serene, calmness. God forbid if NPR plays for more than 3 minutes into the car ride, a little someone starts making demands from the back seat that sound a little something like "turn on my music, TURN on my Music, TURN ON MY MUSIC MOM!!! Hence, this CD does not leave our car.

Of the 44 songs, several have struck a chord with Hadley including Ring Around the Rosie, which she requests by saying "Ashes". Though the way she says ashes sounds like a young girl with a mouth full of metal and headgear. She loves to spin around to the song and this video is hot off the press. I swear I wasn't being a stage mom in the background demanding another take. She was on a roll and wouldn't stop spinning.

Born to Rock

DG and I have never owned a video game. We barely watch tv. We prefer to sit in the office at night after Hadley has gone to bed, back to back not talking and doing geeky internet things. You know, the perfect marriage.

Last night however, DG dragged us out to Best Buy (yawn) and while there, I saw a few guys playing Guitar Hero. I know it's been in the popular mainstream for quite some time, but last night it was calling to me. I stalked the guys until they left, and then swooped in and strapped on the axe to play a set. Then I couldn't figure out how to START THE GAME. Lame. After about 5 minutes, we were ready to roam the store and hijack the first 10 year old we could find who could figure this thing out for us. Finally DG got it going and started 2 games. But he sucked gong show style and got boo'd off stage immediately. That's when I passed the baby over and told him to let me show him how we like to rock with our cock out. Oh did I just say that?


Unbeknownst to me, he took a picture. I had to find out about it by logging into Facebook today! Rassity Frassity. I almost made it through the entire song of Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Going to Go My Way?". If we had this game, I would make it my bitch. It's probably best that we don't own it, or Hadley would sit in a dirty diaper and not get fed all day.

But really, DG is the one who really rocks. As evidenced here in this video that my Dad posted.

The Chicken Dance Revisited

Upon request, Grandpa pulled out the accordian yesterday and played the chicken dance for Hadley to her great delight. She shook her booty and gave the "more" sign when he stopped. Some people may consider the chicken dance a cruel form of child abuse. But she LOVES it. Really, it's more abusive to us. Luckily my tolerance for repetition is high.

Since I don't have a video, here is Myron Floren from Lawrence Welk playing the Chicken Dance.

A Non-Baby Post?!?!

A few months ago, DG transferred all of my music from the laptop to my computer so that I could finally have access to all of it. Now I can scroll through my 2,620 songs and listen to the same 25 every day.

But this post isn't about how I love having easy access to my iTunes, it's about the precious $13 I spent the other night at the iTunes store. If you remember how much I loved "bringing sexy back", then you won't be suprised by my new purchase "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake. I don't love him so much I want to marry him or anything, but this tune that I heard in my 5 minute drive to the grocery store last night is yummy. I also bought two tunes from Rihanna, but I'm too embarrassed to talk about those.

And finally, my big purchase was the soundtrack from the film Once. I saw this movie in the theaters with my friend Molly when I was pregnant. We both loved it, but it wasn't until I saw Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova perform and win the Academy Award for the song "Falling Slowly" that I had to have it. Glen is lead singer for a band called The Frames from Ireland. Years ago, I saw the Frames open up for Damien Rice in Boulder. Usually I'm very ho hum about opening acts, wanting them to finish fast to see the main show. However he had me at the first note. Every word he sings is so backed by an inner passion that it's a marvel to watch. So that's my big plug for the day, all things Glen Hansard.

Karaoke

I bet you are wondering why I've called you all here.

Seriously, I have something really funny to tell you.

Last night mom and dad found Karaoke on Demand. We danced around laughing and singing. Mom was doing her classic Michael Jackson dance and singing Beat It, while Dad used me as his air guitar. I believe there was also some 3 Doors Down and Christopher Cross. It was great fun. It was such a good time that I did not want to go to bed until the wee hours of the morning. Next time, I want to sing "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N Roses.

Lullaby and Goodnight

DG and I each have our different techniques to get Hadley to go to sleep. During December, we sang Christmas carols to her. White Christmas and Let it Snow were the two main ones that DG sang to her in utero. When my mother was here, she pulled out the church hymns, singing to her in a soothing alto. Usually, two hymns was all it took. Beginning in January, when I banned Christmas songs from the house until next Thanksgiving, we struggled to find songs that we knew all the words.

On one particularly tough evening at 3am, I found myself singing an old College Favorite, Sir Mix A Lot's "Baby's Got Back". Within 10 minutes, I was able to say "Baby's Got Sleep". When she starts screaming in the car, DG and I break into "Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles. On other occasions I've pulled out a few hits from Wham! and show tunes from Oklahoma. Just yesterday, I sang half of Abbey Road to her. Why these songs? Who knows?!?!

So I wasn't suprised when one night I found DG singing to her in a soft whisper, Madonna's "Like a Virgin". It's his signature song that he now uses to get her to sleep. Well that and "Lucky Star". Sometimes we duet. Well I'm just the back up singer really.

I can see the end of my belly button.

What used to be a cavernous hole, now has an end in site. Right now, it is the perfect size for an ear bud. We have started to play Baby G music from the Ipod through my belly button. DG only wants to play Mozart for her. I've slipped in some John Coltrane, but would really just like to sneak in Tool. I mean, she might as well get used to it now.

Cirque du Soleil

If you have never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, it is a combination of acrobatics, gymnatics, dance and art all thrown into one. This show is travelling through the states with their own stage, tent, snacks, and even toilets. DG already talked about it here, but if this show comes to your town, GO see it. The aerial acrobatics are amazing. I can't even do a back bend and these guys have such amazing control over their physiques.

And in another amazing show of fortitude, after leaving Cirque du Soleil, we decided to try and catch the end of a concert. If there is one song that reminds me of last summer and getting ready for the wedding, it is Built to Spill's Carry the Zero. DG not only played it all summer, but he incorporated it into every mix that we had going for the rehearsal dinner, brunch music, and it was the last song I heard as we were leaving the wedding. So really, we had to go and see if we could catch this song, and we did. They had already been on stage for 40 minutes, but we went in anyway. They closed with this song. The baby was dancing the entire time.

Bringin' on the Heartbreak

DG and I were sitting at our computers tonight each doing work and out of the blue, I started singing, "You're bringing on the heartbreak, bringing on the heartache, You're bringing on the heartbreak, can't you see? You've got the best of me, ooooh can't you see?" Honestly, I don't know any more of the lyrics and it was painful as I tried to hit the high notes. Next thing I know, DG has this Def Leppard song blaring out of his speakers.

Me: (confused)Is that the song I was just singing?
DG: Yes!
Me: Where did I get it from? (disturbed) Were you singing it?
DG: No
Me: What made me sing that awful song?
DG: (pointing to my belly) You ARE carrying my baby, you've got 80's metal rock inside of you.

For the love of all things nooooooooooooo.

Concert Reviews - The Decemberists and Damien Rice

DG and I have been lucky enough to get some free tickets recently to see some of our favorite bands. About a month ago we saw the Decemberists for the second time and wow did they make up for their last time here. They are so amazing live. If you haven't purchased any of their songs, stop don't drop, and go to ITunes now. Though I will admit they are a bit eclectic with their keyboards and accordion sound, you just may get hooked after a few listens. Their encore went on for so long that this old lady had to leave and go home to bed. So sad.

Then, the day after we moved into our new house, Molly and Shaun came over to check out the new digs, grab some dinner and head to hear Damien Rice. We had great tickets at The Paramount, a venue just the perfect size to hear Damien's sorrowful crisp voice. His emotionally charged songs enrapt the audience so throughly that even without a microphone or amp, he could come to the front of the stage to sing and the entire crowd could hear every word. I have loved his music since I saw him on MTV2 three and a half years ago. Three albums later and he had me at "O". He also has one of the best encores that I have ever seen. It doesn't hurt that his irish accent is so cute that you just want to take him home and feed him a bowl of steel cut oats. Ok, if I weren't an old married lady I'd feed him a line or too as well. A girl can dream right?

What's Up This Week?

Spring is here and I am coming out of my winter cocoon. I am typing up several different posts this week that are not ready yet, but here's the rundown.

Music
I have made several music playlists for running that I am going to upload to iTunes. Should all go well, you will be able to download the playlists for yourself OR pick and choose fun songs to add to your music. So far, my playlists include "Eat My Dust Mo Fo" - for the hardcore metal runner; "I'm Hot in my Pink Velour Jog Suit" - for the club crowd; and "I'm serious about my 3 mile jog" for those who like a steady rock beat. Got some better titles? I am open to suggestions.

Diet
Like many women, I have a daily battle of guilt and consumption over the food I put in my body. I am almost ready to boycott the grocery store for selling aisle upon aisle of processed, preservative ridden food. How many products in your pantry have High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in them? Go check, I dare you! Even though we eat close to the food chain, I am going to go one step further and eradicate this ingredient from our lives. This and a bunch of other ways to try and eat healthier.

Exercise
Walking, Running, Jogging? How about training for a triathlon? These are all things I am considering. Get your sneakers on and join me as we boost our endurance.

Boston RIP

DG already posted about the death of Brad Delp, the lead singer of Boston. He also mentioned that we listened non-stop to Boston for like 48 hours when we found out. Here is the real kicker and a little known fact about me. I know every word to all of their songs. Who knew?

I'm sure it has something to do with Teenage angst and stealing my dad's cassette tapes to listen to them locked in my room while protesting meatloaf for dinner, or something.

This may come in handy for me when I go out to Karaoke this week-end.

IPOD Playlist

Here are my top 10 favorite songs right now in no particular order. On Itunes you can look up the playlists for famous people and buy the songs individually. I figure why not create my own list. I am almost famous to like 50 of you out there. This was really hard to narrow down to 10 favorites by the way.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Gold Lion
The Dandy Warhols – We Used to be Friends
Steve Malkamus – Black Book
The Postal Service – The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
Death Cab for Cutie – Soul Meets Body
Damien Rice – 9 Crimes
Built to Spill – Goin’ Against Your Mind
The Decemberist – The Island
Built to Spill – Whenever You Go
Iron and Wine – Cinder and Smoke
Iron and Wine – On Your Wings

The Decemberists

As it turns out, my new favorite band was in town last night playing at the Paramount Theater and DG got us tickets through work in the 3rd row! They are promoting their new album The Crane Wife. DG was not too fond of them until he heard this album and was able to get caught up, like me! At last, I have brought some new music to this relationship, and I can listen to it at night to fall asleep to!

Though they did not play any songs off of the one album that I have, and the lead singer had a cold, they still put on a good show. There are six people total in the band including two women. One of the women played violin, accordion, a xylophone thingy, guitar, and sang! WOW impressive.

The singer has a bit of a craggy voice anyway, so even with a frog in his throat you could barely tell during the first 30 minutes of the show. Though it did make me constantly want to clear my own throat and drink tea with lemon and honey. Finally however in the last 15 minutes his voice failed and they ended the show after a good 53 minutes. I would definitely go see them again.

Love of Mine Some Day You Will Die

I knew all I had to do was ask and I would receive. My current music obsession is with the Band called The Decemberists, which was a recommendation from Michelle. You can hear some cuts from their new album on their MySpace page HERE. The only album that I have is Her Majesty the Decemberists which was released in 2003. With every listen, it gets better and better and now I can't stop listening to it.

It has not surpassed my other obsession Death Cab For Cutie. I purchased their 2005 album Plans from Itunes last week. When you click on the link above, their site plays some songs from their last album. "Soul Meets Body" is the reason that I bought the album. Make sure you listen to "I will follow you into the dark". I make DG and I listen to it every night laying in bed with the lights off. It is powerful.
Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

It makes us realize that we are not eternal.

Music Ramblings

When I started this post a week ago, I thought I was so on the cutting edge, listening to some new great music. Then I found out that everything I am currently loving is from 1999-2003. So what was I doing during that time that I missed this alternative scene? IIIIIIIIIIIII was going through my dreaded hip hop phase. It started innocently enough when Holly turned me on to Outkast. She was loving a new song called Ms. Jackson. In order to hear the song, we had to listen to the hip hop station all day, weed through the rest of the crap out there, just so as to hear our precious song every couple of hours. It was like an addiction. In the meantime, we ranted about the state of music and how awful the rest of hip hop was. That is until those catchy tunes with appalling lyrics started sticking with us and we started singing them to eachother. Like Nelly's "It's getting hot in here, I'm gonna take my clothes off" and Ludacris', "I'm gonna lick lick lick lick you from your head to your toes, I'm gonna move from the bed down to the down to the floor and I'm gonna hahah, make it so good you don't wanna leave". DG is cringing right now. More recently I found my Snoop cd in the car and made him listen to "Drop it like it's hot...When the pigs try to git at you, park it like it's hot, park it like it's hot".

Now that you know that little dirty secret, you may be skeptical that I have any taste at all. But I love the music that I am listening to right now. If you were at our wedding or rehearsal dinner, you no doubt heard Built to Spill. They are from Idaho of all places, but their song Carry the Zero makes me feel like I am in love again. Ok, maybe DG in his corduroys and pumpkin colored sweater has something to do with it too, but this song is good. You can hear their songs by clicking on the links above or by going to their MySpace page here. Liar is another really good one.

My other new obsession is the Postal Service which has the guy from Death Cab for Cutie. I listen to their song The District Sleeps Alone Tonight 5 times a day. Click the link and pick your download speed to view it.

Top 5 picks from my IPOD this week:
Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
Steve Malkmus - Black Book
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion
Iron and Wine - On Your Wings
Iron and Wine - Teeth in the Grass

Memory Lane

I love it when music can transport you back in time, to a different part of your life. When you can close your eyes and be in that moment and feel all that you were feeling. To this day, whenever I hear The Cure's Disintegration album, it reminds me of a 10 hour train ride from Penn Station to Pittsburgh going back to school. It was bittersweet as I loved school and never wanted to leave, but had just left my boyfriend to continue our long distance relationship. The Sinead O'Connor album, The Lion and the Cobra, brings me back to freshman year at Allegheny College and being so on my own and so happy and so naive. It was the time of no responsibility other than making friends partying and doing school work. It was the calm before the storm of going into the real world to be an adult.

In the adverse affect, there are moments that have ruined some songs that remind me of people that are no longer in my life. When I hear the songs, I can't help but think of those people. Not in a nostalgic "oh I wish they were here" kind of way, but in a "look at how far I've come from that place" way. I can't hear "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel without thinking of my first boyfriend and forget Sade or Jill Scott. What are your songs that bring you to a different time and place?

Antidepressants are the new sexy

Michelle emailed me this great parody of my ringtone of Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake. Click on the header to see it. Such a catchy tune. I still don't want to answer my phone when people call because I like am totally getting my groove on.

Mood Music

For my birthday, my digitally adept husband got me an IHOME. Apparently I had been asking for one. I got my ipod for Christmas several years ago and I use it when I go for a run, ahem, (i.e. never), or when I am allowed to play it through the speaker system in the backyard (i.e. rarely). Why use my ipod when DG has all the cool music, right? Wrong!

I LOVE waking up every morning to different music on MY ipod. I can choose a song, or let it surprise me. I have the best taste ever! This morning I got out of bed to angry girl Liz Phair, yesterday it was REM, the day before that it was the Pixies. I can also fall asleep at night and have the ipod on a timer. I love falling asleep to music (though DG does not). I am currently going through a Simon and Garfunkel phase. It reminds me of 10th grade English when Mr. Stank used S&G songs to teach us poetry. They are poetic. I want to listen to them every night. The sound is so crystal clear, that it's like I am in a funky art house movie.

Once in awhile when it is on shuffle, I get the "What the H-E-double toothpicks is this song?" This has allowed for a cleansing purge of the ipod. But I still have 5 gigs of space left on it. What are you listening to? Any recommendations of what I should put on it next?