10 posts tagged “music”

I've been meaning to order Pilgrim Heart by Krishna Das for about 5 years now.  I first heard this album in a yoga class that I took on campus.  I was really struck by it.  It was so beautiful and mesmerizing.  I had never heard anything like it before.  Something in me has been keeping me from buying it though.  Maybe I'm afraid of buying chanting music?  Why?  I don't know.  I've looked it up online about 20 times but never bit the bullet and bought it.  Until last week.  I finally put in my order and it should be here soon.  The catalyst this time seems to be that I heard one of his records in my prenatal yoga class last week and it just felt so good to hear it.  I'd like to have it with me for the birth.  He's got lots of records but I went back and got the original record that I'm been meaning to buy all this time.  I'll get his others later I bet.

He's also got a really interesting biography if you want to check it out.  I won't relay it here, but his website is pretty good.
 

Pilgrim Heart

Krishna Das

People seem to have strong feelings in one direction or another about Sinead O'Connor.

I recently bought her latest record, Theology.

I really like it.

I lost track of her for a while. 

Don't you love The Lion and the Cobra?

Don't you love I do not want what I haven't got?

Don't you love Am I not your Girl?

The last album I bought was Universal Mother.  The most beautiful song on there is, "In this Heart."  Amazing.

Driving around town listening to this latest record makes me happy that I've found her again.  I missed her voice.

I recently bought a new cd of monkeymusic, Smithsonian Folkways Children's Music Collection.  Love it.  I'm figuring out that there is a whole gigantic world of old and contemporary folk music that I really want to learn about and listen to and play for monkey and for me.  But that's not what this post is about.

This post is about a particular song on that album by Lord Invader and the Calypso Orchestra.  (Did you click on that link?  You need to.)  He and his band do Merrily We Roll Along, which is set to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down--only calypso style.  Uh huh.  You get me.  It is easily the catchiest tune on the record.  Which is why I had to look him up.

Has anyone heard of Lord Invader before?  Ah, there is so much to learn. 

I've just got to write a quick post to tell you that I love when I catch the show Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis on our local jazz station.  It's on right now and I'm digging it.  It is always sooo good.  And I just love his smooth voice.  His narration is just as good as the music he plays.  My favorite show aired back in March and was on the music of Congo Square in New Orleans.  So good!

I know next to nothing about jazz but have been listening to our local station for a while now.  Especially when I'm working at home I just leave the station on all day and go along for whatever the ride is.  And in the car with monkey I tend to put the station on and be-bop with him to it.

The other show I really enjoy is Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland.  She's a cool old timer who brings on piano players to duet with and interview.  Very cool.

I wish I had time to actually do some reading about jazz.  For now I'm just a public radio listener who enjoys what I hear.

The New Yorker has a great article this week about Edith Piaf.  Unfortunately, the text isn't online (I hate that).  There's a new movie out about her.  I haven't seen it.  Anyway, reading that piece gave me some motivation to read more about her life.  I love her music but know basically nothing about her.  A long time ago I read a biography of Judy Garland (tragic) and in there was a foto of Judy and Edith together.  I thought that was cool.  I had no idea about how much tragedy they apparently had in common.  Yikes.

How fun would it be to go to Rock Camp?  I just came across this site for a rock camp for girls and ladies in NYC.  Now I've got to find out if there are more like this around the country!  Why did I go to cheerleading camp in 8th grade and not ROCK CAMP?  I mean I know it was important for me to learn those awesome cheers and all, but I would much rather have learned to rock!

Finally went to Zia records yesterday and brought the little monkey with me.  We were trying to give the mister some time to get some writing done.  Anyway, I went in with a list and came out a very happy girl:

• Bettie Serveert, Bare Stripped Naked (have loved them ever since Palomine)
  
• Rufus Wainwright, Release the Stars (oh the gorgeousness)
  
• Elizabeth Mitchell, You Are My Little Bird (gonna get some more of hers)
  
• The Best of The Electric Company  (you know you miss it too)
  
• Dirk Shumaker, Everybody's Gotta Have a Place  (never heard of him before this.  all original tunes, very cool.) 
  

 
I hadn't done that in a long time.  I highly recommend it.

We received a wonderful gift today from my awesome friend in NOLA.  She sent a cd from her current fav Louisiana band, The Red Stick Ramblers, and it is so fun!  As soon as he put it in the player the mister said, "Man this is making me miss the south."  I agree.  Makes me want to trade in the desert heat for a hot and steamy New Orleans summer.  I've been looking at plane tix to NOLA for a while now.  I feel the need to go there and see my bud.  Anyway, check out the Rambers!  Thanks babe!

Okay, so I have been trying to urge the mister to let me get him a pair of mandals for a couple of years now.  He is very resistant.  Even though I generally consider him to be a man who is comfortable with his masculinity, mandals apparently raise some red flags for him.  We live in Las Vegas yet the man won't wear anything but his Chucks or his work shoes.  That means socks!  How can he stand it?  I haven't worn socks in 2 months already!

During our most recent discussion about mandals, ths mister proposed that if I would email Bill Janovitz of the amazing bands Buffalo Tom and Crown Victoria and ask him if he currently does or ever has worn mandals then my mister would get and wear some.  Here is the email that I sent Bill: 

Hi Bill,

My husband is a long-time dedicated Buffalo Tom/Bill Janovitz fan (me too).  I really want to buy him a pair of man-sandals, ie. mandals.  I think that, since we live in Las Vegas, it would be really nice for the summer.  He said that if I email you and you tell me that you have ever worn or currently wear mandals then he'll wear them.  Otherwise, no dice.  So, what do you say, Bill?  Do you wear any sort of sandal?  Would you mind sharing that information with a fan?

I don't know who is out there actually reading this stuff that I am rambling on about.  But!  I have a request for you...I need some recommendations for summer music. 

One of my fav records from a couple of summers ago was Neil Halstead's Sleeping on Roads (this link is to his myspace page where you can hear a bunch of his songs).   Just for starters...

Now it's time for some new music!   What do you have for me?   Hello?  Hello?