2012 In Pictures, Part 2

Us again.

Technically, I did not take this picture. But my camera did. And I love it.

State Fair ride.

 Ani Difranco. First Avenue. 

 Snagged a set list from Ani's show. I've always wanted to get one.

A Cannonball mission. Cornfield maze.

My team won Cannonball this year. These were our prizes. Plus the bragging rights.

Met Amanda Palmer before her show.

Amanda Palmer at First Avenue.

More new song lyrics.

EP recording.

Duluth views.

Picking songs for my Duluth set list.

Equal love for ALL.

Election Day!

Robbie joins the family.

P.O.S. Get well soon.

Backstage at The Cedar.

Roe Family Singers and Prairie Fire Lady Choir soundchecking.

On the way to Robbie's first vet visit (with us).

Looking out the window is his favorite.

NE art studio birthday parties.

Prissy Clerks record release show at 7th Street Entry.

Sleeping puppy.

 Cold bus rides.

Wink and me.

Waiting for Zoo Animal at The Cedar.

 Robbie's favorite toy.

Cuddle time.

 More EP recording.

The best thing to happy to me all year. 

Five

Here's five things that are, will be and have been happening:

1. I have a lot of songs ready to go and so I thought it would be fun to record an EP for a release this spring - and the recording has begun! Shawn has a 4 track player and we are going to make a 4-5 song EP. Total do-it-yourself mode completely recorded at his house. I'm going to make the album art and burn the discs myself, though it will most likely be mainly a digital download. I'm super excited. Here's the first song we've done. It's called "A Story":



2. I'm performing at The Cedar Cultural Center this Tuesday for the Prairie Fire Lady Choir end of season show. As you may or may not know, I've been a part of the choir for about two years now. I'll be singing some songs with the choir as well as some songs of my own on my own. Should be a super fun night!

3. I saw The Chalice perform again at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Third Thursday event. These ladies are the real deal. Check them out!

4. My friends, The Broken Bicycles, have revamped their sound. They've gone electric! And they've done it well! No more ukuleles. Lead singer, Turkeyes' voice was made for singing like this. Love it. I took some video at the debut performance of their new sound.



5. I started watching Homeland last weekend. I'm not sure about this one. Claire Danes is so over the top. It occurred to me I haven't seen anything she's done since My So Called Life. This character feels like exactly who Angela Chase grew up to be. I will say that I am intrigued by the show's main mystery. Just not sure I care about much else - including the characters.

Sunday Morning

It's Sunday morning. I got up kind of early. Lately I've been sleeping in until way past 10am on the weekends. But this morning I was up at the ridiculously early time of 9:15. So I made myself some coffee and pop tarts (strawberry, unfrosted) and have spent the morning browsing the internet (while listening to the songs listed below).

I've got the internet whittled down to about 20 sites. I visit them on a rotating basis throughout the day. Some of them don't update on the weekends and I find that so incredibly frustrating (I'm looking at you Tom and Lorenzo). Is there a better time to browse the internet than on a Sunday morning with coffee and pop tarts? I think not.

This is me on the internet on Sunday morning in cartoon form. 

Songs That Have Played Randomly Via My iTunes This Morning:

1. "Blood Bank" - Bon Iver

2. "I" - Andrew Bird

3. "What Is Wrong" - Juliana Hatfield

4. "I Won't Stand in Your Way" - Stray Cats

5. "That's the Way Love Goes" - Janet Jackson (I really, really love Janet Jackson)

6. "Country Sad Ballad Man" - Blur

7. "When You Were Mine" - Cyndi Lauper

8. "Stitches the Clown" - El le Faunt and His Traveling Circus

9. "Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid) - Sufjan Stevens

10. "The Dreams You Left Behind (Reprise) - Micah P. Hinson

11. "Fell Down the Stairs" - Tilly and the Wall

12. "Island in the Stream" - Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (Kenny Rogers & I share the same birthday - August 21st)

13. "I Remember You" - Skid Row (I sometimes cover this song. Mostly very poorly)

14. "Let's Talk About Sex" - Salt-N-Peppa

15. "Paparazzi" - Lady GaGa (love the chorus of this song)

16. "Homeward Bound" - Simon & Garfunkel

17. "I Started a Joke" - Bee Gees

18. "Just Like Heaven" - The Cure

19. "Once In A While" - Eddie Vedder

20. "Run to Me" Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs

At some point today I need to do laundry. Our dryer broke a while ago and we haven't been able to get a new one yet. So laundry has to be carefully planned out so that clothes will be dry when needed. This has made it so I've been doing very small loads because there are only so many places to hang and lay my clothes to dry. But I'm almost caught up. I think if I stay in my pajamas all day today and wash one final load, I will finally have all of my clothes clean. And it will be good.

I'm sure this is all fascinating. But, hey, at least I'm updating the blog and, hopefully, giving someone else something mindless to read on a Sunday Morning.

Here's some songs referencing Sunday morning...

No Doubt: Sunday Morning:

Ani Difranco: Sunday Morning: 

Oasis: Sunday Morning Call:

Alright. Procrastination over. Laundry time. Have a great week. I have a show tomorrow night at Cause in Minneapolis. I'll be playing solo. 10pm. It's free. 

Things I Love Right Now

I just had this idea for a new reoccurring blog topic that will - like all of my reoccurring blog topics (see: Music Mondays, Favorite Songs Ever, Sunday Lists as examples) just die a quick death. But, whatever.

So I think - for now - I might make the first blog post of each month be about things I'm really loving at the moment. Things I'm really loving in all areas of all things.

So here goes (in no particular order)...

1. My black jeans.

I'm not saying I look super awesome in them or anything. It's just that I don't buy jeans because I don't find them all that comfortable. And the last time I tried to wear these I must have been super bloated or I've dropped a few pounds recently because they were one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever dressed my body in. But the other day I was in a pinch and needed something to wear and I put them on and they felt like sweatpants. So I've worn them pretty much every day since. So I should probably give them their props now because next week they most likely won't fit so well again and I will go back to hating them.


2. The Walking Dead

This show is quite the roller coaster, isn't it? And I don't just mean the intensity of each episode, but I mean how it can go from being a pretty good show to sucking so horribly to suddenly being ridiculously amazing. Three episodes into the third season and it seems to have finally figured itself out. But there's still a lot to go, so we'll see if it can hold up. (There I go. Always the pessimist).


3. "Good Intentions Paving Company" by Joanna Newsom



I've been in love with this song for a couple of months now. A week ago I had a show in Duluth and, driving home that night, I listened to this song 3 times in a row. I would have listened more, but I didn't want to be ridiculous. My goal is to write a song like this.


4. This dog.

The husband and I are totally ready to get a dog again. We still cry for Murray way more than is probably normal, but we are ready to have a dog in the house again. Unfortunately, the timing is just not that great right now. But I don't know. I've got it bad for this guy. If he's still available to adopt in a week...


5. Mashed Potatoes

OMG I could eat mashed potatoes for every meal and be so happy. Right now my favorite meal consists of a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, which I pick up from the Byerlys' hot dish meal deli section, fake bbq riblets, and corn. It's so good. Such comfort food.

Things That Have Happened

1.  I've been uploading new songs from my new upcoming album (Sea Salt) on my Bandcamp page every couple of days.  CD release party is on August 4th at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul, MN. There is a link to the right over there that will take you to the Facebook event page. You should come. For reals.

2. I played a solo set at Acadia last Saturday. It was fun show as I got to play with two of my favorite local bands: The Broken Bicycles and French Films About Trains. It was also my last show until that CD release party I mentioned earlier. 

Setlist for Acadia 6-30-12

- Good

- The Party

- Can't Even Tell

- Easy to Blame

- Ramble Song

- Thursday

- Adore

- Minnesota

- Cast a Spell

3. I've had a cold this week and, as usual, it has completely taken over my life and made things generally sucky. Colds just get in the way of everything. I hate them.

4. During this cold, I have watched a lot of DVDs. I mean, a lot. Off the top of my head, the movies I've watched are: The Departed, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Shutter Island, Mystic River, Sherlock Series 2, Can't Buy Me Love, Old School, The Queen, Prime, season one of Grounded for Life and I'm currently half way through season two of Grounded for Life. I've spent a lot of time on the couch.

5. Yes, I like the show Grounded for Life.

6. I picked up a ton of new music recently: Regina Spektor's new one, Fiona Apple's new one, Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelle's new one, The Ericksons, Bethany Larson and the Bee's Knees, Hope  Sandoval and the Warm Inventions...I love them all. New music just makes me so happy. Music in general makes me so happy. Cannot get enough.

I guess that's really it. Just a lot of little things and the waiting for August 4th. I get the physical CDs make this Friday. And then I just countdown the days and rehearse. We've got a dedicated drummer on board for this show, so Shawn doesn't have to go back and forth between guitar and drums. It's all very exciting. And it makes me so nervous!!! 

Sigh.

Is it time yet?

10 Songs I Can't Get Enough of Right Now

Lykke Li - "Dance, Dance, Dance"

Here she is singing this song in a park in LA with Bon Iver...



Anais Mitchell - Young Man in America"



Beirut - "Elephant Gun"



Amanda Palmer - "In My Mind"



Bon Iver - "Blood Bank"



Zoo Animal - "Dream On"

Zoo Animal's lead singer singing this song acapella while ice skating....




David Karsten Daniels - "We Go Right On"

Sadly, I can't find video or a link for this song anywhere.

Leonard Cohen - "Going Home"



Noel Gallagher - "If I Had a Gun"



Regina Spektor - "Chemo Limo"

Things I Did This Weekend

Admittedly, I really didn't do much this weekend - but really, I did. And, admittedly, this is a pretty shitty list for my Sunday list post, but oh well.

1. On Friday, I had some beers with my gals on a porch.
2. On Saturday...I mixed all the songs for the new album!!! It's basically done!!! It is so exciting!!!

This list is really just an excuse to tell you that the songs are all done and now it just has to be mastered and pressed.

And my CD release show has been booked for Saturday, August 4th at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall.

And I can't wait to share these songs with everyone.

And now I am going to curl up on the couch and continue watching season 5 of Lost.

And Sherlock returns tonight on BBC Masterpiece on channel 2.

Good times.