dedicated to my daddy...

i have very vivid memories of driving in my dad's toyota camry. sitting in the front seat. he'd slide in his tape "m sum gud tunes". and then...
"the nightfly"


"i.g.y."


there are certain memories that i have - with so specific reference. nothing significant happened. no holiday was celebrated. just a good golden fuzzy memory. the vague, unattached memories of my dad usually involve music. his own linguistic translations of opera lyrics on sundays driving home (specifically the tragedies of large women in dressing rooms). and interpretative dance moves that would put those crazies in their black unitards to shame. riding a tandem bike along the boardwalk - "how does it feel to be part of the beautiful people". never tiring of making fun of basia. being shocked as dad puttered around the backyard singing, verbatim, "master of the house" from les miserables.

thanks dad for interesting musical education, uninhibited dancing, fuzzy golden memories...and showing me the fun and funky -ness of being yourself. knowing what you like, why you like it, and sharing it - without expectations - with others.

i love you.

"thank you"...

led zeppelin says happy thanksgiving

thanksgiving smorgasbord...

dido says "thank you"

yolanda adams says "thank you"

sizzla says "thank you"

johnny reid says "thank you"

abba says "thank you"

xzibit says "thank you"

bon jovi says "thank you"

(i swear the video's in rome. unless i'm really mistaken...that big ol' fountain is trevi fountain. cousin diane and i threw in euros there a decade ago - trevi legend states that if you coin-wish, then one day you'll come back to rome. continuing with the tangent: over 3,000 euros per day are collected from the trevi. this money has funded a supermarket for the needy of rome).

jamelia says "thank you"

ray boltz says "thank you"

"thank you"...

thanksigiving's coming. i thought the song's theme was appropriate.

wanna see some fun guitar?

dick dale & the del tones "misirlou" 1963


i love the crazy speed guitar of dick dale (and for tj: if i'm not mistaken the guitarist in the movie "back to the beach" was mr. dale himself). it's recognizable to most, yet the fingers responsible are not. his particular sound was brought to a whole new generation by the black eyed peas in "pump it".

interesting to compare. both vids are male dominated with one hot chick. the del tones have their one white clad twister, and the black eyed peas have their fergie.

addiction begun in my youth...

"what would you say?"


TJ told me this story (and he can correct me if I remember it wrong...which I probably do): when DMB was starting out, they self-advertised in a highly unusual, yet effective way. They volunteered free shows at high schools around the country. And sold their albums out of their trunk in the parking lot. Like crack dealers. Taste for free. Then, once your addicted, you gotta pay. And they've certainly claimed their place in the iTunes library!

I love Dave Matthews Band. There is a certain element of madness in their music. An unexpectedness. I love the unconventional sound. The improvisation. The skill. Simultaneously joyful and melancholy - like life. Whether you like it, or not, you must at least admit: they are unlike other sounds.

"crash into me"

"rhyme and reason"


Dave Matthews Band include (of course) Dave Matthews (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Stefan Lessard (bassist), Boyd Tinsley (violinist), Carter Beauford (drummer), and LeRoi Moore (saxophonist, and recently deceased). "The band is known for their annual summer-long, nationwide tours featuring lengthy improvisational renditions of their songs accompanied by video and elaborately choreographed lighting. They have sold over 31 million units in the United States alone, putting them in the Top 100 highest selling music acts of all time."

one of my all-time favorite songs...

"redemption song" by bob marley

this song first appeared on his 9th album - "uprising". he wrote the song ~1979, when he'd already been diagnosed with cancer, and was privately dealing with a lot of pain and the knowledge of his impending death.

this song is solely acoustic guitar and marley's unadorned singing - unlike most of his other tracks. i love that he keeps it stripped down - which highlights his lyrics, and the emotions that are evoked by simple guitar strumming.

"Old pirates, yes, they rob i;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took i
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the and of the almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? ooh!
Some say its just a part of it:
Weve got to fulfil de book.

Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs..."

My favorite line is "emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds." According to Wikipedia: "These memorable lines appear to have been taken from a speech given by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia during October 1937 and published in his Black Man magazine:
We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign. The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind..."

In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the song at #66 among The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

i'm so cool now...

apparently this little group (and particularly this song) is all the rage on the los osos high school campus - for the girls. the boys are not so thrilled. mom shared, and now i'm cool too. doesn't your heart just pitter patter? no? i guess we are all too old.

still a good song. thanks, mom (and your silly HS girls)

jonas brothers "love bug"

birdhouse in your soul...

and, in case you are living in a birdhouse, and don't watch "pushing daisies", here's the cover they did


"Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

(and while you're at it
Keep the nightlight on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)"

i thought it was time...

to provoke some ridicule out of my lover. i know he's been biting his tongue - which is just no fun in any meaning of the phrase. so, what do you think, t? can you resist making fun of this?

i love the funky, fun sounds of squirrel nut zippers. and you can make fun as much as you want...i'll still love it!

"put a lid on it"

"Say, every time I turn it loose you cats come down and cook my goose
When I start I just cant stop, But if you keep this up youre gonna blow your top!
...Put a lid down on it, and everything will be all right."


"hell"

"In the afterlife
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
But tomorrow therell be hell to pay

People listen attentively
I mean about future calamity
I used to think the idea was obsolete
Until I heard the old man stamping his feet.

This is a place where eternally
Fire is applied to the body
Teeth are extruded and bones are ground
Then baked into cakes which are passed around.

Beauty, talent, fame, money, refinement
Top skill and brain
But all the things you try to hide
Will be revealed on the other side."

something else new...

"breathe" by taylor swift


"you're not sorry"

something new...

last sunday we spent with our shelby family, for my nephew's birthday. while there drew played this song for me. granted he played a lot of other stuff as well - none of which sparked any of my interest to hear more. but, this band? sounds good to me.

the breakers: "dance the go-go"

all your love...

i could listen to norah jones sing - any time...

"Give me all your love
Give it to me right now
All your love
Don't mess around with my love"

hannah's first favorite song...

Comin' to America

Just some more Hendrickson nostalgia, and letting Mom and Dad know that they did have an impact on us ... Nicole, did we dance to this one too? I can't remember :) hahaha

And for some more Saturday morning motivation check out Jump - Pointer Sisters!

She's Got A Way

I was inspired by Nicole to share my recent favorite BJ Song- I say that this is Chris' song for me... hello, do I need to explain!? But there are TOO many that I LOVE to pick a real fav.

And for more Billy Joel fix check out It's Still Rock and Roll to Me and You're Only Human (funny video!!)

Danse Macabre

This was one of my favorite pieces we ever played with the Claremont Youth Symphony Orchestra! (Probably because the cello part was actually fun) And it's macabre- so Happy Halloween!